WHITE STOUT - 7.2% - Durham Brewery, U.K- (Bottle)

http://www.durhambrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . Pale and strong (in the tradition of stout = strong). Very prominent hops with a floral aroma. Deep and resinous. Full of flavour. Lovely complex long finish. One of those beers that improves with every sip. Durham brewery has always been a favourite of mine, this tastes like the big brother of their famous White Centennial.

BLACK CHOCOLATE STOUT - 10% - Brooklyn Brewery, U.S.A - (Bottle)

http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . this stout is brewed only once a year (for winter), and what a treat it is. Six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts are used to create a most uplifting and luxurious drink. When poured, the creamy copper tinged head retains its structure atop the most oily brew I've ever seen. It's flavours are so well balanced they hide its strength. Warming, chocolate and coffee notes are followed by a long bitter and molasses finish. Simply one of the best, definitely one of my desert island beers.

ORGANIC STOUT - 4.5% - Hawkshead Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://hawksheadbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . now this is good. An organic oatmeal stout. Very well balanced, creamy and full of flavour. Deep chocolate and liquorice flavours and a long bitter finish. Warming, earthy and full coffee notes. It' vegan too (although I'd prefer mine with oysters). Top job.

OYSTER STOUT - 4.5% - Marstons Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.marstons.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . fruity and a little fizzy from the bottle. A fairly simple flavour, nothing lasting or complex. It's let down by really lacking in body and being decidedly uncreamy. That said, the flavours that are present are pleasant. Hints of liquorice and coffee. Comes across more like a dark mild to me. Not bad, just not amazing. Might try cooking mussels in it.

 

 

 

NIGHTSHADE - 4.9% - Wharfebank Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.wharfebankbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . Enjoyed the Nightshade at the wonderful Arcadia Bar in Headingley, Leeds, U.K today. A luxurious mahogany brown ale. Warming and full bodied with a huge flavour to match. Clean and crisp, hoppy with a complex dry, roasted malt finish. A brilliant fireside ale, very nice indeed - deadly!

PROFANITY STOUT - 7% - Williams Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . Well well well, this is a beauty. Regular readers will know I am a big fan of Williams Bros Brewery. Luxurious texture, coffee and slight vanilla notes, thick creamy and a little fruity. Wonderful deep roasted finish, long and slightly smoky. Could drink this all day! One of my favourite stouts. Ain't no messin' with this little fella!

CHOCOLATE STOUT - 4.2% - Mallinsons Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.drinkmallinsons.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . Absolutely excellent chocolate stout. Bottle conditioned for that extra fresh punch. Superb complex mocha notes and a hint of vanilla. Velvety and thick with a lovely roasted finish. Definitely Recommended, my favourite Mallinsons so far.

BEE'S ORGANIC ALE - 4.5% - Arkells Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.arkells.com

beeryweirdo says . . .  An excellent organic ale made with organic honey. Extremely refreshing and well balanced, hoppy but not overly, a lovely summery brew with real character. Buzzin.

GROZET - 5% - Williams Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/

beeryweirdo says . . .  Delicious light lager. Fruity pear and citrus and a touch of gooseberry. Slight sea breeze aroma as with all Williams brews, long fruit salad finish. Very easy drinking, refreshing. Distinctive and really rather good.

ST PETERSBURG - 7.7% - Thornbridge Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . .  Well, what a distinctive stout we have here! A fantastic lively body, chocolate malt and smoky notes with a creamy finish. Very warming, with a good long burnt toffee and liquorice finish. At 7.7% it is pleasantly boozy and easy drinking. A high quality and delicious beer - shame there's only one in the beer cellar.

FOREIGN EXPORT STOUT - 8% - Ridgeway Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

beeryweirdo says . . .  A truly wonderful stout. Beautiful subtle chocolate tones. Strong and luxurious. Coffee and spice lead to a deep fruit flavour and creamy aromatic finish. Wonderful full body and complex aromas. It's hard to beat a beer like this - essentially it is perfect! (and from my home turf too). Bring me the oysters!

ESPRESSO - 4.2% - Dark Star Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://darkstarbrewing.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . .  An unusual beer probably not for the purist which is a shame because it's very good indeed. Superb roasted barley malt combined with actual coffee beans to make a luxurious and complex brew. Works well - two of the world's greatest drinks in one!

SUNBURST - 4.8% - Dark Star Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://darkstarbrewing.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . .  Top notch, beautiful amber gold ale. Zesty fruity tones with a smooth and slightly grapefruit finish. Very refreshing, nice body, fast finishing but very satisfying. Good as a solo mid-afternoon ale or as a stronger lunchtime pint when the company is a little challenging. Good stuff!

SMOKIN' STOAT - 6.4% - Brodie Brewery (Private) , U.K. - (Bottle)

beeryweirdo says . . .  Wow! This is a truly excellent black beer - hand made with home roasted barley! - unfortunately not commercially available - a superb recipe from the Brodie family that I was lucky to sample. Strong, punchy and extremely well hopped. Dry, bitter and smooth with prominent roasted coffee and barley flavours. So good that I wholeheartedly recommend that the Brodie's think about a change of career! A very rare treat indeed, please brew more! - this is gold dust.

KELPIE - 4.4% - Williams Bros. Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/

beeryweirdo says . . .  Wow! This superb beer uses seaweed mashed in with malt and roasted barley. Powerfully chocolatey but not rich. More like a fluffy mousse made with high quality dark chocolate. I want to keep a few of these in reserve to give those who have not tried it the chance to sample. Truly exceptional. Drink this!.

