A Gem, Yet Again

I had this a few days ago from the bottle (Gem Amber Ale, Bath Ales), and I am here to tell you it is even better from the tap! It was enjoyed at my lovely local, the Highbury Vaults.

Another From Wychwood

Another offering from Wychwood brewery (Hobgoblin, Hobgoblin Ruby), this wasn't as good as the original Hobgoblin. It has me wondering whether Hobgoblin isn't the tentpole which provides a platform for other supporting (but ultimately inferior) beers. Will other Wychwood tastings bear out this hypothesis -- wait and see!! Nice concept and label, though.

Solid

I'd already had this on tap at The Pumphouse a while back, and I had no cause to suspect that it would be any less satisfying this time around. Doom Bar, named after the sandbar at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, upon which countless numbers of ships were said to have met their end, was rich and tasty.

Well Done

This fourth and final Butcombe variety (already logged the Gold, Blond, and Bitter) is, I believe, my favorite. By far the hardest to find, this IPA comes closest to my American IPA ideal. Named after one of Bristol's favorite sons, this beer marks the 200th birthday of Isambard Brunel, an engineer who helped to shape the town's shipping/transportation industries (he probably did a lot of other cool stuff, too, but hey, this isn't a history lesson). It tasted great!!

Going for 100

As I look over the entries in the beer blog so far, it occurs to me that I may likely try 100 beers while I'm over here. That seems like a nice round number to shoot for. Really, it only underscores just how many beers there are here, as I will have only sampled a fraction of the brews available by the time I leave.

Fool's Gold

This looked like a one-off from a brewery whose wares I'd never seen stocked on the shelves in the stores before. It was completely forgettable.

A True Gem

I first tried a beer from the lovely Bath Ales about a month ago at an art opening (Wild Hare) which was excellent, and this second variety did not disappoint, either. As it currently stands, Bath Ales can do no wrong.

Whatever . . .

There was an Aardman employee leaving the company today, and so she was given the typical send-off of warm bottled (lousy) beer. This was Beck's, but at least it was served in bottles with artsy labels (there is apparently a limited edition run of labels which feature work by fine artists). Still, it was just about as bad as the Beck's back home.

Tribute

I swung round to the Highbury Vaults to have another ale, and Tribute was the lucky winner. This one was great -- so rich and tasty. Man, it's great to live in a place where they take their beer seriously!!

Here Comes the Sun

I had Sunrise mid-day on a ship called the Grain Barge, which was moored to the quay across the river from Aardman. I photographed it once right next to the tap, and then again up against the glass sides, so that the local boats/flats could be taken into context. Not sure if it was the ale or the view, but I came away with a very nice impression. Sunrise is one of the Bristol beers, like Exhibition.

A Visit to My Local

So I went to the Highbury Vaults, which is a recently-discovered pub literally around the corner from our flat. I popped in for 10 minutes to try this local brew. Exhibition was a little too strong and bitter for my tastes, but it demonstrated to me that spontaneous sampling is closer than I thought. This is one of the places that features visiting ales, so there is much to look forward to at the Highbury Vaults.

Yeah, I'm Tappin' That . . .

So I had this John Smith's Extra Smooth on tap today. Incidentally, this was the first beer I had when I arrived in England (albeit in the can). It is MUCH better on tap (suprise). Just look at the thick head. This is how this beer was meant to be served. I give it much higher marks than I originally had. Yeah!

Parade #3

This experience has made me wary of Scottish beer, but since this was one of a few left at the grocery store that I hadn't yet tried, I gave it a go. It was palatable, the best of the Scottish fare so far, but not something I'd seek out again. Eh . . . .

Riggwelter, a strong ale from Yorkshire. When a sheep is on its back and cannot get up without help, locals say it's riggwelted. This was no more impressive than the Black Sheep I had when I first arrived. I'm not a huge fan of the Black Sheep label, it's turning out.

This was about as good (but maybe not quite) as the Adnams Broadside I had a couple of weeks back. Good enough . . .

This brown ale was pretty forgettable. Very low alcohol (2.8%) and very little taste. Kind of a more watery version of Newcasltle (if that's even possible). This must be some kind of adult soda alternative rather than a real beer.

Mo' Honey

Here's another honey beer, this time from Fuller's. Nothing super special . . .

Hobgoblin Ruby

I was so taken by the Hobgoblin I had for Halloween, that I've decided to investigate other Wychwood varieties. This, Hobgoblin's ruby red cousin, was good, but not as good as the original. A little more bitter and port-flavored, it was decent but not amazing.

Another IPA

From our good friends at Marston's come this Old Empire IPA. I'm still game for any IPA over here, but I'm finding that it really doesn't mean the same thing as it does back home. Perhaps we've distorted the IPA in America to suit our own tastes, because they're just not as hoppy over here. Even though the label says that high levels of hops were added to this beer so that it could survive the 3-month sea journey to India (back in the 19th Century), you can't taste the hops the way you can in a Samuel Adams (lager, ever!) or my beloved Racer5.

