[album]http://www.thefreefood.net/photos/tags/beer/,http://static.flickr.com/43/87591402_20b1c0bb05_s.jpg,More beer…[/album]

After ages and ages of procrastination, I’ve finally decided it’s time to put this thing up. Originally, I intended to post it in installments along the trip, but that didn’t happen. Then I figured I’d post it right as soon as I got back. Nope. So here it is, a month later, and I’m finally getting around to posting it: My England beer diary.

First, a word of warning. I’m not a beer expert by any means. I don’t take notes when I drink either, so my analysis isn’t always the most in depth. If I don’t remember a beer well enough to review it (it happens), it’s at the bottom, with no review included. If you’re looking for really good reviews of beer, check out The Beer Advocate. Nonetheless, I know what I like, and I figure that’s worth something.

• Abbot Ale: Good beer. The Greene King brewery is in nearby Bury St. Edmunds, so this is a popular one around Cambridge. Pretty dark, but not heavy. Rounds out well, but a little bitter at the end. It’s widely available enough in England that I’m hoping I can find it in the States.
• Banks’s Bitter: A bitter from a brewery that seems to be popular in the West Midlands (i.e. Shrewsbury). There’s nothing special about this bitter. It’s not particularly distinguishable from Tetley’s, and I can’t think of any reason to recommend it.
• Banks’s Original: I would probably recommend Banks’s Bitter over this brown ale, if only because it’s more generic tasting. This one was dark, but a little bit watery, and unexciting. I suspect that this brewery (Wolverhampton and Dudley), is good at putting out this sort of unexciting, standard issue beer.
• Carling: Similar role to Carlsberg (see below), but in all, I think it’s a somewhat better beer. A bit watery, not particularly flavorful, but easy to go down. I’d drink this over Carlsberg if it were cheap and I didn’t have better options.
• Carlsberg: Unremarkable. Around London, this seems to be the Budweiser of British beers, in the sense that it’s everywhere and it’s relatively cheap. Basically the generic European macrobrew. Honestly, though, I didn’t find anything unique or interesting to recommend this beer.
• Cobra Lager: Malt flavor to the extreme. This reminded me a fair amount of Newcastle, and it was very drinkable, but it also feeled rather flat, or many flavors to interest the palate.
• Corona: Another beer that’s almost as common in England as it is in the U.S. It’s good with lime of course, but really, I’m convinced that it’s popularity has as much to do with the act of putting the lime in it as with the drink itself. Laina is the expert at getting the lime in there just so and mixing it up.
• England’s Ale: Like tap water, but more expensive. £1/pint at the Admiral Cook in Portsmouth, but really not worth it. Last time I take that publican’s advice.
• Foster’s: Australian for bat piss. An Aussie that stayed in a London hostel with me told me that this isd the worst Australian beer. It’s fine for what it is, a cheap lager that’s a little stronger than Carlsberg but less drinkable. Get it cause it’s cheap, and for no other reason.
• Greene King IPA: This Greene King bitter is popular around Cambridge, mostly because the brewery owns so many of the local pubs. The first time I ordered it, I thought IPA stood for India Pale Ale. I was wrong. As the main bitter for a major brewery, this one is widely available, and it compares favorably to Tetley’s, but Young’s is still my favorite bitter.
• Grolsch: I had high expectations for this, but I was a bit disappointed. It’s an amber ale with a light to medium body that hits the typical hop notes. There’s nothing wrong with it, but one Beer Advocate reviewer said it had a “profound unremarkableness,” and I couldn’t agree more.
• Guiness Extra Stout: I didn’t get to Ireland, so I don’t know if the rumor about Guiness being fantastic there is true, but it’s always a solid choice anyway. It’s often sold on tap as “Extra Cold,” which does nothing for me, as I find that slightly warmer beer brings out more flavor. The creamy head, the slightly bitter edge, and the definitely fillingness of the extra stout body are all the same as you’d expect after drinking Guiness in the States, and if the beer is fresher, it’s not noticeable enough to make a big difference. Guiness is something that many people know and love, and it’s all well and good to enjoy one, but why come to England to drink something you already know?
• Hobgoblin: A strong ale by Wychwood. They win points for having the most interesting labels; this beer looks like something out a D&D game. Definitely reminiscent of Ruddles County, with a distinct smokiness, and a taste that had elements of toffee and roasted coffee beans. Also had a nice head for a bottled beer. A good choice.
• Hobson’s Choice: A pale ale from the local micro-brewery, City of Cambridge Brewery. I’d have this one again, although given its limited availability, I don’t know that I’ll get the opportunity. It doesn’t do a lot to separate itself from the typical pale ales, and it has a slight metallic off-taste, but it’s still fairly drinkable.
• Hoegaarden: Back when I started working at Wegmans, my trainer would buy this stuff, saying it was the best beer in the world. But I never got to try this classic Belgian White Ale until I arrived in England. Have a pint with a slice of lemon. It has a light, peppery flavor that will seem unlike almost any beer you’ve had before, but will still be interesting on the palate and very satisfying. I don’t think it’s the best beer in the world, but it’s definitely one I could drink regularly. I haven’t had the opportunity to try other similar Ales yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
