Southport Old Shrimper
Southport Old Shrimper [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.5% dark ale has a roasted chocolate smell,smooth sweet fruity malt taste & a sweet finish
Thwaites Thoroughbred Gold
Thwaites Thoroughbred Gold [baron rating 4/5] - this 4% ale has a citrus aroma, a smooth citrus & floral taste & slight floral bitter finish
Broughton Merlin's Ale
Broughton Merlin's Ale [baron rating: /5] - this 4.2% copper ale has a fresh hops smell, crisp light hoppy taste & gentle bitter finish
Buy Broughton ales here
Tasty Lytham Gold ale in The Five Ways (Ormskirk)
Tried a very tasty pint of Lytham Gold tonight in The Five Ways pub/restaurant (Ormskirk),this 4.2% gold ale was crisp & hoppy - very nice!
Great St Austell Proper Job in the Queens Head (Ormskirk)
Had a few excellent pints of St Austell Proper Job last night in the Queens Head pub (Ormskirk), didn't try anything else it was that good!
M&S (Batemans) Lincolnshire Best Bitter
M&S (Batemans) Lincolnshire Best Bitter [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.9% amber ale has a malty smell, a sweet malty taste & bitter finish
myBrewerytap's 52 week beer club - first impresssions
After reading a number of blog posts about myBrewerytap's 52 week beer club, 'we' (Chris Routledge & I) signed up a few weeks ago, and the first quarter's batch arrived today.
Before I get to the photos & details of the pack I want to say how impressed I was with the delivery and packaging - the whole box arrived completely unmarked and from following other twitterers it appears that we ALL received it on the same day! That's quite some service!
The well-packaged ale comes with tasting notes as well:
Last quarter I believe it shipped with a glass and bottle opener, this time it came with a 'myBrewerytap' glass, packet of spicy Yorkshire crisps & some 'Dirty Vicar' cheese!
Here are the first six beers:
Before I get to the photos & details of the pack I want to say how impressed I was with the delivery and packaging - the whole box arrived completely unmarked and from following other twitterers it appears that we ALL received it on the same day! That's quite some service!
The well-packaged ale comes with tasting notes as well:
Last quarter I believe it shipped with a glass and bottle opener, this time it came with a 'myBrewerytap' glass, packet of spicy Yorkshire crisps & some 'Dirty Vicar' cheese!
Here are the first six beers:
- Atlantic Red
- Wensleydale Gamekeeper
- Quartz Blonde
- Dent Aviator
- Leyden Raglan Sleeve
- Best Mates Midsummer Madness
- Sam Brook's Wandle
- Bitter End Lakeland Golden
- Three Castles Saxon Archer
- Leatherbritches CAD
- Penlon Cardi Bay
- Sadler's Thin Ice
- Stroud Budding
Now all Chris & I have to do is set a date to start sampling & 'baron rating' them!
Re-rating of Black Sheep Holy Grail
I rated Black Sheep Holy Grail in November but after re-trying it I'm upgrading it to a [baron rating 5/5] - crisp & hoppy, very drinkable!
Final round-up of the Batemans Baron Ratings
As you may be aware, Batemans Brewery very kindly sent me a bottle of most of their range to receive a 'Baron Rating', now that I've consumed them all, here are the final scores:
I would like to say a big thank you to Batemans Brewery for their generosity, they do brew some very fine beers!
I would like to say a big thank you to Batemans Brewery for their generosity, they do brew some very fine beers!
Amazing selection of discounted ales in Booths (Windermere)
The Duke of Windermere did a bit of ale shopping for me in his local Booths (Windermere) earlier in the week and I collected them last night. These twelve diverse bottles were all £1 each!
I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into these soon as I've not 'baron rated' most of them before (I've had the Cains FA [baron rating 4/5] before). I also picked up these two as well (the Williams Gold was £1.32 and the Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 4/5] was £1.29):
Now my beer collection is looking rather full!
I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into these soon as I've not 'baron rated' most of them before (I've had the Cains FA [baron rating 4/5] before). I also picked up these two as well (the Williams Gold was £1.32 and the Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 4/5] was £1.29):
Now my beer collection is looking rather full!
Batemans Dark Lord
Batemans Dark Lord [baron rating 4/5] - this 5% dark ruby ale has a malty smell, smooth sweet malt & bitter taste & gentle sweet malt finish
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
Re-rating of Hook Norton Old Hooky
I rated Hook Norton Old Hooky back in November but after re-rating it tonight I'm upgrading it to a [baron rating 4/5] - tasty & drinkable!
Lovely Batemans Rosey Nosey in the Queens Head (Ormskirk)
Had some very enjoyable pints of Batemans Rosey Nosey in the Queens Head pub in Ormskirk, lovely winter brew,better on tap than bottled[3/5]
Good turnout for the Ormskirk TweetUp
Had a great evening in the Queens Head pub with @Mister_Roy,@procrastinatrix,@MikeNolan,@Christopher_R,@BickerRecord,Paul & Matt from Source
Re-rating of Batemans Summer Swallow
I rated Batemans Summer Swallow [baron rating 1/5] back in August and my rating unfortunately still stands, too sweet & floral for the Baron
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
Batemans Combined Harvest
Batemans Combined Harvest [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.7% golden ale has a citrus hops smell,sharp spiced apple taste & gentle fruity finish
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
Batemans Autumn Fall
Batemans Autumn Fall [baron rating 4/5] - this 4.2% chestnut ale has a spicy smell,spicy bitter hazelnut taste & a dry bitterness to finish
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
Beer tasting night at Source deli is 17th Feb
Spoke to Paul at the Source deli in Ormskirk today and we have agreed a date for the ale tasting night:
Paul has said that he will put on a number of food courses along with ten different beers: 5 british & 5 'rest of world'. Doors open at 7pm with the 'tasting' starting at 7:30.
I would like to thank the Twitter world for making this event happen, I had a dozen responses within 48 hours! Let's now all buy the tickets to ensure that this cool event actually happens!
- Wednesday 17th February 2010
Paul has said that he will put on a number of food courses along with ten different beers: 5 british & 5 'rest of world'. Doors open at 7pm with the 'tasting' starting at 7:30.
I would like to thank the Twitter world for making this event happen, I had a dozen responses within 48 hours! Let's now all buy the tickets to ensure that this cool event actually happens!
