DATE POSTED: 20th June 2018

STYLE: London Dry

ABV: 43.5%

KEY BOTANICAL: Citrus

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

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fentimans Pink Grapefruit Tonic and Rosemary & Orange Wedge Garnish 

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: White Lady

White Lady ingredients and method:

50ml Fifty Pounds Gin

25ml Triple Sec

25ml Lemon Juice

12.5ml Sugar Syrup

1 Egg White (optional but adds huge amount of depth)

Shake all ingredients with Ice and Strain back into the same shaker to remove the ice. Shake again without ice (dry shake) and then strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

 

 M O B S O G 2 0 1 8

 

BEER REVIEW: 36

BREWER: Badger Brewery (Hall & Woodhouse), Dorset, England

STYLE: Bitter

ABV: 4.4%

VESSEL: 500ml clear bottle 

DATE POSTED: 15th June 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Ferret: a domesticated form of the European polecat.

Ferret: a mammal belonging to the same genus as the weasel.

Ferret: a tricky little fella with a reputation for being sly.

Ferret: apparently actually a very good pet.

Thirsty Ferret: a thirsty version of all the above.

Fursty Ferret: an ale from Badger Brewery.

To clarify, Fursty Ferret should not be confused with a thirsty ferret or indeed any form of the ferret.

What we do have with the Badger version of Ferret (let’s avoid confusion with the animal overload on names), is a well packaged up beer.  The clear bottle works well and it is most definitely a good platform on which to paste the effect label (featuring the aforementioned ferrets).

The beer, unfortunately, does not live up to the feisty reputation of its namesake and is distinctively average.  The biscuity taste is finished with a very subtle hoppy ending but to be completely upfront about it, you’d be hard pushed to single it out. 

Fursty Ferret: Packing a punch with the name.  Very limp, slightly grazing punch packed with the flavour. 

Sammy’s Rating: 61%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I just don’t know what it is with this Badger lot but the phrase don’t do things by halves springs to mind because they seem to have done the opposite and actually done EVERYTHING BY HALF. Literally everything (though they did manage to fill the bottle up to the top, which was good).

Honestly, everything from the packaging to the taste just reeks of, meh, yeah it’s aright I suppose. Average. Not bad. Not offensive but by no means great.

For me the only shining light here is the name. Fursty Ferret is a great name, it really is. It’s the type of name that reminds me of maybe being on holiday in the West Country, walking, and stumbling across a random country pub. Some bright spark in your walking crew (probably you!) throws out a speculative ”shall we stop for a quick pint” suggestion. Of course everyone thinks this is a splendid idea so you find yourself settled in the Wheatsheaf and Wood Pigeon drinking something called, Fursty Ferret.. of course you do. And you wouldn’t be disappointed. But you wouldn’t be blown away either. (see… AVERAGE!)

FF is a perfectly fine ale and pleasant enough to drink but it is lacking in body I must say. When it comes to the length, this is where this beer falls down. Once your initial pleasant and malty taste has gone nothing else really happens.

Fursty Ferret falls into the bracket of an everyday drinking ale. It’s not at all bad, but to call it good would be wrong.

Why? Because as I’ve already mentioned A LOT, it’s average.

Case closed.

Jymi’s Rating: 62%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 61.5% 

 

MOB review next weekend: SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE by SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

 

 

DATE POSTED: 13th June 2018

STYLE: New Western

ABV: 41.4%

KEY BOTANICAL: Cucumber

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

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Light Tonic and Lime Garnish

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Cucumber Mojito 

Cucumber Mojito ingredients and method:

50ml Hendrick’s Gin

25ml Lime Juice

12.5ml Sugar Syrup

Splash of Tonic 

10 Mint Leaves

6 Cucumber Slices

Crushed Ice

Strip of Cucumber for Garnish

Mint Sprig for Garnish

Gently muddle Cucumber, Mint, Sugar Syrup and Lime. Add the Gin, fill glass with crushed ice and churn. Add more crushed ice and add a splash of Tonic. Garnish with Cucumber strip and Mint Sprig.

