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

BEER REVIEW: 251

BREWER: Founders, Michigan, USA

STYLE: Wheat Ale

ABV: 4.6%

VESSEL: 12 fl.oz. tin

DATE OF POST: 31st July 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The name for this beer has to be up there with the greatest of all time.

Big statement I know, and at first it has to be said I went full Liam Lynch, yeah whatever. But the more I thought about it the more it made sense and the more it grew on me.

There are myriad of interpretations available here and all situation dependent.

All Day Vacay is not understated as a name but certainly isn’t big bang f*ckin wow look at me either. It is just… perfect.

And I’m glad I understood my own interpretation of it when I came to testing this brew as without I may have gone a little harsher.

Is ADV a great beer? Nope.

Good beer? I’m not sure it is.

But drinkable, sessionable, make of it what you willable? Yes it is.

Let us now add the incredible (and again not big bang fuckin wow) tin art to the mix.

Founders have nailed it!!!

This beer is not the best, but it’s brewed for whatever trip you wanna take it on.

I get it. I dig it. I just don’t massively like it.

Jymi’s Rating: 48%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Who doesn’t enjoy a holiday? Or as our friends across the pond call it, a vacation. And to have a beer named in that spirit is a wonderful thing. As is the holiday inspired can that wraps up All Day Vacay. 

It’s a promising start. And I have to say I was rooting for this beer to be a good un. 

The thing is, while it’s not bad, ADV doesn’t quite live up to the hype of the van. I recognise that thinking something is going to be good can lead to disappointment, and that could be the case here. 

The beer is well balanced and nicely carbonated to carry the flavour. But there’s not too much flavour to be carried. There’s a hint of the well known wheat flavour, and it carries through enough length. ADV just doesn’t jump out and smack you around the face enough.

Having said that, it’s a good session beer. And it would serve you well on a beach vacation. It’s just lacking a little of those magical holiday vibes I was so hoping for!

Sammy’s Rating: 61%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 54.5%

MOB review next weekend: CAMBSTAR by BREWBOARD

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 250

BREWER: Paulaner, Bavaria, Germany

STYLE: Weissbier

ABV: 5.2%

VESSEL: 0.5l brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 25th July 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So there I was on a sunny ol’ Saturday arvo about to go and tackle a wee bit of gardening…

As I was tending to the turf my mind began to wander, as it tends to do. Gardening time is thinking time don’t you know.

I thought to myself,  go hard for an hour at this, then I’m gonna kick back and test that there Paulaner sitting in the MOB test fridge.

The brain then moved onto how I may open up the review. Wander on it did until I had a wonderfully elaborate fictional story about Jurgen Klopp that could possibly conclude, if it was good enough for him, then it surely it would be good enough for me?

Beer then got tested, scored and power notes were made. I then moved to my laptop indoors to write up the findings and get my wild Klopp story off of my chest.

First up, I googled JURGEN KLOPP PAULANER ADVERT.

It then clearly became obvious that it’s Erdinger that he does the ads for isn’t it??!!   F**K , my story idea for this week’s review instantly flew right out the window.

Left a little disheartened the creative flow was stopped in it’s tracks.

So I’m afraid all you’re getting this week is the slurry I’m probably about to write below…

Paulaner, for me anyway, is a beer of two halves. Hang on, football parallel, there could be hope yet!!! I’m not talking about Jurgen Klopp am I. I need to get a flippin’ grip here, I really do.

After the predictable Weiss nose the taste in the mouth while drinking was actually really full and fairly hoppy for a wheat beer to be honest. I was pleasantly very surprised. However once swallowed the drop off the cliff flavour wise cannot be ignored. It pretty much turns to water in texture and taste. Not good.

I could certainly stick a few away on a summers day and probably actually enjoy. But when it comes to whether this is a good beer or not… I have to say, it is not.

Jymi’s Rating: 44%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

First off, Paulaner is a big brewing house, with a penchant for classic packaging. So, I can’t help but note how disappointed I am with this offering. The same has to be said for the name. Little thought has gone into both. But hey, we know it’s about the golden liquid on the inside that counts… 

Now, it’s a weissbier (as the name tells us) and usually that goes one of two ways: awful or surprisingly good. But on this occasion, I’m on the fence. It’s crisp upfront and quite refreshing and the wheat flavour, although there, is not at all overpowering. Sounds good, I know. However, the downside is that this quickly fades into nothingness and becomes ‘meh’ as you plough through the beverage. 

