Beer Reviews by SIGMUND

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# Beer Origin Style Score Date
6776 Clausthaler Extra Herb Germany Reduced Alcohol 2.0

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Considerably better than the ordinary Clausthaler (Clausthaler Classic). The Extra Herb (known as Extra Dry in some countries) is drier and has more and better hops. It's still a n/a beer, don't expect too much - but at least it's drinkable with a meal when alcohol is a no-no.

Mar 20, 2005
06:08:20 PM
6777 Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen Germany Hefeweizen 4.2

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

(Sampled 0,5 liter can.) Good head, cloudy golden colour. Lovely aroma of citrus and spices, refreshing light flavour. A good hefe, recommended for everyone who loves the style.

Mar 20, 2005
05:57:20 PM
6778 Clausthaler Germany Reduced Alcohol 1.3

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

No - no - no!! This n/a "beer" is definitely to be avoided. The sickly aroma and flavour of over-boiled vegetables, baby porridge and wet cardboard leaves nothing to please anyone who actually LIKES beer.

Mar 20, 2005
05:53:20 PM
6779 Bath Barnstormer United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004. Deep copper coloured. Roasted malts, fruit and chocolate. Flavourwise if fits in the gap between a premium bitter and a porter, proving that "styles" are not an accurate science. Good beer.

Mar 20, 2005
05:41:20 PM
6780 Bank Top Flat Cap United Kingdom Bitter 3.6

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

(Cask conditioned). Sampled at the Wear Valley CAMRA beer festival, where it was served at room temperature. Low natural carbonation. Looks like a pale/blonde/golden ale. Good aroma, quite fruity flavour. Would probably taste a lot better if served cooler.

Mar 20, 2005
05:39:20 PM
6781 Ayinger Brau Hell Germany Helles / Dortmunder 3.5

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pilsener-like golden helles, decent head. A tad more malty than the average pilsener, probably more hops than the average helles, otherwise this is just a decent pils to me. Nothing wrong with it, but this style rarely gives me an orgasmic drinking experience.

Mar 20, 2005
05:29:20 PM
6782 Alfa Greece Pale Lager 2.5

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

(Draught at Iolida Village, Agia Marina, Crete, Greece.) "Neutral", unremarkable pale lager. Unoffensive. The beer was cold, I was thirsty, it did the trick.

Mar 20, 2005
05:22:20 PM
6783 Asia Pacific Tiger Beer Singapore Pale Lager 3.1

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

For an Asian pale lager, this is not too bad. Far more flavour than e.g. Thailand's Singha. I've never been to Singapore, but can imagine Tiger Beer would be great in the the tropical heat there. So leave the Singapore Gin Sling for the chicks - be a Tiger!

Mar 20, 2005
05:18:20 PM
6784 Arundel Chilly Willie United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at the Lambton Worm (JDW), Sunderland. Copper coloured, moderate head. Fruity sweet aroma with malts and hints of barnyard. Flavour is instantly very sweet, but there’s also an instant breakthrough of zesty hops that are not very bitter but still add nicely to the flavour. Slightly warming mouthfeel, you might think it’s stronger than it actually is. (No particular effect on my willie, though.) An interesting beer!

Mar 20, 2005
05:13:20 PM
6785 Archers Oyster Stout United Kingdom Oyster Stout 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at the Smithfield, Derby. Black (= very dark ruby) colour, low head. Prune / plum aroma. Flavour is quite fruity for a stout, but the coffee notes are there too. Decent.

Mar 20, 2005
05:09:20 PM
6786 Vos Bovengistend Bier Netherlands Belgian Ale 3.5

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

(Bottle in Amsterdam, the restaurant nearest the Concergebouw). Reddish amber colour, moderate head. Flavour and mouthfeel more of a premium lager than an ale, good beer but nothing to get excited about. Fairly malty, some caramel, lager-like carbonation.

Mar 20, 2005
04:42:20 PM
6787 Stonehenge Ales Old Smokey United Kingdom Old Ale 4.2

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Cask at The Cricketers, Ipswich. Black colour, moderate roasted malts aroma. Flavour is all roasted and smoked malts with some faint vinegary sidenotes. Very nice.

Mar 17, 2005
07:05:17 PM
6788 Erdinger Pikantus Germany Weizenbock 3.9

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

(500 ml bottle). Enormous thick and lasting beige head, colour is very dark brown, cloudy. Aroma is immediately bread yeast, bread dough, fresh sweet buns. As the beer warms up, I also get rye bread, leather and caramel. Flavour is rye bread, caramel (too much), molasses, hints of roastiness and spices. Warming mouthfeel. There’s a very good beer hidden in here somewhere, but it remains unreleased. Sweetness is mostly to blame.

Mar 17, 2005
06:44:17 PM
6789 Crouch Vale Anchor Street Porter United Kingdom Porter 3.9

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Colour is black / very dark ruby. Aroma is roast malts on an initially unpleasant background of vomit, gets better as the beer warms up. Flavour is much better, again: roast malts and coffee. Bitterness seems just right. Easy drinking.

Mar 16, 2005
08:10:16 PM
6790 Crouch Vale Brewers Gold United Kingdom Blonde Ale 4.3

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. The hops are what it’s all about with this light and refreshing golden ale. Would benefit from being served at a slightly cooler temperature than was the case at the IBF. Lovely hoppy aroma and flavour, notes of grapefruit and pineapple. Recommended!

