Beer Review: Honey Fayre

This was a gift to me from my daughter on Father's Day (yes, I am fully aware that this means drinking it so late means I am remiss in duties as a father) and a heart-felt one too. Both the children were picking them out with Anna down the shops for some time apparently, and both pronounced themselves most pleased with their choices because, and I must stress this, they felt that I would enjoy them. I thought I'd get the sentimentality out of the way first before getting down to the ale. The reasoning, by the by, for my daughter's choice was that I had bought some mead when we down at Oakfield Farm (of Nutbrook Brewery fame) and that had honey in it. This ale is Honey Fayre from Conwy Brewery so you can kind of see where she was going with this.

It's yet another chance to dive into the deep waters of strangeness and allure that surround the cold blue thought of my reviewing prowess. Or all the marking has finally turned my brain. Either way, would you like to know more?

Beer Review: Perfect 5th

Imagine my nerdy joy and squeeing when I found that there was a micro-brewery that I could get to direct. I was much too shy and scared to actually go into their brewery, that'll have to wait until another time, but I was very pleased to have found it. And, now I've found it, I can go back again and again. There are many other micro-brewery beers that are sold through them too, as one would expect from a support group, and so I shall be going back and sampling ales that are not of this brewery.

Of what brewery do I speak (I don't actually hear you asking, but this is my blog and I can pretend whatever I want)? It is Nutbrook Brewery and the first of their six wide stable that I shall be having is their Perfect 5th because I can and because I had been ranting about it to my father who wished to try some with me when he was up. So, although I'm doing this on an evening, it was actually had at lunchtime with some pizza, nachos, and basic snacky foods.

Would you like to know more?

Beer Review: Waggle Dance

Waggle Dance is another of those beers that I had way back, when I started having a beer a week but before I hit on the idea of reviewing them. It was a summer beer choice and I only seem to find it in the shops during the summer time and so I suppose my initial thoughts were right. As I have finished work officially now (and the disaggregated days are long passed) I shall be enjoying this ale despite the weather for, tonight, it is the turn of Waggle Dance by Wells.

Opening the bottle caused a great deal of fizz and carbonation, a head formed almost at once on the beer in the bottle and so I eschewed pouring it into a glass in favour of just starting straight on it. It claims to be a honey beer and the colour is certainly very bronzed and walnutty and golden. A clear bottle does wonderful things for this kind of ale. There's a lot of fizz, clearly. Aroma is citrus-y, it is sharp and tangy, and it is clear-headed and pretty effective but... I don't know, there's a certain something that makes it smell a bit artificial, it tries too hard. First sip is strong, it is 5% ABV, and it is also very fizzy despite a clever flavour of honey over the top of some hoppy fuzz. There's no malt follow-up but there is a definite strengthening of that honey flavour and relief from the carbonation.

I actually really like this ale. It doesn't come across terribly well from the above description but I do. As honey ales go I do think that this is one of the best, I mean, it's no mead but it is very tasty and moreish. After that first sip you will have another and you will find yourself disappointed when the bottle ends. I think it could do better being poured out and having time to settle and go a bit flatter to really get the best from it but that's not to say it's not a generally good all-rounder ale.

Enjoy after heatwave weather on an evening when you've done something that requires physical labour, but not too much, you've gained a sheen of manly sweat and you know that you need to just sit and let the body unwind. Preferably as the sun goes down in a garden but also it could be done in a beer garden with plenty of good and raucous summer company. Talk loudly about the day or the lunch break, make ribald jokes for the bants and each a Ploughman's lunch just because you can and having to put your own ham and pickle on some bread will cost more than buying it at ASDA. In short, this is a cheeky ale and worth a punt, even if it would probably benefit from being on tap rather than in a bottle.