BEER REVIEW: 343

BREWER: Siren Craft Brew, Berkshire, England

STYLE: Braggot

ABV: 8.4%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

X: @SirenCraftBrew

INSTAGRAM: sirencraftbrew

DATE OF POST: 3rd May 2024

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Uncle Zester, what a name, eh?  And while it might be a bit of an odd one for a beer, it is a bit of an odd beer.  You see what we have here is a braggot.  Never heard of a braggot?  You most certainly won’t be alone.

Let me enlighten you, like I was recently enlightened: a braggot is a blend of beer and mead.  A strange pairing?  Well, it would seem so given how rare they are.  And I’m willing to bet most folk have never tried a mead, let alone a braggot. 

Anyhow – enough of my ramblings.  

The question has to be, is a braggot any good?  And the answer is, I don’t know because I have only tried one. It just so happens that the one that I have tried is actually very good.  It’s this one.

Yes, that’s right, Uncle Zester is a very good braggot (as to the rest of braggot’s I have no idea).

From the lychee and blood orange packed nose, through to the last pepper aftertaste, via the bitter grapefruit and honey mid flavours, Uncle Zester delivers in every way imaginable.  Actually, Uncy Z delivers so much so that I cannot wait to meet the rest of the family.  

Regardless of what other braggots might be like, this is a wonderful drinking experience.  It has definitely done enough to convince me that I want to try more of this rare breed of beer…

Sammy’s Rating: 89%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Well well, week 343, so therefore beer 343. And it’s the MOB boy’s first test of a Braggot… and actually the first time either of us have tried this style at all.

What’s a Braggot then?

Well, it’s a Beer & Mead hybrid. Yep. You heard right.

This brew is also a collaboration… with Siren bringing the noise of the beer and B. Nektar delivering the mead vibe you hear.

And let me tell you right now, this is one HELLUVA brew!!!

The second I cracked the can an undeniable waft of lychee flew up my hooter. Absolutely delightful. And the theme of lychee actually sticks around for the duration of the Uncle Zester (what a cracking beer name) experience. It’s there as a backbone throughout the drink but is joined by a couple of welcome pals along the way. First up is grapefruit. But not necessarily in the way you would find it in a classic craft IPA. UZ then moves along, predicably I suppose, to honey. Again, this is all backed up by the presence of the lychee. It’s balancing the bitterness from the grapefruit early on and somehow quelling the sweetness of the honey. How they have managed that is beyond me. Is there acidity in lychee pulling the sweetness down??? Wish I knew. Ever the pro eh?! And unsurprisingly when all is said and done it’s the lychee that’s dominating the aftertaste with a tiny bit of spice to round it off.

It’s a pretty complex beer this thinking about it. It didn’t seem like it at the time of testing but now I’m reporting back it almost feels like every element in the flavour profile is countering and either enhancing or subduing the other, depending on what is necessary.

I’ve no idea if this a good representation of the Braggot style for reasons stated early on. But one thing I am sure of is that this is an absolute baller of a beer!! An absolute must try if you can find it.

Jymi’s Rating: 91%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 90%

MOB review next weekend: ANOTHER WORLD by NORTH BREWING CO.

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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