Apologies for the super late post (though a Sunday evening slot does seem quite nice to be fair?). 

We do have a very good reason though.. 50% of the MOB crew got married yesterday and the other 50% was best man. So booze took a back seat for a bit. 

Actually, it really really didn’t….. 

Anyway, let’s rock!

 

BEER REVIEW: 34

BREWER: BrewDog, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 5.6%

VESSEL: 330ml tin 

DATE POSTED: 5th June 2018 

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So here we have it, BrewDog’s flagship brew…

As we know BrewDog have gone from strength to strength over recent years and not without the odd bit of controversy either. But that aside the BD brand seems to just keep on growing and growing. Whether it’s a new boozer popping up, a new brew coming out, something snazzy going on over the pond in the US or their new fanzine (a fortnightly subscription sending it’s subscribers 3 limited edition beers to test and feedback on), there is always something going on with this brewing powerhouse from Aberdeenshire.

But what is their secret?

Great business model? Clever marketing? Luck? Well, it’s probably a little bit of all of these but the main reason for me has to be… THESE DOGS BREW DANG GOOD BEER!!! Simple as that. Business model, marketing and luck will only get you so far if your brews are average or worse. But if you’re turning out splendid beer after splendid beer alongside this great things can happen. And the proof is in the hoppy pudding. That said I haven’t tried everything that BrewDog have to offer but what I have has always delivered in a big way. Our review on DEAD PONY CLUB 2 months ago being a casing point.

So to the flagship, PUNK IPA..

Blimey. IT IS INCREDIBLE. HUGE HUGE HUGE FLAVOUR!! It really has got a very powerful taste and a tonne of length also. As big as the flavour is it’s not overwhelming and is actually very refreshing. I really like the way the bitterness comes early but then dips to a smooth long hoppy finish. All this proceeded by a nose that tells you what you’re in for, a delight. You can tell the strength of Punk with that initial flavour but then it tricks your mind into thinking, pah, maybe it’s not that strong after all. It is. Trust me. Don’t get me wrong there are way stronger IPA’s out there and 5.6% does fall into that bracket of maybe one more can’t hurt? But honestly, this feels like it can be a sessioner (probably because it’s so nice) but eventually, PUNK IPA WILL TAKE YOU DOWN!

In conclusion Punk IPA is a mighty fine brew, but you knew that already didn’t you…

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

A simple sentence that says it all: Brew Dog stormed the craft beer scene in the UK.  There are some that say they have sold out and lost their soul.  There are some that say they don’t class them as craft anymore…

Here we have the well-known Punk IPA.  The tropical notes streaming off of this beer are magnificent.  The aromas draw you in.  They pull at your taste buds until you find yourself unable to resist that sip.  And what a sip it is.  Punk is a full on flavour sensation.  There is depth in its slightly bitter, very hoppy taste.  It keeps on giving and coming back for more.

You might be tricked into thinking that punk can’t be drank in a session.  But believe me it can.  And one of the great things about this beer is that can after can, bottle after bottle, pint after pint it always tastes as good as the first.  It’s not so often that you can say that about a beer.

Let’s be honest, who cares how you categorise a beer?  Does it matter if a brewery sells out? After all, they’re a business.  I’m going to cut to the chase, none of it matters when we are given a beer as good as Punk IPA.  It is outstandingly good.  It really is that simple.  This IPA is belting.  And all you purists out there can put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 Sammy’s Rating: 89%

 

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 87% 

 

 

MOB review next weekend: NEW ENGLAND SESSION IPA by BREWERY NOORDT

 

BEER REVIEW: 33

BREWER: Vocation Brewery, West Yorkshire, England

STYLE: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.3%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE POSTED: 25th May 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I quote Vocation themselves…

“A classic, American style pale ale. Our Pride & Joy is pale, crisp, very hoppy and aromatic. Robust hop flavours are layered over a balanced malty backbone. Initially soft to the palate, Pride & Joy builds to a generous, but clean bitterness. Flavours and aromas of mango, citrus, earthy pine, tropical fruit and blueberry.” 

Now the reason I’ve started with what is written on the tin is because the Vocation Brewery beer description department (VBBDD) could not have got this more bang on, other than the blueberry bit.  The initial taste is soft to the palate, so much so I actually missed it with my first sip (ever the professional hey?!) And because I missed it my initial impression was that I wasn’t actually a fan of the taste. If you skip straight to the bitterness it really isn’t great. But if you concentrate and pick up the lovely subtle almost mango taste at the beginning and then let that bitterness take over you have yourself a simply wonderful tasting American Pale. It’s great, and the more I drank it the more I enjoyed it I have to say.

