BrewDog #MashTag 2015

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog #MashTag 2015 [baron rating 4/5] - 10% black ale,roasty vanilla milk smell,rich malty berry choc espresso taste,bitter coffee finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to Chris for bringing this round for a baron rating!

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BrewDog Albino Squid Assassin

Not can conditioned

BrewDog Albino Squid Assassin [baron rating 5/5] - 7.4% ruby ale,candied fruits smell,rich sweet candied fruits bitter taste,dry rye finishBaron Orm

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

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Thank you to Chris for bringing this round for a baron rating!

Buy BrewDog ales from Booths

BrewDog Jack Hammer

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Jack Hammer [baron rating 5/5] - 7.2% gold ale,piney sticky tropical smell,fruity really bitter taste,long bitter pithy finish Baron Orm

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!

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Looking forward to baron rating these Ales By Mail beers

The start of new month this time meant a new box of tasty ales to review thanks to the very kind people over at Ales By Mail.They gave me discount voucher to spend in their wide and varied 'pick & mix' range and here's what I picked to review:

The cans look small but hold the same as the bottle - 330ml

• BrewDog Jack Hammer - 7.2% west coast india pale ale. This IPA is bitter. Very bitter. (continue usual BrewDog bottle speil)
• Beavertown 8 Ball Rye IPA - 6.2% (that's all from the label)
• Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA - 4.3% (that's all from the label)

• Bristol Beer Factory Saison - 6.5% classic Belgian summer ale, bursting with flavour. The Saison yeast gives smooth fruity notes and it is rounded off with spicy European hops
• Bristol Beer Factory Ultimate Stout - 7.5%, strong black, unctuous and delicous. Hints of coffee, chocolate & dark fruits, made using a Belgian yeast & roasted malts
• De Molen Vuur & Vlam - 6.2% IPA-ish strong beer, hopped with premiant, galena, cascade, chinook, simcoe & amarillo hops
• Kernel London Sour - 2.5% contains wheat (that's all from the label)

A stack of craft cans

Fourpure Brewery

• Amber Ale - 5.1% amber ale inspired by Colorado, USA (that's all from the label)
• IPA - 6.5% IPA inspired by Oregon, USA (that's all from the label)
• Pale Ale - 5% pale ale inspired by California, USA (that's all from the label)
• Pils - 4.7% Pils inspired by Munich Germany (that's all from the label)
• Session IPA - 4.2% inspired by New York, USA (that's all from the label)

Look out for 'baron ratings' of these beers soon, and a big thank you to Chrissie Saunders (Blogger Outreach & Online Communities) from Ales By Mail for sending these through to me!

I'm a big fan of these craft cans, here are a few 'arty' shots that I took :-/

Buy all these ales from Ales By Mail

BrewDog/Mikkeller I Hardcore You

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog I Hardcore You [baron rating 5/5] - 9.5% amber ale,boozy resinous smell,sweet tropical brutal bitter taste,bittersweet resin finish Baron Orm

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BrewDog AB:08

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog AB:08 [baron rating 4/5] - 11.8% amber ale,smoky sweet vanilla fudge smell,smoky barley wine-like but bitter taste,very smoky finish Baron Orm

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

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BrewDog Abstrakt AB:07

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Abstrakt AB:07 [baron rating 4/5] - 12.5% ruby ale,fruity Bovril smell,beefy liquorice stewed fruits taste,boozy finish Baron Orm

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

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BrewDog Libertine Black Ale

Not bottle conditioned but lively carbonation

BrewDog Libertine Black Ale [baron rating 5/5] - 7.2% black ale,roasted choc sweet fruity smell,oily coffee blackcurrant taste,fruity finish Baron Orm

Thank you to Chris France (@TheBeerHawk) from Beer Hawk for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy BrewDog ales from Beer Hawk

BrewDog Riptide

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Riptide [baron rating 5/5] - 8% black ale,vanilla coffee choc peaty smell,vanilla custard smoky choc taste,choc liquorice finish Baron Orm

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BrewDog AB:01

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog AB:01 [baron rating 4/5] - 10.5% amber ale,fruity sugary smell,syrupy sweet prune juice taste,fast fading dry dusty finish Baron Orm

Listen to what Chris, Michael Ironside and the Baron have to say about it

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Chilling in the hotel toilet cistern...

Thank you to Michael Ironside (@m_ironside) for bringing this along for a baron rating, it was released in 2010 so has been maturing for a number of years before we got to try it!

