BEER REVIEW: 460

BREWER: Bullhouse Brew Co., Antrim, Northern Ireland

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 31st July 2026

SAMMY SAY’S…

Suds arrives with the quiet tension of a bubble holding itself together, shimmering at the surface, never quite giving in. In the glass it sits hazy amber, the kind of glow that suggests lift and lightness, topped with a head that looks ready to rise but instead settles into a steady, tempting cap. The whole thing feels like it’s poised for a pop that never comes.

The nose is a straight shot of pineapple and mango, clean and unfussy. It doesn’t try to surprise, but it does set the scene: tropical, bright, a little playful. On the palate the mango comes through again, subtle and soft, with a bitterness that flickers rather than bites. You keep waiting for that bitterness to swell, to break the surface tension, but it stays restrained. The fluffy mouthfeel is the real character here, buoyant, almost cloudlike, giving the impression of a bubble expanding under its own optimism.

Moving through the glass, Suds starts strong but tails off more than you’d hope. The flavour thins, the edges soften, yet the mouthfeel keeps floating along, refusing to collapse. It’s a session beer with charm, one that keeps its shape even as the intensity drifts. The packaging mirrors the experience: simple, effective, bubble‑style lettering that fits the name and the vibe without trying to be more than it is.

Suds is a bubble suspended in its own moment: stretched, shimmering, nearly bursting, but ultimately content to hold. A good beer, an easy drinker, and one that leaves you watching for the pop that never arrives.

Sammy’s Rating: 69%

JYMI SAY’S…

Splish splash, I was takin’ a bath. How was I to know there was a party going on?

However, once I had joined the second sud situation of the evening it was soon very clear that a party was most certainly going on! And the star of the show was this pale from Bullhouse.

This is a crackin’ brew let me tell you… and I will tell you… (I think that’s the point of this charade but one can ever be sure).

The nose from Suds is nothing to get exited about but from there on in it’s just good news. Presenting well in the glass this was one good looking and inviting beer I have to say. There is bags of flavour in the sip – orange, lemon, grapefruit for sure though nothing dominates – they just play off of each other offering what is needed and expected at the correct moment. There is an initially worrying dip out after swallow but once the flavours all come back in after a sec you realise that this is actually a beautiful thing. All concluded by a somehow delicate bite in the aftertaste. Add in that Suds is as smooth as lathered up bath companion and honestly, we’re onto a winner here.

Find. Try. Enjoy.

Jymi’s Rating: 84%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76.5%

MOB review next weekend: 104° by LYME REGIS BREWERY

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 459

BREWER: Plzensky Prazdroj, Bohemia, Czechia

STYLE: Pilsner

ABV: 4.4%

VESSEL: 0.33l tin

DATE OF POST: 24th July 2026

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ah, Pilsner Urquell. Even before the glass is raised, one feels a certain obligation to stand a little straighter, for here is the original, the beer that set so many others upon their path.

I regard it with the respect due to a venerable elder who has seen fashions come and go yet remains serenely itself.

The body is pleasing, neither thin nor boastful, and it drinks with the calm assurance of a lager that knows precisely what it is meant to be.

The nose is modest, offering little more than a quiet nod, and the flavour follows suit, playing that straight lager bat with admirable discipline. There is no flourish, no unnecessary hop bravado, simply the clean, steady character that has defined the style for generations.

One must admit that others have since taken the template and embellished it, refined it, perhaps even surpassed it in certain respects, but this does not diminish the achievement of the original. It remains a very decent drop, dependable and dignified, and even as I note its limitations, I cannot help but acknowledge the quiet authority with which it continues to hold its place in the world of beer.

Sammy’s Rating: 65%

JYMI SAY’S…

So, what do you want from your Pilsner?

A bit of spice? A hop presence without it being overwhelming? A mild spike in the aftertaste to keep the dream alive?

If you answered yes to all of these questions then PU will be right there when it comes to a go to beer. And thankfully, this thoroughly enjoyable brew is kinda readily available. And even though now mass produced, it is still brewed where it was born, and remains to this day very flippin’ good.

