Five years ago this very weekend we started Musing on Booze!

A beer review from each of us every week for five flippin’ years, that’s mental. 

There have been some serious highs and some serious lows but we have loved every single minute and have no intention of stopping… We hope you have enjoyed our sometimes mindless ramblings?!

Happy Birthday us!!!

HERE IS THE FIRST ONE BTW

Oh and tomorrow, we’re off to celebrate at some local tap yards and boozers!!! Will keep you posted, hopefully   Ö

Love you all,

Sammy & Jymi x x 

———————————————————–

BEER REVIEW: 261

BREWER: Indigenous Brewery, Berkshire, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 7th October 2022

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

 

JYMI SAY’S…

To call a beer Crackerjack you either have to have champion conker cojones or a lot of faith in the brew you have brewed.

To put the definition of Crackerjack on the side of the bottle you either have to have King Kong champion conker cojones or really do have a helluva lot of faith in the brew you have brewed.

Crackerjack – A person or thing of recognised excellence. “That’s a Crackerjack” 

Either way, Crackerjack is a Crackerjack! What a bangin’ IPA (though at 4.2% can it really be called an IPA?).

A massive hop bite greets the drinker at first, as any good IPA should. However, our Crackerjack then immediately does something to calm our drinker. It totally mellows out in taste and mouthfeel allowing room and time for contemplation and conclusion that this is a reet good beer. The aftertaste then moves to a very faint but lovely toffee/caramel.

It’s massively sessionable too.

Flippin good brew!

Now it’s time to go and iron my dungarees ready for tomorrow’s festivities.

Jymi’s Rating: 83%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 80%

MOB review next weekend: AN GOF by LIZARD ALES

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 260

BREWER: Sharps’s, Cornwall, England

STYLE: Belgian style ale 

ABV: 6.8%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 2nd October 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So, back in the now a distant summer of this year I took a holiday with my amazing wife and equally amazing daughters to the simply idyllic Cornwall. We were based literally in the middle of nowhere for 8 days with the west country land to explore should we wish to.

And oh we did…

From waterfall walks to raging seas we did the lot.

On one particular day, upon my request, we ventured to Padstow. An absolutely stunning Atlantic Cornwall harbour town.

Again, at my request, as I love me fud I do, we went to a particularly swank restaurant for lunch. You’re on holiday, you have to treat yourselves, right?

Now, said restaurant is owned by Rick Stein. Some, probably most of you, will be familiar with his work. But for those of you that are not he is an English TV celebrity chef.

I’ve always been a huge fan of his TV work, mainly because he is such an awkward presenter, but I find that hugely endearing. Couple that with his very uncomplicated but amazing food then… like I say, I’m a huge fan.

So long story short, the trip to The Seafood Restaurant was incredible. Scallops, whole turbot, oysters… it went off. I came out of there feeling a million dollars from what I had just experienced.

To stretch our legs and absorb more of the town after lunch we took a stroll around what seemed like a local indoor market. This is where I stumbled upon Chalky’s Bite aswell as many other Cornish beers (just wait and see what comes in the next few months!).

Now in 2006, Rick decided to brew a beer with Sharp’s Brewery… thankfully this was 5 years prior to the infamous take over by Molson Coors or I really would have lost my shit believe me!

The beer is named after Rick’s now late dog Chalky and designed to sit alongside some of the great Belgian beers. Of course, though not to cast judgement prior to drinking ,this was never going to happen. But just how close did they get?

Well, I have to say, on initial visit to the brew not that far short…

A soft yet aromatic nose leads the drinker into a powerful, intense and for want of a slightly better adjective, very Belgian tasting beer. It’s thick and flavoursome with an unctuous mouthfeel.

But what happened next totally threw me.

The more I worked my way through this brew the more it turned away from Belgium and more towards Britain. By the end of it all I was drinking was a strong ENGLISH ale.

Not at all unpleasant but very unexpected and not welcomed in the moment.

A valiant attempt and though an enjoyable drink ultimately it does miss the brief.

Jymi’s Rating: 61%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

It’s a nice thing to name a beer after a dog. Very nostalgic. And Chalky’s Bite, while not a world beater, is a pleasant enough thing. 

