England

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Beers 41 - 60 of 165:

Everards, Tiger Best Bitter (England) This beer from Leicestershire brewer Everards pours a lovely Oloroso sherry colour, with a fairly thin off-white head. The nose is sweet and malty with a candy-floss aroma, a touch of cordite and some sappy green aromas. On the palate it is quite light- to medium-bodied, with a toasty, charry edge to a lovely bitter hop character. There are chicory and dark liquorice nuances, and a tangy, quite refreshing finish. An enjoyable bitter. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �1.77, Beersofeurope, Sainsbury's.

Fox Brewery, Branthill Best (England) This bottle-conditioned beer comes from a small, five-barrel brewery in Heacham, Norfolk. It pours a deep hazy bronze colour with a huge, high-rise off-white head. It has a really attractive nose, with soft, floral notes, exotic spices and a toasty background. On the palate there's a very definite burnt edge: a toasted, cracked-wheat quality with quite a full, high-foaming character and a refreshing, juicy fruit beneath. It has lovely balance, with a great bite of hop bitterness on the finish, in a stylish, easy to drink beer. 3.8% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, brewery website, Realaleshop.

Fox Brewery, Branthill Pioneer (England) This bottle-conditioned beer was very lively when opened, pouring a rich amber colour with a huge, pillowing cream-coloured head. The nose is nutty and fudgy, with a note like macaroon, and a herbal edge. On the palate it is medium-bodied, but has a full, foamy texture, and a bitter palate of earthy, herb and dry, nutty flavours. There's a soft malt character throughout, though the finish does start to grip, with good acidity and a bit of hoppy presence. This is another fine beer from Fox. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �2.39, brewery website, Beersofeurope, Realaleshop.

Fox Brewery, Cerberus Norfolk Stout (England) This live beer pours a very dark, opaque brown/black with a good, coffee-coloured head. The nose here is all about nutty, burnt toast and roasted chestnut aromas with chocolate, a touch of soy sauce and a core of intense, sweet raisined fruit. On the palate It is medium-bodied, and that toasty, burnt caramel flavour continues, with quite a sweetness too, and a dry, clean finish where the hops and acidity add some crispness. An outstanding beer from Fox's very good range. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.60, Realaleshop.

Fox Brewery, Norfolk Nectar (England) This beer pours a dark golden colour with a high-rise cream coloured head. The nose has plenty of sweet malt and a tiny hint of acetone, with quite a deep background of figgy, raisiny fruit. On the palate it is smooth and full bodied, and there's a really nutty flavour that dominates at first, before more of that fruitiness and a nice leafy hop edge that adds a bitter twist into the finish. There's a slightly burnt,charry note too, in a beer that dies away slightly more rapidly than I'd hope, but is nonetheless extremely enjoyable. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, Realaleshop.

Freeminer, Trafalgar India Pale Ale (England) Late-hopped with Goldings, and made with Marris Otter malt, this IPA from Freeminer has a medium Gold colour and moderate white head. The nose has a really sharp tang of citrus and almost a whiff of yeasty elastoplast, with plenty of crisp hoppy qualities and just a little malty hint. On the palate it has a mouthfilling weight and texture, with plenty of bitter endive and quinine in an uncompromising hoppy character. This is a live beer, and that hint of yeasty, sharp citrus and leafy quality persists into a long, and really quite complex finish. 6.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.99, Onlyfinebeer.

Freeminer, Waterloo (England) This bottle-conditioned beer pours a dark gold, with a hint of amber and a moderately thick, off-white head. It is quite aromatic, with a cherry and berry fruited nose, a touch of floral character and a glimpse of something meaty. On the palate it is quite a crisply-textured beer, yet there is something chocolaty and deep playing against nice, bitter hops, cloves and a tart lemony acidity. A well-balanced and satisfying beer. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �1.99, Livingbeer.com, Onlyfinebeer.

