Day 131, Beer 131 - Wadworth's "Swordfish"

Today's Beer

Name – Swordfish

Brewer – Wadworth

Classification – Blended ale  (Wadworth 6X beer with Pusser's Rum)

Strength – 5% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Deep bronze. Gorgeously sturdy and substantial looking.

On the nose – Very like beer. What I mean is, there's no obvious suggestion of rum. (Yet...)

On the tongue – A beautifully assembled 'blended' beer, which gains heaps from the team-up whilst still remaining a beer. A spicy, robust and darkly fruited powerhouse.

On the subject – I can almost picture the board meeting (in the Dog and Duck on a Friday evening) during which this idea was formed. Chucking some high quality spirit into a jar of premium ale can often seem like a good idea at the time. The thing is, Wadworth have actually made it work. Credit for this success, in part at least, needs to go to certain firm based in the British Virgin Islands.

On the market – I don't know about availability over in the Caribbean, but there's always Wadworth's online store.

On the whole – 8/10

Full Review

Frankly, I was not looking forward to this.

There was something about the notion of a fairly strong beer being mixed with British Navy Rum that filled me with the sensation of wanting to pull hard on the steering wheel – even if it meant slamming head-first into a brick wall.

But it transpires that any cuts, bruises, or hefty insurance claims would have been brought about entirely without justification, because this beer (and it really is still a 'beer') is actually rather good.

In fact, I have to say it's bloody marvellous. Certainly worth avoiding brick wall collisions for.

Mercifully – and quite crucially I believe – they haven't gone bananas with the rum (although that statement sounds like a very fine beer recipe in itself). They've chosen instead to approach this in a measured, even-tempered sort of way, and it's an approach which has reaped huge rewards. Both of the companies involved have applied the vast wealth of their combined experience, their specific precision-honed skill sets, and their independently renowned flair for judgement to every single stage of this potential plane-crash of a union.

Sampling the outcome of this process has been both fascinating and massively enjoyable.

There's a stirring earthly richness to the principle flavours, and a robust, fulsome spiciness which truly captivates the mouth and leaves you forever wanting more.

It's nicely bitter and dry, but there are occasional brief hints of dark treacle sweetness which are more than welcome every time they appear. There are also plenty of dark fruit 'twangs' to tune in and out of at your leisure, and a deliciously peppery finish tops off what ultimately becomes a real jewel of a drink experience.

Too many beers which claim to 'incorporate' or 'combine with' interesting or quirky additional ingredients go much too far with it all, taking the end result too far away from 'beer' as most of us understand it.

This beer takes the concept of 'a blended ale' and utterly nails it.

It's an ale first, and an ale last.

It has simply extracted from the blending process an entirely unique character, and that's all.

This has been a real surprise. One that I would be happy to be surprised by again. And next time - there will be none of that aforementioned steering wheel grabbing.

In future, I'll be happy to crash head-first straight into these bottles.

Day 115, Beer 115 - Wadworth's "Horizon"

Today's Beer

Name – Horizon

Brewer – Wadworth

Classification – Golden ale

Strength – 4.0% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Intense yellow gold.

On the nose – Citrus rich. Surprisingly potent malt presence. (Nicely surprising.)

On the tongue – A very well rounded golden ale. Zesty, lightly nutty, refreshing and easy drinking.

On the subject – There's a sense of calculated revolution over at Wadworth these days. This is a company with a rich heritage, and many of their labels tend to hark back to eras gone by, with some of the ales inside the bottles also doing the same. Suddenly, a feeling of 'be here now' has descended upon the company and with the huge skills-base they already have in place – I predict all manner of exciting new beers are going to be the result. I welcome this move in advance.

On the market – Wadworth beers are simultaneously everywhere and nowhere, depending on the specific label. This one can be tricky to stumble across, so try stumbling on the upcoming red words to find Wadworth's online shop.

On the whole – 8/10

Full Review

The Horizon you see before you now is not the Horizon you will find in the shops.

