Eating isn't Cheating: British Beer

Showing posts with label British Beer. Show all posts

Interview on Share Radio: Why we need to seperate independent craft breweries

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Friday, August 12, 2016

As part of my day job working as the press guy for SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, I was asked to talk on Share Radio (a national DAB station focussing on business news) about the new initiative we launched at the Great British Beer Festival this week.

You can read more at indiecraftbrewers.co.uk but essentially it is about promoting genuinely independent craft brewers in the UK who are: Under 200,000hl (current upper limit), free of any larger brewing interest, abiding by SIBA's manual of Good Brewing Practice.

As with anything this big I'm sure there'll be plenty of people for and against this, but I personally think it is a huge step in the right direction. I'm sharing this interview as whilst I am of course speaking on behalf of SIBA in it (and this blog is absolutely my own views and not those of SIBA) what I say is also what I personally think.

It's important that beer from relatively small independent craft breweries are highlighted as such and that beers produced by, or now owned by, global brewers should not be passed off as independent products.

As I repeat a few times in the interview, it's not about shaming the better beers being produced by big brewers, it's about provenance, honesty and transparity in the beer world and ensuring if a drinker believes they are buying a craft beer from a genuine independent brewery, then that is exactly what they get.

p.s. I also did an interview with Matt Curtis of Total Ales during the trade session of GBBF so keep an eye out for his thoughts - interested to hear what he thinks.

Zeitgeist

5 great beers that deserved a repeat visit

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The one problem with writing about beer is that I’m always looking for new beers to try, because it gives me something to write about. So if there’s one beer which I know is good, and another which I’ve not tried but I think might be good, I’m much more likely to go for the latter.

One of the things I love most about beer is the fact there’s always something new to try, but it doesn’t negate the point that there are loads of beers which I know are good, but which I never talk about because they aren’t new.

So today I want to talk about a few beers which aren’t new, but which I’ve drank loads of times, sound exciting? Well it should, because the reason I’ve drank them loads of times is because they are damn good beers. They deserve a repeat visit and every time I’ve had them again I’ve thought “why don’t I drink this beer more often?”

BrewDog Zeitgeist (Black Lager) 4.9%

Zeitgeist hasn’t gained anywhere near as much attention as some of BrewDog’s other beers, possibly because it isn’t as extreme as the likes of Black Tokyo Horizon or as (rightly) popular as the ever approachable new Punk. But it’s still an absolute belter.

Its got a big roasted malt flavour yet a lot of the characteristics of a good lager - nice light to medium body, slightly sweet, refreshing and massively drinkable. Even if the weather’s red hot this dark beer hits the spot.

Drink it straight from the fridge if you want a refreshing yet tasty beer, or let it warm up a little to coax out a more complicatedly roasted chocolate flavour.

Sierra Nevada Celebration (Fresh Hop Ale) 6.8%

They really should change the label of this beer. Calling it ‘Celebration’ and putting a picture of a snow covered cabin on the front screams out ‘Christmas’ more than a holly decorated mince pie - even though the beer inside doesn’t taste in the slightest bit Christmassy.

In fact this is a really well balanced beer with a complex yet satisfying combination of hops and malt; you get grapefruit, green tea, orange pith, and even a touch of herbal mint from the dry hopped American C bombs, alongside fruity, hardcandy sweetness and an underlying crisp toffee from the malt.

It’s just a great beer, any time of year.

Titanic Stout (Stout, duh) 4.5%

Titanic Stout was one of the first British bottled beers that really blew me away. It just doesn’t taste like it came out of a bottle - with a really big, mouth filling cask ale texture and absolutely bags of flavour. I’ve had this on cask and it’s almost identical to the bottle conditioned version, which is no mean feat.

It’s got everything you want from a stout, with a smokiness that’s just softened enough by flavours of chocolate and filter coffee, but remains charred and dry throughout with a really crisp bitter finish. It’s just a stunning stout, and at 4.5% punches well above its weight.

