Untapped Triple 'S' Simply Superb Stout

Untapped Brewing Co. Triple 'S'  Simply Superb Stout

Triple 'S' Simply Superb Stout is the latest from the Cardiff Untapped Brewing Co.

Again from Untapped comes a lovely clean styled bottle, their label designers are providing some great work, a simple uncluttered yet distinctive look. But thats no good if the beers duff! which it thankfully is not.

Lovely creamy foam light brown head and almost black colour. Good bready malt fragrance with some chocolate and caramel also. Taste wise this is lovely and smooth with a slight bitterness, not to heavy just right. As it warms up comes in a slight harsh caramel tinge and background sweetness balanced well.
Another good beer from Untapped, you can buy their bottles from Real Beer Box or from local Cardiff shops and markets listed on the website.

Bigger Picture

RedHook Brewery

Odd but this post is about a brewery I had never heard of before this week, one I have never seen a bottle from, let alone tasted one of their beers, and I’m unlikely to any time soon I guess. (Cue Wayne’s World flashback music....)

The town I live in has one charity shop, or as they like to call it a 'community shop' probably because the stuff you give away to them you'll see in your best friends neighbours house 3 months later. I was killing time on Tuesday, looking past the piles of tatty McDonald’s meal toys for dinosaurs for my son to add to his collection, and I noticed on the glassware shelves a pint glass with a design I hadn't seen there before. "RedHook Seattle Portsmouth" it said.

It peaked my interest firstly with its Star Wars styled lettering, and that I thought Seattle was in Washington State not Portsmouth (New Hampshire), but mostly I wondered how it had come to be here in a little community shop in south Wales?

I already have enough pint glasses, I’m afraid I have liberated a few in my time, but bought it anyway out of curiosity. 

RedHook Brewery

It was also not so much how it came to be there but what it had had in it on the way. Obviously I will never know but I romanticised anyway, has this glass seen the greats of the US craft scene inside its scratched being? The Goose Islands, Brooklyn beers, the heavily hopped IPA's, any number of pints from the 130+ styles the US craft scene has categorized beers into. Of course it may have been given away unloved and used for years for gallons of cheap lout necked on someone’s sofa, (I must confess to several years of lovely lout consumption in my past too)

Redhook brewery was founded in 1981 in Seattle, their first beer was styled after Belgian ales, but it was their Ballard Bitter which took off and pushed their brewery to capacity and then expansion. Today they have three breweries (the third being in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, hence the glass lettering); on both coasts of America and their flagship beer is the Redhook ESB. Highly regarded also, according to ratebeer anyway, is their Treblehook barleywine, American-Style Strong Brown Ale' 8-4-1 Expedition Ale', and the 7% Double Black Stout.

Anyway, a silly post whilst stuck working nights, looking forward to the weekend and some good beer.

Not Redhook beer, unless by some miracle they see this and send me some, well you can always

dream!

Arkell's Bee's Organic & Kingsdown Special Ale

Arkell's is a Swindon based victorian steam brewery founded in 1843 which has now over 100 pubs on their books. Tonight i got two of their bottled beers in, the Bee's Organic Ale and Kingsdown Special Ale.

The Bee's Organic Ale is apparently available in  pasteurised and unpasteurised versions, what that means to me taste wise i've no idea but this was the pasteurised bottle. Light golden in colour, little malt aroma, light and pleasantly refreshing beer, and some sweetness from the honey which i found more as an aftertaste but gently so.

The Kingsdown Special Ale is labeled as a strong brew with an ABV of 4.8%,  but certainly is light in the mouth, i was expecting a more powerful fullness to it. A copper beer with some malt aroma but no head at all and little carbonation. For a strong ale, as i said, its very light, some sweet malt taste but little else, quite forgettable.

Overall one reasonable beer and one disappointment, but i dont think i would  look out for either again really.

Tesco Finest Brewdog American Double IPA

Yes thats right, a Tesco Finest Brewdog beer collaboration!!!

On my weekly shop this morning and amongst the almost never ever changing line up on the shelves was a new bottle. I noticed first the labeling and almost mistook it for the newish Brains   IPA  bottles until i saw the Tesco Finest label at the bottom.

Tesco Finest Brewdog American Double IPA

Produced for Tesco by Brewdog its a 330ml 9.2% American Double IPA and yours for £2. None of the usual Brewdog ethos or angsty spiel on the bottle, just lets you know that its an american craft style with west coast hops, lots of them. Must of been an interesting meeting between their buyer and the brewdogs guys i reckon!

I have never had any US craft beers or any double IPA's before but from the beer blogs i'm expecting massive hops and bitterness from this, and i really enjoyed their Punk IPA.

Its has the aroma of unsurprisingly grapefruit, melon and a wiff of alcohol, its colour is light amber (doesn't come across in this photo) with a small creamy white head. It also has the massive hops bitterness, fairly low alcohol warmth hit, and there is some caramel and floral aspects too.  So one sided though, its all hops and nothing else, not sure i would have more than one just because its not that its not interesting, its just unbalanced to my mind. It in no way seems like a 9.2% beer though, and i just wish Brewdog put more of their other beers on Tesco's shelves.

Sainsbury's London Porter

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference London Porter

From the Sainsburys Taste the Difference range, brewed for them by Shepherd Neame. When i saw the bottle on the shelf i was hoping, knowing that this range is brewed by established breweries, that it was by Fullers as i have yet to try their reportedly amazing porter. When i saw it was Shepherd Neame i was apprehensive, i've not always liked their output.
The London Porter is 5% and is a 'rich, dark beer packed with intense flavours of chocolate and spicy liquorice'


It has a big creamy off white head and a fair amount of carbonation is evident in its black body. Its aroma is of coffee and strong burnt malt, very nice. Taste wise i never found the liquorice but enjoyed the rest, the sweet maltyness, coffee and chocolate, medium body and the bitterness which grew as it warmed up. Really enjoyed this, and had it alongside a ginger cake i made earlier, lovely!!.

Vale of Glamorgan - "Glamorgan"

Another beer from the Vale of Glamorgan brewery based in Barry, South Wales.

You may now have heard of them following some press coverage or on golf blogs for their special beer brewed for the Ryder Cup called 'Tiger Would'. As you can see with the pump clip they went for the subtle approach! I'm sure his lawyers would see the funny side of it!
Apparently as well as the cask version it will be now available in a limited run bottle version. My friend in the field (aka the pub) at the Barry 'Wetherspoons' found it on tap but unfortunately his was the bottom of the barrel and it was now off. Full marks to their customer service though, pint replaced and a free one too (probably those CAMRA vouchers he was flashing helped!).







Anyway, to the bottle in my hand 'Glamorgan' a big 7.0%  'traditional pale ale, full in body, strength and flavour. Using finest floor malted grain and selected hops'.
This was a light mahogany in colour, with the aroma of plums and toffee. I felt it had a sweetish aspect too, i have seen other reviewers sometimes mention juicyfruits or starburst sweets in relation to other beers and never knew what it meant but i think i got it here. Normally if i dont know what i'm tasting i do look for other reviews for guidence, a virtual education if you like, i taste it but cant name it.
 Beer.Birra.Bier blogger Mark wrote recently an excellent post on tasting notes recently.
This being a new beer i'm flying solo this time! Never mind, if you try it and i'm blatantly wrong please tell me what i was actually tasting!

Its quite full in the mouth but not long lasting, you get again a caramel toffee flavour and rich fruit. It in no way has the alcohol warmth of a 7% beer, very deceptive but to me it has the taste more of a barely wine than a pale ale. I might just put a couple away for Christmas.

Celt Experience - Golden

Celt Experience - Golden

Another beer from the Celt Experience from Caerphilly, this one being their 'Golden'.
From their website they say
This beer is named after the Golden Age of the Celtic people. The Celts dominated Mid-Europe before the Roman Empire stretched westwards and northward. In the Golden Age of Celtdom, the Celts waged successful wars in continental Europe, notably in around 500 BC where modern day Spain and Northern Italy were overthrown. The name Bracis-Curmi (malted beer) traces back to the ancient Celtic language or proto-celtic, an age where Celts were some of the first beer producers in Europe.. 


