Shepherd Neame Barley Wine 2014 (aged)

Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

Shepherd Neame Barley Wine 2014 (aged) [baron rating 4/5] - 10% dark amber ale,strawberry smell,burnt sour fruit taste,long caramel finish Baron Orm

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through (back in 2014) for a baron rating!

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Shepherd Neame Cinque

Not bottle conditioned

Shepherd Neame Cinque [baron rating 3/5] - 5% gold beer,very mild smell,mild sweet grassy lemon taste,soft bitter finish Baron Orm

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Thank you to Benedict from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to Baron Rating Shepherd Neame Cinque

Another new arrival from the Shepherd Neame family, this is 'Cinque' - their five grain premium lager. The "brewers have blended barley, rye, wheat, maize and rice" (really?!? do we need maize and rice?) "with Strisselspalt hops to produce a clean, superior tasting, high-quality lager".

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• Cinque - 5% premium lager, barley,rye,wheat,maize,rice - brewed with a complex and balanced blend of five grains for a clean superior taste

 Look out for baron ratings for this beer soon, and a big thank you to  Benedict from Shepherd Neame for sending it through for a baron rating!

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Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold can

Not can conditioned

Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold can [baron rating 3/5] - 4.3% copper ale,citrus medicinal smell,peppery bittersweet taste,spicy creamy finish Baron Orm

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold in a can

A parcel arrived today from the good people at Shepherd Neame, this is a canned version of their fairly new bottled ale "Spitfire Gold", brewed to commemorate 75 years since the Battle of Britain:

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• Spitfire Gold - 4.3% golden ale, smooth sweet malt base built upon with Challenger hops for bitterness. The well-balanced brew also incorporates Centennial and Saaz hops for aroma, with notes of tropical fruits, citrus and pine

Look out for baron ratings for this beer soon, and a big thank you to  John Humphreys from Shepherd Neame for sending it through for a baron rating!

Buy Shepherd Neame ales direct

Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold

Not bottle conditioned

Shepherd Neame Spitfire Gold [baron rating 4/5] - 4.3% copper ale,citrus biscuit smell,citrus oatmeal mild spicy taste,spicy mild dry finish Baron Orm

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Asahi Super Dry Black

Not bottle conditioned

Asahi Super Dry Black [baron rating 3/5] - 5.5% black beer,faint sweet roasted smell,creamy stout vanilla cola taste,dry mild vanilla finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Asahi Super Dry Black very soon

Shepherd Neame are a solid supporter of the Baron and for that I thank them greatly. Regardless of whether it is a new beer they have brewed or a newly imported one, a nice brown box arrives at Baron Towers:

Shiny labels are a camera's enemy

Asahi Brewery

• Super Dry Black - 5.5%  dark lager, brewed using the same No.318 yeast as their flagship beer but with the addition of roasted malt to achieve a deeper, flavour and darker appearance

Look out for baron ratings for this beer soon, and a big thank you to  John Humphreys from Shepherd Neame for sending it through for a baron rating!

Buy Asahi & Shepherd Neame ales direct

Sam Adams Rebel IPA

Not bottle conditioned

Sam Adams Rebel IPA [baron rating 3/5] - 6.5% copper ale,sweet tropical fruit smell,biscuity big piney bitter taste,oat biscuit finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Sam Adams Rebel IPA

I'm a huge fan of Sam Adams beers, after living in Boston for a while quite a number of years ago. So I was very happy the other week when I opened a box sent through to me from Shepherd Neame (I know it was from them, their name was on the outside of the box...).

This reminds me of Welsh brewery Tiny Rebel!

Samuel Adams

• Rebel IPA -  6.5% bright copper IPA brewed with all-American hops Cascade, Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinnock & Centennial. It boasts a crisp and refreshing flavour with citrus and piney notes and a slight fruity flavour imparted by the ale yeast. This imported beer is smooth and balanced, in contrast to the powerful hoppy bitterness of traditional West Coast-style IPAs.

Look out for baron ratings for this Samuel Adams beer soon, and a big thank you to  John Humphreys from Shepherd Neame for sending it through for a baron rating!

Buy Sam Adams & Shepherd Neame ales direct

Shepherd Neame 1215

Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

Shepherd Neame 1215 [baron rating 5/5] - 8% ruby ale,boozy plum nutmeg orchard fruit smell,balanced fruitcake taste,dry ground spice finish Baron Orm

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Shepherd Neame 1215 ale

Shepherd Neame seem to be one of the few large ubiquitous breweries who not only make a huge range of regular normal ales but also seem to be trying out stronger more specialist beers. Here is their latest beer 1215, brewed to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta which established the rule of the law and more importantly, defined the traditional pint of ale.

