BEER

TREMENS DELIRIUM
06/11/2016

This is one of the many Belgian beers which are available here in the UK.

I cannot seem to find much in the way of the history of this brewery only that the brewery site dates back to 1654. In 1906, Leon Huyghe purchased an existing brewery in the city of Melle in East Flanders. The brewery acquired the present name in 1938 and is still a family run brewery.

As you would expect with a Belgian beer it is very strong with an ABV of 8.5%.

The trade mark for this beer is pink elephants as can be seen on the bottle as well as the glass.

The beer can be drank either clear (without pouring the sediment) or just poured so as it becomes cloudy, I prefer to have it clear but on this occasion I did pour it all which as you can see changes both the appearance and flavour of the beer (which I must admit was very enjoyable !).

One thing to bear in mind if you intend to drink too many you may well be seeing pink elephants!

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CHRISTMAS BEERS
06/11/2016

These beers are ones which I have found over the past few years but they may not be available every year but it is worth keeping an eye out over the next few weeks when ever you are in the super markets.

They are all excellent beers to enjoy over the festive season and if I manage to find these ones again or any new ones I will try to add the reviews!

Hardys & Hansons

Jennings - Red Breast

Batemans - Christmas Eve

Batemans - Vintage Ale

S.A.Brains - Santas Beard

Shepherd Neame - Christmas Ale

Thwaites - Yule Love It

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HOBGOBLIN
Dunkel Fester
06/11/2016

This is an excellent Halloween beer from the Wychwood brewery.

At 4.4% ABV this beer is fairly strong and is of a dark colour.

The tasting notes for this beer are as follows:-

An exceptionally dark malty beer with an eerie red tinge brewed for those with a fetish for rich flavours. Hints of toffee and roasted nuts are haunted by an underlying fruity finish creating the perfect Halloween treat.

I think that Wychwood have summed it up perfectly!

This is the first time that I have tried this beer and enjoyed it very much. It is very difficult to find in the super markets so, you will have to shop around for it!

The ingredients are:-

Barley malt, wheat and oats

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HOBGOBLIN

'The Unofficial beer of Halloween'

10/10/2015

This is another excellent beer from the Wychwood brewery, 

At 5.2% ABV this is a very dark beer with a warm malty taste perfect for the month of October!

The tasting notes for this beer are 'brewed with roasted malts for a well balanced, rich, smooth taste packed full of mischievous character'.


I have had this many times now and it is a very enjoyable beer.









If you like the strong darker winter type beers then you will love this one!


This beer is seasonal and is available in most super markets at the moment...but be quick!

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THEAKSTON'S OLD PECULIER

10/10/2015

The brewery was founded in 1827 in Masham, North Yorkshire. In fact they still have a Cooper and still use wooden casks.

Old Peculier is a Dark, Rich Ruby Red looking beer of 5.6% ABV. It is a very smooth beer and is brewed using Fuggle Hops, and barley and wheat malts. The tasting notes are........ a full-bodied beer with subtle cherry and rich fruit overtones.

Unfortunately out the vast range of 25 beers that Theakston brew I have only be able to try about three of them, this is mainly due to the distribution and availability in the South of the country, but by far, Old Peculier is my 'favoured' beer.

Old Peculier is available in most super markets all year round and is perfect for the autumn and winter months.

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ANCHOR BREWERY
31/08/2015

The brewery was founded in 1896 but the history goes back earlier to 1849. It appears to be of German origin and looking at it's history has always been in San Francisco, the current brewery is in an old coffee roastry which was built in 1937.

The brewery has quite a history with closures and of changing hands. The last closure was in 1965 but it was saved by a business man named Fritz Maytag.

In 1990 a series of 6 episodes called The Beer Hunter produced by Hawkshead Production for Channel 4 television was aired, this was written and presented by a writer of beer named Michael Jackson. 

One of the episodes was devoted to the Anchor Brewery with a tour of the brewery and interviews with Fritz Maytag.

I was very lucky at the time as I had recorded it on VHS and still have a fully viewable copy today! Unfortunately this is not available on DVD...something to do with copywrite or legal issues or something which is a real shame as Michael's goal in life was to promote beer.

For me, this series was an eye-opener and inspired me to start my own quest to hunt for beers!

