England

scrapes in   decent   good   excellent   sublime

Beers 61 - 80 of 165:

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2001 (England) Opened in March 2005, this bottle (number 13,244 of 30,000 produced) poured a deep, slightly cloudy amber/red colour with a moderate cream-coloured head. The nose is very malty and soft, with Horlicks aromas and a tang of marmalade. There's a smokiness and tiny seaweedy, briny note too. Rich, smooth and very luxurious on the palate, there is a massive fruity sweetness here suggesting honey and ripe figs, but that huge chocolaty malt and bitter grip of hops and liquorice really asserts through the mid-palate and on to a heady, mouth-filling finish. Extremely good beer this, with no signs of tiredness and a fusing of components that makes it very harmonious. 8.5% ABV, 1pt.2.6fl.oz.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2002 (England) This is a beautifully maturing beer (tasted December 2005) was brewed in the year of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, using suitably named Goldings hops and Golden Promise malt. It pours a glorious deep golden/ruby colour with a thick, creamy milky coffee-coloured head. The nose is vinous and rich, with a flood of coffee and roasted, dark, chocolaty notes, and something intensely sweet at the core, like very ripe red berries or perhaps juicy pomegranate. There's a note of something herbal too, in a complex profile. As usual, the palate offers a sumptuous, decadently creamy mouthful of bittersweet, extremely powerful flavours, with vivid chocolate notes, masses of fudge and rum-soaked raisins, and that core of plum and super-ripe red berries. This beer is fruitier than some Vintage Ales, but is as spicy, complex and heart-warming as ever. Exceptional stuff yet again. 8.5% ABV, 50cl.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2003 (England) 50,000 bottles of the 2003 were produced, using Target, Challenger and Northdown hops. This Vintage Ale pours a deep ruby colour with a moderately thick cream-coloured head. The nose on this beer is quite subdued and dark, with aromas of vanilla, fudge, dark molasses and treacle. It seems a touch less hoppy and vinous than some vintages. On the palate there is the usual overwhelming, mouth-filling flood of bittersweet flavour, with a creamy texture displaying liquoricy bite, plenty of spice and Christmas cake richness and sweetness, and a fine, tangy hop finish. This is fine beer, though this bottle misses the nth degree of complexity found the best in this brilliant range. 8.5% ABV, 50cl.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2004 (England) The brewmaestros of Chiswick must love the opportunity to brew this no-expense-spared supreme beer each vintage. Opened in March 2005, my bottle is number 35,696 of the annual edition of around 50,000. It pours a deep mahogany colour, with a moderate cappuccino-coloured head. The nose has a wine-like complexity, with damson fruit, bruised apples, lots of liquorice-toffee malt and a twist of hops. On the palate it has a thick, creamy texture and unguent quality, with a massive chicory-like bitterness and rounded, chewy, toffee and chocolate caramel sweetness playing against each other. There is a deep, deep reservoir of power and complex flavours in this magnificent beer that is crying out to be cellared. 8.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.99, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Fullers, Vintage Ale 2005 (England) Eagerly awaited as always, the new vintage ale from London brewers Fuller's follows on in a tradition of strong, complex beers made for cellaring. This young beer needs time, but for now, it pours a brilliant dark ruby, with a pillowing, creamy off-white head. The nose is crammed with powerful, vinous notes of red fruits, herbs and earthy, warming scents. There is a rich maltiness, and a green tea-like hoppy note in the mix. On the palate it is huge: sumptuous in texture, a creamy, sweet-edged barrage of malty flavours fills the mouth, but all tinged by that characteristic bitter edge of chicory and liquorice, with hints of burnt caramel, sweet red fruits and delicious complexity. I have no doubt this vintage ale is well up to Fuller's terrific standard, and it will get better and better. Buy six and open one every year or so for a fascinating lesson in aged beers, and some wonderful drinking pleasure. Available from November 2005 in a limited edition. 8.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.99, brewery website, Waitrose.