As you see a golden colour indeed, with a sweet citrus aroma. You get a fresh, again citrus, hoppy taste, and its quite dry and not too bitter. Overall a refreshing bottle.

Untapped Brewing Co. 'Ember' 'U.P.A' & 'Sundown'

After the thoroughly enjoyable Untapped 'Eclipse' the other night i decided to get stuck into the rest of their range.   'Ember' at 5.2% is described as a "Winter Warmer" , an ale with three types of roasted malt that give it a good dark colour (see below) with slight tan head. There is a tang and fizz on your tongue, chocolate aroma which then follows through in the taste and its not to heavy either.

In their description of this beer they call it a "strong, old style ale" rather than a stout. I'm not sure i'm knowledgeable enough to know what the difference is with this beer, but i do know its a very good one.


Next up was the U.P.A 4.5%. A light golden pour into the glass, sweet fruit and citrus aroma.
A balance of hops and malt, and a good, medium amount of bitterness follows. Very enjoyable but i would say not particularly distinctive.
Lastly was the 'Sundown' a golden ale which is lively, with a sweet fruit note i couldn't put my finger on, and bready aroma, a refreshing yet dry and bitter end. Superior to the U.P.A. definitely.
In order of preference i would give top marks to the Eclipse, followed by Sundown, Ember and then the U.P.A.

All of these beers, and a few more beside (Marble, Otley, VoG, RCH were ones i picked up), were bought at the excellent Arth Wine in Penarth run by a very knowledgeable and friendly chap called Richard. You can find them next door to the railway station, where they have a walk in chiller section keeping our lovely beers at the exact temperature (9.3`c when i went in!) as well as a great range on the shelves. I will be going back very soon!

Hay Ale & Literature Festival 24th- 26th Sept.

This friday is the start of the 3 day Hay Ale & Literature Festival at Kilvert’s Inn, Hay on Wye, Wales. You will be faced with a great choice of 50 Welsh beers from breweries such as Purple Moose, Breconshire, Great Orme, Conwy and the ever excellent Otley present with their GWBCF award winning O-Garden.

Alongside the ale is the literature side of things; guest events include Pete Brown, Beer Writer of the Year talking books, ale and cider, Melissa Cole does a beer and food matching talk and a specific ladies tasting event, and Zac Avery goes slightly off Welsh piste in talking about rarer beers in his books. Adrian Tierney-Jones and Tim Hampson fight it out in North vs South wales corners. Full details of all events are here.

Entry and Beer prices according to the organisers blog ‘Student Brewer’ this week are entry £5 for glass and programme although £2 of that is refundable, and beers are to all be priced £3/£1.50/£1 for a pint/half/third respectively (correct money only at bar). 

Kilvert's Inn, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5AG      01497 82104

Damn i wish i was going!!

Untapped Brewing Co. "Eclipse"

Untapped Brewing Co. are two chaps based in Cardiff, although they brew at Whittingtons in  Gloucestershire. I picked up all four bottles that they produce and started with "Eclipse" their dark ale.
First thing to comment on is the styling, a dark dark brown bottle, obviously made darker with its contents, and a fantastic graphic on the label, great use of minimal colour also, really well done.

In the glass it is a lovely deep dark brown colour with an off white head that stays throughout. A nice roasted malt aroma and taste, light in mouth with good but mild chocolate hits and a moderate bitterness that is satisfying, leaving you wanting another.

Marble 'Stouter' Port Stout

Marble 'Stouter' Port Stout

Manchester Marble 'Stouter' Port Stout 5.1%, dark in the glass with a good sized mid brown head. The aroma was a smokey coffee and chocolate hit. I dont drink coffee myself so the depth or style probably passes me by, but the aroma and bitterness i expect would be a strong coffee style. Underlying this is a bare hint of sweetness, and lightness in the mouth which is surprising.
Very good and i look forward to trying their other beers.

