+++ Bunker Raid on Portsmouth +++

Today the Beer Bunker will be live tweeting the real ale joys of Southsea, Portsmouth.
Follow us on @BeerBunkerPaul and @BeerBunkerEd for updates, thoughts, pub comments and the like.

Black Forest Porter (Vibrant Forest)

Here's an interesting number, one of the darker beers from the enterprising micro brewery Vibrant Forest, situated on the edge of Totton, in Hampshire.

We've already assigned a 9/10 to the outstanding Vibrant Pale Ale, so big things were expected. It cracks open with a little roasty woosh and pours cleanly with an energetic head.

The usual porter hallmarks are all present and correct -  coffee and chocolate malt notes sing up from the glass. The first taste is very front-of-the-mouth sensual, lush coffee and chocolate threads interweave across the sup. The carbonisation is spot on, tickling the tongue with a light piquancy but never too boisterous to interrupt the flavour.

It's just sub 5% at 4.9%ABV, so is not competing with the big nutter porters like Flying Dog or perhaps even Fuller's London Porter, but the alcohol is more than enough to carry it's intent and ship decent complexity to the drinker. This beer won Hampshire Beer of the Year at a CAMRA event, breaking the traditional Bowman & Oakleaf monopoly, and it's easy to see why.

Fully recommended, and easily earns an 'excellent' 8/10.

8/10 Cracking and involving ale, interesting and murky, it sews a blossoming tapestry of classic porter tastes. 

- The Broadside

Bunker Summit no. 7

 

And... go! 

Bunker Station no 1 has had a significant barracks upgrade since our last summit, with a vast kitchen diner installed and various rooms moved about. So what better to christen the new layout than a Bunker Summit in the now well-honed format.

Again we had three judges (myself, Ed and Summit evergreen Glenn) blind tasting 12 different ales, then dishing out various subjective opinions, ripe for shooting down like so many clay pigeons, before the bottles were revealed for surprise and delight.

Food this time was an awesome honey and mustard glazed ham from Ed, and two breads from myself - a caramelised onion and cheese Ploughman's loaf made with a whole bottle of Butcombe Best bitter, and a mixed-flour sultana plait.

Here are the runners, riders and average ratings.

1. Wheatwave (Vibrant Forest) 4.2%

An excellent first beer from a local New Forest brewer. Fruity and sweet hazy blonde wheat ale with an easy drinking character: delicious, sprightly and refreshing. 7/10 

2. Six Hop (Dark Star) 6.5% 

Outstanding early winner for the evening. Luxurious aroma and mouthfeel with a whoosh of hops that deliver their staggered payloads with perfect timing in a pine and marmalade carpet bomb of flavour. Complex, multi-layered and one of the best IPAs in it's class. Ed gave this a 10!  9/10 

3. Red MacGregor (Orkney) 4.0% 

A fine bitter red-brown classic ale, session potential written all over it. A little caramel and toffee to savour, and fine British hop flavours, slightly smoky finish. 8/10

4. Head Cracker (Woodforde's) 7.0% 

The first nuke of the evening, a fun and fruity barley wine, with a slight floral character. Orangey sweet with plums, a liqueur style dessert beer, with a flashing muffled hop tail. 7/10 

5. Raven (Thornbridge) 4.2% 

A delicious black IPA, it won plaudits for the best nose of the evening, just something to drink into the nostrils (not literally). Proper hoppy, this is an authentic bullet of IPA, fresh as a field of daisies and sharing similar character to the accomplished Magic Rock IPAs. 8/10 

6. Sovereign (Corfe Castle) 4.9% 

A slightly farty sulphurous nose gives way to a lager-thin golden ale, a little mulchy in the tail, and a bit too dissonant for our tastes, receiving two 5s and a 7 (Ed was a fan). 6/10  

7. #100 (Nogne) 10.0%
A barmy 10% ABV nutter of a beer, delivered in a whopping 500ml bottle. Tricky to navigate for the unwary, it's packed full of just about every flavour you can angle for, supported by a roaring no-messing alcohol skeleton. Heavy coffee-ish finish. An evening ender really, although we have a few to go...  7/10 

Ploughman's loaf! 

