Who says I don’t drink beer
I didn’t for a few years, why? because I just, well, sort of got fed up with it, I wasn’t enjoying the taste, I started to get headaches, and basically just got bored of drinking beer for the sake of it.
So I made the decision to give up beer but not give up drinking completely, perish the thought! but to concentrate on drinking wine instead, which I’ve always done and it still continues to be my number one drink of choice, and probably always will be.
So a few years down the line I’m (as I’ve mentioned in an earlier article) I’m a ‘Born again Beer drinker’ and best of all really enjoying it but drinking it much more moderately and find that I’m now actually tasting it properly and most importantly enjoying it again.
Let me say now, I’m not an expert beer reviewer and never will be but I’ve started to let you guys know, in my own way, what I’m drinking and my simplistic thoughts. I don’t claim to know much about beer, I hear phrases like ‘levels of carbonation’ ‘hoppy’ ‘malty’ ‘one to two-finger head’ bandied about by proper reviewers and I’m sure I will include these at some stage, if only to make me sound like I know what I’m talking about.
Just a few of the beers I’ve had recently…..
Rebellion Beers from the Marlow Brewery Buckinghamshire
Love this Brewery which is about a 10-minute walk from my daughter's house, all their beers are terrific and they are constantly updating their range with experimental development brews as well as a beer of the month featured in their tap room.
Amber Ale
A full-bodied classic British bitter, very malty, biscuity and a hint of caramel. 4.3% abv
Winter Royal
Originally brewed at Wetherheads Marlow until it closed in 1988, revived now under the Rebellion label. A fabulous winter warmer, again full of rich malts, and very hoppy and 5.4% abv
Black
Jet black Stout, full of expresso coffee and cocoa flavours, roasted malts consisting of 5 speciality malts. One of my favourite Stouts around!
Worcester Beers, Teme Valley and Shropshires Hobsons
This & That
This time close to my son's house in Worcestershire, these two Teme Valley bottle-conditioned beers are extremely flavoursome with lots of yeasty sediment (look close enough a the pics and you can just see some. ‘This’ is an easy-drinking light ale, and ‘That’ again an easy-drinking best bitter, both excellent.
Please ignore the Peroni glasses!
Old Prickly
This time from Shropshire, quite near my son's house, comes another bottled conditioned ale, again with yeasty sediment floating around, and a little more floral than the other two. Brewed to celebrate and support the work of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, is there anything more British than that? 4.2% abv.
Two more dark beers to finish with……..
It’s that time of the year, when we break out the Stouts and Porters and these two are very nice indeed!
Brewdog Black Heart
This time not near my son or daughter’s house, but in Scotland. It’s a big brand but this Stout is my favourite by far. Brew dog claim there’s a new Stout in town and I wouldn’t disagree. Using extra dark crystal malts (whatever they are? ) big flavours of roasted coffee beans and chocolate with a touch of burnt caramel. 4.1% abv
Worcester Phoenix Porter
Back to Worcester again (near my son) and this Porter. What’s a Porter and the difference between this and a Stout, well, usually but not always, Porters are made with malted barley and Stouts are made with un-malted roasted barley. Tasted pretty good though.
Sorry it’s not an in-depth review of the beers, lots of better beer reviewers than me out there, but I’m slowly getting back into drinking lagers, pils or otherwise, ales, stouts, porters, etc.
