Mr Mojo risin'?

Monty's Mojo. Catchy, ain't it? Also a throwing-down-the-gauntlet type of name - "We dare you to not enjoy this beer. This beer got it goin' ON" etc.
I encountered this challenge up The Old Harker's Arms (http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/harkers/) in Chester.
On their helpful little blackboards they said this: "Popular session beer, golden amber in colour, with hints of toast and marmalade."
Here is what we, at On The Hop, thought:

Colour: Caramel, with a sheen like ganache.
Head: Decent enough - you wouldn't ask for your deposit back.
Fragrance: Earthy - like a freshly-dug grave. Sans corpse, obviously.
Can't disagree with the "session" epithet, as it's very high on the quaffability spectrum.
Quite mild, and smooth as it goes down, leaving you with an earthy (there's that word again!) tang.
Marmalade? No. Beer? Yes. Can't say fairer than that.

A touch on the innocuous side for my palate (such as it is), but you know, it's good.

Score in ale-urons, out of a possible 10, on the Corinthian Golden Ale Scale:

A quick plug for the Harkers - amazing food, lovely atmosphere, and great selection of beers on the bar. Get there early, because it does fill up. Visit the other great pubs and eateries in the Canal Quarter too. Iss awl good.

White Hind, in hindsight

The second of the lovely Quantock Brewery beers I had the extreme good fortune to quaff was White Hind. A bitter. This is what I flippantly refer to as an LBJ (little brown job - term originally coined by the naturalist Gerald Durrell to describe the otherwise nondescript animals that nobody could be arsed to conserve, despite their obvious importance to biodiversity).

So anyway, this is a nice brown booze, and a nice beer-smelling booze. I'd agree with "biscuity" - like a good oaty nobbler, in the style of Hobnobs but, you know, craft-Hobnobs.  Head: not applicable.

I am going to categorise this as a session beer. Now, don't correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a beer can be
categorised in this manner if it's ABV percentage is less than 4.1.
White Hind comes in at 4.5% ABV, but I feel rules were made to be broken. White Hind, I name thee session beer, and it's my blog, so nuh.
If you're imbibing for the duration, then you'll be safe enough with this I reckon. Quaff away! Mea gulpa!
It's an agreeable drop this, but not outstanding. "Mild" is the word that strolls into the mind, swinging it's cane nonchalantly.
The labels are very evocative for me, as a Quantock kiddie......Take me back to the AONB, mamma! And so forth.
Also included in the Quantock Brewery taster selection, but not reviewed as yet, were Will's Neck, and Sunraker. Some day I hope these ales will cross my path again, and my gait will not weave so much that I am incapable of rational reviewing.
Anyway, it was a great present, and any other taster selections will be gratefully received......

Score in ale-urons, out of a possible 10, on the Corinthian Brown Booze Scale:

 

Red deer, brown booze

Being what my husband refers to as a "little Somersetian", the discovery of Quantock Brewery http://quantockbrewery.co.uk/ was more than usually exciting. I wouldn't normally shout about this, but I was born and "raised" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgwater.
One of the perks of living in Bridgy is that you can see the Quantock hills from nearly everywhere. It's a beautiful, and valuable Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and if you ever find yourself down that way, go and have a mooch.
The brew I am extolling the virtues of now is the venerable Royal Stag, described by Quantock Brewers as a strong ale in the tradition of an IPA.

It shimmers in it's bronzed brilliance, but the lack of head was disappointing for a girl.
Gorgeous hoppy fragrance, with a hint of malt, but what you are mostly treated to is a hit of spicy dried fruits and a suspicion of bourbon.
 I was pleased to note an exciting tang upon the first quaff. It feels sharp, but pleasant
  going down, ironically compensating effectively for the lack of head.
  I expected a cloying malt taste, but instead was rewarded with a surprising
   sherry-esque flavour.
   It was massively hoppy on the after-quaff, and at 6% ABV is not to be argued with.
   Royal Stag is a clean brew, which means I would most likely drink far more than I 
    ought, were it not for.........well, not for anything really.
    If someone were impatient with my beer review stylings, and were to say to me: " Mel, enough of this unnecessary bloggery-pokery, give me the essence of Royal Stag in one word." After I had done snivelling, I would fix them with one of my old-fashioned looks, and say: "Piquant."

This here bottle was delivered to me as part of an amazing Christmas present from my sister-in-law, a Quantock Brewery tasting selection, from these outstanding persons: http://www.alesbymail.com/catalog/.

 Score in ale-urons, out of a possible 10 on the Corinthian Golden Ale Scale:

For those of a rambling, country pursuits bent : http://www.quantockhills.com/  Cheers!

This is not the greatest beer in the world.....this is just a Tribute.

This here is my idiosyncratic and amateurish review of Tribute, the Premium Cornish Ale from St.Austell Brewery. For the "official" tasting notes, have a gander at this: http://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/beers/cask-beers.html
I say, here's fun: why don't we play a crazy A-Level game of "Compare and Contrast"?

The colour of this booze I have chosen to interpret as a clear russet-gold.
I regret to report that there was not much to scream into the pillow about regarding head. That may be attributed to my technique though, I was a little distracted.      
                                                                 

This is quite a fragrant beer. I detected a low tone of muskiness, which is a lot lovelier than it sounds. I would liken it to the bass notes of a sensuous perfume. A sexy one, not Poison, or CKWhatever. Sandalwood, that's what it reminds me of.
A slight zing awaits upon the first gulp, which I always enjoy. This constitutes a rounded, extremely quaffable brew. Not as tangy as some, and I didn't feel it was as malty as some either. There is a delightful grapefruit tang that punches you in the back of the throat in the after-quaff though.
In essence, Tribute is full-bodied and plenty moreish.


Mr P and I first encountered this lovely beer at http://www.thethatchcroyde.com/ on our holidays in North Devon.
It is not as ace as Proper Job, by the same brewers, but Tribute pretty much possesses a yum factor of 5 by 5. I am happy to say that the inestimable http://www.chesterbeerandwine.co.uk/ stocks this ale from time to time, and if they don't have it, try something else! (If it HAS to be Tribute, Tesco at Broughton Park stocks it at the moment, I believe.)
This is another beer where the brewer uses their own yeast (I know, right?!).
It's lovely one this, and I recommend you have three or four pints if you ever see it on the bar anywhere, you'll have a great time.

Score, in ale-urons, out of a possible 10, on the Corinthian Golden Ale Scale: