To celebrate my 42nd birthday at the weekend, Brad and I bought up nearly all the ales in Tesco.
Among the selection was Tesco Finest Belgian Wheat Beer. Although I have sworn allegiance to Ocado you clearly can’t buy this beer from them – so sorry guys – please don’t fire me!
Label headlines tell us this [...]

St Austell Admiral Ale won Supreme Champion in the International Beer Challenge 2008.
This ale celebrates Nelson’s 200th anniversary at Trafalgar in 1805. Apparently ‘… it was St Austell’s Blue Anchor Inn that the King’s messenger carrying news of the bottle, first stopped for refreshment on his long journey from Cornwall to London’.
Anyway, this premium bottle [...]

Whenever I am in a Fullers pub I usually go straight for the draught ESB and drink it until I can drink no more.
ESB has been winning award for years – twice voted World Champion Bitter, three times voted Champion Beer of Britain, and is acknowledged around the world as a one of the World’s [...]

Hook Norton Haymaker is a 5.0% Pale Ale.
Headlining as a ‘… distinctive pale ale’, this ale is brewed with Goldings Hops is one of those that sits in the ‘take it or leave it’ category for me.
This isn’t dissimilar to having a Cobra or another of those beers you get in an Indian restaurant and [...]

I’ve always steered clear of Discovery when I’ve been in a Fullers pub. Obvious reasons are usually the alternatives – one being ESB – but also my ale snobbery makes me not want to drink something that looks like lager.
Discovery is a Blonde ale head-lining simply as ‘Refreshing’.
Bottle notes tell us ‘…this superb premium blonde [...]

Bottle Three today is Fullers Organic Honeydew.
Honeydew is a ‘… refreshing golden beer’ and is 5%.
Bottle notes say ‘… this award winning premium beer is delightfully sweet, golden and refreshing’. Apparently it is ‘… the UKs leading organically produced ale’.
Honeydew is brewed ‘ …using English malts and the finest honey to give a mellow, rounded [...]

I know it seems like I am drinking a lot lately – but gardening and DIY is thirsty work and the weather just right for ale.
Another St Austell – this time Tribute – headlines as ‘… The South West’s favourite’. and ‘… a delicious beer that captures the essential character of Cornwall’.
I’ve not been to [...]

Saturday and the sun is out and I’m out in the garden with a nice bottle of Clouded Yellow.
Up until this bottle came along, my only exposure to Wheat beer was that Hoegarden stuff which I didn’t really have a lot of time for.
This St Austell wheat beer is a far different kettle of fish.
Worth [...]

As the evening draws to a close (well for me anyway) I thought I’d finish with an ale I’ve never had before – that being Fuller’s Old Winter Ale.
Headlines on the very heavy bottle are ‘… Rich, Warm, Winter Ale.
This ale comes in at 5.3%. Bottle notes say ‘…the crystal malts in the brew [...]

My three favourite bottle brewers right now would have to be Bath Ales, Hook Norton and St Austell.
St Austell make some cracking bottles. And their HSD is no exception. It is ‘… a traditionally brewed Strong Cornish Ale’ that comes in at 5%.
HSD stands for Hicks Special Draught – and is named after the Brewery’s [...]