Fortunately, although being busy at work makes it difficult to find the time to write about beer, I can usually find time to drink the stuff, so I’ve got a backlog (of writing, not beer) to catch up on. I was horrified to see that my last post was on December 30th, so I missed the whole of January! Never mind – happy new year anyway!
I’ve been drinking quite a lot of Wychwood beer recently. Over Christmas we got one of their “selection boxes” – Beers Of Character I believe they call it – 3 bottles each of Wychcraft, Goliath, Scarecrow and Hobgoblin. I enjoyed it so much, I got another box – at least the Procurement Department (Sarah) did.
Wychcraft Blonde Beer (4.5%) – “thrice hopped” – 3 infusions of Styrian Goldings hops – but it doesn’t taste particularly hoppy to me. It’s actually a bit dark for a blonde beer – golden maybe. It has a light and fruity smell – not overly bitter, but a bitter-sweet, slightly syrupy aftertaste. I thought it was a bit disappointing compared to the other beers in the selection, but drinkable all the same.
Goliath (4.2%) – I hadn’t tried this one before – the bottle claims “a collossal taste”, and it is a satisfyingly bitter, refreshing drink. The weakest of the four beers in the selection, and definitely the most quaffable. Dark amber/ruby colour and strong malty smell. Styrian Goldings hops again.
Scarecrow organic pale ale (4.7%). This is fast becoming one of my favourite beers. I think it must have been re-branded, as it seems to be described on the Wychwood website under the name Circle Master – I’ve drunk Circle Master before, and suspect it is indeed the same beer. Golden and light, with a sweet malty smell, but a sharp, bitter taste. Made with organically grown English barley malt, and whole-leaf Target hops, which “combine to evoke lazy, hazy days of summer in this serenely satisfying golden harvest brew”.
Hobgoblin (5.2%). A long-standing favourite, though a little strong for regular drinking. A dark ruby beer with a slightly toasty smell. Full-bodied taste, fruity, not an overly bitter taste, but a lasting bitter finish. A regular in the beer cupboard.
I’ve also recently had some Fiddler’s Elbow (4.5%). Made with a blend of wheat and barley malt, it is quite dark for a wheat beer, so clearly a bit of a mixture. It has a strong malty smell and taste, a sharp immediate bitterness, and a lasting bitter finish. A very nice beer.
I’ve got a voucher for a brewery visit – Christmas present from Sarah – so I’m really looking forward to sampling some of these wonderful beers at the source!