BEER REVIEW: 195

BREWER: Salt Beer Factory, West Yorkshire, England

STYLE: New England IPA

ABV: 5.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 4th July 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

There is normally a lot to enjoy from the visual of a tin of Salt. The 330 tins have always looked bright and different in their design without being quirky. The info given behind the name of the brewery and the names of the beers is interesting and just nice to know. However, with this tin of Huckaback from a visual standpoint things were not all well. See this honeycomb design of Salts just doesn’t look as good in 440 form for me. Nor do I particularly like the colour. It’s very dark and housing a NEIPA that should be bright and light, I’m not sure the design team have particularly nailed this one if I’m honest. The fact the tin also explains phonetically how to pronounce Huckaback is fairly hilarious too!

Moving onto the beer itself although the initial sips are pleasant, tasty in fact, the body and longevity of this NEIPA are severely lacking. It tastes good at first but then everything just falls away. There is no punch, no bite, no personality. There is the classic tropical nose and classic sweetness in the sip which is synonymous with this style. This does help Huckaback along a little but it all comes back to the severe lack of SOMETHING once the initial sip is done. It feels like maybe the ABV should be higher, but to be fair at 5.5% it should be plenty strong enough. This is where the brewer needs to step up I’m afraid.

Pleasant, but lacking.

Jymi’s Rating: 60%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

They say you can’t have too much of a good thing. And, for many things, that’s true. We could spend a long time listing them. Then revisiting the list. And then change it, only to revisit it once again and… well, you get the picture.

And so, the modern style IPA market, which Huckaback broadly fits into, has many a good beer in it; we definitely can’t get enough of them. But what we can have enough of, perhaps, is too many of them. You see, what begins to happen is the lesser ones on the market pale into insignificance.

And so it is with Huckaback. It’s not a terrible beer. It’s light tropical nose is pleasant enough. It’s crisp light and easy to drink.

The thing is, it’s just not doing much. It’s disappears into nothingness. It’s over before it’s begun.

Alas, while not terrible, Huckaback is by no stretch of the imagination good. It’s uncomplicated existence will be unlikely to leave a mark on those that it crosses.

Sammy’s Rating: 63%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 61.5%

MOB review next weekend: SATURATED IN MOSAIC by DEYA

M O B 2021 

BEER REVIEW: 194

BREWER: Two Cocks Brewery, Berkshire, England

STYLE: Bitter

ABV: 3.8%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 27th June 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Now, now now, Two Cocks have quite the history with Muse on Booze, you can delve into the archives to find out more but let’s just say it is a very positive one! NO.1

So along comes Musket and I have to say it took me aback a little. It looks great, both in bottle and glass. It smells lovely. You could drink it until the cows come home, go out again (wherever that may be) and then come home again. It is very smooth in texture and mouthfeel. The name of the beer is just fantastic. And well, it tastes great!

So why taken aback?…

Well TCB are not exactly famed for being a weird and whacky brewery, however the beers we have reviewed by them have had a certain quirk and difference to them. Musket does not. It’s straight shooting (wow, that genuinely wasn’t supposed to be a pun and even if it was, straight shooting and Muskets don’t exactly belong in the same sentence). I digress…

Basically what I am trying to say is that Musket isn’t all singing and all dancing. It is just an very good Bitter indeed and there really is nothing wrong with that.

Jymi’s Rating: 83%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Two Cocks make some awesome beers. There’s no two ways about it. Their reimagining of trad beers is welcome on the scene.

With Musket, they have once again not disappointed. This lightly carbonated bitter is a pleasure to drink. It’s medium bodied drinking experience is incredibly refreshing. The toffee notes and mild bitterness just serve to improve the drinking experience. As with all Two Cocks beers, Musket is well brewed and well balanced.

Although it’s a bitter, this ale would be equally comfortable on a hot summer’s day as it would a cold winter’s night.  In fact, picture yourself anywhere and you’d be able to enjoy one of these.

