BEER REVIEW: 150

BREWER: Meantime Brewing Company, South East London, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.3%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE OF POST: 22nd August 2020

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So, some time ago, how long I’m actually not sure, I found myself in a pub in Kew, West London supping on a pint of London Pale Ale by Meantime Brewing Company. At the time of this supping I had no real idea who Meantime were and certainly didn’t have my finger on the pulse of craft brewing. I think the name of the chap I was supping with was Sammy (though can’t really be sure). He had ordered and paid for the pints so after taking a couple of sips I had to ask… What is this? It is bloomin’ lovely!! I was informed it was a Pale Ale by Meantime. Looking back at this moment I really do think it was my first jump from trad towards craft. The reason being… it was.

LPA tasted every bit like a classic British Pale Ale but there was a new world hoppy twist. So good, so intriguing.

I have to move on to today however. Now, London Pale Ale on cask still remains one of the best pints out there if you ask me. But, when it comes to the canned form I not only think it hasn’t transferred particularly well but has also been overtaken by the explosion that is this craft world we now have available to us.

This London Pale Ale is fine. Good in fact. But it is lacking a little punch. I know a classic British Pale shouldn’t necessarily have punch but there should be some heavy hop action at some point in the experience, and although there are glimmers, this beer just left me wanting a wee bit more.

Jymi’s Rating: 70%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Let’s make no bones about it, London Pale Ale from Meantime is a good beer.  It’s filled with hops, is easy to quaff down and (just about) fits the hipster image.

So, there’s much going for it.  And it was a pioneer.  Meantime were early on the brewing boat, turning out great beers of which this London Pale Ale was one.  

It’s just, things have moved on a bit so this offering doesn’t sit on top of the pile anymore.  There’s more selection, more competition and some of them are seriously good.

However, that having been said, if I see London Pale Ale on tap, I find it hard to say no.  And that’s because it’s a better cask beer than canned beer.  Don’t ask me why, it’s just the way it is.

So do I like this beer.  No, I love it.  I just prefer it on tap.  

Sammy’s Rating: 78%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 74% 

MOB review next weekend: EVERYDAY HERO by AMUNDSEN BREWERY

M o b 2020

DATE POSTED: 20th August 2020

STYLE: New Western

ABV: 40%

KEY BOTANICAL: Fresh Citrus Fruit Peel

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Tonic and Basil Garnish

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Merchant’s Heart Light Tonic and Lime & Mint Garnish

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Brooklyn 75

Brooklyn 75 ingredients and method:

50ml Brooklyn Gin

25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

25ml Honey Syrup (a mix of local to you Honey and warm water)

Champagne 

Brandied Cherry

Shake the Gin, Lemon Juice and Honey syrup with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne. Garnish with the Brandied Cherry.

m o b s o g 2 0 2 0

BEER REVIEW: 149

BREWER: Beavertown, North London, England

STYLE: Blood Orange IPA

ABV: 5.5%

VESSEL: 330ml tin

DATE OF POST: 15th August 2020

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I have to be honest, I get pretty excited about every beer that we test. From the well known superstars that pretty much always deliver to the totally unknown brutes that look like they have been dug from a hole but sometimes, definitely not always, turn out to be cracking brews.

But I was especially excited about Bloody ‘Ell, for many reasons…

It had been a while since I had consumed a brew from the North London genius that is Beavertown and even longer since we had tested an offering from those merry men (715 days 4 hours 18 minutes and 37 seconds – ish). What also excited me was the thought of a Blood Orange IPA, especially from the capable hands of these guys. But what really got me running around my bedroom screaming Mummy Mummy is it test day yet??? was the incredible wee glass that I had managed to pick up just a matter of days prior to reviewing this thing. Just look at it!! AWESOME DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE.

So I popped the tin, poured the beer, took a good whiff then took a picture for our review.

I then took my first sip and although nice I was not instantly impressed. Upon reaching for my WICKED glass a second time I was thinking shocking thoughts that this IPA was going to disappoint… and although the second sip didn’t do too much to calm me by the time sip three rocked around the flavour rockets began to tee off. Tart Blood Orange bursts began to become noticeable during the sip and also in the aftertaste. Not massive explosions but not subtle hints either, just somewhere in between that… worked.

This IPA is subtle at first but once properly underway you wish you had a 440mler instead of the 330.

All in all this is a clever ass brew and with a name as good as BLOODY ‘ELL and tin art that is second to none, what is not to like eh?

Jymi’s Rating: 85%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Beavertown make some cracking beers. It’s a fact. They’ve ridden the craft wave exceptionally well. And make no bones about it, Bloody ‘Ell does not disappoint.

Due to their undeniable success, part of me wanted to not like this. I wanted to be able to say that I didn’t agree with the masses; that I am somehow different to others. I wanted to be able to say that my tastebuds are a cut above others.

But, I can’t. I can’t do that. I can’t do it because Bloody ‘Ell is fantastic. It’s balanced well. It’s easy to drink. It’s crisp, refreshing and light in the mouth. It’s everything that a craft beer should be.

