Day 82, Beer 82 - Wold Top's "Mars Magic"

Today's Beer






Name - Mars Magic

Brewer - Wold Top

Classification - Dark beer

Strength - 4.6% ABV


Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye - Enigmatic, deepest rosewood.

On the nose - Intense, almost brittle sweetness. Brooding low notes.

On the tongue - Sharp, dry, fruity, with rich and lively malts.

On the subject - Wold Top Brewery have a huge range of ales relative to the small size of their coastal Yorkshire operation - not they are anything like as tiny as they were only a few years ago. The reason for their ever increasing presence in supermarkets is all too obvious to those who've tried their excellent beers.

On the market - Like I said, the Wold Top brand has a growing national profile. If you don't fancy yet another trip to your nearest megastore - try the brewery's own online shop.

On the whole - 8/10


Full Review

"Ale... the final frontier...."

For those already in a mild panic - fear not - because I'm going to rapidly abandon any further Star Trek references... but in a sense, a beer review site really is a voyage of discovery in the style of that original 60's series format.

But Wold Top's Mars Magic is the first actual planet that my particular expedition has yet come across.

Or do I mean 'landed on..?'

Anyway, the great irony here is that there is nothing remotely extra-planetary or even vaguely science-fictional about this brew, which is actually just a very typical (though also a very fine) example of a well loved drink variety, commonly known back on it's home world as 'beer.'

This is very much an Earth Ale. No question about it. Rich berry fruits (commonly found on said world) faint exotic spices (not so exotic they aren't found under our own troposphere) and some haunting, highly energetic forest floor malts (again, very much of Earthly stock) - these are all flavours from this particular cosmic orb, that's for sure.

But, in spite of this beer being recognisable as a drink from our neck of the universe, what is less clear - is precisely what kind of beer this is meant to be.

There's a little too much going on in a little too many parts of the flavour spectrum to easily pin this ale down into any one category. 'Dark Beer' says a great deal about the colour, but this name becomes a bit of a (dark) red herring when applied to the kaleidoscopic flavour content of the brew.

Do not, however, take this as a bad thing. I nearly always like to be surprised by a characterful beer whose character is hard to quickly define. And more specifically, it's always an exciting moment when you discover that a drink doesn't taste the way it looks, if you take my meaning.

This beer is refreshing and yet comforting, complex and yet direct, dark and yet remarkably light in the mouth. It's a gutsy, powerful drink experience - but it never quite feels like it.

These are all pretty clever tricks for a beer to play, and probably pretty hard to achieve. For that, I commend the folks in brewhouse.

So, although I'm not entirely sure what this beer is up to, I can safely say that whatever it is doing - it is doing it in some considerable style.

It might not be particularly other-worldly, but really is quite magic.

Day 79, Beer 79 - Dark Star's "Espresso"

Today's Beer





Name - Espresso

Brewer - Dark Star

Classification - Rich Coffee Beer

Strength - 4.2% ABV


Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye - Cocoa Chanel, if you see what I mean...

On the nose - Half full-bodied stout, half Javan ground coffee.

On the tongue - Well, I reckon this one goes way beyond a quick summary. (Read on...)

On the subject - From extremely humble beginnings, Dark Star is now growing, growing, growing! New premises, an evolving list of pubs, new beers appearing all the time. Who can possibly stop this awesome expansion? Where are you Superman?!!

On the market - As you may have noticed, Dark Star beer's cannot be found everywhere. As you may have heard, that is a great shame. The brewery recommend My Brewery Tap for online orders.

On the whole - 9/10


Full Review

Confession time.

Usually, during a taste test, I take a good mouthful of the beer in front of me, gulp it down, and take another mouthful immediately afterwards. It's not massively scientific (as you can clearly see) but it's a pretty decent way of exposing the drink to as many regions of myself that might wish to offer-up some initial feedback. This is also usually a point where I stop drinking for a moment whilst I scribble some of that early feedback down.

Now for the confession.

This beer made me break the rules.

Instead of sitting back and letting the brew 'occur to me' for a few moments, I reached straight back for another large helping like my life depended on it.

In my own defence - the beer left me with very little choice about this. I simply could not wait.

And the reason I couldn't wait is because this beer is that extremely rare combination of utterly delicious and utterly unique.

Frankly, whether this is a 'speciality' beer or not (or even a 'novelty' beer - as some misguided traditionalists will surely say), it is absolutely top-drawer stuff regardless of any mode of classification.

Quite honestly, when it came to trying to describe this ale's flavour - I repeatedly started giggling. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was exactly the reaction Dark Star had in mind when they were conjuring up this recipe, because very little about what these guys do seems to happen by accident.

Clever brains lurk in dark stars.

By way of an attempt to assess the flavours at play here, I must at least mention Cuban cigars, almonds, Javan coffee beans, liquorice, some astounding top note themes involving all kinds of citrus and floral notes, and marshmallow - with this latter hint adding a certain welcome playfulness to what is otherwise a purely elegant and sophisticated affair.

Refreshingly light in body and full of gothic splendour on the eye - this is a revelation in terms of the exciting directions that a truly fine ale can go.

I urge you to drink this beer (fairly well chilled, crucially) at your very earliest convenience.

It is properly mind-bending, and properly good.

Day 60, Beer 60 - Dorset Brewing Company's "Silent Knight"

Today's Beer

Name – Silent Knight

Brewer – Dorset Brewing Company

Classification – Dark Wheat Beer

Strength – 5.9% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Seductive, darkest orange.

On the nose – Mightily rich. Torched oats and treacle.

On the tongue – Sweet, bitter, and all else in between. Impressive complexity.

