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Hot on the heels of the fantastic Nelson Sauvin SHIPA comes the other bottle from my Mikkeller stash, the Weizenbock.  I like the sound of it – I like bocks (ok, it’s not the same, but I’m a bit full on and often more is more!), I like weisens (and I have had my own body weight in hefeweisens), what’s not to like?

Weizenbock (8.5%) comes packaged in a 330mL bottle, with little to explain what the drinker is in for.  A funny label, and an ingredients list (water, malt, wheat, hops and yeast) are the only clues we have.

The bottle opens with a very quiet hiss and pours light copper with a persistent meringue-like head.  There’s a persistent carbonation and the head very slowly breaks down, really lining the sides of the glass as it goes.

Aroma-wise we get little in the way of hops, which is to be expected, and some lovely sweet caramelised banana notes.  The mouthfeel is medium-full and warming, a small hint of carbonic bite, with flavours very typical of a wheat beer, banana and grainy cereal, but there is a very prominent boozy background to it.  The aftertaste is very subtle, and the alcohol is definitely there at the back of my throat.  As the beer warms the alcohol takes over, losing those banana, cerealy, even spicy flavours that were originally present.

I don’t think this one is for me.  Maybe I set the bar very high given that the last Mikkeller beer I had was truly exceptional, but I was hoping for what a weizenbock promises to be – everything you get from a weisen but turned up to 11.  Instead for me the alcohol moved up a few notches but didn’t bring the other elements with it, and as such that delicious wheat and characteristic yeasty taste is muted.

Rating: 3/5 (I would probably enjoy a glass of this, served correctly, but I would be wondering where they keep the other Mikkeller beers (or hell, throw me a Thornbridge Versa!)

Still on with the twelve stouts of Christmas… ahem, the next up is the dessert-sounding Hazlenut Latte Stout.

The description explains that roasted hazelnuts and Java coffee have been added to the BBF milk stout. An interesting combination indeed!

Hazlenut Latte Stout (4.5%) is packaged in a 500ml bottle (as with all the beers in this series) and opens with a loud hiss. It pours (unsurprisingly) inky black with a dense, moussy pale tan head. This very slowly recedes but laces the glass with every millimetre it yields. Some carbonation is visible at the interface of head and beer, more than I’d expect.

The aromas are of strong dark coffee and toasted, almost burnt hazelnuts. I’m beginning to regret opening this at half 10, will it keep me awake?

On the first sip, the body is fairly thin, but the flavour is very intense. I’ve had a lot of latte in my time, I’m not convinced that flavour exists here… but there’s definitely dark coffee in there, you can tell by the clinging bitterness that wraps around the top of your tongue and settles at the back. On reflection I guess the latte name comes from the combination of the addition of real coffee to a milk stout, so it gets a pass for creativity

The flavour is so intense I’m having to take tiny sips to pick out the individual flavours. I have to admit I think they have actually done it – towards the finish you really do get a hit of toasted hazelnuts. This really is a dessert in a glass.

I know what I’m in store for though… I found the sweetness initially hiding in the background to build in intensity as I worked my way through the bottle. As a result I find myself drinking it more quickly than I’d normally do, to preserve the coffee and toasted hazelnut flavour, so unique to the format of a beer. The bottle says to serve slightly chilled, and I’m inclined to agree. I saved a little to try warmed up and the drink became sickly and cloying, so that’s a lesson for me.

It’s quite moreish and I’m surprised as it’s sweeter than I’d normally like. If you don’t like sweetness in beer this may not be one for you, though I can say that while this feels a bit of a novelty, its very well executed and would be perfect with good vanilla ice cream or gelato.

Rating: 3/5 (there are two impressive things I found about this beer. One: despite its sweetness I could drink a few pints of it (maybe), so hats off; Two: it’s a very clever recipe and from other brewers I’d expect them to cheat and add artificial flavour, these guys have done it properly. If I ever get down Brizzle way, I will try and find it on cask, that would be a chance to review it upwards, but realistically this would sit at 3.5).

This is the second of the BBF 12 Stouts of Christmas case I bought this year.  I’m a day behind now, so I should do two today.  Let’s see.  Anyway, next up is their Raspberry Stout.  After the Saltaire Raspberry Blonde I reviewed earlier, I’m a bit hesitant with this, but it does explain how they used real raspberries, so maybe it won’t have that sacharriney effect that the Saltaire beer did.  The label says, “strong, black, tart and fruity” and “flavours of raspberry, chocolate & dark fruits”.  It also advises to drink from a brandy snifter, but I always try and do my reviews in my ALLBEER FlavourMax glass, it makes it kind of fair.  The Belgians would kill me!

Raspberry Stout (7.7%) opens with a loud hiss and pours brown-black with a brown, dense head.  This quickly recedes, lacing its way to a few mm with bald spots in the middle.