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BrewDog #MashTag

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog #MashTag [baron rating 5/5] - 7.4% dark brown ale,nutty dark sugar smell,smooth rich sweet molasses smoky taste,nutty choc finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to Chris France (@TheBeerHawk) from Beer Hawk for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy BrewDog ales from Beer Hawk

BrewDog Hello My Name Is Mette Marit

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Hello My Name Is Mette Marit [baron rating 3/5] - 8.2% gold ale,herbal resin smell,astringent red fruit taste,sour berries finishBaron Orm
Note: Although I wasn't a fan of this beer, mainly due to the sour berry aspect, Chris was a massive fan and gave it a 5/5.

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

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Thank you to brewer Scott Murray from BrewDog for handing this over for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Beer Hawk ales

Beer mail order company Beer Hawk started up at the end of last year with the aim of 'only stocking the good stuff' - they have over two hundred different bottled beers as well as mixed cases and a beer club.

Chris France (joint director along with Mark Roberts) got in touch recently asking if there were any beers on their website that I'd like to try... let's just say I was like a kid in a sweet shop (or a bull in a china shop - you take your pick!). This is what they very kindly sent through for review:

• Anchor Old Foghorn - 9.4% barley wine style ale, the perfect balanced of malty sweetness, estery fruitiness and equisite hop character
• BrewDog Libertine Black Ale - 7.2% dark hop bomb combining the hop awesomeness of an IPA, the decadent and indulgent malt flavours of a stout with an insatiable drinkability
• BrewDog #MashTag - 7.4% crowd-sourced brown ale from start to finish
• Durhum Cloister - 4.5% thirst quenching pale golden, premium bitter. A unique blend of English, American and Czech hops give an aroma of citrus grapefruit with mild pepper and citrus orange notes throughout
• Durham Magus - 3.8% light bitter, simple pale malts provide a base for a complex blend of hops. Colour is very pale with lemon citrus and floral flavours, progressing to a spicy mouthfeel and a clean earthy bitterness in the finsh

• Flying Dog Horn Dog - 10.2% barley wine style ale (no further description on bottle) RateBeer says: "Big malty flavors, including licorice and chocolate, are balanced with a moderate hop profile. Brewed with copious amounts of prized malts and flaked oats, the Barley Wine is so strong that it has to be aged for several months before we can bottle it"
• Ilkley Joshua Jane - 3.7% rich nut-brown Yorkshire ale,smooth with hints of caramel rising to a lingering and pleasant bitterness BUT characterised by the use of hops sourced from the USA and New Zealand
• Nogne O Imperial Brown Ale - 7.5% unique ale due to the use of rich English malts and generous use of hops, particularly American varieties. Unfiltered and unpasteurised and it will age well
• Nogne O Imperial Stout - 9% very rich, creamy and completely black ale with flavours of coffee, chocolate, leather and dried fruits
• Rochefort 10 - 11.3% ? (no description on bottle) RateBeer says: "The top product from the Rochefort Trappist brewery. Dark color, full and very impressive taste. Strong plum, raisin, and black currant palate, with ascending notes of vinousness and other complexities"
• Rogue Dead Guy Ale - ? (no description on bottle) RateBeer says: "6.6% German-style Maibock made with Rogue’s proprietary "PacMan" ale yeast. It is deep honey in color with a malty aroma, rich hearty flavor and a well balanced finish. Dead Guy is created from Northwest Harrington, Klages, Maier Munich and Carastan malts, along with Perle and Saaz Hops"

• Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen - 5.1% rauchbier, selected barley is malted at the brewery and kilned over a fire of beechwood  logs. A dark, bottom fermented beer with an intense smoky aroma and flavour
• Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen - 5.2% unusual sibling of the classic Marzen. Only the barley malt is smoked over beechwood logs while the wheat malt remains unsmoked. The light smokiness is coupled with complex notes of banana and clove
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot - barley wine style ale (no further description on bottle) RateBeer says: "boasts a dense, fruity bouquet; an extremely rich, intense, bittersweet palate; and a deep, reddish-brown color. This ale is superbly balanced between an almost overpowering maltiness and a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness"
• Sierra Nevada Hoptimum -10.4% whole-cone imperial IPA, the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced - a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavour. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped AND torpedoed, Hoptimum delivers ultra-intense flavours to hop fanatics everywhere
• Thornbridge Halcyon -7.4% intensely flavoured imperial IPA, heavily hopped giving tropical fruit, mango and summer berry characteristics with a touch of caramel and biscuit sweetness. Perfumed hops in the mouth balanced with a warming, bitter finish
• Thornbridge Reverend & The Makers - 4.8% summer ale, brewed in collaboration with Ed Cosens, a classic example of its style; pale golden colour, light-bodied and easy drinking. The ale's highly fragrant floral and spicy flavours are the result of the generous use of the best hops from Australia, USA and England including Cascade, Amarillo, Galaxy and Fuggles

