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.

Black Adder (Mauldons)

Mauldon's is a fine Suffolk brewery based in Sudbury. They offer five standard ales and Black Adder is their porter.

It's absolutely delicious too. Pouring extremely dark with a thin, dissipating beige head, the nose is a roasted cacophony of chocolate and nutty intrigue.

The sup is gentle and rich, a swirl of dark malts colliding to conjure up a deep, woody coffee-cocoa taste that commences sweet and segues into a sophisticated bittered tail.

At 5.3% abv, Black Adder has a decent chassis to carry a beautiful, ultimately bitter taste voyage. It really is a fine example of stout at it's best from the heart of East Anglia.

9/10 - Sumptuous and smooth, a Rolls Royce stout singing with quality.

- The Broadside

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.

Southwold Winter IPA (Marks & Spencer) 6.7%Abv

Pours crystal clear and beautifully golden, the aroma is delightful, a bountiful mix of grapefruit, citrus zest, and spicy hops. Its brewed by Adnams (usually under the title of Innovation) using a heady mix of US Columbus, UK Goldings, and European Boadicea hops.

The first taste is sweet and quite malty, this quickly gives way to a big punch of wheat malt flavours, clearly present and adding a different freshness. Bold bitterness follows through with a diverse depth of tone and sharpness. The finish is very spicy, with some lovely black pepper notes poking through to combine with the lingering wheat malt twang.

Not sure where to place this one, somewhere between a Duvel and Summer Lighting.

7/10 Very original, a strangely continental IPA, one to try if you like wheat beers and IPA’s.
Apologies for the picture, you reviewer was so busy "reviewing" he forgot to take a picture until it was nearly all drunk!

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

Winter Ale (St Peter's)

St Peter's , the Bungay brewery, gets a second review this week with their beguiling Winter Ale - perfect for an evening by the stove when outside resembles Tromso in the depths of the Norwegian winter night.

St Peter's claim this is a ruby ale on the label, although up against the light only the faintest trace of a murderous red frames the solid darkness.

Really, it's a highly charged porter to my eye, as the label warns of a weighty 6.3%abv.

The head is lacy and fluffy, and the solidness of the pint makes it look like it weighs a ton. The nose is all chocolate, peatiness and malty molasses, only mulled wine could smell more wintry.

The first taste is delightfully munchy coffee/toffee/dark fruit with edges of caramel. I got a pinch of cinnamon at the back, possibly a fleeting winter mirage. The carbonisation is soft and perfectly pitched.

If I were to give any drawback, its that perhaps the texture is a little thin for a winter comforter, perhaps a creamier pint might have seemed slightly more apt. This just keep keeps it off the 9 spot for me, although as gripes go it's pretty tiny. What the texture does though, is make it remarkably quaffable for a 6%+ drink.

Finely bittered out at the death of the taste, just enough to tip the balance back from the heavy initial flavours, it's a gorgeous pint. I'm not sure who is doing the quality checks at St Peter's, but I hope those tastebuds are insured. Easy drinking strong seasonal beer.

8/10 - St Peter's strikes gold again. Insulating hearty ale.

- The Broadside

Old-Style Porter (St Peter's)

St Peter's of Bungay have been well reviewed so far at the Bunker, their Ruby Red and Best Bitter both scoring fine 7s . Suffolk is blessed with many fine brewers but this classy traditional operation, which bottles in it's trademark oval green glass, is a margin of quality above most.

Porters have a high bar to hit at the Bunker, as we've had some absolute corkers of late. The Flying Dog and Wickwar porters both hit fine 8s, and the Harviestoun and Fullers efforts were just sublime at 9/10.

At the bottle-cap hiss a pleasing air of chocolate framed with slight coffee wafts up, proper porter smells. Against the light it's actually quite opaque, blood ruby light straining through the dark brown murk.

The head is slight, and never rises on the pour, quickly vanishing to a memory. The first sup is fairly thin, and compared to an 8.7% monster such as Flying Dog Gonzo, almost watery. However, I stress in comparison because second or third tastes reveal a subtle and quite delicious drink.

No slouch on the alcohol at 5.1%ABV, the first note is thoroughly porter chocolate laced with raisin. It's less roasty than other porters I've tried, but seems not to suffer for it. The body is medium, cosy, with toffee/chocolate and is a fine precursor to a lightly smoky extended finish, punctuated by gentle bittering.

Old-Style Porter starts drinkable and only gets more so as the glass goes down. Delicious session beer, will we discover a bad porter?

8/10 - Excellent light porter. An accomplished example of traditional dark ale.

- The Broadside

Old Growler (Nethergate)

It's certainly porter weather on the south coast. The balmy russet days of October are behind us now, and as The Broadside writes this the wind curls like a banshee around the trees outside Bunker Station Two.

Old Growler, randomly selected from many porters in the stocks, lurks in a no-nonsense bottle. A bulldog glares intently out, guarding the pitchy contents within. The beer proclaims itself a "supreme champion", although of what isn't so clear.

It pours black with a haze of ruby about the trim. Dark fruits, cherry and malts waft on the nose, and there is a slightly chalky background.

The carbonisation is prickly but not overdone. The beer is thin on the tongue, and laden with plenty of chocolate and old-school porter tastes. It conjures up pool-halls, in a pleasant way, although it's perhaps slightly too watery to claim to be a proper winter porter, almost (whisper it) lager like in constituency.

