Liefmans Goudenband

Liefmans Goudenband describes itself on the label as 'one of the world's most complex beers, an aged strong Belgian Brown Ale', its 8% abv in a caged corked unmarked bottle wrapped in paper. I couldn't see anyway of dating this bottle.

I was surprised how dark it was, sitting mysteriously in the glass hugging the curves.
The aroma had several things going on, I found myself sniffing it longer than I was spending drinking it! It was sour and dry, there was a cider element, certainly sharp apples. There was a sharp deep sweetness like cider vinegar, marmite and a strong deep metallic edge. There was probably loads more that I wasn't getting too.

When I got round to drinking it, there was light carbonation, dry and dusty, cherries, not too sour actually, a medium body, something that reminded me of coke too. I found it more acidic as time went on.

A seriously good beer, as they say 'complex', so much happening in the glass that makes it enjoyable.

Red Willow Wreckless

One I bought in the Cardiff beer shop a while back, and one I had heard about on a few blogs beforehand which was getting some pretty positive vibes.

Redwillow from Macclesfield have been going for a couple of years now, and I must admit to liking the style of their bottles and range, clean and distinctive elements to the logo.

This bottle is their Reckless, a 4.8% pale ale, 500mls, I paid £3.19.

A vibrant orange colour with frothy white head.
Loads of fresh hop aroma, tropical fruits, certainly some apricot and mango, a seriously great hit on the senses.

And it tastes just as fresh and juicy too, nice moderate bitterness that sings round your mouth, oily, bouncing with fruit.
Really really good stuff this.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale 2012

One beer I'm sure a lot of you have tried in the past, certainly one I think you should seek out if you have not.
US brewers Sierra Nevada and their Barley wine style monster (!) beer, this the 2012 release. Its 9.6% abv, 355mls, and I paid £3.89.

Beautifully glowing in the glass, a deep amber brown colour, with full head it looks so inviting.
From the aroma you get all that you might expect, dark fruits, malts, pepper, toffee.
Taste is a lot of those things as well, big punch in the mouth of richness and thickness. Very warming alcohol roundness.

Excellent example of a barley wine, I would love to try some older vintages based on what I had, and I'll certainly try to pick up future bottles too.

St. Austell Korev Cornish Lager

I cannot remember if this is one I brought back from holiday or whether I purchased it since then, but it doesn't matter. This is Cornish brewers St. Austell's lager, 4.8% abv, brewed with actual Cornish grown barley.

Thin head of tightly packed bubbles, small aroma of grass and a little creamy too.
Pleasant and light with little hits of honey, cream, its crisp and dry, no nasty after taste.
Whilst not that exciting I'd choose this over most other lager's on the market if in a pub and it was an option.
Nice label design too.