Finally, the hobby put a strain on household resources (not enough water pressure, not enough electric phases) and Jeff packed in his successful career to start Lovibonds in his adopted home of Henley-on-Thames. Lovibonds is one of only a handful of craft brewers in the UK that kegs 100% of its production, despite disapproval from the consumer rights group, CAMRA.

Jeff Rosenmeier

A castaway classic?

Orval and cheese

Cheeky La Chouffe

The Beers

Hello Jeff! Which five beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

1. Lakefront Brewery Inc. Milwaukee – Eastside Dark (U.S.A. – 5.5%)
   “My first job out of University was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My friends and I started to get into the up and coming craft beer scene that was breaking through the industrial beer of Milwaukee in the early 90’s. One of the first dark beers I tried was Eastside Dark on draught at a local bowling alley (that’s what you do in Wisconsin). I was blown away at how this beer could be so dark yet so refreshingly smooth and drinkable.”
2. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (U.S.A. – 5.6%)
   “I had a cousin that lived in Colorado and he bought me a couple bottles at a bar one night. I don’t think I had ever experienced hops like I did when we drank those beers. Funny, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale pales in comparison to the mega hopped beers of today, but in the early 1990’s it was a revelation to me and one of the reasons I started to brew beer…and I know I’m not alone.”
3. Brasserie d’Achouffe (Moortgat) – La Chouffe [Draught](Belgium – 8%)
   “When I was still working in IT I was lucky enough to be stationed on a project in Amsterdam. Every night the team would end up in a tiny little Belgian Beer Cafe with the most insanely fresh La Chouffe on draught. I had a pretty serious relationship with that beer, I loved it all, not only was it lush and dangerously drinkable but it had the whole package, the sweet glass, the little Chouffe dude.”
4. Alaskan Brewing Co. Juneau – Alaskan Smoked Porter (U.S.A. – 6.5%)
   “I was lucky enough to go travelling with my wife several years ago and we spent a lot of time in Alaska. Of course we drank a lot of great Alaskan Brewery’s beer, but the Smoked Porter was one that I fell in love with. It had a great story, was vintage dated and every year tasted slightly different. It was one of the first smoked beers that I had ever had and it blew me away. Our Henley Dark is inspired by this beer and after hand smoking the malt and blending with all the other dark roasted malt, I don’t think the brewery ever smells better.”
5. Brasserie d’Orval – Orval (Belgium – 6.2%)
   “As a brewer that is trying to juggle only four brands with limited tank space, I think it is so cool that a brewery can figure out a way to make only ONE beer.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“This is really difficult, but I think I’m going to have to go with the Orval. The beauty of this beer is that it is consciously designed to change over time. Drink it fresh and it is bright and full of hop character. Let it age and the hops die off and a bit of funk starts to creep in. If I were only allowed one of these beers, giving me several thousand bottles for my desert island might best keep my mind and palate occupied over time.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“One of my current loves is making pizzas with my two daughters. I like simplicity and I think you can’t get any simpler (yet satisfying) than pizza. I love it thin, crispy with those crazy fermentation bubbles. I’m thinking a massive seafood pizza dressed with some local greenery.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“One book I love just dipping into is Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. Most likely Randy has a crazy recipe for some ingredient that I am going to find on this desert island.”

“Forget the philosophical or religious stuff, I’m going to have enough going on in my head if I’m trying to survive on a desert island.”

And a non-beery book?

“Howard Marks, Mr. Nice. Professionally, I think all brewers can relate to Howard and he makes me laugh.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“This is even harder than the beer question! I’m going to go back to real albums, as there are a couple that remain in my head from my youth. Pink Floyd The Wall!? Or is that two albums? As a kid I spent hours looking through that album artwork and lyrics. If you’re limiting me to only one piece of vinyl I think I’m going to need a pick-me-up. AC/DC For Those About to Rock!”

(And that’s two albums!)

