Broadside (Adnams)

On pouring its a dark and moody brown, it smells of malt and caramel.

The taste is warming, full malt taste leads to a treacle sweetness coating the mouth. The finish is tangy with an almost burnt bitterness edge.

After a cold walk on a winters day this could be a rewarding treat by a fire, but for me it lacks a balance of flavours, and the alcohol content is not hidden.

2/10 Treacly malt, lacks the rounded flavours to hide the high alcohol.

Kindly provided by Adnams, buy a selection of their beers here.

Bishop's Finger (Shepherd Neame)

This ale looks like very few others, it has an intriguing brown ruby colour to it.

This ale also tastes like very few others, I'd be amazed if anyone as ever had a bottle of this and not thought "ooh whats this?"

It has a very strong malty taste, with very little sweetness either at the start or the end, or the middle come to mention it. Combined with the hops and that "distinctive" Neame yeast it leaves the taste buds bullied, beaten and dry as sandpaper. There isn't another ale around i could compare this too, and I am not sure I am brave enough to try.

Where to enjoy : Surrounded by lager drinkers you don't want to switch to ale, one sip of this and they won't make the leap in this lifetime.

2/10 Some may love this and its "distinctive" full flavours, not me.