BEER REVIEW: 17

BREWER: Adnams, Suffolk, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 4.6%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 2nd February 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

So Adnams most certainly have been bold with Ease Up IPA. This sure is one jazzed up label, which is bound to divide the crowd into lovers and haters.  To be clear, I have no doubt about the camp that my tent is in: lovers.  I mean, come on, this is out there and for a larger brewery it certainly is a winner.  Sure it’s garish but it’s also…different…and different is good.  Very good.  Very good indeed.

 If you’re not convinced by the outside of the bottle, you might well be influenced in thinking that inside will be a let down too.  But you’d be wrong.  The aroma from Ease Up is sensational (exactly as described on the bottle) and there is only one thing holding it back from the perfect 10 in my mind:  it could be slightly stronger.  But we really are talking minor points here. 

 Then to the drinking.  It is so good.  This has great depth of flavour and it’s one for a session.  It oozes class and is smooth and delicious. Quite clearly,  Adnams have achieved what they meant to with this beer.  It puts a big tick in every box.

With Ease Up IPA, Adnams are making a clear move for the land of craft beers, and, my oh my, they have well and truly landed, set-up stall and put a clear stake in the ground that marks their intention to grab a big piece of the aforementioned land.  For me, this is an ale that will become a regular.  What’s not to like about it?*

 

*Unless you find, unlike me, you don’t like the label

Sammy’s Rating; 83%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Ease Up IPA.

Ease Up IPA?

Ease Up IPA??

What does this name even mean!? Is the beer I’m about to drink telling me that I need to ease up? I’ll be the judge of whether I need to Ease up or not sonny let me tell you! More of this later, to the beer…

It’s Friday evening and to the beer stocks I go (no prizes for guessing what was selected, you’re gonna have to work harder than that to win a Muse on Booze *glass and beer mat).

Once cracked I gave the open bottle a good ol’ nose, and what I got was a very pleasent aroma of…. Beer. Yes, beer. Nothing snazzy or complex just a wonderful whiff of a good ale.

Once in the glass the smell continued to keep coming and made me suddenly even more happy I was about to embark into a cheeky end of week glass of something.

And I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The crew over in Suffolk have created an IPA that brings some lovely citrus tones with a good hoppy finish. I really enjoyed how dry the finish was too, immediately tempting you back for another visit to the glass. Dare I say, it made me ease up!

With just a little bit more of a punch I honestly think this could be a superstar! However, it’s just a very good drop.

Packaging wise, gotta say I’m not sold AT ALL. The colouring is all over the place. I mean if you’re going to brave going down the yellow / gold and pink route then you have to create something spectacular, and this label is far from spectacular. My only positive from the packaging is the illusion of the bottle getting slightly narrower nearer the bottom. Or is it an illusion?

In conclusion what we have here is a very good IPA with disappointing packaging that let’s it down.

Name wise, it’s not for me, but maybe, just maybe, Adnams have nailed it.

 

*Muse on Booze glasses and beer mats are not currently available due to the fact they have not yet been designed let alone manufactured or even thought of before I wrote it  😉

Jymi’s Rating 70%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 76.5% 

It’s Friday!! So therefore it’s test day! It is also the day we welcome our second guest reviewer…. Earl, from Wales. 

BEER REVIEW: 16

BREWER: Bath Ales, Gloucestershire, England

STYLE: Pale Ale

ABV: 5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 26th January 2018

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

It’s no secret that packaging can pack a punch and draw you into a brand.  And that includes times when we know that we are being unashamedly targeted!  We’ve all seen the power of strong marketing and how it can sell a product to even the most un-expecting customer, which let’s be honest none of us beer drinkers are.  We are all willing to be sold beer.  So the creative team at Bath Ales have a good starting point to take advantage of: they have an already captured audience.  Do they make the most of this?  Not one little bit.  I mean, who exactly are they aiming this beer at? To my mind, Wild Hare fits no clear market.

I’m afraid it gets no better for Wild Hare after opening.  The nose is poor.  The taste is…poor.  The only thing that can reasonably be argued for this ale is that you could manage a few of them during a session.  But I have to say – it wouldn’t be a very enjoyable session.

As is plain to see, I am obviously underwhelmed by Wild Hare.  And that folks, is where I will end this week. 

