Empire Strikes Back

Burton Bridge Empire pale ale is an IPA. In case you have ever wondered, IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It doesn’t originate from India, and is not Indian Pale Ale but I believe has its roots in sending British beers overseas. To endure the journey, they were brewed stronger than your average beer, and that should still be the same today.

You see a lot of beers boasting the title “IPA” these days but I’m not always convinced they are true IPAs. In my book, two things are true about a proper IPA. 1) They are pale and 2) they are brewed strong (perhaps to the 6%+ range but certainly 5.5%). You see plenty of examples in the supermarkets and elsewhere of ale that are dark and weak, and yet still claim to be IPAs. Not so in my humble opinion!

The Burton Bridge Empire pale ale is both strong and pale, and an excellent example of what I think of when I hear the term “IPA”.

About the beer

Burton Bridge Empire pale ale – my fourth beer on the 300 list and is classed as an IPA – you may have guessed.

It is pale and golden, and if I had to sum it up in one single word, that would be “rich”. This is truly a “rich” beer, and its sumptuous taste doesn’t disappear as soon as you swallow it. You don’t get punched with bitterness, as some IPAs can, but rather the richness of the malt and hops fades leaving a lingering bitterness on the tongue. It really is a splendid beer!

Referring to my previous post about not wasting your units; this is furthest from doing so. A pint or bottle of this beer could last you a fair while if you savour it. At a hefty ABV too, you won’t need too many before you reach the recommended daily alcohol limit!

Alcohol: 7.5% (that’s 3.75 units for the 500ml bottle and above the daily intake recommended by the new guidelines)

My rating: 7/10

 

This is a great beer, and one I’ve not had before. If you get a chance to try it, I’d recommend you do so. It’s brewed by Burton Bridge brewery, in Burton-on-Trent and if you can get to their brewery tap and try it, you won’t regret it. For those of us who don’t live in the area, you may find it harder to come by.

Where did I get mine? Believe it or not, I bought it from Amazon! They don’t just stock CDs, books and the like these days, and actually have a fair few brews to choose from. You have to watch the delivery prices, as they can really sting you if you’re not careful, but a pack of six Empire ales was a little more than £20 delivered. That may seem quite expensive, but don’t forget how strong this beer is and you won’t find it on 4 bottles for a fiver in your local Asda!

More on where to get your beer in a future blog I suspect!

A final word about bottle-conditioned beers. Empire ale is an example of a beer that is bottle-conditioned and what this means is that there is live yeast in the bottle and it will therefore have sediment in it. If you don’t pour it carefully, you will get a cloudy beer. This is worsened by buying online, as it will only get shaken up and disturbed on route to your home.

Again, more on bottle conditioning in a future blog. But for now, if you procure one, just make sure you pour it slowly and carefully, and where you can see the beer clearly. Stop pouring if you see the sediment coming out! It won’t hurt you, but could affect the taste of your beer.

Heather ale? What will they think of next!

What exactly is beer? What ingredients are used to make it? Well, in essence, there really isn’t a long list of ingredients. You have malted barley or similar, yeast, water and hops. That’s pretty much it. Sounds simple huh? Actually it’s quite difficult because you can combine those four ingredients in many different ways, and get really rather different results. I suppose that’s why there are 300 beers on the list, showcasing the supposedly best in the world. Sure, you can use different types of grain (or even rice), and you would be surprised how much difference using different yeasts can make. Many of the big breweries even have their own strain of yeast, such as Adnams, which give their beers their characteristic flavour.

These days though, you’ll see all manner of things being introduced into the beers on the supermarket shelves. Fruit beers, such as raspberry wheat beers, are common and have distinctive flavours. Badgers brew a whole host of beers boasting different flavours from peach to liquorice to ginger. Other beers include spices, honey, and yes, even flowers like elderflower.

Here is an example of a beer that is made using other additions. As the name suggests, this beer includes a generous amount of heather. But you would be wrong to think this is a new idea however, as I understand the Scottish Fraoch has been around a long time. In fact, some sources suggest heather has been used for nearly 4,000 years!

About the beer

Beer 2 of 300 – Fraoch Heather Ale by Williams Bros.

The 300 beer list categorises it as “Beers made with fruit” Is there any fruit in it? I’m not sure, but there is heather… I suspect!

The beer is very light and refreshing, and has a golden honey colour. You can certainly taste the heather in it, although it’s not overpowering by any means.

There was some fairly heavy sediment in the bottom of my bottle (which shouldn’t put you off), so it’s a good time to mention that many beers are “bottle conditioned”. To carbonate a beer, or put simply “make it fizzy” you can either inject CO2 into it or else add sugars to the beers when you bottle it. If you do the latter, the yeast in the beer will convert the sugar into alcohol and CO2, and this will make the beer fizzy. It’s worth being aware that beer conditioned in this way will have a small amount of sediment in the bottom.

Alcohol: 5%

My rating: 7/10

This beer is produced all year round, but I have to confess, I’m not 100% sure how I came about possessing one! As mentioned in a previous post, I searched my extensive beer stash for beers on the 300 list, and this was one I found. Where did I get it from? I just don’t recall! There’s a good chance my lovely wife picked it up for me one day while doing the weekly shop (she’s wonderful like that!). If that was the case, then chances are you can find one yourself in your local supermarket.

I don’t know a great deal about Scottish beers, and must confess I’ve never ventured that far north myself. Based on this little brew though, I’ll look forward to sampling a few more.

The only way to begin!

2016 has finally arrived, and may I wish you a very happy new year! As well as beginning a new year, I’m beginning my 300 beers challenge! When I look over the list, there really is only one way to begin… Adnams Broadside!

I wasn’t always a beer drinker, but one of the reasons I started enjoying real ale was a trip to the Adnams brewery in Southwold. It was my first brewery trip, and ever since then I’ve enjoyed drinking and making beers. Adnams were particularly generous when it came to tasting (more so on the wines and spirits than the beers, but still!) and we had a great afternoon wandering around the brewery. I can highly recommend a trip there if you ever get a chance.

Since that time, Adnams beers have always been special to me. Last summer, one of my beer buddies held an “Ale Test Fest” where we all brought one of our favourite beers to line them up against each other. We had to guess both the beer name, brewery and its strength. No one had trouble guessing mine, as I make no secret of the fact that Broadside is one of my top rated beers. The winner on the day was Badgers’ Poachers Choice (another tasty and more unusual beer tasting of liquorice and damsons) but Broadside stood well and was in good company. More about the Ale Test Fest and other events another day…

About the beer

Beer 1 of 300 – Adnams Broadside

The 300 beer list categorises it as “Best bitter”

This is one of Adnams flagship beers alongside Southwold Bitter, Ghost Ship and Explorer. At a hefty 6+%, Broadside is not for the faint of heart! It’s dark and rich and tasty, with a good hop balance. It’s delicious on tap and in the bottle, although the cask version is not as strong as the bottle (4.7% I believe). You can buy it in mini-casks as well, direct from Adnams and elsewhere, which is a great way to enjoy it.

Alcohol: 6.3% (in the bottle, less on tap)

My rating: 10/10 (slightly bias!)

I rate it highly because of its sentimental value to me (of course) but mostly because I just can’t walk past a Broadside pump clip in a pub without stopping for one (or more). It truly is an awesome beer and a personal favourite.

Where can you get Broadside? The fantastic thing is that it is readily available in most supermarkets and from Adnams directly. You won’t have to look hard or far to find one, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

What a great way to start my 300 beer challenge! If all the beers end up as good as this one, I’ll be a very happy (and likely tipsy) man!