Charles: May 2008 Archives

Black Sheep, brewed by the eponymous brewery, used to be one of my favourite ales. However, recently I have had a few bad pints of this stuff from a couple of different pubs. I thought it was about time I bought myself another bottle to see if it’s the fault of the beer or if it was just that it wasn’t being kept properly in the pubs. It’s 4.4% ABV.

I am happy to say that Black Sheep from a bottle is still a lovely drink. It’s sharp and dry and it smells like a medieval tavern. Well, a romanticised tavern without all the body odour and animal shit. Drinking this beer makes me think of Robin Hood, roaring fires, Lindisfarne and Anglo-Saxons.

It’s one of those few beers that manages to blend the malt and the hops in just the way that I like it. It has a crisp bitterness but without the astringent bite that disappoints me in so many other beers. The flavour isn’t complex but it’s strong and hearty and makes me wish I was sitting around a fire with my friends.

So, still one of my top beers, it’s just a shame that the one pub I frequent that serves it on tap doesn’t seem to keep it properly. Or maybe Black Sheep from a cask just isn’t as good as from a bottle. Beers can be weird like that.

Incidentally, the Black Sheep Brewery is run by one of the Theakstons, so it ought to be good.

Young’s Special London Ale is a nice potent brew. It is of average colour, average smell and fairly average taste, with a good kick from its 6.4% ABV strength.

Actually, it’s not fair to call the taste “fairly average”. It’s better than that. But it isn’t all that special. It’s smooth and has the usual citrus undertones with a strong, hoppy bitterness. It’s nice and I am enjoying drinking it, but it isn’t up there with my favourites. Another standard ale well done, only stronger.

Interestingly, it is bottle conditioned. There is something fresh about bottle conditioned beers and it might be that which raises this beer above the average. Clearly further experiments are in order.