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Sainsbury's Beer Festival
by Tom Cannavan, 08/05
Sainsbury's supermarket in the UK is once again running its autumn "Foire aux Vins", modeled on the traditional annual sale of wine by French supermarchés. Sainsbury's have included a range of interesting beers in their 2005 Wine and Beer Festival, many stocked
especially for the event, and all offered at discounted prices for a limited period. Included is our current beer-pages 'Beer of the Month', Ridley's Old Bob, and a clutch of four-star beers. The fair also includes a selection of organic beers.
The Festival runs from Tuesday August 17th through to September 13th 2005. Not all beers will be in all stores, but with 20 interesting beers reviewed below, why not print off this page, and take it with you when you go
shopping as your guide?
Beers
Arundel, Sussex Gold (England)
"Best Bitter" brewed in Sussex by Arundel, this pours a a gentle, medium gold with quite a thin off-white head. The nose is malty, with a touch of seaweedy character and some sour, lemony notes. On the palate it is medium bodied and the two dominating flavours are sweet malt and that sour, slightly salty citrus. It is fresh, with a rather weak mid-palate, and a touch of dank character. The malt does fill in again on the finish, in this slightly "dirty" tasting beer that is, nevertheless, not unpleasant. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, £1.75, down to £1.31  |  |
Bath Ales, Gem (England) 
This beer pours a very attractive deep ruby/bronze colour, with a thinnish, off-white head. The nose has a distinct malt and red fruit bias, with only a gentle hoppiness. On the palate there is a quite a full-bodied, creamy weight to this beer, and an initial hit of fruity raspberry or redcurrant sweetness. A dry, savoury quality of hops pushes through, and a rich, slightly treacly malt character. It finishes with good freshness, if perhaps a little underpowered and fading slightly. 4.8% ABV, 50cl, £1.87, down to £1.40 |  |
Black Sheep, Riggwelter (England)
The name is Yorkshire dialect for a sheep that has rolled onto its back and cannot get up again - perhaps a veiled warning about this beer's strength. Riggwelter pours a very dark chocolate, almost black colour with a cream-coloured head that is quite dense. On the nose lots of toast, roasted aromas and chocolate malt, with a little citrussy note peeking through. On the palate it is a medium-bodied beer, with plenty more dark, espresso and roasted barley flavours, and a dry, savoury character. Hops are minimal, though there is a juicy acidity to keep it fresh. A bright and crisp style of stout-like dark beer. 5.7% ABV, 50cl, £1.79, down to £1.34  |  |
Brains, Dark (Wales)
Now available bottle-conditioned for the first time, Brains Dark, a stout-like mild beer from Cardiff, has risen in alcohol to 3.9% from the 3.5% canned version. That still qualifies it as a "session beer", and for me the quality is much improved. It pours a black colour with just a hint of ruby/brown, and has a good coffee-coloured head. The nose is full of gently roasted coffee-bean and chocolate aromas, some plummy red fruit and a dry, charcoally quality. On the palate it is medium- to full-bodied and rich, with lots of dry, dark flavours of coffee and roasted nuts. It remains quite fresh, with a clean citrus finish and hint of hops, in a very quaffable dark beer that is full of finesse. 3.9% ABV, 50cl, £1.69, down to £1.26  |  |
Daleside, Ripon Jewel (England)
Harrogate-brewed Ripon Ale is described as a "Full bodied deep amber ale", and each purchase generates some money for the preservation of Ripon Cathedral. Dark Amber, with a thinnish off-white head that disippates quite quickly, the nose has a light, quite floral character, with peaty, malty notes and some honey, and a touch of nettly hops. On the palate it is smooth though medium-bodied, but with a powerful, quite winey flavour, with plenty of fruity, spicy, warming malt flooding the mid palate, a touch of caramel sweetness, and enough hoppy grip and acidity to leave the finish clean and crisp. 5.8% ABV, 50cl, £1.79, down to £1.34 |  |
Double Maxim, Samson ESB (England)
A great brown ale name once brewed by Vaux, and now by the revivalists at Double Maxi, under Vaux's old head brewer. It pours a golden/brown colour with a thick creamy head. The nose has a really punchy brightness of red fruits and hops, with plenty of burnt, toasty notes filling in. On the palate it is medium-bodied, with a nice chewy texture and full, broad palate of bold, citrussy fruits mellowed by toast and a touch of toffee. 5.0% ABV, 55cl, £1.69, down to £1.26 |  |
