Day 153, Beer 153 - Shepherd Neame's "Christmas Ale"

Today's Beer

Name – Christmas Ale

Brewer – Shepherd Neame

Classification – Strong 'Seasonal' Ale... (Read on for 'clarification')

Strength – 7.0% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Sumptuous deep chestnut. Unashamedly traditional. (But appearances can deceive...)

On the nose – Fruit cake and ginger biscuit. (Fragrances can also be deceptive...)

On the tongue – A genuine surprise. Light bodied, vividly hopped, complex, dynamic and really rather wonderful. (Taste never lies.)

On the subject – Well, I think you'd better just read on for this one...

On the market – Considering Shepherd Neame's usual coverage, and considering the time of year, I'd say just close your eyes, make a wish, and it will be there.

On the whole – 8.5/10

Full Review

Well, I was steadfastly determined not to review any 'Christmas' beers whatsoever this year until those insolent scoundrels at Shepherd Neame forced me into a corner by sending me a free one.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

The simple reason why I'd (briefly) intended to avoid so-called festive beers is because of the quite baffling effect 'Yuletide' seems to have on the entire brewing industry. By and large, breweries tend to use this time of year as an opportunity to toss away the tremendous levels of respect which they've carefully generated throughout the previous 11 months by handing over responsibility for their Christmas campaign to the nearest newborn gibbon.

As an inevitable result of this handover, the end of year market becomes flooded with all manner of daftly-named, garishly-labelled bottles, most of which are filled with beers that the head brewers (who have also been temporarily replaced by infant gibbons) know will hardly be consumed after December 25^th, so they really ought not to be the finest ales their company will ever produce.

This, of course, is a very cynical view and not at all an accurate representation of what truly goes on.

Much!

Whatever the realities, I just tend not to get all that excited about the beers which show up at this time of year. So it was with an air of quiet suspicion that I cracked the lid on today's beer.

Very shortly afterwards, however, my spirits began to rise.

When I say 'rise', I mean really quite significantly, and I began to believe that the suspicions I've recently been harbouring about 'Britain's Oldest Brewery' might actually be correct.

In short, I think something's happening at Shepherd Neame.

I think changes, subtle at first but increasingly evident lately, have been taking place. And if this beer alone is anything to go by – I'd say those changes are enormously positive ones.

This brewery's aforementioned claim to be 'Britain's Oldest' is one for the lawyers and historians to quibble over, but there's little doubt that these guys have been around for a heck of a long time, and they've been based all along in the very heart of the UK's very own 'Hop Mecca', more commonly known as Kent.

Tradition, then, is the byword here. And there's little doubt that Shepherd Neame continue to brew some of the most traditional feeling English ales around.

But I'll say it again, I reckon something's been happening at this brewery.

Some of their recent releases have had a markedly different feel to them. Their 'Double Stout' and 'India Pale Ale' have a very nice 'retro chic' look to them, and by all accounts they taste a lot more 'exciting' and 'interesting' than plenty of recent offerings from all the other big name firms.

This is great news this brewery, as I firmly believe the best chance the big players have of maintaining their dominant market position is to wake up – and fast – to what's been going on lately outside their castle walls.

But it's also great news for us, because brews like Christmas Ale are heralding some significant new levels of innovation and creativity, whilst also keeping the ghosts of Xmas beers past firmly very firmly at bay.

I kid you not, today's beer makes for an unspeakably gratifying experience. It's robust, but it's equally zesty and packed with vitality. It's bold, but it's equally delicate and playful. It's big, but it ain't at all overbearing – and where they hiding all 7.0% of that ABV is anyone's guess.

Lightly toasted nut and granary loaf malts stand firmly but gracefully at the base, holding aloft a dynamic swirling mass of crisp citrus, deliciously nuanced herbs, a ton of fruity twangs from the likes of apricot and pear – and a finely woven tapestry of mild spice which contains absolutely none of that bullish intensity which can needlessly ruin (for me at least) so many Christmas themed brews. These are beers, after all – not curries!