Drink this one at cask ale temperature (not straight from the fridge) and you’ll get a lot more out of it too.

Brooklyn Lager (Vienna/Amber Lager) 5%

I bought a pint of Brooklyn Lager at the weekend to compare it to Thornbridge’s new Kill Your Darlings Vienna Lager, and do you know what? Brooklyn is still the best Vienna Lager I’ve tasted to date. Kill Your Darlings and Flying Dog Old Scratch both came close to knocking it off the top spot, but didn’t quite make it.

It’s just brilliant every time I have it. As an introduction to American Craft Beer I’d say Brooklyn Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are two of the best places to start - but even if you’ve been drinking good beer for years, their worth returning to. Classics for a reason.

Goose Island IPA (India Pale Ale) 5.9%

Goose Island IPA is the perfect example of a beer which I drink all the time but have never written about, because it’s been around for so long. It’s a stunning American IPA even by modern standards, despite the fact it’s been around for over 20 years and is in fact brewed as an “English Style IPA”.

Having recently been taken over by AB-InBev, and now being stocked in Tesco’s, this is a beer that is becoming extremely easy to get a hold of, which in my opinion can only be a good thing.

It’s got big flavours of bitter grapefruit and that classic American IPA citrus/pine needle flavour, yet the underpinning of sweet malt makes it pretty balanced and drinkable. Another one that can stand up to being drunk straight from the fridge, it’s a great beer to coax your macro-lager drinking mates on to good beer.

Wensleydale Brewery

Wensleydale Brewery Bitters: A masterclass in British balance

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, August 22, 2011

Wensleydale Brewery have got a foot firmly in the ‘traditional’ camp when it comes to the styles of beers they produce. Unashamedly British and with a variety of 'uncool' bitters in their lineup, they aren't mimicking the Yanks or messing about with Black IPA's, they're just making tasty, quality beers with clever hopping and the lightness of touch which made British brewing famous in the first place. You won’t find a Triple Dry Hopped Cherry Matured Imperial Stout in their roster of wares, but you will find some truly well made, perfectly balanced British Bitters, which to my mind is a much more impressive achievement.

Of course, Wensleydale don't just make Bitters, but these three were really good and I think the British Bitter needs a bit of standing up for, which is what I'm trying to do here. I tried the following three beers over a number of evenings last week, and here’s what I thought:

Wensleydale Falconer Session Bitter 3.9%

This pours an orange/copper/red. Light carbonation and a small white head. The aroma is sweet and caramelly with just a hint of straw. The taste initially delivers that caramel sweetness, and then you get a sort of toffee wafer maltyness alongside a hint of fruity golden sultana and a little bitter lemon. The light to medium mouthfeel and fresh flavours make this hugely drinkable, as a Session Bitter should of course be.

The finish is dry yet bittersweet with lingering flavours of citrus and light caramel. It's moreish, easy drinking and refreshing, yet that sweetness gives it a really nourishing quality, I could imagine this being a great beer to down after a hard days work. Which is exactly what it was brewed for.

Foresters Bitter 3.7%

Light golden lager like colour with a nice tight White head. The aroma is a little light grapefruit when you first pour then this subsides to be very faint and there's a grain and lemon aroma that comes in. The taste is light and quenching but there’s also a bitter citrus hop flavour that sits on top of grainy, clean malt, dry lemon pith and a light sweetness.

It finishes quite dry but overall this is a really balanced beer which perfectly demonstrates the lightness of touch which Wensleydale display in their beers. It's easy drinking yet flavoursome and probably my favourite of the two sub 4% bitters I tried.

Coverdale Gamekeeper Best Bitter 4.3%

The darkest of the beers so far – it’s a really nice orange and red tinged golden brown with the same white head, but a more solid consistency which helps it stick around.

There’s a very sweet aroma of caramel and sweet digestive biscuit malt. The flavour is stunning, that caramel sweetness is there to begin with but then gets knocked out of the way by dry, wafer like malt, and a slightly spicy bitter hop character.

It’s got that classic Best Bitter roundedness of flavour with a lovely interplay between sweet, malty, fruity, hoppy and dry - It's a balancing act, which they've pulled off perfectly.

The aftertaste is dry and there's a residual bitter sweetness from the combo of malt and hops. A really long lasting aftertaste on this one.

As with all the beers so far the carbonation is spot on and the mouthfeel is medium bodied and very cask ale like. Hard to do, and a job well done. Would love to try the cask version to compare.

Good best bitters (London Pride being a personal favourite) are a class act of subtlety, and this offering from Wensleydale is right up there. A wonderful beer.

A big thank you to Wensleydale for passing me these beers for a review. You can buy Wensleydale beer online at My Brewery Tap or Beer Ritz.

Equity for Punks

Is BrewDog’s share offer taking us for Punks?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Wednesday, July 13, 2011

So they've done it again, those troublesome BrewPunks are offering Craft beer lovers the chance to buy a part of BrewDog.

This time round it's cheaper, a more affordable £95 being the minimum investment compared to £230 last time.

But is the offer a worthwhile one? Or are they talking their way into a windfall of free investment, and taking us all for no good Punks?

Well first of all, let's be clear, BrewDog have made a point of saying this is not just a financial investment opportunity. They're asking you to buy into the BrewDog ethos, to be a part of their 'Craft Revolution' and bring good beer to the masses. It’s a chance to be a part of something big from the beginning, and whilst it remains to be seen whether there are enough hops on Earth to sustain BrewDogs plans for World domination, no one can accuse them of not thinking big.

For the most part they have so far realised their ambitions, and their growth has been nothing short of meteoric, from lowly upstarts in 2007, to becoming the largest Independent brewer in Scotland and arguably the biggest name in the UK Craft beer scene in 2011. BrewDog have certainly made their mark.

So what do BrewDog say you’ll get for your money?

Benefit financially from our future growth through dividends and also an increase in the value of your shareholding.
Lifetime discounts in all our bars and on our online shop at www.brewdog.com
Exclusive first options on all our special and limited edition releases.
Being able to attend our (soon to be legendary) AGM
Being able to participate in brewing our annual "By Shareholders, For Shareholders" Beer.
Having your say in how the company is run and vote on key decisions online.
Your own BrewDog ID Card (for claiming your discounts)
A welcome pack with some killer, shareholder only BrewDog merchandise.
Literally become richer with every BrewDog beer you drink.

I think for some people the freebies and benefits outlined above would be enough to warrant the money, and for others it’ll definitely sweeten the deal. But putting that aside, is 'Equity for Punks' simply a shrewd marketing move and a way to drum up free cash, or a genuine investment opportunity?

Well, I'd argue it's both. The campaign itself shows BrewDog's talent for marketing and publicity, they've got the UK Press to listen, and I'm not just talking about bloggers: The Scottish Herald, The Scotsman and The Morning Advertiser are all giving coverage, and I've also been told that The Times City column talked about the venture as being worth a punt, although I've not got a copy myself so this may be hearsay. I can guarantee that over the next few days more well known News outlets will pick up on the story, and although everybody that hears about this is unlikely to invest, you can bet it’ll help sell some beer.

BrewDog are very good at marketing themselves, sometimes they rub people the wrong way but no one can argue that their methods work, and I genuinely believe that this is one of their main strengths. They market themselves in the same way as the best Craft Brewers in the US do; big, bolshie and brash. But it works.

However the problem with shouting for attention is that once you’ve got it you have even more to prove, and this really is the most important thing to remember: BrewDog make fantastic beer. Take their flagship Punk IPA, which is still one of my favourite beers. It's truly, unbelievable brilliant. Massively tasty, extremely hoppy, yet still hugely drinkable, and not actually overly challenging. It's the beer I give to friends who only drink lager, the perfect gateway beer, and yet manages to have enough going on to remain interesting. That in itself is no small feat.

If BrewDog continue to brew excellent beer whilst growing as they have done, then you should make your money back and more, but that is missing the point. If you believe in what BrewDog are doing, and believe that they are genuinely in it for the love of beer and not simply financial gain then you should invest. If you think the numbers don’t add up and it’s not a ‘good investment’ then you shouldn’t. The decision is up to you, and BrewDog have been extremely open and honest about what they are offering, and what they’re not.

...and in case you’re wondering, I fall into the first category. I genuinely believe in what BrewDog are doing, I want to be a part of their growth and I want to see BrewDog reach more drinkers and bring good beer to the masses.

What kind of Punk that makes me remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure, its going to be a fun ride.

Leeds

Leeds Beer Festivals in July - North Bar and The Hop

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Just a quick reminder that North Bar's American Beer festival in Leeds is already underway. This yearly festival starts on the 4th of July (American Independence Day, of course) and runs until the 15th. Expect a wide range of American Craft Beer on tap aswell as fridges full of cans and bottles from the good ol' US of A.

North have been frontrunners in bringing American Craft beer to West Yorkshire drinkers and their range at the American Beer festival is always a thing to behold. Fans of bold, hoppy, high abv craft beers need to hot-tail it down there asap.

Also in July, The Hop on Granary Wharf are holding a Summer Beer Festival over one weekend from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th July. With a special festival bar being put in place upstairs this cask only festival looks set to be a good one, with a genuinely huge range of cask beers in an array of styles, and the promise of new beers from new breweries, this looks set to be worth a look.

If the sun is shining then all the better, as you can grab a pint and sit outside in their large terraced area, smack bang in the middle of the rather nice Granary Wharf canalside area. What a perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Williams Brothers

Red Hop Ales - The New Black (IPA)?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Well hopped, slightly US inspired red ales seem to be becoming more and more popular with UK breweries.

Examples are already out there; I wrote recently about Rapture from Magic Rock, and of course BrewDog's 5am Saint has always been a great beer (although technically it's an 'iconoclastic amber ale' but lets not split hairs...) even Hardknott's Infra Red could probably be cited as a current example, plus there's Rouge Hop from the ever reliable Summer Wine Brewery. Red ales as a style just have a fantastic depth of malt flavour that balances out heavy hopping really well, and you end up with a really tasty beer.

Perhaps Red is the new Black (IPA)? Maybe not, but I could definately see Red Hop Ales, or Hoppy Red Rye Ales, becoming something more and more breweries have a go at, because they are just so damn tasty.

In fact, it's quickly becoming a style that I actively seek out, to the point where if I had the choice between an IPA or a hoppy Red Ale from the same decent brewery I'd most likely choose the latter. Which, for a hop-head like me, is a dynamic shift.

A beer which I tried recently just about fits itself into this category, with a well-judged level of hopping riding on top of a complex red malt body, I'm talking about Williams Bros Cock o' the Walk Scottish Red Ale.

Cock o' the walk pours a bright clear red colour, pure scarlet infact, which you can't really see from my picture. Low carbonation with a small head that receeded to a thin ring, that said the carbonation in the body is perfectly fine. Light, dry, citrus hops and a little wheat biscuit in the aroma, a hint of sweet berry fruit syrup as well.

The flavour is faint dark berry fruit, plenty of sweet malt, with a nice complexity of different malt flavours including a dry biscuit note. Then comes a nice dryness in the finish from the citrussy hops.

It's a really nice, well balanced beer with a hugely complex and satisfying array of malt flavours, and just enough hops to keep everything in check. The only thing I would say is it might actually benefit from being served on cask to give it a bit of extra mouthfeel, which was possibly the only thing lacking from the bottle version.

Also, it's definately a British style red ale rather than a super hopped US inspired version, but it still has enough juicy hop character to keep it firmly in the modern style 'red ale' category.

Modern ERA as opposed to ARA perhaps?

You can buy Williams Brothers Beers online via their online shop, or at MyBreweryTap.

Thanks to Williams Brothers for sending this through for review.

Meantime

Meantime India Pale Ale - The best English IPA available in the UK?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Tuesday, May 03, 2011

I'm a big fan of Meantime Brewery, they just seem to have an uncompromising respect for beer. They brew beers with an almost fanatical obsession to detail, and change the ingredients and methods completely to suit a certain beer style, without compromise. This means that they seem to have a flare for producing beers that are absolutely on-the-money in terms of their closeness to the ideal characteristics of a certain 'style'. It sounds simple, but so many breweries dont do it, and no matter what it says on the bottle you end up with their 'take' on a beer style rather than the genuine article. Meantime just do it properly; and I like that.

This fantastic fat bottomed bottle of Meantime India Pale Ale (7.5%) looks so good I feel bad opening it, the champagne corked and metal caged design is clean and sophisticated, and I must admit their distinctive shape suits these big bottles even more than the slightly piddly looking 330ml ones. I dont normally get into design but wow that's a good looking bottle!

The beer itself doesn't dissapoint either, It's an awesome bright orange colour. Fine (small bubbles) yet heavy (lots of them) carbonation that creates a nice big bubbly head that stuck around throughout the whole glass.

The smell is bitter hops, orange peel, pineapple a faint smell of soap, but also a very British IPA smell, not piney like big American IPA's tend to be. The taste is unbelievably well balanced, there's juicy, caramel hinted malt and sweetness at first, but then the malt and hops interplay to create one of the longest list of flavours I've ever experienced in a beer. It's hugely, unbelievably complex but remains balanced. You can taste bitter herbs, orange peel, white pepper, marmalade, bitter grapefruit, and loads more I couldn't put my finger on, there's also a very slight alcohol warmth that comes through more as the bottle warms a little.

Whilst most of these flavours are courtesy of the hops you also get the impression that they used tons of malt to balance against the heavy hopping, as you also get bready notes and a sort of banana toffee sweetness. There's lingering bitterness but nothing overpowering and overly drying, just enough to make you want another sip, and another, until that big bottle has all but gone. In other words, it's delicious.

The thing that's great about this beer is that if you look for all these flavours then they are easy to find, but because it's so balanced and drinkable you can just as easily sit back and simply enjoy it as an amazing beer.

I think it's the best British style IPA* I've ever tasted, but I'd love to know what you think, is there a better 'true to style' IPA out there?

*I.e. Not American/International style IPA's made in the UK, such as Punk IPA or Thornbridge Jaipur

Nook Oat Stout

The Nook Brewhouse beers - Blond & Oat Stout

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Wednesday, April 13, 2011

'The Nook Brewhouse' are exactly what they say on their bottles - a brewhouse, not a brewery. It's only been running since summer 2009 and even calling it a 'microbrewery' feels a bit too grandiose, most of the beer they produce is sold in the attached pub 'The Nook' (aka The Rose & Crown) in Holmfirth West Yorkshire and they are a genuinely small, independent upstart.

Brewpubs are pretty big in America but have become a rarity over here in recent years, so if you ever get the chance to visit the aforementioned pub I'd say 100% go for it. What could be better than a pint of real ale thats travelled just a few metres from brewery to glass?

The Nook Brewhouse is a family run five barrel brewpub situated on the site of an 18th century brewery by the River Ribble, in the heart of Holmirth. Their aim is "Striving to produce good quality, hand-crafted real ales, the Nook Brewhouse is one of very few bespoke real ale breweries in the country. Its uniqueness, being designed with brewing in mind, can be seen in its layout and use of natural resources."

A bold claim but looking at the photos of the site I think I know what they're getting at, the use of local resources such as the cooling river water and lay of the land are more akin to traditional brewing practices long removed from the stainless steel, industrial estate look of many upstart brewers. They go on to say "Our ales are produced in a seven stage process during which all temperatures, ingredients and timings are carefully monitored. We test and taste at all stages so that our finished product is exactly to specification. We use natural resources wherever possible; using gravity to aid the brewing process, and utilising the cool cellar built deep below the water line of the River Ribble to condition our ales."

They've only recently started bottling their wares and selling it to a few local outlets, so readers in other parts of the UK might want to try the online shop if you fancy giving them a go. I picked up a few bottles from Latitude Wine & Liquor Merchants, located under the railway arches to the left at the end of Call Lane in Leeds, after hearing they had some local beer for sale from small breweries. They had three beers from The Nook Brewhouse on offer - Red, Blond and Oatmeal Stout. The Blond was reccomended by the very friendly guy in the shop so I decided to give that a go, and the Oatmeal Stout had already caught me eye so both were snapped up for a tasting.

So what did I think? I'll start with the Blond which is billed as an 'English Style Wheat Beer'.

Nook Brewhouse Blond

There's a citrus note on the nose and just a very faint whiff of sweet caramel malt. The Taste is light and quenching with citrussy notes, lemony, and slightly sweet and juicy but dry in the finish. It's an uncomplicated but decent golden ale, to me it has very little wheat beer character and tastes more like a summery golden ale. There's also a slight grassy note in the finish when the hops come in. It's a very good golden summer ale, but I think describing it as an 'English Style Wheat Beer' is a bit misleading. Nothing wrong with using a bit of wheat to add smoothness to a golden ale, but unless it has a real wheat beer character I think just calling it a Golden Ale, or even just a Blonde Beer would be better. I also must admit that it might be better on cask, preferably drank in a sunny beer garden.

Nook Brewhouse Oat Stout

This 5.2% stout pours with a great big, fluffy, rocky head that sticks around throughout the glass. Roasted coffee on the nose, with a slight burnt malt edge, not a huge aroma but really nice and rich smelling. The flavour isn't as smooth and creamy as I expected for an oatmeal stout which isn't neccesarily a bad thing as it makes the beer more refreshing. There's a nice big roasted flavour but with a slightly fruity, almost blackcurrent edge, that becomes lightly hoppy in the finish and then that turns into an after-an-espresso dryness, with roasted coffee and nice slightly burnt malt flavours. It's a lovely stout all told and my favourite of the two. Really nice. Will have to try the 'Red' next!

Some nice beers from a really promising Brewhouse that I'll be making a special effort to visit in the future. Here's hoping more brewpubs start cropping up in coming years.

real ale

Leeds beer lovers: Meet the brewer event with Ilkley Brewery at Mr Foleys

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, April 04, 2011

Just a really quick reminder to any lovers of good beer in Leeds that there is going to be a "Meet the Brewer" event with Ilkley Brewery at Mr Foleys Cask Ale House tomorrow evening at 7.30pm

I promised Mr Foleys I'd help spread word so checkout their facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Foleys-Cask-Ale-House/9553182738 and follow them on Twitter as well @MrFoleys

It's one of my favourite cask beer pubs in Leeds and worth a visit even when they don't have events like this on. It Rocks. Plus Ilkley Brewery make some fantastic beers and it's always good to hear from the brewer how they make their beer. These events are informal, fun, and interesting, plus you get to drink beer. What's not to like? Get yourself down for a cheeky-early-in-the-week pint and some interesting beer-based discussion. You know you want to!

About the Brewery: http://www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk/

How to find Mr Foley's: Map

Update: For my review of this event click here

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA

The importance of drinkability, subtlety and balance in British beer

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, March 21, 2011

Going for a quiet beer on a Saturday afternoon is becoming a regular treat - either meeting up with a friend for a few choice beers, taking the missus out for a spot of lunch, or stealing a few hours to myself with a paper and a pint - it's one of my favourite things to do.

This Saturday it was the latter as the other half had to work, and apart from a gaggle of bell jingling Morris Dancers descending on the place it was a thoroughly relaxing hour or so.

The two beers I was drinking got me thinking about some recent discussions in the blogosphere surrounding British beer, and what they mean to me. One being the infamous cask vs keg argument, and the other being the difference between more extreme beers vs subtle beers, as discussed recently by Mark Dredge.

The two beers in question were Marble Utility IPA on cask and Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA on keg. I started with Marble, which was in fantastic condition and just the kind of beer I was looking for in a first pint - bags of flavour, drinkable, tasty, and refreshing. But before I dive into my take on the aforementioned debate, here's what I thought of the two beers:

Marble Utility IPA 5.7% from cask

The smell is quite light but there's a tropical fruitiness there, as well as a slight pear aroma. Once the pint had settled from the handpull it was pin sharp with a light amber colour and absolutely no haze, there was also a noticeable light carbonation from the cask conditioning.

The flavour is best described as modern British IPA, nicely bitter but with a slight mango edge. Very refreshing, beautifully balanced and drinkable but comes dry in the finish making it very moreish. Could easily drink this all day. The hops aren't overpowering or too drying but have bags of flavour, ultimately it's a full flavoured yet balanced beer.

If I was going to split hairs I could say it's a touch too light in the body, but that lightness adds to the refreshingness of the beer, and makes it feel like a Session beer even at 5.7%.

Sierra Nevada torpedo Extra IPA 7.2% from keg
The smell is slightly piny and medicinal but not as huge as I expected, perhaps needs to warm a little for a bigger aroma to come out.

The taste is a massive hit of juicy, piney, resinous hops with a very clear rich malty background. It feels thick but finishes clean with big hop dryness. A lot more going on than the Marble but on the flipside couldn't really be described as refreshing in the same thirst quenching way. As is usually the case with keg there's a prickly, fine carbonation that I think is wholly necessary for a beer like this.

A marmalade jamminess comes through but it's not overly sweet, with a nice long finish that leaves bitter hops on your tongue for as long as you care to wait before another sip.

There's also an orange liqueur note and its got that juicy oily piny quality that only big American style IPA's achieve.

So how does this relate to the ongoing debates I mentioned? Well first of all it highlighted the fact that there is a grey area in which using cask or keg could be better for the beer. When I tried keg Thornbridge Kipling (5.2%) recently I remarked it would probably be better on cask, but that Jaipur (5.9%) was better on keg than I'd ever had it before.

Well this Marble IPA was right on the cusp (in terms of ABV and style) of where I think keg becomes the better option for the beer. But when I tasted it I realised this beer was spot on, it couldn't have been improved by being on keg, and it highlighted the fact that no matter what looks best on paper, a beer by beer approach is the right way forward.

It also reminded me that when cask is done right, it's hard to beat. It still had bags of flavour and a big hop profile but it also had a subtlety and drinkability that begged to be sessioned. But I was only staying for a couple and couldn't resist the Torpedo on tap. Yet again I'd been seduced by the big, bold, slightly brash American beer, but was I forgetting a more important 'B', was it better?

Well, I did really enjoy it, and I don't know whether it was the high ABV doing tricks on me but the further I got down my glass the more I liked this beer. But at the back of my mind I knew there was just something missing - all the flavours were up front, big, bold, obvious. I was missing that subtlety, that balance of flavour, those notes that are hard to pin down, and difficult to put into words.

The Marble politely presented its flavours one after the other with a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts, whereas the Sierra Nevada shouted through a star spangled megaphone what I should be enjoying.

Maybe that's the difference in these beers, it's a case of subtlety vs impact, a beer based transatlantic personality clash you could say. Diversity is essential, but for me what's equally important is that we don't forget why British Beer is World renowned, and what made it so good in the first place. At least that's what I thought, on balance.