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Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version first appeared on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 5.1%
Origin: Vierzehnheiligen, Franken (Bayern), Germany
 Trunk Vierzehnheiligen Nothelfer Bier I tried this wonderful unpasteurised Dunkel fresh from its cask at the Pigs Ear festival. The brewery, in a rural setting behind a basilica in a Franconian village named for “the fourteen saints”, has a distant monastic tradition but has been in secular hands since 1803.
The beer is a dark nut brown with a thick yellowy head, nutty caramel malt aroma with a fudgy note, a cracker dry but nicely malty palate, fleeting sweet caramel round the edges and a liquorice touch. The finish is elegant and fresh, with lingering spicy hop and crisp biscuit finish.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/vierzehnheiligen-nothelfer-trunk-dunkel/105667/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 4.3%
Origin: Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland
Website: www.stewartbrewing.co.uk
 Stewart Edinburgh No 3 Premium Scottish Ale I was recently enthusing to a Scottish friend and fellow beer enthusiast about the recent improvements in the Scottish brewing scene, to a somewhat arch and cynical response. “Aye, there are more brewers, it’s true,” my friend commented. “But they’re all brewing English beer.” Now, this is a bit of a negative way of looking at things — some Scottish brewers are innovating with new styles that could hardly be termed English, or indeed can be easily attributed to any specific country, while others are happy to trade on the Scotch whisky connection when indulging the newly discovered fashion for ageing beers in spirit casks. But it’s true that there doesn’t appear to be any great enthusiasm north of the border for reviving historic Scottish styles. Personally I find this rather disappointing, as I still retain a soft spot for the distinctive maltiness and biscuity quality peculiar to a pint of ‘heavy’ which goes back to regular visits to Glasgow in the 1980s, when it was only available chilled on keg, and preferably enjoyed in a pub open in the afternoon — back then, a novelty to anyone living in England.
I was delighted, then, to encounter this lovely brew on cask at the Guildford Arms in Edinburgh, which tastes as close to a real ale version of those industrial heavies as you could hope for. Former Bass brewer Steve Stewart set up the brewery with his partner Jo in 2004 and is making something of a virtue of brewing unmistakeably Scottish beers. This one is a robust chestnut colour, enriched with black and chocolate malts, with a foamy creamy coffee head. A malty gooseberry tart and autumn fruit aroma heralds a creamy, malty palate with chaffy cereal, nuts and ripe autumn fruit. The finish is tangy and lightly drying with plummy fruit notes lingering over more creamy malt. Well worth lingering over of an afternoon.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/stewart-edinburgh-number-3/33825/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
Beer sellers: Beermania
ABV: 5.5%
Origin: Èthe, Luxembourg, Wallonie
Website: http://www.sainte-helene.be/
 Sainte Hélène La Djean d'Mady Founded in 1999 by home brewer Eddy Pourtois, who named it after a street he walked down when working as a postman, Ste-Hélène, originally in Virton, has contributed to the emerging excitement of the microbrewing scene in Wallonia, and is one of several welcome new breweries in the fascinating southern Belgian region of the the Gaume. Amber ale Djean d’Mady was conceived as a regional thirst quencher in an old fashioned style, though since sampling this bottle, which I found at the famous Brussels specialist beer shop Beer Mania, it appears to have been withdrawn from the regular range — though the Gaumais character Djean on the label also crops up on a the brewery’s triple.
Reddish amber with a creamy yellow head, the beer has a fruity, creamy and toasty gooseberry fool aroma, a clean cherry apple palate with a rustic acid touch and drying spicy hops over cream. There are more hops in a pleasant soft and sappy finish with a touch of burnt rubber spice. If it has been withdrawn, more’s the pity, as it’s both a fine craft brew and a sociable, sessionable ale which shows the link both with the more northerly Spéciale style of amber ale and the bière de garde tradition over the French border to the south.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/sainte-helene-djean-dmady-ambree/38500/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook, January 2009.