Green's, Discovery Gluten Free Beer (England) Difficult to categorise this beer, as it is brewed by an unknown Belgian brewer for Derek Green, a Leeds-based businessman. Green himself is a Coeliac (gluten intolerent) sufferer. The recipe for this is a secret, but as Barley, Wheat and other grains cannot be used, it is likely to involve a complex array of sugars and caramels that are fermented conventionally with yeast and hops. The colour is a dark, slightly muddy brown with a thin, off-white head. The nose has a sweet malt aroma, with some fruit reminiscent of stewed apple. On the palate it is obviously not a "real" beer: the profile is very different, and much more akin to a cider or apple fruit drink. There's a sweetness, and then a bitter surge of hoppy acidity on the finish that is quite sour like green apple and lemon, but a bit sugary too. As a beer there's a distant echo of a sour Belgian style, but I have to score this pretty low on absolute quality/enjoyment. It is expensive too, but if you are Coeliac, it is a decent effort at making a palatable ale-style beer. 6.0% ABV, 33cl, �2.29, Co-op.

Greene King, Abbot Ale (England) This ale pours a rich, nutty, burnished gold colour with a tight, off-white head. The nose displays a nice balance of grassy hops and hints of spices and chocolaty malt. On the palate it is very smooth and quite clean, with a lovely fresh edge of fruitiness and crisp hops over toasty, deep, walnutty malt. There's a really nice bite of hoppy acidity that livens the finish and gives this very good length. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.80, Booth's, Majestic, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Greene King, Beer to Dine For (England) Made by Greene King and created specifically as a beer to replace wine on the dinner table, there was every chance this would be just gimmicky, but in fact it is a decent beer. It has a pale to medium gold colour and white head. The nose is very grassy and fresh, with herb and floral nuances and a note of fresh mint. It has a full mouthfeel and a touch of clove-like spice. There is a definite sweetness at the heart of this, and a honeyed note with a gentle background hoppiness. I can see that this crisp, yet full beer would be a good accompaniment to many foods. 5.0% ABV, 75cl, �1.99, Asda, Booth's, Sainsbury's, Tesco.

Hambleton Ales, Nightmare (England) The Hambleton brewery is run by Nick Stafford, who is also a Director of SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers. This dark stout or porter-type beer has black colour with a hint of ruby, and cappucino-coloured head. The nose is all about caramel and honey, with a biscuity richness. On the palate it is smooth and very creamy-textured, with a flood of bittersweet flavours. There's a pungent hoppiness, but overlaid with dark chocolate and malt and a grippy, serious depth of flavour. With good length too, this is a fine, fine beer, Brewed in north Yorkshire, this is only available in local Asda branches. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.68, Asda.

Hambleton Ales, Thoroughbred (England) This pours a medium gold colour with an off-white creamy head. It has a very sweet, untuous nose, with subtle, creamy, caramel aromas. On the palate it has a really mouthfilling texture, with a chewy chocolate and liquid caramel coating, and just a nice oily hop bite adding lots of crispness to the finish. Easy drinking, and with quite a bit of substance to it. Brewed in North Yorkshire, and only in local branches of Asda. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.68, Asda.

Hog's Back, TEA (Traditional English Ale) (England) Hog's Back TEA has a medium- to deep golden colour with a touch of ruby and a creamy head. It is light, grassy and herbal on the nose, with a gentle toastiness that reminds me of sesame seeds and cracked wheat. The palate is medium-bodied and a touch flat; there's a rolling undertone of malt to crisp, bitter hops. It is a smooth, very enjoyable beer, if not terribly exciting. A good "session beer" I'd say. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, �1.69, Asda.

Hook Norton, Old Hooky Premium Ale (England) This beer pours a lovely medium ruby colour with a rather short-lived head. It has a very distinctive, spicy nose with hints of clove and cinnamon and a lovely cherry fruit character. On the palate this creamy-textured beer has an immediate sweetness that is rounded and fruity, with a nicely-judged crystal malt character and a fine twist of hoppy bitterness. It stays quite sweet in the mouth, making it easy to drink, but a very nicely balanced beer. 4.6% ABV, 50cl, �1.75, Booth's, Sainsbury's, Tesco, quite widely available.

Hop Back, Summer Lightning (England) This bottle-conditioned beer has a light gold colour with a hint of amber, and a white head that leaves a pronounced lacing on the glass. The nose is very fresh and floral, with a nice grassy herbal quality. On the palate it is dense and creamy, with a raft of bitter hoppy flavours that are resinous and waxy sweeping over the tongue. There is lemon and a grapefruit pith element, and just a background hint of sweet malt adding a layer to these very grown-up flavours. Lovely stuff. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.59, Asda, Booth's, Livingbeer.com, Luvians, Waitrose.