Aroma-wise, we get dark coffee and acidic, sharp, tart raspberry notes.  The raspberry smells ripe and fruity – this beer is made with Belgian yeast so there may be some harmonies there.

The mouthfeel is medium-full, with an interesting flavour.  We have rich, black chocolate and christmas pudding flavours, the raspberry is definitely in there but its more mixed in amongst the other dark flavours, as mentioned like a boozy Christmas pudding.   The aftertaste is warming which might have something to do with it being the best part of 8% ABV, in a 500mL bottle that’s not to be sniffed at.  The further I get down the glass, the more the raspberry jumps out, but I can say in contrast to the Saltaire Raspberry Blonde it does feel more like real raspberries.  I hate to keep making the contrast but I think the composition of the beer helps it — the rest of this beer is dark, fruity and dense, whereas with the Blonde, the other flavours are very light and delicate and the raspberry swamps it.

I’m not liking it as much as their Chilli Choc stout if I’m honest, but it’s not a bad drink.  I think it would be better paired with some 85% Lindt dark chocolate, I think my pancreas would implode.  If I had to distil this flavour down into something simple, it would be cracked black high% cocoa chocolate melted into a double boiler, with a handful of very ripe raspberries smushed into them, allowed to set and then melt in the mouth.  If that’s a nice image for you, then you’ll probably love this beer… as long as it stays cold.

As the beer warms, the raspberries come more to the front, which is a testament to how tricky it must be to get exactly the right amount of them into the beer.  I suspect they did a few trial runs on this one!  They start to edge towards becoming a little too brash on the nose, maybe just a little too much on the palate as well.  Definitely a beer best tasted cold (not chilled), but not overly warm either.  I think, I know, how un-British of me! that it would be better sold in a 330mL format rather than a 500 too, but again, that might just be me.  By the time I’d got to the last mouthful, it wasn’t pleasant.

Rating: 3/5 (…this is a good beer, don’t get me wrong.  Definitely better executed than the Saltaire RB, but I’ve had the BBF Chilli Choc Stout so I know they can do much better.  If you see it, pick one up and prove me wrong!)

Yet another from the MyBreweryTap 52 Week UK beer club.  This one is from the Autumn box and I’ve been looking forward to it.  Hurricane Jack (4.4%) claims to be a blonde and fruitily hopped ale, and while I’ve not had any Fyne Ales before, I have heard good things.  I just missed the last of a cask of Jarl at the Kelham Island Tavern, and I’ve been on the hunt ever since.

Hurricane Jack opens with a quiet hiss, and pours golden blonde.  Theres medium carbonation and a medium-dense white heard that doesn’t want to fade.  The aromas are grainy/biscuity with an edge of fruit, nothing overpowering.  There’s a very light mouthfeel, but I can’t quite put my finger on the flavour.  It’s very light, theres an incredibly delicate sweetness to it, and the aftertaste is bitter, but only a little.  Almost a noble level of bitterness, I think.

Letting this warm up a little, we get a bit more fruit on the nose, which carries through to the flavour.  Definitely not one to drink straight from the fridge.  Mouthfeel opens up slightly and becomes more silky, creamy.  Definitely a pleasant drop once warmed up a little, but I wouldn’t write home about it.   As with similar beers where I sit on the fence, I’d really love to give this one an opportunity on cask.  I can imagine the flavours will open up more and it would end up a cracking pint.  But from bottle, it’s on the average side.  I’d prefer a Saltaire Blonde or an Ossett Yorkshire Blonde to this as it stands.

Rating: 3/5 (but let me try it on cask!)

The first beer I’ve tried from the Autumn delivery of MyBreweryTap’s 52Week beer club.  Ilkley Black (3.7%) is a dark mild, which the label promises is “Rich and Satisfying”.    It contains Maris Otter, Crystal, Chocolate malts with Roast Barley. Phoenix Hops are used for bittering and Goldings for aroma.  I like that they have this on the label!

I’ve taken this out of my cellar so its around 15 rather than colder, but its a cold night, lets give it a go.

Ilkley Black opens with a very soft phut suggesting gentle carbonation.  It pours inky black and dark brown at the edges, with a loose and fluffy off-white head and settles to a few mm clinging to the sides.  There’s delicate toffee on the aroma, and there are very faint hops hidden at the back somewhere.  The mouthfeel is fairly thin but smooth, you can’t really feel the carbonation.  Taste-wise, nothing really packs a punch.  It’s smooth and creamy, and very easy to drink, the creaminess hints and some of the malts, namely a touch of that roast barley, maybe a hint of chocolate, though more “Dairy Milk” than “Green & Blacks” if you know what I mean.  The finish is predominantly roast barley, a tinge of sweetness, but I’m not getting anything from the hops.  Then again, it is a mild!

This is a very easy to drink beer, but there is nothing that moves mountains for me.  I’d be really interested to see this on cask, as some milds really shine there (e.g. Thwaite’s Nutty Black).

