Crouch Vale Brewers Gold

Crouch Vale Brewers Gold [baron rating 4/5] - 4% pale gold ale,orange citrus smell,refreshing bitter citrus taste,clean bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

This was also part of the autumn pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Buy Crouch Vale ales here and here

Atlantic Blue

Atlantic Blue [baron rating 1/5] - 4.8% dark ruby ale,chocolate smell,slightly sweet thin watery chocolatey taste,slightly chocolatey finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Atlantic ales here

Looking forward to 'baron rating' HopZine/PDTNC Stateside Torpedo very soon!

I attended the SIBA North beer competition event yesterday as a judge along with a number of the other guys from Twitter including @BGRTRob. He very kindly handed over a bottle of a collaboration home brew beer with @PDTNC called Stateside Torpedo (Double Boil IPA):


Look out for a 'baron rating' for this beer soon, and a big thank you to Rob from HopZine for hand it over to me!

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Flying Dog Raging Bitch very soon!

Paul from AlesByMail very kindly handed over a couple of bottles of Flying Dog Raging Bitch when we met face-to-face for the first time at the SIBA North beer judging event yesterday. I've wanted to try this beer since Zak Avery posted a 'late night family in bed' whisper post on his video blog.


Look out for a 'baron rating' for this beer soon, and a big thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for hand it over to me!

Wold Top Wold Gold

Wold Top Wold Gold [baron rating 4/5] - 4.8% gold ale,fruity malty smell,refreshing spicy hops & sweet malty taste,slightly sweet finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Thank you to Wold Top for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

This was also part of the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Wold Top ales here

Het Anker Gouden Carolus Ambrio

Het Anker Gouden Carolus Ambrio [baron rating 4/5] - 8% amber ale,hedgerow fruit yeasty smell,frothy fruity sweet taste,clean aniseed finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Het Anker ales here

Orkney Dragonhead

Orkney Dragonhead [baron rating 4/5] - 4% black stout,roasted smoky smell,very bitter dark chocolate tart taste,smoky finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Watch us open the bottle!



Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Orkney ales here

Sierra Nevada Stout

Sierra Nevada Stout [baron rating 5/5] - 5.8% black ale,hops roasted fruit smell,smoky roasted bittersweet taste,bitter hoppy roasted finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Thank you to Richard from myBrewerytap for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Sierra Nevada ales here

Derventio Emperor's Whim

Deventio Emperor's Whim [baron rating 4/5] - 4.2% gold ale,caramel citrus smell,hoppy bittersweet grapefruit taste,very dry bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Deventio ales here

Pelforth Brune

Pelforth Brune [baron rating 2/5] - 6.5% dark brown ale,molasses smell,treacle,sweet malty caramel taste,sticky sweet finish


This beer was 'baron rated' whilst on my summer holiday down in the Ardeche region of Southern France. We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay at a friend's holiday home - it's an amazing house and the location is perfect, oh and the pool is to die for!

Take a look round the house: Le Mas du Gros Cailloux

Note: If you book the house please make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Looking forward to 'baron rating' BrewDog ales very soon!

I caught the courier just in time this morning and so rather than getting a ratty 'sorry you were out' card I got a natty box of BrewDog beer. James from BrewDog was very kind and sent a great selection of their 330ml bottled range to 'baron rate':


BrewDog Brewery
  • Dogma - 7.8% heather honey infused ale
  • Paradox - 10% imperial stout matured in islay whisky casks
Look out for 'baron ratings' for these BrewDog beers soon, and a big thank you to James & Martin from BrewDog for sending these through to me!

Buy BrewDog ales here or here

Downton Chimera Dark Delight

Downton Chimera Dark Delight [baron rating 4/5] - 6% black ale,smoky roasted berry smell,frothy sweet roasted taste,choc bittersweet finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Downton ales here

What's a Twadge? A Twitter Badge of course!

As you may have been aware I attended the Manchester #twissup this weekend. As beery people are always so generous to me in the form of free beer I wanted to try to be generous in a 'baron way'.