Looks and name wise I have always been sceptical when wandering past a possie of Vocation beers, and that’s what I used to do, wander past. The whole something AND something irritated me a little and still does to be honest but in isolation the name Pride & Joy isn’t all that bad. But packaging wise I have to admit I was wrong. On closer inspection, it’s cool, it’s really cool. And the more I stared at the tin the more I liked the retro font for the name. The black ring pull was a nice touch as well.

On a side note, I don’t know if my can took a blow on it’s way to me as Sammy bought this batch but when I opened this beer it literally exploded! Then trying to get it in the glass took some time as was lively as hell and the initial head was bigger than Trump’s. However, I will definitely be buying some Pride & Joy again soon as this is one very, very good ale, so will report back as the whether this is normal behaviour for a tin of P&J.

Til then…

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

This offering from Vocation Brewery is an American Pale Ale.  That means we can expect lots of hops.  We can expect lots of tropical, citrus notes.  

Before all that, however, take a look at the packaging, which is very good indeed.  The styling on this can (which follows through all brands from Vocation Brewery) is crisp, clear and pulls you right in.  You are left with that unmistakable feeling that you are entering the world of craft.

Does it deliver the aforementioned assets of a craft IPA?  You bet it does.  Its aroma is so full of citrus and tropical scents that you could be forgiven for thinking you were on a beach holiday in hot climes somewhere in the beer-producing world.  Sometimes, these aromas don’t translate into the taste.  That’s not the case with Pride and Joy.  It really soaks your taste buds with the wonderful flavours promised by its wafting aromas.

The craft beer world has many great beers – we know that.  Vocation Brewery has given us another fantastic offering here.  You will enjoy this beer.  It stands tall in a craft world that has many big hitters.

Sammy’s Rating: 86%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 85.5%

MOB review next weekend: PUNK IPA by BREWDOG

BEER REVIEW: 32

BREWER: Camden Town Brewery, North London, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE POSTED: 18th May 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Camden Town Brewery has ridden the crest of a wave on the back of a number of their products, Camden Pale Ale being one of them.  Their rise to popularity has been in large parts down to the boom of craft beers.  Although not quite as popular as some other offerings from these hipsters, Camden Pale Ale is not a rarity and is easy to come across both on tap and canned up.  I never believe in the term ‘sell out’; if a product is good it stands to reason it will do well.  And let us be honest, all businesses set out with one goal: to make money.  What needs to be tested with booming craft beer companies is the strength of their products and how they stand up in the increasingly over-crowded market.

With Camden Pale Ale, it is simple: this is a good all-rounder.  It’s great on the nose.  It’s great on the palate.  It loses none of its interest on the second, third, fourth, fifth,….pint.  The taste comes somewhere between a lager ale crossover, with a definite nod towards the ale end of the spectrum.  There are bitter notes that are tempered by the hops.  The length of flavour has depth, but it’s by no means over bearing and leaves you with no nasty surprises.

It comes packaged up in what could only be a Camden Town Brewery beer. Their unique branding is evident and you’d be hard pressed to miss one of their products.  Whether you like the style or not is almost irrelevant; it serves its purpose.  It’s there in your face and you know what you’re reaching for.

Most of us have veered into the territory of Camden Pale Ale on more than one occasion.  If you haven’t, it’s about time you did.

Sammy’s Rating: 82%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Camden Town. An area of North London that for centuries has dared to be different. Known for its quirky and care free attitude folk used to flock from the world over to pick up crazy bits of furniture that they would struggle to find anywhere else. Nowadays people still come from all corners of the globe just to see London and what Camden Town has to offer.

So have Camden Town Brewery captured the quirky, dare to be different feel with their Camden Pale Ale offering? No.

Do I care? No. Not one iota.

Why not? Because this is an absolutely terrific Pale!! It is packing bags of flavour and seeing as it’s only 4% it is actually amazing quite how much of a punch that CPA is bringing to the table. Plenty of citrus upfront and then a long almost ultra bitter hoppy finish. Very good indeed I assure you. I think what is also the key to this Pale being a real champ is it’s got plenty enough going for it if you’re just having a quick beer. If you’re only having a couple, CPA put’s it’s hand up once again and delivers. Furthermore, it works as a session beer too. Impressive stuff.

