Latest Tastings

The Cwrw Gwrw has been very busy lately and unable to compile his reports but below is a summary of the beers weve been enjoying

22/09/07

Great Orme Celtic Dragon 4.4%

Cottage Wessex Gold 4.3%

20/09/07

Cottage Breast Bitter 4.5%

Holdens Haughty Den 4.5%

18/09/07

Jennings Crag Rat 4.3%

13/09/07

Derby Summer Glow 4.3%

Wylam Squire Blackett 4.8%

Sarah Hughes Surprise 5%

07/09/07

Cottage Wessex Gold 4.3%

Derby Penny’s Porter 4.6%

Millstone True Grit 5%

30/08/07

White Grumpy Guvnor 4.5%

Purple Moose Tryfan 4.8%

Hanby Taverners 5.3%

16/08/07

Signature 1648 4.4%

Inveralmond Lia Fail 4.7%

Bank Top Port O’ Call 5%

19/08/07

Mayfield’s Naughty Nell’s 4.2%

23/08/07

Hambleton Stud 4.3%

Country Life Golden Pig 4.7%

Burton Bridge Battle Brew 5%

09/08/07

Oldershaw Regal Blonde 4.4%

Holdens Golden Glow 4.4%

Derby Dark Horse 4.6%

05/08/07

Derby Proudly Pale 4.5%

02/08/07

St. Austell Proper Job IPA 4.5%

Millstone Millwright 4.6%

Theakstons Old Peculier 5.6%

29/07/07

Naylors Smokey Ale 4.5%

26/07/07

Hydes Summertime Blue 4.1%

Buffys Polly’s Folly 4.3%

19/07/07

Derby Timeless Tipple 4.2%

Skinners Cornish Knocker 4.5%

Springhead Bare Bones 4.7%

13/07/07

Harviestoun Ruby Murray 4.2%

Jennings Honey Bole 4.5%

E & S Moonbeam Rider Golden Rye Lager 4.7%

Bridgnorth Old Mo 5.6%

05/07/07

Smiles Zing Ale 4.3%

Great Orme Celtic Dragon 4.5%

Derby Dark Beauty 4.5%

28/06/07

Bridgnorth Best Bitter 4.4%

Hall & Woodhouse Stinger 4.5%

Smiles Heritage 5.2%

25/06/07

Cottage Mallard IPA 4%

Purple Moose Cnicht 4.6%

21/06/07

White Horse Village Idiot 4.1%

Derby Tasty Blonde 4.6%

Nethergate Old Growler 5%

14/06/07

Ruddles Orchard 4.2%

Derby Top Notch 4.5%

Jennings Sneck Lifter 5.1%

10/06/07

Wye Valley Champion Ale 4.6%

Cottage Wessex Pale 4.7%

7^th June

Derby Pale Potential 4.5%

Allgates Reverend Ray 4.6%

Great Orme Three Feathers 5%

1sy April 2007

Holdens Mardy Maud 4%

Another in the Saints and Sinners series, Mardy Maud is light amber yellow hoppy ale with a hoppy aroma. It has a complex, fruity bitter-sweet palate with some caramel in there too. Not bad at all.

Cottage Wessex Best 4.3%

Wessex Best is a light brown ale with a creamy white head. A nice maltiness and a light hoppiness give the beer some depth. Better than average

29th March 2007

Facer’s Sunny Bitter / Cwrw Campus 4.2%

Sunny Bitter is a light amber hoppy beer from the Flint Mountrain brewery. It is fruity and easy drinking with a nice blend of malt and hops. Highly quaffable!

Cottage Merchant Navy 4.7%

An amber beer with a white head. Interesting name as the primary flavour is reminiscent of a Players No 6, which had a sailor on the packet like the pump clip. Quite a tobacco, ashy type flavour with a malty base flavour. One for the smoking ban.

Derby Dashingly Dark 4.5%

Derby started brewing in 2004. Dashingly Dark is black in colour with a foamy beige head. It has a fruity, malty aroma but very little roast malt flavour considering the colour. It is sweet with some oatiness and  smokiness. Sightly fruity with some coffee and some sweetness in the finish. Very nice.

