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ND: Maker: Kuehn Kunz Rosen, Mainz, Germany
Beer: Kuehn Kunz Rosen Mystique IPA (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
ALC.VOL.: 6.5%
"Mystique IPA is a wheat-based IPA. It boasts a fresh malty body with a discreet sweetness, complex fruit and spicy hop aromas." [brewery note, my translation]
Colour: Deep hazy amber, with a medium-sized, creamy off-white head.
Nose: Mixed citrus and tropical fruit, caramel, a whiff of pinewood.
Texture: Medium body, hardly watery at all. moderate carbonation.
Taste: Good balance between sweeitish and lemony fruit notes, balanced by spicy hops and pinewood. Overall impression is dry. Gets resinous towards the middle, with bitter hops now clearly dominating. The fruit basket is now reduced to just grapefruit. Nice caramel balance throughout. Finish is only moderately bitter, with the malty elements coming into play. Warm, mildly bitter, mildly resinous but lasting aftertaste.
Impressions: Just as good as it was from the cask at the "Festival der Bierkulturen" in Cologne. Really very good IPA which gains in depth through stronger-than-usual caramel notes, while maintaining a pleasingly bitter hop profile throughout. Strongly recommended! [My ratebeer rating: 4.1/5]
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ND: Maker: Camba Bavaria, Truchtlaching, Germany
Beer: Camba Bavaria Erdbeer Weisse (bottled, 330ml)
Style: Fruit beer
ALC.VOL.: 4.9%
Colour: Bright hazy orange with a small head. Some active yeast in the bottle (see picture)-
Nose: Bananas, strawberries, yeast, hint of cloves.
Texture: Light body, not too watery though. Medium carbonation.
Taste: Bananas and strawberries feature equally in the fruity start. It's not really very sweet though, as yeast and hop notes balance this beer-fruit juice mix quite nicely. There's a sour lemon note that further prevents this brew from being cloying. Overall,m there's more of a gose than a fruit beer effect. Towards the middle there's mostly yeast and some hop bitterness, the fruit notes almost disappear. Finish is short, lemony, yeasty. So is the aftertaste.
Impressions: Thirst.quenching fruit beer that stays true to a Berliner Weisse-style tartness. Not very complex, of course. But would make a nice beer garden brew. [My ratebeer rating: 3.1/5]
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ND: Maker: Buddelship Brauerei, Hamburg, Germany.
Beer: Buddelship Brügge (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: Bière de Saison
ALC.VOL.: 5.6%
Colour: Hazy bright yellow with a big, frothy white head.
Nose: Aroma of mixed citrus fruits, herbs, floral notes and yeast.
Texture: Medium body, hardly watery at all. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Saison-typical mix of yeasty and fruity notes at first, with some herbs and spices. Lemonpeel for a slight bitterness. Hoppy, more explicitly bitter finish and medium-long, yeasty and lightly sour aftertaste.
Impressions: Very good interpretation of a Belgian Saison with nice fruity and herbal notes. Enough body, too. Recommended for fans of this style. [My ratebeer rating: 3.8/5]
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ND: Maker: Häffner Bräu, Bad Rappenau, Germany.
Beer: Hopfenstopfer Comet IPA (bottled, 330ml)
Style: India Pale Ale
ALC.VOL.: 6.8%
"A German IPA with the hop varieties Hallertauer Comet, Hallertauer Saphir and Hallertauer Taurus." [brewery note]
Colour: Bright yellow golden, slightly hazy; medium, fluffy head.
Nose: Pineapples, lemon, some yeast. Very mild herbs.
Texture: Full body, oily, moderate carbonation.
Taste: Pineapples, medicinal notes (heavy alcohol), pinewood, bitter hops at the start. Caramel malts for balance. Middle is more explicity resinous from the pine, with some herbs coming in, a whiff of medicine, citrus. Pine also features strongly in the bitter, herbal finish. Hoppy bitterness and lemon in the long-lasting aftertaste.
Impressions: *Almost* an imperial IPA, this one wears the alcohol on its sleeve not in the aroma, but on the palate. Good balance of bitter and fruity/herbal notes, resonant bitterness in the finish and beyond. Heavy stuff, heavier than the ABV would indicate. Otherwise, characteristic and characterful IPA. [My ratebeer rating: 3.5/5]
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ND: Maker: Porterhouse Brewing Company, Dublin, Ireland.