If I were to sum up, which I am about to, this is just about touching average. And in a world of beers that has so much to offer, there’s no way that I’d ever reach for this again. I include a trip to Germany in that synopsis. There are far more exciting offerings out there and way too much to enjoy to ever come back to this…

Sammy’s Rating: 45%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 44.5%

MOB review next weekend: ALL DAY VACAY by FOUNDERS

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 249

BREWER: Lion, Greater Auckland Region, New Zealand

STYLE: Lager

ABV: 4%

VESSEL: 330ml tin 

DATE OF POST: 17th July 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It was 29^th October 2004, a beautiful late autumn London sunset was underway after a huge storm the night before. It was a Friday evening and Sammy and I were set to test Victoria Bitter, the 71^st beer of our ‘Book on Beers’ that we constructed all those years ago that eventually lead us to Muse on Booze as you know it today.

Now the reason I go back to then is that I really like the packaging of our brew this week, but it does bear a striking resemblance to VB’s brand. The odd thing is that I don’t like the VB packaging much, so I had to reach for my ‘Book on Beers’ just to see what I had scored it. 4.5/10 apparently, pretty fair I’d say. But now turning to our Waikato Draught tin, what was it that I liked so much?? And in true Muse on Booze expert analysis style, I literally have no idea. I just really like it!

Anyway, let’s pop this sucker and see where we’re at…

A strange aroma filled the air surrounding the testing desk in my garage. Was it a neighbour cooking something odd on the BBQ? Had a diesel car just accelerated hard outside of my house? Or was it just my beer? Surely not my beer? I sniffed the tin, that the beer was still in. Shit, it was the beer, and the smell was VERY strange indeed! Not totally horrific, just altogether weird.

Moving past this I poured and I sipped… this is not a good beer at all I’m afraid. After the initial excitement of the tin and the assumption of a NZ brewed beer using NZ grown hops (though our tin doesn’t tell us this) I was left very disappointed. This brew doesn’t really taste of anything. Once swallowed, whatever iota of flavour there may have been totally disappears when the aftertaste should be turning up. Then (now this is the really bad part) a squeaky texture covers your teeth, much like drinking a very metallic water. Really poor.

Other than the squeaky teeth thing Waikato Draught isn’t disgusting, it’s just, well, nothing!

It’s a miss I’m afraid Lion Brewery.

Jymi’s Rating: 30%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Waikato beer is best described as average. I can’t say much else about it. 

It smells like a beer. It tastes like a beer (without doing anything spectacular at all!!!). There’s no USP. There’s nothing that sets it aside. 

Would I have it again? Sure I would. Would I rush out to buy it again? I sure would not. 

Sammy’s Rating: 51%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 40.5%

MOB review next weekend: PAULANER WEISSBIER by PAULANER

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 248

BREWER: Gweilo Beer, South London, England

STYLE: Sour

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 10th July 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

The day had been hot, very hot and the week had been long, very long, but it was Friday and I knew that once I had booted open the saloon doors that I’ve had installed on the front of my house, to replace the front door, it would be time to settle into Gweilo’s Rainbow Sherbet Sour.

I just had the small matter of the drive home without any air-con to help me out and the day had been hot, very hot. Not sure if I mentioned that.

I was seriously looking forward to this brew as I do enjoy a sour, especially when the weather is being kind, however there was a little apprehension in the air because, well it was a SHERBET sour that was waiting for me. Really?

Van parked, saloon doors kicked open, family nodded to, it was time…

 

NOSTALGICALLY REDEFINING– what the F does that even mean?! I mean, I know what it means if you know what I mean but… it is a ridiculous tag note!

Ok, this is not the best beer I have had to be honest but there is a reasonable amount going for it if you go searching. There is certainly raspberry on the nose as you sip which is pleasant. There is for sure some lemon as well as raspberry in the taste which is also pleasant. However, it is fairly sweet and could do with being more sour near the end to balance it out.

The real downside is that the latter texture and aftertaste is very watery and pretty disappointing. However, I found that if you took big gulps as opposed to gentle sips this did almost get nullified. But you should be able to sip a brew to get the true story and when only sipping this sour wasn’t really doing much.

But it does have to be said, with the gulping method and the faint to non-existent aftertaste, as well as a medium ABV this beer could quite easily be a sensational summer sessioner. You can’t often say that of a sour… make of that what you will I suppose.

On a side note, I wanted to include something about the meaning of the brewery name. I’ve got some feelings about it but don’t know enough about the history of the word or the story behind giving that name to the brewery. And frankly I can’t be arsed doing a deep dive as it’s been a hot, long day…

 Jymi’s Rating: 65%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ok, so there’s clearly a strong idea behind Rainbow Sherbet Sour: rainbow fizzy laces. And I have to say, just like I love a sour beer, I love a sour sweets. So, I find this concept intriguing and exciting…

Now, RSS definitely delivers on its promise of nostalgia. The beer does have a definite hint of rainbow fizzy sweets. And to achieve that in a beer has to be commended. It’s subtle, not overpowering in the slightest, but that just makes this beer so light and easy to drink. 