Batemans Victory Ale
Batemans Victory Ale [baron rating 3/5] - this 6% amber ale has a peppery hops smell,strong sticky fruity taste and a lingering sweet finish
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
DBC Jurassic for 79p in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains (Ormskirk) has 500ml bottles of DBC Jurassic [baron rating 3/5] for just 79p, a great price for a standard session ale
Booths December ale offers (31st Dec)
Booths have got some great ales on offer at the moment for one a quid a bottle, here are the details:
- Adnams Gunhill [baron rating 3/5]
£1 instead of £1.60
- Brakspear Bitter [baron rating 5/5]
£1 instead of £1.23
- Jennings Cumberland Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1 instead of £1.73
- Marstons Double Drop [baron rating 4/5]
£1 instead of £1.88
- Shepherd Neame Spitfire [baron rating 4/5]
£1 instead of £1.50
- Wychwood Goliath [baron rating 3/5]
£1 instead of £1.59
- St. Peter's Best Bitter
£1 instead of £1.50
- Greene King IPA [baron rating 3/5]
£1 instead of £1.49
- Lancaster Brewery Amber
£1 instead of £1.50
- Lancaster Brewery Blonde
£1 instead of £1.50
- Holt Humdinger
£1 instead of £1.35
- Moorhouses Blond Witch
£1 instead of £1.72
- Badger Original Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1 instead of £1.10
- Wold Top Bitter
£1 instead of £1.50
- Courage Best Bitter [baron rating 2/5]
£1 instead of £1.29
- Jennings Bitter [baron rating 2/5]
£1 instead of £1.29
- Holdens Golden Sunset
£1
JW Lees Brewer's Dark ale for £1 in Morrisons (Ormskirk)
Morrisons (Ormskirk) has 500ml bottles of JW Lees Brewer's Dark [baron rating coming soon] ale for £1 rather than the normal £1.67
Batemans XXXB (Triple XB)
Batemans XXXB [baron rating 4/5] - this 4.8% dark amber ale has a malty aroma,full sweet bitter taste followed by rapidly fading bitterness
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
The story behind MyBreweryTap.com
Read a great article about the guys behind MyBreweryTap.com, who now have my order for the 52 week beer club!
Shepherd Neame Goldings for 99p in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains in Ormskirk has 500ml bottles of Shepherd Neame Goldings [baron rating 3/5] for 99p (best before sometime in 2010)
Greene King LBW
Greene King LBW [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.3% pale ale has a gentle hops aroma,a smooth crisp taste of gentle malty sweetness & no finish!
Great ale selection in The Hop Vine (Burscough)
Had fab fish & chips at The Hop Vine pub (Burscough), great ale selection too, had Thwaites Good Elf & Hop Vine Bitter
More cheap (£1/bottle) ale in Asda (Aintree)
Spotted that Brakspear Bitter[5/5] & Badger Original Ale[3/5] are both £1 a bottle at the moment, along with these other offers
Shepherd Neame Kentish Ale Collection for £4 in Asda (Dec)
Asda (Aintree) has 4-bottle Shepherd Neame Kentish Ale packs for just £4: Bishops Finger[2/5], Master Brew[?], Spitfire[4/5], Whitstable Bay[?]
Final round-up of the Black Sheep Baron Ratings
As you may be aware, Black Sheep Brewery very kindly sent me a bottle of each of their range to receive a 'Baron Rating', now that I've consumed them all, here are the final scores:
Black Sheep Riggwelter
Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5] - this chestnut ale has a chocolate malt smell, a smooth dark malty taste & a gentle bitter finish
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Lidl's December ale offers (7th Dec)
On Monday (07/12) Lidl have a number of ales for just £1 a 500ml bottle: Bishops Finger[2/5], Hobgoblin[4/5], Pedigree[3/5] & Spitfire[4/5]
Anyone interested in an ale tasting night in Ormskirk?
I was speaking to Paul Shiel, the owner of Source deli in Ormskirk today (who stock an excellent range of ales from local breweries) about whether he would be interested in doing an ale tasting evening as they already do some very popular wine (with paired food) tasting evenings.
Paul said that they struggled to fill the last ale tasting (with food) evening and so were not thinking of offering it again. Paul truely knows his beers & his food is excellent too, so I have personally taken it upon myself to see if we can russle up the required numbers in which to make such an event a success.
Paul said that he would need around 25 people to book, with a cost per head of £20, which would give you the chance to try 10 expertly selected ales & beers carefully matched with food. This doesn't mean that you will get to drink ten pints, but I'm sure there would be enough to make sure that every participant had a very enjoyable evening! ;)
He has a wide range of ales and beers in stock including local North West breweries, American and Australian ales, and Trapist beers, so I'm sure there would be plenty of new stuff for everyone to try.
So here is the challenge:
Paul said that they struggled to fill the last ale tasting (with food) evening and so were not thinking of offering it again. Paul truely knows his beers & his food is excellent too, so I have personally taken it upon myself to see if we can russle up the required numbers in which to make such an event a success.
Paul said that he would need around 25 people to book, with a cost per head of £20, which would give you the chance to try 10 expertly selected ales & beers carefully matched with food. This doesn't mean that you will get to drink ten pints, but I'm sure there would be enough to make sure that every participant had a very enjoyable evening! ;)
He has a wide range of ales and beers in stock including local North West breweries, American and Australian ales, and Trapist beers, so I'm sure there would be plenty of new stuff for everyone to try.
So here is the challenge:
- Do you want a night out in Ormskirk, Lancashire?
- Do you want to try ten beers carefully matched with food?
- Do you want to pay £20 for the pleasure?
Black Sheep Golden Sheep
Black Sheep Golden Sheep [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.7% pale amber ale has a crisp, bitter taste & a long lasting bitter aftertaste
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Buy Black Sheep ales here
A big thank you to Batemans Brewery & Stuart Bateman
A lovely gift arrived from Batemans Brewery today courtesy of Stuart Bateman - a 6-bottle sample pack for the Baron to rate. The pack contained the following quality Batemans ales:
The packaging was something special as well, pressed cardboard tubes for the bottles, sealed with parcel tape and then slotted neatly together in the perfectly sized box. I think Batemans really know what they are doing when it comes to delivering ale. These pressed cardboard tubes would be perfect for #beerswap.
I'm looking forward to getting stuck into these ales over the next week or so, as always I'll be posting Baron Ratings as I go...hic!
I'm looking forward to getting stuck into these ales over the next week or so, as always I'll be posting Baron Ratings as I go...hic!
Win a CAMRA 12-bottle Christmas Beer Case on Planet Rock
Win a CAMRA 12-bottle Christmas Beer Case over on Planet Rock today only (I think) http://www.planetrock.com/article.asp?id=1603972
Cheap Greene King & Morland ales in Asda (December)
Spotted on the Asda website tonight that Abbot Ale[5/5] and Morland Old Speckled Hen[4/5] & Hen's Tooth are all £1/bottle at the moment
Morrisons December ale & beer offers (29th Nov - 3rd Jan) (Ormskirk)
It's December's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch today to check them out. There is nothing that special reduced this time round which is a shame as a cracking deal at Christmas time could clear their shelves. They have the same beers on offer as last month with a few more added at about the same price.
Here are the details:
Here are the details:
- Black Sheep Riggwelter [baron rating 4/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating 3/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Courage Directors [baron rating 3/5]
£1.59 instead of £1.79
- Greene King Abbot Reserve [baron rating 3/5]
£1.49 instead of £1.99
- Greene King Suffolk Springer
£1.49 instead of £1.99
- Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating 3/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Marston's Old Empire [baron rating 5/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Marston's Strong Pale Ale
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Morland Old Crafty Hen
£1.99 instead of £2.49
- Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Ringwood Old Thumper [baron rating 2/5]
£1.59 instead of £1.79
- Wells Banana Bread Beer
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Wells Bombardier [baron rating 3/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Young's Kew Gold
£1.59 instead of £1.79
Morrisons (Titanic) Green Hop Beer
Morrisons (Titanic) Green Hop Beer [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.5% golden ale has a medical smell & too strong on the bitter hop aftertaste
Morrisons (Titanic) Green Hop Beer reduced to £1/bottle
My local Morrisons (Ormskirk) has bottles of Morrisons (Titanic Brewery) Green Hop Beer [baron rating 2/5] reduced by 59p to just £1
Cheap Christmas ales at Morrisons (Ormskirk)
Morrisons has Xmas season ales for £1.25/bottle, choose from Batemans Rosey Nosey[3/5] & White Horse Rudolph The Red Nosed White Horse[2/5]
Batemans Rosey Nosey
Batemans Rosey Nosey [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.9% chestnut-coloured ale has a sweet malty smell, fruity, sweet spicy taste & bitter finish
Buy Batemans ales here
Buy Batemans ales here
White Horse Rudolph The Red Nosed White Horse
White Horse Rudolph The Red Nosed White Horse [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.8% ruby ale has a spiced fruit smell & slightly spiced malt taste
Marble & Southport Brewery ales in Source-Deli (Ormskirk)
Picked up some Marble Lagonda IPA[5/5] & Southport Brewery Golden Sands & Old Shrimper from Source-Deli (Ormskirk) with help from owner Paul
A great 'source' of quality ales in Ormskirk
Discovered this week that Source deli in Ormskirk stocks a great range of quality ales including Marble, Southport & Coopers ales + more!
Marble Lagonda IPA
Marble Lagonda IPA [baron rating 5/5] - this 5% organic pale ale has a citrus biscuit smell,crisp hoppy taste & wonderful dry bitter finish
Hook Norton Hooky Bitter
Hook Norton Hooky Bitter [baron rating 4/5] - this 3.6% ale has a crisp,hoppy smell, a bitter,refreshing,clean taste & a very bitter finish
Hook Norton Old Hooky
Hook Norton Old Hooky [baron rating /5] - 4.6% amber ale,sweet fruity smell,balanced malty fruity caramel taste,slightly sweet finish
Greene King IPA
Greene King IPA [baron rating 2/5] - this 3.6% amber ale has a light hops/toffee aroma, a crisp gentle taste & finish - a good session beer
Black Sheep Holy Grail
Update 18/12/09: I'm upgrading this ale to a [baron rating 5/5] after picking up another bottle recently, it's so crisp & hoppy it goes down a real treat!
Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 4/5] - this Monty Python themed 4.7% ale has a a citrus,hoppy taste & long lasting bitterness to finish
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Black Sheep Holy Grail [baron rating 4/5] - this Monty Python themed 4.7% ale has a a citrus,hoppy taste & long lasting bitterness to finish
Buy Black Sheep ales here
*extended* Brewdog's 77 Lager (£1) & Punk IPA (99p) in Tesco (til 1st Dec)
Tesco have extended their recent Brewdog offer with 330ml bottles of 77 Lager & Punk IPA[1/5] for £1 & 99p respectively until 1st December
Morrisons disappearing ale offers
As any regular blog reader (or twitter follower) will know I visit Morrisons at the start of each month to see what that month's ale offers are. Since May or June they have had at least one ale available for £1 a bottle. In the summer months (before I started blogging about ale) there was Hobgoblin[baron rating 4/5], Ruddles County[baron rating 4/5] and Brakspear Bitter[baron rating 5/5] all available for £1/bottle - a great price indeed.
But recently it hasn't been so clear cut...
It was with the Brakspear Bitter offer that things began to change. When I first saw it on offer in August, Brakspear Bitter was clearly labelled at £1/bottle with a nice big 'on offer' style shelf label. I bought a couple (and soon returned to clear the shelf after I'd sampled it). It was on a subsequent visit a week later that I noticed something strange. In its second week of the month on offer the discount shelf label was gone and so it was back to the same price as the majority of the ales - £1.67/bottle. I took some up to the cashier for a price check who confirmed that they were £1/bottle. It remained without a shelf discount label for the rest of that month and every week I checked and bought some more for £1/bottle - I must have been the only person who knew about the offer!
The September Morrisons offers were pretty poor (small discounts on overpriced bottles compared to other places) so I waited for October. These were a little more promising with a great deal on 8-bottle boxes of Hobgoblin[baron rating 4/5] (8 bottles for £8) and a good price for Adnams Lighthouse[baron rating 2/5] pale ale - £1/bottle. This Adnams ale promptly sold out in the first week of the month never to be replaced for the remaining three weeks - it's shelf spot was filled with Adnams Gunhill[baron rating 3/5] but with the shelf discount of £1/bottle still mis-displayed in front of it.
In the second week of October's ale month I was informed by @chilliupnorth (via twitter) that his local Morrisons (Redcar) was selling Marston's Victorious Bitter[baron rating 1/5] for £1/bottle. It wasn't until the fourth week of the month that this beer finally showed up on the Ormskirk shelves and was not marked as being £1/bottle but rather placed where Marston's Pedigree[baron rating 3/5] is usually located and so labelled as Pedigree at £1.67/bottle. A quick price check confirmed that it was discounted at £1/bottle.
So now we come to this month: Morrison's November ale offers. There are some reasonable discounts of various strong ales but only one '£1/bottle' deal, this time for Brains SA[baron rating 2/5]. However, although I visited on only the second day of the new offers, and despite the large £1 offer sign on the shelf there was no Brains SA in sight. I checked two days later and was pleased to see some on the shelf, but where had the large '£1/bottle' sign gone? It was now listed as 'Brains SA Gold' at £1.67 but strangely Brains SA Gold (also priced at £1.67) was also available on a different shelf of the ale section. I asked for a price check on the bottle and was told that it was £1, so the offer is still on but the shelf shows no sign of this. I've continued to check since the beginning of the month and the sign is still missing...
I wanted to know about other Morrisons stores so after a quick Twitter request, I received confirmation from @chilliupnorth in Redcar & @realalereviews in Morley, South Leeds that their local Morrisons were correctly displaying the offer:
So what does this all mean?
But recently it hasn't been so clear cut...
It was with the Brakspear Bitter offer that things began to change. When I first saw it on offer in August, Brakspear Bitter was clearly labelled at £1/bottle with a nice big 'on offer' style shelf label. I bought a couple (and soon returned to clear the shelf after I'd sampled it). It was on a subsequent visit a week later that I noticed something strange. In its second week of the month on offer the discount shelf label was gone and so it was back to the same price as the majority of the ales - £1.67/bottle. I took some up to the cashier for a price check who confirmed that they were £1/bottle. It remained without a shelf discount label for the rest of that month and every week I checked and bought some more for £1/bottle - I must have been the only person who knew about the offer!
