Chapel Down – Curious Porter

Its arguable whether or not I should have know that this beer was produced very close to where we live; however, it is inexcusable when we’ve been to the vineyard to have missed these beers, I am making up for lost time.

Chapel Down – Curious Porter; 5% abv

Aroma: Choclatey, slight burnt malts, caramel on the sides

Appearance: Dark brown, clear on the edges; no visible residues, tan frothy head

Taste: moderate roast with strong hints of chocolate and some coffee for good measure; maybe hints of vanilla/toffee

Mouthfeel: moderate-high carbonation, medium to light body

The malts did give off a slightly burnt rather than toasted aroma, this was not carried through to the taste which was not detectable. Quite a fresh taste, would go well with a BBQ if we ever get weather warm enough to BBQ. Rather enjoyed it, very drinkable.

Schelde Brouwerij – ‘n Toeback

Belgian beers: probably should be drinking more of these now I am reasonably close in geographic terms. The one thing that stops this is the lack of stockists in the local area. This excuse is somewhat tragic in that I could just jump on a boat and buy some in Belgium. I have no excuse.

Schelde Brouwerij – ‘n Toeback; 9.5% vol

Aroma: Wonderful orange/lemon infusion with hints of vanilla; some malts and wheats but not too much

Appearance: Cloudy with bits floating around; Gold in colour; delicate foamy head that remains

Taste: full on alcohol flavour, some fruity essences like pear or apple, low bitterness, dry finish, peppery at times

Mouthfeel: Very smooth coming from the high carbonation, effervescent; some alcohol warmth

Would compare this to Piraat. Could quite decide whether this had apple or pear in it, I would err on the side of pear. I did have to filter this off a little, but was otherwise damn good.

Castle Rock – Harvest Pale

Don’t know much about this beer. It somehow ended up in my stash, no idea where it came fro or from whom, and here I am writing about it…

Castle Rock – Harvest Pale; 4.3% vol

Aroma: Plenty of malts that gives way to hops; some grassy bouquets

Appearance: Pale amber in colour, frothy head that quickly goes; clear with some bubbles rising up

Taste: Plenty of malts and hops in the taste, stronger on the hoppy side; peppery edges with a malty aftertaste.

Finish: Crisp, sharp bitterness that is long lasting and a little of the harsh side; dry finish

On the whole I rather liked this, reminds me more of an IPA than anything else, perfectly acceptable and in fact rather enjoyable.

Fuller’s – London Porter

Whilst Fuller’s brewery is fairly close geographically, there isn’t too much in the way of variety available this side of the Medway (East). Finding the odd bottle in the stores means having to take it whilst you can, as the opportunity arises…

Fuller’s – London Porter; 5.6% vol

Aroma: Blend of chocolate and coffee malts, with a distinct edge of hops

Appearance: very dark brown; frothy tan head

Taste: Rich, complex blend of dark chocolates and dry roasted coffee; slight hints of sweetness at the edges of the tongue.

Finish: Rather harsh bitterness at first, dry and little rough across the tongue. Bitterness is sharper at the back of the mouth, can’t detect too much in the way of strong alcohol taste

Whilst the alcohol does hit home eventually – especially on an empty stomach – the roughness of the chocolate-coffee flavour takes over the whole beer. I found this a little to abrasive for most of the bottle. I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure how this gets 100 on ratebeer, maybe its the keg version that brings the most out from this.

Herefordshire Cider (Waitrose)

This dry, still cider isn’t going to be available to many people who aren’t too close a Waitrose since this is their own label cider. If ever there is an incentive to find one then here we go…

Musty apple aroma with hints of mild vanilla. Slightly cloudy, clear pale yellow in colour. Full on apple mustiness in the tase, a little tart and very fruity. Clean and crisp, a little dry but not too much so. Smooth and wonderfully still with maybe a slight effervescence.

If there is a downside to this cider it is the fact that the 7% abv does not come out in taste and you really feel like you’re drinking apple juice. Really very good until that 7% starts making an appearance. The second downside is that I couldn’t find this only, and I guess this is going to be limited to stores that are carrying this in their stock. Fabulous cider, would be good to know who is the supplier since I am sure this is going to be available via the supplier’s own label.