OLD LEG OVER - 4.1% - Daleside Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.dalesidebrewery.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . deep brown colour. Delightful complex flavour with a good balance of hop and malt. Firm body, nutty with chocolate tones and a hint of burnt toffee. A warming and woody beer. Very nice indeed.

POSTCARD REVIEW: The White Swan, Leeds. U.K

THE WHITE SWAN - Leeds, U.K.

http://www.leedsbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . .

WHO? 

- The White Swan - Leeds' Brewery's latest pub.

WHAT? 

- A nice bar adjoining the theatre with a fine selection of drinks and food. Contemporary light and pleasant environment with a nod to its theatre heritage.

WHERE? 

- Swan St. Leeds - Next door to City Varieties.

WHY? 

- Really excellent service, wide selection of Leeds Brewery's own beers plus good guest beers and a well stocked fridge of continental delights. Nice to see a reasonable collection of spirits too - all to often specialist beer bars seem let down by a poor spirit shelf but thankfully not here! 

beeryweirdo recommends . . . 

TO DRINK: A pint of the Leeds Brewery 'Quality Pays' my full beer review HERE

TO EAT: Moules Marinieres and the Potato dumplings with Yorkshire blue cheese.

QUALITY PAYS - 5.3% - Leeds Brewery, U.K.

http://www.leedsbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . brewed specially by the Leeds Brewery to commemorate the end of Tetley's Brewery in the city. A bold but fair statement, quality does indeed pay and this beer has bags of it (unlike any Tetley's brew in the last ten years at least). A powerful, full bodied hoppy ale with a beautiful full and deep flavour. This is an arch and artful statement from the 'real' Leeds brewery to mark the passing of the old and the coming of the new. My only hope is that it stays available! Excellent beer indeed.

TEA - 4.2% - Hogsback Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.hogsback.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . TEA stands for 'Traditional English Ale' which this certainly is. Amber brown in colour with hints of malt loaf and soft fruit in the aroma. A sweet and fruity well rounded flavour with a nutty finish with a hint of banana. This is a truly excellent beer and an excellent alternative to a mid afternoon Earl Grey. 

MARY JANE - 3.5% - Ilkley Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . a light white gold pale ale, rounded flavour, citrus but not too much, easy drinking sweet and smooth with a good bitter finish making it taste stronger than it is. Lovely supple consistency, refreshing, very characterful for such a weak beer. Perfect for sunny days!

SEMER WATER - 5.5% - Wensleydale Brewery, U.K. (Bottle)

http://www.wensleydalebrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . very light in the mouth, quick finish, subtle and very thirst quenching. Nothing full on about this but that makes it and ideal introduction to real beer. Ideal for hot summer days.

CANNONBALL - 7.4% - Magic Rock, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.magicrockbrewing.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . beautiful copper coloured fine ale. Slightly floral and fruity aroma. A proper, strong traditional IPA. Well balanced taste, super hoppy with a touch of sweetness. Very smooth and crisp taste, powerful and dangerously drinkable. Truly brilliant, love it. More please!

TRADE WINDS - 4.3% - Cairngorm, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.cairngormbrewery.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . golden brown, very refined, good bitter hop taste with a lovely biscuity malt taste. Warming, complex with a slightly smoky nose. An all round excellent beer going nicely with my Sunday lunch! Thanks!

PUNK IPA - 5.6% - Brewdog, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.brewdog.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . this beer is described by the brewery as 'assertive' and that is certainly the case. Chinook, Simcoe, Ahtanum and Nelson Sauvin hops produce a ballsy, brash pale ale with a strong up front taste. Quite sticky in the mouth, 'resinous'. Good initial taste, no complexity to speak of but pretty punchy all round. 

JEFFREY HUDSON BITTER - 4.2% - Oakham Ales, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.oakhamales.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . honey gold in colour with a lively consistent head. Incredibly orangey with a zesty finish and a hint of lychee. Extremely characterful, wonderfully lively in the mouth. Exceptional beer!

POACHER - 5.0% - Wensleydale Brewery, U.K. (Bottle)

http://www.wensleydalebrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . bottled conditioned, bright and fruity IPA. Deep earthy tones with a lime marmalade flavour that cuts through. Improves with every mouthful. An excellent and truly unique beer.

LONDON STOUT - 4.5% - Meantime Brewery - (Bottle)

http://www.meantimebrewing.com/

beeryweirdo says . . . extremely dark and oily colour, the goldings hops bring an unusually crisp taste to this stout, lovely smooth chocolate and coffee tones on the palate, very elegant and refined body, vanilla, oat and tobacco aromas. Altogether a wonderful drink.

MERRY WHISTLE BLOWER - 3.9% - Elland Brewery - (Cask)

http://www.ellandbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . delicious nut brown beer with an amber glow, soothing and smooth on the palate, deep malty middle, floral nose, warming and full bodied. Well balanced bitter with a superb malty finish. Served perfectly at the excellent Arcadia in Headingley, Leeds, U.K.

ADMIRALS ALE - 5.0% - St. Austell Brewery, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . red bronze in colour that pours almost pink - surprising! A pleasant malty biscuit aroma. Sweet pudding flavour and mildly spicy. Soft and light in body and melts in the mouth - would work well with a roast dinner! Not really a session beer, more of a fireside ale.

SCAPA SPECIAL - 4.2% - Highland Brewing Company, U.K. - (Bottle)

http://www.highlandbrewingcompany.co.uk/

beeryweirdo says . . . a brilliant amber gold in colour, refreshing light hoppiness with a definite nutty and malty middle. Very unusual as far as pale ale goes! Nice complex flavours and gentle aftertaste. Good session beer with real character. Not obviously a pale ale other than in name but it is nonetheless delicious!