Well done once again Two Cocks. You never fail to push the boundaries. In the good way, of course.

Sammy’s Rating: 92%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 87.5%

MOB review next weekend: HUCKABACK by SALT

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 193

BREWER: Kopparberg, Örebro County, Sweden

STYLE: Lager

ABV: 5%

VESSEL: 500ml clear bottle

DATE OF POST: 20th June 2021

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

We all know this brewery for its fruit cider and that cider is uber sweet.  I am not the biggest fan of sweet beers. So, understandably, I approach this Fruit Lager with trepidation.

Where to start…

Well, let’s sum it up in a sentence: Fruit Lager is very drinkable but it is not a well brewed beer.

It has the potential to get many a person in deep trouble due to it’s shandy like drinkability compared with its relative strength.

Other than that, I have nothing to say about this.  I wouldn’t go out of your way to try it.

Sammy’s Rating: 42%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Ok, lets get one thing straight…

This is a very poor beer. You can tell that no care whatsoever has been put into this brew and you wouldn’t really expect there to be to be fair, what with it being brewed by the monster that is Kopparberg.

However, for all of it’s flaws, and there are many… There is a way to enjoy this beer.

See, even though the brew is terrible, the drink itself actually tastes fine for what it is. It tastes like a shandy with a hint of lemon running through it. Now, if someone said to me…

“Jymi, do you like the taste of shandy with a little lemon running through the middle”?

I would respond

“Yes I do”.

It would be something I would very rarely drink but right place and right time a shandy can be delightful.

The trouble is this is not supposed to be a shandy, it is supposed to be a 5% lager! And this my friends is where things could get very messy very quickly.

This is the type of drink that could end up in front of you on a scorching summers afternoon whilst sitting in a lovely beer garden. You didn’t order it, your pal did and you have no idea what it is. Due to its sweet and refreshing nature after 3 sips and 18 seconds you look down and you have already finished it and another pal has done the same and already ordered you and them another. Repeat this a few times and fast forward 51 minutes and before you know it you’ve rolled into the picturesque canal that runs by the side of the lovely beer garden and you are being fished out by several members of the local canoe club. All this takes place in front of  many families just trying to have a nice afternoon meal in the sunshine.

See, a 5% lager should not taste like a lemon and lime shandy. It just shouldn’t. And as enjoyable as this would be in the sun it’s hard to even classify it as a beer really.

Jymi’s Rating: 45%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 43.5%

MOB review next weekend: MUSKET by TWO COCKS BREWERY

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 192

BREWER: Butcombe Brewing Co., Bristol, England

STYLE: Golden Ale

ABV: 4.4%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 13th June 2021

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Gold sits in a competitive golden ale market, which has had some strong hands played over the last few years. Will it stand up to the market? I hear you ask.

Straight off, it has floral botanic nose, which is light and incredibly pleasant. This conjures up thoughts of freshly mown lawns on a spring day. It’s simple but effective.

Fuggles hops are evidently present and the malt tones are easily identifiable. All in all, this makes for a lightly bittered golden ale that packs a good sweet aftertaste. The grassy notes are pleasant upfront and these then give way to a caramel creaminess.

Gold has a great mouthfeel, which is light bodied making it a refreshing brew.

Despite not being complex and quite light, It’s well balanced and a pleasant drink overall.

Let’s be clear, this is a good beer, which is surprisingly floral for a British ale.  It would sit well in any beer line up and would satisfy many a thirsty palate. However, as previously mentioned, Gold has many competitors for the golden ale crown and while it might not disappoint on any level, it’s not the best there is.

Sammy’s Rating: 73%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

To be honest with you Butcombe have never really put a foot wrong with the beers of theirs that I’ve sampled. Whether it was pint in pub, a bottle at neighbours house or testing for Muse on Booze, Butcombe have always nailed it.

Now for me with Gold they have still not put a foot wrong but not necessarily hit their normal dizzy heights.

