Looking back and reevaluating this Blog

Today I looked back at this blog and was surprised by how much I used to write on here. I suppose it was the stroke that changed things and now all I wright about is the beers, the "and Me" bit has just disappeared from here altogether.

Reading through the older blogs for me it was much more enjoyable to read what was going on in my life as well as the drinks I had. So I think I will give it another go and see if I can wright about what is going on as well. I will alsos include the beers involved as well.

So this last weekend was the same plan as nearly every other weekend since I started all this, whether before the stroke in 2013 or even after the stroke.

On Friday, as I said we went out with friends as usual to Greatham, although since last time I wrote about it, two of the three pubs there have closed down. Although one of the closed pubs has now reopened so there are now two of them again. So to cut a long story short we went to the pub we never used before but as it was the only one open for nearly a year we were used to it by now. The Bull and Dog was not very full at all and we got sat in the corner as usual, the only beer on draught in there is John Smiths and you probably know what I think of that, so I had a bottle of Old Speckled Hen, as usual.

Morland, Old Speckled Hen from England

5.0%, amber in colour with a head that disappeared fairly quickly (but I have had it with a good head), sweet malty aroma, bitter, liquorice malt taste, drink this one quite often, I like it a lot.

On Saturday, we usually go to our friends house for drinks but they were away this week, so we just had a night in. I did have a couple of beers though, although as it was last night, not new beers. I could have had new beers, I have about fifty of them ready to try but I was not feeling too well, so it was easier just to have stuff I have had before. I also have quite a few of these beers in the house as well. the first one was Camden, Hells Lager, the other, Camden, Versus Wicked Weed.

Camden, Hells Lager from England

4.6% pale cold in colour with a poor head, mild aroma and a bitter taste, very ordinary.

The other one

Camden, Versus Wicked Weed from England

 

5.6% hazy gold in colour with a nice head, sweet fruity aroma, the taste was bitter but fruity.

One more thing to go with this new method of doing the blog as it was intended, during the night my heart went into defib again and I was not well for the next day, although I am fine now. Hope you like this, I will be doing the beers pretty much as I was but with more information and the odd blog like this one.

English, Christmas Beers 2019, Part Three

This is the final batch of English Christmas Beers for last Christmas, we will have to wait about eleven months for the next lot.

Milestone, Dasher from England

 

4.5% amber in colour with a poor head, malt and christmas aroma, not a bad bitter christmas taste. This is just a new label that is from last years.

Wood's, Christmas Cracker from England

 

6.0% amber in colour with a very poor head. slightly fruity spicy aroma and taste.

Saltaire, White Christmas from England

 

4.8% gold in colour with a poor head, not mutch aroma at all, the taste is hoppy and citrus though.

8 Sail, Winter's Ale from England

 

5.5% dark brown in colour with a nice head, some smoky bits in the aroma but the taste was quite nice.

St Austell, Jolly Holly from England

3.8% (4.3% in bottles) deep amber in colour with a good head, malt and toffee aroma the taste is malty.

Belgian, Christmas Beers 2019, Part Two

This is the second part of the Belgian Christmas Beers, there are a few Christmas Beers to do after this one but not meny.

La Binchoise, Spéciale Noël from Belgium

 

8.5% cloudy amber in colour with no head, it had a sweet aroma and a strong sweet taste.

Haacht, Tongerlo Christmas from Belgium

 

7.0% pale amber in colour with a thin head, a sweet caramel malt aroma, the taste is slightly sweet.

Brunehaut, Abbaye de Saint-Martin Cuvée de Noël from Belgium

 

8.0% deep amber in colour with a thin head, fruity christmas cake aroma, slightly bitter fruit cake taste, another fabulous drink.

John Martin, Gordon Xmas from Belgium

 

8.8% deep ruby red with a very thin head, roasted malt and port aroma, complex taste of roast malt, toffee, coffee, almost sweet sherry, very festive, like a Christmas party in your mouth. Absolutely loved it, the commercial description says "Created in the thirties, Gordon Xmas initiated the tradition of Christmas brews" I wish they were all this good.

But remember, just because I thought it was fantastic doesn't mean everyone will like it but in my opinion, if you are going to try a Xmas beer it should be different from the norm and taste festive.

Belgian, Christmas Beers 2019, Part One

I have started the Christmas Beers for England and Germany, so it's about time I started on the Belgian Beers. There is one difference with these beers though, the strength, the majority of the Belgian Christmas Beers seem to be very strong.

Grimbergen, Winter Hiver from Belgium

 

6.5% brown in colour with a thin head, a deep sweet malt aroma and a sweet fruity christmas taste.

Schäff-Bräu, Altmühltaler Winterbier from Belgium

 

5.8% deep gold in colour with a thin head, malty aroma and the taste wasn't that christmasy either.

St Bernardus, Christmas Ale from Belgium

 

10.0% dark brown colour with a nice head, a fruity malt aroma and the taste was strong but nice.

Dubuisson, Bush de Noël from Belgium

 

12.0% amber in colour with a poor head, sweet scented aroma, strong fizzy alcoholic taste

German, Christmas Beers 2019, Part Two

Lets keep going with the German Christmas Beers, I still have a few more to do.

Part One of German Christmas Beers is here.

Hacker Pschorr, Superior from Germany

 

6.0% gold in colour with a poor head, malt aroma, the taste is malt and hopps, very ordinary.

Hohenthanner Schlossbrauerei, Winterfestbier from Germany

 

5.3% gold in colour with a nice head, malt aroma the taste is also malt, not very festive.

Hofbräu München, Winterzwickl from Germany

 

5.5% deep amber in colour with a good head, sweet malt aroma and a creamy fruity taste.

Herrnbrau, Weihnachtsbier from Germany

 

6.0% gold in colour with a nice head, some caramel in the aroma, and a sweetish taste.

German, Christmas Beers 2019, Part One

So much from the English Christmas Beers for now, let's move on to the German Christmas Beers, I have had about as many of them as the others. As with the others I will have to split this all up, into groups of four beers at a time.

Tucher, Christkindlesmarkt Bier from Germany

 

6.0% gold in colour with a nice head, malt aroma and taste, not too bad.

Graf Toerring, Wintermärzen from Germany

 

6.1% amber in colour with a nice head, a caramel malt aroma, slightly sweet caramel and spice taste.

Hofmühl, Wintermärze from Germany

 

5.4% gold in colour with a nice head, some caramel in the aroma, the taste was nice but not very christmassy.

Kulmbacher, Mönchshof Weihnachts Bier from Germany

 

5.6% amber in colour with a nie head, malt aroma and a bitter malt taste.

English, Christmas Beers 2019, Part Two

Following on from part one, next we have part two, again these are just the English Beers, remember we still have Germany and Belgium to come. Maybe move on to the German beers next.

Hogs Back, Advent Ale from England

 

4.4% black in colour with no head, a fruity aroma and a fruity caramel malt taste.

Samuel Smith's, Winter Welcome Ale 2019/2020 from England

 

6.0% deep amber in colour with a thin head, fruity malt aroma, slightly bitter with malt, toffee, fruit and hops taste. One of my favorites had it many times over the 30 years.

Hatherwood, Winter Special from England

 

5.0% amber in colour with a poor head, it had a sweet spicy aroma, the taste was a sweet fruity enjoyable christmas drink.

Cotleigh, Red Nose Reinbeer from England

 

5.0% deep amber in colour with a good head, a fruity toffee aroma and the taste was very similar.

Still more to come.