 Sammy’s Rating: 47%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Bath, a city you associate with the grandeur of Rome and sitting about the side of steaming baths eating a grape or two with one’s neck cocked 45 degrees back.

The Wild Hare, an animal you associate with mystery, power and speed (they are officially faster than Greyhounds).

So with Wild Hare by Bath Ales do we have grandeur? Do we have mystery? Well, on first look, no…..

But it’s not all bad..

Look wise, though I think they could have done A LOT better here (there is a small air of cheap), I don’t mind it at all. I quite like the slightly dumpy bottle and THAT GREEN LABEL is very striking.  On a side note: the generic blue bottle lid I believe is a big mistake. That tone of blue will go well with very few colours so to use it as your constant when packaging different beers for me is crackers.

Inside that bottle.. now what do we get?

Well, on first sip ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So much so I had to take another sip immediately just to make sure I hadn’t missed something. I hadn’t missed anything, the initial sip provides so little and I have to say was very disappointing…

However, once the taste build’s in your mouth things begin to look up. The taste does grow from that initial disappointment but really only to a satisfactory level. Certainly not to one of grandeur nor mystery.

I’m sorry to say, it’s a bit of a floppy effort all round.

Jymi’s Rating: 59%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 53%

 

EARL SAY’S…

Evening all!!

Firstly I would just like to say how psyched I am to be a guest reviewer for Muse on Booze!
Jymi and Sammy are doing a cracking job in providing honest and down to earth opinions. Its been an absolute pleasure giving my pennies worth.

Having said that…I wish I had ended up with a different week (beer)…lets begin and I’ll unravel as to why.

Imagine this, you’ve got back from a hard days graft. Body is aching, your pits smell like the rear end of an Alpacha and you’re emotionally emptier than your bank account. You reach for the fridge door to grab yourself a clinically cool bottle of Gods water to find your missus has been shopping and replaced the expected nectar with Quinoa juice.

Cue the sobbing.
You’ve signed up for “Dry January”.

When it comes to this beer, its with huge relief you have.

The first taste I get is Citrus..wow, citrus! It’s taken over my nose now so all that lovely hoppy-ness I was hoping for is struggling to come through. Citrus, on the whole, is tart. Which is probably why i just cannot get over how dry its leaving my mouth. It’s uncomfortable and almost, to me, tastes like its off. (Cue search for Best Before). Its lacking depth, Its one dimensional and I have to say its very in keeping with the style of the bottle. Bland and simple. Maybe this is for cost purposes but isn’t it nice when you can see a genuine effort is made? Upon further research you can literally buy this Ale from every stockist out there. Another thing that makes it lose some appeal to me. Sell outs.

As for “Dry January”, who does that?!

That’s it, in a nutshell, from me.

Earl’s Rating: 25%

 

 

BEER REVIEW: 15

BREWER: Moorhouse’s, Lancashire, England

STYLE: Golden Ale

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 19th January 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Once again my wee brain has been on a rollercoaster ride of ultimate confusion, but this time for once I don’t believe it is my fault!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR, let’s get to it…

Right, your archetypal witch (though of course one can come in many guises) would be and a wrinkly old boot with a broom stick, a black cat and black hair. So if we’re talking witches and ale you would probably be expecting a moody dark brew that you would probably tuck into on a stormy night if the power was out (enough of that, I’m scaring myself)…

However Moorhouse’s having cunningly thrown a ‘Blond’ in front of ‘Witch’, which instantly reduces the potential moodiness of this ale… BUT we then flick back to the overall look of the bottle and we are back to moody stormy nights once again. The only glimpse of some light is (who I am assuming is) THE Blond Witch (I do hope the brewers didn’t throw her in the vat to find out)?

So what beer came out once poured?

A ,not particularly nice smelling, Golden / Blond ale of course!

And to what really matters in all of this, the taste…

It’s really nice! It really is. I have to say I wasn’t expecting what I got for reasons stated above so it was a pleasant surprise to very much enjoy Blond Witch. The taste is moving towards lager which make’s it refreshingly crisp but does lack a certain smoothness because of this.

Even though the packaging doesn’t represent the ale at all well, I do quite like it’s almost medieval look in a strange way.

Wow, I’m going for a lie down. With the lights ON!

Jymi’s Rating: 66%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

Blond Witch…hm…let’s be honest, not a good start with the name.  Hardly inspiring, it’s not a brand that would pique your interest on first reading.  One wouldn’t be blamed for walking past it and leaving it nestled on a shelf in a booze store slowly drawing towards its BBE date. 

It gets no better with the packaging.  Again, the design of Blond Witch does nothing to tempt you to pull your hand from your pocket and wrap around the neck of one of these bad boys.

On opening you get the first hint of something rousing going on with this beer.  The smell that wafts from the bottle is very enticing indeed and has a variety of interesting notes.  The drinking of this beer is well worth overcoming the lackluster packaging: it’s a good ‘un.  In fact, this is a very good tipple indeed.  Its smooth and I would happily enjoy as a one off episode or as a series on which I’d enjoy in one evening.

In short, sort out the packaging and we’re on to an all round winner.

Sammy’s Rating: 69%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 67.5% 

 

Evening all, welcome to the weekend and it’s off to the Jurassic coast we go!!

We also have the first ever Muse on Booze guest reviewer… He goes by the name of Tom Norton and word is he lives Dorset way. 

BEER REVIEW: 14

BREWER: Dorset Brewing Company, Dorset, England

STYLE: Pale Ale 

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 12th January 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I’m an Aleaontologist not a Palaeontologist so please forgive me if some of my upcoming dinosaur references are wrong and a few million years out…

I have to say this beer, packaging and taste wise, has left me as confused as a diplodocus that has just been clubbed round the head by a furious triceratops.

Let’s start with the look. I want to like it. I really, really do. But I don’t. There are so many things that are close to making me love the look of this bottle but it just misses the mark each time..

The giant T-Rex head on the side of the bottle, hate it. Don’t know why, just do.

The prehistoric play on words, this kind of stuff is right up my street normally, but I just didn’t get it!

DBC on the front of the bottle. Again, acronyms are my thing. In another life my nickname is AJ (acronym Jym) for crying out loud!! But D B C together as three letters just isn’t aesthetically pleasing for me.

My label was blurred. Even though I found this quite endearing as Dorset Brewing Company are not exactly a huge brewer, the label shouldn’t be blurred. If the labels come back from printing wrong, they go back, no matter how big or small you are.

I could have just been a bit of a grumpy guts on test day, I dunno…

Taste wise I did enjoy this brew but again left me in a state of dino confuzzelment.

Nose is pleasant enough though a little nondescript. Taste is very earthy and deep but then developed into a citrusy finish. Earthy and citrusy are both lovely in isolation but together I’m not so sure.

Overall this is a nice beer and though the packaging didn’t do it for me it is pretty cool and fun.

Fair play DBC 😉

Jymi’s Rating: 62%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

From the outset this beer hits the spot!

Everything about it fits perfectly with what it is aiming to be: a small brewery belter of a beer.  

To begin with the nose does not stand out, but neither is it offensive.  It’s everything that you’d expect in a golden ale.  And the taste is good too.  It’s pleasant and I, and many others, would be happy to spend an evening talking the night away with a good few Jurassics in hand.   They slip down very nicely and have a good golden ale taste, somewhat lacking in length. 

But what’s great about this beer is the whole package and the story around it.  It’s bottled in a cracking way and speaks volumes about the fun brewery that it obviously comes from.  The label has tongue in cheek quips and is clearly printed small batch.  And that adds to the charm of this beer.

This is one worth giving a go.  Search it out and find it if you can…

Sammy’s Rating: 74%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 68%

 

 

TOM NORTON SAY’S…

It’s Christmas, a wonderful time of year with lots of opportunity to taste some great beers and not feel guilty about day time drinking. So me and a mate settled down to a few bottles of Jurassic.

However I feel this opportunity was slightly wasted by the beer we had chosen.

From the onset it didn’t look good. Both my bottle and Matt’s bottle had slightly different blurry labels that referenced it was from the Jurassic coast far more than necessary.

Blurred labels aside we cracked them open and went ahead with the tasting.

At first it was lovely. My initial thought was “what a nice smooth slightly hoppy tasting beer”.

On the nose I got a bit of apricot and some citrus but not a lot else.

The after taste I got was of overpowering hops however the taste isn’t bad. There’s a small zing at the end of fruitiness but the whole thing is just a bit flat for me.