Gold begins with a cracking though relatively simple Lemon nose. That nose immediately transfers through to the taste in the mouth. The aftertaste is then very pleasant but certainly short lived. And you know what. As for the drinking experience there really isn’t much more to say about this Golden Ale. It’s simple and to the point. It tastes good and you could while away an afternoon quite easily with it as your companion. Even with the weather warm sitting outside or cozied by a fire indoors Gold would work.

Don’t expect fireworks, this a just a decent beer.

Jymi’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 75%

MOB review next weekend: LEMON & LIME FRUIT LAGER by KOPPARBERG

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 191

BREWER: Polly’s, Flintshire, Wales

STYLE: Double IPA

ABV: 8%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 6th June 2021

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Nada fits into a place in the beer world where there are many competitors. Like any product that sits in a crowded market, it has to be different to do well. And different does not necessarily mean better. It needs to have something that just sets it aside from the rest. You know, something to make it memorable.

Although Polly’s produce some great beers, Nada, sadly, is not one of them. It’s good. But it has no je ne sais quoi. If you want an analogy, you might like to call it ploddy in a sprint.

It’s hazy in the glass and this makes Nada look class. The dank tropical notes, leaning towards mango, are also pleasant. But the drinking, which has enough bitterness, leave you wanting more in the flavour department. While it’s not unpleasant, there is just no force driving Nada on.

You won’t dislike Nada. You possibly won’t have your love for it kindled either.

Sammy’s Rating: 68%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Things I absolutely adore about this beer:

The packaging – Even though Beavertown have gorn all Heineken on us, their packaging as a whole is still fantastic. Two Cocks Brewery in Berkshire also have utterly sensational looking bottles for their traditional beer. This particular tin of Polly’s for me is up there with the VERY best. Colours, tone, subtlety… This tin has it ALL! It looks gorgeous.

The nose – wow, the experience for the olfactory from the second you pop this pup until the brew is done is INCREDIBLE! The sweet tropical lychee is just so alluring.

The mouthfeel – It is just plain to see that from the texture in mouth this beer has been brewed to the highest level.

The thing I really like about this beer:

The taste – So many fruit notes to pick up on. Juicy on the cheeks with a dank bitter finish, this beer is full on! Because of it’s intensity it took a while to get into but once there Jymi was a happy chappy.

Things I don’t particularly like about this beer:

The intensity – This is very much a slow sipper because of the aforementioned intensity. However, the tropical yet bitter fruit flavour is just too good to only have one or maybe two. It left me wanting more but unable to have more.

The name – Nada? Great sounding word yes, but it means NOTHING… Why would you call a beer Nothing Pollys? I just don’t get it, sorry.

But all in all, a cracker of a brew!

Jymi’s Rating: 84%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76%

MOB review next weekend: GOLD by BUTCOMBE BREWING CO.

 

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 190

BREWER: Guinness, Leinster, Ireland

STYLE: Porter

ABV: 6%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 30th May 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Well after last week’s predictable greatness I have to say I was more than excited to get stuck into the iteration that was sent west from Dublin. Similar to an IPA leaving English shores set for India in the days of the British Raj, the Guinness leaving St James’s Gate on its way to the Caribbean was brewed stronger, so the beer could withstand the long journey across the Atlantic.

With it’s origins in an 1801 entry in the Guinness brewers diaries, this West Indies Porter was inspired by the first brew purposely brewed at St. James’s Gate to retain freshness ready for its long journey ahead.

Upon tasting I really think my one word notes in my book pretty much told the story of what was going on with this brew… well other than the last word. Crickey.

SMOOTH

BOOZY

CLOYING

CHOCOLATE

SESSIONABLE

A prominent chocolate nose gives way to a lovely smooth yet strong tasting Porter. This smoothness does lead you down the ‘I could sink a few of these’ path, but the strength in taste does keep reminding you that you probably shouldn’t!