Anchor Steam beer could at that time be found in most of the supermarkets in the UK but today it is very difficult to find but I am pleased to say it is still imported into the UK but you have to hunt for it.

Sadly, Fritz Maytag has retired (2010) but made sure that the brewery stayed in safe hands.

The brewery produces about 17 different beers but over the years I have only been able to find about 3 of them here in the UK.

In 1971 Anchor brewery started to bottle their beers, this has enabled the brewery to export their beers all around the world. I recommend that you look the brewery's website as it has the full history!

NOW FOR THE BEER

Anchor Steam was first brewed in 1896 and has been named after an expression used to describe a process which was used around the West Coast of California during that time.

This beer is of a deep amber colour and if poured correctly produces an excellent head.

At 4.8% ABV it is brewed using Pale and Caramel malts and Lager yeast, but it is not stated which type of hops are used.

To the palate, it is very smooth and not a fizzy beer, it has a rich malty taste but not bitter which enables you to taste the roasted malt in the after taste.

It is available here in the UK in 355 ml bottles. If you are lucky to find it.....try it as I do not think that you will be disappointed.

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WADWORTH 6X
16/08/2015

Wadworth 6X has been brewed in Devizes, Wiltshire for the past 90 years, the brewery was founded in 1875 by Henry Wadworth.

 In my single days of drinking in pubs this was popular beer and one of which I drank regularly as it was always a good pint with a good after taste it was also one of the first beers that I drank.

In bottles it is 4.3% ABV whereas on draught it is 4.1% ABV.

As you can see it a relatively dark beer and the tasting notes describes it as follows:-

Copper in colour, vibrant fruit and malt aroma combined with tempting hop flavours, Wadworth's refer to this beer as a classic premium ale.

Fortunately, this beer is available in most super markets so you should be able to find it without too much trouble.

I find this beer is an all round the year type of beer, it is nice to be drinking it on a summers evening

but it also just a nice on dark winters evening by the fire!

Whatever your taste is in a beer this one should always be sampled!

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LONDON PRIDE

16/08/2015

London Pride is brewed by Fuller's (Fuller, Smith and Turner) at the Griffin Brewery Chiswick, London.

It is one of their most popular beers of which I have been drinking for many years.

London Pride is quite a strong beer of 4.7% ABV.

The tasting notes for London Pride is as follows:-
London Pride has a smooth, distinctive malty base with a rich balance of well developed hop flavours from the Target, Challenger and Northdown varieties.

As you can see it is quite a dark beer which suggests that it has a rich malty taste.

Fuller's uses their own unique yeast for this beer which they refer to as a premium ale.

This is one of my favourite beers, whenever I am undecided as which one to have this beer always seems to "appear" and that's it..........the choice has been made!







It is available in all the super markets so, if you have decided that this is the beer you want to drink you do not have to go hunting for it!

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BUTCOMBE BITTER

16/08/2015

Butcombe brewery is a relatively new brewery it was established in 1978 in Bristol down in the West Country.

Butcombe bitter is a Best Bitter of 4.5% ABV and for the first twenty years was the brewery's only beer, they now produce a variety of beers.

The tasting notes for Butcombe Bitter are as follows:-

A classic amber beer with a hoppy, malty, pepper smell, the taste is a dry bitter finish.

It is produced using Maris Otter Malt and various English Hops.






This is the first time that I have tasted this beer and I find it is a very nice beer to drink.

It is not too strong in the flavour (it does not have a deep malty taste like some beers) but is a very smooth beer and it has a very nice bitter after taste.











It was a pleasure to drink and I will certainly drink it again!

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FLAGSHIP

02/08/2015

Flagship is brewed by Hook Norton, in Oxfordshire. It was first brewed in 2005 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Flagship is an India Pale Ale (IPA) beer and is Bottle Conditioned of an usually strong 5,3% ABV whereas these days most IPA's are usually lower than this around 4% ABV or even lower.

India Pale Ales were initially brewed for export to the British Armed forces in India approximately around 1858. They underwent a climate change during the shipping to India which changed the flavour of the beer.



Incidentally, the term Pale was used to describe a beer that was brewed using pale malt, these were lightly hopped.

During the mid 1800's pale ales were mostly brewed using coke fired malt, the result of this was less smoking and roasting of the barley during the malting process and produced a lighter coloured beer.