Overall it’s a confused little beer and it is simply just painfully average.

Tom Norton’s Rating: 65%

New Year, another beer!

Hope you enjoy and have a good weekend.

BEER REVIEW: 13

BREWER: Brixton Brewery, South London, England

STYLE: IPA

ABV: 6.5%

VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 5th January 2018

 

JYMI SAY’S…

So you hop off the tube at Brixton and make your way towards the escalator. Once you’ve negotiated the wonder of these magical moving steps you find yourself at street level. Now outside you make your way left and when at frozen food giant Iceland, with a spring in your step you go left again. You find yourself in the iconic Electric Avenue. The Avenue that inspired Brixton Brewery to produce their Electric IPA. Electric Avenue is lively, in your face and quirky. Is Electric IPA?

Yes it is, simple as that.

The nose on this beer is massive, incredibly citrusy and distinctive. Though I didn’t find it at all unpleasant, I didn’t particularly like it either I have to say.

Taste wise, Electric is delivering! Strong (without being overpowering) and crisp, this is a beer that knows exactly what it is up to. I found it surprisingly smooth too considering it is very fizzy in the glass. Weighing in at 6.5% you wouldn’t say this would be one for a session, but it does slip down nice and easy I have to say. As long as you didn’t go at it like Usain Bolt on a pub crawl in Manningtree, Essex (most Pubs / Person apparently?) you could happily settle in to a fair few of these beauties.

For me, Electric is a very, very good tasting modern IPA with plenty of things going for it, but not totally out of this world.

Jymi’s Rating: 75%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

My first thought on Electric IPA was that with such a statement of a name, you’d better hope it’s good.  This was closely followed by my second thought: with packaging like that, you’d better hope it’s good.  And that would be a good place to start – the packaging.  Do I like it? Yea, I do.  While the bottle itself is nothing to write home about, the label speaks volumes.  It’s…well…electric.  To be fair, it fits where this beer is from perfectly: Brixton. 

So, the packaging is a hit. 

The nose – instantly a hit also.  Electric IPA has all the aromas one would hope for in a beer of such name and they are quite simply irresistible.  Their tropical edge tempt you into the sip…very, very quickly indeed. 

Once that beer passes the threshold of your lips, you know that they were right to call this beer Electric IPA because that’s exactly what it is.  It’s an electric IPA.  The flavours are as intense and as satisfying as the label and the aroma.  This beer has bundles of length in its pinappley taste that could only come from a modern craft. 

All round cracking beer.  When drinking my notes read, “Anytime, anywhere.”  I wasn’t wrong then and I’m not wrong now.  Electric IPA is one to hunt out and devour.

Sammy’s Rating: 84%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 79.5% 

 

Yeah, it’s Saturday again so we’re a day late but who cares.. we’re in the Crimbo Limbo and not many know what on earth is going on.

One of us actually thought it was Friday today. Not mentioning any names… Sam.

Happy New Year to you all from Muse on Booze. 

BEER REVIEW: 12

BREWER: Art Brew, Devon, England

STYLE: Orange IPA

ABV: 6%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 31st December 2017

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

How do I feel about fruit and beers coming together in an apparent harmonious marriage?  I’m not sure. That is, I’m yet to be convinced.  To say I approach beers with fruit in the title with trepidation would be an exaggeration but it would be fair to say that I’m not overly filled with joy.  However, I’m not sure that the orange in the title refers to the flavour of this beer but rather it’s a statement of design…

So, how does Orange IPA stack up?  Well on first viewing not very well.  The packaging is, to be blunt, like it’s been designed by an 11 year old for their computing homework.  Alright, I might be being a little harsh, but it is lacking in creativity and when there’s so much out there for it to compete against it just doesn’t hold-up.

Next the main event – the opening, pour, smell and taste.  The nose is fantastic and promises so much!  Then comes the taste and thats where it stops; the main event ends as quickly as it started.  The taste dashes away all the hopes that were built-up with the fabulous aroma.  I mean, it’s ok, but no more than ok. There’s no depth to the flavour and it’s hard to pitch where it belongs in the market place. 

Orange IPA is a bit of a battle to wrestle down too, so if you’re looking for a session beer this is not for you.