 

M O B S O G 2 0 1 8

BEER REVIEW: 35

BREWER: Brewery Noordt, South Holland, Netherlands

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 3%

VESSEL: 33cl  brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 8th June 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Ok, the first thing on my mind here was the strength of this beer. 3% is low, really low. Look, I know if brewed well an IPA can stand up to low and pretty high percentages but I’ll go back to what I mentioned 29 words ago… 3% is low, really low. I was both worried and intrigued going into this pup..

Turns out that what I thought would be the talking point of this ale (that’s the percentage by the way) was not…. No, no, the talking point is how it poured and then how it reacted in the mouth after the inevitable sip to get it in you.

The second this understated Dutch IPA hit the glass it exploded like a pneumatic soda stream. Volatile carbonation is an understatement and it certainly got my mind thinking… what the bleedin ‘el is this all about?

Once eventually in the glass and then in the mouth it teeeeeed off AGAIN!… Honestly, the audacity!

I’d love to liken it to a pneumatic soda stream but I’ve heard that somewhere before…. Anyway, the frothy fizz explosion in the mouth once sipped was just bizarre I have to say.

After all of that drama, which was exhausting, it was time to think of how this beer actually tasted..

Well, it vanished almost instantly, which after the earlier drama was almost a relief. What flavour I did pick up was pleasant enough but lacking any body, depth or length.

In summary, NESIPA is a bit like New Years Eve…

Explosions and bubbles everywhere, but in the grand scheme of things… what really is the point?

Jymi’s Rating: 44%

 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

WARNING: Serious beer pouring skills must be employed!

Unleashed in the glass, New England Session IPA is like setting off a firecracker – it really is that lively.  You’ll be doing well not to get a head that rims the glass on this one.  

However, the fizz doesn’t follow through onto the palate, although it does repeat on you after a while (but let’s be fair, which beer doesn’t?).  It’s an extremely light beer that’s easy to knock back in a couple of swigs.  The lightness definitely makes it a refreshing ale but at the same time it’s a bit of an Achilles heel for it.  You see, there’s not much depth to the flavour or length after that.  There’s a subtle hint of caramel but it is so subtle. So subtle in fact you have to search deep to try and find it.  And it’s then followed by a hint of bitterness, which is aligned to touching a lemon on your tongue.  Not unpleasant but by no means ground breaking.

There is a place for the likes of New England Session IPA.  As promised it is a session ale and it would be easy to slip a few of these down on many different occasions.  But if you’re looking for a big hitter this is not going to tickle your fancy.

Sammy’s Rating: 66%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 55% 

 

MOB review next weekend: FURSTY FERRET by BADGER BREWERY

So here we are, the Summer of Gin has arrived! And the SUN IS OUT!! Well it is west of London anyway.. 

We are not going to be reviewing the Gins as such (as everything we’ll be putting up is pretty awesome to be honest). It’s more of a guide to how it’s said it should be drunk generally and then our take on how we think it should be drunk. It’s as simple as that.

We’ll also be putting up a cocktail suggestion for you too, whether it be a classic or a Muse on Booze original. 

The most important thing here is you go enjoy your Summer and enjoy some fine Gins… 

#MOBSOG

 

DATE POSTED: 6th June 2018

STYLE: London Dry

ABV: 47.3%

KEY BOTANICAL: Juniper

THEY SAY SERVE WITH: Fever-Tree Tonic and Grapefruit garnish

MOB SAY SERVE WITH: Primrose Hill Tonic and Pink Grapefruit peel garnish

 

MOB COCKTAIL SUGGESTION: Honey C

Honey C ingredients and method:

50ml Tanqueray No. Ten

10ml Clear Honey

75ml Freshly squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice

1 Egg White

Mint Sprig

Shake all ingredients other than the mint hard with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with the mint.

 

M O B S O G 2 0 1 8

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