Black Isle Hibernator Oatmeal Stout

Not bottle conditioned
Black Isle Hibernator Oatmeal Stout [baron rating 5/5] - 7% black ale,choc liquorice smell,smooth choc liquorice taste,fruity choc finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Colin (@BlackIsleBeer) from Black Isle Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Black Isle ales direct

Moncada Notting Hill Ruby Rye

Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation
Moncada Notting Hill Ruby Rye [baron rating 3/5] - 5.2% red ale,toffee boiled fruits smell,full bodied fruity taste,dusty slight sour finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to  Paul Kruzycki from Ales By Mail for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Moncada ales from Ales By Mail

Yates' Undercliff Experience

Not bottle conditioned
Yates' Undercliff Experience [baron rating 1/5] - 4.1% amber ale,savoury herb smell,sultana caramel balanced taste,herby butterscotch finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to @bob_beer from Best of British Beer for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Yates' ales from Best Of British Beer

Geeves Gunwale Dance

Not bottle conditioned
Geeves Gunwale Dance [baron rating 4/5] - 4.2% copper ale,mineral mild citrus smell,spicy sweetish grapefruit taste,flinty peppery finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to @bob_beer from Best of British Beer for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Geeves ales from Best Of British Beer

Black Isle Scotch Ale

Not bottle conditioned
Black Isle Scotch Ale [baron rating 5/5] - 6.2% ruby ale,black treacle & ground spices smell,nutmeg sweet prunes taste,gentle bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Colin (@BlackIsleBeer) from Black Isle Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Black Isle ales direct

Knops Musselburgh Broke

Not bottle conditioned
Knops Musselburgh Broke [baron rating 3/5] - 4.5% ruby ale,stewed fruit smell,fruity brown sugar bittersweet taste,mild sweet caramel finish

Sierra Nevada Imperial Red Ale

Not bottle conditioned
Sierra Nevada Imperial Red Ale [baron rating 4/5] - 8.1% dark amber ale,candied boiled fruit smell,candied sweetish taste,burnt sugar finish
Buy Sierra Nevada ales from Ales By Mail

Coniston Infinity IPA

Not bottle conditioned
Coniston Infinity IPA [baron rating 5/5] - 6% amber ale,tropical fruit salad smell,sweet tropical spicy bitter taste,fruity bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Coniston Special Oatmeal Stout

Not bottle conditioned
Coniston Special Oatmeal Stout [baron rating 5/5] - 4.5% black ale,vineous liquorice smell,smooth bitter mocha taste,dry bitter choc finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Not bottle conditioned
Samuel Adams Noble Pils [baron rating 4/5] - 4.8% gold beer,mild lemon grassy cereal smell,oily soft rounded bittersweet taste,floral finish
Buy Samuel Adams ales from Beers of Europe

Saltaire Stateside IPA

Not bottle conditioned
Saltaire Stateside IPA [baron rating 4/5] - 6% amber ale,tropical citrus smell,spicy syrupy citrus bitter taste,tropical mild pithy finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to @BGRTRob from HopZine for handing this over for a baron rating!

Ringwood Boondoggle

Not bottle conditioned
Ringwood Boondoggle [baron rating 2/5] - 5% amber ale,mild citrus sulphur vegetal smell,buttery spicy taste,peppery bitter metallic finish

Black Isle Goldeneye Pale Ale

Not bottle conditioned
Black Isle Goldeneye Pale Ale [baron rating 4/5] - 5.6% copper ale,biscuit citrus smell,rounded caramel oily citrus taste,bittersweet finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Colin (@BlackIsleBeer) from Black Isle Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Black Isle ales direct

Fuller's London Black Cab Stout

Not bottle conditioned
Fuller's London Black Cab Stout [baron rating 5/5] - 4.5% black ale,burnt smoky smell,smooth bittersweet choc taste,lingering choc finish
Buy Fuller's ales direct

Geeves Smokey Joe

Not bottle conditioned
Geeves Smokey Joe [baron rating 4/5] - 5% black stout,smoky very burnt smell,balanced burnt zingy charcoal taste,milky bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to @bob_beer from Best of British Beer for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Geeves ales from Best Of British Beer

London Fields Love Not War

Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation
London Fields Love Not War [baron rating 4/5] - 4.2% dark amber ale,summer fruit smell,fruity powerful bitter taste,astringent bitter finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Jimmy Hatherley from London Fields Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy London Fields ales direct

Three Tuns Cleric's Cure

Not bottle conditioned
Three Tuns Cleric's Cure [baron rating 4/5] - 5% gold ale,subtle floral smell,floral spicy zingy bitter taste,sticky peppery biscuity finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to @bob_beer from Best of British Beer for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Three Tuns ales from Best Of British Beer

Burscough Mere Blonde

Not bottle conditioned
Burscough Mere Blonde [baron rating 4/5] - 4% pale gold ale,citrus shortbread smell,biscuity mild grapefruit taste,juicy bittersweet finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Mike McCombe (@mikehopvine) from the Burscough Brewing Company for handing this over for a baron rating!