Could I have another of these and not be offended? Most certainly yes.  Would I chose to have another Orange IPA, most certainly not.

Sammy’s Rating: 48%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Orange, the humble Orange…

Actually, in my opinion, it’s one of the finest fruits. It certainly makes it into my top 5. In it’s purist form I am a huge fan. However, when it comes to Orange flavoured things I’m no longer singing it’s praises from atop of the nearest Orange tree. Whether it be cordial, chocolate or even a garnish in a GnT, Orange flavoured stuff just doesn’t really do it for me. I’m not saying I dislike it, but it’s certainly not something I’d reach for.

So in front of me I find an Orange IPA, and even though I think it looks fantastic in its bottle I’m not particularly looking forward to tasting it.

First word in my manual tasting notes was…. OOOF. Say’s it all.

Strong and curious tasting this ale gets straight to the point. Big ol’ citrusy tones hit you straight between the proverbial eyes. I personally wouldn’t even say the taste is particularly one of Orange but there is no doubting the waves of citrus relentlessly coming at you.

Now did I like it? Yeah, kinda.. it’s a weird one, but just about okay in my book. I don’t want to label it as the Marmite of the beer world as there are definitely more divisive ones out there but I could fully understand folk loving this or hating it.

Just briefly back to the look of the bottle. I really love it. I mean, it’s not the best bottle ever I know, but I admire how brave, simplistic and arty it is.

Well done Art Brew, you’re tearing up the rule book here!!

Jymi’s Rating: 56%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 52%

 

Well, last week we were a day late posting due to uncontrollable circumstances that were completely within our control.

This week we are posting a few hours earlier because, in the immortal words of Sham 69, weeeeee’re  goin’ down the pub.

Merry Christmas to one and all from Muse on Booze.  

 

 

BEER REVIEW: 11

BREWER: East London Brewing Company, East London, England

STYLE: Vanilla Mild

ABV: 3.6%

VESSEL: 500ml  brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 22nd December 2017

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It’s Christmas week and I entered it full of joy, excitement and hope for both the time of year and the beer I was going to be testing… but things didn’t quite work out..

Let me explain.

When I purchased Orchid a few weeks back I did so because it caught my eye. Did I like the look of it?  Don’t know, didn’t really give it much thought at the time. But it had to have had something for me to go through with the impulse buy, surely?

As test week arrived I did what I normally tend to do and took the beer that was going to be given a good going over, out of the cupboard and placed it on the kitchen side. I generally do this so it gives me a few days of catching the eye of the beer as I’m passing so I can really gauge what the packaging is all about.

Our relationship started out ‘alright’ , but ended in tatters I am sorry to say….

Monday – yeah not bad looking, quite looking forward to this.

Tuesday – looks okay, I think?

Wednesday – looks weird, why does it look weird?

Thursday – The label looks like wallpaper. And shiny gold? I don’t like shiny gold and certainly not on a beer label.

Friday – WHO WALLPAPER’S A BEER BOTTLE??????

 

DEEP BREATH…………..

 

Right so, joy and excitement also came with the thought of a Vanilla mild. I am a huge fan of Vanilla, especially this time of year, and though I had not had a Mild for a fair few years I had always enjoyed the odd one in the past.

It ended badly again, really badly.

There are Vanilla hints yes, but I honestly think even hints is too generous. The nose it too pungent, initial taste too sharp and then whatever taste was there just vanishes, quickly.

Look, I may get paid millions of pounds a year to test one beer a week but I’m no pro, no no..

ELB have just, for me at least, got this all wrong.

Happy Christmas!!!!!!!!!! Sorry x

Jymi’s Rating: 38%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

So here it is – the final review before Christmas: for those of you hoping for a cracker (not of the type you pull with toy insert), you’re going to be disappointed.  And I don’t mind stating it from the outset.  This beer is all over disappointment. 

Let’s start with the name, Orchid Vanilla Mild.  It’s not a statement.  It’s not bold or big.  It’s not even particularly clever and it’s never going to pull in even the well-established and learned beer drinker.  In fact, it’s a name that lacks in punch; it seems so…limp and uninspiring. 

Once opened and poured, I’m afraid it gets no better.  The nose on this one is…er…disappointing.  It’s neither here nor there and, rather like the name, it will not tempt you to drink it. 