The description of the beer is as follows:-

Admiral hops contribute to a full fruity mouth feel, and a sweet fruity aroma.





I only became aware of this beer a few weeks ago, I was looking on the Hook Norton website and saw this one.

Realising that it is a bottle conditioned beer I was then on a mission to find it, I was searching all of the supermarkets that I know of but to no avail, then to my surprise.....my local one started to stock it this week!

If like me, you are a fan of bottle conditioned beers and you haven't already tried it then is a beer that you have to try!

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BRILLIANT ALE

26/07/2015

This beer is brewed by Shepherd Neame of Faversham in Kent.

To understand the inspiration as how it got it;s name you just have to read the label!

To quote it says....."Inspired by tales of sunbeams striking the brewhouse. Legend has it their brewers were first moved to create Brilliant Ale by the vision of the bright, early morning sun sending golden shafts of light onto the solid oak mash tun".

I was lucky enough to have a brewery tour there a year or two ago, it is a light and spacious brew house so I can understand the brewers inspiration!

This is quite a dark beer of 5.6% ABV and is described as a golden, brilliantly bright hoppy ale.

The tasting notes describes it as hoppy, fruity, spicy with a bitter finish.

I had not had this beer until recently and I am now wondering why not!

I love the taste of this beer it delivers the bitter taste which I like with an after taste that leaves you feeling hungry!

I am not sure if it can be found in all of the supermarkets in the UK but if you are lucky enough to find it in your local one then please do not ignore it take one (or two) home and try it for yourself....I think that you will not be disappointed!

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Oxford Gold
06/07/2015

Oxford Gold is beer brewed by Brakspear......Wrong! In fact it is now brewed by Wychwood!

Brakespear brewery was founded in 1711 in Henley, Oxfordshire, although if you look at the label is states 1779. 

It relocated to it's new site at New Street in 1812 but unfortunately ceased brewing in 2002.

However, all was not lost!

In 2002 Wychwood began brewing Brakspear beer using the original copper and brewing equipment.

I have been drinking this beer over the years and I cannot tell any difference now from then!

Oxford Gold is termed a 'Golden Beer' and is 4.6% ABV, it uses five different hops during it's process which gives it a distinctive bitter and hoppy after taste.

It's description  describes it as 'a zesty aroma and a fruity flavour'.

My wife describes this beer as a 'man's beer' which I must admit due to the many types of hops being used does give it that extra bitterness which I find adds to to the character of the beer.

This is an all round the year beer but it is especially nice to have during the summer months.

I have found this beer in all of the super markets so, next time you are browsing in the beer section of your local one pick up a bottle or two!

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Duvel

06/07/2015

The Moortgat brewery was founded in 1871 in Belgium.

Duvel is a ‘Bottle Conditioned’ beer and is re-fermented in the bottle.

At 8.5% ABV is very strong beer and is described as a Blonde Biere ‘Golden Ale’.

Being bottle conditioned this beer has yeast in the bottom of the bottle, which allows the drinker to decide to either drink it as a "clear" beer or as a "cloudy" beer.

I prefer to drink it as clear as possible so I tend to leave it to stand for couple of days before I pour it but, if you prefer your beer to be cloudy then pour about half to three quarters of it and then swirl the remainder in the bottle and pour it. This will give you the yeasty taste.

This beer is available in 330ml bottles.

It is available in most of the super markets in the UK.

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St.Stefanus
20/06/2015

This is a Belgium beer and if you look at their website you will see the following statement "with roots dating back to 1295, St.Stefanus Blonde is the original Abbey beer contracted to the Van Steenberge brewery.

To this day it is brewed with three different yeasts and matured for at least three months. It is an unpasteurised, high fermented beer that is then refermented in the bottle".

As this beer has yeast in the bottle, you can either drink it as a "clear" beer or as a "cloudy" beer.

I prefer to drink it as clear as possible so I tend to leave it to stand for couple of days before I pour it but, if you prefer your beer to be cloudy then pour about half to three quarters of it and then swirl the remainder in the bottle and pour it. This will give you the yeasty taste. 

This beer is 7.0% ABV and here in the UK it is available in 33cl bottles.

I have only found it in one of the super markets so far, so it is quite a rare beer to find.

As with all Abbey beers the brewery usually takes it's name from the local abbey unlike the Trappist beers which are brewed by the Trappist monks. All the same, it is a very enjoyable beer and is definitely one to add to your list!