The September Morrisons offers were pretty poor (small discounts on overpriced bottles compared to other places) so I waited for October. These were a little more promising with a great deal on 8-bottle boxes of Hobgoblin[baron rating 4/5] (8 bottles for £8) and a good price for Adnams Lighthouse[baron rating 2/5] pale ale - £1/bottle. This Adnams ale promptly sold out in the first week of the month never to be replaced for the remaining three weeks - it's shelf spot was filled with Adnams Gunhill[baron rating 3/5] but with the shelf discount of £1/bottle still mis-displayed in front of it.
In the second week of October's ale month I was informed by @chilliupnorth (via twitter) that his local Morrisons (Redcar) was selling Marston's Victorious Bitter[baron rating 1/5] for £1/bottle. It wasn't until the fourth week of the month that this beer finally showed up on the Ormskirk shelves and was not marked as being £1/bottle but rather placed where Marston's Pedigree[baron rating 3/5] is usually located and so labelled as Pedigree at £1.67/bottle. A quick price check confirmed that it was discounted at £1/bottle.
So now we come to this month: Morrison's November ale offers. There are some reasonable discounts of various strong ales but only one '£1/bottle' deal, this time for Brains SA[baron rating 2/5]. However, although I visited on only the second day of the new offers, and despite the large £1 offer sign on the shelf there was no Brains SA in sight. I checked two days later and was pleased to see some on the shelf, but where had the large '£1/bottle' sign gone? It was now listed as 'Brains SA Gold' at £1.67 but strangely Brains SA Gold (also priced at £1.67) was also available on a different shelf of the ale section. I asked for a price check on the bottle and was told that it was £1, so the offer is still on but the shelf shows no sign of this. I've continued to check since the beginning of the month and the sign is still missing...
I wanted to know about other Morrisons stores so after a quick Twitter request, I received confirmation from @chilliupnorth in Redcar & @realalereviews in Morley, South Leeds that their local Morrisons were correctly displaying the offer:
So what does this all mean?
- Are Ormskirk Morrisons staff members keeping all the cheap ale to themselves?
- Are the shelf stackers clueless about ale, have no idea where this stuff should go?
- Is it that signs are removed as these ales are not the normal ones that my local Morrison's sells and so there's no shelf space for new ones?
- Is the local store management not willing to take the hit for the 'loss leading' ale discounts passed down from head office?
Greene King LBW for £1.09 in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains in Ormskirk has 500ml bottles of Greene King LBW [baron rating 3/5] for £1.09 down from £1.29 (best before 06/10)
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA for 89p is still available in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains (Ormskirk) seem to have a never ending supply of M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA[5/5] for just 89p each (best before 11/09)
Marston's mix packs on offer at Aldi (from 12th November)
Aldi has 12-bottle Marston's packs for £12.99 from 12/11, Burton Bitter[2/5], Old Empire[5/5], Oyster Stout[3/5], Pedigree[3/5] - £1.09 each
Jennings Bitter
Jennings Bitter [baron rating 2/5] - this 3.5% dark amber ale has a subtle malty smell, fizzy nutty taste & slight bitter finish - not good
Makro's November ale offers (18th Nov - 1st Dec)
Saw the new Makro Mail today, they have some interesting ale offers on starting on Wednesday 18th November running until the 1st December. The offers are:
Buy any two 8-bottles packs for £18.98 working out at £1.19 per bottle. Choose from:
Or buy a 24-bottle case of Samuel Adams Boston Lager [baron rating 5/5] for £20.69 working out at 86p per bottle.
The Abbot Ale deal is excellent, the cheapest I've ever seen it, but the Sam Adams has to be the winner, this crisp, tasty imported American ale is just 86p/bottle!
Buy any two 8-bottles packs for £18.98 working out at £1.19 per bottle. Choose from:
- Marston's Strong Pale Ale
- Ringwood Forty Niner
- Ringwood Old Thumper
Or buy a 24-bottle case of Samuel Adams Boston Lager [baron rating 5/5] for £20.69 working out at 86p per bottle.
The Abbot Ale deal is excellent, the cheapest I've ever seen it, but the Sam Adams has to be the winner, this crisp, tasty imported American ale is just 86p/bottle!
Jennings Bitter £1/bottle in some Morrisons (November)
@chilliupnorth has tipped me off that at least his Morrisons (Redcar) has Jennings Bitter[2/5] for £1/bottle in the 'seasonal ale' section
Brains SA
Brains SA [baron rating /5] - 4.2% amber ale,fruity toffee smell,spicy sweet slightly tart fruit taste,bittersweet toffee finish
Delicious Jennings World's Biggest Liar in the Dog & Gun pub (Aughton)
Visited the Dog & Gun (Aughton) last night & had some of the Jennings guest ale: World's Biggest Liar - this 4.3% ale is absolutely lovely!
St. Austell ales on offer in Ocado (until 1st Dec)
Ocado have 4 St. Austell ales on a 'buy 5, save 20%' offer: Admirals Ale, Clouded Yellow, HSD & Tribute - not a great price but good choice!
Hook Norton ales on offer in Ocado (until 1st Dec)
For any Hook Norton fans - Ocado have six of their ales on a 'buy 5, save 20%' offer - Ocado Hook Norton offer. Not sure if it's a good deal but it's a good selection!
Promoting M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA's baron rating
I've had to promote M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA from a baron rating of 4/5 to the almighty 5/5 - it's simply delicious!
Black Sheep Ale
Black Sheep Ale [baron rating 4/5] - this 4.4% amber ale has a sweet malty smell, gentle balanced taste and a dry, bitter finish - lovely!
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Buy Black Sheep ales here
Morrisons November ale & beer offers (2nd Nov - 28th Nov) (Ormskirk)
It's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch yesterday to check them out. Overall the discounts are not great (most can be picked up in other places for similar or cheap prices) & it was funny how they had no stock of the freshly heavily discounted Brains SA...
Here are the details:
Here are the details:
- Brains SA [baron rating 2/5]
£1 instead of £1.67
- Greene King Abbot Reserve [baron rating 3/5]
£1.49 instead of £1.99
- Greene King Suffolk Springer
£1.49 instead of £1.99
- Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating 3/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Marston's Old Empire [baron rating 5/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Marston's Strong Pale Ale
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Morland Old Crafty Hen
£1.99 instead of £2.49
- Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5]
£1.39 instead of £1.59
- Ringwood Old Thumper
£1.59 instead of £1.79
Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale
Black Sheep Yorkshire Square Ale [baron rating /5] - 5% copper ale,caramel slight fruity smell,juicy bitter taste,dry tart bitter finish
Buy Black Sheep ales here
A big thank you to Black Sheep Brewery
A very welcome gift from Black Sheep Brewery came for the baron this morning - 1 of each of their 5 bottled ales - expect baron ratings soon
Wychwood Goliath for 99p/bottle in Home Bargains (Maghull)
Home Bargains in Maghull has 500ml bottles of Wychwood Goliath [baron rating 3/5] for 99p
Marston's Pedigree for 99p/bottle in Home Bargains (Magull)
Home Bargains in Maghull has 500ml bottles of Marston's Pedigree [baron rating 3/5] for 99p
Marston's Burton Bitter for 99p/bottle in Home Bargains (Magull)
Home Bargains in Maghull has 500ml bottles of Marston's Burton Bitter [baron rating 2/5] for 99p
Courage Best
Courage Best [baron rating /5] - this 3.8% light amber ale has a gentle hop aroma, but the light malty taste is ruined by a metallic taste
Theakston Old Peculier
Theakston Old Peculier [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.6% dark ale has a malty smell, a malty taste with a smooth finish - a perfect sipper!