I want to see something exciting from this, Milds are making a comeback these days, but this isn’t spectacular in my opinion.  Again, if I saw it on cask I would definitely give it a try to see if it’s just not done justice in bottle.

Rating: 3/5 (Meh.  In my not so humble opinion, it’s not really rich and satisfying, but I’d be interested if this was on at a pub…)

This is the last beer in the MyBreweryTap 52-Week UK Beer Club (Summer 2011).  York Minster (4.2%) opens with a short gentle fizz and pours bright copper, with a fluffy white head and medium carbonation.

The aroma is grainy, biscuity with a hint of sweetness.  There’s a thin to medium body – it has a malty backbone with malt sweetness at the edges that mirrors the aroma.  Despite being only 4.2% you can taste the alcohol, which is interesting.  I found the sweetness a little sacchariney and it clung to my tongue, with only a hint of bitterness at the edge of the finish.

This beer definitely improves upon warming.  The aroma fills out, becoming more broad, and that malty flavour opens up.  The previously-encountered almost artificial sweetness takes less of a front seat and the finish remains warming, even spicy now.

Rating: 3/5 (This is quite a drinkable ale but there is something missing that I can’t place my finger on.  Would be happy to drink it if I saw it on.)

I’d been looking forward to this one as a friend of mine drinks it at the ATP festival in Minehead.  The MyBreweryTap 52W drinkalong left it to the end of summer, so I duly waited and waited until the day came!

Cotleigh Barn Owl (4.5%) has a noble cause – to aid the conservation of owls for the Owl and Hawk Trust.  The label explains that it is a full flavoured premium bitter, copper in colour with hints of toffee and nuts and a malty bittersweet finish.  It’s brewed with pale, crystal and chocolate malts, and Goldings, Northdown and Fuggles hops.  They use their own strain of yeast.

The top pops off almost in silence, hinting at its low carbonation.  It pours a lovely rich dark brown/copper with some off-white head, which quickly dies down to become non-existent.  I can smell the aroma before I even get near the glass, impressive!  The aroma is a real heavy-hitter.  The crystal & chocolate malts are very evident as is the Fuggles: malty, caramelised, earthy with small hints of toffee.  Mouth watering stuff!

Taking a taste of it, there’s a light to medium body… you’d be expecting it to be a bit heavier in the mouth.  The flavour is okay but it just doesn’t have that same impact as the aroma.  It feels a little too thin.  The toffee is gone, leaving a dark, grainy malty base.  You can definitely taste the chocolate malt.  It leaves bitterness on the tongue long after the swallow, a clinging astringency and graininess that’s not at all floral or fruity.  A very faint sweetness carries over to the aftertaste.

Upon letting it warm, the aroma remains unchanged – I’m happy with that.  The flavours do open up a bit.  We start to get some of the sweet malty crystal flavour but in addition that astringency carries through.  The aftertaste is still grainy and astringent.

It’s not a /bad/ drink, but I’d love to see a little more smoothness – I am not a fan of the grainy flavour and I’d rather that harsh astringency be replaced with a more rounded, less assaulting bitterness.

Rating: 3/5 (I wonder if this is any different on cask?  I’ll be finding out in December, I hope so as it shows a lot of promise!  If the flavour matched the aroma it’d easily be a 4.)

Welcome to my first beer review!  I’ll try to keep these brief, and I’ll give them a very simple rating, borrowing from the Ormskirk baron - it’ll be a rating out of 5.  My numbers will go like this:

1: Do not like.  Would not drink.
2: Not my cup of tea.  If I ordered one, I’d finish it, but I wouldn’t order another.
3: Not bad, I’d happily drink this if nothing better was available.
4: I like this.  I’d be happy if I saw this in the pub, and definitely have one!
5: I love this.  I’d recommend it to my friends, definitely drink it if I had a good excuse to, and possibly even choose my pub destination based on if they have this in.

Today’s review is all about Goose Island Summertime.  It’s a German Kölsch style beer (brewed in Chicago…) and it arrived as part of the excellent MyBreweryTap US 52-week Beer Club (think a wine club, but beer instead, aw yeah).

Upon pouring, you’re treated to a light golden hued ale.  An initially lively head gives way to a few mm of white foam, with light lacing as you drink.  The nose is malty but also very sweet.  Taking a drink, this beer has a thick mouthfeel, surprising for the colour of the beer, and is sweet and lightly malty in the mouth.  The sweet gives way to a light bitterness at the end.  When the beer is allowed to warm a little, the malt really comes to the forefront, and the carbonation is gentle but prickly.

To summer-ise this beer is very easy to drink at a healthy 4.7% ABV, and to me feels a little more like a blonde than a kölsch.  Either way, it’s a pleasant drop and I’d definitely drink it again.

Rating: 3/5 (I could definitely sink a few of these… but in the summery months I think!).  Nothing spectacular but very pleasant nontheless.