Black Sheep Pathmaker

Not can conditioned

Black Sheep Pathmaker [baron rating 3/5] - 5.6% gold ale,sweet tropical citrus floral smell,piney spicy bitter taste,cloying bitter finish Baron Orm

Black Sheep Reaper

Not bottle conditioned

Black Sheep Reaper [baron rating 4/5] - 4.1% amber ale,blackcurrant berry smell,rye complex peppery berry taste,long dry bitter finish Baron Orm

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

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Black Sheep Shearer

Not bottle conditioned

Black Sheep Shearer [baron rating 3/5] - 4.1% gold ale,floral lime smell,zesty zingy spicy herbal taste,lasting herbal finish Baron Orm

Black Sheep All Creatures

Not bottle conditioned

Black Sheep All Creatures [baron rating 4/5] - 4% copper ale,savoury grassy blackberry smell,mild pithy chalky taste,chalky bitter finish Baron Orm

Black Sheep Progress

Not bottle conditioned

Black Sheep Progress [baron rating 4/5] - 10% dark amber ale,toffee caramel marzipan smell,rich spicy fiery treacle taste,very short finish Baron Orm

Listen to what we all (see the note below) have to say about it

Subscribe in iTunes

Thank you to Paul (@SourceDeliPaul) for bringing this along for a baron rating!

Note : This was the biggest baron rating session yet, with six of us sampling and saying what we thought whilst sat in the lovely Source Deli in Ormskirk. From left to right in the photo:

• Paul from Source Deli - @SourceDeliPaul
• Chris (my regular audio reviewer) - @Christopher_R
• Steven - @Judging_Jester
• Leigh - @villaBONE
• Chris (Leigh's San Diego-based work collegue) - @beerquester

The baron rating crew (minus the baron who was taking the photo)

Paul with Black Sheep Progress

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:

• Adnams Bitter [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.75

• Adnams Broadside [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.89

• Adnams Gunhil [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.83

• Adnams Lighthouse [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.73

• Bath Barnstormer [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.91

• Bath Dark Hare normally £1.84

• Bath GEM normally £1.99

• Bath Wild Hare normally £1.95

• Black Sheep Black Sheep Ale [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.85

• Black Sheep Golden Sheep [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.89

• Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.94

• Brains Dark normally £1.85

• Brains Reverend James normally £1.81

• Brains SA Gold normally £1.89

• Brakspear Bitter [baron rating 5/5] normally £1.92

• Brakspear Oxford Gold [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.91

• Brakspear Triple [baron rating 2/5] normally £2.12

• Courage Directors [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.79

• Duchy Originals Old Ruby Ale normally £1.99

• Fuller's 1845 normally £2.36

• Fuller's Bengal Lancer [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.99

• Fuller's Chiswick Bitter [baron rating coming soon] normally £1.80

• Fuller's Discovery [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.85

• Fuller's ESB [baron rating 5/5] normally £1.95

• Fuller's Golden Pride normally £2.59

• Fuller's London Pride [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.80

• Fuller's London Porter [baron rating coming soon] normally £2.05

• Fuller's Organic Honey Dew normally £1.92

• Greene King Abbot Ale [baron rating 5/5] normally £1.79

• Greene King IPA [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.73

• Greene King IPA Export Strength [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.93

• Greene King Ruddles County [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.69

• Greene King Suffolk Springer normally £2.14

• Greene King Very Special IPA [baron rating coming soon] normally £1.99

• Hook Norton Hooky Bitter [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.94

• Hook Norton Double Stout normally £1.99

• Hook Norton Hooky Gold [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.94

• Hook Norton Haymaker [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.94

• Hook Norton Old Hooky [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.89

• Hook Norton Twelve Days normally £1.94

• Innis & Gunn Original [baron rating 1/5] normally £1.79 - £1.50

• Innis & Gunn Rum Cask [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.99 - £1.50

• Jenning's Cumberland Ale [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.96

• Jenning's Snecklifter [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.96

• Marston's Pedigree [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.81

• Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.82

• Ringwood Fortyniner normally £1.92

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.93

• Scottish & Newcastle Newcastle Brown Ale [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.91

• Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.81

• Shepherd Neame Spitfire [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.84

• 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 Austell Tribute [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.85 £1.50

• St. Peter's Fruit beer - Grapefruit normally £1.94

• St. Peter's Golden Ale normally £1.84

• St. Peter's India Pale Ale [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.99

• St. Peter's Mild normally £1.62

• St. Peter's Old Style Porter normally £1.85

• St. Peter's Organic Best Bitter [baron rating 2/5] normally £1.85

• St. Peter's Ruby Red Ale normally £1.85

• Thwaites Double Century [baron rating 5/5] normally £1.99

• Thwaites Flying Shuttle normally £2.12

• Thwaites Lancaster Bomber [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.95

• Thwaites Thoroughbred Gold [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.72

• Thwaites Very Nutty Black [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.79

• Thwaites Wainwright [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.85

• Wells Bombardier [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.78

• Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5] normally £1.84

• Young's London Gold [baron rating 3/5] normally £1.91

An excellent selection of offers, I can't even imagine which ones I'm going to stock up on yet!

Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale for 99p a bottle in B&M Bargains

B&M Bargains in Ormskirk has 500ml bottles of Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5] for 99p (best before end of December 2010)

Waitrose September ale & beer offers (25th August - 21st September 2010)

It's September's new beer & ale offers time in Waitrose, their PR staff had informed me ahead of time what this month's ale offers are:

• Bath Gem
£1.59 instead of £1.99

• Black Sheep Ale [baron rating 4/5]
£1.48 instead of £1.85

• St. Peter's Organic Best Bitter
£1.48 instead of £1.85

• Sharp's Doom Bar [baron rating 4/5]
£1.35 instead of £1.74

• Brains SA Gold
£1.41 instead of £1.89

• Duchy Originals 1905 Ruby Ale
£1.49 instead of £1.99

Sharp's Doom Bar is my winner this month, a very good price (£1,35) for an excellent beer!

Morrisons August ale & beer offers (9th August - 5th September 2010)

It's August's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch on Tuesday to check them out.

Here are the details:

• Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1.43 instead of £1.63

• Holts Humdinger
£1.19 instead of £1.69

• Marston's Strong Pale Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1.55 instead of £1.75

• Marston's Pedigree VSOP [baron rating coming soon]
£1.95 instead of £2.25

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]
£1.56 instead of £1.76

• Wothington's White Shield [baron rating 4/5]
£1.59 instead of £1.89

• Wychwood King Goblin [baron rating 2/5]
£1.89 instead of £2.19

The winner this month is Worthington's White Shield, it's a quality bottle conditioned ale with a superb mouthfeel, so light & frothy and very balanced as well.

Morrisons May ale & beer offers (7th June - 11th July 2010)

It's June's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch today to check them out.

Here are the details:

• Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]
£1.50 instead of £1.70

• Greene King Abbot Reserve [baron rating 3/5]
1.55 instead of £2.05

• Greene King Suffolk Springer
£1.55 instead of £2.05

• Marston's Burton Bitter [baron rating 2/5]
£1.19 guest ale

• Marston's Strong Pale Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1.55 instead of £1.75

• Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]
£1.51 instead of £1.71

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]
£1.55 instead of £1.75

The Burton Bitter is the only ale within the 'baron bargain' price range (£1.30 or less) but I find it very thin and watery hence the [baron rating 2/5]. The Suffolk Springer is probably this month's winner have a decent discount on a high ABV ale.

Let's just say the baron didn't stock up on anything today :(

Morrisons April ale & beer offers (12th April - 9th May 2010)

It's April's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch today to check them out.

Here are the details:

• Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]
£1.53 instead of £1.73

• Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59 

• Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating 3/5]
£1.27 instead of £1.47 

• Marston's Old Empire [baron rating 5/5]
£1.28 instead of £1.48 

• Marston's Pale Ale [baron rating coming soon]
£1.50 instead of £1.70 

• Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]
4 for £4.25 instead of £5.25 

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]
£1.53 instead of £1.73 

• Wells Banana Bread Beer
£1.23 instead of £1.43 

• Young's Kew Gold [baron rating 3/5]
£1.65 instead of £1.85

A good set of offers this month, four within the 'baron bargain' range (less than £1.30 per bottle). The winner this month by far is the Old Empire offer, this is one of my favourite beers and at £1.28 for a tasty strong ale it's a great offer!

As always I'll check back next month...