What an awesome selection, I'm finding it hard not to just dive in and start opening them! (must wait for Chris, must wait for Chris...).

I really liked the 'welcome sheet' that arrived at the top of the box (the first thing that you see when opening the box). A nicely branded 'thank you' on one side and then pouring and tasting tips on the other, really like the different pouring tips for the different beer styles - a really nice touch.

Look out for 'baron ratings' of these beers soon, and a big thank you to Chris France (@TheBeerHawk) from Beer Hawk for sending these through to me!

Buy all these beers from Beer Hawk and get 10% off if you use my discount code "BARON" at checkout!

Looking forward to baron rating these EBBC13 ales

A couple of weeks ago I attended the European beer bloggers conference this year hosted in Edinburgh. I had a fantastic weekend of all things beer plus made loads of new friends and caught up with old ones - I had an absolute hoot!

One aspect that I love is the bottle swap/grab/giveaway that occurs, here are the beers that I'm looking forward to baron rating with Chris over the next few tasting sessions:

• Badger The Roaming Roy Dog - 7.5% 2013 limited edition ale, a dark porter with a complex malt character derived from a combination of aromatic, crystal & chocolate malt. Bramling Cross and Galaxy hops add a subtle blackcurrant and mango aroma - cheers Anna from Badger
• Fyne Sanda Black - 5.5% black IPA, a forward thinking, distintive black IPA packed with New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops. Bold flavours with aromas of passion fruit and gooseberry burst onto your taste buds before being balanced by roasted chocolate smoothness
• Fyne Zombier - 6.9% deep black porter with a caramel tan head. Big aromas and flavours of treacle, toffee and liquorice with hints of chocolate and coffee. A lingering roasted malt bitterness returns from the dead with bite - thank you Fyne Ales for handing these over

• Harviestoun 30th Anniversary Ola Dubh - 11.3% We make Ola Dubh 30 by taking our Old Engine Oil (amped up to 10.5%) and aging it for up to 6 months in casks that previously held Highland Park’s phenomenal 30 Year Old single malt whisky - thank you Harviestoun
• Tempest Old Parochial - 10% barrel aged imperial scotch ale - massive thank you to @stravale for this)
• BrewDog Hello My Name Is Mette Marit Censored - 8.2% lingonberry double IPA - thanks to the BrewDog brewer for this very special pre-release bottle of this beer

• Weird Beard Mariana Trench - 5.3% transpacific pale ale, Pacific Northwest meets Pacific Southwest as the best of American and NZ hops meld together with just enough malt backbone to allow them to sing. A riot of mango and passion fruit on the nose but balanced enough to drink by the bucketful. Dive in and grab another bottle but don't get the bends
• Weird Beard/Elusive Brewing Nelson Saison - 6.9% The second in their single hop series, showcasing the Nelson Sauvin hop so expect elderflower and gooseberries blended with Saison yeast character - thanks to @tabamatu for handing over his colab beer (as well as the other Weird Beard one)
• Williams Bros Impale IPA - 5.5% impishly hoppy golden ale - "a fantastic beer created by one of Heriot Watt University's students - Ed Young" - thanks to Chris from Williams Brothers for handing over this ale

Look out for a 'baron rating' for all these beers soon!

BrewDog - Brewing up a storm

Presented by Sarah Warman @BrewDogSarah

Established in 2007 by James Watt & Martin Dickie. Built a £7m Eco-brewery, opened 11 UK bars and one in Stockholm, exporting to 32 countries worldwide, and has raised £4m vie Equity for Punks. Planning on opening a visitor centre, bottle shop and brewing academy.

 

They are very active on many social media platforms but the two key ones for them are Facebook & Twitter. She then ran through the main platforms talking about the number of users, etc.

 

Visual content is huge, they post at least one photo a day taken from the brewery. They also do quite a bit of crowd sourcing to get their customers viewpoints.

