The Beer Wrangler

Beer reviews, styles, food pairings and more

Archive for category Pale Ale & Bitter

Swan’s ESB (Buckerfield’s Brewery)

Jan 22

Posted by Wrangler in 3 Tankards, Ale, British Columbia, Canada, ESB, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Recommended)

Swan’s ESB is brewed by Buckerfield’s Brewery on Vancouver Island in a popular hotel and brewpub in Victoria, that tends to brew British style ales and German style lagers. The ESB has a nice dark amber colour and is gently carbonated, in the tradition of ales from the other side of The Atlantic, but has a slightly more robust hop aroma than some. There is a nice malty body to this beer, with plenty of sweet caramel notes; these lead to a bitter hoppy finish that seem to envelop the initial malt sweetness.

Although I really enjoyed drinking this one, the flavours are not that well integrated, and the hops on the finish seem strangely separate fom the mid-palate. Never the less, it’s definitely one to try for fans of the style, as it goes down easily, and as it is lower in alcohol than most ESBs, makes a good session beer.

ABV: 5%

Best Served: 9°C

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Howe Sound Total Eclipse Of The Hop

Jan 22

Posted by Wrangler in 4 Tankards, Ale, British Columbia, Canada, IPA, Imperial IPA, Wrangler | No Comments

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Excellent)

Howe Sound’s Imperial IPA has a nice name that some of its younger drinkers might not get. I am not sure if Bonnie Tyler is a fan of this beer, but she should be. Imperial or double IPAs are usually a mouthful of hops with a hit of alcohol, but the brewers at Howe Sound have managed to brew in a style that the original creators of the IPA in the 18th Century would recognise and hopefully approve of.

This is a supremely well balanced beer that has 9o IBUs and 8% alcohol, but manages to be so drinkable, you could have two or three pints without any effort – quite an achievement for such a well flavoured and strong beer! The hops are very noticeable on the nose, and as there are six varieties it’s not surprising; the flavours that follow are a nice relief for those palates that are tired of naked hop explosions. The rich malt is there supporting all those hop flavours giving a balanced and very enjoyable beer. This is what a traditional IPA becomes when it is ‘Imperialised’, and for me achieves a great benchmark for the style.

*

ABV: 8%

Best Served: 9°C

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Wells IPA

Nov 24

Posted by Wrangler in 2 Tankards, Ale, British IPA, British Isles, British Pale Ale, England, Great Britain, IPA, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

Wells-IPAWrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Mediocre)

Wells IPA suffers from a common British problem: mislabeling. During the First World War, breweries (with the government!) decreased alcohol in beers to conserve resources (barley) as well as limit drunkenness among essential workers and the military. Hop levels were also reduced, so the traditionally strong and hoppy IPAs were the first in line to be emasculated. Breweries continued using the term though, but it described a pale ale or a bitter rather than the full-on flavour of an IPA. Wells IPA is a very pleasant and drinkable British pale ale that would have been awarded 3 tankards and recommended, but unfortunately the use of the term IPA in this day and age is erroneous, and so must be marked in the category in which it is presented. The pale amber beer is restrained, but has a nice malty flavour with a simple bitter finish, but not so dry it extinguishes the malt. The carbonation is suitably low, which makes this a cinch to drink and an enjoyable session ale. A word of warning though- don’t drink this too cold, or you’ll miss out on its subtle flavours, have it at cellar temperature, as it was designed to be drunk.

ABV: 5%

Best Served: 11°C

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Propeller Extra Special Bitter

Nov 17

Posted by Wrangler in 3 Tankards, Ale, Canada, ESB, Nova Scotia, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

prop-esb

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Recommended)

Propeller ESB is a rich dark amber / brown and is brewed in the traditional style of a British Extra Special Bitter. It has a nice fruity aroma, with strong hints of malt that remind me of a classic pub pint in the UK. This Nova Scotian brew is a breeze to drink, as the balance of malt and hops are good and makes drinkability a key factor in recommending this beer. The malt has a touch of sweetness to it, but mainly you get to taste its richness. The hops are North American though, and there is a nice herbal note and a refreshing bitter finish. This might not be a show stopper, but it’s a well made and drinkable beer, almost making it a session ale due to the alcohol being on the lighter side of a typical ESB. Pair this with a richly flavoured lamb dish, like a roasted lamb shank, as the bitterness will offset the rich fattiness of the meat.

ABV: 5%

Best Served: 9°C

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Fat Cat Brewery Honey Beer

Nov 8

Posted by Wrangler in 2 Tankards, Ale, Amber Ale, British Columbia, Canada, Flavoured Beer, Honey Ale, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

FCHoney

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Mediocre)

Fat Cat Brewery are a small producer in BC Canada (there is another with the same name in the UK) and this is their Honey Beer, an ale made with New Zealand tree sap honey. This gives this light amber brew a slightly smokey honey aroma. This is not a sweet tasting beer as they manage to get the honey flavour without the sugar, and the malt is in there too, but not integrated with the honey. There is also an overall bitterness to the brew, which reminds me of an astringent tree bark flavour,  found in campari. Any hop flavours seem overwhelmed by the strong honey and bark notes, so are a bit lost. There are some nice flavours in this beer but they somehow seem disconnected, leaving an ale that has little smoothness. I would love to see an adjusted recipe of this ale, because the special honey they use has an interesting taste to it, but just needs a bit more integration in my opinion.