Beer sellers: Bierkraft
ABV: 10%
Origin: Lakewood, New York, USA
Website: www.southerntierbrewing.com
 Southern Tier hoppe extra pale ale ‘Southern Tier’ is the informal geographical term for the southwest counties of New York state, and was also the name chosen by Phineas DeMink & Allen “Skip” Yahn when they set up this micro in 2004, using kit from the defunct Saddleback brewery. It’s since expanded rapidly, with many of the beers making a virtue of hops in a style more reminiscent of brewing on the opposite coast.
Hoppe, pronounced simply as ‘hop’ by the brewers, is a delicious and outstanding example from the brewery’s Imperial series, well-hopped but, unlike some West Coast examples, not too forbiddingly bitter, which is achieved by being attractively floral throughout. It’s a rich clear golden beer with some fine off-white head, and strong pineapple and tobacco resin, hopsack and malt on the aroma. A smooth malty peach palate has cleansing pine striking through on the swallow, and rounded but complex resins on a slightly mouth-numbing but elegant floral finish.
It’s described as an “exercise in minimalism”, using simple but well-chosen ingredients, and they’ve pulled it off brilliantly. Once again thanks to Bierkraft in Brooklyn for pointing me in its direction.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/southern-tier-hoppe/70146/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version was published on facebook January 2009.
Beer sellers: Bierkraft
ABV: 7.7%
Origin: Southampton, New York, USA
Website: www.southamptonbrewery.com
 Southampton Cuvée des Fleurs The Southampton Publick House, Don and Charlie Sullivan’s acclaimed brewpub in the town of the same name at the eastern end of Long Island, has been open since 1996, and some of its beers are now distributed by Pabst. Probably not this speciality, though — a saison style ale which is part of the brewery’s Belgian-inspired ‘750 series’ of bottle conditioned beers in 750ml bottles. It’s dosed with lavender, chamomile, marigold and dog rose, all of them listed on the label with their botanical names. The original label got its Latin right but omitted the acute accent in the French word ‘cuvée’ — I note this has since been corrected.
It’s a cloudy golden beer that has a just off-white head and a delicate gingery candy aroma with a fresh haze of straw-like hops. There’s a very complex petally and slightly toffeeish malt palate with strawberry, elder and rose notes, and a burst of incense on a long tangy fnsh with lingering toffee and tart fruit. The combination of rustic saison and delicate floral and leaf notes is compelling.
It’s an impressive beer, which came highly recommended from specialist deli Bierkraft in Brooklyn.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/southampton-cuvee-des-fleurs/37625/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 2.5%
Origin: Assebroek, West-Vlaanderen (since moved to Oudenaarde, Oost-Vlaanderen)
Website: www.smisje.be
 "De Regenboog brews Mesopotamian beer: Archaeologists find recipe in Syrian song from 1800BC." An interesting attempt to recreate an authentic ancient beer made in collaboration with the brewing school of Leuven university (KUL), this one-off was brewed on the initiative of an archaeologist and linguist based on a 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian recipe, from wheat and barley with herbs rather than hops. It was realised at Johan Brandt’s ‘t Smisje (“the little smith”) brewery, also known as De Regenboog (“the rainbow”), one of Belgium’s smallest micros, founded in 1996 next to a honey, home brewing & winemaking shop in Assebroek and originally known for brewing a range of beers including honey and fruit. After this beer was brewed, Johan moved to a new site in Oudenaarde; he’s since taken a business decision to rationalise his range to a single beer.
Sampled on draught at the Zythos festival, this highly unusual but refreshing pale yellow beer had high carbonation, a rapidly descending foamy white head, an unusual lightly sour lactic aroma with notes of farmyard, tar, paint and vinyl, a lightly fizzy almost cidery palate with burnt plastic and cream notes, and a lightly citric finish, mild rather than sour with elderflower and kvass hints. Actually kvass, the lightly alcoholic grain-based fizzy drink sold on the street in some parts of eastern Europe, is a good reference point for this, or a very light and fizzy version of a lambic.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/t-smisje-meso/81730/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2008.
