Rating:

We first tried this in a tasting paddle and then went back for a pint. For us, not being the biggest fans of bitter’s to say this was not a bad beer is a decent shout out to the brewer. Traditionally an English brew, hence why we aren’t fond of it (just kidding we love our foreign cousins.) this beer produces a dirty/earthy aroma with a presence of bready malts, soft spicy notes and caramel. The mouth feel is medium weighted with a smooth texture. Moderately carbonated. Following on from the aroma, the palate also offers an earthy mix of bready malts and spicy hops with a refreshing and lingering hop bitterness to the back end. Very simple and without that cloying syrupy sweetness we sometimes get from ESB’s. The ABV (5.5%) gave it a nice kick adding a little extra layer to the body. To sum it up we were pretty pleased with this beer, because as we said we aren’t the biggest fans of this style but this was an exception. Nice offering.

Rating:

A traditional English bitter this one. Nice floral hops on the nose and pours a dark copper in the glass. At 5.3% it’s sessionable as the flavours are nice and malty. The bitterness mixes well here. Nothing fancy but definitely enjoyable

Rating:

Brilliant brewery this one, high in the order of our top 10 favourite Aussie breweries. Let’s see how the guys fare with this traditional English style.

Served in a pint glass the gorgeous copper pour arouses a creamy two finger head that slowly simmers down to a fine covering on top. Good head retention which allows for thick, blotchy lace trails to be omitted. Good looking beer so far. A vigorous swirl of the glass uplifts lovely initial aromas of nuts, caramel malt, toffee and cocoa. Sitting quietly underneath is the hop profile offering subdued whiffs of stone fruits and pine. Maybe a hint of dough in there too. Not bad, essentially a pretty well balanced aroma. In the mouth it’s a little slippery with a thinnish feel. Carbonation is mild with medium body. Kicking off the flavour profile is a hint of mild sour cherry, toffee, nuts and a suggestion of tangy marmalade. The mid-palate drops off slightly but it’s saved by a late hop bitterness that carries forward into the finish. A slight downside is a lingering taste of metal but masking it is a delicious nutty back end. 5% ABV is spot on, nowhere to be tasted but enough to create a good platform for the flavours to work off of. To be honest we have had better Holgate brews but in saying that this ESB would be a damn fine session beer all year round. Not bad but nothing overly memorable.

Rating:

“This is our firstborn brew, whose accidental discovery started our story in 2003. Its originality also lies in its singular taste – notes of biscuity malt and vanilla swirling within a creamy, mellow character. A pioneering beer, its flavour finds favour with brewing juries, blind tasting panels and barflies alike”.

Picked up this interesting looking beer at Dan Murphy’s, it is the first time we’ve ever heard of this Scottish brewery. Served in a shaker glass the translucent amber pour managed to construct a finger of white head before completely collapsing away to nothing at all.

Quite a complex aroma here, initially it’s so obviously British – anti fruit with big sweet malts and earth coming forward with additional wafts of oak, vanilla, whiskey, damp wood, butterscotch and honey putting an exciting spin on it. There is also a really sweet, floral undertone in here too, similar to pot pourri. Really good depth.

The mouth feel is a little thin with low carbonation. Medium bodied. From the outset flavours of whiskey, oak and vanilla dominate the taste buds. The mid-palate picks up sweet, almost cloying toffee malts and dough delivering a malty finish with lingering oak and a subtle alcohol warming.

At 6.6% ABV we can’t fault the levels of flavour here, although it does become very sweet. Although the price is pretty cheap one is definitely enough. OK without bringing anything spectacular.

Rating:

“Murray’s Punch & Judy’s Amber Ale is delicious proof that lower alcohol does not mean less flavour. Our full flavoured English style Ale is rich in nutty, caramel malt flavours with a hop aroma that really packs a punch. A great beer to share with friends”.

Served in an English pint glass. The light chestnut brown appearance offers a soft amber hue and is covered by a dense beige cap, sitting at roughly 1 finger’s height then gradually reducing to a very fine layer with ample lacing being omitted. The nose is certainly malt-heavy with a light floral sweetness and a touch of nutty earthiness coming through. There’s also a really nice arm wrestle between fruity citrus hops, bready malts and sweet caramel being played out too. We get the feeling we’ll be repeating ourselves a bit here, but this is packing some good depth for a low ABV beer (3.9%). In the mouth it’s oily and light on with low carbonation levels. Smooth texture. On entry we get the mildest of bitterness that gives the tongue a slight tingle. Over the caramelly/nutty malts are delicate suggestions of rockmelon, bread and subtle toffee sweetness. A light citrus fruitiness develops late which offers a nice bitterness in the finish. Not a great deal of length but the 3.9% ABV would be the root cause of that. Look, this is a decent beer and for the low ABV the brewer has done well to keep us interested. A little thin at times but hey if you wanted a craft beer but didn’t want to forego any flavour then this is the one to reach for. Not bad.

Rating:

“This dark golden coloured ale hugs the palate with great intensity. Its malty aroma is complemented by the gentle nose of Banana. Its flavour unfolds with a sensual sparkle and a smart crispness, which balances its aroma perfectly. Tropically fruity; its ripe banana flavour, emphasised by a hint of bitterness, comes from the addition of real fair trade bananas and finishes with an emphatic, steely dryness. ”

Well there’s no need to waste much time here and break this beer down. Served in a shaker glass the amber brown pour produced a small 1/2 inch head that slowly collapses. Minimal lacing.

It’s called a banana bread beer for a reason, so along with the standard English aromas of toasted malts, caramel and subtle nuts the main feature of the beer is front and center.

The mouth feel is slightly thin and a bit watery. Mildly carbonated. The flavour profile is very 1 dimensional and cloyingly sweet with an over-representation on the banana. Heavily outbalanced. To be honest we won’t be trying this ever again. Horrible.

Rating:

“Bombardier is an iconic real beer loaded with distinct English brilliance. Like me, it’s the epitome of impeccable taste and great character. The rich, full-bodied nectar is a lingering reward for the ol’ tonsils”.

We recall smashing these down on the hand pump in a really cool old pub in Earls Court, UK a few years ago. From what we can remember it was quite a nice, sessional English ale. Served in a traditional English pint this amber coloured beauty produced a tight 1 finger beige head that retains and laces well with thick spotted residue being left behind. The aroma is distinctly English with hallmark characteristics of roasted Maris otter malts, caramel, toffee, subtle spice and toasted bread. We get a slight piney/herbal scent coming though which offers a nice offset from the rich malt profile. The mouth feel is slightly oily with medium carbonation and body. Slightly fruitier on the palate, with hints of sweet sugary berries that pair up well with the lively bitterness on entry. More of the malty and caramel driven flavours are present in the mid-palate, helping to deliver a slightly roasted and bitter finish. 5.2% ABV is about on par for a decent English ESB. To be honest there’s nothing special going on here, but I could imagine the Birmingham football fans downing dozens of these before a big match. Not bad.