Thursday 26 June 2014

Beer Review: Amber Ale

Tonight I review another from one of my favourite stables. That would be Shepherd Neame and the choice of brew is a 'winter warmer', so claimed on the bottle, by the name of Amber Ale. Presented to me by the in-laws who have chosen well, it is true, but I am going to review this at the height of summer as is my general non conformist wont. In a rare move I have actually taken the picture myself!


Would you like to swim under the wort with me?


Sunday 22 June 2014

Beer Review: Point Pale Ale

It's the middle of marking Hell and, as is my wont, I shall add to the chaos by taking breaks and looking after the Boy. Who is currently babbling about long trains being even longer and not making the people talk. Apparently being outside makes him too tired.

Who'd have thought.


Still, 'tis a lovely day and I fancied myself some beer as I shan't be off Boy-duty until quite late this evening and so any lightweighted-ness on my part won't affect the chances of any of the students that I shall mark later on this evening. It's time for another edition of beer in my garden with our special guest star: Point Pale Ale. It's a curiously strong Statesian ale from Steven's Point Brewery in Wisconsin.

Would you like to come further in? The beer review has added small person.

Thursday 19 June 2014

Beer Review: St. Edmund's

Tonight we are watching Fight Club because Willow would like to see Ed Norton being strange in something and, let's face it, you don't get much stranger Ed Norton than you do when he's being the narrator of Fight Club. 'Course, you get Norton in stranger places than this film, like in Ang Lee's The Hulk for example but you can't really do much more odd than you get in Fight Club. I mean, sure, Helena Bonham Carter is very strange indeed at the best of times but, in this, just...

It's an odd background for a beer but it fits, I suppose. And, tonight, it's the turn of Greene King's St. Edmund's, a golden ale that claims that it is specially brewed to be served cool. Of course, I didn't cool it because that would require me to wait. I hate waiting for beer.

Is the subtext of the opening that the narrator has a thing for Marla Singer from the beginning, and she him? I recall watching this the first time and thinking that they hate each other. Looking now, I'm not so convinced. There are plenty of shifts where the twist is lampshaded in these sections and we're not introduced to Tyler Durden until long after Marla takes leave.


Would you like to read more?

Thursday 12 June 2014

Beer Review: Red Shield

Tonight I was simply kicking back and doing very little. Pretty much like every night really and not good for my work rate. There is work to mark, there is always work to mark, and there is a novel to be written but no, instead, I am going to sit and sup some beer that I shall review. That's just how I roll.

Tonight's attempt at edification will spring from the wonderfully traditional looking and, actually, pretty cheap Worthington's Red Shield that I have found in the local place that actually stocks decent real ales in bottles. I know. Who knew?


Would you like to know more?

Thursday 5 June 2014

Beer Review: Pedigree

Tonight is a slow night and so I'm taking a more leisurely and languid approach to the whole review thang, y'know? So, yeah, tonight's choice is the lovely Marston's Pedigree that uses, according to the label, the purest water from the Burton. Other water has to be Burtonised, you see, but they get theirs from the Burton itself. Having brewed myself now, I'm not at all certain what difference the water would make to the taste as it tends to be overrun by the hops and the yeast and the malt but who am I to argue?


Would you like to know more?


Sunday 1 June 2014

Beer Review: The Mild Side

Would you look at that: three Sundays in a row! Anyone would think I'm an alcoholic! Don't worry, there's marking on the way and then all this activity will cease whilst I plug away at those papers in a desperate effort to make students gain the marks they deserve and create futures. I shall try to maintain the Thursday update schedule as best I can though.

On today's halcyon sunshine summer's day I found myself trying the next of the local micro-brewery's (Nutbrook) offerings: The Mild Side that has a lovely picture of the Death Star on the front. For that reason alone I would have tried it.


Would you like to read further on this delectable little ale? It defies explanation in places, so be warned!