Mar 16, 2005
08:01:16 PM
6791 Kirin Lager Japan Pale Lager 1.8

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

The bad thing about living in Norway is the price of beer. The good thing, however, is that those of us who live near the coast and have a small boat (yes, like me) can catch our own seafood - for free. Freshly caught crab was my chosen accompaniment with Kirin lager - a good choice, I believed, as the Japanese love seafood more than anyone else in the world. I'm sorry to say that most European pilseners / light lagers would have been a better choice than this one. There is very little aroma, the beer is dry (which is a good thing when you have it with seafood) but some more flavour would have been good too! - aftertaste is metallic. Surely the Japanese can do better than this??

Mar 16, 2005
07:54:16 PM
6792 Banks and Taylor Edwin Taylors Extra Stout United Kingdom Dry Stout 4.1

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. Black (and I mean BLACK) colour, even when held to the light. Aroma has some dark chocolate, coffee and wood. Roast malt flavour. Hints of tar in the finish. Dry, woody aftertaste. This is not a stout of the "smooth and velvety" kind, but an interesting aquaintance indeed!

Mar 16, 2005
07:48:16 PM
6793 Marston's Resolution / Low C United Kingdom Light / Lite Lager 1.6

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

(275 ml bottle). A low carb bitter - what an idea! Commercial description: "Full flavoured English beer" - my ass! Weak malty aroma, very weak flavour. They sure haven’t used too much of the Golding and Fuggle hops which the label boasts! Quite dry. I used most of it to wash down a meal. Definitely not a beer I’ll buy again!

Mar 16, 2005
07:20:16 PM
6794 Old Chimneys Natterjack Premium Ale United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml, bought at Memorable Cheeses, Ipswich. Dark copper coloured, hazy (poured the yeast in). Low head, moderate natural carbonation. Moderate malty aroma, hints of caramel, spices and camphor. Flavour is well balanced, malty and a bit spicy, but has a substantial hoppy bitterness in the finish. Very good.

Mar 16, 2005
07:07:16 PM
6795 Tindall Suffolk n Good United Kingdom Extra Special Bitter 4.0

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle conditioned, 500 ml. Bought at Memorable Cheeses, Ipswich. A delightful little shop! All beers they stock are local and bottle conditioned. This beer pours with a low head and hazy amber (nearly orange) colour. Moderate but pleasant aroma of caramel / toffee, hops and yeast (I poured it all in). Flavour is slightly yeasty, rounded and well balanced with a moderate but delicious hoppiness that lasts through the aftertaste. Who said the English can’t bottle condition beers?

Mar 16, 2005
06:26:16 PM
6796 Birra Moretti Italy Lager 3.0

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Rerate, 330 ml bottle, now available in Norway (ICA). ABV is 4.6%. Pale golden colour, large head. There’s an initial Heineken-isch whiff when you open the bottle (an American would probably say "skunky"). In the glass the moderate aroma has notes of maize (corn) and cooked vegetables, hints of flowers and honey. Spritzy mouthfeel. The flavour actually has some malts, and also moderate hops in the finish, so this one is far from being the worst pale lager I’ve tasted. Quite drinkable.

Mar 16, 2005
05:58:16 PM
6797 Bitburger Premium Pils Germany Bohemian / Czech Pilsener 3.4

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

One of the better German Pilseners, IMO. The Bitburger used to be a small local German brand, known only by connoisseurs and "the locals". It has steadily grown to be a nationwide brand in Germany, and now also an international brand. Some say it also has become more bland and mainstream in the process, but I think it's still a fairly crisp and drinkable pils.

Mar 16, 2005
05:50:16 PM
6798 Topvar 11% Tmave - Marina Slovakia Schwarzbier 4.3

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

My 500 ml bottle (brewed and bottled in Slovakia, purchased in Finland) just says Topvar Marina Schwarzbier - with an ABV of 5%. I'm slowly getting the idea that the high % in the Slovakian name of all Topvar beers is NOT the ABV, but the malt content or something. This is a delicious Schwarzbier: Black to mahogany colour, good head, oily garage aroma with coffee notes ("coffee break at the garage"). Well balanced malty roast flavour with just the right sweetness - not very complex, but this proves that a well balanced beer does not necessarily have to be complex to be GOOD. In other words - a very drinkable and refreshing Schwarz. A nice roast finish makes you want another one. Yes, please!

Mar 16, 2005
05:39:16 PM
6799 Amstel Light Netherlands Light / Lite Lager 1.9

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Well, if the ordinary Amstel isn't bland enough for you... God bless! There's really not much to say in favour of this brew - but a glass of it IS drinkable if you have to drive afterwards.

Mar 16, 2005
05:23:16 PM
6800 Amstel Lager Netherlands Pale Lager 2.7

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

An average lager. Very average! I think it was better the first times I tried it, many years ago (pre-Heineken), but then, my taste may have changed. After they bought the Amstel brewery, Heineken seem to have decided that Amstel should be their "Number 2" brand, in respect of both quantity and quality.

Mar 16, 2005
05:18:16 PM