Ben Dean-Titterrell

Tag: Beer

June 2, 2018

1001 Beers: 16. Thornbridge Jaipur

Bottle.jpg

Thornbridge Jaipur IPA

From: England

Brewed by: Thornbridge

First brewed: 2005

ABV: 5.9%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

I’ve had a Thornbridge beer before for this blog, and I’m afraid it was not a success. I think more than anything else it was the style wot lost it; I’ve never been a stout fan. But I’ve read good things about Thornbridge as a brewery, so in a style that’s much more to my taste, I’m expecting good things.

We’re off to a good start colour-wise. That’s a lovely bright yellow. I love to see beers with a nice bright colour and this really ticks that box. There’s a haziness there too. I honestly sit on the fence on the haze/no haze debate. I think it works in Jaipur’s favour here though. In short: it’s a lovely looking beer.

Cap

You get citrus everywhere with this one, and the first place you get it is in the aroma. It’s lovely and fresh, smelling of lemons and oranges. When we get onto flavour I taste even stronger citrussy notes. It’s razor sharp and only gets sharper the further back on the tongue it goes. I like a sharp note to a beer but this was a little sharper than what I’d have in a perfect world.

All in all, this is a top quality beer. It’s got plenty of flavour to it, it’s very well made, and the citrusy notes make it a very refreshing IPA. No less than four stars.

4 out of 5

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June 2, 2018

1001 Beers: 15. Brooklyn Lager

Bottle

Brooklyn Lager

From: USA

Brewed by: Brooklyn Brewery

First brewed: 1988

ABV: 5.2%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

If you haven’t tried it you’ve almost certainly seen Brooklyn Lager. You see it everywhere, and you can almost guarantee that if a pub or bar sells beer by the bottle, it’ll stock Brooklyn. I must admit, this isn’t the first time ever I’ve had this beer, but it is the first time I’ve properly considered its merits rather than just casually sipping away.

Let’s start with that colour. Far darker than a typical lager, more amber than gold. Not that it’s too dark, it still catches the light well. Off the top of my head, it’s probably the most distinctiveness lager I’ve had in my time. I think if you were to show it to me without saying what it was, my first guess would be IPA.

I get a pleasant fruity hop aroma to the nose. This aroma’s strong and I might go as far as to say its stronger than the flavour of the beer. The flavour’s good; it’s sweet and malty and goes down really smoothly. I don’t think the intensity of the flavour is on the same level as the intensity of the aroma, but maybe that’s just me.

Cap

Brooklyn Lager is incredibly drinkable. It’s effortless, and from my limited experience in the world of beer that isn’t something that’s always guaranteed. Without a doubt, I’d have this beer again and I think it’d best suite a scenario where the beer isn’t the main reason for being where you are. It’s not a performance piece, its a companion. And sometimes that’s everything a beer needs to be. Four stars.

4 out of 5

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October 25, 2017

1001 Beers: 14. Goose Island IPA

Goose Island IPA

Goose Island IPA

From: USA

Brewed by: Goose Island

First brewed: 1993

ABV: 5.9%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

I’d been looking forward to this one for some time. I’d seen and read and heard good things about it. So, it was with a sense of optimism that I went into this, with the abiding memories of my previous tasting from Goose Island positive ones.

The first thing that hits me: citrus. There was a strong citrusy taste that came immediately to my mind. Then came the hoppiness a mere moment later. To my taste, they were both strong and forceful, but they played off each other well. They complimented one another and balanced out nicely.

There was also a sharpness to this beer. From my very limited experienced IPAs can often have less of an edge to them, blunter somewhat they a crisp lager. But this one had a sharpness that I liked. It added to the refreshing nature of the beer.

Bottle CapAnother nice thing about this beer was the colour. It seems almost silly and unimportant but I really believe the colour of a beer adds a lot to how much you enjoy it. The glowing golden colour was a lovely thing to look at. Never underestimate colour in a beer.

This was great. (Though my memories of it, for now, might be somewhat soured by the fact I dropped and broke one of my favourite glasses while drinking it.)

Broken Glass

I could drink pints of this all night long. A certain four.