The most delicious bread to have at a beer tasting. 

It was consumed with Bristol Beer Factory's excellent West Coast Red,

some corking cheeses and succulent ham.

 

8. Milk Stout (Bristol Beer Factory) 4.5% A creamy, wet, alkaline stout. Not as bold in character as some of the fuller stouts, but a pleasing chocolate dessert character that luxuriates on the tongue. Silky mouthfeel, very pleasant.  7/10 

9. Hebridean Gold (Isle of Skye) 4.3% 

A capable grassy picnic beer, made with porridge oats. A little characterless amongst this company but certainly not a bad beer, just a trifle thin and missing the wow factor.  6/10  

10. Funnel Blower (Box Steam) 4.5% 

A dark brown porter, Glenn warmed to it's sweetness. Nothing to complain about here, although perhaps missing some dynamism. One of the better Box Steam beers, and has picked up a few awards so others will agree. 7/10

11. Chiron (Thornbridge) 5.0% 

Big old fruity nose on this golden ale, the second entry from Thornbridge tonight. Ed called it the "Phil Thompson of beer." Subtle biscuit, pine and fruit notes, creamy and another clean example of Thornbridge quality.  8/10 

12. Organic Chocolate Stout (Samuel Smith) 5.0% 

The actual evening ender. A mix of rich organic cocoa and chocolate malts, it's pretty damn chocolatey. Some vanilla notes twist it away from the usual affair. Wholesome and smooth, this vegan beer nails a straight7. 7/10 

**********************************************

GOLD MEDAL 
- Six Hop (Dark Star)

Silver Medal - three way tie! 
- Chiron (Thornbridge)
- Raven (Thornbridge)
- Red Macgregor (Orkney)

Bronze Medal
- #100 (Nogne) 


- The Broadside

International Arms Race (Brewdog)

Bit of a novelty challenge from those nutters over at Brewdog this one - a zero IBU IPA, in the IPA style but using no hops....? Er..

Essentially a competition between like minded souls with the rebel-hearted US brewing company Flying Dog, the 7.5% alcohol BV is given length off the leash and the bittering and flavours come from berries, herbs, roots and whatnot.

You'd think it might taste a little plain if not downright rank. However, these chaps know how to brew and the aroma is fruity and alluring after the transient head disappears in seconds.

The sup is light for it's strength, herbal as you'd expect and fairly citrussy. The drinker experiences ginger, some aniseed traces and a light pepperyness.

It's pretty interesting but that's as far as I'd go. Hops have been in beers for gazillions of years and for good reason, I for one missed the crunch and whoosh of that hop hit, and the overall effect is of a stiff beer cordial.

Flying Dog also brewed a version for the showcase blind tasting event, I still don't quite know who won but everyone looks like they had jolly fun.

More power to them for this sort of thing, although for £3.99 a bottle, I'd probably head over to the Brouwerij Huyghe shelf for my quota of this kind of ale eccentricity.

6/10 - A decent enough beer but fun in the way you might find buying a dragonfruit fun at the supermarket. Nice to try the once but you're soon craving a good old apple.

The Broadside

Blind Taste Test : The best supermarket Whiskys

Its approaching Christmas and that time of year when we all like to indulge in a bottle something special, with a fine malt whisky the weapon of choice for many. Here at The beer bunker we always endeavour to review the best that is readily available to all and help you navigate your way on a voyage of choice to pick out something suited to you. So in a rare break from beer we turn our eyes to Whisky.

Firstly a couple of caveats, I'm no whiskey expert, I have always liked a drop, but i am approaching this with a palette tuned to beer. Also the whisky's below are not a selection of the finest malts in world, but intentionally a selection of the best bottles your likely to find in your local supermarket. Hopefully both those things will mean the review is helpful for the average tippler.

Firstly if you want to try and place what style of whiskys you like this flavour crosshare from Waitrose is superb for just that.
https://twitter.com/i/#!/BeerBunkerEd/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2FxPqVXCY4

All of the below whiskys were tasted blind to remove any preconceptions, and alert the senses.

Tasting Notes :

Balvenie Signature 12yr - Very smooth, big vanilla, sweet honey taste, slightly floral on the finish  8/10
Jura  -  Sharp taste, not smooth, almost tangy, feels very alcoholic  4/10
Talisker 10yr - Big smokey nose, grips on the tongue, toffee and salt water. Big bold flavours, likely to divide....i love it! 8/10
Glenlivet 12yr - Light, hints of caramel, before a rather harsh and sharp   6/10
Aberlour 10yr - Smooth almost creamy, hints of coffee, almost creme caramel, full flavoured  9/10
Glenmorangie - Floral on the nose, almost like Cascade hop in beer, smooth and light  7/10
Chivas Regal - Smooth, light caramel, big kick in the finish  6/10
Jameson - Fruity nose, hits of apricot, smooth malt, no kick, vanilla in the finish. Surprisingly good! 7/10
Black Grouse - Smokey on the nose, charcoal, rather bland before a firey finish that seems to burn the mouth. 5/10
Glenlivet 15yr - Light, smooth almost to the point of being thin, firey finish.  6/10
Famous Grouse - Firey, burning, liquid fire, thin on flavour. yuck!      3/10

So a wide range of thoughts and tastings, and a few favorites torpedoed no doubt!

Gold Medal - Aberlour 10yr, Perfect after dinner supping.
Silver - Balvenie Signature 12yr
Bronze - Talisker 10yr, undoubtedly unique, some will love it, some will hate it!

Pale Ale Nelson Sauvignon (Vibrant Forest)

I picked this up in Fordingbridge's great little beer shop Barrel and Bottle, it's a rather exciting looking pale ale from a new brewery in the New Forest.

It pours with a fantastic head, perfect carbonation and minimal sediment. It's a beautiful clear golden in colour, bursting with aroma it's pure Nelson Sauvignon, gooseberrys and unmistakable white winey aroma. It reminds me of Punk Ipa without the rawness of dry hopping.

For a pale ale it opens with surprising malt depth, not over loaded with crystal or caramel flavours, but full of body magnifying the underlying pale malt. There is no stamp of bitterness either, just a smooth hop wash that fills the mouth with a creamy, mellow hop flavour and almost hints of white pepper. The lingering finish is one of perfect balance, glimpses of the malt sweetness still audible alongside the last eb of the hop bittering.

9/10 Simplicity is genius. This is simple and delicate in all the best possible ways. A great pale ale.

Citra (Oakham)

Proudly brewed since 2009 this beer showcases a rather unique American hop.

The nose is unmistakeably, well, Citra! It's fully of tropical fruits, grapefruit, rather like watered down Lilt, it's a bold aroma for a beer, one that hopheads love but one that can take more standard beer drinkers by surprise.

The open salvo of malt seems a bit thin and light at first but quickly unravels, revealing a slight edge of malt toastiness and a hidden depth sweetness to balance the hopping. The finish is perhaps surprisingly not actually very bitter, mellowly letting the hops shine through giving an almost textured rough dry finish.

8/10 A great simple beer, showcasing a fantastic hop.

Canberra (Windsor and Eton)

The latest offering from Windsor and Eton Brewery, having picked up great marks for their previous beers we were keen to try this one.

It pours a rich mahogany, crystal clear and with light ivory head. The nose is lighter in aroma than previous offerings, a subtle mix of hops from Australasia, grassy, zesty and slightly floral.

The malt is rich, both sweet and dry in equally balance. Made with 5 different malts it provides robust depth as well as a rich lingering sweet note from the added Maple syrup. The final bittering is like a counter balance for the malt, equalling it but not overshadowing its multidimensional prowess. Dynamic and interesting but not quite as rich complex as one might hope.

7/10 An modern Amber with hints of the new world, rich and malty but not too complex

Gold (Bristol Beer Factory)

I am pretty sure making a bottled golden summer ale must be the hardest way to stand out as a brewery. But those new kids on the block at Bristol Beer Factory have tried to do exactly that with Gold.

Pops open and pours an unsurprising gold with a beautiful laced white foam head. Perfectly carbonated. The nose is delicate enough, not raw hopping but a very measured dose of citrus and fresh lemon.

The malt opens with a rather unexpected big biscuit crunch mixed with the rich malt. Too many golden ales have almost non descriptive malt flavours, this sets it's stall out early on with one big one. What swiftly follows is a full mouth flavour of hops, like the aroma big on citrus and lemon, but with a delicious smooth creaminess long into the finish. I had first thought this had all the hallmarks of the rather unique Sorrachi Ace hop, but instead found out from the bottle it's the underrated English hop Pioneer.

9/10 Superbly unique, a golden ale to savour.

Currently only available in selected local Waitrose stores in the Bristol area, but if you can find it, make sure to try it.

Bunker Summit No. 6

And so it was another long overdue Bunker Summit took place, in the warming log-fire soothed vaults of Bunker Station No.1.

The format continued from previous soirees, with the three judges (myself, Ed and Summit regular Glenn) blind tasting 12 different ales, allotting scores which were then averaged in less than scientific manner, before the bottles were revealed. It's a bunch of fun this format, do try it yourself, each guest just brings 4 beers and keeps them concealed until after each has been rated.

A mention on the food before diving in to the ales, this time we had Ed's sublime homebrew-stout soaked ham served with two of my home baked breads, a white/wholemeal raisin plait and a Canadian oat and honey wholewheat loaf, accompanied by a bunch of cheeses and pickles. Yer-um.

So, cutting further ado on to the winners and losers of the night, replete with the patented* Bunker Gradings....

*not really

1. Organic Best Ale (Samuel Smiths) 5%

A very tidy start to proceedings. Lemony citrus on the nose with grass overtones. Length of it slightly grubby, but not uncomfortably so. We'd all have another. 6/10 

2. Belgian Wheat Beer (Marks & Spencer) 4.5% 

Brewed by Huyghe, this is a bright dazzler of a wheat beer, light, zingy and very fresh. Noted to be preferable with food, this is a Wheat Pride rainbow flag flying example of it's type, laced with coriander, herbs and spices. Rather not Glenn's cup of tea, which pulled the score down somewhat, but that's democracy.  6/10 

3. Jail Ale (Dartmoor Ales) 4.8% 

First salvo winner, a lovely malty easy drinker from Princetown with a lively pour but a bit of barging bitterness in the tail. Superior on draught but still proper tasty from the bottle.  7/10 

4. Glaslyn Ale (Purple Moose) 4.2% 

A Welsh micro-brewed ale and not really our cup of beer. After an initial apple scent the sup starts with a bit of a flavour crash as all the malt and hops collide in a big scrum, leaving an unsubtle gritty aftermath in the mouth. A little crude for us.  5/10 

5. 80/- (Williams Bros) 4.2% 

Wow. This beer, pronounced Eighty Shilling, is a marvel. Brown as an old tanned expat, this is proper rare Scottish heavy. It's all about the malt malt malt. If there are any hops in here we couldn't taste them, but wonderfully sweet and moreish with a rolling molasses length. A fruit cake in a glass, just delicious and the evening's Gold Medal winner.   8/10 

6. Horseshoe Special Reserve (Lizard Ales) 6.2% 

A massive disappointment as this beer exploded out of the bottle, clearly off. Some infection must have got in to this recently purchased beer, which was a big shame. Unrateable  

7. Barnsey (Bath Ales) 4.5% 

Nothing wrong with this one - a beautiful toffee, malty wonder. Like a eventful marriage it starts sweet and ends bitter, but in all the right ways. Glorious malt length, and the evenings Bronze Medal winner.  8/10  

Time for food!

 

8. Banana Bread Beer (Wells) 5.2% 

Instantly recognised and identified. Without doubt the best widely available banana beer on the market, even if it's the only one. A proper example of how to introduce fruit into beer without making it awful. I fancy a banana now.  7/10  

9. India Pale Ale Black (The Kernel) 6.8% 

Gadzooks, a mighty black ale, and easily passing the black IPA test of shutting your eyes and guessing the colour (if you can't its a true black IPA). Crunchy and with some lovely slick grassy hops, the alcohol length was slightly too boozy for one reviewer (me). However, Silver Medal winner for the evening, top beer. 8/10  

10. Quadrupel (Sharps) 10% 

The only real GBH headsmasher of the night, this ale is a wrestling match of components in a boozy juggernaut of a bottle. Clearly designed for cheeses and whatnot after a meal, when drunk on its own its just a bit much, syrupy and hard to wade through despite it's attractions. Complex and still very good, it's mission is not quite achieved in the right ways for us. A nutter. 7/10 (just) 

11. Double Dragon (Felinfoel) 4.2% 

Back down to earth with a very disagreeable nasty Welsh bitter. The first taste is a sort of metallic laminate, which is swiftly bulldozered by a gritty foul aftertaste. If these tastes were guests you'd want none of them at your party. Not a good representation of the land of the dragon. 2/10 

12. Black Cab Stout (Fullers) 4.5% 

Form returns with this delicious textbook stout. Fruits, roast notes, some coffee, all the right black beer boxes are ticked heartily. This is nothing revolutionary, but it's an example of an old classic brewed with care and commitment. 7/10 

13. Founder's Ale (Heinekin UK) 4.8% 

A bit of an end of evening curve ball from the makers of 'Newkie Broon'. One note throughout, which is a bit metallic and somewhat bargain off-license, it neither inspires not disappoints too much. A little meh. 5/10

 

 

Gold Medal - 80/- (Williams Bros)

Silver Medal - India Pale Ale Black (The Kernel) 

Bronze Medal - Barnsey (Bath Ales) 

That'll be a trip to the recycler then.

- The Broadside

Dead Pony Club (Brewdog)

It's Brewdog, but it's a session beer, obviously a super hopped one. The 3.8% on the label looks like a typo, surely it's a fake? Positively not.

Its a light caramel in colour, crystal clear. The opening aroma is heavy with hoppy aromas of tropical fruit and dominant winey smells of Nelson Sauvignon.

The malt starts with intent but very quickly folds like a cardboard aircraft hanger, retreating into the background at alarming pace. The hops arrive like an awesome display of fireworks to the mouth. It's a multi layered mouthfeel of bittering, astringency and brutish dry hopping. The hops do dominate, its way out of balance, leaving the malt feeling very thin, but I guess that's the point.

It's a 3.8% hop bomb, to many it's way out of balance, to others it's something very original, Dark Star's Hophead taken to its ultimate conclusion.

8/10 Uniquely unbalanced to the point of actually being quite subtle. The ultimate hoppy session beer.

Sunset (Isle of Arran Brewery)

Snaps open and pours as one would expect a rather beautiful light amber sunset. The nose is not big hops but beautiful light toffee and the nearest hint of zestiness.

The opening malt salvo is as mellow as a summers eve, a big caramel baseline delivering a rather dry finish. There is a strong final stamp of bitterness that hits after the caramel has subsided, coinciding with the dry finish to delivery a crisp and refreshing beer.

8/10 A a blonde by name, but full of caramel with a crisp bittering stamp. Lovely.