On the subject – A winter beer when in cask form, this ale has picked up national awards in the wheat beer category. Not that I'm surprised!

On the market – Great local availability, and that's now spreading. Try online at West Country Ales.

On the whole – 8.5/10

Full Review

This is very nice.

It seemed ridiculous to begin this piece in any other way.

What is most remarkable – and this becomes clear immediately – is the way this beer interacts with every separate receptive region of the tongue at precisely the same time and with exactly the same intensity.

It was only when this happened that I realised how most beers don't tend to do that. The usual mode of delivery for a beer is to appeal to the different flavour detection zones at different rates, but this beer is having none of that 'traditional' nonsense!

Sweetness, bitterness, saltiness and acidity all descend upon the tongue like some impossible simultaneous weather event . It's like mid-summer, deep winter, fading autumn and burgeoning spring all arriving at the very same tick of the clock.

It's highly enjoyable.

As well as arriving all at once, each of these flavour themes are quite distinct and quite wonderful. Toasted marshmallow collides dramatically and deliciously with blackberry and liquorice, and there's constant support from treacle toffee and spiced apple.

The other, more peculiar aspect of this drink experience is that – as a wheat beer – it failed to make me sneeze.

I should add that I'm more than happy for a wheat beer to fail in this way.

However, my question is – how can one wheat beer induce no allergic reaction whatsoever when most others always do?

If anyone can explain why this might be – feel free to release me from my new-found state of mild bewilderment.

In the meantime, I've found a wheat beer that likes me back.

One which happens to be one of the best I've ever tasted.

Happy day!

Day Sixteen, Beer Sixteen - Bath Ales' "Barnstormer"

Today's Beer

Name – Barnstormer

Brewer – Bath Ales

Classification – Dark Bitter

Strength – 4.5% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – The last moments of late summer twilight. A very nice looking beer.

On the nose – Smells like my favourite granny's larder. That's a good thing.

On the tongue – A mass brawl for the tongues attention, from which there are winners...eventually.

On the subject – Bath Ales are expanding rapidly. I'll resist saying they are 'breeding like rabbits' because that's not a rabbit on their company logo. It's a hare.

On the market – Supermarkets are going increasing loopy over this company. Buying direct is still very much an option.

On the whole – 8/10

Full Review

Every once in a while, I find myself getting into a bit of a muddle about 'dark bitters'.

I'll see that they're in stock, and then fail to find a good enough reason to choose them over a stout or a porter. I mean, if you're feeling inclined to 'go dark', then why not do it properly? - that's the sort of mentality I can develop from time to time.

With their 'Barnstormer', Bath Ales have come up with pretty good means of freeing-up such mental blocks in the future.

The fact is, this perky beer is a prime example of precisely why dark bitters are different beast altogether from the stouts and porters of this world (not to mention the German Schwarzbiers) and it has left me doubting that I'll ever get in a muddle about this matter ever again.

It's the texture and the complexity of beers like this which set them apart from these other varieties.

Barnstormer's lightweight, warm biscuit depth becomes a stomping ground for a whole host of other mischievous lesser flavour themes, which race around – much like the brewery's emblematic hare – all over your mouth.

This is a busy drink. There's a certain impatience in the brew – it's as though all these many flavours were in competition to appeal to your taste buds. The winners on this occasion were steamed Bramley apple, sweet potato and, unless I'm very much mistaken – aubergine.

It really is a fine example of this particular beer variety, and I offer it my personal thanks for saving me from any further periods of dark bitter-based bewilderment.

Day Thirteen, Beer Thirteen - York Brewery's "Ghost Ale"

Today's Beer

Name – Ghost Ale

Brewer – York Brewery

Classification – Dark Ale

Strength – 5.4% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – The stuff of nightmares. It says – 'approach with extreme caution and a priest...'

On the nose – Sticks of liquorice being massacred by globules of black treacle. With few survivors.

On the tongue – Don't be afraid, this is “Casper The Friendly Ghost Ale”.... Well, I like him.

On the subject – Under fairly new ownership, this Yorkshire firm show promising signs of maintaining their previously established high standards. I suspect the city walls of York won't hold them in for too much longer.

On the market – Spreading nicely, and their brewery is pretty much an open house. Glorious concept!

On the whole – 7/10

Full Review

After a week or so of being surrounded by a carpet of frozen snow, the damned stuff finally began to melt away today, but instead of feeling a sense of relief that I could finally walk to my car without fear of death – this pesky bottle of beer came along and made me wish that the whole world would ice-over again for at least another few days.

'Ghost Ale' is that pesky beer's name.

This is one of those nuisance beers which makes you want to relax by the fire and overthrow a small nation all at once. It soothes you and fires you up at the same rate, which happens to be the sort of feeling oddballs such as myself like to get off on, I might as well admit.

There's something darkly indulgent about it – so rich and fulsome is the experience. In fact, why don't I just be frank... this beer is sexy.

I'm talking about the sort of 'sexy' status which my younger self might have afforded the 'sexy' black car in Knight Rider. And I'm not speaking of the driver of that car, let me make that distinction abundantly clear.

No, it is that ridiculous jazzed-up Pontiac, 'Kit', with which this beer shares it sexiness. All dark, shiny and aloof, with a healthy attitude problem.

In fact, another feature that these two share is that they were both painstakingly designed and assembled – they're all bells and whistles and things that go 'ping', and I congratulate the boffins at York Brewery because, unlike the builders of 'Kit', they have created something unique here in the real world, and they should achieve recognition for the obvious success of their high-minded scheme.

This is a fine winter ale which makes you literately wish for awful weather. 

It's not every day you'll here me champion a creation such as that.