Four various brews

Various beers, see text

(This review was prepared based on sketchy notes made on 2006-09-30, expanded 2006-10-29.)

Primus: Anchor Steam Bitter, Anchor Brewing Co., San Francisco

Importer: James Clay & Sons, Elland.
Strength: 4.8%
Form: 355ml bottle
Price: £1.65 (Nelson Wines, South Wimbledon)

While this beer does not specifically call me to scream from the rafters, it is an accomplished and quite drinkable bitter that the British really should take note of. I would have had a second had I not just drunk the last.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Reviewed: 2006-10-29

Secondus: Rhatas, Black Dog Brewery/Hambleton Ales, North Yorkshire
Strength: 4.6%
Form: 500ml bottle
Price: £2.15 (Nelson Wines, South Wimbledon)

This is a somewhast cloying bitter and completely unexciting as British bitters go, where the bottom of the bottle failed to arrive soon enough. While I'd happily drink one, a second is out of the question.

Rating: 5 out of 10
Reviewed: 2006-10-29

Tertius: Coffee Meantime Beer, Meantime Brewing Co., London.

Strength: 4.0%
Form: 330ml bottle
Price: £1.69 (Nelson Wines, South Wimbledon)

Why not just give me crack and be done with it? I love coffee. The thick creamy coffee flavour is just oozing from the head even before I hit the beer. The actual underlying beer is hard to taste - a bit sticky and probably not worth bothering with if it wasn't coffee-flavoured - but that's not really the main feature of the beer. I would most happily drink a second, and probably a third.

(And gosh, a drinkable London beer? Can this be so?)

Rating: 9 out of 10
Reviewed: 2006-10-29

Quartus: Delirium Tremens, Brasserie Huyghe Brewery, Belgium

Strength: 8.5%
Form: 330ml bottle
Price: £2.29 (Nelson Wines, South Wimbledon)

This is a rather famous beer, bought on that basis. It turns out to be overly sweet for my liking as many strong beers are, and thus I lose the subtleties it might have. It certainly doesn't taste 8.5%. While a perfectly good beer, it's just not me.

Rating: Unfair to give a score, 7 out of 10 if you insist.
Reviewed: 2006-10-29