That said, the taste is flavoursome and easy. Toffee, earth and some adequate bitterness hallmarks the pint, but it's all blended in a fairly subtle manner and the focus is on approachable drinkability. The 5.5%abv carries the flavours adequately, and is pleasingly sturdy.

This is traditional stuff, and a credit to the Nethergate brewery. It goes down for me as a good pint, and certainly not one to avoid if on offer - don't be scared by the label.

6/10 - Pack your snooker cue and head out for an evening at the hall. This beer will keep you good company as you hustle. A subtle, tasty porter.

- The Broadside

Southwold Winter Beer (M&S)

Brewed at Adnams by Fergus Fitzgerald, a man who knows his stuff.

Its somewhere between a light porter and a dark bitter in colour, ruby turning dark. It smells of choclate and light brown sugar.

Initialy malty but with a gentle mellow caramel smoothness. No big fruit middle or powerful spices. Tiny bitterness in the finish but mainly leaves a lingering sweetness and gentle dryness.

Reminded me of the Bath Barnstormer, but slightly thiner.

7/10 A warming christmas beer for those who don't like to stretch to a porter or stout.

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.

Thanks St. Peter's!

A big thanks to St Peter's of Bungay, Suffolk who sent through the above for review.

The Bunker has already had the pleasure of reviewing both their Ruby Red Ale and Organic Best, so will look forward to trying out these others.

Well known as artisan brewers of East Anglia, St Peter's brew consistently good quality beers, and present them in their trademark oval shaped bottle. They can be bought from their online shop, or at your local Waitrose, Tesco and ASDA.

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

American Style IPA (Adnams)

Part of Adnams new Handcrafted Ales range, head brewer Fergus has created some world famous beer styles in the heart of Suffolk.

Its bottled conditioned so pours with a gentle rumble, the aroma is immense, the US hops deliver a powerful but delicate bouquet of grass, pine and gentle floral notes, all hidden within a fantastic sweet citrus.

The malt is far more present than in say an English IPA style, less golden, more brown sugar. With the malt comes a beautiful sweetness and deep malt flavour. What follows soon after is those fantastic US hops, I’m told they are Cascade, Willamette, Centennial, Chinook and Amarillo! Its like you can taste every one of them, a hop overload to the senses. Grass, charcoal, honey, citrus zest are all hidden within the gentle bitter finish.

Strong malt, powerful hops, and a decent 6.8% ABV are all perfectly balanced within this stunning beer.

10/10 A truly fantastic American IPA, the fact it has been brewed in the UK only makes it even more impressive. Up there with the best of the US IPAs

The mind boggles at what the rest of the range is like. Suffolk today, tomorrow the world!

Buy Adnams ales here

Ruby Red Ale (St Peter's)

I love the idea of ruby ales.

Some may say that a pale straw is the colour of beer, but there's something about a deep tawny depth that resonates with high backed leather armchairs, games of chess with good friends and general class.

This Suffolk ale, made with Cascade Hops, won the silver medal in the 2010 International Beer Challenge. The Broadside, being a Suffolk bred lad, was already a fan of this brewery prior to approaching this bottle. Their Best and Organic bitter are firm 4* beers for me, and I may dare to review the 6.5% Cream Stout before long.

The Ruby pours with a fleeting head, creamy white which strikingly offsets the red undertow depths beneath. The nose is herby with smidges of caramel and sherry.

In the mouth it slides about like satin, no fuss, little effervescence and initially serves up a light kiss of biscuit-malt. The body to the back of the tongue is almost tea-like, with a vague but never intrusive oil texture. The tail is all about spiced bitterness and rolling hops. It may be a little too hoppy for some, but for me it's just fine. Once swallowed, like Barnstormer it evaporates to a dry echo, inviting the next sip.

An excellent and discerning all-rounder. Whilst the colour may advertise mince pies and snowy cancelled-school days, it is in fact a light 4.3% all rounder that would be enjoyed at any time of the year.

A solid 7/10 - another fine ale from the Bungay brewery.

- The Broadside

Gunhill (Adnams)

Smells of roasted malt, pours a lovely ruby brown.

Taste is malty, crisp, not overley sweet. Hints of chocolate and maybe oranges?! Smooth finish, not bitter.

6/10 A lovely well balanced malty bitter.

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

Best Bitter Organic (St Peter)

Smells sweet and grassy, almost hints of honey. For a Best Bitter it pours amazingly golden.

Light malt is followed by gentle caramel. The finish is a light bittering with a lovely lingering taste.

7/10 A surprising little beer, light, but well balanced, very drinkable!

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.

The Bitter (Adnams) Alc 4.5%

Pours with a beautiful toffee colour head, smells of hops and grassy aromas.

First taste is one of gentle dry bitter hops, quickly followed by a smooth sweet malt, finishing with a dry bitter finish.

A cracking session bitter.

7/10 A fine example of an English Bitter, malty and dry. Very drinkable.

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

East Green (Adnams)

Pours crystal clear gold with a head as white as pure snow. Smells of light caramel.

Initial sharp fruity flavours of grapefruit and melon, followed by a smooth creamy middle malt. Finishes with lingering citrus and grassy hints.

5/10 A light golden beer with packed with plenty of citrus.

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