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 conditioned ale has been brewed with Cornish Gold malt.

Bottle notes tell is this is ‘… a truly complex beer to savour, best enjoyed when decanted carefully leaving the sediment behind’. Oops! I should have read that before I poured it – but there is nothing here leaving lumps in your ale. Nothing at all.

This ale is brewed with both Styrian Golding and Cascade hops which gives the ale a deep bronze colour and a biscuity flavour and a spicy aroma.

Oh and it’s a 5.0% ale.

The verdict? It’s not hard to understand why this ale has won awards. It’s fruity, malty and downright gorgeous. I’m not really sure what ‘biscuity’ means (I don’t eat biscuits) but it’s irrelevant to me. It’s really great. I’m just upset that I only have one bottle.

This is a great bottle. I’m going to check out hostelries in Cornwall because I can’t imagine how great this would be on tap (if they do that).

I’d score this 4.5+ out of 5. I doubt I’ll find a bottle as good as this for a long time. It really hits the spot and ticks all the boxes. Get some !

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 Cornwall yet – but if they have St Austell on tap down there it might not be a bad idea to take a drive down there one weekend !

Tribute comes in at 4.2% – so not too heavy – and is very moreish. I thought this before I read the bottle notes – which say ‘…Tribute is a moreishly drinkable beer’.

Further label notes say Tribute has ‘… delicious, full bodied malt flavours and a citrus aroma’.

Tribute is brewed with Cornish Spring water, Cornish Gold and Maris Otter, Fuggle, Willamette and Styrian Golding hops. That’s a lot of different hops.

There is certainly an orange aroma to this ale and this carried through in the taste of the ale. This ale is neither bitter nor sweet and is just so drinkable. It’s malty, fruity and hoppy – everything I love in an ale.

This is another 4+ out of 5 ale for me. I’m going to have to revise my scoring or I’ll never be able to have a top 5.

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 noting – that St Austell was voted regional brewer of the year in 2009 which is far praise given the number of Cornish ales that are out there.

Clouded Yellow headlines as ‘… A deliciously refreshing wheat beer brewed with the rare taste of vanilla, cloves and coriander’.

Clouded Yellow is names after a butterfly that can be sometimes found in Cornwall. There’s a picture of the butterfly on the label.

Clouded Yellow is a bottle conditioned ale, coming in at 4.8% and it is suggested that you either pour it with care and leave the sediment/yeast in the bottle or you give it a swish and make it ‘a clouded yellow’ appearance. Makes sense ! There’s quite a lot of lumpy sediment so it’s your call what you do !

This bottle uses the Willamette hop and with the addition of cloves and coriander the flavour and aroma is quite unique.

This ale really does hit the spot. Especially on a hot day. It is so refreshing and the after-taste of vanilla is a nice touch too. I don’t pick up the banana aroma that they suggest – but I have just eaten a bowl of fruit so maybe my scent is off.

As wheat beers go I don’t know another that compares. If this was just about wheat beers, the Ouse score would be 5 out of 5. I just can’t imagine there being better out there.

Overall it will score 4.5 – pushing 5 on a sunny day. I’m off to get some more.

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 founder.

Bottle notes tell us it is ‘… full bodied, strong and distinctly Cornish’.

HSD is made using First Gold, Fuggle and Golding hops and yeast from their own brewery, oh – and Cornish Spring water.

The ale is a nice dark ruby colour, and has a fruity and caramel smell. And the taste? – well it is both bitter and sweet at the same time. The bitterness is a nice compliment to the raisin fruitiness and it definitely comes across as a 5% ale.

This is a lovely bottle. Very drinkable – very quickly drunk. It is so full of flavours and when you’ve drunk one you just want another. Sadly I only bought 1. But I can get more.

On the Ouse scale this is another 4+ out of 5. I really love this bottle. It’s definitely up there with the Bateman’s Combined Harvest – and to be honest I’d be happy with either given the choice.