Brewdog Paradox Smokehead & Isle of Arran

So, as Brewdog released their new Abstrakt, I duly purchased. It's currently sat under the stairs awaiting Christmas morning breakfast. I tagged on a couple of others to keep the postage costs down, being tight like that, me. Amongst others, I picked up one each of their whiskey casked stouts.

I've only had one other whiskey cask beer, Harviestoun Ola Dubh and I wasn't that struck. Luckily, though, I can report good times were had. Being the same stout, I was expecting them to be very similar. Both of them poured pitch black with a nice head on them. Low carbonation but that is to be expected.

On the nose and the Smokehead is straight in there with loads of smoke and peat. Smacks straight in the face. The Isle is much of the same, but a lot more subtle. Malt comes through much more on the Isle as the whiskey is less over powering.

Taste wise, and the Smokehead is the same as it smells. Loads of peat and smoke and a big boozy finish on the aftertaste. The Isle still has the peat and smoke but the stout comes through more with a smoother finish. Both have a viscous mouth feel but it is not too thick as to be unenjoyable, like I found with the Ola Dubh.

Overall, for everyday drinking, the Isle of Arran comes out on top. However, these aren't the kind of beers I'd drink on a regular basis. After a cold, shit day, the warmth from the whiskey and the booze would really brighten the evening. So, the Smokehead comes out on top!

On a separate note, I got a bottle of 5am saint as well, which smells spot on, but is just too thin and watery, quite a disappointment.

St. Peter's Cream Stout

St. Peters is a brewery that I've had moderate success with. I really like their IPA and their Old Style porter is pretty good too, but I wasn't struck on their ruby ale. Anyway, last time I went to the offy, there was a large range of bottles, so, as I'll give anything a go, I picked up A bottle of Cream Stout.
It might be the middle of June, and the weather has been pretty good most weekends, I've been on quite a stout bender lately. Not really a summer drink but knowing me I'll be after nothing but golden ales and lager come November.
Anywho, onto the beer. It pours absolutely pitch black with just a small head. It looks perfect. Best looking stout I've had. There's a bit of carbonation but this is fine by me as I don't really want a fizzy pint of stout. On the nose there is a nice amount of milk chocolate and hints of coffee in there as well.
On the first swig, there is more chocolate and coffee. It's very creamy and smooth, with a slightly thick feel in the mouth. Definitely worthy of the name cream stout! After taste is very much the same, with some dry malt there too.
This stout is spot on. It is really easy drinking for its 6.5%, more suited to the warmer months I'd say, as there isn't that boozy warmth of the likes of Thornbridge St. Petersburg but is on an equal par as for the best stout I've ever had. One I'll be buying more of, for sure!

William Bros Grozet

I've had a couple of William Bros offerings before, their Midnight Sun porter and their IPA. Both of these were really good brews, so when I spotted another offering from when i went beer shopping today, I snapped it up. Should have been a bit quicker reading the label though, as when I got home, I noticed best before Dec 2009! Fuck it, beer's beer, so I've drunk it anyway.
Reading the back of the bottle, it says it is a lagered fruit beer, using gooseberries. Grozet, it says, is auld Scots for gooseberry. Comparing it to lager, it seemed the perfect beer to crack open a warm evening when I'm thirsty as hell!
Pouring the beer, it pours a really lovely golden colour with a nice head, with touches of caramel. It's meant to be a refreshing beer and from looks alone, it does this spot on! There is some carbonation, but not much, but I'll put this down to its age, more then anything else. There isn't that much on the nose, it's floral and fruity, with the gooseberries definitely coming through.
First taste and the gooseberries come though straight away and then it went into a pleasant, refreshing, pale malt. This is what I would want every lager to taste like, if I'm on honest. In fact, my notes say shits on lager. It was really easy drinking and went down really well.
The only issue I have, is the lack of carbonation, I would like a few more bubbles. As I said earlier though, I'll put this down to its age. This is one beer I'm going to buy more of, spot on for drinking on my deck chair on a sunny afternoon. At 5%, it won't leave you that pickled after a couple. Three good beers from brewery, I can't wait to find the other ones!

Meantime India Pale Ale

I've been to Bristol today for a work meeting. I'm a trainee manager at Sainsbury's and we popped into a nearby branch for some food after. Naturally, I checked out the beer offerings to see if there was anything different to what we sell up in the Midlands. Top shelf, I spyed a Meantime London Porter and IPA. read a bit about these and had some other Meantime beers in the past, so they were duly bought.

Sharon, the ladyfriend, is on the way back from seeing her sisters with Chinese. One of my flatmates, Porter, is downstairs obsessively playing COD2. QI is on the telly. I've cracked open the IPA while I'm waiting for my food. I'm starving.

It pours a lovely golden colour, with a ruby tinge to it. There's a lot of carbonation and a really big head, which went quickly. I stuck my nose in and there is malt in there and also apples, a slight touch of cider. Slightly sweet, as well.

Start drinking and it goes down really easily. There isn't much on the initial taste, but going over the tongue I have the apples again and there is a nice warming alcohol on the aftertaste, showing off the 7.5% strength of this beer. There are some hops but nowhere near the bitterness I was expecting.

So, overall, would I buy it again? I definitely enjoyed it but there are plenty other IPAs that give me the hoppy, bitter kick that I want and crave. Also, at £4 a bottle, even after staff discount, it was a bit more expensive then over offerings. Granted, you're getting 750ml for your money, but there are other IPAs that I hold in higher regard, that are better value for money.

It's Beer, Ay It

I like beer. Pretty much all beer, from cheap, crap cooking lager to extreme, high strength double IPAs and imperial stouts. Rum also gets drunk, just less frequently. This blog will be about beer and rum I've drunk, good and bad and probably a load of other bollocks as well. Enjoy!