a year on......

and i'm still going. Happy 1st Birthday to me, Cheers!!!

Yes its been a year since I started this blog, mainly as a personal record of the beers i'm trying, but its also great to get feedback and opinion from others reading and drinking the same beers.

I was hoping to get a special bottle for tonight but in the end was unable to get it together to get any  Cantillon in, which is what i was hoping for. So in the end I thought I'd better stick to the title of the blog and go for some stouts.

I started with Hook Nortons Double Stout. 500mls, 4.8% and bottle conditioned.
The information on the label states it is brewed to a 100 year old recipe, and expect a smooth and full bodied beer.

It has a dark earthy and coffee aroma, very enticing indeed. Colour is black with dark ruby red edges., lovely creamy light brown head.

It has a nice medium body, with coffee, bitter hops that are quite noticeable, burnt undertones, and roasted malts. Lovely chocolate sweetness throughout.

Very enjoyable and a good start to the evening.

 



 Next was the Cream Stout from the St. Peter's Brewery, a recent addition to supermarket shelves here.

Lovely light green bottle, presentation is nailed by this company, 6.5% abv, 500mls.

It poured in the glass a very nice very dark red/brown with creamy head. Its aroma was light but sweet with chocolate and coffee.

A nice medium body that's very drinkable, smooth chocolate, some vanilla,alcohol warmth, some spices that linger nicely.
The evening progresses nicely!





Third beer of the night is from the Welsh brewery Newmans, and its their Cave Bear stout , which is 330mls, 4.0%abv and packaged with a nice wrap around label.

Pours excitedly into the glass, well carbonated at first but calms down,  but little in the way of a head.
Aroma is roasted malts and fruit, a little coffee too.

It has a light body, see-through darkish red/brown in colour. Its quite dry, light on the coffee and chocolate, moderate bitterness too.
Overall an easy drink, too thin in the body for me, it has nice dry and earthy tones, but sits well behind in third place on tonight's drinks.