After much thought I decided that some Twitter badges or 'twadges' for short would be perfect. Take someone's twitter icon, stick it in a 30mm square badge with a pin on the back and hand them out.  Not everyone knows what everyone looks like in the flesh and I for one have a symbol for my Twitter icon which is of no use to anyone being about to guess who I am.

So what does a 'twadge' look like?



I did feel a bit of a twadge myself just before I started handing them out as I thought they might be perceived as a bit crap but the reaction was more than positive! Glad you all liked your twadge and thanks for wearing them with pride, and I'm sorry for those that didn't get one, I only had twenty of them so had to pick my favourites.

Maybe I should start selling my twadges on eBay?

Downton Chimera IPA

Downton Chimera IPA [baron rating 5/5] - 7% gold ale,candied sweets & spicy citrus smell,sweet spicy bitter taste,bittersweet hoppy finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Downton ales here

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Hardknott Dark Energy very soon!

I attended the Manchester #twissup yesterday and along with meeting up with old friends & new I was also one of the lucky ones to receive a bottle of Hardknott Dave's Hardknott Dark Energy:


Hardknott Brewery
  • Dark Energy - 4.9% dark, fruity, bitter & spicy
Look out for a 'baron rating' for this Hardknott beer soon, and a big thank you to Dave and Ann from Hardknott for kindly handing one over to me!

Buy Hardknott ales here

Laverstoke Park Ale

Laverstoke Park Ale [baron rating 3/5] - 5% copper ale,floral caramel smell,gentle slightly sweet floral taste,fruity slightly herbal finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Laverstoke Park ales here

Adnams Solebay

Adnams Solebay [baron rating 5/5] - 10% gold ale,candied sweets & banana smell,boozy syrupy fine carbonation taste,sticky bittersweet finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Extra special feature! Listen to what 'the ladies' thought of Adnams Solebay. (sorry about the quality, we were recording a Skype session)

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes

Thank you to Fergus from Adnams for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Adnams ales here

Hobsons Town Crier

Hobsons Town Crier [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% gold ale,floral white grape smell,frothy very bitter white grape taste,fruity dry bitter finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Hobsons ales here

Wentworth Rampant Gryphon

Wentworth Rampant Gryphon [baron rating 4/5] - 6.2% gold ale,slight boozy floral citrus smell,floral spicy hops taste,slightly sweet finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Wentworth ales here

Crouch Vale FPA

Crouch Vale FPA [baron rating 4/5] - 5.9% golden ale,sweet malt & floral herbal smell,herbal creamy slightly sweet taste,zesty herbal finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


Watch us open the bottle!



Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Crouch Vale ales here

The Ormskirk Baron [baron rating] podcast is now listed on iTunes!

As some of you will know, @Christopher_R & I have been recording audio sessions of our [baron rating] tasting evenings and publishing them as mp3s.

Chris suggested that these audio [baron rating] reviews should be turned into a podcast and published in iTunes - so that is what I've done.

Read about the different ways to subscribe over on Chris's website.

Hidden Old Sarum

Hidden Old Sarum [baron rating 3/5] - 4.1% dark amber ale,musty fruity smell,dried fruit rounded bitter taste,spicy juicy sweet finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Hidden ales here

Potton Shambles Bitter

Potton Shambles Bitter [baron rating 3/5] - 4.3% copper ale,tangy malt aroma,juicy bitter malt taste,malty bittersweet finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Potton ales here

Cotleigh Barn Owl

Cotleigh Barn Owl [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% dark amber ale,rich malty smell,roasted nutty classic bitter taste,juicy malty bitter finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Cotleigh ales here

Belvoir Melton Red

Belvoir Melton Red [baron rating 4/5] - 4.3% amber ale,malty aroma,fragrant balanced classic bitter taste,nutty bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Belvoir ales here

Banks's Bitter

Banks's Bitter [baron rating 2/5] - 3.8% copper ale,fruity straw aroma,metallic tangy sulphurous taste,tangy tart finish

Cheddar Totty Pot

Cheddar Totty Pot [baron rating 3/5] - 4.7% black porter,rich roasted fruit smell,sweet tangy juicy hoppy taste,tangy sweet finish

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Young's Double Chocolate Stout very soon!

