The Last of Those Sainsbury’s Great British Beer Hunt Beers

In addition to the twelve bottles of Sainsbury’s 2011 GBBH beers I bought a couple of weeks ago I also picked up a couple more with the last weekly shop, making it fourteen in total. The last four are covered below (with the first two batches here and here) and there are a few reflections on this year’s selection down at the bottom of this piece…

Cotleigh Golden Seahawk 4.2%
A golden ale with a big frothy head, slightly effervescent. There’s a deep biscuity malt base to the flavour, with a gradually developing hop-finish, but nothing too sharp. A good mouth feel and a good all-round flavour make for a very pleasant bottled session beer indeed. I’d really like to try this one on draught some time.

Wye Valley Wye Not 4.5%
Wye Valley brew some truly excellent session ales – Butty Bach, HPA, Wye Valley Bitter to name three – but unfortunately this isn’t one I can add to that list. A golden ale with a mainly malty flavour and a decent hop finish, it was pleasant, easy-drinking, but not all that remarkable. So: Wye Not? Because even in a bottle, Butty Bach is better.

Oakham Ales Bishop’s Farewell 5.0%
A very pale bright gold in colour with a thin head and a good, citrus-led hop aroma. The citrus elements continue into the flavour, with sharp, fresh, bright hops and just a hint of lemon. There’s a good mouth-feel as well, which makes this one very drinkable indeed.

McMullen Stronghart 7.0%
A dark chestnut brown beer with ruby highlights and a thin head. The flavour profile is sweet and nutty, rich and malty; very reminiscent of Brakspear Triple, which is one of my favourite bottled strong ales. I could sup this one all night, although balance issues may arise as a result. Definitely a case of saving the best of the batch until last, here.

This batch was much stronger all round than the previous one and those last two were particular highlights.

The Overall Verdict

In summary, then, this year’s Sainsbury’s GBBH selection has provided several impressive highlights, namely McMullen Strongheart, Oakham Ales Bishop’s Farewell, Hunter’s Full Bore, Harviestoun Wild Hop IPA, Williams Bros Caesar Augustus and Cotleigh Golden Seahawk. I’d be strongly tempted to stock up on the Strongheart, Full Bore and Wild Hop IPA and I certainly hope at least one of those three emerges victorious and makes it onto Sainsbury’s shelves on a regular basis.

Most of the rest I could probably take or leave, although I’d be happy to try most of them on draught if the opportunity arose. I was hoping for more body and depth of flavour from the Williams Bros Profanity Stout (although I know a few other bloggers have rated it very highly indeed). And there was only one entrant (not counting the two that I left on the shelf in Sainsbury’s, one of which because it was a wheat beer, the other because it was a low-strength beer from Holt’s in a clear glass bottle, none of which sounded at all promising) that I was actually disappointed by: Oxfordshire Ales Churchill IPA, which was okay, but definitely wasn’t an IPA.

All in all then, a good all-round selection of ales that I enjoyed sampling my way through (for the most part). Roll on the Great British Beer Hunt 2012!

Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England
Style: Golden Ale / Bitter
ABV: 4.5% / 3.7%
Version: Draught
Source: The Bull’s Head, Chelmarsh, nr. Bridgnorth, Shropshire

“Goddamn, this stuff’s good.” Two mouthfuls into my first pint of the Wye Valley Butty Bach and I was already firmly convinced. Jo and I were staying at the Bull’s Head in Chelmarsh (just outside the picturesque market town of Bridgnorth in the middle of green-and-leafy Shropshire) and seeing as they’ve always had a good selection of ales on the bar, it would have been rude not to stop off for one before we set off down the road to the in-laws’ place.

Not too strong at 4.5% and boasting a rich, malty body with a delightfully crisp, sharp, hoppy after-bite, Butty Bach was incredibly refreshing and deeply satisfying; a classic English session bitter. That first pint was far from the last of the weekend, either. We were back down the pub again that evening after dinner (no point in turning in too long before last orders; it’s an old building and not exactly well sound-proofed) and I didn’t see much point in trying anything else.

The next day was Mum-in-Law’s 60th birthday and after a slap-up carvery-style binge at the Punchbowl (accompanied by a couple of pints of entirely acceptable Hobson’s Town Crier) Mum-in-law declared that she’d like nothing better than to pop up the road to the pub for the evening. Refuse the birthday girl’s request? That would have been unforgivably rude.