Iceni, Fine Soft Day (England) "Iceni" was an ancient Celtic tribe who lived where this Norfolk brewery now stands. This live ale is made with a touch of maple syrup. It pours a warm deep gold with gentle haziness, and a good off-white head. The nose has a nice green hop character, but also had a little whiff of sillage, which soon blew off. beneath there is a caramel note and some honey. On the palate it is quite crisp and fresh, with a blast of citrus fruit soon joined by dry, bitter hops adding a very savoury quality. The syrup doesn't really make itself felt, but there is a little hint of brown sugar and chocolate right in the finish that might be a reference. A crisp, summer beer that is most enjoyable. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, Realaleshop.

Itchen Valley, Treacle Stout (England) This beer, brewed with treacle, is an opaque black colour with a frothy, cappucino head. The nose is quite subdued, with toast and a dark chocolaty note emerging, but all quite subtle. The palate has some toasted, shredded wheat flavours, and smooth, dry stout qualities. The treacle is not really evident, though there is a touch along with liquorice in the finish, along with a hint of sweetness and burnt caramelly flavours. Not quite as distinctive as I'd hoped, but a nice beer. 4.4% ABV, 50cl, �1.69, Asda.

J.W. Lees, ASDA Election Ale (England) Released in April 2005, in the run-up to Britain's general election, ASDA playfully put five beers on its shelves packaged for suporters of the main political parties (Labour, Conservative, Lib-Dem, SNP and Plaid Cymru each had a beer). In fact, all the beer in the bottles is the same brew: a gold/nut brown bitter with a moderate off-white head. The nose has a nice spice and orange-peel note with some grassy hops and a hint of malt. On the palate it is quite smooth and creamy, with an initial biscuity sweetness, a nettly hop quality and decent bitterness in the finish. Not a bad drop all told, and good fun too. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.48, Asda.

J.W. Lees, John Willies (England) This beer pours a rich, golden/amber colour with a creamy off-white head that disippates quite quickly. On the nose there is a tang of orange marmalade and quite a toffeed quality, with herbal, hoppy notes beneath. On the palate there is a creamy, smooth texture and an immediate bite of bitter, quite astringent oily hops that sit at one extreme, with a sweet-edged, caramelly malt quality at the other. The only problem is that there is a bit of a gap in the middle, with little flesh to really get a grip of. This is not a bad beer by any means, but the juxtaposition of endive-like bitter hops and sweetness makes for a slightly unsatisfying drink. 5.0% ABV, 50cl.

Jennings, Sneck Lifter Strong Bitter (England) Sneck is a dialect word for a door latch, and the sneck in question in this beer's name is that on the door to the pub. This bitter pours a very deep amber/brown colour, with a capuccino-coloured head that is thick and persistent. The nose strikes a really nice balance between warming malt notes and crisp, apple fruit, with just a gentle hoppy influence. On the palate this beer really comes into its own, with a great depth of chocolaty malt and a sweet caramel edge to citrus fruit. There's a nice bitter, leafy hop finish, playing against the sweet malt in a lovely beer that may lack a little complexity, but is utterly delicious. 5.1% ABV, 50cl, �1.83, Booth's, Safeway.

London Pilsner Ltd, Bombay Pilsner (England) Launched in 2005 specifically as a beer to match with Indian food, this unpasteurised, preservative-free beer is brewed for the London Pilsner company by Thwaites brewery in Blackburn. It pours a bright gold colour with quite thin off-white head. The nose has citrus and hop aromas, with some nettley notes and just a touch of sweetcorn character. On the palate there is an initial sweetness, and a creamy, quite full-bodied texture, with a low carbonation and very smooth mouthfeel. There is plenty of body here, and the fullness of the mid-palate, with a nice hoppy, resinous note in the finish, leaves this quite tangy and moreish. I can imagine it matching to Indian curries very well indeed. The beer is mostly available in restaurants for the time being. 5.0% ABV, 33cl, �13.99 per case wholesale, brewery website.

Manns, Brown Ale (England) This beer is brewed by Ushers brewing, not the original Manns of Whitechapel, London. The small bottle has a nicely old fashioned feel to it, and the beer pours a deep, dark garnet to nut brown colour with a white head. On the nose it is creamy and biscuity, with a suggestion of malty sweetness but quite a bright, fruity character. On the palate it is medium-bodied and quite fresh. There's a crispness about this beer, that despite a sweet-edge to the flavour, adds a clean, tangy finish with only moderate malt notes. A bit light, but very easy to drink with surprisingly complex character, and enjoyable. 2.8% ABV, 27.5cl, 0.99p, Asda, Booth's, Co-op, Sainsbury's, Tesco.