ABV: 12.5%
Origin: San Marcos, California, USA
Website: www.lostabbey.com, www.portbrewing.com
 Lost Abbey brewer Tomme Arthur. Pic: Port Brewing Another rare treat on draught at the Great British Beer Festival, this extraordinary barrel aged beer has spent six months in Heaven Hill Wheat Whiskey barrels, rather than the brandy barrels used for the standard release. Lost Abbey is the range of very special beers created by Tomme Arthur, head brewer at Port Brewing, who is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most appreciated craft brewers. The name is a reference to whisky distilling — the “angels’ share” is the quantity of spirit that evaporates during maturation.
The beer emerges from the barrels black, with a bubbly yellow head, and an intense winy woody dark malt and whisky aroma heady with calvados and marzipan fumes. There’s a winy malty fruity spicy palate with notes not only of whisky but liquroice and a tartish tannic note, syrupy but balanced and very approachable, and a soothing fruity woody finish long developing with late nut, herb and root flavours. Probably my beer of the year.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/lost-abbey-the-angels-share-bourbon-barrel/72798/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 6%
Origin: Lafrançaise, Midi-Pyrénées, France
 Brasserie Oc'Ale One of the surprises in store at specialist French beer shop Cave à Bulles in Paris is that craft brewing in France has now spread far beyond its historic home in the North, even to the warmer climes of the Midi. Oc’ale is one example — “oc” is the southern dialect word for “yes”, and the region is called the “languedoc” or “‘Oc’ language”, as it was originally distinguished from the “langue d’oeil”, or “‘oui’ language” in the north. Still it’s no surprise to find brewer Jack Courmont is originally from Lille.
This is an unusual stout-like black beer with a low light fawn head and a fresh biscuity malt aroma with banana milkshake and subtle roast notes. A malty but slightly sour pineapple juice and dark cake palate with liquorice and more banana sets up a sweet-sour finish with fruit, dark malt, chocolate syrup and a hint of roast.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/ocale-noire/25922/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 4.5%
Origin: Sudbury, Suffolk, England
Website: www.nethergate.co.uk
 Nethergate Augustinian Brewer Ian Hornsey, a former microbiologist, has been turning out excellent beers on a commercial scale since 1986, and has worked from his current site since 2005. He’s particularly renowned for reviving the use of herbs in brewing and contributing to the resurrection of the porter style but has lots of other good stuff too. He’s produced several beers under the Augustinian name, nodding to the nearby priory at Clare, but this bottle conditioned bitter is arguably the best so far
It’s a rich amber with a big rocky orange-tinged head head and a pungent hop aroma with a balsamic, sulphurous and phenol note, its hop flavours (Styrian Goldings) twiggy and intoxicating. A full biscuity slightly oily palate follows, with complex spicy seedy orange strawberry and hop notes, and a peppery caramel liquorice finish turning sternly hoppy. It’s a premium bitter with a pungency that reminded me of Orval, and well worth checking out.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/nethergate-augustinian-uk-version/64279/
Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2008.
ABV: 11%
Origin: Bodegraven, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Website: www.brouwerijdemolen.nl
 Molen de Arkduif, where Brouwerij de Molen is based. Photo: PH Louw, from Wikimedia Commons. Available from a huge claret cask at the Great British Beer Festival, this limited edition imperial porter is from one of Europe’s most innovative and consistently interesting brewers: regular versions are also available bottled. It was near-black, with almost no head and a heady winy estery aroma over smooth but intense dark malt, leading to an equally estery and winy warming palate with vanilla and spiced orange liqueur, and a lightly smoky smooth finish with fine chocolate and a little charred wood. The finish was perhaps a little shorter than expected, but there’s no denying this is an outstanding example of a cask matured beer.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/de-molen-tsarina-esra-reserva/89159/
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London’s Best Beer  The fully updated 3rd edition of my essential award-winning guide to London’s vibrant beer scene is available now from CAMRA Books. Read more here.
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