I don’t want to go down the ‘if Heiniken got hold of this’ path (I’m fully aware I just did) but it is worthy of note.

Let’s take a look at the live manual notes…

This is defo good!

Bitter

Spice

Dry

Hoppy… nature to the sip.

 Kinda ‘how it should be done’.

 Literally does everything a Pilsner should.

 Good good beer.

 Still brewed in Czechia 184 years on and somehow bringing the iconic bottle to life in tin form…

It’s just a flippin’ well done all round really.

Jymi’s Rating: 79%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 72%

MOB review next weekend: SUDS by BULLHOUSE BREW CO.

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 458

BREWER: Pressure Drop, North London, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.8%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 17th July 2026

SAMMY SAY’S…

On a cold morning, with the mountains rising like silent sentinels and the last embers of a long‑faded fire glowing faintly at my feet, Pale Fire seems an apt companion.

In the glass it shows itself with a soft mango glow, the kind of colour that hints at warmth even when the air bites at your fingertips.

The can itself is unremarkable, a swimming pool set against a mountain backdrop, a curious choice that does not quite speak to the beer within, though the colours do their best to catch the eye.

The aroma rises quickly, full of mango and only lightly chased by citrus, a nose that is confident in its fruit and makes no attempt to hide it.

The first sip confirms the modern IPA lineage, citra and mosaic doing their familiar dance, the mango leading with a small flourish before the citrus steps in to remind you it is present. The bitterness arrives at the end, clean and brisk, but the finish slips away sooner than expected, like the last spark in the ash that glows and then is gone.

It is not exceptional, no, but it is good, and in this quiet mountain air with the cold settling in, it feels like a small, welcome flame.

Sammy’s Rating: 74%

JYMI SAY’S…

With the Hockney-esque swimming pool in the foreground and the soft pink coated mountains in the background I have to say this tin is without doubt aesthetically pleasing. Though I’m not sure it suits a tin of beer brilliantly, it certainly is a very soothing scene.

The name Pale Fire should be great. The beer, well, it’s a Pale. It is actually close to fire (more of this soon, I promise, just stay with me for a few seconds longer). But the name annoys me. The reason. No clue. Literally no clue. But it does. (This is why I get paid the big bucks in the world of beer reviewing.)

Moving to the brew itself (well done if you made it this far), Pale Fire is a wee gem I tell ya! Though not stepping out of the medium ABV Pale norm, there is most definitely a point of difference here.

See, Pale Fire is a fairly humble 4.8% but is bringing the noise when it comes to flavour and depth. The classic grapefruit presence is… present. Lime also stakes a claim. Lychee flavour is kicking around too bringing a very soft glimpse at sweetness. But there is a slight sour element knocking about as well that almost rounds everything off.

Really drinkable. Interesting. Not your run of the mill pale.

Defo worth searching out folks.

Jymi’s Rating: 82%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 78%

MOB review next weekend: PILSNER URQUELL by PLZENSKY PRAZDROJ

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 457

BREWER: Brasserie St Feuillien, Hainaut, Belgium 

STYLE: Belgian Blonde 

ABV: 7.5%

VESSEL: 33cl brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 10th July 2026

JYMI SAY’S…

This Blonde from St Feuillien (pronounced Saint-Foo-Yen, a great little info drop from our info laden bottle) should be better. In fact, it should be a lot better.

It’s a top fermenting ale brewed in Belgium by the same family since 1873, with old traditions still very much respected. It’s 7.5%. It should be better.

Let me tell you what I think is wrong with it…

For me, the texture is too soapy (yeah, I know, it’s a Belgian Blonde), the flavour is too light (yeah, I KNOW, it’s a Belgian Blonde), and the aftertaste is, well, shite.

Look, a brew of this style done well can be lovely, but even though St Feuillien have ticked all the necessary boxes here, I can’t help feeling they smudged the ink immediately afterwards.

There ARE flecks of orange. There ARE hints of coriander. The nose is sensational. But it all ultimately falls well short of the mark for me.

Way better Belgians out there.

Way better Blondes out there.

