With Glastonbury only a few days away there’s a big supermarket trip around the corner to stock up on all the liquid lunches we’ll be needing over the 5 days we spend wallowing in mud, Carlsberg cans and the reverberation of  thumping speakers.

But what is the perfect festival beer?

What's the perfect festival beer?

At Glastonbury you can take what you want. Unlike other festivals, once you’re in, you’re in, and you may freely waltz around with your chosen tipple without fear of eviction. Last year one chap had 3 cans of Stella strapped to each limb with duck tape. He was never without a beer.

The perfect drink has to be light. Multiple car trips are not good so you need to be able to pack it in a rucksack, pop it under your arm or balance it on your head for the long walk from car park to chosen pitching ground.

The perfect drink has to be refreshing. If the sun comes out it needs to revive; if the mud rises up it needs to make you feel fighting fit to grapple through the bodies and lost wellies.

This enigmatic tipple mustn’t be too strong. No-one wants to miss the single unmissable act of the day, not drink too much and earn themselves an early retirement to the tent. You want to be up from 11am until 4am, with perhaps a mid afternoon nap in a quiet folk tent near the tippees.

You need to be able to drink all day and never feel under the weather.

And this magic beer (or other alternative beverage) must be passable, nay even enjoyable when warm.  In a perfect world it will chill quickly too and never warm up, if nature or some fancy technology (aka cool box) gives you the opportunity.

We could try lager. Widely available in lightweight cans of various strengths. It’s refreshing when hot which ticks an important box, but crucially though, it’s a bit rubbish when not ice cold.

So in case of warm conditions perhaps we should take some ale. Bottled conditioned is an absolute no-no, and even simply bottles are a bad idea. Stone’s Bitter or Tanglefoot anyone? A choice between garish orange or red, unless you want to risk Smoothflow, of course.

Then there’s the alternative solution, cider. Before you conjure images of vagrants and teenagers on a park bench, just remember the criteria.

Lightweight.

Not too strong.

Easy to carry.

Drinkable warm.

Suddenly Strongbow seems more appealing than ever…

The usually quiet fields of Pilton in Somerset are normally full of cows and green, green grass. But for a few days they'll be home to us and 140,000 other revellers (as the meeja like to call festival folk).

Colonsay 80/-

It has been some time since the prelude to this particular dream was published but I am now finally (and I apologise for the delay) in a position to let you all in on my part of the fantastic experience that has been Beerswap 2009. For those who don’t remember I was sent a selection of refreshing beers from North of the border by Robbie @ I Might Have a Glass of Beer and this is what I thought…

Colonsay 80/- Ale – 4.2%

The initial impression I got of this beer (largely from the bottle) was that it looked a little camp. The pink label and fancy writing stood out but it didn’t take too much of a closer inspection to see that this really isn’t the case. The Brewer’s description states that they ‘think the slight peatiness of our island water brings out the malt, almost smoky flavour’. I soon realised that this beer isn’t the gaudy insecure chap making a lot of noise in his bright pink shirt but rather the big guy who’s comfortable in his salmon shirt happy in the knowledge that;
1.    if he wanted to (and he never would) he could kick your arse; and,
2.    his  girlfriend is gorgeous.
And so it is with 80 /-. The initial taste is similar to a traditional non hopped British Bitter, John Smiths Cask for example, and only a slightly lighter tone of colour indicates the crisp, clearer and lighter flavour that follows. The smoky depth comes through into your mouth after you have swallowed but whilst on the tongue the beer offers a soft clarity which, while not dominating the taste buds, flows around the mouth with a velvet smoothness.
The sum total of these attributes results in a subtle drinkability, with the flavoursome aftertaste quickly drawing the glass back to the mouth until the full pint has quickly vanished. This is one of the most pleasingly drinkable Ales I can remember enjoying in recent times.

Houston Crystal Pale Ale – 5.0% abv

Crystal Pale Ale

I thought things were taking a step towards the wild side when I turned to this Pale Ale. All the ingredients (and lets be honest there are only a small number required) were there for a decent Pale Ale. When I originally drank the beer I was a little disappointed. However, as I type, I have to confess that I am now concerned that I may be a victim of the ‘Brewdog Generation’. In other words I am beginning to expect to have my tastebuds blown out by every bottle coming out of Scotland with the word ‘Hops’ on it.

Let me first say that of the four beers I received this made the most attractive (beauty of course being entirely the opinion of the beholder) pint when poured. As I would expect of a beer whose brewer attentative enough to list the quality of the water used in brewing amoung their main beers attributes, the texture was crisp and sharp. As a member of the ‘Brewdog generation’ I would say that the Hoppyness left me wanting a little more, but this is as likely to be a deficiency of the hop addicted reviewer than the beer itself. The taste almost fizzed away with a hint of sherbert rather than dominating the mouth in the way I was eager for.

