Beer Review: Steam Beer

I have been accused that I buy too many of my ales from B&M and that is probably true. But, you know, sometimes I go to other supermarkets to buy my ale. You may have noticed this one peeking out from behind other ales in my pictures and then suddenly disappearing, this is where it went! I have a review of a pub crawl... walk that I did in London last week that I want to get posted but it has a lot of images and it's taking a while to get it in order - that'll be a Sunday job then. In the meantime, enjoy this review of Steam Beer from the Revisionist brewery. In this case, Marstons.

So, this is a good little tipple for an evening and one that you may wish to know more about. Would you like to know more?



A rapid head is seen upon pouring that is vigorous and fizzy, along with the nice chestnut coloration of this otherwise amber ale, from a most attractive bottle even despite the fact that it comes from where it does. The aroma is striking, there's a definite malty bed that has some citrus notes and a definite feeling of fresh orange around the edges. Pleasant and easily taken in, something to savour a little before diving in and, as a bit of a novice, I'm not used to saying things like that. The first taste opens with a soft mouthfeel at first before being overtaken by a harsh fizz from the carbonation, which is quite striking, along with trhe malt. This gives way grudgingly to the fruity hops and then returns to a yeasty malt on the fizzy ride to the eventual soft aftertaste that fades pretty rapidly. At 4.7% ABV it doesn't leave much in the way of strength but this is no light ale either. The alcohol content is surprisingly restrained in the aftertaste too.

As the drinking continues the mouthfeel improves dramatically, not creamy as one would expect but rapidly becoming softer and more malleable the longer you go with it. There's no heaviness to the ale, though that is perhaps to be expected given the coloration and the fact that it was brewed with steam. I have to say, I thought that was a bit of a gimmick but there is a definite difference in the way this ale behaves in the mouth than with other ales and so this has to be a difference based on the steam brewing. I am also new enough to this whole ale thing that this is the first ale that I have tasted that has been brewed through this method. It definitely fills the whole mouth, which can only be a good thing, and fades to a pleasant hops memory rather than a bitterness - there's a fruitier side to this much like the plum loaf that I sampled from Lincoln today. In fact, it remains tasting as though it has been served warm (and mine was at room temperature) with a subtle and soft aftertaste that builds the more that is drunk.

This is one that would be enjoyed best on a cold night or a brisk summer evening rather than as a sessionable ale. It's no winter warmer and would fare badly if placed in the snows of the depths of yuletide but it can serve nicely as a pick-me-up if the weather is less sunny and warm than it has been of late. It's not a sharing ale and is definitely a lone-drinker's brew for an evening rather than a sharing one with friends.