Jymi’s Rating: 34%

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ah mon ami, you present me with a little puzzle in a glass. I approach this St Feuillien with the caution of a man who knows he is about to enter a room decorated entirely in a style he does not favour, yet must still admire the craftsmanship.

It sits there like a small sun captured in crystal, bright and golden, almost too cheerful, but undeniably handsome. The nose rises up with the gentleness of a summer meadow drifting through an open window, a touch of spice, a floral note that is, how do we say, surprisingly agreeable even to one who does not usually seek such perfumes in his beer.

Then comes the sip, and here the metallic floral character reveals itself, precise and expected in the manner of the Belgian blonde. It is not a beer for Hercule Poirot to drink in great quantity; non, it is a sipper, something to be taken slowly, appreciated for what it is rather than loved for what it is not.

Yet as it moves across the palate, one must concede that it has been made with care. The mouthfeel is respectable, the accents of flavour appear and disappear with a certain tidy order, and though the style is not to my personal taste, I cannot deny that the brewers have executed their intentions with competence.

In the end, I give a small nod of approval. It is a decent brew, not overly complex, but balanced and confident, and even the detective who prefers another genre must acknowledge that this Belgian blonde has earned its place.

Sammy’s Rating: 80%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 57%

MOB review next weekend: PALE FIRE by PRESSURE DROP

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 456

BREWER: Lost and Grounded, Bristol, England

STYLE: Pilsner

ABV: 4.8%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 3rd July 2026

SAMMY SAY’S…

Golden hills on tin,

a small boat drifts on still lakes, quiet invitation.

Poured into the glass, sunlight caught in pale gold waves, head rising just right.

Soft spice on the nose, lemon hiding in the wings, a shy little note.

Crisp steps on the tongue, spice walking from start to end, no harsh pull behind.

A clean lager frame, steady on most outings, simple, drinkable.

Keller Pils concludes, doing what it claims to do, a calm for all occasions.

Sammy’s Rating: 76%

JYMI SAY’S…

KP is like an old dependable buddy for me. That guy you know well, who will help you out in time of need. Always there, though you speak infrequently and actually see even less so. You don’t remember the day you met or whom it was via. Heck, you don’t even know the dudes real name, just his nickname. The kind of friend all his male buddies call Mo, but his actual name is Lester.

See, I have this history with Keller Pils. It has defo been on in pubs where I was expecting the beer selection to be average at best, and it’s saved me. It has also stuck its mitt above the parapet in bottle shops as by far the most obvious craft lager selection to go for. It has never let me down. It has been there for me when drink selection times were tough. But it has never been under the all seeing nose of MOBJymi on a test day. Let’s go KP, let’s go…

A great hoppy and lime nose leads the way. Like a firm handshake from Mo (are we still going down this route? Maybe, just maybe).

Good depth in sip for sure (we’re leaving Mo behind, too much).

KP almost accelerates in flavour during swallow. Without doubt a high point bringing a slight but notable hoppy bite to proceedings.

The aftertaste holds the beer together well with a slow assured fade.

Basically, Keller Pils is a very good craft lager and dependable for sure.

With it’s hopped up nature this would be a perfect gateway towards craft ales for the secretly curious forever lager drinker.

Top job Lost and Grounded.

Jymi’s Rating: 79%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 77.5%

MOB review next weekend: ST FEUILLIEN BLONDE by BRASSERIE ST FEUILLIEN

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 455

BREWER: Duration, Norfolk, England

STYLE: Session IPA

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 26th June 2026

JYMI SAY’S…

Other than the non-descript nose there are no real negatives to Snapshot. This does mean I’m unable to use the ‘let’s pour some solution on these negatives to find out what’s really going on’ line that I had floating in my head pre test. (in case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve used it anyway).

Though there are no real negs here that does not ultimately make Snapshot a banger, because it ain’t. But it is a good solid easy drinker which ultimately would have been Durations goal, as it would be for any brewer of a session IPA I suppose… maybe… I could go on for hours about this!

Snapshot brings notes of orange and apricot in the sip backed up by a great mouthfeel. The backend could be more bitter for sure which would help Snapshot along a little.

But in saying that, deep into the beer the aftertaste suddenly presented a delicate pepper spice! Which turned my head, raised my eyebrow and ultimately ended up in me awarding this brew 2 bonus points! What drama!

Worth a go faw shawa, but not a must buy n try.

Jymi’s Rating: 67%

SAMMY SAY’S…

With Snapshot, the whole experience felt like lining up the perfect shot. You know the one. You’ve found the right light, the right angle, the right moment. The packaging alone set the tone, a retro little number that practically begged to be photographed. It had that curated charm, the kind of design that makes you think this beer knows exactly what it’s doing. A confident subject, framed well, colours balanced, nothing out of place. You almost expect it to wink at the camera.

Then the nose drifted in like the first hint of a scene coming into focus. Mango. Straightforward, tropical, clean. No dramatic lens flare, no unexpected shadows, just a clear signal of what’s to come. It didn’t try to be clever, but it didn’t need to. Sometimes a simple composition is the strongest one.

The taste followed through with the same quiet competence. Lots of mango, soft and pleasant, like a well exposed shot where everything lands exactly where it should. No over sharpening, no blown highlights, no attempt to be avant garde. Just a beer doing the job it set out to do, and doing it well. At 4.5 percent, it somehow packs more flavour than some beers that swagger around with twice the strength. A compact lens with surprising range.

The mouthfeel rounded it out with a smoothness that made the whole thing feel intentional, like a photographer who knows when to stop fiddling with settings and just press the shutter. Nothing harsh, nothing jarring, nothing that pulls you out of the moment. You drink it and think, yes, this is exactly the picture it wanted to take.

And the moral of this photographic beer tale? Sometimes the best shots aren’t the ones you agonise over. Sometimes they’re the ones that simply work. Snapshot is that shot. Straight, clean, confident. A reminder that not every frame needs drama to be worth keeping.

Sammy’s Rating: 75%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 71%

MOB review next weekend: KELLER PILS by LOST AND GROUNDED

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 454

BREWER: Wye Valley Brewery, Herefordshire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 19th June 2026

SAMMY SAY’S…

The tale begins, as these tales often do, with hope. I stood before the glass like someone about to open a long awaited letter, convinced that what lay inside would justify all the anticipation I had allowed to build. The liquid settled into the glass with the bright, harmless look of a lager, pale and unassuming, nothing like the deeper glow you expect from a pale ale. Still, I told myself not to judge too soon. Stories turn slowly. Some heroes take time to reveal themselves.

Then came the nose. Or rather, the absence of one. A faint gesture toward something between a lager and a traditional ale, but nothing that stepped forward with conviction. It was like waiting for a character to deliver a grand monologue only to realise they have forgotten their lines. I searched for depth, for intrigue, for anything that hinted at the promise I had been sold. Instead, I found a small hint of lemon and not much else.

The first sip sealed the fate of the story. Watery. Thin. A beer that seemed to apologise for existing even as it touched the tongue. It carried the weak, hesitant vibe of a lager that had wandered into the wrong genre and was too polite to leave. Whatever pale ale identity it was meant to claim never arrived. The mouthfeel was so slight it felt like the ghost of a drink rather than the drink itself.

And so the disappointment grew, not because the beer was terrible, but because it was so astonishingly unremarkable. You can drink it and not be offended, but that is hardly a victory. It is the kind of beer that leaves no trace, no memory, no moment worth retelling except the lesson it quietly teaches. A reminder that expectation is a dangerous companion. Build something up too high and the fall becomes the only thing you feel.

Sammy’s Rating: 33%

JYMI SAY’S…

After last week’s bad blue label offering from Star, here we are again. Though this week it is nowhere near as bad, it still does not look too good I’m afraid.

Packaging is important. It leads the way for a brew. Represents it on the shelves. Creates intrigue or ambivalence. But, ultimately if a beer is incredible, the way it is presented doesn’t really matter… maybe… blimey, I could actually go on for hours about this!

Look, HPA is fairly nice, alright, inoffensive… but not much more than that for me I’m afraid. It’s a brew that comes with a good rep for sure and certainly from a great brewery. But it just didn’t quite deliver for MOB Jymi.

With a tangerine and lemon nose leading the way and also a crisp and refreshing nature to her in the sip, I genuinely thought we could be onto a winner with this brew. But ultimately it did just kinda pale into insignificance.

Jymi’s Rating: 51%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 42%

MOB review next weekend: SNAPSHOT by DURATION

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 453

BREWER: Nigerian Breweries, Southwest Region, Nigeria

STYLE: Lager 

ABV: 5.1%

VESSEL: 600ml green bottle

DATE OF POST: 12th June 2026

JYMI SAY’S…

Jymi’s Rating: 41%

SAMMY SAY’S…

Sammy’s Rating: 41%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 41%

MOB review next weekend: HPA by WYE VALLEY BREWERY

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 452

BREWER: Stinky Bay Brewing Co, St Lawrence, Jersey

STYLE: Session IPA

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE OF POST: 5th June 2026

JYMI SAY’S…

Pouring quite dark and having the flavour of slight toffee and malts, Stinky Bay’s Session IPA does not present as such.

Is that a problem?

Well, yes and no…

See, if you buy something that is labelled as a session IPA, you kind of expect an orange colour in pour and crisp citrus drinking. If you had bought a flat of this hosting a BBQ on a scorching hot blue sky day, I think that you and your guests might be a little perturbed. That crisp citrus drinking would be wanted yet not delivered you see.

However, if you forget the session IPA label and take the beer for what it is, it is quite nice. The toffee tones are tasty and the malty backbone holds things together nicely enough.

So in conclusion, an decent enough brew for sure, but not really the session like IPA we have come to expect since the advent of this oxymoron of a beer style.

Jymi’s Rating: 64%

SAMMY SAY’S…

Sammy’s Rating: 67%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 65.5%

MOB review next weekend: STAR by NIGERIAN BREWERIES

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M O B 2026

BEER REVIEW: 451

BREWER: Liberation Brewing Co, St Saviour, Jersey

STYLE: Blonde

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 29th May 2026

JYMI SAY’S…

Not long ago did I take a trip to Jersey so…

…early temptations to make this review a limerick have already evaporated!

So, me and my sister headed over to the southernmost Channel Island about a month ago. The reason? We’ve got family history there but had never actually set foot on the place. Felt overdue.

To summarise the trip… lighthouse, seafood, wine, beer, seafood, long hunt for great-grandfather’s grave, handbrake turn, seafood, wine, beer, handbrake turn, met long lost cousin, beer, seafood, wine, wine, wine… and mild disappointment at discovering we were not, in fact, heirs to a tomato empire.

ANYWAY…

Naturally, while I was there I picked up a couple local brews for me and me boi Sammy to test (another Jersey beer coming next week folks).

Fast forward to test day. I went into this one with a touch of ambivalence… but I’ll say it straight: it’s fantastic!

Herm Gold opens with a fantastically zesty lemon nose (yes, “fantastically” is now official beer review English). The citrus isn’t overpowering, but it carries through nicely into the drinking, and let me tell you, the drinking is good. Proper good.

It’s crisp, smooth, and just an absolute joy from start to finish. There’s a perfectly judged medium bitterness rounding things off, followed by a soft but lingering aftertaste that keeps you coming back for another sip.

Just delightful.

On a side note, the island of Herm has always held a bit of mystique for me. Still haven’t visited. It sits just off the NW coast of Jersey, a real wee boi of an island—about 1.5 miles north to south and half a mile across. Best part? No cars. Just tractors and quads for essential business.

And the reason I mention it here, Liberation make a point of representing all of the Channel Islands, not just Jersey. Fair play to them for that. Especially considering that in May 1945, all the islands were liberated from Nazi occupation.

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

SAMMY SAY’S…

Sammy’s Rating: 87%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 86%

MOB review next weekend: SESSION IPA by STINKY BAY BREWING CO

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M O B 2026