Trick or Treat

This bottle of Hobgoblin Ale proclaims itself to be the Unofficial Beer of Halloween, and that's exactly when I had it (yes, I am a bit behind on the blogging). From Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire, this one was a nice surprise. It's essentially the Dead Guy Ale of England (Ryan Rogers, I'm looking in your direction). It was rich and sweet and super tasty. A really great time.

Very Welsh

This was an ale from Wales. It touts itself as a summer ale with citrus flavors and a floral aroma -- but just to cover all bases, it says it can be enjoyed rain or shine. It was OK, not incredibly memorable.

Honey Bee(r)

There is some emphasis here on beer brewed with honey. It seems like a bit of a novelty, something you'd like to have occasionally, but not something that would become your go-to favorite. This bottle of Waggle Dance (named after the movements of a honey bee which alert the hive to a source of nectar) bore out that assertion. A nice aside, but not compelling enough to have regularly. You could definitely taste the honey, however . . .

I Love a Parade

A rapid-fire group of beers: Here's another Czech beer, purchased because it was cold. Solid, but definitely not like the British Ales I love so much.

Despite being from the reputable Fuller's Brewery, this one was not as good as the other two (London Pride, ESB) I've had.

Pretty forgettable. I'm starting to lose interest in the Badger label.

Average. Nothing special to report.

The Bath Ales

They take their brewing pretty seriously in Bath. This is one of a handful of varieties from the Bath Ale Company, and it was excellent. Really rich and bready, this was the best beer I'd had in a while. Bath is a sort of sister town to Bristol, about 12 miles away. It is so named because it is the site of a natural geothermal spring around which a Roman Bath was constructed during the Roman occupation of England.

I had this beer at an art opening. The pieces on display reminded me of the work of the first wave of Young British Artists from the 90s. Good stuff.

World Champion

This Badger offering was fair but nothing special. The fact that it boasts to be a world champion reminded me of similar claims made by actor Judah Friedlander. Take them for what they're worth.

Maiden Voyage

This bitter was the featured beer when I next happened into the River City Cafe for lunch with the Aardman crew. They seem to always carry an offering from the Great Western Brewing Company. The head disappeared fairly quickly, and once again the consistency was more like juice than beer (typical of the Southern brews), but this was not a bad thing. What I got in the end was an easy drinking, great tasting bitter. I'd easily have it again.

Parade O' Beers

So here are a few that I'll just comment quickly on so that I can get my blogging caught up. This one was made by our friends that brew London Pride. This was very good; full of flavor.

Once again I could not turn down the chance to try another IPA. This one was OK -- again, not as hoppy as I was expecting/hoping. Just fair, really.

What can I say? This one felt like a quick trip home. There is really a dearth of good American beers over here (no wonder the Europeans look down on us), but I actually found Sierra Nevada at a large grocery store. Now that we're comfortable driving here, we've traded the corner market for the mega suburban grocery store (think Costco), and the beer selection is amazing! I was feeling a little lost, and I needed to recalibrate my tastebuds with something familiar, and this was the perfect choice.

Liquid Lunch with the Aardman Crew

By now I'm very familiar with the Butcombe family of fine beers. This was Butcombe Blond, chilled from a pull tap and very appropriate for a midday visit to the pub. Once again, the tap experience was better than the bottle. See how little head there is on the beer? My beer pal Alan Short tells me (somewhat critically) that Southern ales are known to be flat, while Northern ales are proudly crafted to maintain a fine, thick head throughout. It's true -- most of the ales I've had here, while delicious, have very little carbonation in them and not much head. These ales drink more like juice than beer.

This is a baby Butcombe. One thing I find very fun about the pubs here is that they will serve a half pint of beer if you ask for it. It's the perfect amount when a full pint seems to be too much (e.g., at lunch). I've included a full pint glass in the photo for scale. I also find that very often a pub will have glasses with the beer brands printed on them, so no matter what you order, you can read what you're drinking right on the glass -- good for when you forget what you're holding in your hands.

The Clifton, Take 2

So I've always been curious about Amstel. I know Heineken imports Amstel Light in the U.S., which I've never been impressed with -- I've always thought of it as Heineken Light. I have a can of regular Amstel in my collection, so I've always known that they make it, and I was hoping it would be a much heartier (and better) version of Amstel Light. No such luck. It was really about the same as its calorie-challenged brother. Totally dismissable. A bad choice.

To cleanse the palate, I had a London Pride from the pump tap. Great; as good as the bottle and better. Another burger and another successful night at the Clifton.