I take off my metaphorical hat to Beavertown. They are setting the bar high and delivering quality time and again. And, secretly, I can’t help but look forward to my next venture into their range, even if outwardly I might pretend otherwise.

Sammy’s Rating: 96%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 90.5% 

MOB review next weekend: LONDON PALE ALE by MEANTIME BREWING COMPANY

M O B 2020

DATE POSTED: 12th August 2020

STYLE: London Dry

ABV: 42%

KEY BOTANICAL: Devonshire Violets 

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic and Grapefruit & Thyme Garnish

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic and Thyme & Juniper Berries Garnish 

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: The Cornish Garden Smash

The Cornish Garden Smash ingredients and method:

50ml Tarquin’s Gin

20ml Fresh Lemon Juice

20ml Elderflower Syrup

10ml Lillet Blanc Vermouth

Dash of Cornish Pastis

1/4 of a Cucumber

Small handful of Basil Leaves

Small handful of Dill

4 Sugar Snap Peas

Edible Flowers

In a cocktail shaker muddle the gin, lemon juice, elderflower syrup, vermouth, cubed cucumber, basil, most of the dill and three sugar snap peas together for 30 seconds. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard for another 30 seconds. Rinse a chilled coupe glass with pastis and then discard the liquid. Double strain the shaken cocktail into the pastis rinsed glass. Garnish with the rest of the dill, a sugar snap pea and the edible flowers.

 

m o b s o g 2 0 2 0

BEER REVIEW: 148

BREWER: Tetley’s, West Yorkshire, England 

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.2 %

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 8th August 2020

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

If you’re searching for a review of teabags, look elsewhere.  This Tetley deals with beer, not the round teabags!

I love the retro packaging on No 3.  It’s old school but not old style.  It’s purposefully suitable for the market of this beer.  And it’s great to see that the creatives at Tetley really have given some thought to this.  

On the nose No 3 is lemony and hoppy, which is a good start for this beer.  Then, in the mouth you get quite a thin tasting beer that feels ok but doesn’t pack too much in the taste department.

If you’re looking for a cracking pale ale full of hoppiness, then No 3 will be a disappointment.  But then, that’s not what this is intended for.  This is brewed for the old market.  It might have new clothes, but its personality and spirit have not changed.  

No 3 is meant to line the fridges of those set on an old brew, which offers little excitement.  

Some folk like it this way.  Me, I like something a little more exciting.

Sammy’s Rating: 52%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It has to be said, the look of this bottle… is sensational, utterly sensational!! It is so simple and retro beyond belief! It doesn’t necessarily lure the drinker in but it does look out of this world in my opinion.

However the beer is only so so I’m afraid.

The whole tasting experience begins with a classic and very nice hoppy nose with a touch of lemon cutting around in the background. The taste in the sip is then pleasant enough and flows on well from the nose but the body totally lets all of this down. It really needs to be fuller to help these flavours along. The very thin body just seems to dilute the positives that Number 3 has got going on. A good bitter finish in the aftertaste leaves the drinker thinking what could have been.

A perfectly acceptable brew but lacking where it really counts.

Jymi’s Rating: 54%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 53%

MOB review next weekend: BLOODY ‘ELL by BEAVERTOWN

m o b 2020

DATE POSTED: 6th August 2020

STYLE: New Western

ABV: 41.3%

KEY BOTANICAL: Yuzu and Cherry Blossom

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Tonic and Green Apple Garnish 

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fentimans Connoisseurs Tonic and Lime & Coriander Garnish 

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Smoke on the Water 

Smoke on the Water ingredients and method:

50ml Jinzu Gin

10ml Grapefruit Sherbet

2 Dashes Orange Bitters 

Apple wood smoked chips

Combine all ingredients other than the smoke into an ice filled rocks glass. Stir for two minutes. Light the wood chips in a smoking gun and infuse with cocktail. Garnish with Cherry Blossom when in season, or a twist of Pink Grapefruit when not.

m o b s o g 2 0 2 0

BEER REVIEW: 147

BREWER: Theakston, North Yorkshire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle 

DATE OF POST: 31st July 2020

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Well, from my day’s on holiday in the Channel Islands I seem to remember after a busy day at the beach me and me Pop heading to grab a take away but somehow being side tracked by a boozer en route… and on the way back too, to be fair. Options were limited over there and as a bitter drinker in the early 90s he pretty much was faced with the choice of Theakston Best or Bass. I however was impressing the chicks and swigging Fosters Ice!!! Wow.

Now when he opted for Theakston I always asked for a sly sip because that beautiful black label that their Best did don just seemed so inviting and to me, as a wee boy, summed up what Northern British Bitter should taste like. Because I was well versed in British brewing at a very young age

Once faced with this Theakston Pale to review I have to be honest I began to panic a little. Firstly it wasn’t the Best Bitter I remembered from day’s gone by (that isn’t the beer’s fault) and the label and packaging generally was nowhere near the genius that I remembered from my youth. Why oh why was that incredible Black and yellow label nowhere to be seen?

