Boddington's pub ale- Presented in a distinctive yellow can that hints at the extraordinary color of this beverage, this is a classic British beer, counted among the likes of the more popular Bass pale ale and the Irish Guinness. As mentioned before, the beer has a lovely honey golden colour, unlike any other beer I've ever seen. The head is soft, creamy and somewhat stable, and if poured correctly, it just looks too pretty to drink. The trademark of the beer is a honeybee, and indeed, the flavour is surprisingly sweet, with a distinct honey taste, and a sweet, fermented aroma reminiscent of overripe bananas and fresh yeast. The hoppiness is rather understated, so much so that you may end up checking the can to see if you're really drinking beer. Alcohol content is moderate, which results in a finish that is minimally dry, but otherwise pleasant.
Overall, a distinctive beer with a persona that is like a sweet, charming, emphatic girlfriend, the sort that makes you happy just be around. The sort you just want to hug.
Highly reccomended, unless your idea of an ale is something more hoppy and/or Guiness-ish.
Grolsch- A premium Dutch beer, in production since the 1600's, It retains its character by choosing to remain unpasteurised. Presented in a unique swingtop bottle, that offers you a larger dose than the ordinary pint, this is a very strongly flavoured beer, that gives 'hoppiness' a whole new meaning. This often makes the beer rather unapproachable for most people used to a lighter lager. (Note that lightness or strength here has nothing to do with the alcohol content, as it is commonly misrepresented, thanks to "Godfather strong beer" or "Haywards 10000")
The appearance is typically lager-like, with a slightly darker tint than usual. The head is again, lager-like, the sort that dissipates quickly. All of this is designed to fool the casual drinker to assume this beer is another Heineken. Then you take your first sip. The flavour hits you like a Cadillac Escalade driven at 90 miles per hour, driven by a coke-addled rap-star...very, very hard. Strong flavours of hops dominate the scene, and that is pretty much all there is to it. The Finish is very astringent, dry, and akin to a young wine. Alcohol content is also a bit higher than usual, and all of this makes for a beer that is somewhat like the beer concentrate used to fuel pub taps. Shockingly strong for the Budweiser-Busch-Michelob crowd.
Bass Pale ale- The most popular British ale, second only to Guiness in popularity. Like the Guiness and other beers that were draught-only until a few years ago, the can comes with a nitrogen gas-release device, that somewhat replicates the unique draught flavour . When opened(and poured correctly, this beer is rather fussy to serve in a glass) the amber-copper hued beer forms a half-inch head, that dissolves within two to three minutes to a thin, yet constant patina of foam; which leaves foamy 'legs' as the beer drops down the glass. The taste is primarily caramel, derived from the roasted malt, British hops, and a very mild fruit flavour. The body is disappointingly weak, that feels watered-down and diluted, and features somewhat excessive carbonation, that comes up only when the beer is in contact with your toungue, making for a feel that is something like swallowing a gulp of fresh soda. That detracts from the flavour, thus making for a let-down. In a way, this makes the ale more quaffable, by balancing the caramel flavours with a refreshing fizz and moderate body, but it also results in a drinking experience that is less than pleasurable. Something of an easy-going ale, trying to be a lager.
Although I have sampled both ales and lagers side by side, The exact picture of of what an ale is and what a lager is somewhat blurry for me. After all, I am a novice, and there are people out there who can taste if the beer came out an aluminum can, for god's sake! There is much research to be done, and soon, I will be trying out some Italian beers, and some unusual wheat and assorted-grain based beers. Let us see how the grain types affect the final product.
Hip tip- 'Bud' is made from rice, among other things. Go figure. (I'm talking about the American version, Not the Original)
Overall, a distinctive beer with a persona that is like a sweet, charming, emphatic girlfriend, the sort that makes you happy just be around. The sort you just want to hug.
Highly reccomended, unless your idea of an ale is something more hoppy and/or Guiness-ish.
Grolsch- A premium Dutch beer, in production since the 1600's, It retains its character by choosing to remain unpasteurised. Presented in a unique swingtop bottle, that offers you a larger dose than the ordinary pint, this is a very strongly flavoured beer, that gives 'hoppiness' a whole new meaning. This often makes the beer rather unapproachable for most people used to a lighter lager. (Note that lightness or strength here has nothing to do with the alcohol content, as it is commonly misrepresented, thanks to "Godfather strong beer" or "Haywards 10000")
The appearance is typically lager-like, with a slightly darker tint than usual. The head is again, lager-like, the sort that dissipates quickly. All of this is designed to fool the casual drinker to assume this beer is another Heineken. Then you take your first sip. The flavour hits you like a Cadillac Escalade driven at 90 miles per hour, driven by a coke-addled rap-star...very, very hard. Strong flavours of hops dominate the scene, and that is pretty much all there is to it. The Finish is very astringent, dry, and akin to a young wine. Alcohol content is also a bit higher than usual, and all of this makes for a beer that is somewhat like the beer concentrate used to fuel pub taps. Shockingly strong for the Budweiser-Busch-Michelob crowd.
Bass Pale ale- The most popular British ale, second only to Guiness in popularity. Like the Guiness and other beers that were draught-only until a few years ago, the can comes with a nitrogen gas-release device, that somewhat replicates the unique draught flavour . When opened(and poured correctly, this beer is rather fussy to serve in a glass) the amber-copper hued beer forms a half-inch head, that dissolves within two to three minutes to a thin, yet constant patina of foam; which leaves foamy 'legs' as the beer drops down the glass. The taste is primarily caramel, derived from the roasted malt, British hops, and a very mild fruit flavour. The body is disappointingly weak, that feels watered-down and diluted, and features somewhat excessive carbonation, that comes up only when the beer is in contact with your toungue, making for a feel that is something like swallowing a gulp of fresh soda. That detracts from the flavour, thus making for a let-down. In a way, this makes the ale more quaffable, by balancing the caramel flavours with a refreshing fizz and moderate body, but it also results in a drinking experience that is less than pleasurable. Something of an easy-going ale, trying to be a lager.
Although I have sampled both ales and lagers side by side, The exact picture of of what an ale is and what a lager is somewhat blurry for me. After all, I am a novice, and there are people out there who can taste if the beer came out an aluminum can, for god's sake! There is much research to be done, and soon, I will be trying out some Italian beers, and some unusual wheat and assorted-grain based beers. Let us see how the grain types affect the final product.
Hip tip- 'Bud' is made from rice, among other things. Go figure. (I'm talking about the American version, Not the Original)