Buy Burscough ales from Source Deli

Looking forward to baron rating Coniston ales

The Lake District is not that far from Ormskirk and I scuba-dived in Lake Coniston a while back (don't waste your time, it's dark and silty and you see nothing) so when Coniston Brewery offered some samples I though it would be rude not to accept them ;) I wasn't quite expecting the parcel that arrived though as I'd only ever seen 2-3 of the bottled beers that they produced:




Coniston Brewing Company

  • Bluebird Bitter - 4.2% fine session ale with a light golden colour. The intense resinous and spicy hop character is derived from English Challenger hops. The malt is Maris Otter fermented slightly warm to give a soft fruitiness with a faint hint of scented geranium
  • Infinity IPA - 6% highly hopped pale ale, refreshing, crisp & sharp with a lingering bitter finish. Brewed with pale Maris Otter malts and Mount Hood, Challenger, Golding & Amarillo hops
  • No.9 Barley Wine - 8.5% GBBF winner, brewed once a year this classic strong golden beer has a long maturation period to give a smooth and warming character. A delightful sipping beer. Rich fruit flavours with marzipan, herbal hoppiness and Cognac overtones finishing with a warming alcohol essence. The residual sweetness is balanced by a large amount of best English Golding hops
  • Oliver's Light Ale -3.4% light straw coloured, easy drinking mild, subtly hopped with Whitbread's Golding variety hop and brewed using only the finest malt and a generous amount of demerara sugar
  • Original India Pale Ale - 6% rich amber coloured beer with a rich taste to match a superb balance of malts and hops making a classic style IPA. Brewed with Challenger & Goldings hops
  • Special Oatmeal Stout - 4.5% Oats are used in the grist to give body and smoothness, enhancing the roasted barley, giving it complex flavours reminiscent of dark chocolate and coffee. This is balanced by a fresh hop bitterness and dry silky finish
  • Thurstein Pilsner - 4.8% Pilsner style lager using 100% German Hallertau hops and best quality pale malt and wheat to give an authentic crisp clean continental style beer
  • XB Bluebird Bitter - 4.4% fine English pale ale with American Mount Hood thrown in for some robust citrus aromas
Ian also threw in a No.9 t-shirt and a Coniston mug - why don't more breweries do this? I've a ton of brewery-branded glasses but this is my first mug...

Look out for 'baron ratings' of these beers soon, and a big thank you to Ian Bradley (@ConistonBrewCo) from Coniston Brewery for sending these through to me!

Black Isle Jocktoberfest

Not bottle conditioned
Black Isle Jocktoberfest [baron rating 5/5] - 6.2% ruby ale,fresh Soreen malt loaf smell,plumy nutmeg taste,mild sweet fruity smoky finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Colin (@BlackIsleBeer) from Black Isle Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Black Isle ales direct

Looking forward to baron rating Ales By Mail's Best of London mixed case



London seems to have had an explosion of new breweries, in 2006 there were eight breweries, now there are thirty six and counting! Ales By Mail have pulled together a selection of beers from some of these breweries in their rather suitably named "Best of London Mixed Case". Fifteen bottles of quality ale from some of London's newest breweries.

Here are the case contents:

  • Beavertown Black Betty - 7.2% black IPA
  • Brüpond Ain'cho Mum's Porter - 4.2% chocolate & chilli porter
  • By the Horns Bobby on the Wheat - 4.7% pale wheat, a well balanced body of flavours cut with notions of citrus and a development of spice
  • Camden Town Pale Ale - 4% pale ale
  • Crate Lager - 4.8% rich golden lager with a flora aroma, and a crisp clean refreshing finish
  • East London Nightwatchman - 4.5% dark premium bitter, well-hopped but with a smooth mouthfeel. A complex balance of malts gives a well-rounded flavour
  • Hackney Golden Ale - 4% golden ale
  • Kernel London Brewers Alliance Collaboration London Stout - 6.8%
  • Little Brew Porter - 5.4% porter, delicious & deep with malty chocolate tones
  • London Fields Unfiltered Lager - 4.3% lager, unfiltered to retain all the smooth texture and crisp, delicate notes of citrus and fern. An ultimately refreshing beer - with flavour!
  • Moncada Notting Hill Ruby Rye - 5.2% robust ruby ale made with rye complimented by a fruity hop aroma
  • Partizan IPA:Columbus Cascade Bravo - 7.4% IPA
  • Rocky Head Pale Ale - 6.5% pale ale
  • Tap East Coffee in the Morning - 5.2% full-bodied coffee stout made with freshly ground El Salvadorian coffee beans
  • Windsor & Eton Conqueror 1075 [baron rating 5/5] - 7.4% rich & complex black IPA
Look out for 'baron ratings' of these beers soon, and a big thank you to Paul Kruzycki from Ales By Mail for sending these through to me!

