Old Bob (Greene King)

I'm starting to get the suspicion that Greene King frets about its popularity amongst real ale drinkers. Here's another brand from the past, resurrected for a GK drink, much like the banner of Tolly Cobbold was for Phoenix (6/10).

Founded in 1842, Ridley's was the longest established brewer in Essex until 2005 when, struggling under high debt, Ridleys was bought up by it's behemoth East Anglian neighbour. The plant was closed and the brand assimilated into the wider GK business.

Old Bob is a "Strong Premium Ale", and at 5.1% abv they're not wrong about the clout.

It pours fairly flat, with a whiff of toffee and grass on the nose and a deep potent chestnut colour. The brief suggestion of a head makes a fast exit within seconds, like a sweetshop robber making off with a marshmallow.

First taste is a bit toffee, with some slidey citrus flavours segueing into darker fruit. It's quite pleasing, and the biscuit-malt lilt at the tail end is verging to sweet but capped off by a brush of hoppy bitterness.

The brewers making this have done some good work here - there's no doubt this is a sweet beer, but the tangy fruit and hops really staple it down so that it has no chance to become sickly.

The alcohol carries gravitas throughout, and the final effect is a creamy, robust cold-weather pint, well suited to the bottle.

I'll likely never get a chance to sample the original Ridley brews, but whatever you think of large brew corporations hoovering up smaller competition, this still stands as a fine ale.

7/10 - A fine example of acrobatic balance in the stronger pint. Rich, creamy quality.

Hop (Greene King)

If there is one thing we here at the bunker like it's hops. Now Greene King don't have a great scoresheet here, but will "Hop: A beer to dine for" excite out tastebuds?

It pops open and pours with gentle fizz, only to see the foamy white head completely disappear within 10 seconds, leaving the flattest looking beer I've seen. The nose is fresh lemon, slightly peppery.

The initial taste is really quite sweet, gentle malt, leading to soft fruit, even peaches. Tasty yeast in the middle, instantly draws the mind to Old Speckled Hen. The finish is smooth mellow bittering, more sweet lemon lingering to the end.

6/10 An interesting ale, fresh and mellow. One fans of Old Speckled Hen should definitely to check out. MY thanks goes out to Bunker co-host Paul for providing this one to sample, i won it as a bet by out scoring him in our local 6aside league.

Phoenix (Greene King)

Here's brewery giants Greene King aiming to resurrect the auspicious Tolly Cobbold mark, with a suitably resurgent mythical bird brand.

It pours a deep chestnut with a floaty wisp o' white head, and the whiff is slight, sweet and fruity.

The first draft is of brown sugar malts, fairly sweet and deep with a turn of dark fruits, raisins and slice of faint orange. The length of it introduces a touch of tea .

It's vaguely toasty but not really very lively. The flavours, whilst winterish and well-mixed, don't really amount to an exciting drink, nor due to the sweetness one that is very session-oriented.

It's capable enough, and I'm sure the massed ranks of beta testers and tasting panels have contributed to what is a drinkable pint, just not one to write home about.

Still, being an East Anglian, it's nice to see Tolly on the label again, let's hope a few more beers come out under the banner.

6/10 - Decent beer, but lacking a touch of spark to set it aside on the shop shelf.

- The Broadside

Old Crafty Hen (Greene King)

Only a modest fizz is unleashed when poured from the bottle, enough to form a light creamy head and a nose of oranges and malt.

Rich, indulging sweet malt is first to the palate, very little in the way of bitterness. What follows is an aged taste that gets more fruity as it progresses, leaving a tart, sharp sweetness, like marmalade. The hopping is limited, with a slight lingering dryness, clearly an understudy to the rich malt.

6/10 Plenty of rich maltiness on show, but lacks the depth and balance to be a real classic. ESB and Youngs Special both do it better.

Very Special India Pale Ale (Greene King)

Despite hailing proudly from Suffolk, I'm not the biggest fan of the standard Greene King IPA. Balanced enough and fairly smooth, for me it lacks that special something to make it a returning pump target, it's a Bunker Grade 6.

I was keen however to try this small, opulently bottled number. Only the brand makes it outwardly similar to the standard product, this is a little glinting jewel on the shelf.

In the bottle the beer is a deep bronze and is 7.5%ABV, similar to the genuine strength of the original IPAs that voyaged their hazardous way to Calcutta and Bombay. The hops used are Challenger, First Gold and Target to provide bitterness, and Styrian Goldings to lend it a citrus fruit hint.

It pours with little fuss, and has a paper-thin fleeting head, soon eradicated by the potent alcoholic tumult below. The nose is floral with a faint fruit echo akin to Calvados or pear brandy.

First taste is malty-sweet with some dusted spice, with pear quite prominent in the mouth. The alcohol is pronounced, but is a broad chassis on which the bodywork of a beautifully balanced IPA sits.

It continues with notes of toffee and fruit, but the length of it is increasingly bitter and rather complicated. One might expect a burst of hops at the finish in an IPA style, but this is more a blend of tastes, one of which certainly is bitter hops. The malt is succulent throughout, even in the aftertaste. Pear rattles around to the end and the overall effect is refreshment, surprising for such a strong ale.

This is an accomplished, complex and potent beer, to be drunk with care whilst musing on the nation's accomplished, complex and potent history.

7/10 - A fine example of an historical IPA reproduction. It's probably more consumer-friendly than the beers held in dark cargo holds that rolled their rain-lashed way to the the fringes of the empire.

- The Broadside