'Faversham's finest' are quite simply rewriting the Yuletide rules, and I couldn't be happier about it. There's no 'comedy' festive title here, the name couldn't possibly be less gimmicky. There's no whacky recipe mindful of its own very short shelf-life, just delicious well-balanced beer that could be enjoyed all year round. Perhaps most significantly, this is a beer that will (very cleverly) appeal to drinkers on both sides of the evolutionary divide.

The gibbons are back in the zoo.

Shepherd Neame's usual head brewer is definitely back in the building – with a head crammed full of fresh and exciting ideas.

Christmas is most definitely coming.

Day 129, Beer 129 - Traquair's "Jacobite"

Today's Beer

Name – Jacobite

Brewer – Traquair

Classification – Strong spiced ale

Strength – 8.0% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Dark brown doing a very decent impersonation of jet black. It had me totally fooled.

On the nose – Understated berry fruits, over some equally muted licorice malts.

On the tongue – Rich sweetness, deep fruits, subtle spices, tremendous smoky/oaky 'feelgood' warmth. But there's something suspiciously 'different' going on here... (read on)

On the subject – If, for some reason that I cannot reasonably conceive of, Traquair suddenly decided to have all of their awards melted down, they'd probably have enough metal to build a fleet of ships. This is only a very minor exaggeration. Considering they only brew three beers, their enormous success and formidable reputation is all the more impressive.

On the market – Not one you'll find lining the aisles in every supermarket across Britain, but that's 'coz it's dead posh. Try online at Only Fine Beers.

On the whole – 7/10

Full Review

There's been a tremendous surge of 'funky' new black beers cascading onto the market over recent times, which is unquestionably fantastic news for the industry as a whole.

But it's not good news for everyone, least of all for the black beers who were 'funky' around ten years ago – long before the craft beer storm of the century had begun.

Jacobite is one of those beers.

This mighty brew had been one of benchmarks for British dark beers for well over a decade, it had blazed an elegant and dignified trail for ales of darkness with it's all complex richness, it's unique use of spice, and it's nobly non-conformist edge.

You would suppose that when a beer has been as finely crafted as this, there's every reason why it should stand tall in the face of any newer kids on the block.

But, it pains me to say that something is not quite right here. Rather than rise to the challenge posed by these cocky upstarts, this old favourite seems to me to have taken the unusual step of heading upstairs to bed.

Quite literally - right in the midsts of these dynamic days of globe-spanning experimentation, wild creative abandon and unbridled ingenuity - this venerated classic tastes dormant. Like it just can't be bothered.

Or, in another sense, it almost seems as though the beer itself is concious of the new threats to its high status, and it's now holding elements of itself back due to a fear of rejection.

One way or another – something feels lacking, and it has never tasted that way before.

The edges feel blurred, the previously formidable 'spirit' of the drink feels oddly subdued, and as a consequence – the whole build of the beer feels off-kilter.

Now, you have to understand that I'm talking about very small degrees here. The craftspeople at Traquair are simply too adept for this to have become broken beyond repair, but it does feel like a different drink to me, and there are all manner of things that might have caused this to have happened, many of which could be far beyond the control of the team in the brewhouse. It really wouldn't be fair for me to speculate on those causes.

But the effects are clear.

The chief problem is one of specificity. The whole things feels slightly mushy. Cluttered. The knock-on of this overlap of flavours is that the beer has gone from being slick, nuanced and enigmatic – and become soupy, one-dimensional and predictable.

After my previous encounters with this beer – I'd never have thought it possible for it to be anything but deeply complex and invigorating, so I'm actually somewhat alarmed by what I found today. Not least because my recent encounter with this brewery's other famous beer went so spectacularly well.

But let me put things into proper perspective. This is still pretty good stuff. It's got all the rich cocoa, dark berry and licorice intensity that you'd expect from a beer of this kind, and the addition of spices (chiefly coriander) does lend a unique, genteel quirkiness to the character. It's an ideal ale for a winter's night – just as it always has been.

