16th December 2013

Now I'm starting to look forward to Christmas. An overdue trip to the UK awaits. Until then, though, there's beer to be drunk.

Gouden Carolus Christmas (Belgium)

This is already my second "Christmas beer" of the festive period, and my first question is: Why do they have to be so strong? It's almost as if the breweries want us to spend Christmas completely trolleyed. This one is 10.5%, although it's Belgian, so this is nothing unusual for them. I smelled the beer, it smelled like licorice. Then I tasted the beer, it tasted like licorice. The beer hides the strong alcohol content really well, it's like you're just drinking licorice juice. The good news is that nowadays I like licorice, I didn't when I was a child. So if I'd have tried this as an eight-year-old I wouldn't have liked it... and social services would probably have come round to take me away from my parents.

Budweiser (USA)

Of all the beers that are in this book, it's the inclusion of this one that I understand the least. Budweiser is one of the most bland and flavourless beers in existence. Apparently it's in the book because of Anheuser-Busch's commitment to quality and consistency. Only the finest quality ingredients go in to making Budweiser, we're told. Which seems to me a little like taking your antique mahogany dining furniture and processing the crap out of it to make toilet paper. King of beers, my arse.

18th November 2013

It's exactly two years since I wrote my first ever blog post on these hallowed pages. I can't think of a way to celebrate that, but I guess nowadays dragging my lazy bum to the computer is a kind of celebration in itself. Lately I haven't had much time to write on here, because, since her laptop started making strange noises, my girlfriend has hijacked my computer to play Candy bloody Crush all day long. And typing is a little uncomfortable right now, since I almost chopped off a fingertip trying to slice a pizza.

Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien (Switzerland)

I seem to be saying this quite often, but this was the most expensive beer I've had so far. It smells like wine and looks like something that was drained from a portable toilet at a Romanian music festival. Sour beer is definitely an apt name for this, it tastes like malt vinegar. It wasn't as bad as the Belgian sour beers, but maybe that's because I'm British and I bloody love vinegar. Put some fish and chips in this and you'd have a great meal. Unfortunately, I had to drink this giant 750ml bottle by myself, at least my innards should be well preserved.

Anchor Steam Beer (USA)

Anchor has probably become my favourite brewery. Which is something I've discovered while drinking my way through this book. This tastes like a good old-fashioned British bitter, but with a lot more force in the flavour. After almost a fortnight of travelling through Europe drinking I thought I would need a break from it. This beer proved me wrong.

2nd November 2012

I've now given up on trying to write a new blog post every Monday, it started to feel too much like a chore. Instead I will update it whenever I have the energy, which I hope will continue to be once a week from now on.

Dreher Bak (Hungary)

There's only one Hungarian beer in the book, which is understandable as the whole country seems to be more concerned with wine. This 7.2% concoction is the only one deemed worthy. And it is worthy. It's powerful and bitter, but also slightly fruity. It tastes a little bit a batch of Dr. Pepper that had gone wrong, like they'd forgot to put sugar in it or something. I didn't make it sound delicious, but it is.

Jacobsen Sommer Wit Weissbier (Denmark)

So, this one isn't in the book. But there is one in there called Jacobsen Sommer Wit, which I descovered will probably never be brewed again. I went to the Carlsberg museum in Copenhagen, where this stuff is brewed, and a very informative man told me that the Sommer Wit wasn't actually very good, which makes me wonder how it found its way in to the book. The man also told me that this is about as close as I would be able to find, so I'm using it as a substitute. And it's a pretty good substitute. For a weissbier this is very drinkable, even for me. Regular readers will know that I'm not exactly a fan of wheat beers. But this one isn't too wheaty and doesn't leave a taste in your mouth like you've been chewing the same bagel for three days. Thumbs up.

24th September 2013

I know, I know- I'm getting lazy at this blogging business. Yesterday I was still recovering from a rather heavy weekend, so writing about beer was the last thing on my mind. As for all the other editions I've skipped, I'm too lazy to even try to think of an excuse. 

St. Peters Fruit Beer (Grapefruit) (England)

I drank this once already on my birthday, but I was already so far gone that I forgot to write any notes or take a photo, so I had to buy another bottle. So in the end I had to pay double to bring this beer to the blog. But it was worth it, this is probably the best English beer I've had so far. I only got a slight taste of grapefruit from it, even though the citric smell was quite strong when I stuck my nose in the glass. I also like the shape of the bottle, which looks like it's been squashed a bit. I passed this around my friends and the general consensus was that this is really good stuff.

Ayinger Ur-Weisse (Germany)

You might not be able to read the picture properly, but that is Ur-Weisse in the middle. The reason for the blurred picture is because I had to take it fast so I could escape the gaze of the world's grumpiest barman. This is a dark wheat beer, which means it was never going to be anywhere near the top of my list, but even so, I was expecting something better than this. I also had to pay crazy inflated airport price for this too, which probably made it taste just that little bit worse.

4th September 2013

I know it's not Monday, but I finally plucked up the energy to write something on here. I just logged in and noticed that I've just gone past 3000 page views in just under two years, which is fantastic because I didn't think anyone would care to read what I think about all these beers. So thank you very much for reading, and I hope you continue to do so. 

Old Slug Porter (England)

Let me tell you a little story. It was a Friday night and I really fancied a porter because I hadn't had one for ages. So I drank this. End of story. This porter was pretty good, but it had a strange aftertaste, which may be because I fudged the temperature and drank it colder than I perhaps should have. It tasted a little bit like coffee, which is what it's supposed to do. Not the best I've had, but I would buy it again, so you may consider that a recommendation. But only if you like porter. 

James Boag's Premium Lager (Australia)

As you can see, I've put this picture in an Australian-friendly manner. This way readers from the land down under will be able to see it properly. I was assured by the barmaid that this is the best Australian beer, but I dispute that. I've already had two Aussie beers that were better than this, both of them from from the Coopers brewery. This was light and refreshing, but nothing special.

19th August 2013

Nothing really exciting happening this last week. My first week back at work was pretty uneventful. I did try to culture myself by trying to learn to like red wine, but it still tastes like vinegar to me. So that's the end of that, I'll stick to the beer in future.

Bel Pils (Belgium)

The problem with trying to write the blog while on holiday is that I end up writing notes on the back of receipts or whatever other scrap of paper I can find. Those scraps of paper are very easy to lose. So I'll have to try to remember what it was like. This was drank in a small pub in Helsinki on a very hot day, and as you can maybe tell from the colour of this beer, it was a great refresher. And although it looks really pale, it still had a very nice taste, not very strong, but a great way to cool down. Oh, and it's my girlfriend's fingers you can see through the glass, it wasn't served with a packet of sausages in it.

Titan IPA (USA)

This was drank on the same day as the Bel Pils above, so I've lost the notes for this too. And it came served in this non-descript glass, so you'll have to trust me that it's definitely Titan IPA in it. As regular readers of this blog will know, I love the American IPAs, and this, although not the best example of those, is still a really excellent beer. I just love the bitter hoppiness, it was also a great beer for a relaxing afternoon beer on a summer day. I can't really remember much else about it, there's been a few weeks and many beers since I drank this.

12th August 2013

I know it's been a while since my last update. But I've been away on holiday for a couple of weeks. But not to worry, I've come back feeling invigorated to start writing this blog more regularly again. Hopefully.

Žatec Xantho (Czech Republic)

Surprisingly, Prague is a difficult place to find beers from my book, with most places selling the usual Pilsner Urquell or Kozel. I expected to be bouncing from pub to pub quaffing gallons of good new beers. Unfortunately I only found this one during my trip, in a rather excellent pub, the Prague Beer Museum, which you can read about here www.praguebeermuseum.com. I say unfortunately, but I shouldn't really be too disappointed, for this is an excellent beer. The book mentions something about this beer helping women through menopause, but I'm not really interested in that...yet. It was a very nice bittersweet dark Czech beer, which was great to drink in the beer garden, even in the melt-your-face temperature of Prague in August.