Buy all these ales from Ales By Mail

Tesco Everyday Value Lager

Not can conditioned
Tesco Everyday Value Lager [baron rating 1/5] - 2% pale gold beer,damp musty coat-in-boot-of-car smell,off fizzy water taste,metallic finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it

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Thank you to Paul from Source Deli for handing this over (as a birthday present) for a baron rating!

Buy Tesco beers direct

A baron's trip to the National Winter Ales Festival

I really enjoyed visiting the National Winter Ales Festival last year but I wasn't able to go on trade day (the Wednesday) and so went at the weekend. By the time I got there most of the stuff I wanted to try was gone but it was still an excellent festival.

This year I was invited by Thwaites to come for the trade afternoon and so jumped at the chance for a ticket! The afternoon was booked off work, the train caught from Burscough Bridge on the direct train to Manchester Piccadilly and then a brisk walk planted me in The Marble Arch to meet a few other festival goers and to get a quick pint (of Pint) in before we caught the bus up to the venue.

Doors opened promptly at 2:30 and through good queue management a glass was in hand pretty quickly so off to choose my first beer before meeting Ian Bearpark, Brewery & Distribution Director for Thwaites at 3pm. I headed straight to RedWillow's section and chose a half of Heartless, a lovely smooth stout with a good chocolate edge to it.



I then wandered around the festival looking for the Thwaites stand but couldn't find it, finally bumped into Ian at the same bar from which I got the RedWillow, they didn't have a stand which came as a surprise to both of us. Ian then proceeded to walk me through their cask offerings at the festival:

Big Ben - 4.5% brown ale (used to be called Shuttle) a solid brown ale but brewed to be less sweet than Newcastle Brown Ale. It was a very sessionable beer, dark amber in colour which was quite light in it's taste and body but had some nice caramel and fruity notes to it.



13 Guns - 5.5% American IPA, to quote Ian he "chucked it all in" (with regards to the generous use of American hops). This beer was quite something and I can see why it got so much talk at GBBF. Ian mentioned that he is a massive fan of Stone beers and you can kind of see that when you try 13 Guns - it was a rich copper colour with a big citrus hoppy resinous quality to it. It also had that chewy aspect that you sometimes get with big malty but hoppy ales and had a wonderful sticky resinous finish. I don't often get the chance to drink IPAs on cask (it's normally bottles at home) so it was great to try such a beast of a beer.

Fallen Nun - This was the star of the show, although it didn't win any awards it was the one beer that everyone I met on the day was talking about - it's simply stunning. 7.4% black IPA, it was spicy on the nose with a big burst of fresh hops and a touch of acetone, the taste was thick & oily with a big roasted hoppy resinous bittersweet taste and a big dry resinous burnt finish. A truly stunning complex beer, I so hope that this becomes part of their bottled line-up as I think with a big of forced carbonation and a touch more chilling this would be a truly world-class bottled black IPA (think it would give Thornbridge Raven a run for it's money...)

Thwaites have gone down the route of a lot of large breweries at the moment, they have installed a mini-brewery inside the brewery to be able to experiment with some of these more adventurous ales, they have a 20 barrel brewery to 'play on' compared to their normal 360 barrel one.

It's really encouraging to see a national brewery like Thwaites producing stuff like 13 Guns and Fallen Nun, they are excellent beers that I would buy again and again, it just shows that the big boys can do 'craft' as long as they are allowed to do so.

After finishing up with Ian I managed to spend a short while with Mike from Okells Brewery who showed me their new branding on the pumpclips and talked me through two of their new beers, Olaf - a nice low ABV roasty stout and MPA (Manx Pale Ale) which was a lovely citrusy ale.

Then I generally milled about meeting folk (Chris Dixon, Jay Krause & a lovely lady from Port Street Beer House to name but a few) and supping quality beers until my internal beer-spidy sense told me it was time to go home!


A massive thank you to Ian from Thwaites for providing the trade session ticket and allowing me to sample their excellent cask ales :)