London Fields Brewery, Black Frost Stout

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for gratuitous presentation. I slaver over limited editions - fancy packaging definitely makes a beer taste better. So up yours. ;p

I first drank this at London's Brewing, but only once I'd passed the point of not actually fully appreciating what was in my glass. I don't have notes for this, so probably a solid enough, if not particularly memorable stout.

I don't drink much London Fields, not sure why. The wife and I used to drink a bit of their Hackney Hopster on tap (at the Paxton) in the sun (remember that?) last summer and that was great, refreshing but not too light or watery. But that's about it. I remember not being too blown away by their IPAs so I think I got turned off somewhat (especially when it was just as easy to pick up beers much more to my taste from Redchurch and Kernel). Having said that, I drank their Bootlegger Chocolate Porter the other day and it was very good indeed. In fact, I liked it so much that I will certainly get another, which, I suppose, is lately a rare occurrence considering how much there is on offer nowadays.

Westmalle, Dubbel

Prunes and raisins in the snout. Follows into the taste, along with bruised apples (maybe pears?) and possibly some bananas. Root beer? Sarsaparilla? Dandelion and burdock? (Phenols?) Sweet malty parenthesis. Big carbonation obviously, bittersweet and dry finish. The Westmalle Dubbel is clearly a king amongst beers, balanced yet with so many different flavours to unearth. Readily available in Waitrose for £2.29. Get this and the Karmeliet.

Wild Beer Co, Wildebeest

I'd been after this impy stout from Wild for a while now. The generous chaps at Market Row had some in so a snaffled it as soon as I saw it. Smoke and coffee on the nose, gentle meat and wet mushroom in the taste. Minimal sweet notes (vanilla and liquorice). A nice after-bitterness, which I like in my impys. Appreciated! Highly carbonated which could have unfortunately been the main reason why I was left with the feeling of something not quite gelling here with this stout. I watched Yuzna's Society whilst drinking this. Billy Warlock's in it! Sequel due soon I hope.

Red Hook, Long Hammer IPA

Ubiquitous (at least on tap) IPA from Red Hook. There seem to be a spate of these bottles about. I bought mine on reccommendation from Simon at CAMRGB. He describes it as "really good". I can't quite agree with him 100% on that, but I did enjoy this more than the Fourpure. Rainwater nose and an easy drinking IPA that to my mind is loads better than similar offerings from Sierra Nevada. A pleasing recurring bitterness that seemed to return long after the sip. No stand out flavours, but a nice sense of a good overall IPA. I understand Red Hook have been in the game for over 30 years? Makes my 'review' seem just a touch frivolous and inconsequential...! I won't pass this up on tap again, a cheeky half I reckon.

Fourpure, IPA

I didn't do the bottle + glass photograph for this particular bottle from newcomers Fourpure - I thought: it's ok, I'm bound to get another (these bottles are currently all over the place), so I'll procrastinate and do it another time. However, it turned out, unfortunately, that I don't really plan to get this again. All the tastes were muted somehow and there was this overriding oiliness, almost greasy, which for me really wasn't right. Sorry about the photo above - I think there's a human poo in it.

Weird Beard Co, Something Something Dark Side

This is more like it from Weird Beard! Sherbet nose (strong!) and a little touch of mushroom/meat. Taste was milk chocolate and a slither of honey (wouldn't have recognised that element had I not read the label blurb properly), with the hop flavour dominating: crisp, leafy and citrus sweet (but not overly fruity if that makes sense). Bitter-ish. Bet this is incredible from a keg. Not as impactful as the Victory (although I did have a bit of a cold tbf), but I will definitely be getting this again. It says on the bottle that you can cellar it so I might give that a go.

Weird Beard Co, Holy Hoppin' Hell Part 3

Stale hops with minimal citrus sniffed off the bottle neck. Taste is overwhelmingly solvet - nail varnish remover. (Excessive ethyl acetate as a by product of aggressive (too warm?) fermentation of the yeast? Have I got that right?) A chewy, grassy hop bitterness, which was great, but the chemically edge still lingered for most of this. The gentle caramelly malt profile came through as my glass warmed. The after-bitterness lingered but it wasn't that strong. Overall, a slightly disappointing instalment in the Holy Hoppin' DIPA series from Weird Beard.