It also delivers plenty of what I can only describe as 'feelgood' warmth. Yes, it's easy to argue that any beer of this strength has the capacity to 'influence the mood', but there's always been something unique about this ale's power to please, and I wouldn't be surprised if that 'spice' was involved in this somehow.

So it's not all bad, by any means. This beer has still got some of its mojo operating as well as ever, but there is a definite sense that it's just not at the top of its game right now, for reasons that remain unclear to me.

A recent change of personnel, location or recipe? It's hard to tell. But there has been a change of something.

I took the unusual step of taking a quick look for 'wider opinion' before posting this, and the first place I looked (one of those multi-user opinion/rating websites) showed that this was a massively highly rated beer – but which had many recent reviews taking a real nosedive, with some commentators mentioning differences or a drop in quality.

Initially, my heart leapt to see this correlation with my response, but then it rapidly sank when I realised the probability that something was amiss was now even greater.

Again, this is not a crisis I'm talking about. In the greater scheme of things these differences are almost microscopic.

But for a beer with such a heritage – with a reputation based largely on power defying nuance – microscopic change is all that's required to upset all of those the finely tuned subtleties and intricacies.

As things stand, some of these details have become lost, leaving us with a beer which is merely good – rather than one which is utterly remarkable.

I know which one I preferred.

I hope to see it return.

Day 114, Beer 114 - Otley's "O8"

Today's Beer

Name – O8

Brewer – Otley

Classification – Strong ale

Strength – 8.0% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – Vibrant, lustrous gold.

On the nose – Relentless spiced citrus.

On the tongue – A formidable beer on every level, yet also utterly drinkable.

On the subject – The eye-catching, highly enigmatic Otley range of beers has an ever growing army of fans. After today, I've officially enlisted myself. This Welsh brewery is fuelled by genuinely collective talent which shows itself across the board.

On the market – Still not as widely available as they merit, but that's no problem in these web-lead days. Try the Real Beer Box.

On the whole – 9/10

Full Review

Now this is very good.

To be honest, I hadn't yet got off to the earth-shaking start I'd expected with Otley, and I should probably blame their branding for that.

The famous Otley 'look' is so comprehensively marvellous that it generates levels of anticipation that few beers could ever hope to live up to. Certainly, none of the Otley beers I'd tried so far had quite managed this feat.

But today's beer had no difficulty at all.

At the first taste, this magnificent brew puts its own fancy label rapidly back in its place.

For me at least, O8 will forever mark the spot where the contents of Otley bottles became even more impressive than their exterior design.

And, by the gods, what a beer it is!

And it's a big beer.

Huge citrus principles themes, powerhouse booziness (which never feels overdone), a lovely firmness in the body and enough vibrant complexity to keep your mind racing throughout.

But in spite of the grand scale and the sheer intensity of all these elements, I just couldn't help reaching again and again for more, there's nothing remotely aggressive about the drink. It simply uses it's many strengths to charm and bewitch you, instead of making you run for your life.

Spicy, zesty and outrageously dynamic. This is absolutely top-drawer craft brewing, and a beer which sets the benchmark for all strong golden beers.

I had previously entertained the notion that Otley might be slightly in danger of prioritising style over substance.

This epic ale has banished such thoughts forever from my mind.

Otley do great branding and great beer. And I can't wait to see what's next.

Day 111, Beer 111 - Woodforde's "Headcracker"

Today's Beer

Name – Headcracker

Brewer – Woodforde's

Classification – 'Golden barley wine' (Strong ale)

Strength – 7.0% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye – I just can't bring myself to talk about it. (Read on...)

On the nose – Fruit punch. And by 'punch' I mean 'left hook to the jaw'.

On the tongue – Intensely fruity and unashamedly 'boozy.' Great stuff, but needlessly flawed... (Read on...)

On the subject – I like Woodforde's. I have done for many years. I'm perfectly serious about that. I hope that's all very clear before you read on...

