Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)
Location: Dorset, England
ABV: 5.7%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Sainsbury’s

Hall and Woodhouse are no stranger to experimenting when it comes to their beer range, with some interesting ingredients used to add variety to the more usual beer flavour. Of course there are plenty of other breweries doing this too, with varied success, but in my view the Badger people seem to consistently get their recipes right.

Poacher’s Choice is a rich dark ale, with a lovely summer fruits aroma of blackcurrants, plums and liquorice; perfectably understandable as it’s been enhanced with damsons and liquorice. Unlike some beers where the smell tends to fade half way down the bottle, this one sticks around until the end, present every time you lift the glass for another drink.

Tasting reveals a perfectably balanced mix of hops and more summer fruitiness, those damsons and liqourice adding an interesting element, perfectly blended to give a well-balanced smooth and slightly spicy flavour, with a lovely, lingering aftertaste. It’s perhaps just ever so slightly on the sweet side for a session ale but it’s perfect for enjoying after dinner on a cool autumn evening. Can you tell I like this one?