4 out of 5

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September 6, 2017

1001 Beers: 13. Goose Island Matilda

Matilda

Matilda

From: United States

Brewed by: Goose Island Brewing Company

First brewed: 2005

ABV: 7%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

Matilda by Goose Island is, at first glance, unlike any other beer I’ve had before. That’s because it comes in a bottle ordinarily used for wine, not beer. Safe to say this Belgian Style Pale Ale was a brand new kind of beer experience for me.

First thing that you notice upon taking a sip of this beer is the fruitiness. The second thing you notice is the dryness. It was odd for me that a liquid could have such a dry taste. The dryness stays in the mouth from start to finish. Upon reading the bottle’s label I deduced that this came from the dry fruit used in the brewing process. After much thought I believe the fruit to be dried apricot, but I cannot know for sure.

Bottle Cap

The colour of the beer was something I noticed particularly here as well. My quite poor quality photograph doesn’t show it but this was a deep rich orange that had a strong haziness to it.

When I do these reviews I like to think of where I’d see myself most enjoying each beer. This example would best be had in a group. The size of the bottle and the general feel of the beer suggests to me it would be best suited as a social beer. I tried this beer in the company of a couple of other people, and the discussion about the beer greatly improved the overall experience.

This was another strong showing. I enjoyed this a lot. Four out of five pints.

4 out of 5

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September 3, 2017

1001 Beers: 12. Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam Beer

From: United States

Brewed by: Anchor Brewing Company

First brewed: 1896

ABV: 4.9%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

A steam beer is apparently something that uses lager yeast but ferments at an ale temperature. Apparently all the rage many years ago, Anchor have been pumping this beer out for years to ensure it has a place in contemporary brewing.

It’s taste is full bodied and rich from the very first sip. The intensity of the flavours is apparent immediately and there is no delay in realising the strength of taste this beer has to offer. It’s also got a lovely strong sweetness to it. As a particular fan of beers that have an overall sweetness to them this was an certain positive.

Bottle Cap

The colour was something I noted. It was a dark coppery colour that glowed a deep orange in the path of direct light. It certainly seemed a halfway house between lager and ale in terms of its colour.

I also greatly appreciated how mellow in the mouth this beer could be with regards to how fizzy it was. It hit what I thought of as a good balance that made it ever more enjoyable. One of the best compliments I can pay this beer was just how drinkable it was; it was easy to drink, something that shouldn’t be undervalued in beer.

Really liked this one. A strong four.

4 out of 5

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September 3, 2017

1001 Beers: 11. Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

From: United States

Brewed by: Boston Beer Company

First brewed: 1985

ABV: 4.9%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

Sam Adams. Another of the instantly recognisable beers that features in this project. Having heard good things in advance I went in with reasonably high expectations. The first sip starts of a path from a crisp fist taste to a rich finish. Its sweet and cold and refreshing at first, but it proceeds to feel rich and fragrant with a nice, palatable bitterness.

I particularly noticed the colour of this beer. It was considerably darker than I’m used to in a lager. That colour seemed to run in parallel with the overall taste. It felt a bit fuller than other lagers I’ve drank. It’s hard to pin down exactly what this difference was but it made the beer taste a little more substantial.

Bottle Cap

This lager was also something that I felt I could drink a fair amount of. I could sit for an evening and have several pints worth of this. It was relaxed enough to be consumed again and again in one night.

Hard to nail down what to give this. It’s certainly a good beer, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it great. Don’t get me wrong though, I recommend it. Three out of five.

3 out of 5

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August 30, 2017

1001 Beers: 10. Thornbridge Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout

From: England

Brewed by: Thornbridge Brewery

First brewed: 2005

ABV: 7.4%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

I’d never tried a stout before I picked out this beer. It already felt like it was more than about time I did so. And yet I tasted this beer with some trepidation. As a well established fan of lighter, hoppier, fruitier beers I had the lingering belief that stout may be too adverse a taste for my liking. Yet I tried as best I could to take this beer as it was rather than how I thought it would be.

My first thought remained my overriding thought: “Damn that’s bitter.” The bitterness was deep and strong, it descended into something of a sourness. It was incredibly full bodied and dominated the mouth, almost burning on the tongue. The north of 7% strength left a kick in the back of the throat that stayed for some time.

Bottle Cap

Speaking of the strength of this beer; it may have been a mistake to start off with such a strong stout as my first. Having say for instance an IPA that was 7% as mys first IPA may have warranted a similar reaction. Starting with stronger beers seems like quite a backwards way of doing things; like putting the stabilisers on a bike after learning to ride unaided.

So a mistake on my part possibly. But the strength of this stout doesn’t change the simple and unavoidable fact that I just don’t really like bitterness in beer.

This really wasn’t for me. It’s nothing personal, but a two out of five.

2 out of 5

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August 30, 2017

1001 Beers: 9. BrewDog Punk IPA

Punk IPA

Punk IPA

From: Scottish

Brewed by: BrewDog

First brewed: 2007

ABV: 5.6%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

When you read of BrewDog you read of a brewery that started with the goal of pushing the boundaries of brewing. They were rebels that didn’t care for established order of things. I care little for mythologising the history of beer and its makers, so I’ll take Punk IPA on its merits.

The hoppiness is rich and far-reaching. The mix of hops is strong and forceful, but not so strong as to be off-putting. The flavours are complex and they give you a lot to think about. I definitely found the hop flavours more prominent than the malt ones; its a personal preference but I think this ranks as a positive aspect to the beer.

Bottle Cap

One of the things I noticed first about this IPA was how fizzy it was. It seems like an odd thing to make note of, but the fizz in this beer was more prominent than many others I’ve tried. It gave each sip a real edge to it. This strong fizz worked well with the tropical fruit flavours that I’m also a big fan of in beers generally.

A strong showing here from Punk IPA. There’s a definite re-drinkability. A well deserved four pints.4 out of 5

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August 30, 2017

1001 Beers: 8. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

From: United States

Brewed by: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

First Brewed: 1980

ABV: 5.6%

Obtained from: Beerhawk 

This beer, according to my book, has a very important place in the contemporary history of beer. I try my best to ignore any kind of mythologising about the importance of the beers I try for this project, but its hard to avoid how much this beer is talked about in treading new ground in the realm of small, pioneering breweries.

Taking the beer on its own merits, it has an immediate freshness. The hoppy tastes are crisp and light. They sit loosely on the tongue while the fruitiness comes in. The fruity tastes are sweet and rich, they linger in the mouth long after every sip. It feels very summery, it would be best drank outside on a warm, sunny day.

This beer gives you all the vital elements you want in a pale ale. It doesn’t blow you away or change the way you think about beer in one can. But it does give you everything you want from a fairly strong pale ale. It feels like a real classic; something that you can absolutely rely on.

This beer is really good. It’s up there with the beers I’d have first off on a visit to a pub or a bar. A very respectable four out of five.

4 out of 5

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August 30, 2017

1001 Beers: 7. Arrogant Bastard Ale

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Arrogant Bastard Ale

From: United States

Brewed by: Stone Brewing

First Brewed: 1997

ABV: 7.2%

Obtained from: Beerhawk

The first thing I noticed upon drinking this dark coloured ale was how forceful and intense the bitterness was. The writing on the can boasts of how strong and aggressive it is in a very self-aggrandising paragraph; with regards to the bitterness of the hop flavours it certainly tells the truth. The bitterness stays in the mouth and lingers a while after each sip.

Speaking of sips, this is a beer that must be consumed in small increments. Taking large gulps of Arrogant Bastard Ale would be too overpowering to be enjoyable. In such a large can this becomes a beer to drink slowly and thoughtfully, and at over 7% ABV each sip packs a punch. Despite its strength one can is unlikely to get you drunk, but I reached that point where you’re aware for some time that you’ve had a drink.

There are some very dark fruity notes to this beer as well. The fruitiness tastes most like some kind of dark berry. This brings a sweetness that in my opinion is much needed, if the bitterness was left unchecked it really wouldn’t be tolerable. This is a good bitter beer that even a fan of sweeter beers can enjoy.

I wouldn’t rush to get this beer if given the option but its still enjoyable and certainly makes its way into the list of beers I would drink again. All things considered I give this a well earned three pints.

3 out of 5

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