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!!!