25th March 2007

Wye Valley Auld Sara – The Hare 4.2%

A warming chestnut coloured brew it has a slight biscuity flavour. A nice balance of malt and hops. Sweet rather than bitter but nevertheless a very satisfying drink.

Black Sheep Ale 4.4%

(See previous tasting 04/06/06)

22nd March 2007

Thornbridge Blackthorn Ale 4.4%

Blackthorn Ale is a golden hoppy, bitter beer with a nice hop aroma. The taste includes some sweet citrus flavours leading to a nice fruity hoppy finish.

Highgate Lone Wolf 4.6%

A copper-coloured fruity brew Lone Wolf is “brewed from a blend of pale ale, crystal and wheat malts, suffused with the aroma and light bitterness from Golding and Fuggles hops”. It is full-bodied, rich in fruit and malt with a satisfying bitter finish.

Jennings Sneck Lifter 5.1%

(See previous tasting 15/10/05)

15th March 2007

Spitting Feathers Old Wavertonian 4.4%

Old Wavertonian is a black, creamy, smooth stout. It has a slightly nutty taste with roasted malts and coffee notes in there too. It has a pleasant hoppy bitter finish. Excellent.

Strathaven Claverhouse 4.5%

Strathaven Ales at the Craig Mill brewery started about 10 years ago close to the River Avon in Strathaven. Claverhouse is a strong red ale brewed with a blend of Scottish Crystal and red malted barley with American Oregon hops that give it a hint of citrus. Makes for pleasant drinking. A good example of the red ale style.

Moor Somerland Gold 5%

The Moor brewery was set up in 1996 on a former diary farm in Bridgwater, Somerset . Somerland Gold is a golden premium ale that’s quite fruity and hoppy and highly drinkable

8th March 2007

Highgate Fury 4.3%

Fury is a light brown premium ale with a distinctive aroma with hints of fresh citrus and malt dominating. A nice blend of hops and malts gives a long satisfying finish. Quaffable enough.

Ring o’ Bells One and All 4.4%

(See previous tasting 31/12/05)

Valhalla Sjolmet Stout 5%

The Sjolmet was a breed of Shetland cattle that had a strong dark body and light coloured head. The breed has died out, but the name lives on in this ale from Valhalla . It is a full bodied black stout with a smooth creamy head. There is plenty of malt and roasted barley in the mix and it has a nice fruity finish.

1st March 07

Cottage Evening Star 5%

(See previous tasting 27/03/05)

Wye Valley Cwrw Dewi Sânt 4.5%

(See previous tasting 17/02/05)

Facers Landslide 4.9%

(See previous tasting 16/01/06)

25th February 07

Cottage Between the Posts 4.6%

Yet another from Cottage’s Whippet series, this one is for the rugby six nations tournament. It is a brown sweet ale that is fruity and makes for pleasant drinking without knocking your socks off. Between the posts? Not sure but it’s a good try!

Spitting Feathers Basket Case 4.8%

A tawny ale from the Chester brewery that is sweet, nutty, smooth and refreshing with good citrus hop notes. Basket Case has a nice, long lasting dry fruity finish. Nice one!

22ndFebruary 07

Otter Ale 4.5%

 Otter Brewery was set up in 1990 in Devon, Cornwall . Otter Ale is an amber, sweet full-bodied best bitter with a malty, fruity aroma. There are citrus fruits in the flavour and there is a pleasant fruity finish. Highly quaffable.

Holdens Freddie Febrio 4.5%

 From Holden’s Saints and Sinners series comes this light golden, hoppy bitter premium beer. It has a sharp hop aroma and a dry bitter taste with some malt. Very nice indeed.

Wickwar Mr. Perritt’s Traditional Stout 5.9%

A superb black dry stout full of roasted chocolate malts and hops. There’s a definite fruitiness to it as well which gives way to a pleasant bitterness. A new one to add to the list of Cwrw Gwrw faves!