There was just one snag, though: the Butty Bach had run out (bloody afternoon wedding party). I tried a pint of something else that turned out to be thin, sour and best-forgotten and was contemplating turning to the ample charms of Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale, but they put on a fresh cask of Wye Valley Bitter. It was only 3.7% and we were settling in for the evening, so I thought I’d give it a go.

I was very glad I did. Wye Valley Bitter tastes almost exactly the same as Butty Bach; a little lighter, a little less rich in the mouth-feel department, but otherwise: Butty Bach lite and quite lovely with it. Result.

Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
ABV: 4.2%
Version: Bottled
Source: Waitrose

I’ve been having a bit of a Dorothy Goodbody’s drinking period lately.  The Wholesome Stout is one of my regulars – it competes with Meantime, though doesn’t quite pip it at the post – so it was nice to try this lighter, golden ale as well.

It pours a pale golden colour, with a spicy, sweet aroma.  That sweetness follows through to the taste, with a more tangy aftertaste which lingers for a while.  It’s a nice refreshing beer, ideal for those summer afternoons sitting around the barbeque (remember them?), but just as effective sitting inside watching the rain and mourning those sunny evenings we used to have.  Surprisingly complex for such a light ale, Wye Valley Brewery are hitting all the right notes.

Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
ABV: 4.0%
Version: Draught
Source: The Goose & Cuckoo, Upper Llanover

Wife and kids away for a weekend, the dog walked for 4 or 5 miles, a bit of work done, curry waiting to be made at about 7pm, it’s mid-afternoon, sunny, and my bike’s sitting there just waiting to be ridden.  What’s a man to do?  That’s right … visit the Goose & Cuckoo.

It’s quickly become my favourite pub.  It’s a proper pub, with no jukebox, no mobile phones allowed, pickled eggs, 80 malt whiskies, and always a fine, ever-changing selection of ales.  There’s a damaged spread of plaster on one wall where faces appear, animals in the garden to keep the kids amused, and a picnic area across the road if you want to take your own grub.

It’s also at the top of the steepest hill in the universe.

So after my ride up there (and I admit, I pushed a little), the first order of the day was a pint of water.  While I was chugging that, I ordered a pint of Wye Valley Summer Stinger out of curiosity more than anything else.  An ale made with nettles?  OK, I’ll give it a go.  It’s a dirty job, but etc etc.

Glad I did try it.  Usually a fan of darker, slightly heavier beers, this light-coloured ale went down smooth and refreshing on such a hot day.  Slightly cloudy, with a subtle ‘countryside’ aroma – cut grass, heavy brambles, ferns and forest – it also had a gentle citrus aftertaste. 

From the people who bring us Dorothy Goodbody and her variously wholesome ales, this is another winner. I believe it’s one of their monthly aleas, but I hope they brew it again next year.

As for the Goose & Cuckoo, it was a fine couple of hours, and it’s on my calender for another visit very soon.

Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
ABV: 4.6%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Raglan Garden Centre

A couple of weeks ago, after having a lovely freshly-ground coffee and a portion of delightful homemade shortbread, we ventured into Raglan Garden Centre’s new food hall.  Ahhh, the sort of place where I could have spent a lot of money on not much at all, and had a feast.  We did leave with a few bits and pieces, including a jar of the best lime chutney I’ve ever tasted, and a bottle of Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout.

Now, I’m no stranger to Wye Valley Brewery, having partaken of their product in several local pubs and other places (my local beauty spot for boating types, Goytre Wharf, stocks a fine selection of bottled ales in their little cafe, including this beauty).  But for some reason, I’ve never tried a bottle of their Wholesome Stout.  That error has now been corrected, and this is one I’ll return to for sure.  It was the CAMRA Champion Bottle-Condition Beer 2008, and it was well deserved.  A beautiful ruby-tinged chocolate colour when poured, it releases a bitter coffee odour, which is maintained throughout the drinking.  A hoppy taste, a deep, heavy feel, it fairly glides down – not smooth, exactly, but confident in its delicate roughness.

The name and bottle design delight – Dorothy does indeed have a good body, and the label’s slightly retro look is cheeky and pleasing. A winner, a keeper, and highly recommended.

