THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Schweppes Ginger & Cardamon Tonic and Orange Garnish
MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Light Tonic and Cinnamon Stick Garnish
MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Left Bank Martini
Left Bank Martini ingredients and method:
50ml Citadelle Reserve
15ml Dry Vermouth
15ml St Germain Liqueur
Splash of Dry White Wine
Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice in a mixing jar for a few minutes. Double strain into a chilled wine flute. Garnish with a single, floating, mint leaf.
Let sleeping dogs lie they say. And why not. But should we let sleeping lemons lie. That’s what we are about to find out.
I like lemons. I like lemon flavoured things. I like them because they’re sour. And I like sour beers. So what I hoped Sleeping Lemons (the beer) would do, is to fulfil my love for lemony sour things. A lemony soury beer sounds just wonderful.
Let me stop waffling and cut to the chase…Sleeping Lemons is great. It’s fantastic. It’s bursting with lemons. It’s sour. It’s sharp. It’s refreshing. It’s lightly carbonated. It’s crisp. It’s clear.
Ok, what’s the catch I hear you calling.
Well, to begin with, I thought it was a little short on the length in its taste. But the thing is, the more I drank, gulped to be precise, Sleeping Lemons, the more the shortness of flavour made sense. And that was the only catch. It soon disappeared. As did the beer. Very quickly.
Sours are not everyone’s thing. But they are mine and I loved this one.
So, we definitely should not let Sleeping Lemons lie. We should grab them and fill our bellies with them.
It’s one fine beer!
Sammy’s Rating: 90%
JYMI SAY’S…
A bottle that looks fantastic, classy and smart.
Information in abundance jammed onto the back of the vessel telling us all we need to know without it even coming close to being cluttered.
A nose that let’s you know you’re about to dive into a Lemon based Gose. A look in the glass of utter majesty, lovely and clear with light carbonation making this brew so inviting.
A smoothness in sip and mouthfeel that just makes you close your eyes and smile.
A taste that is clean, crisp and oozing lemon without being overwhelming.
A lightness of touch in the brewing that would allow the drinker to have as many of these as he/she wished.
Are there any negatives to Sleeping Lemons?
Well, I thought there could be one, but I turned out to be wrong…
See, half way through the swallow the instant incredible flavour suddenly cuts off and switches to an OK but not great aftertaste. However that was sip one. After sip two my opinion remained the same, but as I worked my way, hang on, smiled my way through the drink the aftertaste began to sour up and thus improve with every sip.
You will need to be a fan of a sour style of beer to enjoy this but I assure you that if you are, then you will be a superfan of Sleeping Lemons.
Bloomin’ marv.
Jymi’s Rating: 92%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 91%
MOB review next weekend: LIVEWIRE by ELECTRIC BEAR BREWING CO.
THE THIRD MUSE ON BOOZE SUMMER OF GIN IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY!!!
DATE POSTED: 1st June 2020
STYLE: Italian
ABV: 41%
KEY BOTANICAL: Sicilian Blood Orange Peel
THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Tonic and Orange Garnish
MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Light Tonic and Lemon Garnish
MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Thyme to Muse (created for Muse on Booze by our resident spirit expert, Chris Hotson – spirits_ and_soul on Instagram)
Thyme to Muse ingredients and method:
50ml Malfy Con Arancia Gin
25ml Limoncello
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
15ml Lemon Thyme Sugar Syrup
15ml Cranberry Juice
Vigorously shake all the ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and fine strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a stalk of Lemon Thyme… and muse ♥♥♥
Farm House is a Dutch beer. Would you know this from its name? Quite simply, no. I like a name that states clearly what you’re getting. Table Beer, for example, is a great name for a table beer (see the review). This is a Dutch beer so the name should be Dutch – surely? I have no problem with it being called Farm House – but it should be in its native language.
Rant over (for now). Onto the actual beer.
Unsurprisingly, Farm House is a lively one (it is Dutch after all). We have come to expect no less from our friends across the Channel when they are brewing craft styley. However, once the fizz has settled, there’s not too much going on with the nose. This may be what you’d expect with a saison, but when it’s packing a punch in the alcohol department, like Farm House is, you may be forgiven for expecting a little more from the nose.
The thing is, this lack of ‘something’ carries through into the drinking. It definitely is like a Farm House (as the English name tells us) but there’s nothing at all unique or even special about this beer. It’s not particularly well brewed, and this leaves an almost dirty water taste. While this description may be doing Farm House a disservice, I can’t think of a better way to describe it.
It’s not unpleasant and it’s easy to drink one after the other. But it’s not a great saison.
Rant over. Full stop.
Sammy’s Rating: 50%
JYMI SAY’S…
Saison is also traditionally known as farmhouse ale. Legend has it that farmers sometimes turned to brewing during the winter to keep the money coming in. Now because they would then resume their farming duties when the fair weather returned they would then not have time to brew so they used the extra beer that had been brewed the previous winter for personal consumption. So we have a pretty clever name here, I suppose. What is also clever about this beer is the way it disguises the fact that it’s 6% by not tasting strong at all. However, this is sadly where the cleverness ends for this Dutch brew.
See, as well as an incredibly faint orange nose, Farmhouse also has a very thin body. Not necessarily a bad thing but unfortunately it kind of is when the taste isn’t bringing much to the table either. The taste when sipping is pleasant enough don’t get me wrong but there really is nothing to write home about and is lacking any kind of get up and go. Once the sip is done it is usually time for the aftertaste, usually. Unfortunately Farmhouse isn’t just lacking here too, it just doesn’t bother with an aftertaste at all!! It really is quite bizarre.
I’m sure if this saison was passed to you on a sizzling summers day by a chum it would be drunk without much thought and probably enjoyed to a point. However, tasting like it does and being the strength it is you wouldn’t be enjoying yourself for too long, trust me.
Jymi’s Rating: 53%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 51.5%
MOB review next weekend: SLEEPING LEMONS by THE WILD BEER CO.
So, on the face of it, Clockwork Tangerine does as it promises. The can, well, it’s orange, like a tangerine. And the beer, that too is orange like a tangerine. Then, when you pour the beer into the glass, guess what? Yep, it smells of tangerine. And so it appears as if this is one hell of a well marketed beer, name included.
Sadly, oh so sadly, the drinking just doesn’t come together. There’s bitterness for sure. not sour, definitely sharp bitterness. And there’s a hint of early sweetness, all of which sounds so promising. But CT is lack lustre. It’s neither here nor there. And we have all come to expect so much more from Brewdog. To put it bluntly, there are so many more beers I’d rather have than this.
To sum up, it’s ok. But I don’t feel there’s a place for it in my drinking repertoire. However, it appears the masses out there disagree with me because we all know the success of the beer. Oh well, they can’t help it that they’re wrong on this occasion!
Sammy’s Rating: 62%
JYMI SAY’S…
In keeping with the MOB SQUAD style of review I’m going with 5 words, but with a wee bit of elaboration.
Tangerine – Without doubt Clockwork Tangerine brings Tangerine to the party when it comes to the nose of this beer.
Sweet – The initial sip is quite sweet but does not hang around for very long at all.
Bitter – Once the sweetness has almost instantly gone it is replaced by a bitterness. But I wanted more bitter tones.
Nice – This is a pleasant enough drop that I would happily drink if offered.
Disappointing – I have come to expect more from BrewDog over the years so can’t help but feel I was left wanting more here.
On a side note I feel that BD’s new packaging angle cannot go without comment…
When I first saw this new design online I honestly thought it was a classic BrewDog marketing ploy to get people talking. I honestly thought it was THAT bad. On closer inspection once I got my hands on a can of Punk I think it was, the design grew on me slightly as the sides of the tin are pretty cool and a nod to the old design at least. However over all, I’m really not that much of a fan of the ‘Dogs new clothing.
Clockwork Tangerine specifically I really like the colours used but the fact the word CLOCKWORK doesn’t fit on to one line winds me up beyond belief. Do better.
Jymi’s Rating: 63%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 62.5%
MOB review next weekend: FARMHOUSE by BROUWERIJ KEES
I love the idea of a mad goose. Let’s be honest, geese are scary enough as is, but a mad one, well, that would be off the charts scary.
So, when you name a beer Mad Goose, you reckon it would be pretty off the charts. You know, like out there off the charts.
Trouble is, when you unleash this Mad Goose, it’s actually quite tame. Now, let us be clear, there ain’t nothing wrong with tameness. So many beers are perfectly good and happy in their tameness. But when you’re promised madness, you want madness.
MG isn’t bad. It’s just not amazing. It’s certainly not mad. For me, this is one I’d be happy to have if offered it again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to have.
Sammy’s Rating: 73%
JYMI SAY’S…
Mad Goose is just a sensational name for a brew!! It really is!
Pint of Mad Goose Ralph my man..
Already started pouring when I saw you walk through the door Jymi boy…
Just brilliant.
Whether this beer is good or not it will never detract as to how good this name is. It’s not clever, it’s not fancy, it is brilliant.
Right, the illustration of our Mad Goose aside, the packaging has left me wanting a little. It’s not rubbish but it could certainly do with a little tidying up. Big fan of the Purity logo however.
To the main event…
Mad Goose Pale Ale is a great beer there is no doubt. This brew opens up with a slightly uninspiring nose but once sipped that worry falls right away. There is a lovely and smooth mouthfeel to MG, I almost want to say it’s soapy?! But honestly not in a bad way, if that is possible. There is plenty of flavour up front but it is the aftertaste that takes centre stage. Slowly slowly Mad Goose creeps to a fantastic bitter finish. Cracker.
This nutter of a bird is a great beer and I strongly urge those who spot to grab one… when in season of course.
Jymi’s Rating: 82%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 77.5%
MOB review next weekend: CLOCKWORK TANGERINE byBREWDOG
BREWER: Brasserie Goudale, Hauts-de-France, France
STYLE: Biere de Garde
ABV: 7.2%
VESSEL: 75cl brown bottle
DATE OF POST: 2nd May 2020
SAMMY SAY’S…
La Goudale have gone down the traditional route with their styling. It works a treat. Absolutely fantastic packaging in a great sharing (or solo, if you’re feeling selfish) bottle. You have to love the champagne style cork, which adds massively to the sense of occasion with this beer. Its French style, aligned with an old wine bottle, is hugely successful. What we have here is La Goudale’s blonde bier. And that’s exactly what it smells like. Not always the most pleasantly aroma’ed beers, this is ok for a blonde. It doesn’t have too much depth on the nose, but there’s enough there to pique your interest. The sweet slightly orangey flavour is prevalent up front with La Goudale. It hits the taste buds straight away. They’re short lived and leave the palate quite cleansed. I have to be careful as I am not the biggest blonde (beer of course) fan. But I like this. It sits well and is very refreshing. La Goudale’s sense of occasion carries all the way through their product. Go an get your hands on one to share, or if you so wish, enjoy alone. Remember though – once opened you need to consume in one sitting. I’m sure you’ll be able to manage it…
Sammy’s Rating: 78%
JYMI SAY’S…
I dunno, maybe it was the backdrop? Or maybe it was the fact I was sat sipping in the early evening French sun with my fellow beer reviewer Sammy. Or maybe it was because La Goudale Blonde is a simply sensational beer. OR MAYBE it was all of the above combined.
From start to finish this beer is just oozing greatness. The look and size of the bottle just suggests sitting back for a 30 min chinwag. And the beer itself, well, it’s pretty sweet, in both taste and quality. The sweetness level is just ok for me as I’m not really a fan of sweet beer. There is a lovely honey orange thing floating around. Combine this with an ultra smooth texture and a clearly high end brewing process and you end up with something pretty spectacular.
Something else that struck me with this beer is how mellow it is. Not so much in the way it drinks (though it is very mellow) but more in the way it makes you feel. Because of the strength we have going on here and the fact this is totally hidden in the taste, by the time the bottle is done you feel like you’ve been on a weekend’s caravaning trip to Rhyl with Robert Nesta Marley. And believe me, that is a nice feeling to have.
Jymi’s Rating: 87%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 82.5%
MOB review next weekend: MAD GOOSE by PURITY BREWING CO.
Well, when it comes to Cucumbers, Melons and Sours I have pretty strong personal opinions on all. So when Adnams put all three together those strong opinions really started to manifest themselves together in quite a way. Questions about how this could work and would it be a tasty brew were flying about in my… melon.
Melons – I don’t really like melons. Nor can I eat them as my bod is definitely intolerant to them. My friends found out about this on a trip to Spain once. When out for an early dinner I consumed some sort of fruit salad not realising that it contained melon.
I’m sure my pals were trying to call for help as their friend was in trouble what with his throat swelling up and stuff but it just seemed to be that they were laughing too much. Once the episode was over and I told them that eating fresh oranges made my lips swell up they really lost their s**t.
Cucumbers – It’s not that I don’t like cucumbers, they’re fine, but they are not much more than that. That wet mess in the middle of them has always seemed unnecessary to me. With it removed the cumber is nice enough to consume but with it the whole experience is pretty bland.
Sours – I. Flippin. LOVE. Sours.. if done well of course. If I find myself momentarily blinded due to my body twitching so much from the high tart level of a sour then Jymi is a happy boy.
So how did Cucumelon Sour stack up?
Let’s take this sip by sip…
First sip made these thoughts happen in my head. “Blimey, that tastes like cucumber”!
From there I thought,well, this could be nice and refreshing but I wasn’t picking up any sour really. If you’re going to label something a sour it needs to be sour. So heading into sip two I thought, if I can pick up on some sour here with the refreshing taste of cucumber too we may be onto something.
Nope, sip two was a disaster. It’s not sour. It just tastes like cucumber. It’s terrible.
From there I lost my mind slightly. Whether it was based on frustration, a lockdown wobble or disappointment who knows, but I just chinned the rest of the glass in one. Bizarre. I think I just wanted it to be over… and thank gawd it is.
Jymi’s Rating: 27%
SAMMY SAY’S…
Now, sour is not everyone’s style of beer. If I were to conduct a straw poll with my friends, it would only be me and Jymi that liked them. However, we must assume that others out there do like sours because if they didn’t, then there wouldn’t be a market for them.
The idea of cucumber and melon as a sour is interesting. I’m not saying I’m against it. It’s just interesting. And it does smell of cucumber, with a little bit of melon. That’s no mean feat, to pack in such aromas in the nose.
Then, when you drink Cucumelon, you get the cucumber. And melons there too. but the sour part is absent. It’s not there. Not existent. And the problem is, cucumber and melon beer (without the sour) is pretty awful. It’s like a gimmick. A novelty. Terrible.
If you’re going to make a sour, make a sour. Do it properly. Don’t scrimp. Don’t hold back. Because if you don’t go for it, you’ll end up with something so wishy washy, it’s not worth the can that it’s held in.
And, so, here we are, Cucumelon started off so well. But it ended disastrously. I had great hopes for this beer. But they were dashed. Shredded. Trodden into the ground.
This does not even come close to the great sours out there. It’s not a sour so don’t be fooled!
Terrible.
Sammy’s Rating: 29%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 28%
MOB review next weekend: LA GOUDALE BLONDE byBRASSERIE GOUDALE
MUSE ON BOOZE 