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA restocked in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
After I cleared the shelf of it last Wednesday, B&M Bargains (Ormskirk) have restocked the M&S Cornish IPA[5/5] - 89p each (best before Nov)
Marston's Double Drop
Marston's Double Drop [baron rating 2/5] - this 5% golden ale has a sweet hoppy smell, hop bitter taste followed by a dry acidic bitterness
Thwaites Thoroughbred Gold for £1.19 in Home Bargains (Maghull)
Home Bargains in Maghull has 500ml bottles of Thwaites Thoroughbred Gold [baron rating coming soon] for £1.19
Thwaites Lancaster Bomber for £1.19 in Home Bargains (Maghull)
Home Bargains in Maghull has 500ml bottles of Thwaites Lancaster Bomber [baron rating coming soon] for £1.19
A present from Adnams Brewery
I received a wonderful parcel today from Adnams Brewery - two complimentary bottles of their Broadside ale for the baron to review!
If any other brewery wants a baron rating for their ale, simply send me some beer to review!
If any other brewery wants a baron rating for their ale, simply send me some beer to review!
Greene King IPA for £1.09 in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains in Ormskirk has 500ml bottles of Greene King IPA [baron rating coming soon] for £1.09 - this is the 3.6% one NOT 5% export
Jennings Bitter for 99p in B&M Bargains (Ormskirk)
B&M Bargains in Ormskirk has 500ml bottles of Jennings Bitter [baron rating coming soon] for just 99p
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA
UPDATE 04/11/09: This IPA is simply delicious, have to promote it to 5/5 as once I've had one I really want another! Really, really nice!
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA [baron rating 4/5] - this 5% BC ale has a nice citrus smell, light malty taste & dry bitter finish - delicious
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA [baron rating 4/5] - this 5% BC ale has a nice citrus smell, light malty taste & dry bitter finish - delicious
Theakston XB for 1.19p in B&M Bargains (Southport)
B&M Bargains in Southport has bottles of Theakston XB [baron rating coming soon] for £1.19, has a nice long best before date as well!
Wychwood Hobgoblin for £1.17 in Sainsbury's (til 3rd Nov)
Sainsbury's has 500ml bottles of Wychwood Hobgoblin[4/5] on offer at £1.17 until 3rd Nov although the 8-pack in Morrisons is £1/bottle
Badger ales 4 for £5 in Tesco (until 10th Nov)
Tesco are offering 4 Badger ales for £5 until 10/11 England's Gold,Fursty Ferret[4/5],Golden Champion[3/5],Golden Glory[2/5],Tanglefoot[4/5]
M&S (St. Austell) Cornish IPA for 89p in B&M Bargains (Southport)
B&M Bargains in Southport has bottles of (bottled conditioned) M&S Cornish IPA (brewed by St. Austell) for just 89p
Corona Extra for 92p/bottle in Sainsbury's (til 25th Oct)
Sainsbury's have 12-bottle boxes of Corona Extra for £11 until 25th Oct working out at 92p a bottle not quite as good as Costco though
Brewdog's 77 Lager for £1 & Punk IPA for 99p in Tesco (til 10th Nov)
Tesco have 330ml bottles of Brewdog's 77 Lager & Punk IPA[1/5] for £1 & 99p respectively until 10th November
Marston's Victorious Bitter
Marston's Victorious Bitter [baron rating 1/5] - this 3.6% ale has a strange malty smell, a fizzy slightly tangy taste & very bitter finish
Marston's Burton Bitter for 99p/bottle in Netto (from Monday 26th Oct)
Starting on Monday (26th Oct) Netto are selling 500ml bottles of Burton Bitter [baron rating 2/5] for 99p
Badger Original Ale is now full price in Asda (Aintree)
On Monday I reported that Asda (Aintree) had Badger Original Ale[baron rating 3/5] for £1, well it's now back to normal price at £1.54 :(
Badger Original Ale
Badger Original Ale [baron rating 3/5] - this 3.8% amber ale has a subtle malty smell, a nice spicy taste & quite a bitter finish - nice!
Buy Badger ales here
Buy Badger ales here
50p off Badger coupons in Costco (Haydock)
Bought some Badger ale (on offer at £14.94 for 16 bottles til 01/11) in Costco (Haydock) & spotted that most had 50p off vouchers on them!
Corona Extra for 86p/bottle in Costco (Haydock)
Corona Extra in Costco (Haydock) is £20.53 for 24 bottles (86p each) - that's without any offers - supermarket offers are at least £1/bottle
Home Bargains latest ale offers (19th Oct) (Maghull)
Home Bargains (Maghull) has bottles of Courage Best[2/5] for 99p & bottles of Ruddles County[4/5] & Marston's Double Drop[4/5] for £1.09
Badger Original Ale for £1/bottle in Asda (Aintree)
Spotted Badger Original Ale for Asda (Aintree) at the weekend, just £1 a bottle (along with Brakspear Bitter[5/5]) - baron rating soon...
Brakspear Triple
Brakspear Triple [baron rating 2/5] - this 7.2% amber ale has a peachy smell, a sweet, smooth, peachy taste and no bitterness at all
Tesco have Pedigree and Innis & Gunn on offer until 18th Oct (Sunday)
Just spotted that Tesco have 500ml bottles of Pedigree[3/5] & 330ml bottles of Innis & Gunn[1/5] on offer at 99p until Sunday (18th Oct)
Jennings Sneck Lifter
Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating 3/5] - this 5.1% ruby ale has a sweet malty smell, a not too heavy malty taste and gentle bitter finish
Asda's latest ale offers ( 6th Oct - 16th Nov)
Looks like Asda have extended their '4 for £5' beer deal since the last time I reported. They now appear to have 26 different bottled ales - each bottle working out at £1.25 (this is an 'acceptable' baron price for beer - anything cheaper than £1.33 is candidate for the baron, although the aim is £1 or less).