Let me linger for a very little amount of time on the taste: poor quality.  It lacks in distinctiveness and the Vanilla, as promised by the aforementioned low-grade name, is nowhere to be seen.  The only part of the name that rings true is the mild part as this is a beer that you could chew down one after another in a ‘mild’ session.

For Christmas crackers, stick to the type you pull, or see our previous reviews for some of the all year round beer crackers that are out there to be enjoyed!

Sammy’s Rating: 44%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 41% 

 

 

Ok, so we’re a day late… two reasons.

1, We lost the test beer on day of test.

b, It’s so strong we kinda forgot to write about it once we had tried it.

c,  It’s Christmas 

Please accept apologies from the professional outfit that is MUSE ON BOOZE (and this was the week we were going to say tell your friends about us too!!)

 

BEER REVIEW: 10

BREWER: Goose Island, Illinois, USA

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 14.3%

VESSEL: 1 pint .9 FL.OZ. (US) bottle

DATE POSTED: 17th December 2017

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Blimey, just blimey…

Now this is not a drink you’ll ever ever grab a case of 24 of from your local Bargain Booze let me tell you. This is one immense drink.

It has left me wondering what on earth has just happened I have to be honest.

Whilst still trying to piece my life together I will try and convey my thoughts on this…

Looks so good and appealing AND high end!

At such a huge percentage I wondered what was going to happen here. Once opened things began to unravel.. MASSIVE NOSE of burnt vanilla, which I can’t say I actually enjoyed all that much.

Now, did I enjoy this stout once sipped…?   NO, was all too much for little Jymi.

It’s smooth as, but the taste is so extreme (without actually being strong) that it almost doesn’t taste like a drink that you know… and let’s be fair you probably don’t. I’m putting this in the bracket of ELITE DRINKS. 

It’s without a doubt made well but sorry to say it’s just not for me.

Right, I’m off for a Goose IPA….

Jymi’s Rating: 53%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

You can’t turn around at this time of year without being faced with the hype of Christmas.  And Goose Island has certainly built the hype around this stout.  The packaging is undeniably…well…awesome.  The name promises the world; who wouldn’t be sold with stout aged in bourbon casks?  Then you crack the lid, pour the contents into a glass and the aroma is simply incredible.  You get smacked around the face with a heady mixture of Marmite, port and stout – I know, it sounds like it wouldn’t smell particularly good, but it does.

Then to the taste…and it all falls down, just like the hype that’s built up at this time of year.  It comes crumbling down all too quickly.  It’s disappointing on so many levels and one could argue that it’s almost undrinkable.  No stout should taste like a mixture between port and a beer left to go flat over the course of a long Christmas lunch.  To me this is no stout.  This is a fail – in the words our YouTubing friends – an Epic Fail.  Let us not dwindle any more on this because it’s really not worth the time or head-space.

Goose Island produce some cracking beers.  Bourbon County comes nowhere near to their usually high standards.  To me, this is a gimmick and gimmicks don’t belong in the beer drinkers world.  It promises so much and delivers so little.  My advice to you – keep your money in your pocket, this ones not even worth a go!

Sammy’s Rating: 35%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 44%

 

 

It’s that time of year where the darker beers come out to play!! So we have headed back to Two Cocks Brewery to try their wonderful looking Stout… (Plus we bought it a while ago and the BBE date was fast approaching :/).

 

 

BEER REVIEW: 9

BREWER:  Two Cocks, Berkshire

STYLE: Stout

ABV: 4.5%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle 

DATE POSTED: 9th December 2017

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It’s December 25^th, 3:33am, even though you’re 37, you have one eye open to maybe, just maybe catch a glimpse of the white bearded, rotund chap who cut’s about in a crushed red velvet suit on this night every year. You eventually fall back to sleep…

Morning breaks and the wonderful chaos of the day begins. You stroll down stairs to the noise of children tearing in to wrapping paper, the kettle boiling and some bacon sizzling.

A quick wash and freshen up and then the time has come… presents and a glass of something!

You crack open a bottle of Puritan and with that first sip everything that has gone before and is still to come in the day is summed up… Christmas.

This is an absolutely stunning Stout, no doubt. The nose is delicate and soothing as well as complex and intriguing.  There is a disconcerting fizz to it in the glass, but that doesn’t then transfer to sipping, odd but great! The taste is incredible. Complex with a little bite, but once swallowed is as smooth as Santa’s suit.

