I picked up some new bottles that I’d not seen before from a brewer called Grain Brewery Norfolk. They came via the Classic Car Show at Helmingham Hall. According to the blurb: “Our belief in simplicity and quality means that all our efforts are put into making great beer for you. We have fed your [...]

I wonder sometimes if trying a ‘Golden Ale’ after a bitter ale is a smart move, but why not?
This is another Badger offering that doesn’t fail to disappoint. Much sweeter than the other, non-Golden Ales, this one also has a flowery smell. It reminds me of when I used to make Elderflower wine. Checking the [...]

I haven’t had a bottle of ale for a while, mainly due to the large quantity of Guinness gracing my cupboards and fridge. So I was pleasantly surprised to be asked to sample a bottle of ‘William Worthington’s White Shield’ by the Head of Trading at Ocado.
Being as it is a tough call to decide [...]

Something seriously simple learned from sitting at the bar of The Grapes all night while they served some pretty lively Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Decanting makes bottled ales much more enjoyable and closer to their draught counterparts. So from now on, I’m going to carelessly pour my bottle of ale into a large jug and then [...]

I have been giving ale a bit of a rest lately. Mainly due to my growing stomach, but also because I have stacks of wine to get through ! I’ve had the odd pub lunch with Brad – but nothing exciting enough to write about. Until today!
My Italian friend Enrico fancied a pint of Guinness [...]

Having been a bit grumpy at work this week I was glad to see the back of it. So getting home nice and early and popping the cap on an ale was definitely what the doctor ordered. And the ale left in the fridge was ‘ASDA’s Whitechapel Porter’.
I have to say I wasn’t optimistic about [...]

I was beginning to think I was going off bottled ale. I’ve had a good 10 bottles and not enjoyed any of them. Until I found ‘Rolling Hitch’ by Darwin Brwery Ltd.
I picked this one up in ASDA. I bought one of everything they had – and so far this has been the best. I [...]

I spent a long afternoon in Cambridge and for some reason ended up consuming only Greene King Ales. Cambridge has loads of great pubs, but I hadn’t realised that so many were GK’s!

Striker – A special ale for the World Cup period and not special at all, pretty boring in fact.
XX Mild – Probably the [...]

If you want a bottle of ale that will not let you down, then Greene King Abbot Ale is the ale to go for.
If I ever go to a pub and am unsure about the other pumps, I will always plump for Abbot. I’ve never had a bad one. And the bottled stuff is the [...]

McEwan’s Champion is – in their own words “…a very strong dark traditional Scottish Ale with an intense rich flavour, yet surprisingly easy to drink.
I mainly agree. Although it isn’t that easy to drink. It is so so gassy in the bottle and you really need to knock that gas out to enjoy it. Once [...]