Beer Review: Old Thumper

Tonight, Bob, I'm going to be drinking Old Thumper.

The last time I had this ale was in Daventry, visiting my father, and I had it on tap in his local while we were having a meal.  I ended up having two pints and learned that it was a local celebrity.  This was on the strength of having had the beer before in bottled form, but this was long before I started reviewing beers.  Enough history.

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Destiny

Fourth week of update activity. I think I'm flagging. Some random art ought to pep things up a bit. Oh, God help me, I'm using terms like 'pep'. Still, it's all about the art work this time, so that's not too bad.

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Beer Review: Tod's Blonde

I love little breweries in the UK, I really do, they seem to have an endless supply of oddly titled and generally very drinkable varieties of beer. The cultural beer exchange showed me this phenomenon at the height of its power with Tring Brewery. It was excellent stuff, both of the ales that I tried. So, naturally, when I happened across Little Valley in a National Trust shop at Fountains Abbey, literally just up the road from the place I jumped at the chance to nab me some. Cost me more than what I usually pay for beer too.

So it is that tonight, Matthew, I shall be tasting and reviewing Tod's Blonde.

Be warned going further!

My quest

I speac un speac un speac but nane lysten.

I've known from the beginning of my plan to write an epic poem for the Boy that I would have to use a language that was not standard English and had an inkling that I would be using Middle English or something very similar simply because I like the sound. However, I have somewhat stalled on how to do that. Until I came across this video on Unbound:

Watch it. You'll see and hear what I mean.

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Beautiful things!

We enter a third week of update activity. Blimey. But I'm out of films for the moment. Lets try something else.  Ooh, I know, what about politically motivated artwork! Yeah, that's something everyone will be able to relate to!  Or, you know, not.

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Beer Review: Roaring Meg

So, this was the second in a brace of beers that was bought for me by my childrens and it was an oddity. I have certainly not seen this on sale before and so it marks a real find by the Boy. Basically, the bottle has a large sun on it and it was bright and obvious enough that the Boy was able to pick it out of the line up. I'll take that.

What is it? Well, it is Roaring Meg from, um, the UK. Somewhere in Nottinghamshire from the looks of things on the bottle but no brewer's name. [edit- I now know this to be Springhead] This could be a good sign I suppose, because they're obviously banking on the beer doing the talking rather than the brand.

There is a big sun on the label and a clear expectation that one will be blown away by the brew as there are no details on hops and whatnot. I see this as a generally positive thing. So, would you like to know more?

Films again!

Look at that! I'm on the second week in! This must work... or something. What? Film reviews of course!


Beautiful film, beautiful poster. 

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Beer Review: Victory Ale

I have been remiss in not posting about my beer. But there was much that had been had before and much that was simply not done in time to be posting on here and some that was imbibed when I was tired, or away, or watching a film or... you get the idea.

Anyway, it is after Christmas now and I should be reviewing ales, this time it is the turn of one of those bought for me by my children: Victory Ale brewed by Batemans. It has a picture of a tall ship on the bottle, along with Nelson of course, and that is the reason that the Girlie chose it for her Daddy.

At 6.0% ABV it promised to be a big hitter and the aroma of faintly spicy hops made me feel that this hunch was not misplaced. It was a darkish colour as I poured it into our one remaining beer glass (the Boy destroyed the last one) and promised to be a nice enough brew. Indeed, the aroma settled wuickly into familiar territory and the first taste was promising too. There was a nice tang to it all, a bit citrus and a bit bitter, which is exactly how I like my beer, as I'm sure you know. It was satisfying and, despite the strength, it wasn't overpowering and dangerous. It was very much like supping the liquid equivalent of a muted TV show - that is, there was plenty going on and the hits were loud and strong but the volume had been turned to a tolerable level and the violence displayed could be seen rather than experienced. For that, it was a nice ale and one I may have again.

Enjoy this best on its own, with a brace, and with some people over who also enjoy good ale. You can mix it with food, but I would suggest leaving it until after the meal and make sure that the meal isn't too spicey or over powering in terms of flavour - this is an ale you'll want to taste and enjoy rather than force into the background.

Reviews of things

Right, new year, new ideas!

I want to make this a bigger blog. So, I'm going to start sharing some things that I enjoy in the hope that I can spread that enjoyment around a bit.  I'm starting with films.

Beautiful film, beautiful poster

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Beer Review: Golden Sheep

I'd been looking for this one for a while, since I drank the Riggwelter and found, by accident, the Black Sheep home page. In there I saw a reference to a Pale Ale that was done by the same people and, as I like Pale Ale, I thought I'd have to find it. However, I'd never seen it in the shops. Saw it a couple of days ago and bought it on a whim.

So, Golden Sheep it is tonight, and while I'm watching the 1930s version of All Quiet on the Western Front. It is a good film, but not one I can show to my students, no way on earth they'd get the subtleties or the slow pace. Anyway, beer.

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