Bell Rates... Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

type: Pale Ale

origin: California, USA

ABV: 5.6%

location: house

served: 350ml bottle to glass

In recent years American craft breweries have seen a growth in sales, and it has to be said that some of the most interesting and high-quality American beers are brewed in small batches by people who's focus is on quality, rather than on shareholders and Superbowl commercials.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of these craft breweries, and although they've expanded somewhat over the last 30 years, and their products are now sold all over the world, the beer is still brewed with the same ideals of quality.

It should be noted that this is an American Pale Ale, and thus differs somewhat from a British PA, due to the different hop varieties in use on the other side of the pond. My own feeling is that Sierra Nevada's effort isn't actually too far off a lager, possessed as it is of a rather sharp, almost acerbic taste, and while it's very hoppy, it's not overly bitter. The beer also has a complex range of fruity and flowery undertones and a herbal element that (after going through all the herbs in my spice rack one-by-one) i'd say wasn't far off thyme.

Smell: not very strong, and with only hints of the complex flavour coming through in the bouquet. A little bit of citrus.  2/4

Colour: an attractive rich amber.  3/4

Taste: complex, and very hoppy, but clean and not too bitter.  3/4

overall: an interesting beer - and while 'interesting' could be considered to be good or bad, this definitely sits on the side of 'good' interesting. A quality brew that proves that America can produce high-quality beer when they realise that good beer is a result of dedication and fine ingredients, and not a result of board meetings and advertising budgets.   8/12

more info: www.sierranevada.com

Bell Rates... Fuller's London Pride

type: Ale

origin: England

ABV: 4.7%

location: house

served: 500ml bottle to glass

Cor blimey guvnah, A pint of bitter and a plate of jellied eels please.

Actually... forget the jellied eels, i'll just have the beer.

And quite a good beer it is too. A premium ale from one of Britain's biggest independent brewers, London Pride ticks all the boxes for presentation, and comes across as being a quality product.

'Bitter' is obviously meant to be just that, but there's a line that has to be drawn before the point when a beer becomes too bitter to drink comfortably. Thankfully, Fuller's have kept London Pride's bitterness at a level that provides a good balance between strong flavour and ease of drinking.

Smell: Malty, but not too strong. Fairly balanced. 2/4

Colour: honey, copper. Warm and inviting. 3/4

Taste: Malty, light, smooth bitter, with hops becoming more evident in the aftertaste. 3/4

overall: a smooth, drinkable beer, with a good bit of character. 8/12

more info: www.fullers.co.uk

Bell Rates... Weihenstephan

type: Wheat Beer

origin: Germany

ABV: 5.4%

location: biergarten

served: 500ml bottle to glass

'The World's Oldest Brewery', the label proudly states. You'd need to assume they've been doing something right since ad 1040 - although how close to the original recipe this beer is, I can't rightly judge. 


That said, it does have the air of a 'traditional' product, one that doesn't feel it needs to appeal to a certain demographic, or change with the times to meet 21st century tastes, and fit in with a modern, Wi-fi, iPad, blogosphere, 24-hour-rolling-news-coverage, text-in-to-vote-for-your-favourite-singer, zeitgeist, dynamic paradigm. Whatever the hell that is.


In fact, it's quite the opposite.


It's a wheat beer, and it does what a wheat beer is supposed to do; it's refreshing, and a perfect complement drink for relaxing in a beer garden. It's quite a complex beer, but it goes well with food, especially with the relatively low carbonation. It's not here to fit in with your hectic lifestyle; it's here to let you take time out and relax for a while.

The traditional 'Hefeweizen' style is in full effect with Weihenstephan - it's not filtered, so all the yeast makes the beer very cloudy. The taste improves after the first few mouthfuls, I found, and the intricacies gradually make themselves known to the drinker as time passes.


Smell: a rich aroma, yeasty, and wheaty and how a wheat beer should smell. 3/4

Colour: very cloudy, as previously noted, but clean, and the overall look isn't far off a pale orange juice. 3/4

Taste: Not a lot of hops involved, so the bitterness is quite low, and the taste from them is quite subtle. It is, of course, a bit of a 'wet dog' flavour, but it's one of those beers where that works, in a strange way, blending well with th other flavours, and not overpowering any of them. The other flavours include nuttiness, a sweet, herbal mix, and of course lashings of wheat - it's not far off Wheetabix, in fact. A surprising Banana after-taste finishes it off. 3/4

Overall: not for everyone, but an excellent beer to go with sausages, banter and sunshine for those looking for a bit of a change from lagers and ales. A strong 9/12


more info: www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de