A wonderful parcel arrived today just in time for the end of National Chocolate Week - some bottles of Young's Double Chocolate Stout:


I don't know about you, but is the purple label meant to compliment the purple wrappers of Cadbury's Dairy Milk (my favourite chocolate)?

Young's Brewery
  • Double Chocolate Stout - 5.2% silky rich & creamy smooth stout
Look out for 'baron ratings' for these Young's beers soon, and a big thank you to YoungsBeers for sending these through to me!

Ascot Anastasia's Imperial Stout

Ascot Anastasia's Imperial Stout [baron rating 4/5] - 8% black ale,dark cherry boozy smell,rich roasted bittersweet taste,roasted dry finish


Buy Ascot ales here

Waitrose October ale & beer offers - part 2 (13th October - 3rd November 2010)

Waitrose have an amazing second batch of ale offers for October, their PR staff informed me ahead of time what this month's offers are:

Beer Showcase - Buy 2 for £3 on the following beers:

  • Bath Dark Hare normally £1.84
  • Bath GEM normally £1.99
  • Bath Wild Hare normally £1.95
  • Brains Dark normally £1.85
  • Brains Reverend James normally £1.81
  • Brains SA Gold normally £1.89
  • Duchy Originals Old Ruby Ale normally £1.99
  • Fuller's 1845 normally £2.36
  • Fuller's Chiswick Bitter [baron rating coming soon] normally £1.80
  • Fuller's Golden Pride normally £2.59
  • Fuller's London Porter [baron rating coming soon] normally £2.05
  • Fuller's Organic Honey Dew normally £1.92
  • Greene King Suffolk Springer normally £2.14
  • Greene King Very Special IPA [baron rating coming soon] normally £1.99
  • Hook Norton Double Stout normally £1.99
  • Hook Norton Twelve Days normally £1.94
  • Ringwood Fortyniner normally £1.92
  • Skinners Bitter Betty Stogs normally £1.85
  • Skinners Bitter Cornish Knocker normally £1.85
  • Skinners Bitter Heligan Honey normally £1.85
  • St Austell Admirals Ale normally £2.04 - £1.50
  • St. Peter's Fruit beer - Grapefruit normally £1.94
  • St. Peter's Golden Ale normally £1.84
  • St. Peter's Mild normally £1.62
  • St. Peter's Old Style Porter normally £1.85
  • St. Peter's Ruby Red Ale normally £1.85
  • Thwaites Flying Shuttle normally £2.12
An excellent selection of offers, I can't even imagine which ones I'm going to stock up on yet!

Red Fox Wily Ol' Fox

Red Fox Wily Ol' Fox [baron rating 4/5] - 5.2% golden ale,hoppy spicy citrus aroma,tangy spicy bitter taste,slightly sweet bitter finish

Young's Special London Ale

Young's Special London Ale [baron rating 5/5] - 6.4% amber ale,spicy sweet orange smell,spicy hop orange pith taste,citrus sweet malt finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review



Thank you to Young's for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Hardknott Granite 2009

Hardknott Granite 2009 [baron rating 5/5] - 10.4% deep ruby ale,roasted fruity smell,boozy complex spicy fruity taste,spicy roasted finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review



Watch us open the bottle!




Thank you to Richard from myBrewerytap for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Hardknott ales here

Williams Bros Red

Williams Bros Red [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% dark amber ale,spicy fruity malt smell,balanced smooth fruity sweet malt taste,dry fruity finish


Thank you to Williams Bros. for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Williams Bros. ales here

Summer Wine Elbow Grease

Summer Wine Elbow Grease [baron rating 4/5] - 4% golden ale,citrus honey smell,honey & citrus hoppy bitter taste,slight pithy dry finish


Thank you to James from Summer Wine for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Fischer Tradition

Fischer Tradition [baron rating 2/5] - 6% pale gold ale,slightly spicy aroma,frothy caramel & slightly spicy taste,slight caramel finish


This beer was 'baron rated' whilst on my summer holiday down in the Ardeche region of Southern France. We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay at a friend's holiday home - it's an amazing house and the location is perfect, oh and the pool is to die for!

