Isle of Purbeck IPA

Isle of Purbeck IPA [baron rating 3/5] - 4.8% copper ale,floral spicy aroma,mild spicy caramel bittersweet taste,slightly sweet spicy finish

Note: Bottle conditioned with adequate carbonation

Thank you to @PurbeckBrewery for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Kernel Dark Star Imperial Marzen

Kernel Dark Star Imperial Marzen [baron rating 5/5] - 9.1% amber ale,citrus & Caramac smell,big marmalade taste,pithy tropical fruit finish

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

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes

Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!


Note: Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

Thank you to James from Dark Star for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Dark Star ales here or here
Buy Kernel ales here or here

Green Jack Baltic Trader

Green Jack Baltic Trader [baron rating 5/5] - 10.5% black stout,smoky honey smell,big smooth coffee taste,astringent bitter dark choc finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes

Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!


Note: Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

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

Buy Green Jack ales here

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy [baron rating 5/5] - 9.5% black oily stout,smoky choc dark cherry smell,huge liquorice complex taste,dark cherry finish
Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes

Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!


Note: Not can conditioned ;)

Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for handing this over for a 'baron rating'!

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Pipers Crisps very soon!

Pipers Crisps got in touch with me this week after I responded to a call to action placed in last week's The Publican's Morning Advertiser.

Less than 24 hours later a box arrived at Baron Towers:


I love the traditional-style logo and labeling on the side of the box. In it contained a superb selection of really nicely presented handmade crisps.

Pipers Crisps

  • Anglesey Sea Salt - made with Halen Mon salt flakes from The Anglesey Sea Salt Company
  • Biggleswade Sweet Chilli - made with Cayenne & Firilla chillies from Filippo Genovese
  • Norfolk Bloody Mary - made with Norfolk plum tomatoes from Cornerways Nursery
  • Sea Salt And Indian Black Pepper - made with Tellicherry black peppercorns from the Karnataka region of India
  • Sea Salt & Somerset Cider Vinegar - made with Burrow Hill Cider in Somerset
  • West Country Cheddar And Onion - made with Cheddar cheese from Lye Cross Farm
Look out for the 'baron rating' for these Pipers Crisps soon, and a big thank you to Zoe & Alex from @Pipers Crisps for sending them through to me!

Dark Star Porter 2010

Dark Star Porter 2010 [baron rating 2/5] - 6% flat dark brown ale,sweet coffee slight stale smell,sticky figs coffee bitter taste,dry finish

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

Download flash to hear the audio review

Subscribe in iTunes

Note: This has promise to be a truly excellent beer but it seriously lacked in the mouthfeel - see the photo and listen to the audio for what it was like.

Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!



Note: Bottle conditioned with no carbonation

Thank you to James from Dark Star for handing this over for a 'baron rating'!

Buy Dark Star ales here or here

Looking forward to 'baron rating' Duvel Moortgat Vedett very soon!

Vedett emailed me direct from my contact details on my website informing me about a new awareness campaign in the UK for Duvel brewery's Vedett Extra Blond:

ETTitudinal Belgian beer brand, Vedett, is unleashing an ETT campaign over the summer months with three quirky limited edition bottle labels in every case of 24.

Making a RAKETT in the on and off trade, Vedett Extra Blond’s tongue-in-the-cheek labels - ETIKETT, KADETT and RAKETT - will be hitting the UK’s bars, pubs and restaurants (and select Waitrose stores) from the beginning of May until September.

I replied requesting a sample and a couple arrived over the Easter weekend:


Duvel Moortgat Brewery
  • Vedett Extra Blond - 5.2% premium pilsner with a clean crisp dry taste and a hint of lemon
They are also launching a Twitter competition to be the first to spot an ETT bottle label in the UK, and will ask followers to upload a picture, and location, of ETT bottles onto the micro blogging site.  The first one to do so will win a personalised case of Vedett Extra Blond.

Follow @Vedett_UK if the above interests you.

Look out for the 'baron rating' for this Duvel Moortgat beer soon, and a big thank you to Julie from Vedett for sending it through to me!