Preseli Brewery - Even Keel

Preseli Brewery "Even Keel"

Back down to Pembrokeshire for this ale, as i mentioned in a previous post i picked this up in Tenby last month having tried their two other offerings earlier in the year. The Preseli brewery are actually based in Tenby, other than that i know very little. The website appears untouched since setting up, and an entry on the quaffale directory gives little more information.

Even Keel is a 3.8% bitter probably what you would term a 'session ale' and it went down very quickly. With a light malt taste and some hop aroma, pleasant enough but not terribly exciting. The kind of drink you would have again but if there was something else on offer you would try that first.
The two other ales from them, Old Mariners and Baggywrinkle * i didn't make notes on at the time but do remember them being uninspiring, certainly Even Keel is the better of the three.
I suppose with a new brewery only a year old you cannot expect Bocks or chocolate wheat beers just yet, they need to get established in the market first, i shall keep my eye on them as there is potential for a large market for them down in South West Wales alongside the Cwrw Cwm Gwaun brewery.

*In case your wondering a baggywrinkle apparently is a  "A home made substance to prevent chafe on sails from lifts, stays and crosstrees during long periods of sail." (The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea) and the name of a Swansea Shanty group too.

 

Celt Experience - Bleddyn 1075

Celt Experience Bleddyn 1075

The Celt Experience are i understand a sister company to the Newmans brewery now based in Caerphilly South Wales, winning not only Cardiff Design Festival Awards 2009 but local and national SIBA awards too.
I bought the four bottles currently on sale by them, their Gold, Bronze, Cwrw Lager, and the Bleddyn 1075 from their Brewpub in Llantrisant called The Wheatsheaf. The lovely little pub also had a good selection of Newmans beers on Tap, currently being Red Castle Cream, Wolvers and Autumn Valley Flower.

I have had the Bleddyn 1075 before but my notes on flickr were brief but i appeared to enjoy it.
So last night it poured an amber to brown colour with small head that laces well. A nice citrus aroma leads to a distinct grapefruit bitter taste thats not too overpowering. Overall a good beer with nice crispness and good use of hops.

Badger - Long Days

Badger - Long Days

I like Badger beers generally, the light floral touches and fruity tones, the spices they use too. The 'Cricket' beer was a lovely summer drink this year, 'Blandford Fly' and 'Pickled Partridge' are favorites of mine also.

I'm also lucky in that one of my relatives used to work for Hall & Woodhouse so there is always a lovely well stocked fridge in that house!
This evening i tried their 'Long Days' 4.5% beer, specifically brewed with summer in mind apparently. It might remind me of summer but when i was a kid perhaps, the raspberry flavour is for me too sickly, its like sherbert sweets or fizzy lace strings, just a touch to much.
I think i'll go back to Lemony Cricket, a far far better summer drink.

Cwrw Cwm Gwaun - Light ale

Cwrw Cwm Gwaun Light ale

From South West Wales, Pembrokeshire to be precise, comes the Cwrw Cwm Gwaun brewery and it is only a year old having launched in the summer of 2009.

Cwrw Cwm Gwaun means Gwaun valley beer in welsh (not that i speak it, it says so on the bottle!!).
The farm its brewed on has its own sourced spring water, and the building has a large viewing and tasting area, visitors are encouraged! All the labels designs are hand painted, and they have frequent music evenings also! See the website for details.

On a previous visit to Tenby i purchased from the Morgan-Foley’s Deli on the high street their two other bottle conditioned ales - 'Bitter' and 'Dark'.
This time it was the Light ale, an amber colour with minimal head. After an initial floral aroma there is a pleasant light citrus taste, refreshing clean hop taste leading to a slight astringent twang. Overall a pleasant, and as it is called, light ale.

Cwrw Cwm Gwaun Bitter Ale

Cwrw Cwm Gwaun Dark Ale

 The two mentioned before, 'Bitter' and 'Dark', i think were nicer beers.
The 'Dark' is a mild style ale, nice and smooth, biscuity malt tones.
The 'Bitter' is a great beer, proper tingly bitterness, very good, probably my favorite of the three.


Buy direct from the brewery or from Real Beer Box.