To make RSS off the charts, it needs to be sourer for my palate. I recognise that’s personal taste but that’s where I am with this beer. 

Imagine a watered-down squash that really quenches your thirst. Well, that’s how refreshing RSS is. 

There’s no doubting this is a good beer.

Sammy’s Rating: 80%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 72.5%

MOB review next weekend: WAIKATO DRAUGHT by LION

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 247

BREWER: Fiftytwo North (Woodforde’s Brewery), Norfolk, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE OF POST: 1st July 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

See, from an idle glance I thought this tin was quite cool, but it’s not. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and the electricity burst down at the bottom of the tin to go along with our name, VOLTAGE, is frankly laughable it is so dated. I’m going to move onto the nose and taste shortly, but I just wanted to put over a tiny bit of positivity first. Voltage as a beer name is cracking, really good, but I am afraid the beer quality does not follow in line. Not even close.

The nose is metallic, forced and artificial. The taste is metallic, forced and artificial. This is a poor beer and feels like a bit of a stocking / Beer 52* box filler to me. That’s it. Bye.

 

 

*this brew was not purchased via Beer 52. That was just a blatant dig at their predominantly poor offerings.

 

 

Bye again.

 

 

 

 

Bye.

Jymi’s Rating: 28%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

So, with a name like Voltage, should we be prepared to be shocked? Sorry, I could not resist. 

Anyway, Voltage is a craft IPA. I’m not going to launch into my usual muttering about the crowded market in which it sits (ok, I just did via the side door). 

Straight up, there are two distinct differences to what you might ordinarily expect. Firstly, the colour is not hazy or light. It’s more amber almost like a golden ale.  The second point is that the nose is not tropical or fruity; it’s more malty.  Now, Woodforde’s Brewery describe the nose as floral and pine (along with the usual suspects for a modern IPA). I have to say that I didn’t get that at all. If it’s there, it must be very subtle. 

Let’s sup in to find out what’s going on…

Voltage is different. It has a well-balanced hoppy flavour that is not too overpowering. In the background some light fruitiness does come through and all in all it makes for a pleasant drink. The length of the taste is good. 

Although the shocks weren’t too severe, I’d happily have another Voltage. 

Sammy’s Rating: 74%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 51%

MOB review next weekend: RAINBOW SHERBET SOUR by GWEILO BEER

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022

BEER REVIEW: 246

BREWER: Small Beer Brew Co., South-East London, England 

STYLE: Lager 

ABV: 2.1%

VESSEL: 350ml brown bottle 

DATE OF POST: 26th June 2022

 

JYMI SAY’S…

A 2.1% Lager you say?

Errr, ok then…

Here goes…

Lid lifted and I have to say a smile was put on my face instantly. The aroma of old skool French stubbies hoofed it up me hooter before the beer had even left the rather quirky 350ml bottle. This immediately took me back to my early teenaged years when one first starts to get into beer, apparently.

What a positive start to a beer that I have to admit I was not holding out much hope for.

Once poured the nose was still there and kicking and the brew looked pretty decent in the glass.

First sip was a large one as I wanted to give this beer a chance and I have to say my eyes lit up once more. A note in CAPITALS went into my tasting book…

THIS COULD EASILY BE 4%

And it could be. Hats off to the Small Brewing Company for pulling off not only what they intended but also what I did not think was possible! A decent tasting lager at a very, very low ABV.

I then had to calm myself down a little as needed to score this sucker.

Whether a beer is 2% or 12% you have to score it as you taste it and even though this offering today is FANTASTIC for a 2.1% Lager it only makes it into the good bracket over all. However, that is no mean feat with such a low percentage so once again a huge hats off to this brewery for daring to be different, finding a brewery USP and nailing it.

Jymi’s Rating: 61%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

The concept: beers brewed with a very low ABV. This one from the Small Beer Company is a lager and its alcohol percentage is 2.1%. I know, it’s only 2.1%. 

The question has to be asked: how much beeriness is compromised (if any at all) in their quest to fulfil their mission of low alcohol beers?

Well, first up, it smells like a lager, which is a good start. And then the first sip is promising; that well known lager flavour washes over the tongue bringing hope of greatness. But then it all fades away into watery nothingingness. 

The thing is this isn’t a bad beer. It’s good. It achieves what it sets out to do. And I would definitely be reaching for more of these in the right situation.  It absolutely delivers on its USP. It’s just when you rate it on its beer credibility, it will come out lower that it’s counterparts because there is not enough alcohol to carry those notes. 

Still, I recommend giving one of Small Beer’s offerings a go. They’ll be a talking point that’s for sure. 

Sammy’s Rating: 61%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 61%

MOB review next weekend: VOLTAGE by FIFTYTWO NORTH

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

 

M O B 2022