Everards, Tiger Best Bitter (England)
This beer from Leicestershire brewer Everards pours a lovely Oloroso sherry colour, with a fairly thin off-white head. The nose is sweet and malty with a candy-floss aroma, a touch of cordite and some sappy green aromas. On the palate it is quite light- to medium-bodied, with a toasty, charry edge to a lovely bitter hop character. There are chicory and dark liquorice nuances, and a tangy, quite refreshing finish. An enjoyable bitter that just squeezes four stars. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, £1.77, down to £1.32 |  |
Felinfoel, Double Dragon (Wales)
This family-owned brewery in Llanelli was established in 1878, and remains independent. Double Dragon pours a deep coppery red colour, with a good, creamy off-white head. On the nose there is a distinctive note of brusied apple and pear skins, with an undertone of caramel and a touch of gunflint. On the palate it is quite full-bodied and creamy-textured, with plenty of nutty, lightly toffeed notes and a big core of tangy red fruit flavour. There is a touch of that flinty character in the finish, and a fresh, hoppy bite, in a very nice and quite distinctive beer. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, £1.69, down to £1.26 |  |
Harviestoun, Schehallion (Scotland)
Named after a Scottish mountain, Schiehallion is a lager-style beer brewed with Hersbrücker and Challenger hops, that pours pale gold with a thin white head. There is a good hop quality on the nose, that is grassy and herbal, with a floral, talcum-powder lift and some citrus fruit. On the palate it is quite light and fresh, and that sweet-edged, floral and bright pear fruit character continues, though it is soon drowned out by a good level of bitter hops, a whisper of malt and grapefruit pith acidity. A refreshing and moreish beer. 4.8% ABV, 50cl, £1.73, down to £1.29 |  |
Manns, Brown Ale (England)
This beer is brewed by Ushers brewing, not the original Manns of Whitechapel, London. The small bottle has a nicely old fashioned feel to it, and the beer pours a deep, dark garnet to nut brown colour with a white head. On the nose it is creamy and biscuity, with a suggestion of malty sweetness but quite a bright, fruity character. On the palate it is medium-bodied and quite fresh. There's a crispness about this beer, that despite a sweet-edge to the flavour, adds a clean, tangy finish with only moderate malt notes. A bit light, but very easy to drink with surprisingly complex character, and enjoyable. 2.8% ABV, 27.5cl, 0.99p, down to £0.74. |  |
Otter Brewery, Bright (England)
Brewed with spring water, Devon's Otter Bright is a pale gold beer, with a very thin white head that suggests particularly low carbonation. It is somewhat hazy too, though there is nothing to indicate it is bottle-conditioned. The nose is very appealing, with pear and juicy melon aromas, a creamy suggestion of sweetness and some floral nuances. On the palate it is medium-bodied and very clean and smooth, with crisply-defined apple and sweet pear fruit, a gentle hop quality and nice dry, citrussy finish with a suggestion of ginger ale. Easy to drink and summery. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, £1.75, down to £1.31 |  |
Ridley's, Old Bob Strong Premium Ale (England)
Ridley's was sold to Greene King on July 4th 2005, so the future of this beer is perhaps uncertain. It pours a deep reddish amber, with a creamy yellow head. It has a delicious nose, thick with biscuity malt, spice and rich red fruits. There is very good hopping too, with a lemon and grassy cut. On the palate it is creamy and dense, with fine, mouth-coating bittersweet flavours. At first I thought the sweetness may be overblown, but a lovely underpinning of tart red fruits and biting hops really delivers into the long, tangy finish. A very fine beer. 5.1% ABV, 50cl, £1.75, down to £1.31  |  |
Wadworth, The Bishop's Tipple (England)
Brewed in Devizes with "substantial quantities" of Saaz and Styrian Goldings hops, this strong beer pours a light gold colour with a persistent white head leaving plenty of lacing round the glass. The nose has a toasty, sweet malt character, with a floral aspect and very intense, clove-like spice. On the palate it is very rich, creamy and full, with a powerful core of plummy red fruits, and a barely-wine character with plenty of bitter, oily hops pushing into the finish and a slightly overwhelming alcohol intensity. This is a very fine beer, though a bit of a mouthfiul. 6.5% ABV, 50cl, £1.89, down to £1.41 |  |
Wickwar, Cotswold Way (England)