The 26 beers are:
The 26 beers are:
- Black Sheep Ale
- Black Sheep Riggwelter
- Nethergate Old Growler
- Robinsons Old Tom
- St. Austell Tribute
- Wells Banana Bread Beer
- Wells Bombardier Satanic Mills
- Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]
currently cheaper in Morrisons - £8 for 8 bottles
Ocado's latest ale offers (until 3rd Nov)
Ocado have quite a range of beers reduced at the moment, the best reductions (as far as the baron is concerned) are:
- Greene King's Abbot Ale [baron rating 5/5]
£1.09 instead of £1.46
- Morland Old Speckled Hen[baron rating 4/5]
£1.18 instead of £1.58
- Ridley's Old Bob [baron rating coming soon]
£1.12 instead of £1.50
- Greene King's Ruddles County [baron rating 4/5]
£1.10 instead of £1.47
- Fuller's Organic Honey Dew
£1.13 instead of £1.51
Badger ale mix packs on offer at Costco (12th Oct - 1st Nov) (Haydock)
Costco has Badger packs on offer,£14.94 for 16 til 01/11,First Gold[3/5],Golden Champion[3/5],Golden Glory[2/5] & Tanglefoot[4/5] (94p each)
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Lager [baron rating /5] - 4.8% golden ale,floral hoppy smell,crisp tangy hops & caramel malt taste,fruity dry finish
Buy Sam Adams ales here
Netto has Newcastle Brown Ale for £1/bottle this weekend (17th-18th Oct)
This weekend (17th-18th Oct) Netto have 550ml bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale[3/5] for just £1 each - there's a 12 bottle limit per customer
Marston’s Victorious Bitter £1/bottle in some Morrisons
@chilliupnorth has tipped me off that at least the Redcar Morrisons has Marston's new Victorious Bitter for just £1/bottle but not Ormskirk!
Dent Brewery T'Owd Tup
Dent Brewery T'Owd Tup [baron rating 1/5] - this 6% heavy stout has a spiced fruit aroma, a burnt malty fruitcake taste & a bad aftertaste
Brewdog Punk IPA on offer in Tesco (7th Oct - 20th Oct)
Tesco have Brewdog Punk IPA[1/5] on offer from 7th Oct until 20th Oct, 99p instead of £1.31 per 300ml bottle - warning: very hoppy!
Adnams Gunhill
Adnams Gunhill [baron rating 3/5] - this 4% ruby coloured ale has a malty, spicy smell, a 'not too heavy' fruity, malty taste & a dry finish
Buy Adnams ale here
Buy Adnams ale here
Adnams East Green
Adnams East Green [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.3% pale golden beer has a grainy smell, a slighly sweet dry taste & mild bitter finish - bland
Buy Adnams ale here
Buy Adnams ale here
Morland Old Crafty Hen reduced in Tesco until 20th Oct
A tip-off from The Pub Curmudgeon pointed out that Tesco have reduced the price of Morland's 6.5% Old Crafty Hen from £2.52 down to £1.99
Adnams Lighhouse
Adnams Lighhouse [baron rating 2/5] - this 3.4% light beer has a slightly malty smell, a very soft 'brown ale' taste & almost no bitterness
Buy Adnams ale here
Buy Adnams ale here
Having an Adnams (sic) Family night tomorrow!
Got three new Adnams beers to try out tomorrow night: East Green (4.3%), Gunhill (4%) & Lighthouse (3.4%) - the real Adnams Family! ;)
Brakspear Oxford Gold
Brakspear Oxford Gold [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.6% golden ale is fruity & hoppy in smell, has a pleasant taste & a bitter finish
Lidl's current ale offers for October (Maghull)
Lidl (Maghull) currently have Bishops Finger[2/5], Hobgoblin[4/5], Pedigree[3/5], Spitfire[4/5] all for £1.19 a 500ml bottle down from £1.48
Asda's latest ale offers (6th Oct - 19th Oct) (Aintree)
Apart from spotting a couple of ales still at £1 a bottle I also noticed that Asda have just started a new '4 for £5' ale offer (£1.25/bottle) which covers the following beers:
This offer appears to be on until the 19th Oct and only started this week. It reminds me of the old Morrisons offer of '4 for £5' which when it was increased in price to £5.50 caused the baron to start hunting out cheap quality ale, but that's a story for another day...
- Jennings Sneck Lifter [baron rating coming soon]
- Shepherd Neame Celebration 1698 [baron rating coming soon]
- Theakston Old Peculiar [baron rating coming soon]
- Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]
(currently cheaper in Morrisons - £8 for 8 bottles)
This offer appears to be on until the 19th Oct and only started this week. It reminds me of the old Morrisons offer of '4 for £5' which when it was increased in price to £5.50 caused the baron to start hunting out cheap quality ale, but that's a story for another day...
Asda (Aintree) still have Brakspear Bitter & Marston's Pedigree for £1/bottle
Popped down to Asda (Aintree) at lunchtime today, saw that they still have Brakspear Bitter[5/5] & Marston's Pedigree[3/5] for £1/bottle
Morrison's October ale & beer offers (5th Oct - 1st Nov) (Ormskirk)
It's new beer & ale offers time in Morrisons so I popped into the local Ormskirk branch today to check them out. Overall it's a pretty small selection of ales which are on offer, here are the details:
All of these offers are valid until 1st November so I'll check back then to see what's next!
- Adnams East Green [baron rating 2/5]
£1.29 instead of £1.79
- Adnams Lighthouse [baron rating 2/5]
£1 instead of £1.67 (although at normal price this is part of the '4 for £5.50' deal)
- Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]
8 bottles for £8 instead of £9 (but I've not seen these boxes before)
- Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]
£1.25 instead of £1.67 (although at normal price this is part of the '4 for £5.50' deal)
- Wychwood Hobgoblin [baron rating 4/5]
4 cans for £4 instead of £5.25 (but why buy these when you can have it out of a bottle for the same price?)
- Becks - 6x 275ml bottles : £4.49 instead of £5.99
- Leffe Blonde - 750ml bottle : £2.99 instead of £3.49
- Stella Artois - 15x 440ml cans : £13 instead of £15.99
- Stella Artois - 18x 284ml bottles : £11 instead of £12.99
All of these offers are valid until 1st November so I'll check back then to see what's next!
Going to be covering certain lager offers from now on
Been pressured into monitoring offers for certain lagers now, let's see what the baron can find for Stella, Becks & German wheat beers...
Scottish & Newcastle Newcastle Brown Ale
Scottish & Newcastle Newcastle Brown Ale [baron rating 3/5] - not had this 4.7% brown ale since Uni! Smooth mildly malty & very drinkable
Drinking very tasty mild in the Dog & Gun (Aughton)
Visited the Dog & Gun last night, tried Marston's 3.8% Pomp & Circumstance which was ok then tried Jennings 3.1% Dark Mild, very very tasty!