Upon entering the bottle the nose instantly disappointed. Dull, faint and uninspiring. I then revisited the bottle label to remind myself what I should have been expecting from this brew. Hefty zing is mentioned but not found in nose or mouth. There is no zing whatsoever. There is a malty backbone to this Pale but it really is nothing to get excited about. The faint bitter aftertaste to be fair was pretty good but other than that I can’t help but feel disappointed by this offering from this North Yorkshire household name.

Jymi’s Rating: 46%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

It strikes me that some things in life are middle of the road. And, if we all are really thinking about it, it’s the way it’s got to be. Not everything could be exceptional because if it were, then exceptional would cease to exist and middle of the road would just be a higher standard. And of course, then you’d have nothing that was below par either. A bit of a ramble I know, but, you see, Theakston’s Pale Ale is just that. It’s middle of the road. It has no USP. It doesn’t do much – in any department. But it doesn’t offend either. It’s just a non-event.

Now, I think that this is a deliberate ploy by Theakston. I think they wanted this pale ale to be middle of the road. Because, middle of the road sells. It doesn’t divide the crowd. It’s easy to drink and people settle for it for that reason.

But me, I like beer to have more of a personality. I like it to be a little different. It doesn’t have to be out there. It just needs to have something about it. Watery might wash me but it doesn’t wash with me. And that’s what this is. It’s bland. Old school, but in a bad way. Not in a hip, trendy revival way.

I bet you can all imagine what this pale ale might be right? And I’d say that most of you would be spot on. So, if you want that vibe go for it. But not me, I want something more.

Sammy’s Rating: 63%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 54.5%

MOB review next weekend: NO.3 by TETLEY’S

M o b 2020

DATE POSTED: 29th July 2020

STYLE: New World

ABV: 47%

KEY BOTANICAL: Hard Red Winter Wheat

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Schweppes Premium Orange Blossom & Lavender Tonic and Blood Orange Garnish

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fentimans Yuzu Tonic and Purple Sage & Raspberries Garnish

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Angel of Death

Angel of Death ingredients and method:

50ml Death’s Door Gin

25ml Sweet Vermouth

25ml Campari

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

2 Dashes Orange Bitters

In a mixing glass, combine all of the ingredients, fill with ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.

 

m o b s o g 2 0 2 0

BEER REVIEW: 146

BREWER: Butcombe Brewing Co, Bristol, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle 

DATE OF POST: 24th July 2020

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Imagine a pub nestled in the rolling hills of the English countryside. More specifically, imagine that exact same place in the West Country, an area close to my heart. That’s where I see anything from Butcombe being enjoyed, including Rare Breed. Whether it be a hot summer’s day, supping on a rickety bench in the beer garden, or a cold winter’s day beside a roaring open fire, there should always be plentiful open space surrounding one during the consumption of this beverage.

Everything that I imagined Rare Breed to be is exactly how it is. But there’s more to it. It’s a cracking beer. There’s a great level of bitterness but not too much. The hops play a starring role too but they don’t over play anything else. It’s well balanced with all of the elements working in harmony together. And there’s something zesty about it too.

Butcombe has taken this English classic and modernised it in a way that will work for many folk. Yes my ideal situ to sup on this bad boy would be in the rolling hills of the countryside of England’s West Country. But let me level with you – I’d be reaching for Rare Breed anywhere in the world where I happened on it. It really is that good.

Butcombe – you smashed it with this one!

Sammy’s Rating: 88%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Sometimes you just have to take your hat off to a beer for just being a darn good beer. No bells. No whistles. No singing. No dancing. No frills.

Just a darn good beer.

Rare Breed starts off with a nose that completely settles the drinker into knowing that what is to come is just going to be a classic brew of the highest order. The taste is hop forward without being over the top, which is what you want from a pale, and there is a touch of coriander buzzing about in the background too. RB is lovely and smooth which allows the drinker to settle firmly into their seat and let the world pass by without a care, before heading for another.

As mentioned, there is nothing stand out or show off about this beer but it is flippin’ excellent and there really is nothing more to be said.

Jymi’s Rating: 88%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 88% 

MOB review next weekend: THEAKSTON PALE ALE by THEAKSTON

M O B 2020

DATE POSTED: 22nd July 2020

STYLE: New Western

ABV: 43.1%

KEY BOTANICAL: Rose Hip

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic and Cardamom Garnish

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Merchant’s Heart Pink Peppercorn Tonic and Lemon Garnish

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: New Fashioned 

New Fashioned ingredients and method:

50ml Ungava Gin 

10ml Maple Syrup

4 dashes Angostura Bitters

2 strips of Orange Peel

In a mixing glass combine the Gin, Maple Syrup, Bitters and one strip of Orange Peel. Add 4 cubes of ice and stir gently. Strain into an ice filled Old Fashioned glass. Discard used Orange Peel. Squeeze over oils from remaining Orange Peel, twist and put into the glass. Garnish with a small sprig of Rosemary.

m o b s o g 2 0 2 0