Take a look round the house: Le Mas du Gros Cailloux

Note: If you book the house please make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Sierra Nevada Porter

Sierra Nevada Porter [baron rating 5/5] - 5.6% dark ruby ale,roasted dark choc smell,smooth sweet roasted taste,roasted bittersweet finish


Thank you to Richard from myBrewerytap for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Sierra Nevada ales here

Badger Cricket

Badger Cricket [baron rating 4/5] - 4.4% copper ale,lemon & slight ginger sweet smell,light fresh lemon taste,tangy bitter citrus finish


Buy Badger ales here

Sierra Nevada Torpedo

Sierra Nevada Torpedo [baron rating 5/5] - 7.2% copper ale,pine & citrus smell,fresh bitter & very hoppy taste,neverending herbal hop finish


Thank you to Richard from myBrewerytap for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Sierra Nevada ales here

Penlon Torwen

Penlon Torwen [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% black fruit beer,roasted blackcurrant smell,frothy very fruity smooth taste,tart blackcurrant finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review



Watch us open the bottle! (skip to 60secs in for the crazy bit)



Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Penlon ales here

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Wold Top ales very soon!

When we were reviewing the last of the myBrewerytap '52 week beer club' summer pack we found the cap on the Wold Top Wold Gold was loose and the beer had been leaking out for a few weeks. When we opened the beer it was completely flat and off and so we couldn't 'baron rate' it.

I emailed Wold Top about this and they offered to send some through, what they didn't say was quite how many samples they would send! Check out this great selection of Wold Top ales:

Wold Top Brewery

  • 5 Wold Rings - 5% amber beer
  • Against The Grain - 4.5% wheat free ale
  • Centenary Way - 3.5% mild ale
  • Falling Stone - 4.2% best bitter
  • Golden Summer - 4.4% fruity amber beer
  • Mars Magic - 4.6% dark beer
  • Merry Christmas - 6% dark beer
  • Summer Holiday - 5.5% rich dark beer
  • Veteran Ale - 4.2% armed forces charity ale
  • Wold Gold - 4.8% blonde beer
  • Wold Top - 3.7% bitter
  • Wolds Way - 3.6% pale ale
Look out for 'baron ratings' for these Wold Top beers soon, and a big thank you to Paul from Wold Top Brewery for sending these through to me!

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis [baron rating 4/5] - 4.8% cloudy gold ale,yeasty banana cake smell,frothy bright fruit taste,dry spicy clove finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review



Watch us open the bottle!



Thank you to Richard from myBrewerytap for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Sierra Nevada ales here

Summer Wine Tiberius

Summer Wine Tiberius [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% pale gold ale,sweet malt aroma,slight sweet & bitter grapefruit taste,dry hoppy bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review



Thank you to James from Summer Wine for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Looking forward to 'baron rating' St Austell ales very soon!

I was very pleased this morning to see a courier pull up outside asking if The Ormskirk Baron lived here. After confirming that I was indeed the Baron he promptly handed over a box of six beers sent from those kind people at the St Austell Brewery:



St Austell Brewery
  • Admiral's Ale - 5% bronze rich spicy ale
  • Clouded Yellow - 4.8% wheat beer
  • HSD - 5% strong Cornish ale
  • Korev - 4.8% Cornish lager
  • Proper Job - 5.5% India Pale Ale
  • Tribute - 4.2% balanced hoppy & citrus

Look out for 'baron ratings' for these St Austell beers soon, and a big thank you to StAustellBrew for sending these through to me!

Best Mates Vicar's Daughter

Best Mates Vicar's Daughter [baron rating 1/5] - 3.7% gold ale,fruity yeasty smell, fruity tart yeasty taste,unpleasant tart bitter finish

Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review


Audio includes a mini-rant against CAMRA and their insistence on bottle conditioned ales being the only 'real ales'.


This was from the summer pack of the superb '52 week beer club' by myBrewerytap.

Join it now and make sure you say the baron made me do it!

Buy Best Mates ales here

Laverstoke Park Lager

Laverstoke Park Lager [baron rating 3/5] - 4.5% pale gold lager,pithy lemon aroma,balanced slightly sweet taste,dry slightly fruity finish


Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Laverstoke Park Farm ales here