Black Sheep Ale for £1.18/bottle in Asda (15th March 2010)

Asda have Black Sheep Ale [baron rating 4/5] on offer at the moment: £1.18 per 500ml bottle, no idea when it's going to go back up again

Asda's latest ale offers (20th Jan)

Checked the Asda website tonight and spotted that all the following ales are on for a £1 a bottle at the moment (no indication of when the offer will end):

• Badger Fursty Ferret [baron rating 4/5]

• Badger Tanglefoot [baron rating 4/5]

• Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]

• Brakspear Bitter [baron rating 5/5]

• Marstons Pedigree [baron rating 3/5]

• Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]

• Newcastle Brown Ale [baron rating 3/5]

• Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger [baron rating 2/5]

• Shepherd Neame Spitfire [baron rating 4/5]

• Theakston Old Peculier [baron rating 4/5]

• Wells Bombardier [baron rating 3/5]

• Wychwood Goliath [baron rating 3/5]

I'm going to go down to the Aintree store tomorrow to see if I can pick up some Brakspear, Fursty Ferret and Old Peculier...

Update (21/01/2010) : The above are all on offer and in plentiful supply at the Aintree Asda store, all bottles £1 each (except the Brakspear Bitter at £1.03 a bottle)

Get down there and stock up!

Great cheap ale selection from Booths (Windermere)

Mike Nolan (you are a star) picked up a great selection of ales on offer for me from Booths in Windermere. He was up there for the weekend, saw the cracking deals and got in touch with me via Twitter!

Here is my selection which cost just £11 for 9 bottles:

• Adnams Bitter [baron rating 4/5]
  

• Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 5/5]

• Holden's Golden
  

• St. Peter's India Pale Ale (IPA)

• Wentworth WPA

• Wold Top Falling Stone

The Adnams Bitter and Wold Top Falling Stone were just £1/bottle (until the 19th Jan), not sure about the others but Mike did say that all fell under the baron-friendly price of £1.33.  A nice selection with nearly half that I've not tried before, Mike personally recommended the St. Peter's IPA so I'm looking forward to that! As always, 'baron ratings' will follow once they have been sampled...

Thanks again Mike!

Re-rating of Black Sheep Holy Grail

I rated Black Sheep Holy Grail in November but after re-trying it I'm upgrading it to a [baron rating 5/5] - crisp & hoppy, very drinkable!

Final round-up of the Black Sheep Baron Ratings

As you may be aware, Black Sheep Brewery very kindly sent me a bottle of each of their range to receive a 'Baron Rating', now that I've consumed them all, here are the final scores:

• Black Sheep Ale [baron rating 4/5]
  

• Black Sheep Golden Sheep [baron rating 3/5]

• Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 5/5]
  

• Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]

• Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5] 

I would like to say a big thank you to Black Sheep Brewery for their generosity, they do brew some very fine beers!

Black Sheep Riggwelter

Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5] - this chestnut ale has a chocolate malt smell, a smooth dark malty taste & a gentle bitter finish

Buy Black Sheep ales here

Black Sheep Golden Sheep

Black Sheep Golden Sheep [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.7% pale amber ale has a crisp, bitter taste & a long lasting bitter aftertaste

Buy Black Sheep ales here

Morrisons December ale & beer offers (29th Nov - 3rd Jan) (Ormskirk)

It's December's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch today to check them out.  There is nothing that special reduced this time round which is a shame as a cracking deal at Christmas time could clear their shelves.  They have the same beers on offer as last month with a few more added at about the same price.

Here are the details:

• Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Courage Directors [baron rating 3/5]
  £1.59 instead of £1.79

• Greene King Abbot Reserve [baron rating 3/5]
  £1.49 instead of £1.99

• Greene King Suffolk Springer
  £1.49 instead of £1.99
  

• Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating 3/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Marston's Old Empire [baron rating 5/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Marston's Strong Pale Ale
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Morland Old Crafty Hen
  £1.99 instead of £2.49

• Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]
  £1.59 instead of £1.79 

• Wells Banana Bread Beer
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Wells Bombardier [baron rating 3/5]
  £1.39 instead of £1.59

• Young's Kew Gold
  £1.59 instead of £1.79

They also had a rather interesting 12-bottle 'Classic Ales of England' box which I've not seen before, contain two bottles of the following beers for £14 (£1.17 per bottle):

• Brakspear Bitter [baron rating 5/5]
  

• Brakspear Oxford Gold [baron rating 3/5]

• Jennings Cumberland Ale [baron rating 3/5]

• Marston's Pedigree [baron rating 3/5]

• Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]

• Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]

All of these offers are valid until 3rd January so I'll check back then to see what's next!

Black Sheep Holy Grail

Update 18/12/09: I'm upgrading this ale to a [baron rating 5/5] after picking up another bottle recently, it's so crisp & hoppy it goes down a real treat!

Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 4/5] - this Monty Python themed 4.7% ale has a a citrus,hoppy taste & long lasting bitterness to finish

Buy Black Sheep ales here