• John Smith’s Extra Smooth: A common one to see on the smoothflow taps, but nothing worth getting excited about. The horseshoe makes it easy to spot.
• Newcastle: Before I came to England, Newcastle was the best English beer I’d had. It’s still good, but it’s far surpassed by some other options. Not sharp, with a fairly strong malty flavor. Very drinkable when served nice and cold (which doesn’t always happen in England).
• Olde English Cider: Sold in 2.5 liter plastic bottles. This is good for a night of cheap drinking, but it’s only a shadow of Strongbow.
• Old Speckled Hen: I like strong ales in general, but compared to something like Hobgoblin, this one’s a little less interesting. The same bitter notes, but not as much to recommend it otherwise. Still, it’s fairly widely available, and it’s something I could drink fairly regularly.
• Peroni (and Peroni Gran Riserva): A good beer for the hot Roman weather, or a good way to cool off during a long evening. Double-malt action gives this beer a light, yeasty flavor that’s good with panini or Italian-style pizza. Best not consumed on its own.
• Pilsner Urquell: another one of those beers whose reputation precedes it. Definitely a good one to drink, and the standard setter for Pilsners it seems. There’s quite a bit more complexity here than in the other Czech beers I tried, with a lighter, moderately sweet hop flavor that dominates after a somewhat bitter edge. A beer that’s light enough to drink more than a few but interesting enough for the tongue to enjoy the experience.
• Rebellion Blonde: A pale ale that I had as a guest ale at the Regal in Cambridge. This one had a strong bitter edge to it, with a medium body and a very slight sweetness that kicked in toward the end. The tastes were all there, and it seemed to be a well-crafted beer, but it needed some spice, maybe some more interesting hops to give it some interest and keep me from concentrating on the bitterness.
• Red Stripe: A cheap lager, pure and simple. Very light, to the point of being reminiscent of American beers. Goes down easy, and a good hot weather beer, but unremarkable.
• Rolling Rock: That’s right, Rolling Rock is available in England. I had one in a club where the options were limited. And since drinking American beers is hip, I figured why not. Rolling Rock is definitely not a “gourmet” beer. It’s watery and has a strong corn off-taste. But it remains very drinkable, probably moreso than the big American macro-brews, and it’s a good beer to drink straight out of the bottle.
• Ruddles County: Smoky, almost reminiscent of bourbon in some respects. I didn’t think this beer was particularly drinkable, but it wasn’t bad either. It’d probably go better with something hardy, as opposed to the wimpy Subway sub I had it with.
• Staropramen: Strong, sharp bitter edge, but nicely rounded out. I personally don’t like anything quite so bitter, especially if it has a lighter body like this one, but this beer was quite adequate, and I could see how someone who liked a bitter edge could like it.
• Stella Artois: The first time I tried this one, I was unimpressed. But honestly, I think I had just had one too many before I tried it. Subtle and refined. Very pale, with little body, and somewhat sweet. A light and well-balanced bouquet of flavors rounds it out. One of my favorites.
• Strongbow (and Strongbow Extra Strong): The standard for English cider. Fairly dry and a little tart, with a straightforward and honest flavor. Sometimes it tastes a little watered down, but it has few off flavors and its very drinkable. The Extra Strong is a bit too strong for my taste. Usually I go for the cider in a pub where the beer options are lacking.
• Tetley’s Bitter: Tetley’s is often cheap at pubs, and as such it’s considerably better than Carlsberg or Carling. Unsophisticated flavor, but quite drinkable and not as bland as the other two standard beers.
• Theakston Old Peculier: Strong and dark, the color of strong coffee. A really nice head. Hits you with a sort of toasted marshmellow flavor, then kind of acidic (also like strong coffee). Good, though there are better.
• Tsingtao: Light, with almost no body, and for some reason, very reminiscent of Rolling Rock. But better. Fewer off flavors, and a more consistent taste overall. Not sophisticated at all, or particularly exciting, but it’s really good with Chinese take-away.
• Waggledance: A pretty good honey ale by Young’s Brewery. For a guy who goes to school in the Midwest, inevitably there are comparisons to Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss. A better beer, smoother with fewer off tastes, and with a richer body. The honey taste can cloy just the slightest bit.
• Wood’s Shropshire Lad: A bitter I had at the Shrewsbury Hotel. There do seem to be a lot of pretty “standard” bitters around England, that offer little in the way of originality. Either that, or I just don’t remember anything unique about them.
• Young’s Bitter: I had this with some beef and dumpling stew at the Goose in Bloomsbury. The best pub meal I’ve had so far, and maybe the best beer. Young’s is well-rounded and very drinkable, with a rich, deep body accompanied by strong floral qualities.