A beast of a bottle and a beer

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• 1215 - 8% traditional strong English ale, infused with medieval ale ingredients such as Mugwort, Yarrow, Woodruff and Fennel

There are only 1215 bottles of this beer, so if you want one you'd better get down to the Shepherd Neame Visitors Centre (they also offer tours you know?) or get one via their webshop.

Look out for a baron rating for this Shepherd Neame Brewery beer soon, and a big thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) for sending it through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to enjoying Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale this Christmas!

It's Christmas time and that can only mean one thing, time for a bottle of Shepherd Neame's lovely Christmas Ale to arrive in the post (to be enjoyed with my Christmas dinner). This year the label has had a stunning make-over:

Is this Christmas in a bottle?

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• Christmas Ale [baron rating 5/5 ♫] - 7% glowing amber winter ale with a heady fruity nose. Crystallised winter fruits combine with festive spicy hops on a platform of smooth warming alcoholic notes, leaving a refreshing cleansing hop finish

A big thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) for sending it through, Merry Christmas!

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Shepherd Neame Mash Tun No.1

Not bottle conditioned

Shepherd Neame Mash Tun No.1 [baron rating 5/5] - 7.4% dark amber ale,ground spice smell,cola roasted fruitcake burnt taste,long choc finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

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Looking forward to baron rating Shepherd Neame Mash Tun No1 ale

Something rather special arrived this week, a large wooden box, labelled "Mash Tun No1" by Shepherd Neame. It's a historic brew celebrating their 100th anniversary of Britain's last remaining wooden mash tuns:

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• Mash Tun No1 - 7.4% beer combines a traditional British grist mix of six malts, with some of the most popular hops from Kent and North America: First Gold, Centennial and Amarillo. The resultant beer is a rich, malty brew with hints of toffee and dried fruits, which is lightened by top notes of spice and citrus.

Look out for a baron rating for this Shepherd Neame Brewery beer soon, and a big thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) for sending it through for a baron rating!

Buy Shepherd Neame ales direct

Shepherd Neame Barley Wine

Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

Shepherd Neame Barley Wine [baron rating 5/5] - 10% dark amber ale,boozy port smell,dark treacle gingery sweet bourbon taste,mellow finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Shepherd Neame ales direct

Looking forward to baron rating Shepherd Neame's Barley Wine

Shepherd Neame have really taken the beer blogger & writer thing on-board and every few months a small group of us get the latest beer that they have produced or imported to write about, sample and provide feedback about (which is great!).


Considering the size of the brewery you would expect them to be overly corporate with marketing folk that "just don't get it" but they couldn't be further from this. John Humphreys (Communications Manager) is a great chap, very likeable, listens to you rather than just talking at you, and provides a lot of information about what Sheps are up to.

The next in their releases arrived today and it's something quite special indeed. A 10% barley wine brewed with Swedish brewery Sigtuna Brygghus. It was brewed with a whole mix of malts (pale ale,Vienna, biscuit, brown & carabohemian) and then hopped with Sigtuna's signature Magnum as well as UK Challenger, Fuggles & Shephead Neame's signature East Kent Goldings - more details can be found on the Beer Sweden website.

A lovely bottle in a lovely box - class!

Shepherd Neame Brewery

• Barley Wine - 10% barley wine aged in Blanton's bourbon barrels for six months

Look out for baron ratings for these Shepherd Neame Brewery beers soon, and a big thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) for sending it through for a baron rating!

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Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Not bottle conditioned

Sam Adams Winter Lager [baron rating 4/5] - 5.6% dark amber lager,toffee nutmeg growbag smell,earthy cherry bittersweet taste,fading finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame for sending this through for a baron rating!

Buy Sam Adams & Shepherd Neame ales direct

Looking forward to baron rating Sam Adams Winter Lager

Shepherd Neame brew some normal beers and some lovely beers but they also import and brew Samuel Adams beers from Boston. Sam Adams has a soft spot in my heart after living in Boston a number of years back and thoroughly enjoying their beer range. Sam Adams is now brewed here by Shepherd Neame (and tastes good but not the same) but they are also now able to import some of the more special seasonal brews.

Samuel Adams

• Winter Lager - 5.6% wheat bock subley spiced with fresh ground cinnamon, ginger & orange peel for a deep smooth flavour

Look out for baron ratings for these Shepherd Neame Brewery beers soon, and a big thank you to Moray (@ShepherdNeame) for sending them through for a baron rating!

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Faversham Steam Whitstable Bay Blonde

Not bottle conditioned

Faversham Steam Whitstable Bay Blonde [baron rating 4/5] - 4.5% pale gold beer,grassy wet grass smell,sweetish lemon taste,mild zingy finish Baron Orm

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

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Thank you to John Humphreys (@ShepherdNeame) from Shepherd Neame Faversham Steam Brewery for sending this through for a baron rating!

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