Monday, December 31, 2012

Foundation Stone - Lymestone Brewery

Review by Gareth Ralphs (A Duper's Brew Review contributor)

From the micro-brewery of Lymestone Brewery, Stone, Staffordshire (founded 2008 by Ian Bradford, formerly head brewer at the award winning Titanic Brewery in nearby Stoke-on-Trent) their first beer out and now staple 'Foundation Stone' brew is a glorious golden pale ale crafted from the finest pale and crystal malts. Faint biscuit and chewy, juicy citrus fruits burst onto the palate then spicy Boadicea and Pilot hops pepper the taste buds leaving a pleasing long and dry bitter finish.

Cask; Regular

The ABV is 4.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - English Pale Ale
Glass to use - Pint Glass, Becker, Nonic or Tumble
Delivery 500ml Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

Notes - A magical experience and a true example of the historical context and brewing techniques associated with this small market town that extends back in time for almost a 1000 years. With tasty stuff like this it is very tempting to quickly move on from the first couple of pints – but at this premium strength you should be careful you don’t start rocking too much.

This beer pairs with Indian cuisine, pepper cheese or blue cheese and fish.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating =na
Ratebeer Rating =87

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sly Fox - Christmas Ale 2011

A malty, full-bodied red ale made with traditional mulling spices: Ginger, Clove, All Spice, Cinnamon & Nutmeg. If this one doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit, you truly are a Scrooge. Released each year on Thanksgiving Eve.

The ABV is 6.5 and the IBU rating is 16
Style - Winter Warmer
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker or Tumbler
Delivery 750ml bottle.

Can be cellared for about one year, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - The cork flew off the bottle and foamed out on the table for over a minute (I guess its not flat!) Pours a ruby color with a big tan head.  Some lacing.
Aroma - Cherries, molasses, brown sugar, spicy (ginger, cloves, cinnamon).
Taste - Identical to the nose - sweet, spices like clove and ginger.
Mouth Feel - High carbonation, medium body. A bit fizzy.
Drinkable - Despite the exploding cork, this is one of the best Xmas brews I have had from Sly Fox.

This beer pairs with white meat and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-
BeerAdvocate Rating =82
Ratebeer Rating = 82