And now for some that I drank but didn’t get around to reviewing:

• Beck’s
• Bombardier Bitter
• Caffrey’s Irish Ale
• Castlemaine XXXX
• Fursty Ferret
• Worthington’s

Wow, that’s a lot of beer, and probably a lot more information than any one person can process anyway (I know, that’s why I had to write it down). So what’s my advice to the budding beer drinker?

First, don’t be afraid to try new things. Honestly, even if the beer you drink is outright bad, which is rare, you’ll learn something new about what you like and what you don’t like. Get used to going into a pub and asking for something that you’ve never had before and probably never heard of before, at least in the beginning. If you’re nervous about this, ask the publican for their advice. At a good pub, it’s likely that they’ll know what to recommend.

Second, try a lot of different types of beer. In America, we don’t think about the number of different types of beer much, because basically all of our major macro-brews fit into one or two categories. All beers are made with largely the same ingredients (grain, water, hops, yeast), but the processes by which they’re made, and the different varieties of those ingredients are what make different types of beer so different. Even if you try only one stout and decide you don’t like it, you’ll be able to translate what you learn into making you a better crappy ice beer drinker.

Finally, have fun. If you go out to pubs with people, you’ll probably find that most people you go with will order the same thing every time. Don’t feel like you have to do the same, and don’t pressure them to do what you’re doing. Enjoy your beer, but have a good time doing it.

Compiling this beer diary was a lot of fun, and a great way to remember England, even if I didn’t get around to finishing up loose ends until long after I returned home. I definitely recommend it to anyone who’s traveling anywhere in Europe, especially in England. And if you have any questions about having a beer diary, about any of the beers I tried, or anything else, just email me.

Posted on September 24th, 2004 by Lee
Filed under: Uncategorized