St Peter’s ‘Winter Ale’

St Peter's 'Winter Ale'
Diary entry #27, St Peter's 'Winter Ale'

Verbatim: St Peter’s Winter Ale. 500ml, $5, 6.5%, 8/5/05. First off: most gorgeous bottle ever. Green oval, pure vintage. Looks like good medicine and smells a bit the same. Dark as dark, with a few brownish bubbles. Tastes mad. A little scary, even. Fruitcake flavours all over the place, a little spicy. Definately a flask of winter goodness. Goes seriously well with a big old stew, and that’s just what G.’s jigged up. Nice.

Afterthoughts, October 2010: I was massively impressed by this one, and recall it very well. I haven’t been able to find it since, sadly. The bottle is also sufficiently gorgeous that, when for a while they weren’t able to use the proper old-school ones (during a shortage or whatever), the beers actually came with a tag that apologised for their absence.

Badger ‘Golden Glory’

Badger 'Golden Glory'
Diary entry #26, Badger 'Golden Glory'

Verbatim: Badger Golden Glory. 500ml, $5, 4.5%, 7/5/05. Flat day. Smells all peachy and gorgeous. But as G. says, it’s one little weakness is like fruit tea: smells better than tastes — but that’s relative, as it still tastes seriously good.

Afterthoughts, October 2010: A rather-similar golden ale from the same place as the original. Lighter and even fruitier, if anything. These things usually do exceptionally well as ‘evangelistic’ beers to people who say “I don’t like beer”. It still didn’t work on my friend Robyn, though; I’m still trying.

Badger ‘Golden Champion’

Badger 'Golden Champion'
Diary entry #25, Badger 'Golden Champion'

Verbatim: Badger Golden Champion. 500ml, $5, 5%, 4/5/05, with sausages + Firefly. I’m visiting these guys and shaking the hand of the man what makes their beer. Gold, indeed. Really tasty. Warm fruitiness. Peaches, quite a bit. It’s really good. [Brewed w/ elderflower!]

Afterthoughts, October 2010: A nice early example of what developed into a very fruitful little obsession with golden ale. It’s a helluva useful style; the lightness and refreshingness of a light lager, but with the depth of flavour of a good ale.