Beer: Porterhouse Oyster Stout (bottled, 330ml)
Style: Stout
ALC.VOL.: 5.2%
"A smooth drinking aromatic stout with a discernible but unidentifiable aromatic aspect. Not suitable for vegetarians. This gently flavored stout has a roast malt character, full body and an aromatic character from the Goldings hops." [brewery note]
Colour: Dark reddish brown, with a huge, frothy beige head.
Nose: Roasted malts, dark cocoa, oatmeal. A light whiff of sea water.
Texture: Medium to full body, not watery at all. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Explicit roasted malts at the start, very dry and bitter, "very espresso". A hint of licorice and herbs for balance, and a sea salt note that's a little more pronounced than in the aroma. Drier and more bitter towards the middle, with coffee now calling the shots. But floral notes also emerge as one continues drinking the beer. The finish has a light hoppy note over all the roasted malt and grain, and there's a persistent salty note here and in the aftertaste as well.
Impressions: The term "oyster stout" refers to fishermen in the coastal towns of England who were fishing for oysters, then ate them while drinking stout. HERE, it also refers to actual fresh oysters that are added sometime during the brewing process [had such beers once or twice]. So that's where the sea salt comes from (but it's not obtrusive). Otherwise, a well-balanced, characterful coffee stout that will leave a lasting impression. [My ratebeer rating: 4.1/5]
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ND: Maker: Porterhouse Brewing Company, Dublin, Ireland
Beer: Porterhouse Brainblasta (bottled, 330ml)
Style: Strong/Old Ale
ALC.VOL.: 6.5% (not 7% as quoted at ratebeer)
"Our secret weapon. A fulsome, winsome strong ale. A deep copper tinged brew for the true aficionado, longer fermentation and thrice hopping bring about a complex soft bitterness allied to a malt induced sweetness with the characteristic oily Fuggles hop perfume." [brewery note]
Colour: Deep clear dark amber, with a medium sized, creamy head.
Nose: Preserved fruit (Rumfrüchte!), candied orange peel, toffee malts. Very sweet indeed.
Texture: Medium bodied, oily. Limited carbonation.
Taste: After the very sweet aroma, the first taste will catch you unguarded: Yes, there are the preserved fruit, a bit of honey, but they're obliterated, thrashed by a herbal bitterness with hoppy notes, coriander, other spices. The middle is predominantly herbal, not at all sweetish, with a firm malty background. Campher is one of the herbs I think that can be singled out. Finish is herbal, too, with hints of all the different intermittent tastes coming back to haunt you in the aftertaste.
Impressions: Extraordinary strong ale with an unbelievable range of flavours and depth of flavour. One of the most intriguing beers I'be had in a long time. Herbal. spicy, fruity, never cloying. But certainly not a session beer. [My ratebeer rating: 4.3/5]
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ND: Maker: Benriach Distillery, Morayshire, Scotland
Whisky: Benriach 16 Year-Old (miniature, 5cl - natural colour, unchillfiltered)
Style: Speyside
ALC.VOL.: 43%
Colour: Bright clear amber.
Nose: Sweet honey, vanilla, quince. Oak pushing from the back.
Texture: Lightly oily.
Taste: Spices, cinnamon, strong vanilla, then oak kicks in (European sherry casks were used, too). Marzipan then. More oak. Finish is bitter, oaky, with a vanila note, cinnamon. Dried figs in the aftertaste.
Impressions: Benriach whiskys can be very variable - my personal favorite is still the 12-Y Sherry Cask - matured in European sherry oak from the very beginning - but they can be great value, as is this one. Enough spices, sweetness, oakiness to give you a full range of flavours. In today's market of under-matured, overpriced single malts with hipster-ish names, this one is a winner - the old way.
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ND: Maker: Buddelship Brauerei, Hamburg, Germany
Beer: Buddelship Mitschnagger Pilsener (bottled, 330ml)
Style: Pilsener
ALC.VOL.: 5.3%
Colour: Clear yellow golden, big frothy white head.
Nose: Sweet lemon, grass, mild floral hops, some malt. No wet plaster/cardboard!