Now you could accuse Camden Town Brewery of failing to deliver an exciting tin design and name seeing as it’s from Camden. However, I am not. I actually admire the simplicity of design, name, colour and font. They could have gone all out IN YOUR FACE CAMDEN but no… an understated approach was taken which somehow sums up this area of North London that dares to be different. Don’t ask me how but it just…. works.

I am a big fan of this Pale Ale which seems to be becoming more accessible with each day that ticks by, and that can only be a good thing.

Jymi’s Rating: 86%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 84% 

MOB review next weekend: PRIDE & JOY by VOCATION BREWERY

Look’s like we have our highest scoring beer so far… Praise be x

 

BEER REVIEW: 31

BREWER: Beavertown Brewery, North London, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.6%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE POSTED: 11th May 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Neck Oil – a genius name from the team at Beavertown Brewery.

Neck Oil canned-up – a genius design from team at Beavertown Brewery.

Neck Oil flowing down the throat – a top brew from the team at Beavertown Brewery.

In more detail:

Neck Oil (which is a session beer by the way!) has it all.  The name is brilliant – there will be hundreds of others out there wishing that they had chosen it for their product, but I’m afraid all you others were beaten to the post.

Then there’s that distinctive packaging that could only be from Beavertown, although others (perhaps smarting at missing out on the Neck Oil brand name) are now starting to cash in on this very non-traditional packaging.  You would be incredibly hard pushed to find an ale better marketed than this.  And any contenders would probably all come from the Beavertown beer catalogue.

Once unleashed from its top-notch encasement, Neck Oil omits the most amazing nose. It’s everything you’d expect from a high-end craft, packed with tropical notes that are a heady temptation to drink.  It’s on the drinking that you realise just how clever the name is because, you see, Neck Oil really is neck oil and I’d be happy to oil my neck with this throughout a very long evening.  It has such a great length in its bittersweet taste; it goes on and on.  Unlike the can, which seems to be emptied all too soon!

 Quite simply, Neck Oil is a triumph on all fronts.

Sammy’s Rating: 89%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Right, I’m going to start with a negative, which is frankly ridiculous because when it comes to this monster of a beer,  there really are none… but here goes nevertheless.

My initial thoughts on the name NECK OIL left me a little uneasy. It felt a little repugnant to me. But then I processed the name further in that wee brain of mine and it dawned on me just how fantastically genius it actually is. NECK OIL. Just brilliant!!

So I broke the tin open with immense excitement and was not disappointed. The dry citrus nose says to you, ‘I’m good, I’m really good, you better be ready ’. So I braced myself for what I thought could be a taste explosion of grapefruit and orange, however it wasn’t an explosion I got, but an incredible and smooth tasting bitter then dry to finish.. ale, just superb. Obviously there are still citrus tones but not at all overwhelming.

I’ll say it again, AN INCREDIBLE TASTING IPA. The soft hits of citrus and dry finish just takes you on this journey of beer joy that keeps you coming back for more and more from each glass. And before you know it you’re reaching for another. And then another. And then another. And then….. you get the idea. This is a session IPA that tastes OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. It’s not often you can say that about a beer that could slip down all day and all of the night without tipping you over the edge.

Serious hat’s off to you team Beaver…  

And all wrapped up in packaging that draws people that see it to blurt out stuff like…

Oh my $£#&, this can looks incredible!! Or

Holy &%£@, what on earth do we have here!?! Or

Seriously, have you seen this £$@&$& tin of ale!!!

Packaging good enough to make you swear, I’ll leave it there…

Jymi’s Rating: 91%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 90%

 

MOB review next weekend: CAMDEN PALE ALE by CAMDEN TOWN BREWERY

BEER REVIEW: 30

BREWER: Kettlesmith Brewing Company, Wiltshire, England

STYLE: Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 4th May 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

It’s mostly with great excitement that unknown beers are tested.  And there can be two main outcomes: great satisfaction or huge disappointment. 

I go back to my first sentence where I used the word ‘mostly’ instead of ‘always’.  One might wonder why the word ‘always’ wasn’t used, after all, we are talking about beer tasting.  Let me be frank, and I know I won’t be alone in this; some generic brews of beers are not my favourite.  Rightly or wrongly, blonde beer is one of these groups.

This means Streamline filled me with nervousness before tasting, even though it’s not a true blonde – it’s on that spectrum somewhere.  But being the brave soldier I am, I gave it a go none-the-less…

This beer is packaged up so well. It’s got class. It’s distinctive. It’s enticing. 

Then comes the pour…and boy oh boy…Streamline is a firecracker, with more bubbles than observed last New Year’s Eve. Through those bubbles, you get a nice sweet, subtle aroma – very good for such a breed of beer. Once you’ve wrestled your way through the bubbles attack, the taste is good too.  But it’s the bubbles that are the bittersweet kicker.  Without them, the beer wouldn’t be what it is.  With them, Streamline finds it hard to keep your focus.

But hey, what can we do?  Well, let’s accept Streamline for what it is and enjoy as a starter beer…

Sammy’s Rating: 73%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

A beer surrounded in mystery this one and it’s not entirely the beer nor brewers fault!!

The bottle of Streamline that went through the rigorous Muse on Booze testing and reviewing process appeared from nowhere, literally. As I was rustling through the beer cupboard a few weeks back I noticed the offering from Kettlesmith lurking about at the back. I had not put it there. I had never seen it before. Had a representative from Kettlesmith been round in a Black Saab in the dead of night and planted it in the Muse on Booze beer cupboard, primed to be reviewed? I’m not sure we’ll ever truly know, but one thing I do know is no one in the household has the first clue how it got there.

This mystery doesn’t end there… but now it’s over to the brewers and the beer at least…

First off, looks great! The bottle shape is simple but different enough to stand out and the label offers a lot of information for the drinker. Streamline is a pretty cool name too but with the brilliance of some of these beer names nowadays I couldn’t award full marks. Things then took a small turn. Nose wise, I wasn’t getting a huge amount of much really. The amount of fizz from the beer once in the glass was almost hypnotic there were so many spiralling bubbles! Which I have to say left me wondering how this Ale / Lager hybrid was going to go down.

I was dubious.

I didn’t need to be.

It’s nice and smooth, has a moreish quality to it and tastes great! There is a real continental taste to it and comes over as stronger than 4.2%. It’s the type of beer that you would like to settle into a few of on a beautiful sunny day, sitting outside of a bar in some historical square in mainland Europe. I’m not saying you could drink it all day but it’s got that feeling of a beer that you would like to. As I said, MOREISH!! Super glad this beer came my way, and to whoever put it there…. Can you leave more next time please?

Jymi’s Rating: 74%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 73.5%

 MOB review next weekend: NECK OIL by BEAVERTOWN BREWERY 

BEER REVIEW: 29

BREWER: Brick Brewery, South London, England

STYLE: Sour

ABV: 3.5%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE POSTED: 27th April 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

# I’ve been down the offie bought a drink with no name, It felt good to be out of the game, In the car now, exhaust got a flame, can’t wait to get home and drink that beer with no name… Laaa laaaa la la la lala laaa la la laa la….#

Now before I even get on to the taste, nose, packaging blah blah blah this has to be addressed. It’s not called anything. On one hand that gives this sour mystique that is backed up by the insanely cool packaging, but on the other hand… IT’S NOT CALLED ANYTHING! I was absolutely taken in by the look of this can in the bottle shop and fully expected when turning it around for it to have a little subtly written funky name for her, but no, I was just told what it was, a tamarind and lime leaf sour. I just don’t get it, but hey.

Why don’t you stop babbling on about the name Jymi and crack her open eh?

Don’t tamarind if I do.. (sorry, that felt funnier when I thought of it in bed last night).

Oh wow!! Wow wow… She is different!! She is sour!! She is incredible!! The initial taste is as TART as it comes, it sat me back in my chair, made me shake my head and then made me smile. I instantly went back for another massive gulp to try and work out what on earth had just happened. Sat me back in my chair again, TART again! Once past that it instantly switches to a massive lime hit then fades to a beautiful long citrus finish.

Now, the whole 3.5% thing got me thinking, this could be a fantastic session beer with that lovely citrus after taste. But then I thought, the intensity of the first 3 seconds puts it so so so far away from a sessioner it’s ridiculous. Tough one. I will put to test this coming summer and report back.

I absolutely love this but could fully understand if others didn’t. I guess it depends if you’re a sour head or not at the end of the day.

Great job you crafty Brick Brewery boys.

Jymi’s Rating: 76%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

It’s questionable to say whether or not making the packaging for a product indescribably cryptic is genius or indeed if it is in fact disastrous.  This is amplified when you’re peddling an unknown brand.  And so the case with Tamarind and Lime Leaf Sour is that it is impossible to identify this as an ale without cracking out the magnifying glass.  Me personally, I love it, but I’m not going to dwell on it because others will find it irritating – and I can understand why that’s the case.  

Pouring from the can shows this offering to be quite a lively beer and a strong head forms with little encouragement, which leads you to believe it will be lively on the palate.  Before the drinking though, the nose on Tamarind and Lime Leaf Sour is aromatic, on the citrus side with a strong flowery backdrop.  The first sip is, to be fair, a shock that is filled very much with a first flavouring of lime followed closely by the tamarind.  So, the flavour does exactly as it says on the tin (shame that hook line was stolen before this beer was launched).  

It’s not the liveliness of the bubbles that are the thing with this beer.  No, it’s the unusual and incredibly distinctive flavours that are its bag.  It will divide the crowd.  There’s no doubt about it.  Me – I really like it.  I like it because it’s different and it’s uniqueness is refreshing, just likes its flavours.  And that’s where judging this beer is a little tricky: it can’t be compared to others – it can only be judged by it’s own standards.  

Tamarind and Lime Leaf Sour slips down the watering hole very easily indeed. One or two on a hot summer’s day would pass by very quickly and would be very welcome on any occasion during the warmer climes. Once those initial thirst quenching moments had passed though, you would possibly find yourself looking for another ale to keep you company throughout the day.

One thing’s for certain, you’ve got to try this one!

Sammy’s Rating: 79%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 77.5%

MOB review next weekend: STREAMLINE by KETTLESMITH BREWING COMPANY

 

BEER REVIEW: 28

BREWER: Kona Brewing Co., Hawaii, USA 

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 6%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 21st April 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I mean, I think we’ve all dreamt or at least pondered what we would do should we be CASTAWAY… The mind wanders, for hours and hours… just how are you going to make 7 plastic spoons, 18 paper straws and a full jar of mayonnaise in to a craft that will hopefully save your life? Also, assuming you’ve been able to construct your sea faring vessel, what’s the plan? What do you do?

Which brings me on to the look of our bottle. Don’t get me wrong AT ALL, I love it, but it is annoyingly flawed…

First off, the craft that has been assembled by this solo person, lost and alone looks like it’s been sponsored by bleedin’ Richard Branson. Look at it!! It’s incredible!! But not the work of a Castaway.

Secondly, the fact there is quite clearly land in front of our stricken sailor suggests that they are no longer CAST AWAY , and furthermore they are sailing in to the waves which suggests there is land even closer behind them?! I think? Could be wrong there :0)

As cool as the packaging is, it’s VERY uncastaway.

Anyway, rant over, this IPA is lovely…

The quality start’s with the nose, beautiful almost mango sweet but with dry pine, a total delight. The taste is great also. There is a lot to her but doesn’t come across as complex which shows the sign of some great brewing. It’s full of citrus yes but there are hints of herbs as well as Mr Malt to bring everything together. Personally, I find it a touch on the thick side, but that is just personal preference.

This is a cracking beer and if HMS Mayo failed to get you where you needed to be and you ended stuck with a large supply of Castaway, you would die a very drunk and happy soul.

Jymi’s Rating: 77%

 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Castaway is a very good beer.  It’s as simple as that. 

Kona have developed a strong USP and Castaway does a fantastic job of launching you all the way to a Hawaiian island. 

The nose is tropical and has very good length.  It’s both tempting and soothing at the same time, and entices you to relax.  You can almost feel the sand beneath your feet while you fill your lungs with its sweet scent. 

As you draw down your first mouthful, you are left in no doubt that this is a member of the IPA family.  But what Castaway does so well is to maintain it’s strong tropical notes, all the way from nose to taste.  And it lingers on your tongue in a very pleasant manner, allowing you the luxury of continuing your imagined journey to the Hawaiian beaches from which it was inspired.

From bottle all the way through to drinking, Castaway knows its place.  You really couldn’t go far wrong drinking this bathed in warm sun, preferably on a Hawaiian beach.  Failing that, any time of year would do, especially if you’re looking for small moments of beach dreaming. 

Sammy’s Rating: 81%

 

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 79%

 

MOB review next weekend: TAMARIND & LIME LEAF SOUR by BRICK BREWERY 

Welcome to your weekend party people. We have a bottle with a beard in town as well as a guest review from He-Man’s arch nemesis…

BEER REVIEW: 27

BREWER: Robinsons, Greater Manchester, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 6%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 15th April 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

As I myself am currently the proud owner of a well-worn beard, you can only imagine my excitement at the thought of trying a beer named after this long lasting tradition.  With so much riding on this beer (based solely on its hipster name), does it live up to expectation?

Well – the first signs are good.   There’s a face with a beard very prominently displayed on the label.  And that’s great because…well….the beer is named Beardo!  Then, once released from its bottle into a glass, the chocolaty aromas are distinctive and give hope of something great inside. 

I’m sorry to let you all know that that’s where the greatness ends.  You see, Beardo does not follow through with taste.  It’s not a heady trip into the world of beards, as so teasingly promised by the label.  Neither is it a journey into the world of great craft beers.  No, Beardo is very much about being on show and trying to cash in on the wonderful world of craft beers.  The taste just isn’t there.  Beardo is distinctive for being hard to chew down.  It has no place with all the other fantastic beers out there on offer.

We all know that the trends for beards come and go over time: hundreds of years of being in and out of fashion.  I’d be very surprised if Beardo is around the next time beards are en vogue.  It would be some feat if Beardo was still here by the time the last beard associated with this current crop is shaved off!

More time needs to be spent on brewing as opposed to beard grooming.  

Sammy’s Rating: 45%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

There was once a time where ale was associated with chaps who donned beards and beards were associated with chaps keen on the consumption of ale.

As time has moved forward ale is now associated with chaps who don beards and beards are associated with chaps keen on the consumption of ale… hang on, so nothing has changed you say?!

Incorrect, though a beard is still a beard, and ale is still ale, plenty has changed my friends, plenty has changed.

The beard is no longer there because the consumer is far too hammered to contemplate a shave. Far from it. Most of today’s beard wearers have this furniture on their face because they’re a hipster, beatnik or just flippin’ cool.

Of course ale is still ale but nowadays it’s trendy to drink it and there are a million and one takes and tweaks out there for us to try. If you had mentioned something like an orange peel infused IPA back in the 70’s you would have been thrown to the floor by the aforementioned bloke that was too pissed to shave.

But the fact remains, Beards and Beers belong together, like Gin and Tonic, and the Robinsons branding division have recognized this and NAILED IT!!!

WHAT. A . NAME.

WHAT. A. BOTTLE.

WHAT. A. BEER?

Well, let’s find out..

The nose is lovely, a little old skool with the bitter tones but really good. I must also take a moment to comment on how good this looked in the glass. The colour and head on Beardo once poured just made it look so inviting. So I got stuck in.

Bizarrely, the initial taste took me back to when I was VERY young but just old enough to be offered a small sip of my Dad’s crappy pint of whatever it was. I genuinely liked the taste of those little sips though. I’m not sure the quality was good at all, but as said, I most definitely liked. The first two seconds of each sip of Beardo, taste wise were the same as I used to get way back when, and I have to say, enjoyable.

But then something happened, something totally out of the blue, and I have to tell you it was not pleasant.. The taste suddenly switched from the crappy old skool bitter taste that I liked, to this soapy texture and almost banana flavour. Odd, really odd. What is strange is the whole tasting experience seems like it has been put together well. But the taste poles are crazy complex and not really for me.

Beardo had so much promise but unfortunately missed the mark.

Jymi’s Rating: 59%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 52% 

 

 

SKELETOR SAY’S…

Firstly welcome to the guest review from the almighty Skeletor! I was given the task of sampling a Robinson’s Brewery tipple by the aptly named “Beardo.”
In order to get in the mood I donned a plaid shirt and skinny jeans with my most presentable deck shoes (no socks obviously). So upon popping the top I was welcomed by a beautiful yet powerful aroma of hops and zest, genuinely under the impression I was on to an absolute scorcher and at 6% ooh wee what a treat!
It poured a lovely golden colour and thick aromatic head to compliment, my excitement grew more so with this great appearance and the smell still lingering in my nostrils!

The chap on the bottle with his dark glasses beard and hat, looking almost “Heisenberg” like clearly utilised to draw the Breaking Bad fans which arose my first concern that they be trying to mask a certain level of mediocrity. Alas the info on the back not taking itself too seriously with a few cheesy jokes redrew my attention, this included pointing out the 6% marker as being able to “put hairs on your chest.”