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Hobgoblin
20/06/2015

Hobgoblin is brewed by the Wychwood brewery in Oxfordshire.

It is one of their range of dark beers.

At 5.2 ABV it is a dark ruby red beer, the tasting notes for this beer are as follows:-

"Traditionally craft brewed with chocolate and crystal malts and a blend of Styrian, Goldings and Fuggles hops to produce a full-bodied, Ruby beer that delivers a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour, balanced with a rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity, mischievous character".

For me, this beer is the best one of their range as it was the first one which I had tasted and still come back to on a regular basis. It is a very popular beer so do not be too surprised if you have trouble finding it on the super markets shelves....particularly at this time of the year and during the festive season!

Available in all super markets, so if you haven't tried it yet then I suggest that now it's time!

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Fuller's - Honey Dew
20/06/2015

This is another Fuller's beer that is an excellent choice for the summer.

This beer is brewed using organic honey, malts and hops.

It is 5.0% ABV and is sweet to the taste, is a light golden colour with a honey after taste.

For a summer beer this would be high on my list of choices, it is a very refreshing beer and it is recommended to be served chilled (not cold).





I find that the after taste of a beer is important and this one leaves a moreish taste in my mouth a so deserves a second one!

This is a popular beer in most super markets and should not be passed by, so if you have never tasted is one I would certainly give it a try!

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Blackwych

20/06/2015

This is another excellent beer brewed by the Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire.

At 5.0% ABV this a very dark beer and is known as a Porter.

It is a very and dark malty beer described as a silky smooth Porter with a caramel sweetness lurking behind. I assume that "lurking behind" is describing the after taste. 

I am a big fan of Porters so for me this is a beer that I can drink at any time (a figure of speech - but only in the evenings really!).

A point worth mentioning is that is beer also contains oats as well as dark malts.

This beer is available in most super markets so, I would recommend that you give it a try!

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Hobgoblin - Gold

23/05/2015

This beer is brewed by the Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire.

At 4.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) it is quite a strong beer of a light golden colour and is one of the permanent range of beers that Wychwood produce ( they also brew many seasonal beers).

Incidentally the cask version is 4.2% ABV.

The tasting notes for this beer are “Mouth-watering malt and refreshing citrus hop kick with a fragrant smell of citrus and wild forest gooseberries”….I’ll drink to that!

This is the perfect summer beer!

All of the Hobgoblin range of beers are excellent and I think that you would find at least one that suits your taste buds…….but I like them all!

This beer can be found in most super markets but if you cannot find this one try any of their range as they are all very nice beers!

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Waggle Dance

16/05/2015

This Beer is brewed by Charles Wells of Bedford founded in 1876.

At 5.0% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) this is an excellent summer beer, it is a medium to dark colour but instead of using sugar as most beers do honey is used.

This beer is described as “beautifully balanced amber beer with a touch of honey on the nose and palate, the sweetness is balanced by a healthy dose of hops to provide the bitterness that gives a wonderfully delicate flavour”.

I must admit that I find it quite difficult to taste beers in the same way as they are described but all the same it is a very nice beer which I enjoy drinking, it is not as sweet as I expected but there is a hint of honey about it in the after taste. I have had this beer before but had forgotten how nice it is, perfect for this time of the year!

This beer is available in most of the UK super markets.

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Samuel Adams
08/05/2015

The Boston Beer Company of Massachusetts was founded in 1984.

The brewery uses the Samuel Adams name for all the beers that it brews and Boston Lager is just of the many beers in it’s range and is available in the UK.

At 4.8 ABV (Alcohol By Volume) it quite a dark beer for a lager and is described as a rich robust and complex taste.

Although it is available in the UK it is not an import but it is brewed here by Shepherd Neame of Faversham in Kent.

This is a very enjoyable beer, being a lager it is perfect to drink on a warm summers day but it still has that malty taste which enhances it’s flavour.

As this beer originates from Boston in the USA it reminds me of the US comedy series Cheers every time I drink it which has inspired me to use the same type of half pint glass as used in the Boston bar!

I am intrigued to know what the original beer tastes like so, on my trips around the super markets I will look out to see if an import is available.

Whether you are a Lager drinker or an Ale drinker I would certainly recommend this beer.

This beer is available in most of the UK super markets.