On the market – 'Somewhat elusive' is how I might describe this bottled beer. I'd say some small but significant changes need to be made before its availability gets any wider. The full review will explain why. Those who doubt what they are about to read can place an order via the brewery's own online store.

On the whole – 6.5/10* (*I should be giving it 8/10, but I just can't...)

Full Review

I really don't know how to begin.

My strong affection for this brewery makes me want to start on a positive note, but that same strong affection is also willing me to be brutally frank, in the hope it might make a positive difference in the long run.

So I'll do both.

The positive beginning goes like this...

Headcracker is another great Woodforde's beer. It's a hugely robust fruit-packed explosion of a brew, with a vibrant orange-citrus intensity, some faint darker-fruit twangs, and an enjoyably 'boozy' feel.

Essentially, it's a beer that lives up to it's name. It's a trainload of highly-strung satsumas on PCP who have all just been told they've been fired.

This is citrus on the rampage.

Fruit fury.

And it's all rather wonderful.

Sadly though, this is where the positive beginning slams into a wall.

A big, and distinctly lumpy wall.

Yes, you've guessed it, we've got another 'yeast beast.'

Another poorly bottle-conditioned beer.

Another needlessly compromised fine ale.

And, therefore, we've got another unavoidable rant from yours truly.

But this particular rant carries slightly more weight than most, because we've pretty much been here before with Woodforde's, and when patterns start to develop, it suggests a genuine problem.

The good news is – this problem is 100% solvable. And the reason I know it's solvable is because when this brewery aren't getting it wrong, they are getting it more right than most other breweries in the industry.

This bottle of Admiral's Reserve, for example, they bottle-conditioned with astoundingly successful results. It felt like pub-served beer, which is arguably the principle aim of bottle-conditioning. So there's no question that they can hit the spot in this department.

The problem is clearly just one of consistency, as this other beer from their range demonstrated with unsettling ease.

So, what we have here is a company with all the right ideas, who achieve great results when things go well – but who are not getting those results often enough.

From my reviews alone, it seems the chance of getting unacceptable amounts of 'matter' floating around in a Woodforde's bottled beer stands at exactly 50/50, and from a consumers point of view those odds are just too risky. Bottled craft ale is already too expensive long before your start rolling those kinds of dice.

The truly unpalatable ingredient here is that Woodforde's are brewing exciting beers of very high quality indeed, and these are products which deserve better. One highly preventable little hiccup at the end of an otherwise highly diligent and painstaking production process is spoiling these wonderful creations. In my view, this is tragedy on a Shakespearian scale.

The reality is that I'm in now a position where I can't enthusiastically recommend this beer to people – when it is clearly a very recommendable product. That's enormously frustrating.

And so, to Woodforde's – to my precious Woodforde's – I would say this. Given your considerable size relative to many other craft breweries in the UK, is there any way you could divert a few extra coins in the direction of this pesky issue? I would put money on there being a bunch of people out there who, like me, are currently fearful of buying your bottled ales – and I'd bet even more money that tinkering with this small problem will quickly win these people back.

The issue is simple. I would like the essential yeast to be far less abundant are far more refined.

I'd like to see 'fine dust' rather than 'massive boulders'.

'Delicate additions' rather than 'bloated floaters.'

I believe in your ales. They're special.

I think they deserve better.

In fact, I know they do.

If I didn't feel so passionate about these beers I'd dismiss them with a low score and no explanation.

But I do feel passionate about them, and this review should be regarded as my passionate plea on their behalf.

Day 105, Beer 105 - Worthington's "Celebration Shield"

Today's Beer

Name - Celebration Shield

Brewer - Worthington

Classification - Commemorative strong ale

Strength - 8% ABV

Verdict - At A Glance

On the eye - Rich, toffee amber. Eye-catching bubbles. Eye-popping, even.

On the nose - Intoxicating sharp sweetness.

On the tongue - A massively impactful ale on almost every level.

