Sharp's Monsieur Rock

Just as Sharp's head brewer Stuart Howe embarks on a year's round of brewing collaborations i managed to get hold of his last effort, brewed with Orval maestro Jean-Marie Rock.
'Monsieur Rock' is a lager brewed with Saaz Hops, full details are are on Stuarts blog throughout last year.
Its a beer that's been widely talked about on the beer blogs, and those reviewing are ranging from generally positive up to gushing (nothing wrong with that either, its still an opinion).
Probably one word which has been used in a lot of those reviews too was 'drink-ability', and rightly so. It has the thirst quenching factor in spades, but combines it with what i would call the 'nod-factor' (or is it the 'head tilt' factor?!). When you take a mouthful of a beer and for that second you pause, nod to yourself saying 'damn that's good!'.Thats what this beer has.
Not wishing to be crude, but as a nurse i would say its colour is a good urine sample pale yellow. Sorry.
Lots of carbonation, a little bubble bath head on top. Aroma was to me a whiff of light lemon, and fresh apricot when you tear one open. On the tongue i thought it reminded me of a recent kids sherbet sweet I had, light and lemony fizzles, some pine and grassy notes, dryish apple. Afterwards there is a nice light bitterness, but you soon cover that with your next mouthful, as reported: drink-ability. A very good beer, buy some if you can, if its still around in the summer (if we get one) it'll be the perfect drink.
Its also a damn photogenic bottle!

a few new bottles

Managed a beer run early this week in Cardiff, and now i'm tingling with excitement at my purchases.
On my last visit i chatted with the owner about possibly getting in more US beers, and i was pleased to see a chance to try something other than the Pale ale from Sierra Nevada as on the shelves was their Torpedo IPA.
Turning the corner and amongst the very recently newly stocked shelves was Sharp's Monsieur Rock, which i think most beer drinkers who read blogs will have read about, a brilliant tasting and extremely drinkable bottle from Stuart Howe and Orval's Jean-Marie Rock apparently. I picked up three bottles, kept looking at the others on the shelf though, i might go back sooner rather than later.

 Next in the box was something i've seen around in books and online but never actually on a shelf, that is Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Joining it was Saltaire brewery's Cascade Pale ale 4.8%, Naylor's brewery Bradford Lad 7.2% strong ale/barley wine.
Ridgeway brewery's Bad King John, a 6% black ale which going by the label is supposed to exported to the US.

Now from the other side of the English Channel comes:
Saison Dupont 33cl 6.5%, Lindemans Faro Lambic 4.2%,
Maredsous Abbaye Blonde 6%, and Westmalle Trappist Dubbel 7%.

Again there was so many i picked up and left behind, 3 Monts, Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet, so many british breweries, Thornbridge's pilsner also was hesitantly put back (this time). He only had the Marzan smoked beer left no Urbock unfortunately, and i was hoping for a couple of different wheat beers but his German supplier is not as good as it used to be he tells me. And i got a free glass!