Station Porter

Dark and gloomy is the night, late is the hour and I though me chanced to catch an apparition as it floated beyond the crackle of the flames in the other room, as though watching me watching it and lo, did it disappear, leaving naught in its wake but the bottle of ale that I now feast upon as part of my trying new brewers thing this month. The last one, alas, of yet another meme into which I have bought. Still, it can't be too bad and certainly won't affect me as much as did the Christmas ale shenanigans!

Tonight I refer to Station Porter, the apparition according to the label on the neck of the bottle, hence my rather strange opening sentences. Or not, interpret them as you will. And I'm sure you will! Anyway, yes, this was brewed by Wickwar Wessex Brewing Co. and comes to me courtesy of the local bargain store so I cannot complain.

The night is dark, so they say, and full of terrors. Personally, living as a middle class beer bore in a post-industrial town in the heart of the Western World I find that the night isn't even all that dark these days and the most terrifying thing in it is the news of the day on Radio 4. I digress, would you like to know more?

Marshall

I'm not very good at rock and roll. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm much more a fan of the electronic bleeps and programming that could be described (and once was by a wise man known as Scroobius Pip) as generic repetitive music - in that case I know that I am something of a charlatan in beer-drinking circles. And so it came to pass that the arch-idiot of musical taste came to try Marshall by Rock'n'Roll Craft Beer. I can't complain, it's been a while since I had a blonde.

This has been stockpiled since the end of last summer, when I saw it in Morrison's on offer and I wanted to buy more Elvis Juice (see this link) without looking completely stupid. Yes, it's been hanging around for a while. Would you like to know more?

Dark Arts

What better meal is there to have on a Sunday than leftovers? Specifically, the kind of leftovers that you can monkey around with and add different herbs and spices to in order to make something quite lip-smackingly good. And, of course, what better accompaniment in the depths of January when trying out new brewers than some stout from a can? There is no answer because there is nothing better. As a consequence I should like to introduce you to tonight's delectable offering, admittedly drunk around lunchtime, from Magic Rock Brewing Co. about whom I have heard nothing but good things.

I refer, of course, to their rather nice looking can of Dark Arts, a 'Surreal Stout' in their words, and in a frightfully clever black and silver can. It seems like the sort of thing to suit a mainly cold set of days and the treadmill of getting through coursework and mock marking whilst having rushed to complete reports.

Enough about the context, we want to be getting on to the ale itself. Would you like to know more?

American Pale

What ho! Time for another evening now that there is less rain and it's been a long day (when isn't it a long day?). No matter, the night has drawn in and the car is charged, work has been done, sometimes having to do things twice because I have a memory like a sieve. Also because I am inefficient and my room is far from tidy, but I digress. Tonight I am continuing with my ignorance of the time of year and my apparent obsession with beer that comes in 330ml cans for reasons. It is, of course, the turn of Fourpure Brewing Co.'s American Pale in a lovely green can.

All that and we have a wood-burning stove (not currently fired) and furniture has been moved around to be better used. It is a disjointed look at my home life and make no mistake. Another addition to Tryanuary. Would you like to know more?

Bibble

Now that the Christmas ale is all gone it's time to get back to the more usual posting of two ales a week. Also, to return to my utter lack of keeping my ales matched to the time of year. Tonight we're having salmon and cous cous for tea because we're proper posh like and achingly middle class. Something like this needs a pale to go with it in my opinion. Also, there's a new bottle shop in town called the Crafty One just down from the Burnt Pig. Been in a few times but only yesterday did I bring actual cash. Lucky I did too as there was 20% off!

All of which means that, tonight, I'm having the rather nice looking Wild Beer Co. Bibble for my ale. The can, for it is from a can, tells me there's mosaic and Amarillo hops added. Can't go wrong there!

Right then, time is a-wasting and there's still marking to be done so on to the review! This is the first review concocted entirely on my mobile too, so that's auspicious, or something, still, a first for a New Year and all that jazz. Would you like to know more?