The 'new look' Horizon on the shelves from now on will look far more like this.

But I'm fated to have to work with an old version – as that's what Wadworth sent over to me. (Yes, my bottom lip is jutting forward and yes, my eyes are welling with tears.)

But this is actually very good news, for Wadworth if not for me, because it demonstrates the significant changes that are currently taking place at this famous UK brewery.

They are having what might be described as a coorporate makeover, bringing themselves into line with the recent massive acceleration of this industry's pace.

I'm delighted by this, as I've long been worried that established favourites like Wadworth would resist change and stick to the 'what we do best' mentality, a mentality which cannot win in the modern era of social media and image-obsessiveness.

You can't fight the tide and win, all you can do is take pride in trying. Thankfully, Wadworth have now plunged in having elected to ride the waves and go with the flow.

Beers in the style of Horizon are at the forefront of this new wave, and although this beer displays less hyper-intensity and dynamism in it's constuction than many of the newer 'yellow' beers (many of which go too far with it all) it is a very nice drink indeed, and one which you could imagine staying with for a long evening without ever being overly challenged or getting bored.

That's the kind of beer most people like. Even those people who don't like to admit it in public.

Having been largely unmoved by the (now defunct) branding on this bottle, I have to say I'd passed it over many times in preference to other golden beers in my 'queue', but having finally got round to it – it actually went and impressed my socks off, so the rejuvenation of the design is a move I'm personally delighted by.

It's a remarkably well balanced golden beer, and balance is arguably a rare thing in these kinds of ales these days. The hops are vibrant, thirst quenching and zesty, but they don't dominate the proceedings like they are encouraged to do in so many of the 'modern goldens.'

Keeping those hops honest is a measured gathering of roasted nuts and biscuit (of both the sweet and savoury kind). These elements don't bring 'sweetness' as such, they merely take the relentless sting out of the citrus, making it effortlessly drinkable and doing away with all that involuntary face-pulling which many highly-hopped beers can trigger.

The body is light without being thin, and the ABV is fairly low without ever feeling weak.

It's an excellent example of how a session-style golden ale can have a very broad appeal.

Is is avant garde?

No.

Do avant another?

You bet I do!

Day 91, Beer 91 - Wadworth's "Malt & Hops"

Today's Beer






Name - Malt & Hops

Brewer - Wadworth

Classification - Premium seasonal ale

Strength - 4.5% ABV


Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye - Mango gold.

On the nose - Buttery and zesty in equal measure. You can literally smell how this beer's name came about!

On the tongue - Full-on bitterness and loaded with rich fruits. Intense.

On the subject - Wadworth produce a total of six seasonal beers covering most times of year, this is their early Autumn brew.

On the market - Rare even when it is available, which is (technically) only around September and October as it's only brewed for a very short period prior to then. Fortunately, bottles keep, so the restriction is less of a problem once you've got your hands on the stuff. The brewery keeps a stock, so try their own online store.

On the whole - 7.5/10


Full Review

The label of this beer reveals the ugly truth.

It reads "Brewed for only four weeks of the year. When it's gone - it's gone."

Few truths could be uglier.

The simple reason why this truth is so appallingly ugly is the fact that this beer is so very good. Therefore it has no business being a limited availability seasonal offering. But then, I find this a lot with 'seasonals' from all kinds of breweries, and I often wonder why decisions to keep good beers restricted are ever made in the first place. I mean, who benefits from this?

Let me be clear though - this brew is not for all tastes. It is, in a word, 'strong.' Not in the alcoholic-content sense of the word (though it is hardly the world's weakest beer in that regard) but rather it is strong in flavour. The zesty bitterness and the rich floral fruitiness are pitched for maximum impact - so much so that it would be hard to imagine consuming much more than a couple of these during any one session. The fruits even take on a slight 'sweetshop' feel at certain points, which could eventually become a little overwhelming even for me, I suspect.

But a single jar of this is very rewarding experience, and there is a overall sense of fun about this beer that I found highly endearing.