An utterly fantastic Winter’s drink that Jymi cannot recommend highly enough.

Jymi’s Rating: 87%

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

When the word stout is mentioned, there is one brand that immediately spring’s to mind.  So any company taking steps into this dominated market has to make sure those steps are going to leave huge imprints.  And let’s be honest, we’ve all boldly ordered unknown stouts in the past wanting for something to be different and to challenge our pre-conceived ideas.  All too often, we will then have been disappointed and left with that sinking reality that actually stout means only one thing…

But my goodness, that was until now.  Because now there’s Puritan.

I’m not going to waste my time describing the packaging – that’s been done before with this brewery – it makes a bold statement.  Underneath that packaging though, well that’s a different story.  This stout is intense.  It’s makes your taste buds come alive in a way that no other stout before it will have done.  The nose is great and then that first sip…that first sip is something you might believe you will never experience again.  And in some ways you’d be right because a first is always a first, never to happen again.  But the second is just as good.  And the third…

Puritan has such a distinctively nutty, marmitey taste that it could only be a stout.  Yet it’s a trend setter because it succeeds where so many before it have failed – it doesn’t try to imitate, it’s there to be imitated.  High praise indeed you might think; you’d be right.  And if you’ve only ever sampled one well-known stout before and want to try another then Puritan is for you.  If you’ve never tried a stout before and you’d like to venture into that world – Puritan is for you.  If you’ve never been interested in stout and think you never will be, well…Puritan is for you.

Sammy’s Rating: 89%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 88%

 

 

BEER REVIEW: 8

BREWER: Fuller’s, West London, England

STYLE: Strong English Ale

ABV: 6.3%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE POSTED: 1st December 2017

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

From the outset, everything about 1845 points to Fullers.  Their distinctive packaging is instantly recognisable – and that’s only a good thing.  All companies want their products to be easily associated to them.  The marketing team at Fullers can certainly be proud and hold their heads high: they have succeeded in their task.

 But for me, that’s where it stops with 1845. 

Despite it being a beer that slips down nice and easily, it lacks in the punch that matters the most – taste.  It’s harsh on the back of the throat and the after-taste lingers, when you wish it would just drift into the background or, preferably, never have been there in the first place.  In fact, you could easily liken the flavour to a well-known yeasty spread that one apparently loves or hates.  And that taste belongs on toast, not in such abundance in beer.

 1845 will have its fans and Fullers will know whom they are targeting this beer at.  To my mind, that will be a limited market and it certainly won’t be one that I’ll be joining in the near future.  There’s much better out there…

Sammy’s Rating: 59%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Shrove Tuesday, 2005

Sammy takes on the Pancake duties and lines up four per flat member, fair play to the man. Once finished I, rather unappreciatively, blurted out the words, “I could do another eight of those without even thinking about it you know”.

Folk laughed….. Sammy fired up the frying pan.

Now, knowing I’m not one to cry off from an eating challenge Sam proceeded to make every pancake he made, unbeknown to me, just that little bit thicker every time.

I spent the next hour going from extreme confidence to utter despair. Facing into the last two I turned into a sweaty mess wondering if I’d make it out of this nightmare alive. After the twelfth pancake was finished I can now only tell you second hand what happened as I was in batter delirium.

Word is I was writhing around on the kitchen floor mumbling “Mate, I’m serious, my stomach is going to explode”. Sam laughed. “Seriously man, you need to call an ambulance”. Sam laughed.

And so to the beer, 1845!!

On first sipping this ale you are met with one massive taste hit! Literally ‘sit you back in your chair’ good. From there it starts to mellow out a little and just turns into a jolly nice pint of beer. However, as the end approaches you begin to feel full. As you finish you question whether you could have another as it is so very rich and heavy. Too many of these would leave me calling out “Mate, I’m serious, my stomach is going to explode”. However, this is a good drop that Fuller’s have created for their 150 year beer.

In case you were wondering how Shrove Tuesday 2005 concluded.. Sammy and I have not spoken since that day. He actually contacted me a couple of months ago asking if I wanted to co-write a booze blog with him… I told him to f*#k off.

Jymi’s Rating: 62%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 60.5%