Thornbridge - Jaipur India Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Jaipur India Pale Ale
Thornbridge Brewery
Riverside Brewery
Buxton Road

Bakewell, Derbyshire England
Est. 2005
www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk


Brain Damage Quotient = 5.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9


Postmortem Brew Review
Unfiltered golden yellow color.
Some citrus hops and honey aromas. Malts are subdued, but sustained in strength.
Two finger, off white head on pour.

Good amount of stringy lacing down the side of the glass.
Hops and malts are well balanced. Honey flavor is mild and enticing. Hops surge in bitterness moments after the sip.
Medium bodied. Well balanced with plenty of flavor. Easy to drink.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
It was a great day when I discovered this bottle of Thornbridge's Jaipur IPA. I'm a big fan of the BBC hit show Top Gear. One of the show's principle hosts, James May, has gone on to appear in a few other interesting shows including a mini-series called, "Oz and James Drink to Britain". The show came about after they had done a couple of wine tasting mini-series, where Oz tries his best to educate James on the finer points of wine and wine making.


During the beer series, James tries to turn the tables on Oz. One episode in particular was based upon a Yorkshire pub crawl, via train through the central British countryside. In a comical respite during the pub crawl, James and Oz sample this very IPA by Thornbridge. During the crawl, James counters the droning of Oz Clarke, a noted wine connoisseur, about the differences between wine and beer. As they begin their crawl at the first railway station pub, James puts Oz in his place by declaring: 

"Beer is a simple drink for people who want to get on with something useful. I'ts not a philospher's drink - - - it's not like wine. French people drink wine and sit there, then comtemplate the meaning of a teacup. British people drink beer to slake the thirst they've built up from building things. It's ridiculous, right?" --- James May

Not ridiculous at all. James is dead right, if you'll forgive the morbid pun. Muahaahaahaa! Oz eventually goes on to guess correctly that it's Jaipur, but the point sticks with him through the trip. Oz admits that James might be on to something.


Do enjoy this fine British IPA. Might I suggest watching all of the episodes whilst doing so? You will see that Oz will make a believer out of James in noting the finer qualities of well built ales. Of course, James will keep his 'wine-ponce' friend Oz in check with cheeky remarks on their journey to appreciation of well crafted ales.


PS - The train pub crawl is now on The Reaper's official "bucket list".

Oxfordshire - Pride of Oxford English Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pride of Oxford English Ale
Oxfordshire Ales
Unit 12
Pear Tree Industrial Estate
Marsh Gibbon, Bicester
Oxfordshire England
Est. 1995
www.oxfordshireales.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 4.2% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9


Postmortem Brew Review
Slightly cloudy gold/orange color.
Mostly smells of malts with some hop aromas.
Near-white, two finger head. Fair amount of streaked lacing and head retention.
Malt and hops are balanced and not overpowering. Slight watery finish.
Active amount of carbonation.
Light and crisp bodied. Easily approachable and flavorful session ale.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A new find in the area, Oxfordshire Ales did impress. It was not the most outstanding beer ever reaped by yours truly, but it reminded me how 'small beers', (those low in ABV), can have depth of flavor. This one held my interest from start to finish. Nothing about it was over-the-top. Simply stated, it was a fine everyday ale that is approachable by even those that prefer yellow lagers. Luckily for me there is another in the bottom of the chiller.

See what you've been missing, whether you're a seasoned beer drinker or if you are in search of something bolder than your current brand of macro.

Samuel Smith's - Organic Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Samuel Smith's Organic Lager
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster
Yorkshire, England
Est. 1758
www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk


Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 


Postmortem Brew Review
Clear gold color.
Toasted bread, yeast malt and grassy hops aroma.
White fluffy head. Two fingers high and leaves spotty lacing.
Toasted malt sweetness with same grassy hops taste noted in aromas.
Above average carbonation.
Light bodied mouth feel. Very easy to drink.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another very nice beer from Samuel Smith's stable and listed organic, to boot. The Reaper always says, "good things come from the earth." The way it drinks and tastes, you could almost mistake it for a pale ale.  This beer is decent as far as lager's go and it's worth a try.

Dig some up.

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster
Yorkshire, England
Est. 1758
www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 


Postmortem Brew Review
Dark brown color; solid.
Roasted grains of malt in the full and pungent aroma.
Bubbly tan/caramel head that lasts to the bottom of glass.
Huge three fingered head even upon slow pour.
Roasted malt taste, coffee-like, that gives way to some sweeter flavors of caramel hints of chocolate.
Abundant amount of carbonation.
Full bodied mouth feel. Smooth, creamy and delicious 


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Do these guys know how to make beer! Thus far, every ale sampled by Samuel Smith has been a treat. I am impressed by the balance of ingredients. They adhere to the style formats well, and do not attempt to go far over the top. Just solid and enjoyable ales.