 

She then moved on to talk about the Fake Lager campaign, they did an April Fools gag about producing a lager and ditching the craft beer scene, on April 2nd they said tht they would still be producing the lager which caused lots of conversation about BrewDog on social media platforms.

 

#mashtag was a twitter crowded sourced beer recipe, name & label. People were voting for how they wanted the beer to end up. They also brewed Sunk Punk - the first beer to be brewed under the sea, she showed a video of the making of the beer, the sinking of the vessels and the raising of them too - gave the complete picture.

 

BrewDog Dead Pony Club

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Dead Pony Club [baron rating 3/5] - 3.8% amber ale,sweet tropical fruits smell,unbalanced no body fruity taste,bitter finish Baron Orm

I was really disappointed with this bottled version, I got to try the keg version when the BrewDog Manchester bar opened and it was excellent (on keg) but in bottles it just doesn't do it for me.

Buy BrewDog ales direct

BrewDog Dogma

New version. Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog Dogma [baron rating 4/5] - 7.4% black ale,woodsmoke sweet BBQ ribs smell,smooth sweet roasted balanced taste,sweet honey choc finish Baron Orm

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

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BrewDog AB:11

Not bottle conditioned (but bloody lovely!)

BrewDog AB:11 [baron rating 5/5] - 12.8% black ale,boozy vinous mocha smell,sweet rich smooth fruity coffee taste,long choc ginger finish Baron Orm

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

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BrewDog/3 Floyds Bitch Please

Not bottle conditioned

BrewDog/3 Floyds Bitch Please [baron rating 4/5] - 11.5% dark amber ale,sweet toffee Islay whisky smell,mellow peaty taste,dry smoky finishBaron Orm

Thank you to Paul from Source Deli for bringing this round for a 'baron rating'!

Buy BrewDog ales from Source Deli

Baron on Tour: BrewDog Manchester Bar

HopZine Rob got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago to say that a few folks from Twitter were making there way down to the newly opened BrewDog Manchester bar and would I like to join them. After a quick discussion with the Baroness I was cleared of fatherly duties on Saturday 5th May and so cycled to Burscough Bridge station to catch the train into Deansgate.

Whilst on the train I realised that I had done an 'epic fail' - I had no idea where on Deansgate the bar was. Luckily twitter is your best friend and after a tweet for help I received three separate replies with directions and a phone call from Tara Mallinson giving me directions (they were already there!).

Tara & Elaine from Mallinsons

On arrival at the cool glass-fronted bar I found Tara & Elaine from Mallinsons happily occupying one of the sofas on the upstairs mezzanine floor (it's only small up there) so I ordered a half of BrewDog's new beer, the 3.8% Dead Pony Club and joined them.

Dead Pony Club is an excellent beer, so light at 3.8% and yet so packed with flavour: it's sweet and resinous on the nose with a lovely juicy zingy bittersweet taste and a long bitter finish - a cracking pint. It's only down side? It's nearly £4 a pint!

Adam & Rob

This was also the cheapest beer in the place so I'm pretty sure that's going to put some people off going there but maybe BrewDog don't mind as there's plenty of others that seemed happy to pay it (by the time we left mid-evening it was heaving).

Nick & Kate

nce back upstairs and chatting away to Mallinsons we were joined by Adam, Mark, Rob and Nick & Kate (who helped brew the fantastic Summer Wine Covenant ale for their wedding). A great afternoon was had trying numerous beers (both BrewDog and imported bottles).

I opted for a Port Brewing Wipeout IPA on recommendation from Rob, and it was amazing! It was £8 for the 660ml bottle and well worth it, an awesome beer. I saw that Nick and Kate tried the Mongo IPA from Port Brewing as well as BrewDog's Anarchist/Alchemist.

I also need to mention that it was great to see Adnams spirits behind the bar, nice to see one brewery supporting another!

Toby & The Baron

As we were leaving Toby from RedWillow Brewery popped in so we convinced him to join us on the move to Port Street Beer House.

It's 'so close to Manchester Piccadilly station you can almost smell it' location suited us all as it meant that we could leave when we wanted too knowing that the train was not far away.

Rob & Andy

Adam & Dave

We drank some cracking beer in Port Street as well, Saison Dupont was amazing as was a number of other ales that I can't remember for the life of me as I was too busy chatting to the other guys and being amazed at bumping into BeerReviewsAndy and Dave Lozman on Dave's stag do!