Zlatý Bažant 12% (Slovakia)

Since the Czechs invented lager/pilsner in the 17th century, they have gone on to become one of the world's brewing powerhouses. The same cannot be said of their former countrymen. I guess being a Slovakian brewer is a bit like being Janet Jackson, you may do some pretty good stuff, but you'll always be overshadowed by your sibling. There are only two Slovakian beers in the book, and I couldn't find the other, even in Bratislava, so I'm beginning to worry that it doesn't exist any more. This was my first Slovakian beer, taken from the minibar in our hotel room and replaced with a bottle I bought from the supermarket for a fraction of the cost. Prudent. It's actually quite a good beer, nothing extravagent, but very drinkable. And don't worry, the 12% is not the abv, I actually don't know what it means.

10th July 2013

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, so I've been a bit tired and lazy to write the blog. But last week I promised to give you an update, so here goes.

It's only a couple of weeks until I go on holiday with my lovely girlfriend. So if anyone can recommend any nice pubs in Budapest/Bratislava/Prague I'd appreciate it. Preferably away from all the tourists and stag parties full of dudes wearing morph suits.

Dragon Stout (Jamaica)

A 7.5% stout should taste stronger than this. Although, the Jamaicans probably want even their dark beers to be refreshing, and this certainly is that. It was more like a dark lager than a stout. It was good, just not what I was expecting.

Wadworth 6X (England)

This photo was taken during a party so forgive the fantastically poor quality.

Nice, if a little boring. A bit like playing draughts with an old friend who you know you're going to beat anyway. Nice, but simple.

-Words by Graeme

I actually can't remember what it tasted like, so you'll have to be content with my friend's review.

24th June 2013

It seems ages since I last wrote here. Since then there's been some occurances, namely the midsummer festival, which is a pretty big deal here in Finland, and it was also my 30th birthday. I know, I do look good for my age, thanks.

Also, apparently there had been a miscount. Last week I had counted that I had drank 166 beers so far, but thanks to Facebook buggering up my list, I had to recount them, and it turns out I'd drank 167. So this week you only get one beer, because I have an OCD about even numbers.

Xingu Black Beer (Brazil)

And so, from the land of weird pubic hair comes the beer that looks like the official beer of the TV show, Survivor. Since you only get one this week, I thought I'd make it a special one. I'm not sure how to pronounce it, but it seems like it might be related to a certain plasticine penguin. And it's actually very good. Really dark, but without any coffee-ish bitterness, it was almost fruity and a little bit oaty. My first ever Brazilian beer was a very pleasant surprise.

10th June 2013

The last couple of weeks have been filled with planning for our summer holiday, which will include a visit to Prague, where I hope to find plenty of beer from my book. So excpect a special Czech edition of the blog in a few weeks.

Krušovice Černé (Czech Republic)

Surpringly popular in Finland, considering I'd never heard of it before I got this book. It's a strange beer which caught me offguard because I wasn't expecting this. It tastes like a slightly smokey, slightly wheaty dark beer. So it's a bit hard to give a review, because I just don't know what to make of it.

Adnams Bitter (England)

Bitter is a good old-fashioned English type of beer, usually drunk by old-fashioned English people in old-fashioned English pubs. But it has to be said that it has stood the test of time pretty well. Despite the name, it's not actually that bitter, no more than a pale ale, but it's a tribute to Adnams that they produce a beer that can stand up to all the pale ales flooding in from all over the globe. This just goes to show how good bitter can be.

27th May 2013

Beer season has arrived in Finland. The weather has been amazing, and I really must force myself to do a bit more gardening. With a couple of bottles to help with inspiration, obviously.

Bishops Finger (England)

There are quite a few of these British red ales in the book, and they all seem pretty similar to me. This one is named after every pre-teen Catholic's worst nightmare, and is just too similar to the others for me to make any noteworthy comment. It's nice, but a little plain. However, after drinking sour beers and stuff that tastes like cherries, sometimes "plain" is exactly what you want.

Voll-Damm (Spain)

This is the Spaniards proving that they can do something other than play pretty football. This was a surprise for me, even though I had a cold when I drank this, I could definitely tell was a powerful beer. It was bitter and a little bit mediciney. Definitely better than that San Miguel rubbish they keep exporting.

20th May 2013

Last weekend was the Eurovision Song Contest, so we had a party to watch some men and women dressed as Christmas trees sing on the TV. So to pay homage to that glittering array of campness, I decided to review a couple of beers from two of Europe's powerhouse beer countries.

Hacker-Pschorr Weisse (Germany)

Oh no. I had started to like wheat beers, but I think this one was just a bit too wheaty for me. The taste reminded of a time a few years ago when I mowed the lawn at my mum's house, and left a pile of wet grass to rot for a couple of weeks. It smells and tastes like it might have been poisonous. But I'm still alive, and only one piss smelled like corn flakes.

St. Bernardus Wit (Belgium)

This one looks like Fanta, tastes a little bit like orangey too. It's also girlfriend-proof, because she doesn't like it. And I can definitely understand why. One time I accidentally drank some orange juice that had gone about a month passed its use by date (I had wondered why it was fizzy, but paid it no further mind) The taste was such a shock that I almost vomited, but managed to restrict it to a few minutes of dry-heaving. This brought that traumatuc experience back to me.Having said all that, the rapping pope on the bottle might like this beer. Although you probably won't.

13th May 2013

I experienced all the fun of the fair over the weekend. And now, as I type, I'm suffering from a stiff neck thanks to some contraption that spun me round at an unnatural rate. Thankfully that's over for another year, until I will undoubtedly subject myself to that again.

Galway Hooker (Ireland)

No, it's not named after that, get your mind out the gutter. The name comes from some rather boring boat story, unfortunately. In Ireland, IPA apparently means Irish Pale Ale, and is probably made from potatoes and Lucky Charms. On the plus side, it was nice to come across an Irish beer that wasn't a stout. This beer goes to prove that they are capable of brewing other stuff too. Well done Paddy.

Brooklyn Lager (USA)

Let's face it, lager is not the most exciting type of beer in the world. Which is probably why I delayed drinking this, and so it sat in a cupboard in my kitchen until I happened to notice it had gone two months past its best before date. I'm not sure it made too much difference, but I do regret not drinking it sooner. It was like a regular lager, only much better, and I can't put my finger on what the difference is. Maybe it's the quality that you can taste, and the fact that care has been taken to produce this. It was a very pleasant surprise for me, because I really wasn't expecting from a lager.

6th May 2013

My nerves have finally calmed down after a weekend of sports-related excitement (my football team, Barnsley, survived a rollercoaster afternoon) I'm ready to get on with the serious business of blog writing. Especially after I just noticed that I forgot to write it at all last week. Sorry about that.

Also, I now feel like having a change in font. Trebuchet is the future.

Punk IPA (Scotland)

I'm mad about IPAs. I love the bitterness and sharpness and slight citric flavour. So just because this is an IPA, it moves automatically in to my favourite top 50% of the beers I've tried so far. Although it's not really near to the best in class, simply because the yanks have some kind of magical power when it comes to making pale ales. I have to hand it to Brewdog though, this is definitely the best British IPA.

Boont Amber Ale (USA)

Anderson Valley has been voted the best brewery in the world a couple of times, apparently. And this Amber Ale was the first ever beer brewed there. I have to say that I don't get the appreciation. This is a good beer, a very good beer, in fact. But best brewery in the world? Granted, I haven't tried any of their other beers, but I was expecting something magnificent, and this just didn't quite live up to expectation. Like I said, a nice beer with a little bit of sweetness, but not too much, and nice for a quiet afternoon session, but this would never become my "usual".

22nd April 2013

This last weekend passed without incident. Mostly due to me falling ill with a cold for the second time within a month. I still soldiered on with the beer quest, though. Which may not have been completely wise, being unable to breathe through your nose does hinder your sense of taste somewhat.

Let's get on with the show.

Achel Blond (Belgium)

I wasted money on this. Not because it's bad, but because I had a bottle of this at home and instead I needed the "Bruin" version of this, which I don't have. They put them both in to identical bottles to confuse me. The money wasn't completely wasted though. My mistake meant that I got to drink this twice, which is a good thing. 

Trappist beer is good. This is fact. And although I drank this cloudy conconction with a hangover after an amazing Funeral for a Friend gig, it didn't affect my stomach, and in fact crowned what was an amazing weekend for me.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (USA)

This beer was another balls-up on my part. I'd already drank this months ago, I'd written notes and everything. Unfortunately I somehow allowed myself to throw the notes away without writing them to blog. So then I had to go on a hunt to find it again. But find it I did, and I think my second opinion was not as glowing as the first.

This was drank in a rather nice pub in Helsinki, at a time when there was an "IPA Festival" taking place. I'd already drank a fantastic Finnish IPA, the name of which I've long forgotten, by the time I got to this. Although this is a really good beer, some of the shine had been taken off, and it wasn't quite as good as I'd remembered. I'd still definitely recommend it though. Great beer.

15th April 2013

The sun is finally coming out now, and the temperature is rising, and I've already had my first outdoor beer of the year. Beer season has officially begun.

Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weissbier (Germany)

Another wheat beer that I'm no longer afraid of. Although this one did have the strange taste, a bit like cold beans, but it doesn't bother me at all any more. A beer from the world's oldest brewery, apparently, it's a little bit smokey and starts to taste a bit funky when it gets a bit warmer. So drink it fast.

Rogue Mocha Porter (USA)

If I based by blog on the notes my friends made about this beer, I'd be here writing about Stalinism and the Soviet Union. Of course, their opinions were based solely on the appearance of the bottle. Unfortunately, I drank this immediately after the excellent Founders Breakfast Stout which was rather bitter at 60IBU. That meant I couldn't taste this milder beer as much as I would have liked. The coffee taste doesn't hit you at once, but half a minute later you'd think you'd been drinking espresso. It was a very good beer, and I would give it another chance with a clean palate... if only it wasn't so expensive here in Finland.

8th April 2013

Spring is now threatening to arrive here in Finland. This weekend I went to buy a sun lounger to prepare for the inevitable disappointing summer. And yesterday evening it snowed. Brilliant.

Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, I've gone back to writing about two beers per week. Rejoice.

Deuchars IPA (Scotland)

I bloody love a good IPA. Unfortunately, this is just not that good. When it comes to the pale ales, I much prefer the American ones, which are so bitter that they make you screw your face so that you look like you're trying not to sneeze. This wasn't like that. It was too easy on the palate, too light on the tastebuds, just not enough umph. This is in no way a terrible beer, but India Pale Ale is my favourite beer style, and during my blogging I've had what I would consider to be some of the best from across the world. This was just nowhere near a frankly ridiculously high standard.

König Ludwig Weissbier (Germany)

As regular readers of this blog will know, I don't usually like weissbier. So I was a bit apprehensive about ordering this, but it's in the book so I don't really have a choice. Fortunately, this was a really great beer. I think I'm finally turning to the white side. But I also think that it's only the German ones that I can manage, I still have to work my way up to those bizarre tasting Belgian things. And also, look at that glass. Just look at it! I wish I'd stolen it.

1st April 2013

So it was Easter, which meant that Monday was a day off work, which meant that my internal calendar went haywire and I had no idea what day of the week it was, so I forgot to write my blog. Yesterday I was just lazy, no excuses.

Old Empire (England)

Saturday evening, I'm at home drinking this. Pen and paper at the ready to write some brilliant literature about a great British beer. Except that doesn't happen. I can't think of anything to write other that I like the beer, but there's just nothing that excites me about it. Apparently this is similar to the stuff that they used to serve a century ago in the "Old Empire". One bonus it gets is that it reminded me that I should watch more cricket, since the brewery sponsors the England cricket team. I guess that advertising in reverse.

Coopers Best Extra Stout (Australia)

When people think of Australian beers they tend of think of some crappy lager, mentioning no names... *cough* Fosters *cough*. In fact I had no idea that the chaps down under could even brew proper beer. This, however, is one of the finest stouts I've had so far. I know I say that about every stout, but they all just taste so good. Thanks to the Aussie Bar in Helsinki for this gem.

25th March 2013

Last weekend I went to Helsinki to see an exceptionally awesome gig by Funeral for a Friend, my most favourite band ever. If you've never heard of them check them out, just don't blame me if you don't like it.

And as you may have noticed there was no blog last week. This was due to me being bed-ridden with a debilitating fever. I'm much better now, and I'm feeling generous, so I decided to give you two beers this week to make up for it.

Rodenbach Grand Cru (Belgium)

This is one of those beers I just don't get, and neither could the three friends who also tried this stuff. I don't know if it's supposed to taste like that, but if it is, then who the hell orders this stuff? The book says that this is a "blended" beer, and to me it tastes like they blended Dr. Pepper with sour milk. If you are ever thinking about attempting to tackle the "1001 beers you must try before you die", a word of advice: Save this one for last, because it might very well end you. Really disgusting.

Bikini Blonde Lager (USA)

Brewed and canned in Hawaii, I'm sure this stuff is perfect for hot days on the beach after a fortnight of surfing. Light and refreshing, and a little bit citrusy, this is definitely one of the best lagers I've had. Even though I think I drank this in December. In Finland. At least it took my mind to warmer climes.

11th March 2013

So, the football game didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to, as Barnsley were twatted 5-0 by Manchester City. But you can't will them all, hell, we can't even win a few. Still nice to drink some nice beer to help you forget your pain.

Bintang (Indonesia)

The name Bintang doesn't really work very well in English. It brings to mind a sour taste you would find in your rubbish. And I'll be honest, after having a couple of Asian beers that didn't have much flavour, I wasn't expecting much from this. But I can happily report that I was pleasantly surprised. It was strong, yet fresh and a little bit fruity... a bit like this gif of Jean-Claude Van Damme...

4th March 2013

As fans of my Facebook page might know, last week I moved house. So I had many more things to do that to write about beer. Granted it only takes about 15 minutes, but I thought the 15 minutes would be better spent wrapping plates in newspaper as if it's going to offer any protection when I drop the whole box.

Grottenbier (Belgium)

Grottenbier sounds a little bit pornographic, although once the yeasty smell hits your nose you'll be thinking about non-pornographic things. It smelled a bit like unbaked bread, and that's a little bit how it tasted too. Imagine you've taken a bit bite of your favourite wholegrain and chewed on it for a few minutes. You are now imagining the taste of Grottenbier. I'm probably not doing it any favours, because I'm making it sound disgusting when it really isn't. And it did look like severely muddy water.

So in conclusion:

Looks: dirty

Tastes: bready

Sounds: Pornographic

Add all these things and it's a winner. It shouldn't be. But it is.

18th February 2013

I had a damn good reason to celebrate this weekend. My favourite football team, Barnsley FC, made it to the quarter finals of the FA Cup. Might not seem like much, and any non-British readers might not have a clue what I'm talking about, but it's still cause for a celebration for me.

Black Albert (Belgium)

It's hard to believe that you're drinking beer with this stuff. It tastes more like a red wine that a beer. There's a definite sweetness which I've never noticed in a beer before. That sweetness can be explained with a close inspection of that there picture. There you will see the list of ingredients, and the final one is "candy". Doesn't say which kind of candy it is, which is a little bit perturbing. And it certainly doesn't mean it's suitable for children. At 13% this will give you the same kick in the head that red wine will. Enjoy in moderation, because everyone knows that red wine hangovers are the worst.

And I know what you're all thinking, but don't worry... I've already had a haircut.

11th February 2012

At the pub last week was a beer theme. That theme was dark beer. Stouts and porters aplenty. Luckily for me, a couple of them were in my book. And here's one of them...

Founders Breakfast Stout (USA)

The glass was passed around the table and everyone gave their input. "Like licking the bottom of an engine" was one comment. I don't know from where he drew the comparison, but it must have been a very nice engine that he'd licked the bottom of. 

Double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout it says on the bottle, so that explains the breakfasty name, I guess, although I'm not sure about chocolate for breakfast. I'm also not sure that my boss would appreciate me drinking this for my breakfast either. Although it would be a handy excuse to avoid working with heavy machinery. 

This 8.3% beer has just the right strength and bitterness to keep me very interested, while safe in the knowledge that my missus won't steal it. Because she's not going to like it.

4th February 2013

So January is over, and now I can drink again. Technically I could still drink during January but I chose not to and I'm quite proud of the achievement. But to be honest, I missed sitting down on a Friday evening after work with a carefully chosen bottle of some wonderful craft beer. Let the good times roll from now on.

Duvel (Belgium)

I wanted my first beer after my self-inflicted prohibition to be something a bit special. This ticked all the boxes for everything I wanted to drink, strong, pale and fresh. It seems to be quite a popular choice too, at least among the people on Twitter, and it's easy to see why. The strength (9.5%) is well hidden, which could be dangerous if you're not careful. But this would be a good starter beer for those who are only comfortable drinking lager, but would like to become a bit more adventurous with beer. For example women and children. The taste isn't overly powerful, but several times better than that can of Carlsberg you're holding.

28th January 2013

Next weekend will already be February, meaning I will be able to enjoy beer again. I'm looking forward to it, maybe I have to create some kind of ceremony. Don't forget to follow on Twitter and like the blog on Facebook

Espresso (England)

Adding coffee to beer seems like such a brilliant concept, especially on a night out. While the beer makes you sleepy, the coffee perks you up. Sort of like a less disgusting vodka/Red Bull. It could also work as a hangover pick-me-up. It has other advantages too, the taste being the biggest of these. If you like strong tasting dark beers then you should definitely give this a try. The coffee taste isn't overpowering, but gives the beer a sharp edge, which makes it all the more delicious.

21st January 2013

This hasn't been an easy week for me. I gave up smoking five days ago, so my weekend was filled with anger, withdrawal symptoms and a lot of lollipops. But so far so good. They say that my sense of taste should improve, so my reviews of these beers might be a little more accurate.

Stone IPA (USA)

Sometimes deciding to stop in for a quick drink to escape the weather when you're walking past a pub can be a great idea. We found a nice little pub in Helsinki where I found this very nice beer. Stone brewery are really confident in the beers they produce, and with very good reason. Hoppy and strong-flavoured, this is exactly the kind of beer that I've grown to love during my voyage through this book. 

14th January 2013

Following the advice of a friend, I've created a Twitter page for the blog. @1001beerquest if you want to follow what I get up to. I'll try to post stuff there, if I can figure out what the bloody hell I'm doing on there. 140 characters seems a little bit short for me, so maybe I need to learn some teenage text speak... roflwtfzomgtbx. Or something. Also, don't forget the Facebook page.

Brugse Zot (Belgium)

Whenever I go to the pub, I always make sure I have a piece of paper and a pen with me, just in case I find a beer from my book. Unfortunately, living with a woman forces me to clean sometimes, and it would appear that I've thrown away my notes for this beer. But here is a picture as proof that I did indeed drink it. So there's no review this week, just a picture of a beer and me saying "I drank this beer, but I don't remember what it was like." I do remember that I liked it, but other than that... The glass was nice too. 

To be honest, I'm almost at 150 beers, and only one missing photo and now one set of notes is not a bad record for me. 

7th January 2013

Welcome to the first blog update of 2013. Because of the New Year, I'm going to introduce a new format to the blog; I will review only one beer per week from now on. This is to increase the longevity of the blog, as my stash is running quite low and the beers are getting more and more difficult to find.

In other news, I've given up alcohol for the month of January. But don't worry, I have enough reviews of beers that I've already drank to see me through until February

Juniper Pale Ale (USA)

I always get excited when I find these little known (to me, at least) American beers. Not only because they're hard to find, but also because they're usually amazing. This one kind of bucks the trend though, it just wasn't that great. To  be honest, I'm not sure what juniper tastes like, but I didn't get any special flavour from this. It just tasted like an average IPA. But still, it was hard to find, I found it, now I can cross it off the list and move on.