A Night at the Pumphouse

I had another pub night out with the Aardman gang at a place called the Pumphouse. It is apparently owned by the Marston company. It is fairly common for various pubs to be owned by a particular brewing company, which can then be used as a platform to sell their own beers, among others. I didn't see any Marston beers on tap that night (curiously), but I did see this one by Sharp's (not the non-alcoholic brand from back home). It was very good.












I typically jump at any IPA that I see (they don't seem quite as common as back home), and this Deuchars was calling to me. It was just as good as the Sharp's, but it didn't taste as hoppy as U.S. IPAs.

Adnams

There are a couple by Adnams over here (a name I'd never heard of). This one was the first I've tried, and it was decent. Broadside was strong and nutty. Apparently this beer was named to commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay against the Dutch Republic in 1672 off the Southwold Coast. Like, who didn't know that . . . ?

Nice Hooter (not)

Yes, they have a lot of beers named after animals over here. I thought this one was somewhat subpar. Hmph . . .

Head Toward the Light

This beer was probably not as interesting as its name. I was also surprised to find that this was not by Badger, brewers of Fursty Ferret, as their labels are very similar, and they'd make a nice gift set if packaged together. This self-proclained "delicate golden ale" was OK but not very memorable.

Blond in a Bottle

I'd had this local brew on tap in a bar, and then decided to try it in a bottle. It was definitely not as good in the bottle, but still pretty decent. I think I prefer the Butcomb Gold over this. There are two more Butcombe varieties out there, and I will definitely hit them up.

Liquid Courage

I was familiar with John Courage Ale back in the states, but I'd never heard of this Director's Ale . Decent, but not crazy-good.

Ain't It Peculier?

This was similar to the Theakston XB, but a little better. It was hearty with a nice port finish. Complex and rich -- I'd definitely have it again. All good.

T.G.I.F.

So after the Scooby show, we were starving for dinner and looking for a restaurant on foot, when we saw a familiar sign glowing in the distance: T.G.I. Friday's. It was pretty much like the ones in America, with blander food and higher prices. They had an awful beer selection, and Budweiser was about the best thing going. This looked like a regular 12-ounce bottle, and it tasted about the same as the first smaller bottle of Bud I had here. So that's it; the Bud experience has been thoroughly demystified. I shan't be having it again.

Scooby Brew

We were in London for the weekend, and we took the kids to a live Scooby-Doo performance at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre. "Scooby-Doo and the Pirate Ghost" was not just for kids; it also offered something for the adults, too, in the way of a full bar. I had a Guinness in a plastic cup -- no different from my other Guinnes experiences thus far. It's roughly the same as what we've got back home. We are planning a trip to Ireland at the end of the month, so I'll be able to try it in the Motherland. To be continued . . .

The Pewter Bullet

So yes, I actually tried Coors Light today -- I had to have a taste of the Rockies. It tasted just about [as bad] the same as what we've got at home. I did not notice the same taste differential as I did with Budweiser. Coors has always tasted to me like rotting, moldy wood, and this encounter was not much different. Oh well. See the other beer glasses on the table? Just a typical lunch with my Aardman coworkers . . .

Soddington's

I went out with Shellaine to the movies, and afterward we were pretty hungry. It was getting late, and we needed food fast. We didn't want to gamble on a place completely unfamiliar, so we found something that looked like a cross between Jerry's Famous Deli and Buca di Beppo. Granted, we'd never heard of the name of this place before (which I've now forgotten), but there was something vaguely familiar about the decor, and it seemed like a place where we'd find some comfort food (a British restaurant emulating an American restaurant). It was mediocre, but predictable as we'd hoped, beer included. A very weak selection, so I went for the Boddington's. It actually didn't taste as fresh as it does out of the Draughtflow can, and I wondered how long ago that keg had been tapped. Utterly forgettable, but logged nonetheless.

A Blurry Patch

Almost a month into my beer exploration, I hit a patch where many of the beers I was trying all began to taste similarly unremarkable. It's not that any of them were particulary bad (in fact, they're all way better than the average American beer), it's just that none of them really stood out from the ever-growing pack. The Theakston XB sort of signalled the beginning of this period. It was a fine, rich ale, with the now familiar port finish, but at this point it seemed pretty typical of the ruby-colored ales I'd tried. Totally respectable, just not unique. I may end up blasting through the next several beer blog entries until I find something really praiseworthy. One thing's for sure: the more beers I try here, the more I realize how many more there are that I haven't tried.

Back to the Beginning

John Smith's Extra Smooth was the first beer I tried here in Bristol, and as I recall it didn't really knock my socks off (despite the Draughtflow widget inside). Well, my Aardman coworker Alan Short maintains that John Smith's Bitter is among his favorites, so I had to give this canned concoction a try. There was no widget in this variety, but it was much better than the Extra Smooth. Alan was right -- this stuff was pretty good. It seems the British beers maintain more of their quality in the cans than the rest of the European beers (Grolsch, Stella, Carlsberg). Now I just need to find this bitter on tap . . .