I gave the beer some time to sit, although not too long as it’s been a tough week at work! I took my first sips and was overwhelmed by immense sense of mediocrity, it tasted like fermented pine cones and orange peel. I was determined to believe my first impression was wrong but after further drinking the flavour almost became worse by the mouthful. Although served well chilled it went warm very fast and like a can of Red Stripe lost any kind of carbonation less than halfway down.

In conclusion I offer the grade “could do better”
I was really excited to knuckle down and guzzle this bad boy only to be stricken with heart breaking disappointment and I shall not be imbibing this again.

Skeletor’s Rating: 56%

 

MOB review next weekend: CASTAWAY by KONA BREWING CO.

BEER REVIEW: 26

BREWER: BrewDog, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 3.8%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 6th April 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

As Frank Herbert once wrote,

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. The only trouble is I do fear, I fear I drink Dead Pony Club too g’dam quickly. (That’s me saying that bit about Dead Pony Club by the way, not Frank).

Honestly, I don’t know what it is about this beer but every time I drink it I seem to visit the glass maybe three times and it’s GORN!!

This beer is tasty, REALLY tasty! And seeing as it is only 3.8%, which is nowhere near strong enough to kill a Pony incidentally, this is quite the achievement from the ever expanding Scottish brewing giant, BrewDog. The taste is one of hops and suggestive citrus smacks as well as some lovely floral undertones which just make it a delight to throw down ones gullet I assure you. The only down side I would say is the length of DPC. For how fantastic the taste is it does disappear a little too quickly for me. However, this could be the key to what this ale is all about…. The session! What we have is a weak, super delicious and quaffable beer. The PERFECT storm.

Now for me personally I would have to calm down on how I approach drinking this for it to be one for a session, but that’s for me to sort out. This was built to be a session ale and that is exactly what it is, and it’s an incredibly good one at that.

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

You have a serious beer in your hands when you are handling Dead Pony Club.  It’s an incredibly light beer that is very hard to beat as a session ale.  You could be happily quaffing it down into the early hours (having started at any chosen time in the preceding 12 hours) and it still won’t lose its appeal.

It has a fantastic nose, which hints at the lightness of its drinking.  The subtle hint of pineapple is very welcomed indeed on a nice warm day.  Let’s be honest, that scent would be welcome on any day, regardless of the weather.  When you drink Dead Pony Club, you can’t help but be enchanted by its sweetish hops taste and the great thing is that this flavour is not overbearing; it’s as subtle as you like.

Sure, there will be those that argue that there are much better beers than Dead Pony Club.  That there are much better brews out there.  That there are much better hops being used.  That there are more exciting flavours, more technically challenging aromas.  And they might well be right.  But Dead Pony Club arrived to the party earlier on – and it has the ability to stay to the end. 

Sammy’s Rating: 88%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 86.5% 

 

MOB review next weekend: BEARDO by ROBINSONS 

So we are almost 6 months into our musings, which means by this Friday we will have tested 26 beers. There have been some serious highs as well as a few lows and by the looks of some of the beers that are coming up the highs could well get even higher.

Below is a list of the Top 10 beers that we have tested so far..

Find them, drink them, they are all fantastic!

 

1st… Puritan by Two Cocks Brewery, Berkshire – 88%

=2nd… White Tips by Siren Craft Brew, Berkshire – 84.5%

=2nd… Goose IPA by Goose Island, Illinois – 84.5%

=2nd… Leveller by Two Cocks Brewery, Berkshire – 84.5%

5th… Hepcat by Gipsy Hill Brewing Company, South London – 83%

6th… Proper Job by St Austell Brewery, Cornwall – 80%

7th… Electric IPA by Brixton Brewery, South London – 79.5%

=8th… Doom Bar by Sharps, Cornwall 76.5%

=8th… Ease Up IPA by Adnams, Suffolk 76.5%

=8th… Landlord by Timothy Taylor’s, West Yorkshire – 76.5%

 

 

If you delve into museonbooze.com you’ll be able to find the reviews of all of the beers that we have tested over the last half  year. Keep an eye out for Dead Pony Club by BrewDog this weekend as it may, just may instantly change the current Top 10!

Hope you’re enjoying our work and enjoying your beer. Time to press on for another 6 months of arduous testing 😉 …. See ya!