Wadworth ales are never shy and retiring, and very rarely are they subtle in flavour.

What they are though is absolutely packed with personality, and there is no better example of this than the distinctive and characterful Malt & Hops.

Day 70, Beer 70 - Wadworth's "6X"

Today's Beer





Name – 6X

Brewer – Wadworth

Classification – Bitter

Strength – 4.3% ABV


Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Brandy copper. Glows with wanton traditional abandon.

On the nose – Toffee malts and dry, straw-like acidity. Faint liquorice. Rich, potent and rather lovely.

On the tongue – Dry, nutty and full bodied. A proper 'grown up' bitter.

On the subject - One of the major players in England's South West, Wadworth's traditional style and authentic tasting ales have earned them a strong and loyal following.

On the market – Their biggest selling ale by some margin. Nationwide availability, but the brewery also has it's own online shop.

On the whole - 8/10


Full Review

This is a beer with a mighty reputation.

In the UK at least, the 6X branding has long been familiar to most beer drinkers, even those who have never tried it.

But is the quality of Wadworth's flagship product anywhere close to being as mighty as it's public image?

Well, to be frank, it's pretty damn close.

But then, the word 'mighty' does have more than one meaning.

Certainly, in terms of making an impression - this ale really knows how to push it's weight around. This is one of the most immediate flavour experiences I can recall.

The impact of that dry, sharp, nutty bitterness is nothing short of aggressive, and the subsequent complementary swathes of floral and citrus themes washes over you like repeated bouts of déjà vu.

It really is kind of dreamy.

For a beer of relatively low alcoholic strength, it storms the mouth like a marauding mob, and displays many of the characteristics of a 'strong' or at least a 'premium' ale.

In truth, I was somewhat wrong-footed by discovering that 6X is merely 4.3% ABV - I'd always assumed it was much more potent, and I give credit to the brewery for endowing this ale with such power and emphasis using (one would imagine) complexity and intensity of flavour rather than just maxing the booze.

That shows real skill.

I can certainly see why this beer is so popular. It makes a big impact without ever shouting or over pitching anything, and this means that - in spite of its undeniably 'mighty' character - you always feel inclined to reach for more.

In a sense, then, this is that strong ale you always wished you could cope with a few more jars of - repackaged in an eminently drinkable form.

Rarely is such a punchy brew found at this strength.

Without a doubt, I could spend many an evening being repeatedly whacked in the jaw by this excellent English ale.

Day 61, Beer 61 - Wadworth's "Farmers Glory"

Today's Beer

Name – Farmers Glory

Brewer – Wadworth

Classification – Premium ale

Strength – 4.7% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Deep, sumptuous rosewood.

On the nose – Cereals like never before. Cereal-zilla!

On the tongue – Traditional bitter with an emphasis those wonderfully rich cereals.

On the subject – "Locally sourced (Wiltshire) barley" sets the tone for this bold and characterful beer.  Well, wherever the barley came from, it certainly makes the difference.

On the market – The Wadworth message is growing beyond that of just their mighty 6X. Even so, the brewery's own shop is a perfect place to buy.

On the whole – 7.5/10

Full Review

Sometimes, in moments of divine inspiration, breweries give their beers exactly the right name.

This is one of those beers.

Firstly, the word 'glory' is used, and that is the proverbial 'nail-on-head' use of the term.

Secondly, and perhaps even more apt, is the use of the word 'farmer', because this ale takes you right onto the farmer's land, among the rows of swaying crops, which border wildflower meadows rimmed with hawthorn and blackberry bushes.

There's no hiding from it - this drink is simply packed with cereals in a way only Kellogg's could compete with.

There's a citrus sweetness, too, to lift the malt up from the earth and into the trees, and a fulsome bitterness from the hops completes the nature-infused appeal of the brew.

There's something knowingly traditional about what Wadworth bring to the marketplace – and I can sense the many generations of farmers (as well as all the other varieties of working folk) savouring this beer at the end of the long day's grind.