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Hopefully this island would be big enough for a bit of exploring, so I’d hope I could bring my Mountain Bike. To some my 1991 Trek 8000 (with suitably retro Pace RC-35 1 inch travel forks) is far from luxury, but it is like this bike was built for me. Beautifully crafted not far from where I grew up, super simple to maintain and it has taken me on some very memorable rides.”

Thanks Jeff! For more information on Lovibonds beers see their website or to see what Jeff is up to follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Have you tried Jeff’s favourite beers? Let us know and what you think of them. This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our Desert Island Beers series.

And in October Bad King John from Ridgeside Brewing was crowned winner of a six month national listing in 300 Sainsbury’s stores. Bad King John beat beers from around the UK to the throne via four regional heats (120 beers), a three week stint in Sainsbury’s stores (16 beers) and a grand judging final in London (final 8 beers). Spearheading the competition was Caesar Augustus by Williams Bros of Clackmannanshire which clinched a listing across 150 Sainsbury’s stores.

From ginger beer to wild hops...

...to all the great leaders?!

This year’s 16 finalists were:

Flying Dutchman Wit Bier, Caledonian Brewing Co, Alva, Scotland

Orange peel and a herbaceous twist make Flying Dutchman easy to identify. Intriguingly, caramel and liquorice offer something the average wit beer might not, and something syrupy-sweet mops everything up. An interesting start!

Golden Seahawk, Cotleigh Brewery, Somerset

An aroma of freshly cut garden weeds (those sticky buggers that find their way onto the bottom of shoes, gloves, the seat of your pants); flavours of wholesome cereal doused in honey. A nice golden ale.

Frederic’s Great British Ginger Beer, Frederic Robinson, Stockport

Perfect with fish and chips it says. Well I’m late home from work, sore from five a side and soaked through with autumn rain. The (award winning and only nearby late night) chippy was shutting but let me jump the chairs blocking the doorway to pick up fish cakes and scraps. Perhaps any beer would have done but Robinson’s Ginger Beer cut through the sweat of the chips like no other: spicy, tongue tingling and sweet. Still, I couldn’t help feeling I’d rather just have had a Ben Shaws…

Wild Hop IPA, Harviestoun Brewery, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

A beery lemon marmalade on just-golden toast, with a contradictory bitterness – sharp but simultaneously mellow. The hops might be wild but the beer isn’t: its gentile, moreish and gulp-able – beautiful with undercurrents of sex.  In a beery kinda way.

I lust this beer.

Full Bore, Hunter’s Brewery, Devon

A whopper at 8%, it’s a shame Full Bore smashes toffee and not a lot else at me (a left hook of honey perhaps?), thus feeling like an opportunity missed. But drunk after three other Sainsbury’s Beer Hunt beers it feels like I missed the opportunity to give it a fair crack of the whip. Now to find a bottle left on the shelves and give it a fair trial…

Two Hoots Golden Ale, Joseph Holt, Manchester

Through the clear bottles it’s a vibrant golden ale but poured and tasted it’s flat and sun kissed to the point of no return. Crystal malt is about the only flavour discernible behind disintegrated hops. Unfair to pass judgement except on the colour of the glass.

Stronghart, McMullen & Sons, Hertfordshire

Strong and ruby-tinted brown like creosote, Stronghart packs the a bitter punch and a wallop of brandy-seeped raisins. Sweet and tart like opulent plums and just a tad balsamic. Don’t let it knock you out – it’s strong enough to.

Bishop’s Farewell, Oakham Ales, Peterborough

All Oakham’s ales (that I’ve tried) are citrus influenced and this is no different. A decent beer to sup on an evening but nothing makes me want to wax lyrical on the joy on hops like some of Oakham’s ales do.