18th February 07

Woods Get Knotted 4.7%

Woods Get Knotted is brewed for Valentine’s Day. The pump clip reads “Boys are blue, girls are pink, treat your Valentine to a magic drink”. Not sure about magic but it is a very palatable amber ale with its biscuity, butterscotch flavours and malty aroma. The beer for the one you love.

15th February 06

Wold Top Falling Stone Bitter 4.2%

Falling Stone is an amber full-bodied best bitter. There is a slight berry fruit flavour and some nuttiness and hops in there too. A nice sweet finish.

Saltaire Cascade Pale Ale 4.8%

Saltaire starting brewing in February 2006 in Shipley, West Yorkshire . Cascade Pale Ale made from Cascade and Centenial hops is a hoppy, bitter American style pale ale. It has floral aromas and a long bitter aftertaste,

Cottage Norman ’s Conquest MM 5%

MM is 2000 in Roman numerals. Norman ’s Conquest used to be 7%. The strength was reduced to 5% in the year 2000 and the beer renamed Norman ’s Conquest 2000. See previous tasting notes (01/12/04)

11th February 2007

Salopian Abbey Gates 4.3%

Abbey Gates is a copper coloured ale. It is light bodied and has a refreshing hoppy taste. Not bad, but not quite up the standard of other Salopian ales.

Spitting Feathers Special Ale 4.2%

Spitting Feather started brewing in Waverton, Chester in 2005. Special Ale is a tawny coloured ale with sharp mouth feel a pleasant malty taste with a hint of hops in the aroma and taste. Nice dry aftertaste.

8th February 2007

Everards Pitch Black 4.3%

A cask conditioned stout for the Rugby six nations. It is black with a tight white head that sticks to the glass very well. It has dark roasted malts and the sweet chocolaty flavours give way to a more bitter taste with a sweet malty aftertaste.

Wold Top Wold Gold 4.8%

Wold Top began brewing in 2002 in Wold Newton in East Yorkshire . The brewery grows its own barley and uses its own water. Wold Gold is a golden light summer style ale. It is fruity with a sharp taste sharp and a hint of spice.

Thornbridge Jaipur India Pale Ale 5.9%

The Thornbridge brewery started in 2004 in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Jaipur IPA is a golden yellow premium strength beer. It has a complex mix of fruit tastes such as grapefruit and banana. The slight sweetness is countered by a tangy lingering bitter finish. It is always quite astringent. Dangerously drinkable.

1st February 2007

Coach House Old Wharf Bitter 4.2%

Old Wharf is a copper/amber bitter beer with an aroma of apples and butterscotch which leads to a bitter tang and clean, flinty finish.

Burton Bridge Top Dog Stout 5%

Top Dog Stout is black an rich with a malty start. It has a dry burnt taste and is quite fruity with some hops to give a fruity bitter finish. An excellent stout

28th January 2007

Cottage Plunge Bitter 4.6%

Yet another offering from Cottage. Plunge is a reddish amber malty ale with toffee flavours and mildly spiced hops. There is fruit and caramel and a slight bitternes in the finish. Interesting.

25th January 2007

Purple Moose Saint Dwynwens Day / Bragdy Mµs Piws Cwrw Sants Dwynwen 4.1%

Its a little known fact that 25^th January is the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentines Day and this beer has been created to commemorate this. It is a reddy coloured malty brew with a floral hoppy aroma and a sweet aftertaste.

Wye Valley Burns Night 5%

January 25^th is also Burns Night and Wye Valley have brewed a special beer for this occasion. It is a light summer style brew with a flowery tangy flavour. Highly quaffable.

Dent T`Owd Tup 6%

(See previous tasting 2^nd June 2005)

14th January 2007

Hydes Landlady’s Bitter Handpulled 4.3%

This light hoppy bitter beer is suspiciously the same strength as Taylor ’s Landord. It tries hard to emulate its cousin and almost succeeds. Takes a lot to top Landlord though.

Hydes Jekyll’s Gold 4.3%

(See previous tasting 25/04/06)

18/01/07

Black Dog Schooner 4.2%

Schooner is a light hoppy best bitter from the brewery in Whitby . It has a dry hoppy aftertaste. Excellent.