    Liverpool Organic Imperial Russian Stout

    Liverpool Organic Imperial Russian Stout [baron rating 5/5] - 8.1% black stout,boozy tar smell,fresh sweet choc roasted taste,clean finish
    Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

    Download flash to hear the audio review

    Subscribe in iTunes

    Note: The laughter in the audio review when trying to open the bottle was due to my CellarDine ZapCap stainless steel bottle opener breaking and the neck & bottle top being trapped inside the opener and so we couldn't get the bottle open! CellarDine's customer service has been excellent and a replacement is being sent out within a day of reporting the breakage.

    Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!



    Note: Bottle conditioned with perfect carbonation

    Thank you to Paul from @SourceDeli for handing this over for a 'baron rating'!

    Buy Liverpool Organic ales here

    Wadworth 125 Double Stout

    Wadworth 125 Double Stout [baron rating 3/5] - 6% black stout,sweet roasted fruit smell,instant coffee hoppy bitterness,short coffee finish
    Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

    Download flash to hear the audio review

    Subscribe in iTunes

    Note: I'd like to thank @BGRTRob from HopZine for coming over to Baron Towers to help Chris & I rate a whole loads of stouts, porters and collaboration brews, his expertise added loads to the reviews and we had a thoroughly excellent evening!


    Note: Not bottle conditioned

    Thank you to @Wadworth from Wadworth Brewery for sending this through for a 'baron rating'!

    Buy Wadworth ales here

    Keltek Gold

    Keltek Gold [baron rating 2/5] - 3.8% gold ale,slight citrus aroma,thin mild fruity caramel taste,lasting sweetness on the finish


    Note: Not bottle conditioned

    Stone IPA

    Stone IPA [baron rating 5/5] - 6.9% gold ale,pine resin & fresh green hops smell,balanced bittersweet citrus taste,intense pine resin finish

    Lymestone Ein Stein

    Lymestone Ein Stein [baron rating 3/5] - 5% pale gold ale,floral slightly spicy smell,floral bittersweet lemon taste,crisp lemon finish

    Note: Not bottle conditioned

    Thank you to Paul from AlesByMail for handing this over for a 'baron rating'!

    Buy Lymestone ales here

    Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay

    Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay [baron rating 3/5] - 4.5% amber ale,faint butterscotch smell,spicy sweet watery tangy taste,bitter finish
    Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

    Download flash to hear the audio review

    Subscribe in iTunes


    Note: Not bottle conditioned

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

    Buy Shepherd Neame ales here

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

    I invited @BGRTRob of HopZine over last night to join Chris & I in baron rating some strong imperial stouts & porters (as well as a couple of collaboration brews).

    Rob was very kind enough to show up with some gifts for the baron, two bottles of his recent homebrews as well as a bottle of BrewDog's Avery Brown Dredge. I've heard a lot about this beer via twitter so it was excellent to finally have my hands on a bottle of the 7.5% imperious pilsner, one for an audio baron rating me thinks!



    Look out for 'baron ratings' for these HopZine beers soon, and a big thank you to @BGRTRob of HopZine for handing them over to me!

    Source Deli presents Liverpool Organic Brewery

    Source Deli has been in touch to say that they have lined up a date for a 'meet the brewer' with the excellent Liverpool Organic Brewery. The date is Saturday 18th June.

    Ticket price is £20 and for that you get to try at least five different Liverpool Organic ales (half a bottle of each one), have them introduced by the brewer himself as well as snacking on some bar snacks Source Deli-style and then take a bottle of your favourite home (whilst stocks last!).

    Liverpool Organic are an excellent brewery with consistent great and wide range of beers, this is looking like it's going to be a great event.

    Tickets are limited to 25 people, so if you are interested get in touch with @SourceDeli and buy your ticket!

    Hopshackle Extra Special Bitter

    Hopshackle Extra Special Bitter [baron rating 3/5] - 4.8% dark amber ale,floral toffee smell,toffee bittersweet taste,fruity bitter finish
    Listen to what Chris and the Baron have to say about it.

    Download flash to hear the audio review

    Subscribe in iTunes


    Note: Bottle conditioned with lively carbonation

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

    Buy Hopshackle ales here