BEER REVIEW: 326

BREWER: Ringwood Brewery, Hampshire, England

STYLE: Golden Ale

ABV: 4.9%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 6th January 2024

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Unfortunately I have to start this review and New Year on a sombre note. Ringwood, the brewers of our beer today have recently closed down. I should probably fact check this actually as have only heard on the grapevine…

Gimme a sec…

Yep,

Jymi’s Rating: 35%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

With a name like Fortyniner, I can’t help but think of American Football. More specifically, San Francisco. And even more specifically, the gold rush. But this beer has nothing to do with America whatsoever. And it certainly has no connection to gold. 

To be more accurate, Fortyniner would be better aligned with a dull metal. It might not be an awful beer. It’s even quite drinkable. But the thing is, it has no character or personality and it’s as dull as beer can be without being awful. 

If I were to describe Fortyniner in one word, it would be inoffensive. But being described as inoffensive could actually be quite offensive. An oxymoron I know. Anyway, you get the picture. This simply ain’t a great beer. 

As an aside, I scored Fortyniner 49% – perhaps its name is a self-fulfilling prophecy…

Sammy’s Rating: 49%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 42%

MOB review next weekend: BUTTY BACH by WYE VALLEY BREWERY

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M O B 2024

BEER REVIEW: 325

BREWER: Disruption IS Brewing, Surrey, England

STYLE: Pastry Stout

ABV: 6.5%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 31st December 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I’m not really a pudding kinda guy. Don’t get me wrong, I do not dislike a pud, but I’d sooner opt for the savoury side of life nowadays.

Once upon a time when I was just a lad, if out for dinner, 3 courses would not be an issue. Bit of fish to start, nice bit of meat for main and a sweet sugary mess to finish no drama. But I just can’t do it now. Two courses is the absolute max and because of the savoury sway a starter and a main will always win.

But as said, I do like a pudding… Bit of cheesecake? Defo! Nice dollop of Lemon Posset? Yes please! Rhubarb and Apple Crumble with clotted cream? Get in my belly!!! It’s when the time arrives I’m too full to take advantage of such delights.

Our brew today, and final one of the year, is based on an absolute British CLASSIC of a pudding. The mighty Sticky Toffee Pudding!!!

Now a STP is made up from Dates, Brown Sugar, Treacle and Golden Syrup. Stick this influence into a stout and you should obviously get sweetness in abundance!

And Alright Treacle? as you might expect does bring sweetness to the table. Not in a massive way but plenty enough to make this a sweet beer. There is a very good Date foundation holding everything together well and I have to say a Date flavour in a stout is actually lovely but ultimately the sweetness that it brings is a little too much. This brew is also a little over carbonated for my liking. Is it fizzy? No. Is there too much fizz though? Yes.

And just when I was about to state that the essence of Sticky Toffee Pudding isn’t actually present, there it is… deep, deep, deep into the aftertaste. Actually quite cool.

Look, I’m not the biggest fan of this beer and that is probably just me with the elevated sweetness thing. It’s brewed well and hey, give it a go! YOU may just like it.

Jymi’s Rating: 49%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Alright Treacle is a sticky toffee pudding pastry stout. Sounds like a mighty good combo to me!

For starters, I like the festive packaging – it looks like a steamed pudding. Perhaps on the budget side, it’s still a nice touch. 

Then onto the second course, a light treacle nose mixed with the usual stout features makes for an enticing lead into the drink. It really does get you in the festive mood. 

For mains, the sweet treacle definitely comes through. There’s no doubt this is a good, solid festive beer. It might not be one to be had in abundance but defo a good fireside sipper. 

I won’t be rooting AT out until next year’s winter season but by then I’ll be well ready for another!

Sammy’s Rating: 80%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 64.5%

MOB review next weekend: FORTY NINER by RINGWOOD BREWERY

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 324

BREWER: Innis & Gunn, Lothian, Scotland

STYLE: Imperial Stout

ABV: 11%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 23rd December 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So you know in our last review I was going on about Foreign Export Stout not being BIG enough for an 8% beer… well it’s happened again!

VP04 as I hope you read above is an 11% Imperial Stout. This brew should be HUGE and it just… isn’t.

Once the lid is lifted and the drink is poured the nose coming from VP04 actually is massive to be fair. Really boozy with notes of coffee, Christmas spices and liquor. On sip things continue well. There is a great mouthfeel here and the beer slips down great with continuing tones and coffee, spices and bourbon. But it’s once swallowed things start to go down hill. The aftertaste and body is just so thin. You would expect it to be full on, cloying, intense and robust seeing what has gone before and it’s super heavyweight ABV. But it kinda just, pardon the actually now very deliberate pun, vanishes.

As said, Vanishing Point does actually taste great and is crazy smooth but I was expecting, and wanting, so so so much more.

Jymi’s Rating: 69%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Vanishing Point is an 11% potential powerhouse of a stout.  Before drinking (and ignoring the substandard packaging), it promises so much festive hope and cheer…

The strong bourbon coffee nose gets us off to a great start.  And the drinking is full of vanilla , sweet coffee and chocolate. In fact, if you keep drinking you can pick out a whole plethora of great stout combos. Although VP is more on the sweet side, there’s enough bitterness to counteract it. 

Despite all the strengths of VP, I can’t help feeling a little short changed.  Yes, there’s a lot going on in the flavour, but it just doesn’t carry through. To put it bluntly, for an 11% beer, I’d expect all the popping flavour notes to carry through more. But they don’t. The flavour simply dissipates as quickly as the beer’s gone from the mouth. 

While VP might not live up to its powerhouse potential, it is a decent drop nonetheless and, if offered one again, I would not say no. It just won’t be on my to buy again list. 

Sammy’s Rating: 70%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 69.5%

MOB review next weekend: ALRIGHT TREACLE? by DISRUPTION IS BREWING

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 323

BREWER: Ridgeway Brewing, Oxfordshire, England

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 8%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 18th December 2023

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Foreign Export Stout promises much.  A heady abv for a traditional stout, one might hope that the flavours in this brew are carried through.

So what are the flavours at play here?  Well, there’s coffee dominating and playing second fiddle is liquorice.  Even though I am not a liquorice fan, it lingers in a good way with FES, only adding to the profile.

Where this stout falls short though, is with the depth of the flavour.  While it is very pleasant, there is almost no carry through at all.  Bearing in mind that this bad boy is packing above 6% abv, you would hope it was able to punch more in the mouth.  Truth be told, it comes across as a much lighter beer and that brings issues as if you’re going to drink a weighty beer, you want it to benefit from the added alcohol.

FES is a decent enough drop but it is nowhere near best in class.  I would have it again, but there are many more go to stouts for me.

Sammy’s Rating: 67%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

If I had tested this blind… it would have scored higher.

If this was 5ish%, I would have scored it higher.

But it was not tested blind and is not 5ish%, so, though we still have a decent enough score here (because it tastes lovely) I walked away from the test slightly deflated.

At 8% you should defo not be walking away thinking that the brew needed more oomph, but FES does. It really does.

And it is such a shame, because as mentioned, it tastes great… but unfortunately does not deliver where it should.

Jymi’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 72%

MOB review next weekend: VANISHING POINT by INNIS & GUNN

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 322

BREWER: Wold Top Brewery, East Yorkshire, England

STYLE: Porter

ABV: 5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 11th December 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I have to be honest, Marmalade and Porter uttered in the same sentence I don’t think I have ever come across. Marmalade and Porter in the same beer description definitely not. Marmalade Porter as a beer style, 100% categorically not.

The reason being, citrus and Porter are not really a well known combo now are they.

So it’s fair to say I went into this thinking, well this is going one of two ways isn’t it.

And I have to be honest, I was surprised at the way it actually went… Somehow the orange and lemon tones work here. I don’t know quite how, but they do. Marmalade Porter is officially a good beer!

MP is all about the subtle touch in the brewing from Wold Top. There are defo moments where this beer could have gone very wrong but WT stayed right on top of things.

A rich but subtle nose leads to a great mouthfeel in the sip and then to a perfect bitter sweet balance. It’s light in the drinking but somehow also rich in the flavour that it’s bringing. Coffee and chocolate touches lead the way but in the aftertaste, quite late on, the citrus tones begin to sneak in… and work. Subtle but clever.

Do not be put off by what you think this brew could be like from the description. It’s a tasty drop and well worth a go.

Jymi’s Rating: 72%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Marmalade Porter – at first, this may seem like a strange concept for a beer.  But, delve deeper, and it makes sense.  Marmalade is, of course, usually orange based.  And then porters can be quite chocolatey in their notes.  So, put these two together and what you have, well, it’s a bit of a chocolate orangey potential mash up.

And so it is with Marmalade Porter.  It does have some chocolate notes on the nose and these carry through into the drinking.  It pleases me greatly that the marmalade does deliver on the orange notes, too.  As you move further down the glass, there’s a coffee finish.  And to be fair, those coffee flavour profiles do go well with the mix, giving this beer a well-balanced drinking experience.  

If I were to be hyper critical, and I will be, the body is quite light.  For such a flavourful drink, it could do with a little more oomph to carry through all the well brewed notes.  

This is definitely a porter that will tick many festive boxes.  Marmalade Porter does as you might hope.  If you like your dark beers, then you will probably not be disappointed with this offering.  

Sammy’s Rating: 77%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 74.5%

MOB review next weekend: FOREIGN EXPORT STOUT by RIDGEWAY BREWING

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 321

BREWER: Black Sheep Brewery, North Yorkshire, England

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 4.4%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 2nd December 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

WHAT. IS. GOING. ON??

I need to get away from this I’ve had a bad bottle and Sammy a good one thing, but I do fear it’s happened YET AGAIN. However I’m proceeding with a review of what I drank and how I felt about it as, well, that’s all I can do now.

This is an awful beer. Black Sheep have f**ked it. A milk stout should be smooooooooooth, this is not. It is way too carbonated in the mouth that then leads to an overwhelming bitterness in the aftertaste. Of course you expect some bitter tones but this is INTENSE and frankly way too much. Because of this trying to find the notes of chocolate, vanilla and coffee that our bottle promises is nigh on impossible. The bottle label also mentions that the drinker should expect a light bitterness but as mentioned, light is defo the wrong word to describe the bitterness here.

Nearing the end of this pretty shocking drinking experience Milk Stout began to settle down a bit due to the large carbonation running out of gas. This then exposed a thinness to the body and flavour, though I’m sure this would be due to the fizz overload early on.

Just moving back to the comparison to Sammy’s experience of Milk Stout for the final time… If I had consumed the brew he had I would not be scoring this beer so wildly low. And if he had gone through what I had there is no way he would have awarded the rating he has. Make of that what you will.

Happy freakin’ Christmas ya filthy animals!

Jymi’s Rating: 23%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Before even opening, there’s much to mull over with Milk Stout. 

For starters, there’s the tagline – creamy rich and dark. That’s promising a lot.

Then there’s the awards:

• World beer awards winner (England) 2022 
• Gold in the international brewing awards 2019

And then, add to that, Milk Stout supports human milk foundation with a nice pull back label. 

So, before even opening, you better hope this beer delivers. 

And it does. 

On the nose, there’s a light milky dusty hint which is subtle but is undoubtedly there. 

But the magic really starts when you tuck into Milk Stout. It is indeed creamy rich and dark. In fact, it’s just like a milk stout should be or as you’d hope it would be. Creaminess vanilla sweetness gives way to burnt caramel,  with a good, but not overpowering, bitter finish. And as you drink down the glass, this experience does not diminish. 

Milk Stout lives up to its awards.  I think I may well chug down a couple over the festive period. 

Sammy’s Rating: 82%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 52.5%

MOB review next weekend: MARMALADE PORTER by WOLD TOP

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 320

BREWER: Tooth & Claw, County Durham, England

STYLE: NEIPA

ABV: 5.1%

VESSEL: 440ml tin 

DATE OF POST: 26th November 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Well, as mentioned previously, Sammy and I do our tasting (most of the time) and reviews independently. The first time they come together is when constructing these posts. However, rarely, someone’s writings can have a little influence on the other just prior to posting. But only in this particular situation… let me explain.

For me, I thought Cat Amongst was a pretty poor beer. And still do. However, it did cross my mind when drinking the brew that this feline should have been way more fizzy as, to be honest, there was NO carbonation at all! When you’re drinking an IPA, especially and tropical one, you need some bubbles to bring the beer to life. This also got me thinking that I once again may have come across a bad can. 

And since reading Sammy’s thoughts I’m now convinced that the beer I drank was not as it was supposed to be.

I’ve still scored CA low as can only judge on what I consumed, but please, I’d pretty much ignore what is about to follow as well as my score.

My notes:

Funny colour. Zero carbonation. Head struggled. Not very hazy and looks like a Westy! Nose is virtually non existent. Mouthfeel is quite thin and it’s not packing a huge amount of flavour, though what flavour is there is pretty good.

Who knows?!

Jymi’s Rating: 33%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Cat Amongst is as you’d expect it to be.  A decent drop but not one that stands above those already out there.  Described as a hazy and juicy IPA, you almost know what you’re getting yourself into before you pop the can.

The packaging on CA is decent but nothing radical.  It’ll grab your attention but there are many craft beers that’ll do that now.  Bright and colourful has become a tried and tested formula for IPAs and there’s now a raft out there to choose from.  To stand out from the crowd takes an extra special effort these days.

The nose is as expected.

The drinking is as expected.

There’s nothing bad about CA. Equally, there’s nothing to set it apart. 

Honest drop if not exceptional.  Job done!

Sammy’s Rating: 70%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 51.5%

MOB review next weekend: MILK STOUT by BLACK SHEEP

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 319

BREWER: Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire, England

STYLE: Trappist Ale

ABV: 7.4%

VESSEL: 33cl brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 18th November 2023

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

To be defined as Trappist, a beer needs to be brewed in a monastery with the active involvement of Catholic monks. Tynt Meadow is England’s, and indeed Britain’s, only such style of beer.  

Trappist beers have a long history.  Tynt Meadows is slightly shorter at only five years old.  However, that doesn’t stop this brew having a quaint and appealing back story, the bare bones of which can be found on the label of the bottle.  More detail is readily available on the World Wide Web, for those of you who might want to delve in.

TM has a lovely dark coffee colour, with a mild dank nose.  There’s a syrupy mouthfeel, coffee and caramel notes, which are not lingering.  This might all sound a little stout like and you’d not be wrong in drawing such comparisons.  The brew, overall, could do with a little more carry through in its length but don’t be fooled, TM is by no stretch of the imagination a bad beer, especially considering its relatively new roots.

However, Trappist beers, as previously mentioned, have a long history.  With such a long line, it is not surprising that there are some behemoths of this style of beer out there.  When compared with them, TM will fall short.  It doesn’t have the heritage or the years of honing to get their recipe down.  

But such comparisons shouldn’t be drawn.

TM should be taken for what it is: Britain’s only Trappist beer.  It’s a decent drop for sure.

Sammy’s Rating: 71%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

A Trappist Ale…

A 7.4% Trappist Ale…

An English 7.4% Trappist Ale…

OK, let’s discuss (well, me state and you read, bit of a one-way thing this blogging malarkey).

It’s hard not to be instantly sceptical here. One shouldn’t be as it doesn’t matter what the beer is or where it’s brewed. The beer should be judged on how it tastes (with some bonus marks chucked in for packaging etcetera).

However, when someone says Trappist, the mind does not instantly think of England. Far from it in fact. Of course, naturally the noggin thinks of our continental European cousins.

But, as stated, we will judge this brew fairly with eyes wide open.

Tynt Meadow is a really tasty beer. There is plenty of flavour here with notes of chocolate and burnt caramel complimented by the sweetness of dates. As you move through TM a nice bitterness in the aftertaste begins to build, probably due to the lovely cloying nature of the mouthfeel slowly building.

Does it reach the heights of an amazing European Trappist Ale? No

Does it reach the heights of good European Trappist Ale? Yes

Would happily drink again and very much enjoy.

Jymi’s Rating: 75%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 73%

MOB review next weekend: CAT AMONGST by TOOTH & CLAW

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 318

BREWER: Flensburger Brauerei, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

STYLE: Pilsner

ABV: 4.8%

VESSEL: 0.33L brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 11th November 2023

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Pilsners are undoubtedly a stalwart of the beer cellar. They are held in esteem the world over. And for good reason – they produce a solid brew that lasts well.  

It’s their strength, though that is also their downfall. Due to the way they’re brewed, they very rarely set the world on fire. So often, they’re middle of the pack. A safe bet. You rarely get a terrible one. 

And so it is with Flensburger Pilsener. It’s a good drop. It’s easily drinkable. It’s refreshing. And it tastes like a pilsner. It is, as you might expect. However, it does nothing to excite. It doesn’t excel or rise at any point. 

A solid beer for sure, FP is one I’d definitely have again even if it won’t set the world on fire. 

Sammy’s Rating: 63%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I used to (actually still do) pride myself on my geographical knowledge. I’m not talking arches, stacks and stumps. Nor am I talking about ox-bow lakes, erosion or deposition, though I’m sharp on these topics too. No, I’m talking about where places are and capital cities. No idea why, but I used to adore atlases, maps and globes when I was kid. I even had a career guidance lady say to me that I should pursue cartography. But I thought taking pictures of old-fashioned horse trailers could become a little monotonous. Kind of wish I knew what she was on about now.

Anyway, Geog knowledge was high, really high in fact, and though that has waned more recently due to having less time to sit and study maps as well as much geographical change in the last 30 years I’m still very tuned in and fascinated by it all. It’s a big wide beautiful world after all!

Now, this brings me to a terrible admission. Until recently, I thought Germany was a land locked country. I’m still in shock that it’s not. But I’m in even more shock by the fact that I wasn’t aware of it until about 5 years ago. Literally makes no sense considering how many 1000’s of hours I spent staring at a world map.

Anyway (breathe Jymi FFS), the reason for all of this pouring out of me is that the town of Flensburg (where our beer this weekend is brewed) sits bang on the northern coastal tip of Germany. And the beer that has come out of this almost Danish town is pretty good, but unfortunately nothing to get excited about.

To be fair to FP there is plenty of flavour going on and the beer is more than drinkable. There is a malty nose and malty backbone to FP which doesn’t necessarily suggest super drinkable, but, it is. It also doesn’t taste much like a Pils until the very end of the simply exquisite looking bottle but eventually a subtle spice kicks in.

The highlights here are the beautiful bottle and the fact I’m going to force myself to resurrect my map staring.

Jymi’s Rating: 66%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 64.5%

MOB review next weekend: TYNT MEADOW by MOUNT SAINT BERNARD ABBEY

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M O B 2023

BEER REVIEW: 317

BREWER: The Crafty Brewing Co., Surrey, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.7%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 4th November 2023

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I’m really enjoying the angle Crafty Brewery have taken here… a beer for all. The one pitfall with this direction is that it’s unlikely to excel if you’re trying to appeal to everyone across the beer spectrum. And Crafty have not excelled in the taste of the beer they have produced but have nailed what I think they intended… a beer for all. I honestly think that no matter what the shape of your beard or whether you have no face furniture at all, if you like beer, you’ll almost certainly like Quantum level. This needs to be applauded. It’s not anywhere near ‘the best beer in the world’ but to appeal to all beer drinkers and pull off a decent tasting brew is no mean feat.

Cap doffed.

Jymi’s Rating: 65%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Quantum Level has much going for it. For starters, it’ll probably be a brew that traditionalist and crafties can both drink and they’ll enjoy it. 

It’s packing bags of flavour and carries itself well without diminishing on this hit as you move your way through the glass. Citrus is present, but pleasingly doesn’t dominate. There’s a nice malty back note giving a hint of biscuit crumble. And there’s enough bitterness coming in at the end to counter the upfront sweetness. 

Based on the above, you could be thinking that QL is a worldy of a beer. The thing is, it’s not quite at that level…

The positives are strong and outweigh the downsides, the one negative of QL is ever present. You see, the flavour sensation is over so quickly after each sip. Those amazing subtleties and high points don’t carry through. And while it’s true we should be left wanting more, a flash in the pan is no good thing either. 

QL is a very good beer that could be further elevated by having more length in the flavour sensation. 

Sammy’s Rating: 75%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 70%

MOB review next weekend: FLENSBURGER PILSENER by FLENSBURGER BRAUEREI

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M O B 2023