Wickwar brewery from Gloucestershire was founded in 1990, to produce a small range of real ales. Cotswold Way is an amber coloured beer with a moderate white head. It has a nose of toffee and smoky, dark malts, with a nice citrussy tang and some aromatic, oily hops. On the palate it has a creamy, full texture and smooth, generous palate with nutty, dry, walnut shell and wheat husk flavours, and a decent, quite bitter finish. Almost worthy of four stars. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, £1.75, down to £1.31 |  |
Wye Valley, Butty Bach (England)
This bottle-conditioned ale is subtitled "The Friendly Ale" on the label, as the name is Welsh for "Little Friend". It pours a medium-deep gold, with a quickly disippating off-white head. The nose is immediately malty and rich, with toffeed notes, red berry fruits and a touch of spice. In the mouth it is medium-bodied, with a lively, but soft character, with plenty of sweet, chewy, malt and fruity body, and a clean, nicely hopped finish. Straightforward but very quaffable ale with a good dollop of character. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, £1.79, down to £1.34 |  |
Young's, Kew Brew (England)
A financial contribution to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew is made for each bottle of Kew Brew sold. Marris Otter and crystal malts are brewed with Fuggle and Goldings hops, then the brew is late-hopped with Target hops grown at Kew Gardens. It is an amber/gold ale with a thick, creamy head. On the nose the late-hopping gives plenty of herbal and floral notes, with a lemony lightness and touches of clove and violets. On the palate it is rich and smooth, with a mouthfilling, creamy texture and plenty of plush, malty flavour. The hops begin to bit on the mid-palate, with plenty of grassy verve, and a nice earthy complexity builds, with fruity notes and a wine-like bite and acid balance. A lovely beer. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, £1.66, down to £1.24 |  |
Organic Beers
Brakspear, Organic beer (England)
This live, bottle-conditioned beer is based on Target hops, but late-hopped with Goldings. It pours a medium- to deep gold colour, slightly hazy, with an off-white head. On the nose it is quite spicy and wheat beer-like, though it is made with barley. It is aromatic, bright and citrussy, and that character follows through to the palate. Though there is good body to the beer, it has a real cutting edge of crisp lemon and orange pith acidity, and a fine hoppy bitterness playing against gently toasty malt notes. Long and nicely balanced, this is a fine beer. 4.6% ABV, 50cl, £1.69, down to £1.26 |  |
Caledonian, Golden Promise Organic Beer (Scotland)
Golden promise claims to be the world's first organic beer, brewed in the early 1990's from Scottish malt and English Target hops. It pours a nice deep gold, with a hint of bronze, and a moderate, off-white head. It is a very appealing, pure beer on the nose, with toasty grains, a hint of honey and plenty of leafy hop aromas. There is a tiny sulphur note in there, but it is not off-putting. On the palate it is smooth and creamy, with medium body and a very citrussy, fresh style. The acidity and sharpness of this beer is good, with a bitter hop bite and quite long finish. A very nice organic beer that is light and summery. 5.0% ABV, 50cl, £1.69, down to £1.26 |  |
Duchy Originals, Organic Ale (England)
Made for the Price of Wales' Duchy Originals brand by Wychwood brewery, this has a deep amber-coloured ale with a thick, creamy off-white head. On the nose it is very tangy with grassy hops and nettly qualities, and a nice suggestion of background toasted oats and malt. On the palate it is a thick-textured, luxuriously creamy beer, with very forward bittersweet hop flavours and a certain biscuity richness. This beer has lots of bitterness and toast into the long, well-balanced finish, and is a very tasty beer indeed. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, £1.79, down to £1.34 |  |
Shepherd Neame, Whitstable Bay Organic Ale (England)
This beer from Shepherd Neame is brewed with organic Gem and Hallertau hops from New Zealand. It has a vivid amber/bronze colour and thinnish just off-white head. The nose is has a nice blend of biscuit aromas with orange and gentle, spicy notes. On the palate it is tangy and light-bodied, with a dry, orange oil and herbal character showing some chicory and leafy bitterness, and and nice juicy grapefruit flavour into a long, balanced finish. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, £1.79, down to £1.34 |  |
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