I di enjoy the sherbert flavour, like thousands of little of crystals creating mini explosions in the mouth. I get the feeling that, if I wasn’t such a Hop fiend, I would be raving about this beer.

St Mungo Premium Lager, 4.7% abv

This is a golden lager, less carbonated than I expected from the appearance, strong and malty in flavour but not to the degree of a Brooklyn or similar type lager. While comparing this to other lagers I should say that it also does not have the crispness or cleanness of a James Boags.

This walking of the line between the strongly flavoured robust lagers and the refreshing clean lagers means that this was a new and almost unique drinking experience for me and, although I would be reluctant to spend an evening drinking just this lager, I would certainly make it an addition to the beer cellar for something different.

Isle of Arran

Isle of Arran Ale – 3.8% abv

This beer offers 9 different ways of saying the word beer on the bottle and this reflects the fact that it was clearly the most ‘touristy’ of the beers that I had been sent in this year’s beer swap. The picturesque label, guilded in faux gold, suggests that it is probably marketed more at my Grandad’s generation than my own.

This beer falls somewhere between the 80 /- and Crystal Pale, my first few mouthfuls presented the malt but the hop seems to have become more dominant to my tastebuds as I worked my way down the glass. The same citrussy, sherbert fruitiness that was present in the Crystal Pale was in this beer but again the hoppyness could have been stronger for my tastes.

Conclusion

It might  be easy to see from my tasting notes which was my winner but, having had the opportunity to sample four new brews that would have otherwise possible never met with my Southern tastebuds, BEERSWAP was the real winner!!!

Harvey’s Blue label

The first of three Harvey’s beers, I was hoping this would nicely wash down a Thai green chicken curry. It’s a coppery pale ale and poured with next to no head. I was expecting something lively from this diminutive bottle, but it was generally flat and a bit watery. Having heard lots about Harvey’s beers my first impressions were a little underwhelming.

Harvey's Blue Labvel - I love the simple branding and label design

It had a really nice, subtle aroma of lemons and limes, and there was a limey tang in the taste. It was super drinkable being soft on the palate with a smooth mouth feel. It wasn’t very bitter (the bottle says a ‘delicate bitterness’ which is an understatement) as you might expect from a beer weighing in at just 3.6% ABV. There was a sweet maltiness in the finish. I believe this beer is dry hopped which may explain some of its character

This did actually live up the bill, kind of accidentally, as it did wash down the green curry well in taste and texture, but I’m not sure this could become a favourite, and I’m not sure I’ve had the best bottle of it. One to give another go…

Harvey’s India Pale Ale

Harvey's India Pale Ale

Having found the Blue Label a bit flat I was hoping the India pale ale would have a bit more kick. I was very surprised to see that it packed only 3.2% of alcohol goodness, which is low for most beers let alone an IPA.

I straight away suspected dry-hopping in play (I haven’t been able to confirm this or not yet). The label was actually ripped over the ABV but once I’d managed to repair the tear it definitely said 3.2%. So given the Blue Label was only marginally stronger I approached this bottle with some trepidation.

It immediately had more fizz and bite to it and was a similar complexion to the Blue Label. The gentle carbonisation was pleasant but there’s not a whole lot of taste to back this up. It was clean, simple and refreshing, but it won’t blow your mind hop heads.

Harvey’s Elizabethan ale

Harvey's Elizabethan ale washed down mince pie and cream nicely

Third up of the Harvey’s beers is Elizabethan Ale, a strong barley wine beer. Barley wine isn’t a style I have a lot of drinking experience with, but knowing I had mince pies to follow the Thai green curry (some time later!) this had been one of the reasons I picked the Harvey’s trio.

The aroma was sweet and the taste and texture extenuated this, syrupy and like sticky pudding. At first the spirit-like alcohol taste was quite noticeable (although I had jumped from a 3% beer to one at over 8%!) but after a few sips this dissipated behind peaches and demerera sugar.

This wasn’t overpowering as I’ve found with some barley wines, in fact it seems to be a family quality of the Harvey’s beers that they are easy to drink if a little subdued. Perhaps subtle is a better word. But I like them all and there’s definitely a role for Harvey’s in my beer cupboard.

And barley wine and mince pies kinda works too!

Harvey's Blue Label, India Pale and Elizabethan ales

Bath Ales Barnstormer beer review

The first time I tried Bath Ales‘ dark offering, I wasn’t blown away. Perhaps I mused in my notebook at the time, it’s too subtle for me. I’d picked it up from Sainsbury’s (and funnily enough research for our latest series of posts shows it was in fact a winner of their beer competition in 2008).

Three months later and my beer experience has been blown wide open, much as a result of this site. I’ve experienced a wider variety of styles and challenged myself to write reviews on new and different beers. Coming back to Barnstormer was a pleasure, because since I last tried it I’ve actually grown quite a passion for darker beers: milds, stouts and porters all included.

This passion started whilst walking the Pennine Way with my Dad in May. The first pub in Edale, The Nag’s Head, served three beers: crudely a bitter, a pale and a dark mild (as I remember it!). My Dad’s enthusiasm at seeing a dark mild (albeit not quite the type of cheap stuff he used to guzzle as a lad growing up in Halifax) made me try a this old-fashioned looking pint and numerous other examples along the ‘Way.

Barnstorming beer from Bath Ales

The glory of the darker beer is often the complete opposite thinking to some of the paler beers I was used to. Hops sometimes make a star appearance but more often than not malt is given the pedestal, the starring role and the opportunity to show what it can do.

On its second showing Barnstormer shone for me. Fruits dominate the smell and sweet malt infuses the taste. Burnt embers mingle with the fruity nose resulting in a complex dark bitter that deserves it ‘distinctive’ label. There might be traces of chocolate in there too, that dark, cocoa bean kind.

There’s no doubt the first time round I didn’t think much of this,  I must have served it straight out of the fridge or something. Second times around it was much better – this is a fine dark ale with a complexity that’s easy to stomach and pleasing on the senses.

Ok, ok: I should have learnt by now that that is not the way to deal with these offerings. They should be sipped and savoured; explored beyond the taste of the alcohol.

Straight from the bottle, Dogma oozes aroma. There is a sweetness to the scent that reminds of wild berries and somehow defies the dark golden straw colour of the body.

The bottle label promises a whole range of unique ingredients: honey, guarand, poppy and koala nut. After my first oversized gulp, all I could taste (and feel) was alcohol; that warm, overpowering rush that overwhelms the back of the mouth and lets you know that it has been there for a good while afterwards.

So in attempt to find the promised flavours, I went on to smaller sips. This worked wonders. Left to linger in the mouth, Dogma shows it’s sweeter side with the aforementioned berries and honey being noticable. I also sensed a hint of spiciness in there as well, reminiscent of cinnemon. I couldn’t tell you if there was a Koala nut in there as, quite frankly, I’ve never heard of them let alone tried them!

Despite finally working my way through to the flavours in Dogma, I still found it quite a tricky 330ml to get through. Sipping takes a long time and it remains a beverage for those for whom the warmth of a high ABV is a pleasure and not a chore.

If you want to sample some of the new wave of high-alcohol, high-flavour ales coming out of the brat-pack breweries, this is by no means BrewDog’s finest offering, but a great example of how new flavours are being blended into bottled beers with interesting and exciting results.

Now that I’ve discovered a way of drinking strong beverages, I’ve always fancied trying to appreciate whiskies…

Right it was day two of the Super 8′s yesterday in the Twenty20 World cup and England took a good old tonking off the Saffers. Let’s see if we could get our own back by pitting one of own nation’s fine ales against the Cape shandy that Smithy and his boys will have been sitting down to last night.

South African – Castle Lager, 5.0% abv

In to bat first is the South African opener. I had mine ice cold, just how I like my lagers on a warm day, but have to admit that it hasn’t really kept it’s cool under the pressure out in the middle. I like the fact that it was flavoursome and malty for a lager, justifying it’s premium tag. It was, however, a little disappointing in terms of texture. Oddly, because I usually find lager too fizzy, this feels strangely flat in the mouth.

Score (out of 20) – Good opening partnership but a disappointing middle order – 8

Blighty – Extra Special ASDA Golden Ale, 4.5% abv

I purchased this beer in advance, hoping the weather would respect the cricket and allow me a clear crisp evening outside on the patio. It did not. Having said that, the beer is actually maltier that it’s golden appearance suggests and, while it is by no means heavy or dark, it has a sturdier backbone than I was expecting. I would therefore say that it is probably more suited to a crisp springtime evening than the strong midday sun.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with this ale and I expect that it is widely, and relatively cheaply, available through ASDA supermarkets. Certainly it is worth a taste to see if you agree with my opinion that, while it does not have the sweetness and finesse required to find itself on any shortlists for great golden ales, it grinds out a solid win for the English code of the game.

Score (out of 20) – consistently above average throughout without shining, ground out the win – 14