This Imperial Stout was no exception. The roasty grains of malt come right up to border line of a burnt, or espresso taste. Those stinging notes are not a displeasure, as they are subdued under richer malt sweetness in the backbone. The head rises immediately while pouring and it's all you can do to reign it in the glass.


Fun to pour and fun to drink. It's like getting a show with your beer!

St. Peter's India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Peter's India Pale Ale

St. Peter’s Brewery Co. Ltd

St. Peter’s Hall, St. Peter South Elmham

Bungay, Suffolk, England

Est.1996

www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear brown colored beer with nice maroon color when held up to the light.
Normal sized tan head.
Light smell of hops and toffee with dark roasted maltiness.
Tastes slightly sweet with a big taste of malt in the finish.
Mild grain flavor and a hint of coffee.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Haven't had a St. Peter's brew in awhile.  A couple of their other styles had been tucked into the original coffin from back in the day, when this blog formed. So when I spotted this IPA in the display case, I chose to give it a try. Now I like my IPA's as well as the next person, and I'm also fully aware that the British created the style for their troops in India. Masters of the art, and so forth and all...harumph, harumph!  But since I've been sampling and enjoying American IPA's, it seemed that this beer lacked that west coast hops punch we all look for in and India Pale Ale. True that the hops are a different than I'm accustomed to, and more pungent in their 'bittering'.  Sadly, not to my liking.

Add to that, the bottle was slightly 'skunked', most likely from the export/import process and the evident and abundant green glass in this 16+ ounce bottle. Too bad, cause the other from their stable proved to be so tasty. I shall look for this one again in the future and try to compare if the taste was due to improper handling procedures.

They still have my vote, but unfortunately, not at the moment regarding this IPA.

Cotleigh - Barn Owl Premium Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Barn Owl Premium Ale

Cotleigh Brewery 
Wiveliscombe, Somerset, England 

Est. 1979

www.cotleighbrewery.com
www.hawkandowl.org

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9

Postmortem Brew Review

Cloudy and amber (near copper) color. Hazy particle suspension.
Muddled applesauce aroma. No malts or hops presence.
Very little carbonation.
Off-white head; dissipates very fast. Leaves skim cover.
Tastes of malts and apples. Difficult to define.
Light to medium mouth feel; slight watery and bitter finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Birds of prey are featured in the Cotleigh series of handcrafted ales. Although, like the real birds of prey, this one escapes me, too.  I couldn't quite put my finger on what the background was up to. "Applesauce" is what I kept coming back to, in the smell and in the taste, and to the eye. Not unusually difficult to drink at all. But...you see...well there I am again.  At a complete loss in my description of what I'm smelling, seeing and tasting.

Not a lot of head, nor carbonation. Not a lot of malt, not a lot of hops. Color is, well, muddled applesauce with a touch of cinnamon tint. So there you have it. Or do you? Let me know what you thought of this one.

Interesting note that the brew is part of a "Birds of Prey" series.  This brewer supports the protection of these elegant and awesome birds. Kudos to Cotleigh for that, my friends!

Wychwood - Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale
Wychwood Brewery
Whitney, Ofordshire, England
Est. 1990
www.wychwood.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden copper color with slight haze.
Biscuit and grassy smells with touch of hops and some fruit.
Off white, two finger head with ringed lacing, but it disappears quickly. 
Grainy and yeasty taste with a slight hops bite. Tastes envelop tongue.
Very lightly carbonated. 
Light bodied flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Scarecrow is an organic golden pale ale from the chaps across the pond. Not scary enough for the old Reaper, but pleasant enough to have a proper pint in the bottle. The clean and refreshing taste signifies the mark of a true organic brew, and it really shines in the taste of this ale.

From their label, "Scarecrow Organic Ale is brewed using organically grown Plumage Archer barley malt & Target hops to create a refreshing tasting beer of exceptional flavour & character. Ingredients grown to organic standards prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides & fertilizers."  

That means only good things from the ground, my faithful! Nothing scary like insecticides, that can kill you, er, uh shall we say, prematurely? Muahaha. But you're gonna' have to do better than a scarecrow to frighten me. Musahahaha!

Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster
Yorkshire, England
Est. 1758
www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark brown color; solid.
Malty chocolate roasted pungent aroma.
Foamy tan head that lasts to the bottom of glass.
Chocolaty taste with loads of malt flavor.
Medium carbonation
Medium bodied mouth feel. Smooth and delicious 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There is no doubt that Samuel Smith's is one of the top brewers from England. "Taddy" did not disappoint one drop.

On this Father's Day, I wished to pay honors to fathers, past and present. And presently, I drank this one in honor of my "English" roots for my grandfather on my dad's side of the family. He would have likely approved of this selection.

This was my starter for my Father's Day tribute, and I wish it had been the dessert.  It is rich and roasty.  There are wonderful flavors of chocolate and even toffee in the background.

Tip one of these in honor of your dad.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Wells and Young's Brewing Company
Havelock Street
Bedford, UK
Est. 1876
www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.0 (On Tap) - 14.9 (Nitrogen Can) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Solid black color.
Roasty malts and chocolate smells.
Full foamy, tan head with staying power.
Absolutely coats the whole inside of the glass.
Rich full mouth feel, luscious silky smooth.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
First 'tap' review here, but unfortunately, no true 'dead soldier' to portray above. Never mind that.

Update 11/25/09: Now a nitrogen can for the picture.

Looking for some dessert led me to this beauty of a chocolate stout. Having recently reaped another cho-stout, it left me wanting to see what others had to offer in this style of indulgence. The second best part* was watching it pour from the tap. The double forming head took about two full minutes to settle down as the bartender worked his magic.

The thick and creamy head this stout supplied was a challenge for my foam sweeping mustache. Occupational hazard, some might say. All in all, a great milk stout and one for the books.

*Oh. What was the first best part, you ask? Drinking it, of course!

Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale

Dead Crusader

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Black Sheep Brewery
Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Est.1992
www.blacksheep.co.uk
Brewed in
Rochester NY, USA
www.eurobrews.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
The color was golden brown, more gold than brown.
Very pungent smell and was slightly bitter to the back of the tongue.
Rich foamy white/yellowish head.
Medium mouth feel...heavy for a pale ale of note. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
And now, for something completely different! We have a new feature in this posting...a "ghost writer." When I get around to some of this ale, I'll add my two cents. The following comments do not represent my personal views, so tough noogies if you don't like them:

Ghost Writer's Eulogy
I am not a huge fan of ales to begin with. I didn't hate the beer like I dislike Samuel Adams ales, but I wouldn't drink it often to enjoy. The appealing label may be the only reason I would ever choke down the taste again.

The beer is very much like the movie itself, low budget and corny, but distinguished and classic all at the same time. The ale makes you happy when you least expect it, just like the movie. It starts off with a good entry taste and leaves you with a bitter after taste like most ales I've drunk in the past. A good experience to try, but I wouldn't start a crusade to get one.
---EA

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale
The Old Brewery at Tadcaster
Yorkshire, England
Est. 1758
www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark walnut brown color.
Nutty, malted barley with a hazelnut aroma.
Nicely foaming head with clumps of foam and lacing.
Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Wonderfully flavorful and thoroughly enjoyable! This has it all in a rare 'brown ale', (an old English brewing style.) I savored this beauty over a sumptuous fondue dinner, which it complimented with aplomb.

Upon further research, Samuel Smith has many other brews in their arsenal, of which I plan to seek out. If they are half as good as this brown ale, it will be worth the search.

Tetley's English Ale

Dead Huntsman

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Tetley's English Ale
Carlsberg UK Ltd.
Leeds/Yorkshire, England
Est. 1822
www.carlsberggroup.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 3.6% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 14.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Opaque caramel color.
Double leveled, creamy head during pour.
Lacing so complete the entire glass is draped in foam.
Distinct smooth, creamy sweetness (vanilla?) throughout.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
As the say, it's...
1 for the money ($6.44 for four cans)
2 for the show (nitrogen widget with double foaming head)
3 to get ready (caramel color looking yummy)
........but this ale just doesn't go.

I tasted the malt....but not a bit of bitters. There's a hint of something sweet throughout but I can't make it out. It has a "widget" in the can to give the foaming action of the double tiered head during the pour.

Also disappointing; it has a very low alcohol content. I have heard of 'near beers' but not 'near ales'. Might as well add the NA (non-alcoholic) moniker and have a strong cuppa' Tetley's tea instead of this weak ale. It's even lost on the mother-of-all-beer-websites. Good luck finding the link.

Insanely Bad Elf

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Insanely Bad Elf - Imperial Red Ale
Vintage 2007
Ridgeway Brewing
United Kingdom, England
Est. 1779
www.sheltonbrothers.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 11.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Brown red amber color.
Raspberry smell.
Nicely forming head with pleasant foaminess.
Full bodied.
Caramel flavor throughout. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Raspberries! You smell them, and you taste them in the brew. The reaper truly enjoys the things from this earth! Yummy and flavorful, although towards the bottom of the glass there was an alcohol overtone. Well, at a hefty 11.2% this is one of the drunk-est beers I've drunk. Insanely inebriated elf is more like it!

Wicked little fellow on the label...methinks I will give him a job!

St. Peter's Old Style Porter

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Peter's Old Style Porter

St. Peter’s Brewery Co. Ltd

St. Peter’s Hall, St. Peter South Elmham

Bungay, Suffolk, England

Est.1996

www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.1 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear brown colored beer with nice maroon color when held up to the light.
Normal sized tan head.
Light smell of hops and toffee with dark roasted maltiness.
Tastes slightly sweet with a big taste of malt in the finish.
Mild grain flavor and a hint of coffee.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Here's the other great St. Peter's brew from the box. That cute little logo has a raven with a key for a wing is also present as on its brother. It was as tasty too. I've got to dig up more of these somewhere!

Black Sheep Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Black Sheep Ale
The Black Sheep Brewery

Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Est.1992
www.blacksheep.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.4 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Rich golden brown in color.
Meringue-like foaming head.
Superb lacing.
Sweetness to the brew with a pleasant hops finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Being that I am a bit of a 'black sheep' myself, I was curiously drawn to this ale. It had wonderful taste with a bittersweet aftertaste, which I found very refreshing. Enormous body and flavor that lasts. A small brewer that takes great pride in crafting their beer; as it states on the label, "...the culmination of five generations of brewing expertise. Brewed at The Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire --- and nowhere else." The bottle cap and bottle had interesting artwork. The cap appeared to be scribblings at first glance, but the words Black Sheep Ale, rose out of the scribblings. The base of the bottle neck had hops vines encircling the bottle just above the label. Both are great touches.

St. Peter's - Cream Stout (Ale)

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Peter's Cream Stout

St. Peter’s Brewery Co. Ltd

St. Peter’s Hall, St. Peter South Elmham

Bungay, Suffolk, England

Est.1996

www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review

Color, black as midnight.

Medium forming head.

Significant lacing throughout the glass.

Black currant & gooseberries with honey flavors in aroma and taste.

Barley and malt taste.

Bittersweet finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Seems to be a trend with the last three beers and their ties to religion. St. Peter's brew site dates back to circa 1280 AD, as part of a monastery and nunnery. They even have a pub in London, "The Jerusalem Tavern". Doesn't get more biblical than that. The bottle logo has a raven with a key for a wing; a 'church key', me thinks? Wise old crow! There's lots of fruit flavor that embodies this darn fine ale from a young brewery. But even at that, the location of this brewer keeps such history, including references to King Henry VIII. "Off with its head!", I say, and let's have another! Oh goody, there's two in the casket!

Greene King - Abbot Ale

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Abbot Ale
Greene King - Morland Brewery
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk, England
Est.1799
www.abbotale.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden red color.
Deep forming head from bottom to the top of glass on pour.
Liquid marshmallow like head that continuously coats glass.
Malty aroma start and mild bitter hop finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Fella's, if you can find a more beautiful, mature, rich and creamy, smooth bodied, strawberry blond that you can hold in your hand without upsetting your current girl one iota, let me know. Inside the confines of this proper pint is a plastic nitrogen ball,(widget). Says so on the can. Pop open this 'big-unit' and the widget will rupture, giving forth a frothy creamy, smooth tasting ale.

I must say, this is an ale to experience. Sit back a while and watch the full head form from bottom to top. As it goes down, it doesn't just lace the glass, it coats it. As the comical talent Lou Costello (more than) once said, "Hey, Abbot! ! !" Must have wanted one of these ales.

Bass Ple Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Bass - Pale Ale
Inbev UK Limited
Luton, England UK
Est. 1777
www.bass.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Perfect amber tone.
Great balance from start to finish.
Wonderful finish, no aftertaste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
They've been making this stuff since 1777 so they must know what they're doing. Ahh, Bass…one of life's simple pleasures! Always consistently great.