Churchill Ale, Oxfordshire Ales Ltd, Bicester

Toffee apple aroma introduces a strong malt backbone perfumed with citrus hops. Far from your typical strong IPA this is a gentle and very English pale ale. A soft spot for Churchill (because I used to work not far from them) was enough to make me go back twice for more, but the first bottle remained the best.

Ivanhoe, Ridgeway Brewing, South Oxfordshire

If the label takes you back in time then it’s a warning that pale ale in this context might mean ‘paler ale’ (compared to what was available in the days of Ivanhoe, anyway). Harvest fruits and English malt make for a pleasant beer drinking experience. We’d be lying if we said we bought it, we saved a few pounds by remembering this bottle.

Bad King John, Ridgeway Brewing, South Oxfordshire

Spent cocoa beans and a boozy Bailey’s aroma, perhaps a dash of vanilla. Dark, dry, sweet and roast: a cacophony of intriguing characteristics emerges from the depths of nowhere. Bad King John must have been a complicated fellow. Thick without cloying, the King has soul and a long bitter aftertaste. It’s Ivanhoe’s nemesis and it’s even more memorable.

Worcester Sorcerer, Sadler’s Ales, Stourbridge

Toffee apple and raisin nose, and smells just a little like my Burton Ale home brew. The flavours defy this initial bouquet, revealing a muskier side, molasses and burnt grain. Call it Worcestershire Sauceror and serve with roast dinner. Strangely likeable.

Caesar Augustus, Williams Brothers, Alloa, Scotland

Wowser. Now this is a good beer! Caesar’s honey gold complexion and medicinal Saazy nose tingles nerve endings (perhaps helped by 24 hours in the fridge the first sip hits my front molars with a scintillating pulse!). Caesar Augustus is boundlessly refreshing. An innovative lagered IPA? Come on, the result is a crisp and vibrant pilsner, surely? A joy to behold.

Profanity Stout, Williams Brothers, Alloa, Scotland

A vodka and vanilla nose, followed by reams of bitter Green & Blacks mellowed by a lingering smoked coffee bean dryness. Sophisticated but living on a thin line: its ABV may deceive you.

Golden Summer, Wold Top Brewery, Yorkshire

An old favourite from one of the most consistent brewers in Yorkshire. I tend to buy Wold Top’s beers from the most charming farm shop near Bradford, on the road between Halifax and Keighley, usually alongside strange vegetables and local cheese. Against The Grain was unremarkable to many, but as a gluten-free beers go I think it was a triumph. And Golden Summer is no different, on the face an unremarkable beer but it’s incredibly perfect in too many situations to be called average. As HopZine say, a great bridging beer, and in my mind eminently versatile. You can find grapefruit and lemon if you try, but it’s the cereal backbone that I love. A summer beer that genuinely shines.

Wye Not, Wye Valley Brewery, Herefordshire

…because the other beers are probably more enjoyable. Weighted in the favour of its malt ingredients, it never quite lives up to its biscuit billing. Should malt be your thing though, you could do much worse.

Bad King John, good 'king beer

And if we’d been picking the winner? Well Wold Top’s Golden Summer and Harviestoun’s Wild Hop IPA were stand outs, whilst Bad King John fought the corner of the darker beers and Stronghart offered something a bit different. But for sheer brazen excellence, Caesar Augustus provided the most enjoyment and refreshment. It’s exactly the sort of beer I’d pick up regularly in the supermarket, and for that reason, we’re firmly sold.

Topping a line up of strong leaders, Caesar Augustus

BrewDog Dogma after rehab?

An aroma of seeds, thick and sticky. Open it up with a bit of oxygen and red berries burst in the nostrils. It tastes of marshmallows of course, with dashes of toffee, spice, poppies…

This might not be to everyone’s tastes in the same way as Theakston’s Grouse Beater whch has a similar complicated taste that cuts through the usual bitterness of British brown ales.

It’s what BrewDog’s Dogma might be like after a few months in the Priory.

I probably had to work quite hard on this beer, but underneath the initial taste, there’s much for than a hop or malt character to it – it’s interesting if not immediately ‘wow’.

