Monsieur Rock (Sharps)

Brewed with Jean Marie Rock of Oval, this Anglo-Belgian collaboration tries to combine the best of both brewing worlds with extended lagering.

It bursts from bottle with perfect BC fizz. The Saaz hops run riot with senses, filling the air with fresh herbal, grassy almost peppery aroma. There are glimpses that transport you back to you earliest days of lager drinking when it was an innocent thing if wonder.

The malt is smoother than a floating Rolls Royce and it exudes a creamy depth that coats the mouth. They seemed to have bottled the brewers holy grail of "mouthfeel". It's sweet and bitter in perfect harmony, the hops don't stamp authority, just arrive with a welcome handshake and begin mingling with the malt.

The genius of this beer is it's simplicity. On one level this could be passed to even the most hardened commercial lager drinker where it would be consumed with pleasure. On another level it can be sipped and pondered, enjoying every note in perfect harmony - like listening to Dark Side of the Moon, in the dark, on headphones, on a bean bag. Try it!

9/10 Wondrous, if only all beer was so perfectly balanced. The most quaffable beer I've had all year. I need another!

Read more about the collaboration and head brewer Stuart Howe here
Or buy Sharps beers here

Breaker (Bays) 4.7%Abv

Good carbonation pops the bottle open, it pours with a lovely head, a beautifully clear golden brown. Aroma of gentle grassy hops, and light caramel.

Delicious malt overloads the senses with the first hit, swamping every corner of the mouth with caramel sweetness. The malt leads on to a more subtle dryness, hints of light charcoal, even coffee in the middle, a diverse array of sublte flavours. The finish is light and clean, letting the malt linger on, growing slightly more fruity. No big hops, but for once that's no disappointment, the malt more than covers.

8/10 A deliciously malty ale, a beautiful depth of flavours to enjoy.