Chimay

Here we have the infamous Chimay, a beer brewed by Trappist monks. Like a boss.

This beer was drunk wearing a shirt and tie in respect of it's boss status.

Strangely, when I opened the beer it started overflowing with foam/head, not exploding like it had been shaken up just a very slow stream pouring out of the top...

I left it sitting with a towel under it for 5 minutes while it did its thing.

Was this meant to happen? Was I supposed to perform some sort of blessing or ritual before opening the beer? I'm not sure.

Anyway, on to the holy water... this is like the mud cake of beers. It is rich and heavy (and 9% alcohol to boot). Despite this heavyness, it still keeps a cool persona. A bit like Elvis in his later years. It is a quality product, and in the end lives up to some of the fanfare that surrounds it.

You can't buy it in a six pack, and it's a 7 dollar beer, but if you're adventurous give it a crack.

8.5/10

Schofferhofer Hefeweizen

AS you may have worked out already, this beer is German.

It's unfortuantely another one of those "I have to drink half a litre of this?" moments. This was like fruit punch beer.

I know it's a hefeweizen, but shit, it's also a BEER!

I'm being a bit melodramatic here let's be honest, I'm just tired and pissed off after Carlton's loss and was looking forward to a good beer and got this instead.

There's also some oddly masonic/occult imagery on the label, next to a picture of Peter Schoffer Von Gernsheim there is a pyramid surrounded by three stars on one side, and a cross like an X on the other. Still, I would have thought the Illuminati could afford better beer?

3.5/10

St Arnou Pilsner

I had the Pale Ale from these guys a little while back, and it was a fairly decent beer. Very, very clean, not huge on flavour but a pretty polished effort and an easy to drink beer.

Here we have a Pilsner from them, which should be reasonably different in nature than a Pale Ale you would expect.

Not really in this instance.

It's very much in the same style as the Pale Ale, very crisp and clean. This is not necessarily a bad attribute but there's just not a lot of flavour going on. You do get that citrusy tinge, but it's just that... it's a tinge more than a burst.

It's a bit tough for me to rate, as with the Pale Ale, it does top most mainstream beers but when compared to creative micros it really does fall short. I think I gave the pale ale a 7.5, this is just a touch off it's pace so I'll rate it accordingly.

It's a good beer, but is staying too far within it's own comfort zone.

7/10

Bridge Road Breweries BLING IPA

I must say, my experience with IPA's have been very hit and miss. None of them are amongst my favourites, and considering they were designed back in the day by the British to be shipped to India it's not really a surprise. They were packed full of hops and malt and extra alcohol so they would survive the journey. Since combustion engines have been invented the point is almost lost, and often they are like drinking a Mike Tyson cross.

That said, you do find some interesting ones, and I do like a full flavoured beer when done properly. The label states that they have 'thrown everything' at this beer, so I'm intrigued to try it. BRB makes some impressive beers.

This offering really does cement them amongst my top brewers now. Finding balance when using such an elevated amount of ingredients is no mean feat. It is really heavy on the hops and malt, but the flavours are great. The bitterness is very punchy and will put some people off, it's almost borderline for me even. All in all, it's a great IPA, one of the best I've had.

8/10

Special Block 6

You know that surprise you get when you're eating/drinking something and suddenly get a taste/flavour you weren't expecting? Like if you accidentally pick up someone else's drink and have that massive WTF moment? That's pretty much the experience with Special Block 6.

This beer is seriously out there. It's a Belgian beer, and everything on label is in Belgian so it's hard to elaborate, but I'll do my best.

It is a FULL flavoured ale, considering it has the body of a light ale it's really hard to get your head around the taste. It has a sweet flavour to it that almost tastes like blackberry or something of the like. The ingredients say elderberry and pomegranite so I guess that is where it comes from.

The flavour is huge and overpowering, and unbalanced to be honest. It's not bad, it's just... not like anything I've drunk before.

I am really struggling giving this a score. It's ambitious and original, but unbalanced and confusing at the same time. It's not a great beer, it's not a bad beer. It's easy to drink, but doesn't really taste like a beer.

It's a one off, you wouldn't be knocking back a sixer of this any time soon. If you like trying strange beers, put this on your list.

6.75/10

Old Speckled Hen Fine English Ale

'Old Speckled Hen'? For real? It sounds like something you'd hear from a conversation between Sir Farnsworth Pennywhistle and Lord Geoffrey Nottinghamshire after a game of polo.

"Here, here old chap, let's go for a spot of Old Speckled Hen and some scones with apricot marmalade"

Strange name aside, the story is even weirder. On the bottle it states this beer was brewed to commemerate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory.

Okaaay.

Can't wait for Foster's tribute to the LH Torana, should be a ripper.

Anyway, I must say the beer looks brilliant. It's a deep copper/brassy colour that changes depending on how the light hits the bottle. It's a beer with a fair bit of bite to it, the flavour is primarily malty and bitter but reasonably well balanced. It's different I'll give it that, doesn't really taste like any other lager I've had before.

It's probly a beer conniessuer's beer, your average punter won't really get into it. It's not something I'd probly get on a regular basis, but on a journey to taste a lot of different beers it was a worthy destination.

7.75/10

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Whenever I see this beer I can't help but think of that Dave Chapelle skit with 'Samuel Jackson Beer!', if you haven't seen it here's a link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9-xeTLBcB4

I've been avoiding it up until now because it cost a whopping SIX DOLLARS per beer. That's on some Trappist Monk shit right there. And considering it's a Yank beer, I hadn't felt the motivation to dip into my pocket and try one.

However... at this point, I just need to find beers I haven't drunk yet!

Six bucks might still be a bit exorbitant, but I'll say this is hands down the best American beer I've drunk. The catch phrase is 'America's World Class Beer'. It's fitting, as it is a class act. It has a deep, but smooth almost ale like
flavour to it, but then slides into that bitter lager finish. Almost like a hybrid between the two. It has an alcoholic bite at the end despite it being a standard beer, but it isn't unpleasant.

So, as Dave says, SAMUEL ADAMS! IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK!

8.75/10