Jennings Cumberland Ale
Jennings Cumberland Ale [baron rating /5] - 4.7% copper ale,sweet spicy aroma,classic bitter taste & dry bittersweet finish
Buy Jennings ales here
Some good cask ales on at The Queens Head (Ormskirk)
Moved on from the Eureka to the The Queens Head in Ormskirk town centre, they had Bombardier, Pedigree and Landlord (guest) on tap (& more)
Great Timothy Taylor's Landlord in the Eureka pub (Ormskirk)
Enjoyed some Timothy Taylor's Landlord in the Eureka in Ormskirk on Wednesday, very smooth & tasty, plus Wednesday is £2/pint cask ale night
Marston's Pedigree for £1.29/bottle in Netto (from Monday 5th Oct)
Starting on Monday (5th Oct) Netto are selling 500ml bottles of Marston's Pedigree [baron rating: 3/5] for £1.29 (Morrisons price £1.67)
Thwaites Double Century
Update (17/01/2010) : Tried this again and lovely it more than first time I tried it, upgraded to a [baron rating 5/5], a very nice all round pint with a lovely tangy chewy malt taste
Thwaites Double Century [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.2% amber ale has a wonder blend of malt & hops for it's taste with a nice bitter finish
Buy Thwaites ales here
Thwaites Double Century [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.2% amber ale has a wonder blend of malt & hops for it's taste with a nice bitter finish
Buy Thwaites ales here
Wychwood Goliath
Wychwood Goliath [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.2% amber ale has a subtle smell, a slightly crisp malty taste, with a smooth finish
Wyre Piddle Brewery Piddle in the Hole
Wyre Piddle Brewery Piddle in the Hole [baron rating /5] - this 4% amber ale is a bit bland really - has a crisp taste but not much else
Badger Golden Glory
Badger Golden Glory [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.5% golden ale has a too strong flowery & peachy smell and smooth & slightly fruity taste
Buy Badger ales here
Buy Badger ales here
Badger First Gold
Badger First Gold [baron rating 3/5] - this 4% amber ale has a floral smell (not too great) but a nice crisp (non-floral) hoppy taste
Brakspear Bitter for 99p/bottle in Netto
Starting on Monday (28th Sept) Netto are selling bottles of Brakspear Bitter [baron rating: 5/5] for just 99p a bottle (normally £1.54)
A good use of the Badger 50p off vouchers in Morrisons
Use your Badger 50p vouchers in Morrisons: buy 3 Badger ales and one other speciality beer priced at £1.67 & get all 4 for £4, usually £5.50
A good night of cask in the Eureka pub (Ormskirk)
Had an enjoyable time in the Eureka http://bit.ly/29MT2 last night, supped 3 fine pints of Black Sheep, Landlord & guest ale Pride of Pendle
Wychwood mix packs on offer at Costco (til 11th October)
Costco has Wychwood packs on offer, £11.49 for 12 til 11/10, CircleMaster[3/5],Fiddler's Elbow[3/5],Hobgoblin[4/5],Wychcraft[3/5] (96p each)
Cheap Cobra lager in Morrisons (til 27th September)
Morrisons has the 'big boy' (660ml) bottles of tasty Cobra lager for just £1 (usually £1.95!). Offer ends 27th Sept, limit of 4 per person
Innis & Gunn Oak-Aged Beer
Innis & Gunn Oak-Aged Beer [baron rating 1/5] - this 6.6% strong ale has a nasty spirity sweet vanilla taste, poured half down the sink!
Wychwood Black Wych
Wychwood Black Wych [baron rating 2/5] - this 5% stout has a coffee smell and a dark malty taste, just a bit too heavy for the baron!
Badger First Gold for 89p/bottle in Sainsbury's (with Badger 50p vouchers)
Used the Badger 50p vouchers today in Sainsbury's to get 2 bottles of Badger First Gold beer for just 89p/bottle, normally £1.39/bottle
Badger Fursty Ferret
Badger Fursty Ferret [baron rating 4/5] - this 4.4% pale amber ale has a spicy hoppy smell, a crisp taste & bitter hoppy finish: lovely!
Buy Badger ales here
Buy Badger ales here
Get 4 Badger ales for £3.50 in Morrisons (with 4x Badger 50p off vouchers)
Use the vouchers in Morrisons to get 4 Fursty Ferrets for 88p/bottle, just make sure you buy 4 bottles to get them for £3.50, normally £5.50
Golden Champion for 88p/bottle in Tesco (with Badger 50p vouchers)
Used the Badger 50p vouchers today in Tesco getting 2 bottles of Golden Champion for just 88p/bottle, and they had the vouchers on them too!
Badger Golden Champion
Badger Golden Champion [baron rating 3/5] - this flowery smelling 5% ale is golden(!) in colour & with a nice crisp taste & bitter finish
Buy Badger ales here
Buy Badger ales here
Wychwood White Wych
Wychwood White Wych [baron rating 2/5] - this 3.8% yellow ale has a slightly fruity smell, a taste like a lager but a very bitter finish
Morland Old Speckled Hen
Morland Old Speckled Hen [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.2% amber ale has a spicy smell & a crisp spicy taste - but not too heavy or spicy!
Badger Tanglefoot
Badger Tanglefoot [baron rating 4/5] - this 5% light amber ale has a fruity & hoppy smell, crisp sweet tangy malt taste & sweet dry finish
Buy Badger ales here
Buy Badger ales here
St. Peter's Organic Ale
St. Peter's Organic Ale [baron rating 3/5] - this 4.5% golden ale is crisp & refreshing but nothing out of the ordinary, cool bottle though!
More Booths offers from the Duke of Windemere
The Duke of W also reported that Booths have some others expensive ales reduced to £1.50: Brakspear Triple Drop & Marston's Owd Roger
Latest offers in Booths (expires 3rd October?)
The Duke of W has reported in that Booths have some ales for £1/bottle: Adnams Lighthouse, Marston's Oyster Stout[3/5] & Wychwood White Wych
Details of Asda's great premium ale discount
I popped into Asda (Aintree) today to find some excellent ale discounts (reading via Twitter? click this link for more: http://bit.ly/lWEZz)
They have a massive number of quality ales at £1/bottle and they had loads of stock (I bought 56 bottles for myself and a couple of friends), below is the full list included in the offer, all bottles are 500ml unless otherwise stated:
I also noticed that the Tanglefoot bottles had a cardboard bottle collar indicating that if you play an online game you get 50p off a future Badger ale purchase. I've played the game a few times & now have a number of vouchers so I'll see if I can use them against the already reduced Tanglefoot. If it works then the Tanglefoot is going to end up at effectively 50p/bottle... Now that would make the Baron very very happy!
They have a massive number of quality ales at £1/bottle and they had loads of stock (I bought 56 bottles for myself and a couple of friends), below is the full list included in the offer, all bottles are 500ml unless otherwise stated:
- Guinness Original (330ml)
- McEwans No.1 Champion
I also noticed that the Tanglefoot bottles had a cardboard bottle collar indicating that if you play an online game you get 50p off a future Badger ale purchase. I've played the game a few times & now have a number of vouchers so I'll see if I can use them against the already reduced Tanglefoot. If it works then the Tanglefoot is going to end up at effectively 50p/bottle... Now that would make the Baron very very happy!
Reduced bottled ale in Asda
It appears (via their website) that Asda have quite a few ales reduced to £1/bottle, will be checking this out in person in the day or two
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' IPA
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' IPA [baron rating 3/5] - this 5.0% pale amber ale is crisp, refreshing & very easy to drink, nice!