Frog Island, Croak & Stagger (England) (RP) Frog Island's beers have such tongue-in-cheek names as Natterjack and Fire Bellied Toad as well as Shoemaker in memory of Northampton�s industrial past. Croak & Stagger is a bottle-conditioned beer, brewed from pale, crystal, chocolate and wheat malts and hopped with American Cascade and English Target. The Cascade is renowned for imparting a powerful blast of grapefruit to the aroma and palate of the beer, and it is joined in C&S; by chocolate and juicy malt on the nose and in the mouth, followed by a long, complex finish with biscuity malt, tangy citrus fruit and chocolate. The beer first appeared in 1995 as a cask winter beer and Bruce and Graham have reduced the strength a little for the bottled version as they say the original had not enough croak but far too much stagger. 5.6% ABV, 50cl, �26.99 X 12, Livingbeer.com.

Fullers, 1845 Bottle-Conditioned Ale (England) Beautifully dark ruby-tinged colour, with a deep, thick, cream-coloured head. Quite aromatic, with very fresh, almost iodine nuances and hoppy notes. Otherwise the nose is rich, with baked dough and fruit-cakey notes. On the palate it is initially sweet, with a lot of grassy hoppiness. There are malty notes, and some chocolate and caramel, but then a biting, almost aggressive endive/chicory-like bitterness takes a grip of the finish. This multi-award-winning beer is very complex and arresting, and though I find that finish a little troublesome personally, it is a world-class beer. 6.3% ABV, 50cl, �1.99, Asda, Booth's, Livingbeer.com, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, Discovery Blonde Beer (England) Launched in May 2005, this new beer from Fuller's, brewed with barley, wheat, and Liberty and Saaz hops, is aimed squarely at 'weaning' the lager drinker onto ale. It pours a pale to medium gold with a good off-white head. The aroma is an immediate tang of orange and biscuity malt, with a touch of leafy hops. On the palate the texture is fuller and more smooth than most lagers, and it has fine flavour with a really fruity palate of orange and grapefruit, a warming lick of malt and a fresh, clean, zesty finish. Fine session stuff. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, �1.65, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, ESB Champion Ale (England) This recently re-packaged beer pours a deep bronze colour with a definite ruby at the core, and a thick, creamy head. The nose is all bitter hops, chicory and burnt, toasty malt with a lovely smokiness and hints of sourdough bread. On the palate it is full and smooth, with a wonderfully rich concentration of malty flavours, where a fleeting impression of sweetness is soon overtaken by oily, roasted, hoppy bitterness and a streak of grapefruity, pithy acidity. A wonderful bottled beer. 5.9% ABV, 50cl, �1.85, Asda, Booth's, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, quite widely available.

Fullers, Golden Pride (England) Thankfully, there are two things of which the Chiswick brewers of Fuller's are not afraid: one is hops, and the second is alcohol! Here is a beer that will split the jury down the middle, but which I really appreciate for its complexity and depth of flavour. Pouring a deep ruby-tinged gold with creamy head, it has a spicy, marmalde and Christmas-cake quality on the nose, with caramel, a touch of iodine, and a hoppy undertow. On the palate it is thick and mouth-filling, with a creamy, sweet-edged flavour loaded with honey, and a big blast of charry and unctuous malt. A real grip of oily, bitter hops starts to make its presence felt on the mid-palate, and the beer powers through into an endless finish of bittersweet flavours and complexity. This is another uncompromising but brilliant brew from Fuller's, available in selected branches of the supermarkets below plus independent beer merchants. 8.5% ABV, 50cl, �1.89, Beersofeurope, Onlyfinebeer, Safeway, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, Honey Dew Organic (England) Target hops and organic honey are in the recipe of this pale- to medium-golden beer, with a white, gentle persistent head. On the palate there are notes of oatmeal and brown bread, with, yes, a hint of honey and some nettly hops. On the palate it has a rich, roasted malty flavour at first, with a fresh, juicy fruit palate and good hop bite. The caramel of the malt and freshness of the beer show strongly into the finish, and the honey is very much a bit-part player in a nice beer. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.85, Booth's, Waitrose, widely available.