Opposite, with one side to the road and the other to the lane, was The Plough. Old Jim who ran it was an irritable character, reminiscent of a grumpy adult from a Roald Dahl book. He even looked like he’d been hand drawn by Quentin Blake, all crooked lines and scruffily shaded in. Jim brewed himself (not a beer I would part with hard earned cash for!) and held a beer festival of sorts each year. The pub had no telly, a few handpulls and served food on tables built from ancient Singer sewing machines.

Less than a very short stones throw away was the pub I spent most time in, The Bakers (officially The Bakers Arms). I played for the pool team, had a brief stint behind the bar for a few months and learnt to play 3s and 5s with Mo the landlady. The bar was small, with an even smaller lounge to one side and down a hall a smaller again pool room. Atleast 3 Leeds fans frequented it and whilst the beer was all kegged big brand brews, there was one handpull (Hooky or a cask from one of the larger national breweries). I learned to drink with John Smiths smooth, Snakebite & Black (or Diesel if you prefer) and cold, crisp Carling –  valuable lessons for my first weeks at university.

There were weeks I’d not step in The Plough or the Jockey at all, and then days where I’d do all three. Each one was different and each one had different regulars. Each one also had drinkers who went through stages of favouritism and all had odd deserters who jumped ship from time to time. Each pub was needed and they are all still there, open for lunch and evenings where possible.

I returned this Christmas. Popping up the Bakers I bumped into two old friends within seconds. The sports teams still compete all through the week: darts, pool, dominoes, Aunt Sally in the summer and a weekly quiz. I spotted Scott, the pool team captain, still popping in for an after work pint. Mo, since retired, was starting up dominoes in the corner. Hannah was behind the bar. I nipped to The Plough with my Dad.  Surprisingly they’d invested in a single flat screen tv in the bar area and dolled up the lounge, it almost looked like a restaurant. Jim had handed over to his son and possibly even someone else since but no-one quite knew.

These pubs are real pubs. Community pubs. They don’t make huge margins on beer sales, no matter how its served or what brand it is. They feed the local football team on a Saturday, they play cards on a Friday; people go there for warmth, to imbibe and to leave the day or the week behind.

These pubs won’t win a CAMRA award. But they are the most important community centres in the area they serve.

It went right to the wire but I did manage to drink my beer swap beers just in time to write about them this week. I had two beer swap partners, I was sending to Adam Croft who has written about the two Leeds Brewery bottles I sent him so far, and my sender was a mystery person.

Lovibonds Henley Amber - bitter but refined

My beer swap sender turned out to be a wine blogger, none other than Andrew Barrow aka the Wine Scribbler who is based in South Oxfordshire at the exact opposite end of the county I grew up in.

And judging by the beers, there’s a wealth of brewery action in that area, the four beers coming from parts of shires Oxford, Buckingham and Berk that were close enough to home when I grew up to appear on the local news, but that I’ve never explored before.

First up was Lovibonds Amber Ale, a 3.4% premium pale ale in a 330ml bottle. Light and in a small bottle this seemed like a sensible start on a school night and was served up just after tea. I was a bit bunged up with cold when I tasted this earlier in the week so I’m not sure I got a lot from the aroma but it smelt slightly fruity and fresh, but the first sip smacked with bitterness

Rebellion Red is autumnal and possibly good with fish and chips?!

Deeper in fruity, citrus notes combined with a honey sweetness to make a bittersweet amber ale with an orangey tang – the colour was like red oranges when held up to the light. This made a relatively refreshing beer whilst being malty enough to leave me needing another sip to wash the last one down.

