Some Greek Beers

Recently I have been back to Crete and as last year I had a few new beers, all Greek and mostly quite good. There was a time when all you could get in Greece was Heineken or Amstel, both Dutch, both from the same brewer in Holland (although brewed all over the world). Now you can get beers from smaller brewers (most brewers are smaller than Heineken), that are made locally in Greece.

Nissos (ΝΗΣΟΣ), 7 Beaufort (Μποφόρ) Strong Dark Pilsner from Greece

 

7.0% dark almost black in colour with a nice head, a toffy aroma and a bit of a watery caramel taste but not bad at all. This one was from last year.

EZA [εζα], Fine Lager and EZA [εζα], Hellenic Pilsner Beer, both from Greece

 

The first, 5.0% gold in colour with a thin head, malty hop aroma and some hop in the taste.

The other one, 5.2% gold in colour with a nice head, a nice lager aroma and a good lager taste.

Σόλο (Solo), Americana from Greece (Crete)

6.0% deep gold in colour with a good head, hoppy aroma and taste but it was a very nice local beer.

Magnus Magister, 4 Seasons Premium Lager from Greece

 

4.8% gold in colour with a thin head, an ordinary mediterranean lager but not bad and made in Greece.

Vap, ZYΘOΣ BAΠ (Zythos Vap) from Greece

5.0% gold in colour with a thin head, an ordinary but good lager, especially in very hot weather.

Fix, Hellas from Greece

 

5.0% gold in colour with a thin head, usual lager aroma and a refreshing slightly sweet taste.

Athenian Brewery, Alfa (Αλφα) from Greece

 

5.0% gold in colour with a thin head, another ordinary lager not bad at all in the heat.

Some French Beers

On our last trip to france I had four beers from one brewery and compared with new British beers these were very good. As you may know I am not a big fan of the newer beers brewed over here, unfiltered, very hoppy, some just not that good at all. However lots of new beers from around Europe seem to me to be getting better and better. I do not meen the lagers that Europe was already very good at, I mean bitters, stouts and others.

La Collective Du Houblon, Bitter Bitter IPA from France

 

6.3% cloudy gold in colour with a good head, vinegary aroma but the taste was just bitter, not to bad.

La Collective Du Houblon, Intensely Fresh Golden Ale from France

 

6.5% cloudy gold in colour with a thin head, citrus aroma but the taste is mild and relatively tasteless.

La Collective Du Houblon, Super Dark Black Ale from France

 

8.1% black in colour with good head, malt aroma and a very nice stout taste, although it is a bit strong.

La Collective Du Houblon, Extra Smooth White Ale from France

 

4.5% cloudy pale gold in colour with next to no head, not much aroma but the taste is citrus and not bad.

Cerana Beverages, Bira, India

It was only after I bought these that I discovered that they were from India, what was even more surprising was that that were not bad at all.

Cerana Beverages, Bira 91 Blond Beer from India

 

4.5% gold in colour with a good head, slight malt aroma and a nice mild not too fizzy taste.

Cerana Beverages, Bira 91 White from India

 

4.7% cloudy yellow in colour with a good head, some orange in the aroma and a nice slightly bitter taste.

Spaten, German beers

Had a new Spaten beer last week and realised that I had not mentioned them before. Not that there is anything special about them but some are very good. I also have a very nice earthenware drinking mug from them that I had first before I ever heard of them.

Spaten, München Hell from Germany

 

5.2%, another disappointing beer, I should have known better than try a this type of beer, must have been seduced by the nice bottle.

Spaten, Oktoberfertier from Germany

 

5.9% gold in colour with a thin head, slightly sweet aroma and a malty taste.

Spaten, Optimator from Germany

 

7.6% deep brown in colour with a nice head, malty aroma and a nice malty taste.

Looking back at Roundhill Brewery

With interest in the last Roundhill Brewery blog, I have looked back and picked out the following beers from older blogs. Plus a new one I had last night in The Crafty Cock Billingham, most are from there or The Porky Pint or The Fishermans Arms in Hartlepool. Also at the end is one that was never bloged.

Roundhill, Blue Gals from England

4.4% slightly cloudy light amber in colour, a bit of a blueberry aroma and a not bad fruity taste, this is the one from last night.

Roundhill Brewery, Vegan Dark Ale from England

5.2% dark red in colour with a nice head, fruity aroma and a sweet but nice taste, the vegan bitt made no difference at all.

Roundhill Brewery, Brown Ale from England

4.9% deep brown with a good head, not much aroma but a really good taste maybe a bit of liquorice.

Roundhill Brewery, BPA (Billingham Pale Ale) from England

5.2% gold in colour with a nice head, hoppy aroma and taste, not the best of theirs, for me that is.

Roundhill, Chocolate Orange Slug from England

4.8% dark brown in colour with a good head, a nice porter aroma and a slight orange porter taste.

Roundhill Brewery, Pale & Golden, England

4.2% gold in colour with a nice head, it did have a citrus aroma and it was a very nice bitter.

Some more from our trip to France 2019

I had quite a few new beers in France this year, here are three to start with, one is even from France.

Antwerpse Brouw, Seef Bier from Belgium

 

6.5% hazy gold in colour with a good head, a sweet banana aroma, nice fizzy wheat beer taste.

Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie, Super Cadi from Belgium

 

5.6% gold in colour with a good head, nice aroma with some hops, sweet hopy fizzy taste.

De Sutter, Trois Chariots Blonde IPA from France

 

6.3% gold in colour with a good head, nice aroma and a slightly bitter mild hop taste.

Brasserie de Bellefois, France

Had some good beers on our recent trip to France, over the years the French beers have got better and better, here are some just from one brewery. These are bottles I brought back with me if it doesn't look at all like France.

Brasserie de Bellefois, 732 Bière Dorèe from France

 

5.6% pale cloudy amber in colour with a thin head, malt aroma, the taste is malty toffee and some yeast.

Brasserie de Bellefois, 1356 Bière Blonde from France

 

5.6% cloudy amber in colour with a thin head (strange for a blonde), malty aroma, the taste in bitter sweet malts and fruits.

Brasserie de Bellefois, 1356 Bière Rousse from France

 

5.6% deep red in colour with a thin head, nice malty aroma and the taste is a good low hop very nice beer. It tasted more English that modern English beer does.

Roundhill Brewery Trip, Billingham

Recently I went on a trip to the closest brewery to my house, it's about three miles away, I was meeting up with the lads from the Fish in Hartlepool. The brewery was the Roundhill Brewery, only small but very good. It is on the Cowpen Lane Industrial Estate, so not far at all for me.

We had four beers and a talk on how it was made, all in all a very good trip.

Roundhill Brewery, Bewley Blonde, England

4.3% gold in colour with a nice head, hoppy aroma, bit hoppy but not bad at all.

Roundhill Brewery, Mabel the Table, England

3.2% deep gold in colour with a good head, it has hops in the aroma and the taste was a nice easy to drink beer.

Roundhill Brewery, Billy Town Brown, England

3.9% deep brown in colour with a nice head, nice brown ale aroma and taste.

Roundhill Brewery, Midnight Slug Porter, England

4.8% black in colour with a good head, nice rich porter aroma, slightly sweet porter taste, this is the one I had most of.