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' Treble XB English Bitter
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' Treble XB English Bitter [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.7% amber ale is good but not good enough for 3/5
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' Golden Pale Ale
Aldi (Batemans) 'Specially Selected' Golden Pale Ale [baron rating 2/5] - this 4.2% ale has a pleasant smell but the taste is too thin
Aldi's ale is going to be rated very soon
I bought 3 different Aldi own-brand ales (http://bit.ly/10K1Xi) today for £1.19/bottle (brewed by Batemans) so expect a Baron Rating soon
Morrisons latest offers (9th Sept) - nothing that great really!
Popped into Morrisons (Ormskirk) today to view this month's ale offers. The Baron was most disappointed, 20p-50p off some overpriced bottles
Wychwood mix packs on offer at Netto
Netto have 4-bottle Wychwood packs for £4.99, with CircleMaster[3/5], Fiddler's Elbow[3/5], Hobgoblin[4/5] & Wychcraft[3/5] (£1.25 each)
Marston's mix packs on offer at Costco (til 20th September)
Costco have 12-bottle Marston's packs on offer at £11.49, Burton Bitter[2/5], Old Empire[5/5], Oyster Stout[3/5], Pedigree[3/5] (96p each)
Wychwood mix packs available at Costco
Costco have 12-bottle Wychwood packs for £13.79, with CircleMaster[3/5], Fiddler's Elbow[3/5], Hobgoblin[4/5], Wychcraft[3/5] (£1.15 each)
Wychwood Fiddler's Elbow
Wychwood Fiddler's Elbow [baron rating: 3/5] - this 4.5% amber ale has a fruity taste & smell & a mild hoppy aftertaste (£1.15 Costco)
Wychwood Wychcraft
Wychwood Wychcraft [baron rating: 3/5] - this 4.5% blonde beer has a citrus smell & a heavily hoppy taste (£1.15 Costco)
Wychwood CircleMaster
Wychwood CircleMaster [baron rating: 3/5] - this 4.7% smooth pale ale is pale amber in colour with a bitter aftertaste (£1.15 Costco)
Major rearrange of The Baron Rating Ale Master List
I've changed the rating criteria & therefore dramatically rearranged the master rating list (http://bit.ly/pTJB6) there were too many 4/5s!
Greene King St Edmunds
Greene King St Edmunds [baron rating /5] - 4.2% amber ale, sweet orchard fruit smell,thin sweet caramel taste,sweet slightly cloying finish
Bansley Beer Company Coil Oil
Bansley Beer Company Coil Oil [baron rating: 1/5] - this 3.9% porter has a spicy & liquorice smell but was very thin on taste (£1.09 B&M)
Highgate Old Ale
Update 2: downgraded to 2/5 after doing another taste test, too malty & heavy
Update: downgraded to 3/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Highgate Old Ale [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.1% ale is dark, spicy & malty in smell & taste, quite heavy (99p B&M)
Update: downgraded to 3/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Highgate Old Ale [baron rating 4/5] - this 5.1% ale is dark, spicy & malty in smell & taste, quite heavy (99p B&M)
Marston's Pedigree
Marston's Pedigree [baron rating: 2/5] - this 5% ale has a spicy smell and a slightly malty but crisp refreshing taste (£1.09 B&M)
Barnsley Beer Company Barnsley Better
Update: downgraded to /5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Barnsley Beer Company Barnsley Better [baron rating: 2/5] - this thin yellow 3.8% ale had a citrus smell & bitter taste (£1.09 B&M)
Barnsley Beer Company Barnsley Better [baron rating: 2/5] - this thin yellow 3.8% ale had a citrus smell & bitter taste (£1.09 B&M)
Greene King Abbot Reserve
Greene King Abbot Reserve [baron rating: 3/5] - this 6.5% deep amber ale has a strong smell & taste, not as crisp as Abbot Ale (£1.39 B&M)
Other opinions
Other opinions
| Dave & Naomi | |
|---|---|
| Colour | iced tea/amber resin |
| Smell | thick, sweet syrup |
| Taste | liqorice with a bitter tail that lingers on |
| Finish | dry |
| Rating | 3/5 |
Marston's Oyster Stout
Update: downgraded to 3/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Marston's Oyster Stout [baron rating: 4/5] - this 4.5% stout is dark with a cream-coloured head, tasty but not too heavy (£1.29/bottle B&M)
Marston's Oyster Stout [baron rating: 4/5] - this 4.5% stout is dark with a cream-coloured head, tasty but not too heavy (£1.29/bottle B&M)
Batemans Summer Swallow
Update 11/12/09: Tried again and still to sweet & floral, still [baron rating 1/5]
Update: downgraded to [baron rating 1/5] after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Also tried a bottle of Batemans Summer Swallow [baron rating: 2/5] last night - this 4.2% pale ale was too sweet & floral for me
Update: downgraded to [baron rating 1/5] after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Also tried a bottle of Batemans Summer Swallow [baron rating: 2/5] last night - this 4.2% pale ale was too sweet & floral for me
Batemans Spring Breeze
Update: downgraded to 3/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Tried a bottle of Batemans Spring Breeze [baron rating: 4/5] last night - this 5.0% pale amber ale was crisp & slightly fruity
Buy Batemans ales here
Tried a bottle of Batemans Spring Breeze [baron rating: 4/5] last night - this 5.0% pale amber ale was crisp & slightly fruity
Buy Batemans ales here
Cains FA
Cains FA [baron rating /5] - 5% amber ale,toffee slight fruit smell,fruity juicy slight burnt bitter taste,astringent dry finish
Cains Dragon Heart
Update: downgraded to 2/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Enjoyed a Cains Dragon Heart [baron rating: 3/5] - it's a pleasant (but nothing too special) brown ale obtained from Asda (Wigan) for £1.52
Enjoyed a Cains Dragon Heart [baron rating: 3/5] - it's a pleasant (but nothing too special) brown ale obtained from Asda (Wigan) for £1.52
Cains IPA
Update: downgraded to 3/5 after revising the Baron Ratings criteria
Had some cans of Cains IPA [baron rating: 4/5] tonight, this 3.5% pale ale is lightly hoppy & refreshing - £3.17 for 4 cans in Asda (Wigan)
Had some cans of Cains IPA [baron rating: 4/5] tonight, this 3.5% pale ale is lightly hoppy & refreshing - £3.17 for 4 cans in Asda (Wigan)
Brakspear Bitter
Brakspear Bitter [baron rating: /5] - this 3.4% dark amber ale has a spicy malt aroma,bitter caramel malty taste & lasting bitter finish
Oh and in cans it's still [baron rating 5/5], it's a little less spicy & a touch more 'juicy'.
Marston's Burton Bitter
Morrisons has bottles of Marston's Burton Bitter [baron rating 1/5] for 99p - a 3.8% amber ale which is a bit too mild and 'delicate' for me
Greene King Ruddles County
Morrisons has bottle of Ruddles County [baron rating: 4/5] for 99p, B&M Bargains has 4-packs of it for £3.99 - this 4.7% ale is nicely hoppy