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Old Hooky

07/05/2015

Old Hooky is brewed by the Hook Norton Brewery in the Cotswold Hills in Oxfordshire.

The brewery dates back to 1849 and was originally a farm which had a Malthouse.

It was not until about 1856 that Hook Norton produced it’s first beer, it was called MildXXX. 

At 4.6 ABV (Alcohol By Volume) Old Hooky was first brewed in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, it then became one of the breweries permanent beers.

Tasting notes describes it as:- A beautifully balanced beer, fruity by nature with a well-rounded body and the suggestive echo of crystal malt.

Balanced and fruity, yes indeed, and I can taste the malt which I like in a beer these days.

I find that it has a very nice malty after taste.

This beer is one of my favourite non-bottle conditioned beers but it does not seem to be stocked in all of the super markets so you will have to scout around to find it.

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Young’s London Gold

28/04/2015

This Beer was originally brewed by Young’s,the company was founded as a brewery in 1831 by Charles Young and Anthony Bainbridge when they purchased the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth.

Until its closure in 2006, the Ram Brewery was claimed to be Britain's oldest brewing site in continuous operation, with a history dating back to the 1550s.

Days before the closure of the brewery, Young's final brew was being run then brewing operation was transferred to a new company. Wells & Young;s Brewing Company Ltd, which was a joint brewing venture with Charles Wells Brewery, Bedford.

The Ram Brewery officially closed at the end of the business day on Monday, 25 September 2006.

Young’s London Gold is a Bottle Conditioned Beer which means that it is a live beer and has yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

At 4.8% ABV (Alcohol by volume) it is quite a strong beer but light in colour, it is an ideal beer for the summer.

The tasting notes describes it as “zesty and golden with hints of orchard fruits and a hoppy bitter finish”.

This is a very enjoyable beer one which I will be drinking over the coming summer months!

Again as with all bottle conditioned beers, when pouring this beer tilt the glass as far as you can and pour very slowly so as not to stir up the yeast sediment as this will make the beer cloudy and spoil its appearance, gradually straightening the glass as it fills. If you straighten the glass before the last inch you will find that a head appears and it will stick to the glass as you drink it.

The label has been re-designed recently. The label on the left is of the old design, the label on the right is of the newer design.

This beer is available in most of the UK super markets.

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Worthington's White Shield IPA

26/04/2015

Worthington’s started brewing in 1744 at Burton-Upon-Trent. White Shield is a bottle conditioned India Pale Ale (IPA) and is a light coloured beer of 5.6% ABV (Alcohol By Volume).

It has been said that India Pale Ales were originally brewed for the British Soldiers serving in the far east - India during the 1700’s & 1800’s and was a means of being able to distribute medicines namely laxatives to the soldiers. The beer underwent a ‘climate change’ during its journey which improved the flavour of the beer.

Of course they are not shipped out to India and back to the UK these days so are not true IPA’s but they are still brewed to the brewery’s original recipe and taste amazing even though they have not under gone that ‘climate change’.

Most IPA’s are usually under 4.0% ABV I have tasted them at 3.6% - 3.8% these were cask ales but White Shield IPA is one of the strongest that I have tasted maybe because it is bottle conditioned.

The tasting notes that I have found for this beer are as follows:-

“It is feisty and full flavoured with bold notes of malt and toffee, complex fermented characters dominated by fruit and higher alcohols, a powerful hoppiness and a long, bittersweet finish”.

The toffee I am not sure about, I did not taste this or the fruit but I did taste the malt and hops which I do like in a beer, as for the bittersweet finish I found that to be very pleasantly true!

As with all bottle conditioned beers  they need to be poured slowly and with care so as not to stir up the yeast sediment, this one is no exception.

This is a very nice beer to be drinking in the evening at home with a meal or just on its own, either way it is a beer to be savoured and enjoyed!

So far, I have found it to be available in all the supermarkets that I shop at and is definitely a beer to put in your shopping basket!

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Shepherd Neame 1698

25/04/2015

This Beer is brewed by a Family brewery named Shepherd Neame of Faversham in Kent.

Although the brewery goes back further than 1698 it only has a documented history from this date onwards.

1698 was first produced in 1998 to celebrate 300 years of brewing and is a bottle conditioned beer.

Bottle Conditioned means that it is a ‘live’ beer and has yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle which allows the beer to continually mature.

