Honeydew is the Moneydew

So this lot arrived (pictured below), should keep we going for awhile and another good few ticks from the list to come too!

It’s also almost time for the Hilden Beer and Music Festival 2014, line up looks good and I really enjoyed it last year – despite the weather. I hope to get up on the Friday night but might have to see how it goes. Anyone else heading up to Lisburn?

Right on to the beers…

228. Fuller’s Honeydew

Style: Golden Ale. ABV: 5%. From: Drinkstore.ie (though my local Tesco has it as well at the minute).

Description: Poured a vibrant yellow and perfectly clear, there was a thin white head for about 2 seconds until it faded off into history, no real lacing either. Pretty looking pint when the head was on it. Not much aroma, vaguely grainy and beery (I know that’s not a really helpful description but hey – it smells like beer!) with a hint of sweetness and golden syrup. Again I get a hint of grain in the taste, almost slightly lager like, a light bitterness, not too much in the way of hops here. It then finishes on a sweeter note (again to me more syrup than honey) and some very light spices. Light bodied and slightly sticky.

Thoughts: This did a perfectly acceptable 5pm on a Friday job, refreshing and easy drinking. I wouldn’t rush back, slightly on the sweet side for me, but would drink again if options were limited.

Score: 5

I also managed a couple of beers not from “1001 Beers…”. First up was Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2014 (Style: Pilsner. ABV: 5%. From: The Vineyard) – straw coloured and clear with a small white head. Again not much aroma – a faint grassy graininess. Flavour follows that, this is clean and crisp with that grain and light grass again. A decent little bitterness on the finish. This is another light easy drinking summer beer – prefect for after mowing the lawn. Score: 6. Finally we have Beavertown Gamma Ray(Style: Pale Ale. ABV: 5.4%. From: Drinkstore.ie), amber and hazy, this poured with a huge fluffy white head – a really gusher. Aroma is fantastic, lilt like tropical aromas: pineapple, grapefruit, and a touch of bubblegum. Taste is tropical too, mango is added to the lilt, as is a resinous caramel malt backbone. Though I found this quite bitter and astringent. While this was grand, the taste just didn’t live up to the smell and I found the bitterness just a bit too much, over balancing the beer. Score: 6.

Right, hope to see you at Hilden.

Cheers

Penny Pils

So I finally had to bite the bullet and placed an on-line order. Drinkstore.ie had quite a few beers from the list and Island of Ireland delivery for a not bad €6. A hint of a few things to come in the pic below!

So, first up is:

202. SlyFox Pikeland Pils
Style: Pilsner. ABV: 4.9%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Craft in a can. Poured light yellow coloured, slightly cloudy, and a decent white head. Some grassy hops, and there's some light fruit there too (mango I'd say). Taste starts out with some fruit and sweetness, followed up by some grassy hops, a bready malt hit, and a bitterish finish. As it warmed up the fruit came through more. Light bodied, more sparkling than fizzy. 
Thoughts: Pilners don't tend to do a huge amount for me, but this was quite enjoyable. Light, refreshing, and quaffable. Tasty.
Score: 6.5

A couple of other beers not from the list to catch-up on:

161. Wild Beer Bliss
Style: Farmhouse ale?. ABV: 6%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Dark amber / light brown in colour, hazy, with a tight off-white head. A lot of spice in the aroma, nutmeg & cinnamon, and a sour twang in the background. Spice again in the taste, plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon, a hint of dried apricot. Quite light bodied.
Thoughts: Recommended by Stephen as something different... It certainly was that. I've not been that impressed by Wild Beer in general, this was one of the better ones - though more for autumn than this time of the year. Personally would have preferred more apricot but it was grand.
Score: 5.5

162. Beavertown 8-Ball
Style: Rye IPA. ABV: 6.2%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Cloudy light brown/dark orange with no head. Citrus and grapefruit aroma, some pine. Taste is caramel malt, grapefruit, and a little rye spiciness. Light but a little sticky.
Thoughts: Enjoyable but nots good as the Black Betty.
Score: 6.5

Had a wee day out mid-week too. Neill's Hill in Ballyhack produced some good food and an Anchor Liberty Ale to go with it. Then it was over to Horatio Todd's who now have Pilsner Urquell on draft, belfast beer scene keeps getting better doesn't it?

Cheers

Its been a long week...

It's been one of those weeks were everything has gone wrong, or been more difficult that it really should have been. Really, I could climb into bed and sleep... but that's not an option – so instead lets have a beer!

Beer 179 from “1001 Beers...”

• Hitachino Nest Beer XH. Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 8%. Purchased: LightHouse Wines

  
  
  
  Description: Burnt orange in colour, hazy, with a very small white head that managed to leave some lacing. I get lots of zesty orange peel and some spices on the nose, a bit of rummy booziness too. Again I get zesty nectarine in taste, some caramel, a little spice, some tangy sourness, and a little bready mustiness. Mid bodied, a little sticky .
  Thoughts: On the first sip I wasn't sure, but it got better as it heated up. Not very “beery”, but something I would buy again.
  Score: 7.
  
  

Beer 97 outside the list

• Brewdog Fake Lager. Style: Pilsner. ABV: 4.7%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Golden and clear. Good white head. Has that distinct pilsner smell, with some hops going on. A lager but with a nice bitterness. Light, fizzy, and slightly chalky finish.
Thoughts: A decent pilsner.
Score: 6.5

Beer 97 outside the list

• Brewdog Zeigeist. Style: Dark Lager. ABV: 4.9%. Purchased: Brewdog

Description: Black with a tan head. Chocolate and a little hops on the nose. Chocolate, toasted malt, an some spicy flavours. Mid bodied, some fizz.
Thoughts: Interesting this, dark beer but some hops added in. Tasty.
Score: 7

Short update this week, and not feeling too hot so might be a little while before my next update!

Cheers