On the subject - A very limited amount of these were brewed to mark the opening of Worthington's new White Shield Brewery in 2010. It's rather like a nuclear blend of Worthington's two other 'Shields' - 'White' and 'Red'.

On the market - Forget about it. Seriously.

On the whole - 7/10

Full Review

Nobody likes a bighead.

Except, of course, in the world of beer.

But even on planet beer, heads can sometimes get too big, and I have to say I've never seen a head quite like the one produced by Worthington's Celebration Shield.

I'm convinced that this was yet another case of a bottle-conditioned beer protesting about being placed (gently) in the fridge for twenty minutes prior to being opened - in other words, a beer refusing to be served at optimum temperature - but whatever the reason, the result was a beer which actually came out of the bottle in bubble-form rather than the more commonplace liquid form.

The results were dramatic, to say the least. I had two glasses, two large spoons and a roll of kitchen towel on the scene long before these pictures were able to be taken. At various times during the attempted pour I felt somewhat like a paramedic. Or a storm chaser. Or a volcanologist.

The upshot of it is that I now officially have yet another reason to fear bottle-conditioned beers, and the way 'fear' usually manifests itself within the consumer's mind is in the form of a non-purchase, which is a sad state of affairs indeed.

As regular readers will know, I was already very wary of bottle-conditioned beers because of the apparent 50/50 risk of getting piles of congealed matter floating around in my drink, which I do not like and will never like, in spite of how breweries like to tell us how perfectly harmless it all is. I mean, nightmares about being chopped in half are ultimately 'harmless', but few people would enjoy having them.

But now I'm also realising that many of these beers can suffer from random temperature-related 'mood swings' which leave me with temporally unpourable beer and a certified guarantee of eventually getting yeast in my glass. The biggest shock here was that Worthington's have one of the best methods of achieving bottle-conditioning, which usually allows you to pour almost almost all of the drink without infecting it with grimy solids. But it now seems even their drinks will only do this if they're in the right 'frame of mind', and frankly that's just not an acceptable situation for me to keep putting myself in.

This is pretty decent beer, too, which only adds to the grief. And when it's also a very rare label like this one is – the sense of disappointment which bottle-conditioning instills is yet more potent.

But, this beer is called Celebration, so maybe they wanted it bursting out all over the place like fizzy wine. It seems fairly logical, if not massively enjoyable.

But let's try to focus on what there is to be jolly about. Because there's actually quite a bit.

It's a huge drink, no question about that. The alcohol content doesn't shy away in the corner by any means, but there are plenty of flavours here too, even though they don't disguise the booze level so much as match it punch for punch.

A strong-feeling strong ale is what this is, and the strength is in the taste as well as in the near-swooning effects of that no-nonsense 8%.

A part of me (the guy that took about 30 percent of the sips) found it all a bit overpowering and longed for something just a little more laid back, whilst the other part of me was getting all dewy-eyed and loved-up over it. And I think that's pretty much how it would be received in the wider drinking world, with the large majority lapping it up (slowly, I would advise) and with the rest fearing not to tread much further than a couple of mouthfuls. But the wider drinking world will never receive it, as it's very limited edition status dictates.

Subtle it is not, and yet it is nuanced - and you really can't say that about many beers in the known universe.

The various themes found in amongst that powerhouse booziness include orange, mango, gooseberry and even liquorice. Overall, there's a sense of aggressive sweetness, which is every bit as daunting as it is delightful.

All in all – especially given the trouble it caused me – I would probably not buy another of these, even though aspects of it were properly excellent. But my decision not to go in search of more is probably just as well, because only in the collectors market or the odd rare boutique would I ever find another one anyway. Well, except for that second bottle they sent me, which I will now cower in fear of whenever I see it.

Anyway, it's definitely worth trying if you somehow manage to stumble upon one, but for pity's sake – check that it's been having a good day before you even think about taking it's lid off!

And even then, make sure you've got a second empty glass, two large spoons and a full roll of paper towel standing at the ready.

I'm not even kidding.