I plumped for the Rebellion Red next, another amber ale from the Rebellion Brewery who make their beer on a farm in Marlow, Bucks. It smelt brown and leafy and the taste was initially mostly of malt. There was something not quite roasty to it, not quite nutty, what I think can only be described as chestnuts. A bit of oxygen brings out sticky fruit and caramel undertones and a good swill adds extra depth, flavour and texture. I’ve no idea why but I had craving for fish and chips when I had this beer so I will try it with a big plate from Hillycroft fisheries next time.

It’s very easy to describe beers like these as autumnal, but it’s a trap I’m not scared to fall into as it hits the nail on the head for me.

Butts Blackguard Porter

The next night I started with Butts Blackguard Porter. Butts brew all organic ales from their farm near Hungerford, something I can only commend. Blackguard Porter (pronounced “blaggard”) is a liquorice scented porter with a roasted, buttery taste. Bertie Bassetts swim in a slightly lively sea of chocolate and cocoa paste which gives an even carbonisation in my mouth. It fizzed when I swilled and the dark liquid opened up producing sweet chocolate aromas. Double cream and brandy would suit this beer and I reckon it’s one to try again at Christmas.

Oxfordshire Marshmellow is a spicy, piney, sticky affair - fantastic!

Last on the beer swap menu was Oxfordshire Ales Marshmellow, the only one of these beers I’d come across before thanks to its distribution through the Booths supermarket chain. I didn’t remember anything other than a belief that this beer was quirky, and raising the glass to my nose the thick and sticky seedy aroma reminded me why. Red woodland berries and currants filled the nose and I expected the complexion to be red and clay-like rather than amber.

The taste is maltier with hints of toffee, spice and wild berries – it’s interesting and nice to drink if possibly not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s like BrewDog’s Dogma after rehab, mellowed and much easier to handle.

As Sam discussed in our first beer swap review, I wonder if the beers might tell you something about the person sending them (after deep self evaluation I think the beers I sent as part of beer swap strangely do reflect my personality despite not necessarily representing my favourite tipples). Or is any personality likely to be skewed by the selection being limited to local beers (which may not necessarily say a lot about you?

I don’t want to make any assumptions (especially as Andrew probably drinks a good bit more wine than beer by looking at his wine blog!)so I’ll just say a big thank you for the beers and bring on Beer Swap Round 2!

Cotswold Premium Lager - 330ml bottle

Following the brief response I made to comments asking about this lager left on an earlier unrelated post, I have now taken delivery of a batch to get a full review done. Firstly I would note that I was wrong before when I said that this came in a 500ml bottle. It does in fact come in a 330ml and so is right there in my opinion to take on the mass produced bottled lager area of the  market. I could not stand in a bar drinking Old Hooky from it’s bottle but I would have no problems doing so with a 330ml bottle like this. Having said that, the brading itself does perhaps leave a little to be desired and the label does not really have the colour or liveliness it would need to cut it on the shelves of a busy bar. The outward appearance of the bottle unfortunately does not do justice to the contents.

Golden Premium Lager

The beer is pale golden with a lingering malty aftertaste, probably down to the Maris Otter malted barley. The beer has as strong a flavour as those that it would, in my perfect world, displace from the shelves in all bars, but it is less aggressive with it. I am having a bottle with Winnie and Jim, I have been the most disciplined and dragged mine out for 15 mins but Jim polished his in less than 5 and Winnie was under 10. All three of us agree that this is drinkable, with the 5.0% abv maybe too much so!!!

I would love to see a day when locally produced lagers, available in 330ml bottles, take over from the mass produced bottles that are available in Vodka Revolutions up and down the country. If this work from the Cotswold Brewing Company is anything to go by there are certainly British lagers more than capable of taking up the fight.

Another fine ale from Oxfordshire!

Following on from last night’s review of Hook Norton Brewery I thought it important to get a review of one of their beers up as soon as possible. Old Hooky is the flagship of Hook Norton Brewery around the country being widely available in many supermarkets as well as most good wine/beer merchants. The very bottle I am drinking was sourced in Morley from ASDA and was on their 3 bottles for £4.00 mix and match deal.