Facer’s This Splendid Ale 4.3%

(See previous tasting 21/03/06)

Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven 5%

A strong golden bitter. It starts off malty and hoppy, then becomes more bitter and hoppy and has sharp dry finish.

21/01/07

Robinsons Double Hop 5%

(See previous tasting 04/06/06)

11th January 2007

Highgate Dark Mild 3.4%

(See previous tasting 04/06/06)

Roosters Hooligan 4.3%

Roosters started in1993 in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire . Hooligan is an amber/ golden bitter beer with plenty of hop taste and a hint of fruit. The hoppy, bitter taste lasts well into the finish. Superb.

Smiles Winter Stout 4.7%

A fantastic dark malty stout with Melin on the pump clip. A little bit thin but with plenty of taste.

(See also previous tasting 04/12/05)

Jennings Sneck Lifter 5.1%

(See previous tasting 15/10/05)

Tastings 4^th Jan 07

Brains Dark 3.5%

(See previous tasting 19/12/04)

Wickwar IKB 4.5%
 

Wickwar was set up in 1990 in Wickwar, Gloucestershire. IKB is a reddy bown ale with a nice hop aroma. The taste is fruity with a nice balance of malt and hops and it has a short sweet finish.

Batemans Rosey Nosey 4.9%

A dark reddish Christmas beer from the Lincolnshire brewey. Rosey Nosey is sweet and fruity and lightly spiced. Chocolate malts and almond flavours can also be detected. A nice old ale for the festive period.

Highgate Old Ale 5.3%

(See previous tasting 31/12/05)

25^th December

Holden’s Christmas Blaster 4.8%

Named after workers in blast furnaces who at one time had to work on Christmas day because the furnasses couldn’t be left alone. If the temperature went too low, the furnace would have to be dismantled and re-fired. The beer is a golden premium bitter with a sharp hop character and touches of malt. Finishes with a malty aftertaste.

28^th December

Brains Cwrw Seren 4.6%

Cwrw Seren is the Welsh for ‘Star Ale’ and is Brains Christmas beer. It is a light amber spicy aromatic gold quaffing ale. It has a sharp, tangy taste with hints of cinnamon and spices and has a fruity dry finish. Nice one.

Smiles Holly Hops 4.8%

(See previous tasting 28/12/05)

Six Bells 7 Bells 5.5%

This seasonal offering from Six Bells is a fruity, spicy dark brown winter warmer. There is a hint of  Christmas Pudding in there too with plenty of fruit and spice. A great way to warm up for the winter.

Robinsons Old Tom 8.5%

(See previous tasting 24/12/04

24^th December

Hop Back Elf and Hoppiness 3.9%

A copper coloured ale with a citrus and malty aroma. The flavour is is of spicy ginger, citrus and hops. The fruity taste reminds you of Christmas pudding and makes for an interesting if unusual taste. Strange, but grows on you.

21^st December

Wye Valley Santa’s Delight 4.2%

A light brown fruity beer with some nice malt characters, Santa’s Delight is smooth and easy to drink. A bit on the weak side for a winter beer so nice but unremarkable.

Highgate Throbbin Robin 4.3%

Highgate’s Christmas offering Throbbin Robin is an amber ale with a nice blend of roasted malts, citrusy flavours and a hint of liquorice. It is a hoppy premium bitter with a long bitter finish. Very palatable.

Thwaites Good Elf 4.9%

(See previous tasting 28/12/04)

Lees Moonraker 7.3%

Moonraker is an all year round winter ale from the Middleton brewery. It is nearly black ale verging on a barley wine. There is a Christmas pudding fruit flavour that dominates the aroma and taste. The flavour is rich and sweet with roasted malts to the fore. The finish is fruity and dry. An outstanding example of the style

14th December 2006

Roosters Yankee 4.3%

Straw coloured beer with a fruity aroma and a nice balance of malt and hops. There is a little bit of sweetness with nice bitter finish. Goes down very well, superb.

Springhead Fallen Angel 4.5%

Fallen Angel is s light yellow coloured sweet tasting ale. Citrus fruit flavours dominate and there is a long lasting sweet finish. Another good effort from the Nottinghamshire brewer.