I like this drink a lot. It is very different to its home bird brother in Guinness Original, but you can still tell it has come from this most iconic of breweries.

Jymi’s Rating: 79%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Here we are; week 2 of our first linked review. This week, it’s  Guinness’s West Indies Porter’s (WIP) turn to come under the microscope.

Straight up, the packaging is a hit. I love the retro front label. It sets it aside from Guinness Original (GO), but there’s most definitely the same brand feeling going on.

And the nose, well there’s no mistaking it’s Porter original and this stands in contrast to GO.  It’s mellow but still earthy. Not being at all overpowering or complex, the coffee notes are unmistakable.  This mellowness continues through to the drinking. It’s slightly sharp and bitter up front, giving way to toffee mellowness.  All through, the hint of hops treads lightly on the tongue.

This is definitely different to GO. It’s more mellow and slips away easy. But the thing is, they’re both good mass produced beers.

If you want something a little more punchy, then GO is your go to (get it). For mellow notes, stick to WIP. But you won’t go wrong with either.

Sammy’s Rating: 85%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 82%

MOB review next weekend: NADA by POLLYS

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 189

BREWER: Guinness, Leinster, Ireland

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 23rd May 2021

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ok, so over the next two weeks, we are doing a linked review. We will be testing Guinness Original this week, then onto West Indies Export next week. The aim will be to do more of these in the future. The idea is that GO will provide the benchmark to compare the export with.

There’s no escaping the domination that Guinness has on the stout market. It has to be said it’s clear to see why. Whether it be an original or a draught, there’s something so earthy and hearty about Guinness, it has defined the stout taste. Others have come and gone but they have fallen in the wake of the giant. While there are now many small scale breweries doing astonishing stouts, there is only one name in the macro business.

GO is a nostalgic beer for me. When my parents first permitted me to have the odd beer, this was one of the mainstays. And for that reason I find I have a soft spot for it. Whether that distorts my perception of it or not, I cannot say. What I can say, is that GO is an earthy and warming stout. It’s fairly light bodied, not complicated on the palate and easy to drink. It conjures up memories of festive seasons by the fire. Or rugby matches endured in the cold.

GO’s roasted malted barley really does make it a fantastic mouthful. It packs flavour and reassures the soul.

I know there’ll be many a critic. I know there’s better, more considered brewed stouts out there. But there’s something just so, Guinness about it. And for me, it pulls on the heart strings.

Sammy’s Rating: 85%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I used to be pretty slick as a teenager…

Now I’m not talking leather jacket and toothpick slick, no no.

I’m not even talking getting insured on your Mum’s Gold VW Passat GT for a day so you could drive to a party slick.

I’m talking wearing chunky fluorescent yellow ski socks to school kinda slick. There were all the do as you’re told kids in their grey numbers, walking in grids with no expression. Whilst Jymi would be meandering free between them in his bright yet warm socks.

On one particular day there was an event after school, literally no clue what it was I’m afraid. However this event involved parents and guardians coming along and drink was available. Now judging by the photos I’m fairly sure me and my two chums (Sammy being one of them) were drinking openly, so I’m assuming it was allowed but anything is possible I guess. What is also apparent from the pictures is that I was drinking Guinness Original out of a bottle whilst my mates were on lager. And I remember why… it was because I was so fu**ing cool. The fact it was warm and nothing like the chilled draught stuff I had tried before didn’t matter. I was cool. I was different. I had very bright socks on. All was well.

It tasted like total s**t that night but I’m sure that was just me because what I’m drinking here now is nothing short of lovely. Nowadays I’m definitely still more versed on Draught Guinness but this has a touch more elegance and refinement about it for me. The nose, sip and mouthfeel are just divine and unmistakably Guinness. There is something about it that makes you want another which is also unmistakably, Guinness.

All in all this is just a champion brew with an unrivalled name and you can see why.

Seriously looking forward to the West Indies porter next week… the one that got sent overseas all the way back when.

Jymi’s Rating: 81%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 83%

MOB review next weekend: WEST INDIES PORTER by GUINNESS

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 188

BREWER: Budweiser Budvar, South Bohemia, Czech Republic

STYLE: Lager

ABV: 5%

VESSEL: 500ml green bottle

DATE OF POST: 16th May 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It’s very easy to predict what may be coming your way when it comes to a readily available popular continental European beer sold in the UK.

It’s very easy to pre-empt it will be:-

NICE ENOUGH

CRISP

REFRESHING

but DOESN’T SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT

The reason for this is that most in this bracket of beer do fall into, well, this bracket – Good drinkable beer but not AMAZING.

However, I think Budvar is a little different to this.

NICE ENOUGH?   It’s better than that.

CRISP?   Yes, but there is way more body going on here to give it that classic crisp tag.

REFRESHING?   Yes again, but not in the obvious sense.

but DOESN’T SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT?   Well, no it doesn’t, however because there is a lot more personality than your aforementioned regularly available beers it gets a lot closer to those bulbs.

This is a crazily mass produced yet iconic drop, and there is something about it.

Great… no.

Close to great… yes.

Jymi’s Rating: 75%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Budvar is known the world over. Well, in The Americas it’s known as Czechvar. The less said about that, the better.

Budvar has iconic branding and is synonymous with Czech Pilsners. There’s something so reassuring about it. It’s luring.

It’s colour is medium to dark and the nose, although not complicated, is all bread. We can thank those malts for that.

Look, Budvar is mass produced. It’s not micro; it’s macro. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Through the years, it has not been gimmicky or flitted in and out of fashion. Nope, Budvar’s mass success is down to its brew. It’s just a good lager. It borders on the bitter with a short flavour length dominated by malts. There’s no getting away from the obvious heaviness of it when compared with other lagers. Still, it’s how Budvar should be. It’s almost earthy.

This beer has a place of affection in my heart. And I don’t mind admitting it. It’s one I keep coming back to for a little lager pick me up from time to time.

Sammy’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76%

MOB review next weekend: GUINNESS ORIGINAL by GUINNESS

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 187

BREWER: Cloudwater Brew Co., Greater Manchester, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 9th May 2021

 

JYMI SAY’S…

As soon as the news broke that Cloudwater were going to be landing in Tesco Sammy & I said we have to move on this while it was still topical so interrupt the testing timetable we did.

Ok, we have slightly missed topical I know but whatever, there is still much to say…

We have only reviewed one Cloudwater over the years, no reason for that, just the way that it’s worked out. However, outside of beer reviewing I have had a few CW brews and they have been nothing short of magnificent. A cask best bitter in Dorset springs to mind… Yeah, I know.

As soon as I found out CW were hitting Tesco I have to say a fair few thoughts hit me.

First reaction was, sell out.

Then I thought well actually, there are loads of good breweries in Tesco nowadays. Buxton, Vocation and Thornbridge to name but a few.

But Cloudwater going supermarket just seemed different.

Thoughts then drifted to this being yet another kick in the dick for the small brewers and retailers. But I have to be honest, thoughts also drifted to this raising the profile of craft beer. If enjoying, eyes would open and intrigue to what else is out there, you would like to think, would ensue.

Ultimately though I hate what’s going on here.

I suppose I should write about the actual beer now.

OK, well, I think I actually predicted what’s going on here before even tasting pretty accurately. This was going to be an average/good beer. Enjoyable yes but that’s as far as it goes.

And Cloudwater have nailed it once again! But, unfortunately this time only in predictability.

It is enjoyable, it fine, it’s a nice enough beer but with a CW stamp on it, it should be better. Sorry, it just should be.

Session IPA (great name btw) starts off in serious style from this Manchester brewer to be fair. The look in glass superb and a sublime nose. It then took a dip and never recovered.

