St. Austell Admiral's Ale

St. Austell Admiral's Ale

I have not seen many St. Austell beers here in South Wales apart from their Tribute and the gorgeous Cornish IPA that they make for M&S, one of my favorites of the last year. 
So i was quite surprised when down in South West Wales, in a Londis convenience store i spy not only their Clouded Yellow   but this Admiral's Ale too.

Actually i'm not sure why i was surprised as the last few times i've been in there they have had a good selection - Marstons Owd Roger, Fullers London Pride, and welsh brewers based near Carmarthen Ffos y Ffin last time.


Anyway back to the beer. After two bottles of Clouded Yellow i opened the Admiral's Ale in great anticipation. I was not disappointed, a beautiful aroma of toffee and biscuits to start with followed by a mouthful of flavours. Lovely crisp taste of fruit and and quite nutty, and slight bitterness i presume coming from the hops. Best thing is that it is a mouthful that stays, the flavour fills and lingers with you, unlike say the Felinfoel Celtic Pride i had the other day which was gone from your mouth, and memory, in a split second. 

Banks's Barley Gold

Banks's Barley Gold
 

A barley wine at 9.1% in 330ml can by Banks's. They say that "Banks's Barley Gold is a very strong ale brewed to a recipe over 100 years old using top quality english malted barley, hops from Worcestershire, Herefordhire and Kent and the purest cane sugar imported from Africa and the Caribbean."

I've not drunk that many Barley wines so am not sure what to expect, this had the caramel and sugars strongly through, strong alcohol warmth as i thought it would, otherwise not sure much else was going on, couldn't detect the hops myself.

Felinfoel Celtic Pride

Felinfoel Celtic Pride

I Flickr'd about this welsh beer a few days ago as my friend's local off license was selling Felinfoel Celtic Pride and Stout as a BOGOF so i got 8 bottles in all, four of each.

Its a golden beer with little aroma, there is a slight caramel malt taste but its a thin watery beer, a bit gassy too. Apparently 5% but little evidence of that.

St. Austell Clouded Yellow

St. Austell Clouded Yellow

Again, when in Cornwall earlier this year, this was the one beer i was really hopeful to find. And on the last day i found one, then dropped it in my car boot but luckily not breaking it. Obviously i explained to my friends that now the sediment was disturbed i would have to drink it another day thus depriving them of trying it. Shame.

Not quite sure why i have waited until now to drink but it was well worth the wait. Gorgeous flavours, so well balanced, vanilla and banana, smooth as anything, excellent excellent beer.

Penpont Porter

Whilst in Cornwall on holiday this May i was in a wine merchants scanning the beer shelves and at my feet were two unopened boxes, so i had a peek inside and found some new bottles from the Penpont brewery, a local Cornish company. Wish i picked up more of their range but i already had my arms full!.

A lovely and light in the mouth porter, good aroma of chocolate and coffee, lovely smooth drink, little aftertaste.
I suppose i say light in the mouth,  but it was very enjoyable
www.penpontbrewery.co.uk