Travels With Nate

Alright, my advent calendar didn't quite work out did it? I know I've posted before but apologies, I was a little busy. I'm still busy, I have stuff to do, but I really want to do 12 beers of Xmas to support my buddy Steve at The Beer O'Clock Show. Him and Mark run a brilliant podcast that I was lucky enough to guest on once (until my battery died and I had no charger) and I'm looking forward to doing it again one day. Yesterday was day one and I picked Stewart Brewing Weiss Christmas Blanc (4.7%, Edinburgh). We'd shared a few bottles of this in the office as they were nice enough to send us a bunch of samples when we bought a couple of pallets from them, and I enjoyed it but on cask it really is even better. So this beer is a German style Hefeweizen with added spices, in the spirit of Christmas. To be honest, I think it was a genius move to brew a Christmas Wheat Beer because nobody else seems to do it - Christmas beers all tend to be fairly dark. It po...

Today was meant to be Thwaites Big Ben but only had a chance to drink this before going out yesterday because Big Ben wasn't chilled. Will make sure I do that another day. I've really messed with the program! As you may have seen me mention about 137 times, Grain Brewery, in my opinion is the best Norfolk has to offer (sorry other brewery friends xxx) so I've got Grain 3.1.6, a 3.9% extra pale ale. This has been available on cask for a while but has only just made it into bottles. I believe this was originally brewed to celebrate the new tanks in the brewery and the name 3.1.6 comes from the grade of steel used to make them. It pours a lovely golden colour with a fluffy white head. Immediately on the nose you're struck with the lovely light biscuity lager malt, along with floral hoppy aromas. You then take a sip and you're hit with the biscuity malt, followed by subtle orange flavours and a long floral finish. The mouthfeel is quite carbonated, yet long ...

So, it's day 8 already. Due to the fact that I'm out of town tomorrow, I'm actually writing this on the evening of Day 7. I'm a big fan of Amstel. If I'm in a Wetherspoons that has a shit cask selection, it's my go-to. Yes I'm aware they sell Carling too, but that's my at home beer. I wouldn't be seen drinking it in public (unless I'm at a football game). So we've got Amstel Bock here, it's 7% and obviously it's from The Netherlands. The aroma give us a lot old malt and caramel, a little banana and a tiny sprinkling of hops. Tasting it, it's basically like drinking Amstel with a shitload of caramel and a bit of chocolate with some banana. Close to what other people had told me before. Mouthfeel is very carbonated, but you'd expect that. Overall, I really like it and at 7% it's fucking good value! Cheers, Nate

So it's Boxing Day and after the excitement of that ridiculously dark and decadent imperial stout yesterday, it's time for an IPA. This is my first beer of the day after shaking my mental hangover from yesterday (16 beers, too much red wine & a slug of Spirit of Broadside) I need to get back on the horse before going for a walk. Today we have Nomada Humala IPA from Spain. It's certainly not weak at 7.3%, but not mental either. As you can see from the photo, head retention is no problem for this chap as it's ridiculously carbonated. On the nose you get a lovely sweet medley of tropical fruits... pineapples, mangoes, grapefruit, blood orange and a tiny hint of caramel and biscuits. When you take a sip, you get EXACTLY what you're expecting... all of that fruit really works well together and it's not overly sweet, the flavours are great, with just that little bit of malt and bitterness holding it all together. The mouthfeel is lovely - incredibly smoo...

Holy fucking shit. It's Christmas day and I'm doing le writing. Cool. Yeah, I've just had dinner and been drinking since about 10:30am. I've had a lot of beer and now it's time to review the one I'm most looking forward to... the 15% motherfucker that is Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2012). The Beer O'Clock Show guy Steve and some other chaps & chapettes are doing Magic Rock Strongman today, but I didn't have any of that and thought this was appropriate. That rebel Connor Murphy has decided to join my splinter cell to drink this too... So... what the fuck is it like? The aroma gives you the purest, most goddamn bitter dark chocolate and coffee. My god, it's fucking incredible. Then you fucking taste it. Oh Jesus. Fresh brewed coffee, bitter dark chocolate, a few hops, bourbon and a sweet, creamy finish. The mouthfeel is thick as fuck, like a friji milkshake, as you'd expect from a 15% beast, but it's also kinda dr...