For a session IPA it starts off too bitter for me and then falls into quite a thin taste and then to an almost nothing finish. The bitterness up front does soften over further sips but is way too prominent throughout for this to make an actual sessioner cry ANOTHER ROUND FOR ALL PLEASE LANDLORD.

The drop in body and lack of aftertaste however is where this brew falls down.

It needs more and to be brutally honest from a brewer of this magnitude, and I did indeed want, more.

Jymi’s Rating: 66%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ok, in the beer world, Cloudwater selling through Tesco would see them selling out. Also, the Tesco range of Cloudwater is being brewed at Brewdog’s factory. And we all know about the latter’s direction of travel.

But let us not focus on the politics. Let us not be guided or swayed by the significance of this shift for Cloudwater. Let’s just judge the beer before us…

Put simply, this Session IPA is good, if not at all great.

It all started promisingly with a sweet nose, which is driven by our friends mango and pineapple, who are, of course no strangers to the IPA world. And on sight, there’s definitely the anticipated hazy appearance in the glass.

The first sip of Session IPA brings bitter grapefruit up front, which becomes sharp afterwards with a slight hint of sweetness. It’s almost finished off with a hint grassiness. So, it seems to be a good beer which is light with great mouthfeel. However, this lightness gives way to flavour somewhat. And that’s the downfall of this session IPA. Clearly, it would be easy to slip one down after the other but it’s just not punching a whole bag of flavour.

To be fair, it’s exactly what you might expect from a session ipa. It’s defining of its genre, but by no means trailblazing. Would I be happy to have this again? Why, yes I would but it’s certainly not top of the pile by any stretch of the imagination. I see it as being a little showy with no sustenance. Perhaps this is no surprise.

One for a scorching summers day, perhaps. But other than that, seek out something that has a little more to it…

Sammy’s Rating: 68%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 67%

MOB review next weekend: BUDWEISER BUDVAR by BUDWEISER BUDVAR

M O B 2021

BEER REVIEW: 186

BREWER: Menabrea, Piedmont, Italy

STYLE: Lager

ABV: 4.8%

VESSEL: 660ml green bottle

DATE OF POST: 2nd May 2021

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Menabrea is as you might expect.   It’s an Italian lager, which on the whole are very drinkable.

The nose is unremarkable but not unpleasant.  It’s light in the mouth and is very easy to quaff.  Where Menabrea would be at home, is, unsurprisingly, in an Italian bar nestled in an Italian square.  In such a scenario, then the scoring for this lager could very easily go through the roof.   Okay, you could argue this is the case for any beer, and that would be true, but there are some ales that transgress the situational scoring.

While Menabrea will not be setting the world on fire, it may make many an Italian holiday.

It’s worth a try – perhaps wait until the perfect opportunity arises…

Sammy’s Rating: 50%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

When you think Italian lager your mind nowadays heads to one, maybe two obvious beers if you’re a UK based sipper.

When thinking Italian lager I’m fairly certain your mind should also wander towards clean, crisp and refreshing drinking. However when peering at my very large bottle of Menabrea Birra Bionda I was not thinking that at all. I was thinking, ‘that looks pretty cool, but is this really an Italian lager’?

However normal service resumed once popped, sniffed and sipped. This was quite clearly a southern European lager as it was clean, it was crisp and it was refreshing. Now in the right setting this can just be fantastic. Warm and lazy BBQ or a balmy Milanese afternoon al fresco. This doesn’t necessarily mean this is a great beer, because it’s not, it’s just very enjoyable. What it does mean is that in the right situation because of it’s crisp and refreshing nature it can be elevated from a nice enough beer to a very enjoyable brew indeed.

The weather was set fair though not particularly warm when I tested this a few days ago.

Did I enjoy it? Yes I did.

Did it blow my lightweight embroidered cotton spring socks off? No it did not.

 Jymi’s Rating: 62%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 56%

MOB review next weekend: CLOUDWATER SESSION IPA  by CLOUDWATER

M O B 2021