If you know me or of me, you will know I like beer. Over the last few years I have been collecting photos of every new beer I have.
I now have over 2,000 individual beers photographed and have realised that many beers that I assumed I have photos of, I haven't.

This blog will be therefore be an account of my quest for new beers to photo and how I enjoyed them (or not).
My email is ralphgant@sky.com.

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Ten Supermarket Beers (England)

There are many great supermarket beers and although these beers are supermarket own brands many are supplied by top famous brewers.

The majority of supermarket own brand lager beers sold in stubby bottles, are made in France and most are much the same, very drinkable, especially very cold, on a hot day. So that is enough about them and I will not be mentioning them again, except to say I can recommend them for your barbecue in the sun.

One problem with supermarket beers is, that they often only appear for a limited period and disappear again as soon as you find them and discover how good they are. So some of these may have disappeared but I hope not.

Another thing to look out for, is that in this contrary some times, these beers are as expensive as the named brands, so beware.

Shepherd Neame (Sainsbury’s), Traditional Kentish Ale from England


4.5% pail amber colour with a thin head, slightly sweet citrus hop aroma, sweet caramel hop taste. Shepherd Neame make some very good beers so I am not suprised that this was very good.

Marston's (Tesco), Simply Dark Ale from England

Marston's (Tesco), Simply Dark Ale, EnglandMarston's (Tesco), Simply Dark Ale, England

4.5% deep amber colour with a nice head, caramel malty aroma, nice fruity caramel malt taste. Another good beer from another good brewery.

Arcobräu (Co-op), Wheat Beer from Germany


5.0% cloudy white colour with a thin head, smells and tasted like a good wheat beer should, yeast and banana. It says on the bottle "Served chilled", now I would never have thought of that on my own.

Shepherd Neame (ASDA), Golden Ale Premium from England


4.5% gold colour with a thin head, hoppy aroma, bitter and hoppy with a very slight hint of citrus, good for a supermarket beer.

Freeminer Brewery (Morrisons), The Best from England


6.0% good head, malt aroma, strong malt taste, one of the best supermarket beers I have had.  The Co-op use the Freeminer Brewery as well.

Saint-Omer (Sainsbury's), Biere D'abbaye De Belgique from France

Sainsbury's, Biere D'abbaye De Belgique, France

5.6% amber colour with no head, sweet aroma, sweet malt with some bitterness but a bit too much carbonation. Saint-Omer are the brewers of most lager beers sold in stubby bottles over here.

Shepherd Neame (ASDA), Whitechapel Porter from England


5.2%, black colour with a nice head, sweet malt and fruit aroma, malty and there is definitely chocolate in the taste, quite good for a supermarket (Asda / Wal-Mart) beer.

Freeminer Brewery (Co-op), Gold Miner from England

Freeminer Brewery (Co-op), Gold Miner, EnglandFreeminer Brewery, Gold Miner, England

5.0% hazy amber colour with a good head, malt aroma, malty hoppy bitter taste with some toffee. Freeminer Brewery beer, brewed for the Co-operative society.

Haacht (Aldi), Park Blond from Belgium


5.6.% in the UK, 6.0% in Belgium, Very much like Leffe, so it's very good. This was in the day when I compared all Blonds against Leffe, in fact I still do.

Batemans (Aldi), Treble XB English Bitter, England


4.7% amber colour with a thin head, malty aroma, malty caramel bitter taste with some hops, a very nice beer.  not sure if this is still available though.

There are many Supermarket Beers in cans here are a selection.

These bitters are all from 3.0% to 4.0%+

Cains (Co-op), Best Bitter, EnglandShipstern,s, Original Bitter, EnglandCains (Morrisons), Best Bitter, EnglandCains (Morrisons), Best Bitter, EnglandTesco (Banks's/Draymans), Best Bitter, EnglandLidl, Hatherwood Premium Bitter, England?Tesco, Draught Bitter, EnglandLeeds (Sainsbury’s), Parkin's Bitter, England

If you want a bitter but alcohol free, well these are close at 2.0% to 2.1%.

Tesco, Value Bitter, EnglandSainsbury's, (basics) Bitter, EnglandMorrisons, Value Bitter, EnglandAsda (Wal-Mart), Smart Price Bitter, England

And unless you have a sweet tooth they are all better than drinking shandy

Below are the links to my other Top Ten Beer blogs.

My Top Ten French Beers

My Top Ten German Beers

My Top Ten English Beers

My Top Ten Belgian Beers

My Top Ten Dutch Beers 

Another Ten French Beers

Another Ten English Beers

Ten Supermarket Beers (France)

Monday 28 January 2013

Bloody Weather

The heavy snow ruined the weekends drinking, both Friday and Saturday nights were called off.   It was also a very poor week for new beers, I only had one new beer in the house.

Lion, Steinlager Classic from New Zealand


4.8% gold colour colour with a thin head, malt aroma, sweet but dry slightly caramel malt taste.

This was only my second beer from New Zealand and coincidently it was snowing when I had the other one in 2010.

Lion, Steinlager Pure from New Zealand

Lion Breweries, Steinlager Pure, New Zealand

5.0%. looks smells and tastes like pills but not quite as bitter.  The other one was better.