As an aside me and the monkey boy, when we first moved to Morley, experimented with buying every bottle of Old Hooky on the shelf in ASDA whenever we went. Within a month we had a range of five different Hook Norton beers available (More than most shops in Oxfordshire) right here in Yorkshire. Unfortunately the levels of consumption required to continue this selection proved unsustainable.

Right – back to the beer. Old Hooky is not the light, paler type of ale that I typically favour but is one of the beers that I drink most often. This is largely because it’s the most widely available offering from my favourite brewery, but also because it’s a bit of an anomaly in that it’s full bodied, darker flavoured and yet not at all heavy.

Hook Norton advertises this as a ‘fruity’ beer and it is, but not in the light citrus way I think of when I hear that phrase. It comes across dark and fruity like my Nan’s Christmas cake, reminding me of treacle rather than golden syrup, yet slips down just as easy as summer or pale ales. I would recommend trying this beer with a nice steak or a beef stew as it has the body to compete with the meat but will not fill you up and leave you embarrassed with half a plateful of leftovers.

I give this beer to a great many friends as a taster from home and it is always well received with many friends asking me to bring other Hooky varieties up for them to try. For this reason, and because of it’s wide availability and low price in ASDA, I have to rate this as one of the best beers available in Britain today.

We'll tidy up the artwork but for now you get the idea of what it looks like for when you're in ASDA

I grew up in rural North Oxfordshire and as a child was fortunate enough to have spent a great many happy hours in the gardens of Hook Norton pubs. As an older teenager I played pool on the teams of Hook Norton Brewery owned pubs and, as a young professional living away from home, my first port of call when I go to see my parents is always the local with my old man.

It is therefore with great pleasure (and more than a little nostalgia) that I bring you Real Ale Reviews’ first ‘brewery profile’. I have to admit that I hold Hook Norton Brewery in a highly elevated position amongst UK breweries and in all honesty this is in no small part due to the fact that I grew up in ‘Hooky Country’. However, like the lucky sod who lives at number seven when a beautiful, intelligent girl lives at number five, I have found the quality of what I started with has led it to being the best I’m yet to find.

Hook Norton Brewery’s History

In 1849 a chap called John Harris began what was to become Hook Norton Brewery in his farmhouse. Over 150 years later the now well established business is still in the hands of Harris’s family, currently run by his great great grandson. In the modern age it is testament to the ethos of the business that they have resisted the temptation to sellout in order to turn a quick profit. Equally demonstrative of the traditional principles which run deep in the veins of Hook Norton is that fact that the brewery remains steam-powered, with power being provided by steam engines installed way back in 1899.

While cynics may point at the current trend towards popularity for the traditional and claim that Hook Norton are cashing in, I personally see no merit in this argument. Admittedly the traditional aspects are currently a major pull for a small brewery trying to compete in the modern world. I would even concede that the re-introduction of local deliveries by Dray and Shire Horse in 1985, 35 years after their initial cessation, does appear to be something of a gimmick. But are they not also an important part of helping people to understand the history of what the brewery is about and what it is trying to achieve?

The steam engines that power Hook Norton Brewery are thought to be the only engines in the UK currently put to daily use for their originally intended purpose. For me this is where history stops and innovation begins. It must have been difficult to resist change in times when tradition was not lauded and things could be done more efficiently with new technology. The brewers at Hook Norton chose to do just that and carry on making fine ales in the best way they knew how.

Hook Norton Brewery Today

Reaping the rewards of a rich history is all well and good but one gets the definite feeling from Hook Norton that the management intends on building a solid future on the foundations laid by the brewery’s past. In 2009 they are producing a seasonal beer for each month of the year, meaning that I will be trying some for the first time. The brewery also runs a visitor centre, alongside it’s well stocked shop, giving guided tours of the brewery which include opportunities to sample the beers brewed within.

Please visit their website for more information at www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk