BEER REVIEW: 300

BREWER: Siren Craft Brew, Berkshire, England

STYLE: Barley Wine

ABV: 11.3%

VESSEL: 375ml brown bottle 

DATE OF POST: 7th July 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It was early 2017 when Sammy & I started talking about doing some sort of review blog on beers. Early names slung around were Draft Punk (taken on Twitter already, hats off) Brew Review (we can do better than that, come on) and The Hop Diaries (that’s just shit).

Of course we ended up settling on Muse on Booze thinking that maybe we wouldn’t just have to stick to beer necessarily. And although we ventured into midweek Gins for 3 summers Muse on Booze did however just keep on rolling with the weekly beer reviews.

300 weeks later here we are with our 300th beer. Of course we selected a big boy to celebrate the milestone but that didn’t mean it was defo gonna be a good one…

And it’s not a good one. It is an out of this world off the charts brew that left us debating whether we could actually give it 100% overall! The main argument for giving the top score possible was where is it losing marks? And I’m still not totally sure where, why or how I have docked marks, albeit only two.

Look, this baby has sat in many different barrels and also had wine and whisky experts subbed in on it’s way to being bottled in early 2018 and then opened by us mugs just a few days ago.

But let me tell you now, this is THE beer. My good gawd, it is INCREDIBLE!!!

It’s sooooo complex I’m now going to let it down in my writings but cherry, almonds and a very prominent (without being close to overbearing) sherry vibe leads the way. I have to say on first swallow it actually seemed a touch thin. However, it’s the first sip that without you realising at the time is in fact cloying and setting the beer up for what it’s about to bring you. Now Maiden has now lined your mouth things really begin to happen as the foundation has been laid for myriad notes and tonnes to work with and bounce off. The cherry moved to caramel without totally disappearing. The almond grew more into the sherry tone but remained present. It was at this stage I lost all focus of what was happening and just sat back and enjoyed this absolute masterclass of beer and brewing.

Should I have Grandchildren one day, I will without doubt tell them the tale of the day I drank Siren Craft Brew’s 2017 Maiden.

Seriously. Lost for words (though you wouldn’t know it for that blurb).

Jymi’s Rating: 98%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Barley wine. Yes. You’re reading right. It’s a barley wine, not a grape wine so Maiden happily sits in our beer testing category. And it’s a cracker for beer 300.

This brew from Siren is an absolute delight.  It’s unbelievably good.

While trying to reach a conclusion for the overall score, I found it difficult to not justify giving full marks.  That’s how good it is.  And why didn’t it get the full 100%: I can’t really say other than can anything truly be at that level.  Debatable, I know. 

The nose is bursting with hints of cherries and almonds, but has a delightful base note of medium dry sherry.  Unlike many beers, this heady olfactory sensation does not dissipate as you merrily drink your way down the glass.  It’s so incredibly intense, that it keeps on adding to the overall experience of Maiden.

Now, to describe the flavour is nigh on impossible.  I’d argue that any one drinker would experience Maiden differently such is the complexity and expertise of the brew.  To begin with, you get earthy flavours and cherries with a hint of almond.  As you move down the glass, these give way to softer caramel notes.  All the way through there’s the ever present medium dry sherry.  

The full bodied, lightly carbonated mouthfeel is ably supported by the way that Maiden clings to the mouth and lingers delightfully in the mouth long after drinking.

I cannot praise this drink highly enough.  Maiden is a delight from start to finish.  

If you’re in any doubt – go get your hands on one.  Treat yourself to a thrill of a drinking experience.

Sammy’s Rating: 99%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 98.5%

MOB review next weekend: GUEUZE LAMBIC by MORT SUBITE

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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M O B 2023