Marks & Spencer beers by Roger Protz

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Marks & Spencer

by Roger Protz, 01/2010

Marks & Spencer has recently revamped its bottled beer range. Here's our take on what's new on the M&S shelves.

Marks & Spencer, Belgian Cherry Wheat Beer (England)
(RP) Another beer from Huyghe, it’s red-coloured with pink foam and a powerful cherry aroma. The beer is sweet but not cloying in the mouth, with light malt and hops balancing the fruit. The finish is fruity, with a pronounced dry cherry character, and some faint bitterness. 3.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Belgian Wheat Beer (England)
(RP) Brewed by Huyghe, the beer is brewed with orange peel and coriander along with malted barley, wheat and hops. It has a cloudy, hazy gold colour with a powerful herbal, spicy and citrus fruit aroma. In the mouth there are spicy, fruity and herbal notes balanced by creamy malt. Coriander comes to the fore in the finish, along with citrus fruit, creamy malt and gentle hops. Quenching. 4.5% ABV, 33cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Cheshire Chocolate Porter (England)
(RP) The beer is brewed by Robinson’s of Stockport, using a 1899 recipe and in collaboration with chocolatier Simon Dunn. It’s ruby red in colour with a big fluffy head of foam. The aroma is reminiscent of rich dark chocolate and cocoa, with vinous fruit and light hop resins. Dry chocolate dominates the palate, with roasted grain, burnt fruit and gentle hops. The finish starts sweet but becomes dry, with continuing chocolate, roasted grain and light hop resins. An intriguing interpretation of porter. 6.0% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, County Carlow Irish Stout (England)
(RP) The stout is brewed by the County Carlow Brewing Co, using a recipe from the 1740s. It has luscious coffee and chocolate nose with roasted grain, sultana fruit and hop resins. Rich, dark and creamy malt dominates the palate with dark fruit, bitter hops and dark chocolate. The finish is dry, with bitter hops, dark chocolate, roast grain and burnt fruit. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Lincolnshire Best Bitter (England)
(RP) Brewed by Bateman’s of Wainfleet, the beer is brewed with Maris Otter pale barley, crystal malt and Goldings hops. It’s bronze coloured with a peppery Goldings aroma, freshly-peeled apple and rich malt. Juicy malt builds in the mouth, balanced by tart fruit and bitter hops. The finish is bitter and hoppy, with a fine balance of biscuit malt and tangy fruit. 4.9% ABV, 50cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, London Porter (England)
(RP) The beer is brewed by Meantime of Greenwich and is based on a 1750s recipe that uses seven malts. There’s roasted malt, burnt fruit, liquorice, molasses and peppery hops on the nose, with sweet, dark malt in the mouth along with caramel, liquorice, vinous fruit, fresh cigar tobacco and gentle hop resins. The finish starts sweet but becomes dry with bitter hops, vinous fruit, liquorice and molasses. A magnificent beer. 5.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Norfolk Bitter (England)
(RP) A bottle-conditioned beer from Woodforde’s, it’s copper coloured with a nutty and spicy aroma and a hint of chocolate, roast grain and peppery hops. Rich dark malt, vinous fruit, a hint of chocolate and hop resins fill the mouth. There’s sweet, nutty malt in the finish with ripe fruit and peppery hops. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Scottish Ale (England)
(RP) A bottle-conditioned beer from Cairngorm, with a fascinating recipe made up of whole hops, thistle, ginger, and pale, crystal, chocolate and wheat malts. It has an amber-red colour and a nose-tingling herbal aroma with a pronounced ginger note and a powerful hint of black chocolate. Sweet malt builds in the mouth with a herbal note – ginger to the fore – chocolate and spicy hops. The finish is dry, spicy and hoppy, with a continuing chocolate note. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Southwold Winter Beer (England)
(RP) No prizes for guessing this is brewed by Adnams. The copper-red beer is brewed with four malts and has oak, burnt fruit, smoky malt, dark chocolate and peppery hops on the nose. Raisin and sultana fruit dominate the palate with bitter hop resins and roasted grain. Tart fruit, roast malt and good hop bitterness combine in the long finish with a continuing hint of chocolate. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Staffordshire IPA (England)
(RP) Brewed by Marston’s in Burton-on-Trent, the beer is straw coloured with sulphur on the nose, a digestive biscuit maltiness and tangy hop resins. There’s a good balance in the mouth of juicy malt, orange and lemon fruit and bitter hops. Tangy citrus fruit and hop resins dominate the finish, underscored by rich malt. Very refreshing. 5.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł1.99, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Sussex Bitter (England)
(RP) The beer is brewed by Hepworth & Co of Horsham and uses Sussex malting barley and Goldings hops. The colour is pale gold and the beer has a big floral hop nose with cracker wheat malt. Bitter and peppery Goldings dominate the palate, balanced by tangerine fruit and crisp malt. Citrus fruit builds in the finish, balanced by bitter hop resins and sweet malt. Well-balanced and refreshing. 3.8% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.49, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Tripel Abbey Beer (England)
(RP) Brewed by the Huyghe Brewery, the beer is straw coloured with a massive scented glacé fruit aroma balanced by spicy hops. Sweet malt loaf dominates the palate but with solid backing from tangy hops and rich fruit. The finish is bittersweet to start but becomes dry with marmalade fruit and peppery hops. 9.0% ABV, 33cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Welsh Honey Bitter (England)
(RP) Brewed by the Conwy Brewery, the beer is pale gold with honey, sherbet lemons and light hops on the nose. Honey coats the tongue but is not cloying and is balanced by rich malt and gentle hops. The finish starts sweet but becomes dry, with honey notes balanced by biscuit malt and light hops. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer, Yorkshire Bitter (England)
(RP) A bottle-conditioned beer brewed by Cropton, with chocolate and cocoa on the nose followed by spicy hops and rich malt. It has a fruit cake palate with raisin and sultana fruit, sweet, chewy malt, gentle hop resins and light chocolate notes. The finish is bittersweet, with burnt fruit, dark roast malt, a hint of chocolate and bitter hops. A complex and rewarding beer, but is it a bitter or a strong mild? 4.6% ABV, 50cl, Ł2.19, Marks & Spencer.

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