ABV: 5%

Best Served: 8°C

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Driftwood Brewery Sartori Harvest IPA

Nov 5

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, American IPA, British Columbia, Canada, IPA, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

Driftwoodsartoriharvest

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Outstanding)

Driftwood Brewery Sartori Harvest IPA is a huge triumph for this small craft producer based on Vancouver Island. It has a nice ruddy amber colour and pours with a large frothy head. The aroma has a good even spicy hop note with a definite malt character. This beer has a great mouthfeel, and for me, has achieved  perfect balance of malt and hops for an India Pale Ale. They use ‘wet hopping’, which means that the local Chilliwack Centennial hops go into the brew fresh, without being dried, and it really gives great flavours of grapefruit and tangerine with an enjoyable floral kick. The thing that separates this IPA from many other good craft brewery examples, is that they get the balance of malt just right. There are lovely notes of caramel that support the hops like a back bone, and they all continue to the finish making this a very drinkable ale. This is one of the best IPAs I have had, and needs to be tasted by fans of the style. Pair this with a spicy fish soup, or barbecued pork marinated in a creole sauce.

*                                                                         ABV: 7%

*                                                                         Best Served: 8°C

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Brew Dog Punk IPA

Nov 4

Posted by Wrangler in 4 Tankards, Ale, American IPA, British IPA, British Isles, Great Britain, IPA, Pale Ale & Bitter, Scotland, Wrangler | No Comments

Brew_Dog_Punk_IPA

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Excellent)

Brew Dog Punk IPA comes from the new wave of British brewers whose beers may be more at home with the American west coast craft beer drinkers, than in a traditional pub. This should not put anyone off as their IPA is a delicious explosion of hoppy goodness! The colour of this beer is very pale for the style, and almost looks like a hefe-weizen, as there is a touch of cloudiness too. The Punk IPA has a floral-citrussy aroma, and the palate won’t disappoint fans of this style. It’s crisp, spicy and refreshing, with a touch of the pale malt sweetness in the far background. The finish is long and mouth-wateringly bitter, which is one reason why this is a really drinkable and more-ish India Pale Ale. I would have this as a foil to a good Indian chicken curry, as the flavour can stand up to whatever spice you throw at it.

ABV: 6%

Best Served: 6°C

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Fuller’s ESB

Oct 17

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, British Isles, ESB, England, Great Britain, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | 3 Comments

Fullers-esb1

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Fuller’s ESB lays claim to be the original Extra Special Bitter and its popularity across the world has made this one of Britain’s best known ales. It has a lovely medium amber colour with a loose head (typical for Southern English Bitters); the aroma is full of rich malt with some notes of yeasty bread flavours. The hops are far more noticeable on the palate, and are beautifully balanced with the strong maltiness that typifies the ESB style. They are present with a subtle spiciness that makes this a very drinkable and thirst-quenching beer. There are plenty of fruit flavours there as well, with a touch of pear and some nice orange zest on the finish. This is a great benchmark for the style and I for one could drink this ’til the cows come home! Have this with a steak and ale pie and mashed potato – preferably in a good pub!

ABV: 5.9%

Best Served: 10°C

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Belhaven St. Andrews Ale

Sep 6

Posted by Wrangler in 4 Tankards, Ale, Best Bitter, British Isles, Great Britain, Pale Ale & Bitter, Scotland, Wrangler | No Comments

Belhaven_St._Andrews_Ale

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Excellent)

Belhaven St. Andrews Ale is a classic session ale in the style of a British Bitter.  There are aromas of light caramel and fruity hops when I dipped my nose in the glass, the body is light-medium with a light head that leaves a little lacing behind.  There are some caramel malt notes on the palate but they do not dominate or overwhelm, the hops are perfectly balanced for this style and give off a slightly fruity and grassy taste right through to the finish. This might not be the most pronounced bitter I’ve ever tasted, but it is a perfect session ale that would be right at home in a good pub, accompanying bangers and mash.

ABV: 4.6%

Best Served: 11°C

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Tree Brewing Cut Throat Pale Ale

Aug 27

Posted by Wrangler in 3 Tankards, Ale, American Pale Ale, British Columbia, Canada, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | 1 Comment

cut

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Recommended)

Tree Brewing Cutthroat Pale Ale is a well made (Canadian) American Pale Ale that does all its supposed to. It’s crisp, refreshing and a great hit of hops on the finish. This is a more-ish session beer, particularly good on a hot summer’s afternoon. The malt flavours are a bit on the laid back side for me and could do with a bit more oomph. The hops are good though and give off a nice citric, grapefruit twang. All in all I could drink a few of these without too much trouble. Pair with a grilled chicken salad, or perhaps as a refresher with an oily Chinese dish.

ABV: 5%

Best Served: 6°C

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