Beer-o-Clock

You probably think the title is a typo or I have dropped something on  the keyboard. Lechyd Da means "Cheers" in Welsh. After spending the new year in South Wales I thought today I would sample one of the gift beers I received.

OSB or Old Style Beer is brewed by Tomos Watkins in Swansea, South Wales.

OSB is a 4.5% abv, old style Welsh bitter brewed by The Hurns Brewing company. It’s deep red/ brown in colour and full of flavour. If you like tastey ale you will not be disapointed, ,it's a fruity pint with some taste of citrus.

Beer and football are a great mix. Tomos Watkins are supporters of Swansea City (now in the English Premier League) and offer match day tours of the brewery with free beer! Check out their website for details.

Hope you enjoy this Welsh beer.

Lechyd Da!

Don't take my word for it

Bishops finger brewed by Shepherd Neame that is!  Shepherd Neame claim to be Britain’s oldest brewer of beer, they have been brewing strong Ale in Faversham (United Kingdom),  in the heart of East Kent’s hop country since 1698.

Quick question, what does Bishops Finger have in common with Champagne, Camembert and Melton Mowbray pork pies? Well, they are all protected by the European Union with a Geographical indicator. Bishop Finger is the only beer  in the world which can be called a Kentish Strong Ale.
At 5.4% it really is a strong beer  with a strong hoppy flavour.  It is definitely for the hardy ale drinker who likes a full flavoured beer. If you mainly drink light beers (lager or pilsner) you may find this a bit over powering.

Don’t delay give your mates the finger today!!

It’s a bit early for Halloween but I couldn’t resist the bottle of Wychwood’s  Hobgoblin sitting in the fridge.  The eye catching goblin art work on the label and the dark  shapely bottle, lulls you into a state of anticipation of a dark, deep rich flavoured ale. It doesn’t disappoint, Wychwood Hobgoblin is a strong (abv 5.2%), dark beer, with a hint of chocolate and toffee .

Wychwood brewery is located in Witney, Oxfordshire,UK. It’s a relatively young brewery, established in 1983. Hobgoblin was created initially in casks in 1988. The bottled version followed in 1996.

Hobgoblin is the sort of beer I’d enjoy drinking on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of winter perhaps by an open fire ….  can’t wait!

You know you are near to the end of a great night when you see a picture like this (see below). Part of a papadum, a stained white linen table cloth and  a selection of pickles which invariably contains mango chutney and lime pickles, and of course a pint of Kingfisher lager!!

Kingfisher and curry are now almost as traditional as peaches and cream. Well, perhaps not, maybe steak and ale! 

Kingfisher is promoted as India's finest lager and started life being brewed in southern India in humble surroundings back in 1857. It has now grown into a world brand, sponsoring the IPL (Indian Premier League - cricket) and formula 1 motor racing.

Kingfisher lager (ABV 4.8%) is a great accompaniment to curry it's cool light taste, is very enjoyable and it is not too gassy, a must, at the end of a long night out and loads of spicy food.

Kingfisher seems to be available in most Indian restaurants, but not  many pubs or bars! Thinking about it , I dont think I have ever had a pint anywhere else, shame as it's good beer.

I suppose it's a good reason to go out for Indian food.!

No prizes for guessing where this weeks beer is from! Anyway, here are a few clues, a city with a population of approximately 8 million residents, situated on the Thames River, will be the host of the 2012 Olympic Games, capital of England. You must have it by now! This week’s beer is from London.

Brewed by Fullers brewery (Est 1845), London Pride is one of Britain’s most popular ales, and one of mine! If you are visiting London I highly recommend a trip to the local pub for a pint of London Pride from the hand pump.

In the UK, draught London Pride is brewed to 4.1% ABV (cask and keg), while in bottles and cans it has a strength of 4.7% ABV, making it an ideal session-strength premium ale.

It is has a great malty, hoppy taste, and served from the pump it is a very creamy pint. The pride of London in a glass, it definitely is! 

It’s beer o’clock, nip to the pub and order yourself a pint of pride!

The name spitfire conjures up an image of heroic Royal Air Force pilots in dog fights clearing the enemy from the skies over Britain during world war 2. Spitfire Ale or Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale (Abv 4.5%) to give its full title,  is brewed by Shepherds Neme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

If you like a beer with a hoppy flavour then Spitfire Ale will be for you. Although Spitfire Ale is a relatively young beer, Shepherds Neme Brewery located in Kent (UK) has been around since 1698, or possibly even earlier!  Wow! this blog is turning into a history lesson, back to the beer. Definitely a beer for ale connoisseurs who like a full flavoured beverage. Spitfire Ale has Protected Geographical Indication, the same regional produce protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

Don't crash and burn, fly down to your local store and target a Spitfire for your beer stash!!

Sun, sea and San Miguel! Just the thought of sipping on a San Miguel conjures up memories of golden sandy beaches, 30°C temperatures and relaxing at a bar on the sea  front … I wish I was there now.

It’s a beer that always makes me think of my holidays. Although I just found out, my belief that this was a Spanish beer is completely wrong!

It transpires, the original San Miguel Brewery was founded in 1890 in Manila, Philippines. Anyway, this new revelation does not distract me from my enjoyment of this very tasty gold, ice chilled beer.

With an ABV. of 5.0%, it is no shrinking violet! The sun is out today and the gold label sparkled in the fridge as I opened the door, which beer do I choose, no contest! San Miguel it is and the familiar taste does not disappoint.

I may be forced to go for another. Well, the weekend is just about to begin..

It’s five o’clock on Friday. The end of another busy working week. That can only mean one thing, its beer o’clock! Time to reward myself with a delicious beer… I’ve earned it!

Today’s beer is Old Empire, brewed my Marston’s Brewery, located in Burton Upon Trent (UK).

As you can see from the bottle above it’s a golden India Pale Ale (IPA). It’s a great summer bitter. Light in colour but not light on taste.  This is a bitter that I wouldn’t mind drinking chilled. It fills that gap between lager/pilsner and bitter/stout. It  is a light refreshing drink which seasoned ale drinkers would enjoy but still would appeal to lager/pilsner drinkers who like a bit more flavour. However, don't be fooled by its light golden appearance it's quite a strong brew with an abv (alchol by volume) of 5.7% you may not want to consume to many!

Anyway, enough talk, back to enjoying the beer…

Look out for next weeks beer o’clock.