My 10 Favourite Breweries (at the moment)

Pretty self explanatory this one.

Here then, in reverse order, are my 10 favourite giants of the brewing world.  I hasten to add, (or preamble) that this classification is temporal, 'of the now' and entirely personal in a way which means it is not based on any kind of established measurement or Worldwide score.  I reserve the right to change my mind next week. 

10.
Svyturys
This is a bit of an leftfield choice, but I justify it thus: these Lithuanian macro lads provide a range of lager variants which are very consistent and which consistently offer refreshment, archetypal lager finesse and balance.  Plus they also offer an excellent wheat beer.  They are also cheap/good options in the face of the 'craft' onslaught.  Buy these products from Lithuanica and you will be pleasantly rewarded. 

9.
Summer Wine
I just love these guys.  I never get to sample them on tap obviously (except when I go to Sheffield (once, ever)), but I still love them.  Great range of styles, great hops, accessible proficiency.  Cohort is a favourite.  Buy at Stirchley and Cotteridge.    

8.5
Brewdog
I was going to be controversial and leave them out, but then I remembered Dogma.  And 5AM Saint.  And IPA is Dead.  And their bars - where you can sample all of their wares.  Come August, come Birmingham and join their gang.  

8.
Thornbridge
Another obvious choice.  I don't love Jaipur as much as some people, but I do love Raven, St. Petersburg, Geminus.  And many more.  Solid and spectacular.  Consistent and highly productive also.  Try them on tap at the Victoria, Rose Villa Tavern, Waggon and Horses; try them via bottle at all the usual [good] Birmingham outlets.  And Tesco.    

7.
Schneider Weisse
Schneider Original is the best Hefeweisse in the World, period.  Well, in my opinion anyway.  Aventinus is a classic Doppelbock.  Hopfenweisse is a delicious collaboration with Brooklyn and marries traditionally unyielding German style, with new World hops.  Tap X is another example of their delicious wheat credibility, but with an eye to the future.  These lot deserve their place on any list.  To be found at Post Office Vaults and Cotteridge and Stirchley (get used to me saying this). 

6.
Rodenbach
They only seem to do one style - Sour Flemish Ale.  Thankfully I love Sour Flemish Ale, and they make the best one (Grand Cru).  They also make a junior version, which is very pleasant.  Their retired Alexander is top of my list of retired beers, that I dream of sampling in Belgium.  See them at Post Office Vaults and our chums on the Pershore Road.   

5.
Lindemans
I'm a fan of Lambic Fruit beers going way back, and Lindemans' Kriek and Pecheresse are among my very favourites.  That alone may not have been enough to warrant their place on my list, but recently I have sampled a couple of bottles of their Cuvee Rene Gueuze, which I ab-so-lutely love.  Give me a 3-pack of those aforementioned err 3 and I'll be happy, Mother.  Check them at Post Office Vaults and possibly Stirchley and Cotteridge.  

4.
De Molen
New-ish, but more than just good-ish.  Very good in fact.  I love their hop aromas and their embracement of both British, continental and US styles.  Very good value (mostly) at the Post Office Vaults, too.

3.
Mikkeller
If I had written this post 2 weeks ago I might have left them out, as I was slightly jaded, from hearing about their delicious strong beers on tap in the best London bars, for £4.95 a half, knowing full well I had neither the money, nor opportunity to sample them.  Also, it had been a while since I'd tried one of their bottles which really knocked my socks off.  This week however I have been bowled over by both Wheat is the New Hops and Beer Hop Breakfast, which were both mindnumbingly good.  They are indeed prolific, innovative and worthy of the hype.  Available mostly at Stirchley Wines.   

2.
Nogne
Norway's finest; they offer a range of the most beautifully well constructed hoppy beers, with a great example of virtually every style you can think of.  Balanced, precise and magnificent.  Their consistency is first class - better than everyone else in fact.  Almost everyone.  (As seen at Stirchley and POV).   

1.
The Kernel
The UK's best, just got bigger.  A bigger brewery that is.  I'll never forget my first Kernel - Simcoe IPA purchased from the Euston Tap.  It was an explosion of taste, with hopping hitherto unseen in a beer from the British Isles.  I try to relive that first encounter whenever I can.  I always love it.

Do you like?

It is the Season for Saison

Lots of people are brewing Saisons these days, which presumably means lots of people are drinking them.  This is both of these things are good news. Is.

When I started rating beer around 03/04, there were about 20 Saisons in the whole World, but a look at the stats the other day revealed 1953 examples of the style on their database.  Wow!  What an explosion.

Over the Jubilee weekend, I was lucky enough to be back in my home city of Leicester, which even more luckily, allowed me to get to the Swan and Rushes for a brief, concentrated burst of Belgian beer indulgence.

It was also the chance to try 2 Saisons back to back, which is a beautifully rare occurrence.  I even managed to take some photos, to remember the occasion by.

First up was the daddy of all Saisons (IMO), aka the blueprint by which others of the style are judged etc.  Saison Dupont blew me away when I first tried it a long time ago, and it was just as good on Sunday: smooth, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and rather dry.  Fresh, refreshing, bright gold/white topping and a lively personality - enough to satisfy all the senses.

Next up was a first sample of De Ranke Saison de Dottignies, which, against all the odds, and hard to believe though it is, was arguably as good as the Dupont.  More of a pronounced dryness in this one, but all the same satisfying occurrences of sweet, wheat, restrained hop and malt, mit accentuated straw.  Blisteringly drinkable.  Electrictrifyingly engaging.  Another beautiful treat on eye, nose, tongue and brain.

My brother Martin meanwhile was quaffing and enjoying a Saison Cazeau with added elderflower.

For the next conquest however, I switched to Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, mainly because it had 'hops' in the title.  Not a Saison this, but not a million miles away.  But before I go on and on about beer styles and all that jazz, I need to state quite clearly that this was a delicious beer.  Just as good as both the Dupont and the Dottignies.  It had everything.  Well, it certainly had a lot: dryness, perfectly subtle fruit hops, a nudge of alcoholic strength (it was 8%) and all bound together in perfect golden unity.  A Belgian masterclass was this.

Last of the night was not a Saison either, but maintaining the theme of the evening, it was Belgian, it was dry and it was an intellectual tongue party.  Mart and I both had a Lindemans Cuvee Rene Gueuze.  We literally could not resist the lure of Gueuze.  It. Never. Disappoints.

It didn't disappoint.  Handpicking all the pleasure of champagne, cider, and best Belgian beer, you end up with something that is uniquely tasty, and that is called Gueuze.  This example is not the sourest or the most unrelenting; it has a little sweetness and is comparatively easy drinking.  I love it.

I also love the Swan and Rushes, and have done since my first visit it about 2001.  I love the shape of the pub, the furniture, the helpful, knowledgeable staff and the beer choice.  Whether real ale or continental bottles are your bag, you can always fill your boots at the Swan.

Here's to my next visit.  Soon may it come.