Fullers, London Porter (England) Brewed using brown, crystal and chocolate malts and Fuggles hops, Fuller's Porter pours a very dark brown/black colour with a thick tan head with moderate retention. The nose has a beautiful balance of chocolate and roasted, nutty toffee notes, oatmeal and plummy fruit. On the palate it is full-bodied and textured, with a creaminess and fine, sweeping palate of bittersweet liquorice, chicory and dark chocolate flavours, but all perfectly balanced by a hint of sweetness, a bite of dry, grassy hops, and really fresh, fruity acidity. I wonder if Fuller's are capabale of making a poor beer? This is another that suggests the answer is no. Terrific 5.4% ABV, 50cl, �1.79, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, London Pride Premium Ale (England) This ale pours with a glorious barley-sugar colour and thick cream-coloured head. The nose is fairly muted at first, with soft summer fruit notes emerging and a nice herbal, nettly hop character. On the palate this has a nice mouth-filling texture and a great tension between sweet-edged fruit and malt and quite crisp and punchy hops. The finish is dry with plenty of spice and a hint of chocolate, in an eminently drinkable beer. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, �1.75, Asda, Booth's, Waitrose, widely available.

Fullers, Old Winter Ale (England) Target, Challenger and Northdown hops join all Crystal-malt in this heart-warming brew that is the essence of cosy, wood-fired evenings in with its deep amber colour, thick off-white head and warming, malt and tobacco-tinged aromas. There's a rich fruitcake quality too in a very amiable style of beer. On the palate it is more crisp than you might expect, with a really good bitter hop character adding plenty of liquorice bite to more of that malty, nutty personality. With good length and moderate alcohol, a lovely winter brew. 5.3% ABV, 50cl, �1.65, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 1997 (England) I was absolutely thrilled when Fuller's supplied me with a rare bottle of this, their first ever Vintage Ale, which was opened in March 2005. Brewed on the 18th of May and 22nd of July 1997 "from the best of the year's crops of malted barley and hops". It is darker than other beers in the series, lightly hazy, with a dense, high-foaming cream head. The nose is very dark and raisined in character, with caramel and dark molasses aromas, and a spirity, Cognac-like warmth and depth. On the palate it is luxurious and thick-textured as always, and has huge presence. There's a streak of something vegetal and bitter, like endive or liquorice root, masses of caramelised Seville orange, cocoa and a wonderfully rich, thick, enveloping bittersweet density. I have no doubt this ale will go on and on. A real honour to drink this wonderful beer. 8.5% ABV, 55cl.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 1998 (England) The second ever Vintage Ale was based on a 'Champion' theme, using Champion Alexis malt and Champion Northdown aroma hops. Tasted in December 2005, this seven year-old beer pours a fine ruby colour with a hint of copper, and has a creamy, off-white head. The nose does not have that pungent, searing vinous character of younger beers, but instead has a more mellow, even slightly floral note, with some biscuity richness. On the palate it is creamy and still very thickly textured and lush, with espresso and charry, toasty notes playing against a core of sweet fruitiness. This is a relatively light tasting beer (relatively!) and there is something very poised and quite elegant about it. Still drinking beautifully. 8.5% ABV, 50cl.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 1999 (England) Opened in March 2005, this is bottle number 26,330 of the edition. Champion Fuggles hops and Champion Optic malt have produced a ruby red beer, which pours slightly cloudy, with a creamy light-brown head. The nose here is very earthy and wine-like, with an almost Burgundian character of damp, sweet earth, truffle and a hint of rotting vegetation. Remnants of a richer maltiness and still sweet fruitiness add complexity. On the palate it has a typically smooth, immensely rich and dense texture, with immediate sweetness that fills the mouth with flavours of herbs, intense sherried fruits and walnuts and a huge core of powerful alcohol and thick, bitter chocolate malt. This is an assault on the senses, with Christmas spices, green chicory flavours and all sorts of bitterness in an endlessly complex beer. Magnificent. 8.5% ABV, 55cl.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2000 (England) Fuller's came over all organic in this vintage, using Champion Optic Malt and Organic Target Hops, in a relatively large run of 85,000 bottles. The beer pours a slightly brighter, slightly pinker version of the usual dark ruby, with a good, off-white head. The nose on the 2000 is considerably brighter and fruitier too (tasted December 2005). There are strawberry and soft redcurrant aromas in amongst toffee and malty, biscuity richness. There's a leafiness too, in a less powerful, but aromatic profile. On the palate this definitely has a slightly more delicate, less overwhelming character than some years, with plenty of sweetness, an herbal edge and coffee and malt adding weight. It finishes quite crisply, with good acidity and is very fine, though perhaps doesn't quite have the sumptuous weight of some vintages. 8.5% ABV, 50cl.