Texture: Light to medium body, not very watery. Active carbonation.
Taste: Very floral at first, with herbal and pinewood notes, moderately bitter. Some citrus. Increased bitterness towards the middle, more so in the finish, with hoppy notes and a mild citrus note against herbs and wee caramel malts. Long-lasting hoppy aftertaste, again with a lemon note.
Impressions: Above average Pilsener, far removed from the supermarket/industrial brands. Hoppy, lemony, highly quaffable. Almost like a very light IPA. Recommended. [My ratebeer rating: 3.6/5]
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ND: Maker: Camba Bavaria, Truchtlaching, Germany
Beer: Camba Summer Ale
Style: Session IPA
ALC.VOL.: 3.9%
"Our summer ale is a fresh and quaffable beer with intense fruit flavours. Ideal for a warm summer day." [brewery note, my translation]
Colour: Bright golden yellow, slightly hazy, with a big fluffy head,
Nose: Orange soda pop, mild herbal notes. Whiff of pine.
Texture: Light body, but not too watery. Active carbonation.
Taste: Slightly mouldy citrus and herbal notes at first. Moderate hoppy bitterness (considerably less than other "Session IPAs" like Punk's Dead Pony IPA). Some herbs, more towards the middle. Pine, a bit resinous, too. Bitterness increases through the middle into the finish, citrusy note is always present. Aftertaste is medium-long, a tad shallow with a nondescript citric note and equally generic hops.
Impressions: Typical light IPA, but less successul in replacing a lower ABV with some other flavors than similar brews. Not too bad, just undernourished and a bit bland. [My ratebeer rating: 2.9/5]
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ND: Maker: Camba Bavaria Brauerei, Truchtlaching, Germany
Beer: Camba Black Lager (bottled, 330ml)
Style: Schwarzbier
ALC.VOL.: 5.4%
Colour: Pitch black, very small beige head.
Nose: Roasted malt, whiff of vanilla, nuts.
Texture: Medium body, a bit watery. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Roasted coffee malt, dark cocoa, muted floral note at the start. Bitter and fairly dry. Floral notes are a bit more prominent towards the middle, and a touch of vanilla softens the bitterness, but coffee notes prevail. Nutty and cocoa flavours in the finish, with a hint of sweet vanilla in the rather short aftertaste.
Impressions: Characterful Schwarzbier, distinguished from the English stout/porter/dark mild styles because of its hoppy character - though the latter is rather modest here. Very good, very drinkable. Straightforward, clean. [My ratebeer rating: 3.4/5]
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ND: Maker: Häffner Bräu, Bad Rappenau, Germany
Beer: Hopfenstopfer Himmels Weisse
Style: Hefeweizen
ALC.VOL.: 4.9%
"Summer time is wheat beer time. This is our take on a cloudy wheat beer, with more hops than usual: Taurus, Saphir and Cascade." [brewery note, my translation]
Colour: Hazy bright yellow, with a big, fluffy white head.
Nose: Lemony notes, plus clove, bananas, yeast, herbs.
Texture: Light bodied, more yeasty than watery. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Lemon, bananas, clove and herbs at the start. Overall effect is dry and slightly sour. There is a stronger herbal note towards the middle (not quite like the coriander in Hoegaarden, but similar), some nice floral hoppy touches, and slightly elevated bitterness. Finish is moderately bitter, mostly hoopy and herbal, while the aftertaste continues the herbal note, with mild citrus.
Impressions: This drier than usual Hefeweisse points towards Berliner Weisse or some Belgian whitbiers more than it does to Bavarian wheat. Refreshing, but not quite quaffable. Nice alternative to traditional South German cloudy wheats. [My ratebeer rating: 3.4/5]
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ND: Maker: Häffner Bräu, Bad Rappenau, Germany
Beer: Hopfenstopfer Incredible Pale Ale (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
ALC.VOL.: 6.1%
"The Final Edition of our IPA. Hops are: Hallertauer Taurus, Hallertauer Saphir, Nelson Sauvin and Cascade. Beware, you may become a addicted to this stuff!" [brewery note]
Colour: Bright yellow golden, slightly hazy; medium, creamy white head
Nose: Modest aroma of tangerines, roses, grass.