At 6.5% ABV (Alcohol by volume) it is quite a strong lightish coloured beer, and it’s description describes it as a ‘living’ product which continues to ferment ‘in the bottle’.  Hops are added three times ‘thrice hopped’ and it is Rich, fruity and warming.

I would definitely agree with the description, it is not one of the dark beers that I prefer, but generally speaking it is a very nice light coloured beer but you have to see it to appreciate it. It is a very smooth beer to the taste and is high on my favourites list. For me, it’s a beer that can be drunk at any time of the year.

The rule for pouring bottle conditioned beers applies for 1698. Pour it slowly and avoid making it cloudy.

As you can see in the Photo on the right, in recent months Shepherd Neame has re-labelled this beer, the photo on the left shows the previous label.

Faversham is only one of a few towns which holds Royal Charters and is allowed to have the three Lions crest on its label.

On the old label it has the crest on the neck of the bottle and a shepherds crook on the main label, whereas on the new label the crest replaces the shepherds crook.

The good news is that this can be found in most supermarkets as Shepherd Neame seems to be expanding its distribution. If like me, you are looking for that ‘something extra’ in a beer…..then this is it!

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Fuller’s 1845
19/04/1015

This Beer is brewed by Fuller’s (Fuller, Smith and Turner) at the Griffin Brewery Chiswick, London.

This beer was first brewed in 1995 and was named 1845 after the year the brewery was formed to celebrate 150 years of the company brewing.

It is a Bottle Conditioned Beer which means that it is a live beer and has yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Being bottle conditioned I find that it is not quite as fizzy as the normal bottled beers, is smoother in the mouth and tends to have much more flavour.

At 6.5% ABV (Alcohol by volume) it is quite a strong dark beer, its description describes it as ‘rich and fruity’ but I find that it also has a strong malty after taste which lingers on the taste buds!

For me I find that it is a beer which you can settle down with in the evening while watching a film and just enjoy the taste.

When pouring this beer tilt the glass as far as you can and pour very slowly so as not to stir up the yeast sediment as this will make the beer cloudy and spoil its appearance, gradually straightening the glass as it fills. If you straighten the glass before the last inch you will find that a head appears and it will stick to the glass as you drink it.

Once the beer has been poured don’t be in a hurry to gulp it down,  after all you have taken the time and care to pour it so, look at it for a moment then sip slowly, appreciate it and enjoy the flavour.  

Usually a beer is produced as a seasonal beer that is it’s either for the winter months which most darker beers are or a light golden beer for the summer months, but I find this one is an all year round beer…….it is definitely a beer to try.

This beer is available in most of the UK super markets.

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An Introduction to Beer

There are many styles of beer. There are lagers, bitters known as ales, milds, porters and stouts. The bitters come in different colours, light – pale ales, best and summer beers – very refreshing on hot summer’s day, dark - winter beers and seasonal ales – warming on a cold winter’s night. Then there are Dark Milds, Porters and Stouts, all with different strengths.

There are bottled beers, canned beers, and of course pub beers both on hand pump (cask conditioned ales) and straight out of the barrel (real ales).

For bottled beers there are not only beers that are brewed in the UK but also beers that are imported from around the world. There are German beers, French beers, American beers and Belgian beers just to name a few.

When drinking a beer at home I prefer the darker bottle conditioned UK beer. These taste of the dark roasted malts and should be poured slowly so as not to stir up the yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Next will be the Belgian beers – some of these are Trappist beers (six in all…which I prefer) brewed in a monastery by Trappist monks. Some of these beers also have a sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Then there are the French beers and my favourites the Abbey beers. These are beers brewed by a brewery near an Abbey and named after that Abbey.

German beers, of which there are many available, are a welcome treat to drink. Of these I prefer the Wheat beers, Dunkels, Triples and Bocks. There also used to be a smoked beer (ideal to be drunk with some home-made bread and smoked cheese) but sadly it does not appear to be widely available in the UK today.

To add to the array of beers already mentioned there are also fruit beers and sour beers. These tend to be brewed mainly in Belgium and they can be of any fruit, cherry and peach seem to be the more commonly brewed flavours but in the UK there is a Banana beer!

The range of beers available are amazing and there will be a beer out there to suit very palate, the drinker just needs to find theirs!