Wych-wood you choose?

It’s been a while since my last blog post, for which I can only apologise for. My limited but not so weak excuses include: personal motivation, Israeli beers and a house move which has forced me to drink much of my garage stock! This has left me with little time to write sadly.

I return with my sixth beer on the list, and a cracking one at that! Wychwood Hobgoblin was one of the first “real” beers I ever enjoyed and to this day, I still love a drop of it. A particular friend of mine is a huge fan of all things Wychwood, and usually has a couple of dozen bottles in his beer fridge. He has a slight oddity in that he doesn’t always like to drink his beers, but rather save them like a collector. Save the empties, that’s what I say!

About the beer

The 300 beers list classes it as: Extra Strong Beer

Wychwood Hobgoblin is the flagship beer, as I see it, of the Witney-based brewery. They produce a wide range of beers, including a favourite of mine – King Goblin. It’s a bit of a strong one, but I do like a bottle on Christmas Day!

Hobgoblin is a dark and flavourful beer. I was once told it was modelled on chocolate fudge, but not sure if that’s the case or not. It’s rather gulpable, and not overly bitter but with a good balance. It’s widely available now, as is its Gold cousin, and also in mini-kegs.

As stated above, it’s classed as an Extra Strong brew, but at just over 5%, it’s not ridiculous and there are many beers on the list that far exceed its volume. Hey though, who am I to question the list?

Alcohol: 5.2%

My rating: 9/10

I love Hobgoblin, as it’s a great tasting beer and a fond favourite of many a real ale drinker. I’ve been to a few breweries in my time, but never made it up to Witney to visit Wychwood. I’m keen to put this right at some point soon, and want to see what else they have to offer. For Christmas this year, my lovely wife bought me a case of Wychwood beers which included such great titles as Goliath, Arrowaine and Bah Humbug (their Christmas beer, in case you hadn’t guessed!). Wych-wood you choose?

If you’ve not had Hobgoblin, where have you been? But seriously, if you’re just starting your real ale journey, this is a great one to get you started! Enjoy!