Xmas / New Year 2008. A week and a half off work and a chance to hit the beer cupboard and see what falls out. I kicked off at lunchtime on Xmas Day with a bottle of Wychwood Plum Duff (5.0% abv), a seasonal number from the brewers of one of my all-time favourites, Hobgoblin. Quite spicy, with a sweet & sour character, I thought Plum Duff had perhaps just a little too much fruitiness for my palate, but the mellow, warming after-taste made it drinkable. Not a bad start…

Xmas dinner was accompanied by a drop of Innis & Gunn Triple Matured which Ed sampled back in November and I pretty much concur with his conclusions on this one: toffee, vanilla, a little oak, generally smooth with a pleasantly bitter-sweet finish. I also cracked open a bottle of Meantime Winter Time, which I wrote up during my Meantime series last year. Unfortunately, I was too busy tucking into my grub to pay much more attention than last time, so I’ll have to come back to that one for a third attempt at some point.

Next up was a bottle of Greene King Abbott Reserve (6.5% abv) which turned out to be incredibly tasty; much more so that I’d expected, I have to admit. Another smooth, strong beer with a pleasant citrusy tang (I detected orange zest and nutmeg without any help from accompanying a mince pie). Quite sweet but with a bitter under-current that stopped it tasting too sugary. Definitely one I’d go back to again.

Boxing Day was spent driving to and from family in Leeds, so I only had time for a couple of beers when I got back home: first up was William Worthington’s White Shield (5.6% abv, bottle conditioned). At 5.6% it’s not as strong as you might expect an IPA to be and it poured with more fizz and a lot more sweetness than I thought you should expect from the style. Not horrible, per se, but far from the best I tasted last year.

After that one I went for a bottle of Williams Bros Midnight Sun (5.6% abv). This porter seemed to be a fairly classic example of the style: a slightly sour whiff in the bottle, a very dark ebony with a tan head, a spicy, faintly smoky, sweet coffee flavour that was smooth and very drinkable. Another good contender for a regular slot in the beer cupboard.

The weekend brought another driving stint up and down the country to the in-laws’ and by the time Jo and I had spent at least half of the (unusually long at four hours) journey to Bridgnorth stuck in a standing-wave tailback on the M6, I definitely needed a couple of beers and I was hoping that another strong ale from Greene King – this time Old Crafty Hen (6.5% abv) – would hit the spot quite nicely. It turned out to have a hoppy nose, citrusy flavours and a surprisingly deft touch for such a strong beer. Alas, that deft touch meant that whilst it was decidedly drinkable, it lacked much in the way of character and was rather un-memorable as a result. A symptom of larger brewery mass-production, perhaps? Or maybe it’s just one of those beers that’s much better on draught. I preferred the Abbot Reserve, definitely.

I opened a bottle of Hall and Woodhouse Badger Pickled Partridge (4.5% abv) next and alas it was another fairly indistinct one, albeit quite pleasant and quite drinkable again. Very malty, with light spice notes and a lingering bitterness to the after-taste. Not much else to write home about. I’ve had a much better Badger beer recently, which I’ll be writing up before too long (all being well).

The next day produced much better results. Jo’s folks live not too far at all from The Bull’s Head at Chelmarsh, which – following a change of management a couple of years back – is a great food and ale pub, well worth checking out if you’re down that way. I nipped down after Sunday lunch for a pint with brother-in-law Richard and opted for a drop of Dorothy Goodebody’s Christmas Stocking (4.2% abv? -ish?), a seasonal ale from Wye Valley. Extremely nice it was, too, with distinct cinnamon and nutmeg spices; very easy-drinking indeed and neither too heavy nor too sweet. More enjoyable than the Plum Duff, certainly.

I was back down the pub in the evening, with Jo and her folks, for an Irish folk session laid on by landlord John and some of his mates. This time I decided to try another draught Wye Valley brew, their Hereford Pale Ale. At 4% abv it was a light, highly quaffable, golden pale ale that made for a great session beer – I stayed with that one for the next couple of pints as well – with a fresh, faintly citrus flavour and a very dry, hoppy finish. Good stuff!

But the scooper in me was sorely tempted by a third draught ale from Wye Valley: Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale and so I switched to that one for my final pint of the evening. I’m glad to say that I wasn’t at all disappointed. Very similar to the HPA, but with less strident hop notes and a maltier finish. Altogether a very pleasant end to a very good evening (the music was more than half-decent, too). If only they’d had Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout on as well… but that’s one to keep an eye out for another time.

I finished the seasonal Bridgnorth run with a visit to the town’s specialist wine merchant, Tanner’s, and picked up a selection of local brews that are now awaiting their turn in the beer cupboard. More on those in due course.

And there you have it. Not the entire Holiday beer session, I have to admit. There are a few others that I will be writing up separately, but that’s the bulk of my last ten days’ beer sampling. Mostly good, one or two indifferent, none bad enough to pour down the sink. Not a bad result at all.