Brasserie Cantillon, Iris

Far be it from me to think I can do justice to the taste of this drink in words, so here are a bunch of over the top images of an empty bottle instead.

Brouwerij Lindemans, Blossom Gueuze

I think I drank this relatively fresh, purchased from Beer Gonzo after it'd been on other Belgian sites for only a month or so. Very pungent elderflower nose along with some sharp vinegar. The taste was basically Bottle Green with a very mild sharpness to it. Minimal funk, no oak. Medium dry finish. This was ok at the start, but I quickly got a bit bored to be honest. Would've been great shared on a pub terrace by the river in the sun. £13. I've never had the pleasure of Mamouche so I don't really have anything to compare this to, but I don't think I'll go back to it.

Brouwerij Lindemans, Oude Kriek Cuveé René

Bottled 20.3.14 ("2013 Vintage"), drank 11.12.15. Another pop, no gush. Sweet nose, sharp cherry, small nut. As with the gueuze, very sharp indeed. Zero sweetness. Fruit/citric/lemon. Minor fustiness/barnyard/funk up front, then almost immediately overpowered by the acidity. Some small woodiness towards the end. Very astringent. Again, fantastic price at sub £6 for a 750ml. My first glass was cellar temperature, the 2nd out of the fridge, I actually think the chill suited it better.

Brouwerij Lindemans, Oude Gueuze Cuveé René

Bottled date of 22.4.15. Cork pop and a small gush. A wafting aroma thereafter of plasters and funk. Very sharp indeed - the sharpness is almost overwhelming and mutes any other nuances. Possibly a bit indistinct or maybe one dimensional as a result. Definite oak though, finish is very dry and enamel stripping. Not my favourite gueuze but at the price poin, you simply cannot argue: £4.49 for 750ml from Beers Of Europe.

De Molen, Hel & Verdoemenis Bruichladdich BA

Wax capped brilliance from De Molen. I'd have had no idea where Bruichladdich was had my old (Scottish) neighbour not eulogised about it here. I don't really drink spirits anymore if I can avoid it, but I used to enjoy Islay malts and barrel aged stouts are probably the closest I get to drinking whisky these days. Heavy peat nose leading to sweet chocolate, not too much else immediately discernable. Taste is heavy peat, a tang of fruit which then mellowed into choc/coffee. A medium bitter finish. Peaty throughout and always sweet on the lips.

Fourpure, Oaked Porter Morning Star

Uh oh - I think I may be turning...I might be starting to appreciate those dreaded vanilla flavours in my beers....

This one started out like a root beer, then there was more vanilla which, to my surprise, I actually quite enjoyed (I was eating a reasonably salty peanut brownie at the time). The finish was roasty and bitter. Light body appropriate to the style with a non-jarring carbonation. Big thanks to James at Webroughtbeer for this gift! I understand this was made on Fourpure's pilot kit and that subsequent bottles had a proper label.

Weird Beard, Double Perle

No frills impy from WB and all the better for it. Great balance, possibly on the sweet side, but never too much. Big coffee. I bought 2 of these and it would've been more had Manish not ran out (the swine).

Okocim, Porter

Oops - no picture of the glass for this one. Another one brought back from Krakow by my folks. Not quite as 'full' and complete as the Zywiec but it's a style I can really get on with. Very roasty, well balanced and powerful. Both these porters are an absolute bugger to find in London. No luck so far.

Northern Monk, Parsnip and Black Pepper Dunkelweiss

Barely aromatic, thin body - none of the creaminess from the carbonation you might expect from the style. Banana (just), roast, pepper in the finish, some bitterness. Overall, a disappointment. (Although to be fair, once you've had Aventinus, nothing else will satisfy really.)

Telegraph Brewing, California Ale

A lovely surprise! I didn't really know what to expect but this has all the hallmarks of a quality brew. A great combo of yeast, citrus, firm malt and well pitched carbonation. Hoppy Belgian? As I write, I keep wanting to make a comparison to Orval....borderline sacrilege I know. It is really quite far off Orval, but it's at least very possibly in the same sort of territory....

This was a birthday gift from my brother last year. Cheers Kon!

Pizza Port, Swami's IPA

There are very, very few US IPAs that make it over here in decent nick and those that travel in cans, have been, in my experience, the best of the bunch (i.e. Central Coast's Lucky Day IPA and Ska's Modus). This one from Pizza Port was brill. I like a bit of sweetness to my IPAs. The Born To Dies of this world seem to lack body to me. A bit of crystal malt can work wonders if used properly. Not sure if that is used i this beer, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bombastic hopping and the complimentary balance from the thick and chewy malting. It was only towards the end of the beer that the malt profile became a little too sweet (as it warmed up a bit I suppose), but the memory of a bloshy, yet very finely balanced IPA remained.

This will probably be my last IPA/Pale entry in this blog. I'm hoping to concentrate on sours, imperial stouts and saisons from now on.

Żywiec, Porter

Like the Kernel impy, but 500ml of it. Happy days. (This one brought back from the motherland by the folks. Dziękuję mumia!