There’s some subtle herby, coriander, flavourings to be found. But you do have to search hard. The overwhelming flavour is to be found in the sweet fruity notes that give away to the bitter orange middle which goes away with a finish of the sweetness once again back. 

The mouthfeel isn’t too thick, and the carbonation is light. A little more body would elevate CB in my opinion. But hey, what do I know? 

CB is decent homage to man’s best friend. 

Quite an interesting beer. Worth a try. 

Sammy’s Rating: 66%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 63.5%

MOB review next weekend: CRACKERJACK by INDIGENOUS BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 259

BREWER: Disruption IS Brewing, Surrey, England

STYLE: New England Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 25th September 2022

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

So, let’s state the obvious: the nose on People of the Hop Vol II is very peachy. While that may be mostly a good thing, it’s a little bit intense. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not so intense that it’ll put you off but it is a little bit too much for my olfactory sniffer. 

Now, the flavour is interesting. The first impression is that it’s sweet bitter. Very sweet, in fact, almost instantly giving way to a bitter finish. And in the sweetness of POTHV2 peach and grapes rule supreme. Then comes the intense bitter finish of citrus undertones. 

And before you know it, the whole experience is over.  It’s a bang and gone. 

The whole experience is a definitely interesting. I can’t go as far as to say amazing because it’s not. But it’s interesting. POTHV2 is worth a go but you might not be that tempted to line them up for a session. 

Sammy’s Rating: 72%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Strong beer this… but I don’t mean in the tasting…

What I do mean is that this beer is strong in every single department!

The nose is quite simply stunning! It is one peach, grapefruit and grape and just screams DRINK ME NOW!

The mouthfeel is also fantastic, sooooooo soft (I think we probably have Uncle Nelson to thank for this) and soooooo juicy.

And People of the Hop tastes amazing too! A definite sweetness leads the way but that is soon balanced out by good hoppy and bitter hit. This then leads into a soft grape aftertaste . Cracking stuff!

All coming out of an insanely detailed and great looking tin as well as having a really cool name, People of the Hop Vol II is a must try beer.

Jymi’s Rating: 91%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 81.5%

MOB review next weekend: CHALKY’S BITE by SHARP’S BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 258

BREWER: Deviant & Dandy, East London, England

STYLE: Sour

ABV: 4.4%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 19th September 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Somewhere along the line whilst musing on booze I have written about how I normally go about scoring a beer name. It was as simple as how would it sound coming out if ordering at a pub/bar.

Pint of Landlord please landlord = very good.

Pint of Dave says it will be fine please Dave = very bad.

However, my thoughts on this have evolved a little over the years. Though it will still boil down to ‘how it sounds’ I do now think more about how the name relates to the beer itself.

Now, with Precious Stones my initial thoughts were it was a fairly cool name though you may sound like a bit of a ‘nana ordering one. I then thought oooooooh, this is actually a really good name as Apricots have stones and so do… ah Blood Oranges don’t have stones. Now seeing as this is an Apricot & Blood Orange Sour I did have to conclude this wasn’t a great name for our beer.

Thankfully though this brew is decent and that at the end of the day is of course what really matters.

A medium level of sourness brings along with it definite notes of our mentioned fruits. Sounds obvious but this is not always the case!!! Precious Stones is very refreshing and VERY drinkable. In my note book I have written in capitals… FINISHED IN MINUTES! Tells a story. The aftertaste lingers and lingers too which is lovely. I personally think at a slightly higher ABV this brew could be an absolute rocker! But let’s just settle on it being very good.

Jymi’s Rating: 76%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Now, if you’re brewing a sour, blood orange has to be a good ingredient, does it not? So, with my love of sours, this is getting my juices flowing even before the crack of the can. Come on Precious Stones – you can deliver. 

As an aside, I quite like the name. It’s a good angle. 

The apricot and blood orange are, unsurprisingly, ever present. They’re there in abundance when you first drink. As you go down the glass of PS, this punchiness of flavour mellows and becomes almost creamy. And at this point it’s the blood orange that comes to prominence, demonstrating its robustness for a sour brew. 

Undoubtedly, PS is a very nice beer indeed. I’d like it a little sourer, but that’s just personal taste. It delivers where it promises and it’s actually an enjoyable drinking journey from first sip to last sup. 

I can think of many occasions where PS would sit well in a beer armoury.  If you’re looking for a way into the sour world, this could well be your door. Go on, you know you want to open it…

Sammy’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76.5%

MOB review next weekend: PEOPLE OF THE HOP VOL.II by DISRUPTION IS BREWING

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 257

BREWER: Pentrich Brewing Co., Derbyshire, England

STYLE: American Amber Ale

ABV: 5.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 11th September 2022 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Something glittering like gold conjures up images of opulence and luxury. It should be something to behold and admire. And so, perhaps naming a beer in such a way is pinning your flag to the mast. You have to have belief in it to do so. 

Glitters Like Gold is not best described as opulent. But it’s a good beer. While it’s well balanced and very pleasant to drink, it cannot be described as complex. It’s a straight up and down drinking experience with its best feature being that it’s crisp and refreshing. The hops, which can be overpowering in the wrong hands, are tamed in the brew. 

I’d like to see a little more punch from GLG. A little lingering aftertaste would be welcomed. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is not a worthy beer to hold in your hand, because it is. 

Overall, GLG is a good drop just not quite hitting the heights of being out of the ordinary.  A bold name for a beer, perhaps, not quite so bold in the final delivery…

Sammy’s Rating: 62%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Two negatives.

Two positives.

Let’s call it a draw.

Going to start with the negatives, purely because it’s better to end with the positives.

Am I missing something here? I mean, there is a fair chance I am let’s be honest… But an Amber Ale being given the name Glitters Like Gold? That’s like calling a Golden Ale Glitters Like Amber no?

Hang on. As I write this it’s dawned on me. LIKE Gold, Glitters LIKE Gold. But, it doesn’t, it glitters like amber, which doesn’t really glitter at all. Oh fuck this, I’m moving on. It’s a daft name.

Packaging wise I’m not a fan of this tin art. Or the Pentrich branding at all if I’m honest. I like the simplicity and obvious attempt to be different by being normal. But it looks terrible. Brewery name looks cool but the font used for our beer name here just looks, dunno if cheap is the correct word but either way, not good. And that tile that sits underneath the beer style and hops used just finishes off an altogether shaky looking can.

However…

This beer is pretty bangin! Awesome levels of caramel and bitter hops. There is also a great nose during the drinking. A sweet aroma hovers as you swig this amber which works brilliantly in tandem with the bitter / sweet taste. The subtle caramel aftertaste is INCREDIBLE and actually makes this beer.

And even though this brew is weighing in at a fairly weighty 5.5% it is very, very drinkable and moreish due to that caramel aftertaste.

Just go steady kids, we don’t want you rolling into the canal again.

Jymi’s Rating: 75%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 68.5%

MOB review next weekend: PRECIOUS STONES by DEVIANT & DANDY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 256

BREWER: Halve Maan, West Flanders, Belgium

STYLE: Tripel

ABV: 9%

VESSEL: 33CL brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 4th September 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Some of you less beery weary eyed readers may realise that on the 7^th October Muse on Booze will be 5!!!

261 weeks!!! 261 beers!!! Probably 261 slightly shaky reviews!!!

It will be 5 years doing this. That’s crazy. We still flippin’ love it. We have learned so much along the way and long, long, long may it continue!

I’ve had a few mates ask… Are you not going to run out of beers to test? I say to them with a Brian Blessed laugh bookending the retort… We have not even scratched the surface my friends.

The reason I mention this is that the brewery we’re dealing with today are based in Bruges and Sammy & I were supposed to be travelling there to celebrate the MOB milestone. However, due to suboptimal financial situations due to everything now costing 400 million times more than it did a few months ago we have had to postpone. We still have something pretty cool lined up (stay tuned) but Belgium for now, is going to have to wait.

But when we do eventually land there, if the beers are as good as Straffe Hendrik (which of course they will be and almost certainly even better) we are going to be in for a real, real treat! I cannot WAIT!

Halve Maan Brewery have nailed this. What a lovely beer we have here.

Apricot, orange, coriander and a general herbal thang lead the charge of this full of flavour cracker. A huge zesty aftertaste then lingers at the back of the palate making this brew very enjoyable indeed.

Not crazy. Not too complex. But very good.

Jymi’s Rating: 82%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

We got ourselves a Belgian here. Straffe Hendrik Tripel to be precise. 

Whether it be the burnt caramel come clove nose, or the orange upfront flavouring followed by the hoppy taste, or even the creamy mouthfeel, SH is a very refreshingly pleasant beer indeed. Truth be told, it’s likely the combination of all of the above that makes this a winner. 

It’s not the most complex tripel out there. But what makes SH a good entry beer into this world is that it’s easy to drink, very well balanced and not too inaccessible for the inexperienced beer drinkers amongst us. 

I can’t recommend this highly enough. If you’re daunted by big Belgian beers, give this a go. I’m willing to bet that this will bring many a smile to the mouths that it passes. 

Sammy’s Rating: 85%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 83.5%

MOB review next weekend: GLITTERS LIKE GOLD by PENTRICH BREWING CO.

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 255

BREWER: West Berkshire Brewery, Berkshire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 3.8%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 28th August 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So, Randle, the head of the Muse on Booze beer selection department (MOBBSD) calls me up midweek saying that its’s an English Pale Ale that Sammy and I are testing this week. An ale that celebrates the glory of the English summertime he continues.

Intrigue begins to grow, sure the ale will probably / hopefully be light, crisp and refreshing but what will the packaging be like? What will it be called?

The next morning, as if by some sort of beer magic, Land of Hop and Glory was sitting in the beer fridge at MOB towers… He’s a clever boy is that Randle (and he’s got a key).

Anyway,

Let’s start with the name,

Though I find the pun mildly irritating, it is a good name for a beer and especially one that again, is supposed to celebrate England in the summertime.

Next, that packaging,

Well, I know Britain generally has a bad reputation for shite summer weather, ‘good ol British summer’ n all that. But, a purple label? Really? They’re brewing a beer to celebrate the glory of the English summertime and sticking a purple label on it?!

This is a fairly massive f up from the West Berkshire Brewery design team for me.

And the beer,

Well, the initial flavour is good. One of apricot and summer fruits (the orange ones, not strawberries and the like). The body and flavour then thin out fairly rapidly which I suppose with it’s ABV is to be expected, though it’s not always the case nowadays with advances in craft brewing. Luckily though a light hoppy aftertaste eventually turns up which is a pleasant surprise.

This beer isn’t out of this world by any means but would serve you very well as a session beer on a hot summer’s day. It’s tasty enough don’t get me wrong but it’s strength lies in the drinkability.

Not bad.

Jymi’s Rating: 60%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Right, the name definitely deserves a mention. Land of Hop and Glory is a good play on words for a beer name. However, I have to say there’s something about it that I don’t love. I don’t know what it is, it just doesn’t float my boat. 

The second thing of note about LoHaG is that, despite the name, there’s a distinct lack of hoppiness for a pale ale. It’s promised in the name, and it should be there in the brew. But the hops are, although not completely, absent in the drinking. 

All that being said, LoHaG is a decent enough beer. It’s refreshing and easy to slip down. In the right situation, I would be more than happy with one of these in hand. And to be fair, the longer you drink it the more citrus notes you pick. 

By no means a complex beer and not delivering on its name, LoHaG is still a decent enough brew. 

Sammy’s Rating: 62%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 61%

MOB review next weekend: STRAFFE HENDRIK by HALVE MAAN

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 254

BREWER: Utopian, Devon, England

STYLE: Doppelbock

ABV: 7.5%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE OF POST: 23rd August 2022

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Doppelbock hardly has a nose to mention. But hey, that’s to be expected for a lager. And things get better from here on in…

Doppelbock is a lovely dark amber in the glass. Best described as almost coke like in appearance. In fact, my wife thought I was drinking a coke. And funnily enough, there’s a nice sweetness to the after taste (thankfully not on a coke level though). 

The mouthfeel is challenging but in a very good way. It pulls on the Slavia glands. 

Doppelbock is definitely an interesting beer. It would serve you well on a cold winters evening when coming in from the cold and damp. And as we can’t put on our heating anymore due to extortionate pricing, this would be a good way to warm you up. 

Go get your hands on the new way to keep warm! I thoroughly recommend it!

Sammy’s Rating: 75%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

A very German beer is a Doppelbock. And this particular one is brewed by Devon based Lager specialists, Utopian, using only English ingredients. How interesting, I’m looking forward to this! Let’s dive on in!

This strong Lager opens up with a soft, light and delicate cherry chocolate nose. I was expecting more of a hit to be honest, considering the colour of the brew, but even though it’s not strong the aroma from the beer is lovely.

In the drinking this beer comes across as very warming and comforting with even a medicinal note in the taste. Do not take this as a bad thing because it’s not, it’s good. Very good in fact.

This is a brew to savour. It’s rich, fairly complex for a lager and a real joy to drink.

It’s a job well done Utopian I have to say. Well done, hang on, I already said that…

Jymi’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76%

MOB review next weekend: LAND OF HOP AND GLORY by WEST BERKSHIRE BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 253

BREWER: Longdog, Hampshire, England

STYLE: Golden Ale

ABV: 3.9%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 14h August 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Leaving the frankly shocking packaging to one side…

We have a total cracker of a beer on our hands here!!!

From the moment you lift the lid until when you have swallowed your final swig I challenge you not to be impressed with this brew from Hampshire based Longdog. And what a name for a beer too! A Golden Ale named Golden Poacher, class!

So the first thing you get when you have popped the bottle open is a very nice aroma indeed, it’s not complex, it’s not challenging, just VERY beery and VERY good. The intensity of the nose does fade a little once in the glass but the quality remains. As soon as you’ve taken your first sip of GP in, you know things are going to work out just fine. A crushable refreshing start then leads the drinker to a cracking hoppy citrus middle and then onto a LOOONG bitter aftertaste. Excellent.

And all coming in at 3.9% ABV!

Very good work indeed you stretched canines you.

Jymi’s Rating: 84%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Imagine you’ve been for a nice little summer’s walk. You’ve got a bit of a dab on from the warm sun which has been bathing you as you rambled through the countryside. And then, you stumble across a quaint British pub. Of course, what you’re looking for is a thirst quenching golden ale.  You’d best hope it’s something of the quality of Golden Poacher. Because this is a cracking beer. 

Sure, it’s a little lacking in the packaging department. But hey, who gives a damn?

Golden Poacher is light upfront with a fantastic bitter citrus finish. It’s everything a golden ale should be. And when a golden ale is spot on, there’s little out there that can top them. 

But, let’s be clear, although I’ve painted one scenario above, Golden Poacher would serve you well on any occasion.  To be fair, whenever you’re looking for a good brew, you won’t go wrong with this. 

Put simply, Golden Poacher is a wonderful beer.

Sammy’s Rating: 88%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 86%

MOB review next weekend: UTOPIAN DOPPLEBOCK by UTOPIAN BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 252

BREWER: Brewboard, Cambridgeshire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.1%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 7th August 2022

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

I’m all for out there beer can designs. They can create interest and intrigue. And ultimately, they can make you want to buy the beer. So, I have to ask, what on earth were the creatives at Brewboard thinking when they came up with the monstrosity that adorns their Cambstar can. It reminds me of a Grand Designs I once saw where the house builder (a boat in this case) had no plan for his building and ended up with an unwanted eyesore. Put simply, the graphic is awful. Terrible. 

Anyway, on the pour Cambstar develops a nice head and has the expected, if not exceptional aroma.  

However, the beer itself is nondescript. It has nothing to it. It’s hard to identify the hops, which is a shame in a pale ale. Look, it’s easy to drink but other than that there’s not much to it. 

I’m afraid it’s a bit of a miss for me and the whole experience disappears into nothingness. The watery aftertaste of Cambstar sums up the beer. 

The can, after all, is fitting for the beer it contains. It’s all a bit of a miss really. 

Sammy’s Rating: 48%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Funny ol’ beer all round this but you know, I quite like it!

Let’s start with the fuck up of the can design. On face value it’s meh, maybe alright as an instant visual (which is the most important thing let’s be honest) but on closer inspection under the MOB eye it’s not great…

Surfer font supporting a Cambridge Uni Dr Moreau mash up is frankly disgusting.

Beer wise however we’re doing alight here… just.

An initial sip of slight disappointment is saved buy and very old skool beer bitterness. A drop in flavour once sipped is then once again saved by a really nice bitter hit in the late aftertaste.

With a tickle here and there I think this brew could do something but as it stands it’s saved by that bitter Amarillo hop over and over and over.

Jymi’s Rating: 68%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 58%

MOB review next weekend: GOLDEN POACHER by LONGDOG BREWERY

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022