Texture: Medium to full body, a bit oily. Mild carbonation.
Taste: Grain, some nondescript citrus notes, herbs, pinewood, yeast at the start. Not very fruity. Floral notes in the middle, along with grain and mild herbs, milder pinewood. A wee bit resinous. Finish is more lemony than before, with mild hoppy bitterness, some perfume, Lasting aftertaste of floral hops, a hint of lemon, yeast.
Impressions: Wee heavy IPA with muted fruit notes, grain and perfume are dominant. Non-mainstream. Noit bad, and certainly different. [My ratebeer rating: 3.2/5]
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ND: Maker: Freigeist Bierkultur, Stolberg, Germany.
Beer: Freigeist Abraxas (bottled, unfitlered, 500ml)
Style: Gose/Lichtenhainer
ALC.VOL.: 3.9%
"Inspired by an old German style called Lichtenhainer, so it’s a low-alcohol(3,8%), top-fermented smoked beer with lactic sourness." [brewery note]
Colour: Hazy orange, small creamy head.
Nose: Smoke (or smoked ham), oranges, yeast.
Texture: Medium body, quite watery. Mild carbonation.
Taste: Sour lemon mixed with smoked malts, yeast, lactose. The typically pervasive citrus sourness of the gose style is somewhat moderated by the light smoke (nowhere near as smoky as a Bamberg smoked beer!). Still the overall impression towards the middle is smoky, dry and sour. Lemony finish and aftertaste of medium length.
Impressions: A mix of smoked malts with the super-citric gose style. Needs some time to adjust to. Those who dislike either of the two styles (or both) need not bother. But it's an interesting, altogether different brew. The name of the beer, "Abraxas", refers to a Faust-themed ballet scenario devised by poet Heinrich Heine for German composer Werner Egk (Heine's profile is on the label) [My ratebeer rating: 3.0/5]
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ND: Maker: Camba Bavaria, Truchtlaching, Germany
Beer: Camba Bavaria Christopher Ale (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: Witbier (Belgian wheat)
ALC.VOL.: 5.2%
Colour: Bright hazy yellow, with a small, frothy head.
Nose: Lemon, coriander, other herbs.
Texture: Light bodied, watery, active carbonation.
Taste: Lemon peel, yeast, hints of coriander, other herbs, floral notes. Dry, slightly sour, slightly bitter. A bit more malty in the middle, as even the light fruit notes disappear. Yeast, still coriander. Weak finish, with some malt, generic herbs, yeast in the aftertaste.
Impressions: Light and fizzy; basically, another failed attempt to imitate Hoegaarden (but without the fruitiness and the depth of flavour). Drinkable, but lean and dry to a fault. [My ratebeer rating: 2.8/5]
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ND: Maker: Camba Bavaria, Truchtlaching, Germany
Beer: Camba Bavaria Amber Ale (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: Amber Ale (?!)
ALC.VOL.: 7.2%
Colour: Deep hazy amber; small creamy off-white head.
Nose: Fruit punch (Oranges, lemons, morello cherries, black currant), mild medicinal notes, yeast.
Texture: Medium body, still a wee bit watery. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Bitter oranges, lemon, red berries at the start. Yeast, caramel notes. Cinnamon. Not really sweetish though. More caramel and oranges, less bitter now, towards the middle, along with some spices used in cookies. Only mild medicinal notes. Malty, slightly sweet finish with cherry, lemon. Mild, yeasty, not very prolonged aftertaste.
Impressions: What's an "amber ale" anyway? It's not really a style, is it. This one would qualify as an ESB/premium bitter, like Fuller's 1845 e.g. It's a good beer, the high ABV barely noticeable. [My ratebeer rating: 3.5/5]
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ND: Maker: Porterhouse Brewing Company, Dublin, Ireland
Beer: Porterhouse Hop Head ("beyond the pale" - bottled, 330ml)
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
ALC.VOL.: 5.0%
"Based on a beer brewed somewhat ahead of its time, in our brewpub days, Hop Head is a highly aromatic, bitter, pale ale, made with the intention of satisfying the hop heads amongst us. Amber coloured, with a distinct malt character, generous use of hops for bittering and the triple addition of cascade and Hallertau Northern Brewer hops gives a conspicuous citrus character for both aroma and flavour." [brewery notes]
Colour: Bright, clear amber, medium-sized fluffy off-white head.