So Day 5 of my #12BeersOfXmas falls on Christmas Eve. Fuck knows why but everyone was so excited about it being Christmas Eve today. What is that even about? Well anyway, today is High & Mighty Beer of the Gods. High and Mighty are from Massachusetts in the USA but apparently this is brewed by the non-existent Ridgeway Brewery somewhere in the UK so fuck knows. Their website doesn't bother telling me what style it is but Ratebeer claims it's a Golden/Blond Ale. So what's it even like bro? Well the first hit on the nose you get is coppery like pennies but then you get mandarins, freshly baked white bread and cloves. Got fresh granny smith apples and digestive biscuits upon first taste, but then you start to get mandarins and a little bit of caramel at the end. Mouthfeel is well carbonated yet smooth. So overall? It's nice but could be punchier and have some more bitterness. I guess this is another of those fucking beers that they send to the USA and make...

So it's Day 4 and I'm not going to explain myself again. Today we're visiting Mexico with Dia De Los Muertos Immortal Beloved Hefeweizen. The rest of theirs I've had thus far have been shit but I'm hoping they can't fuck up a Hefeweizen. Let's see... Just looking at it, I'm disappointed. No big, thick creamy head like I would like to see in a hefe. The aroma? Blue Moon. Yeah, we've all tried Blue Moon. It's like that. Orange cordial and cloves. Blah. How does it taste? Like a weaker version of Blue Moon. Seriously. I'm fucking disappointed, but I expected to be. Overall... I think Blue Moon is alright. A weaker version of Blue Moon? No. Go away. I'm gonna neck this and get something decent. Hopefully Day 5 will be a success... Cheers, Nate

So it's day 3 and I'm sure you all know the score by now... review a beer a day for 12 days! Well, you lucky people, today brings a Celt Experience (Wales) collaboration with the Mischievous Melissa Cole ... Apparition IPA. A 5.9% organic dry-hopped IPA. So... what's it like? On the nose you're hit by a caramel tidal wave that's playing nicely with some blood orange, white pepper and lemons. Upon taking a sip you're hit with big and fruity blood oranges, caramel and a lot of bitterness to finish. There's also another familiar flavour in there but I can't for the life of me figure out what it is and it's really annoying me! It might be strawberries... I'm not sure, but it's tasty! Mouthfeel has a good bit of carbonation and the bitterness attacks your throat as it goes down. Overall, this is a really enjoyable beer and I would certainly purchase it again. It has the most important thing in an IPA... balance. Also, it's not a...

So yeah, you know the score, a review a day for 12 days with the Beer O'Clock Show chaps. This time it's St Austell Big Job from Cornwall, which weighs in at the same ABV as yesterday's beer - 7.2%. I've been wanting to try this for a while so let's get stuck in... It smells of candied oranges laying on top of digestive biscuit base, along with a few red and white grapes. Smells like it'll be too drinkable! The flavour starts with very dry white wine grapes, leading into a grassy hill with haystacks on top and finishing with a bit of pineapple just laying on there. It's too drinkable and smooth for the ABV due to the lack of bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth, with mid carbonation. Overall? I really like this BUT it does need some bitterness to sit with the sweet fruitiness. I'd buy another bottle anyway! See you tomorrow for day 3! Cheers, Nate

Well here I am. Sitting at my desk at work on the last Friday before Christmas, getting ready for the Christmas Party, drinking beers. Yes. I'm drinking a beer at work. So this is my first beer of Christmas, in the Beer O'Clock Show's #12BeersofXmas. Brewdog Jackhammer, a 7.2% IPA from Scotland. It was meant to be something else but fuck it. This is better! On the nose you're immediately hit by pine needles, bitter grapefruit, blood oranges and a sea of light caramel and biscuit. The caramel sea continues flowing when you take a sip, but with the pine needles it feels like you're being attacked by a bloated pufferfish that tastes a fruit medly of grapefruit, candied oranges, sharp green apples and pineapple. The mouthfeel is thick and prickly, yet somehow remains smooth - it's like a battle in the ocean. Will you get out alive? It's not my first time having this beer, and I fucking love it so I had to put it in my Christmas order. This is a ful...