There's a spiced orange/aniseed twang to the finish, and a trace of oriental black bean sauce on the nose, but these are the only real hints of any modern-day tinkering. These extra character features work wonderfully, without ever taking centre stage.

Centre stage is taken by those swaying crops and those wildflower meadows...this beer evokes these images as clearly as a liquid ever could.

Halfway through the glass, I felt like I was actually there. I could almost detect those barley ears tapping softly together in the warm summer breeze...

Clever little beer!

Day 51, Beer 51 - Wadworth's "Old Timer"

Today's Beer

Name – Old Timer

Brewer – Wadworth

Classification – Strong Ale

Strength – 5.8% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Deep, rich walnut.

On the nose – Elusive for it's strength. Faint traces of fresh straw and espresso.

On the tongue – Intensely ripened fruits, charcoal and deepest malts. Frenetic and potent.

On the subject – Wadworth & Company of Devizes in Wiltshire have a far wider range of beers than most people realise, and that's partly due to the huge success of their ubiquitous '6X'. But then, 6X is a beer with an 80 year heritage, whereas the beer they named Old Timer is a mere child in comparison – at just 49 years of age. (A '6X' review is coming soon!)

On the market – Further out of Wiltshire and the surrounding counties (where there is no problem at all) this one's a bit on the rare side. But worry not – the brewery's online shop is excellent.

On the whole – 7.5/10

Full Review

This is a powerhouse drink in almost every sense.

The force of that first sip leaves you in no doubt that this is a drink for grown ups. Not just grown up humans either – but grown up human beer drinkers. There's a difference, and this brew reminds you what that difference is.

I feel I should pause here and explain that this beer is a remarkable, perhaps even peerless example of a characterful strong ale. I feel that if I don't pause now to say this, it may begin to seem that I'm not a fan this drink, and I'm pretty certain that I am. I'm also semi-certain that this beer may be a classic. A representative of a lost art of strong beer creation which - as the last of its kind - really needs us all to pay it some serious attention.

But, I just can't be absolutely sure of all this.

Chiefly, my lack of certainty as to this beer's greatness stems from the sheer potency of its character. It is so unrelentingly intense that I feel just a little inclined to hold back on offering maximum high praise, just in case I'm unwittingly allowing this beer to force such a judgement out of me. 

You see, I suspect this ale might be a bit of a bully... and I find myself wanting to keep a very close eye on it.

Not that keeping a close eye on it is entirely devoid of benefits, because there are many good things to discover.

As the label suggests, it is strong, and the word 'strength' applies to everything here. The deep red hue is strong, the char-grilled fruity flavour is strong, the alcohols amid the flavours are strong, and even the two Shire horses on the label look to be well above average in strength. There really is nothing that this beer does weakly.

But does that necessarily make it a bully? Well, perhaps not... but I'd hate to be the guy telling this beer I didn't like the look on it's face.

And, just maybe, this fearsome quality might explain why this very good beer isn't more widely known – as it arguably should be. The fact is, I can see how it might be a little bit full-on for some drinkers. But for those who aren't intimidated by beers with sackfuls of character, they'll quickly discover that this beer is actually not a bully at all.

Not only will it not hurt you - but it might just wind up becoming an old friend.

I certainly grew very fond of it by the end.

I said before that this beer might be a classic of its kind – I reckon I'm going to stick with that assessment.

Wadworth-while!

Six cracking beers from Wadworth's extensive range have arrived - by magic - here at Beer Year Towers.

Actually, its possible they arrived by courier, but there's always a pretty magical feel to a delivery like this.

From left to righ the beers are -

Farmers Glory - (Traditional Ale)
Old Timer - (Strong Ale)
6X - (Famous Ale!)
Horizon - (Golden Ale)
Malt & Hops (Seasonal Ale)
Swordfish (Blend Of 6X and Rum!)

Each one will get the full Beer Year treatment very soon.

Magic!