Nose: Relatively weak floral aroma with grass, very mild citrus fruit, herbs.
Texture: Medium body, still a bit watery, moderate carbonation.
Taste: Bitter and dry at first: strong pinewood, resinous notes, fruit is muted. Herbs, but mostly pinewood. More resin towards the middle, though not so much to numb one's tongue. A hint of grapefruit behind the wood and the herbs. Resin and bitter hops in the finish, with a long aftertaste of the same, and then herbs.
Impressions: Not quite like drinking a tree (there are drier, more resinous APA's still!), but not too far from it either. This APA clearly puts the emphasis on pine, resin and herbs - over fruit. If you like that, it's a superior specimen. [My ratebeer rating: 3.4/5]
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ND: Maker: Hennings Handwerksbrauerei, Leezen, Germany
Beer: Hennings Pale Ale (bottled, unflitered, 750ml)
Style: American Pale Ale
ALC.VOL.: 5.7%
Colour: Deep hazy orange with a medium-sized,creamy head.
Nose: Mild aroma of bready malt, a bit of grapefruit and a whiff of pine.
Texture: Fairly light body, still watery. Mild carbonation.
Taste: Muddled first taste of musty grapefruit, pinewood, herbs, floral notes and bready malts. Hoppy bitterness in the middle, with all other flavours gradually receding. The grapefruit returns in the finale, the malts are a constant. Moderately bitter finish and medium-long aftertaste, still all a bit musty.
Impressions: Not recommended to fans of REAL American or India Pale Ales. It's more like a Pilsener with half-hearted IPA flavours, plus the slightly musty taste that's not IPA-like at all. Thankfully I ordered only this one, but large, bottle. [My ratebeer rating: 2.6/5]
ND: Maker: Häffner Bräu, Bad Rappenau, Germany
Beer: Hopfenstopfer Citra Ale (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: American Pale Ale
ALC.VOL.: 5.1%
"The hop profiles of Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, U.S. Tettnager, Brewers Gold and" East Kent Golding has fruity notes of citrus fruits such as limes and grapefruit. But even gooseberry, lychee, passion fruit and passion fruit are found again and fit well with the best of our six selected malts Bamberg Pilsner malt." [brewery note]
Colour: Hazy, bright orange; small, fluffy white head.
Nose: Orange soda pop, with hints of herbs and floral notes. Sweetish.
Texture: Light bodied, still fairly watery. Mild carbonation.
Taste: Grapefruit, some pinewood, some herbs at first. Fruity, with limited bitterness. More floral towards the middle, some more pine, a wee bit of resin. Moderate hoppy bitterness in the finish, with hints of citrus and herbs. Medium-long aftertaste of very modest citrus and bitter hops.
Impressions: "Citra" has bee a favorite hop variant with many breweries in the past ten years or so, because it creates fruity and dry IPA-style beers. This is a less impressive specimen: A little too light, a little to thin, a little too smooth. Not bad, just a tad bland. [My ratebeer rating: 3.4/5]
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ND: Maker: Mashsee Brauerei (brewed at Brauhaus Felsenkeller - Rupp-Bräu), Hannover, Germany
Beer: Mashsee Xoco (bottled, unfiltered, 330ml)
Style: India Pale Ale (!)
ALC.VOL.: 6.2%
Colour: Dark amber, slightly hazy. Big offwhite head.
Nose: Milk chocolate plus sweetish mixed fruit notes. Floral and slightly wood-y background.
Texture: Light to medium body, a bit watery. Moderate carbonation.
Taste: Interesting mix of pinewood, grapefruit and choco malts, predominantly bitter, with some lactose. In the middle, pinewood and choco (not much of fruit flavours left), with a dark chocolate and resinous hoppy finish. Mild espresso in the aftertaste, accompanied by floral notes.
Impressions: Intriguingly "different" IPA (but still recognizably an IPA) that benefits from the tension between the cocoa and the pinewood. Interesting stuff! [My ratebeer rating: 3.7/5]
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A reminder for those who live or are visiting London next week:
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