The timing of this is somewhat ironic, since I’m house-hunting. But I’d been meaning to have one for ages — and having beers for ‘punny’ reasons has always been a habit of mine. It’s a ‘Strong Pale Ale’, but they mean in terms of flavour, not booze. It’s golden, with a very herby, hoppy, grassy nose. Zesty and lively in the body, with a nice long finish, and a good solid presence in the taste, as opposed to the subtler Pedigree I had before it, but it’s still hugely drinkable.

The fraction that made it into the photo is ambiguous, but I’m fairly sure that’s Nation by Terry Pratchett that I was reading. You should, too; it’s very good.

Afterthoughts, February 2011: We couldn’t get this at work for ages; no one was importing it any more. It was probably the most asked-after of beers in that category for months. And then, recently, we got a dozen dozen. Which was fun for me to stack away, as it always is. We’re motoring through them.

Verbatim: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord 9/2/09 500ml 4.1% $12 @ Malthouse.  Strong pale ale. Flavourful, not booze. Golden, with a herby, hoppy, grassy nose. Zesty + lively in the body, with a nice long finish. Good solid presence in the taste, as opp. the subtle Pedigree, but still hugely drinkable.

A classic English ale, with a nice old-school bent in that they still use a peculiar system of oak casks all piped-together for the brewing, which does give it definite woody undertones, especially late. It’s a nice light amber, starts smooth, and is generally easy-going, understated, but rewarding. Lots of subtle little flavours drifting up as you go, making for an enjoyably complex sipper. It’s also got the solid minerally-ness that comes from the Burton water, and became a characteristic of the stronger, hoppier India Pale Ales, when they were developed.

Afterthoughts, February 2011: In another instance for the Strange Timing files, I’m just getting back on to the archival-uploads task bang on two years after I first had this. I still have fond memories of this beer, and have had a couple in the intervening time. So sedate, and worth spending time with.

I love that the label says “Official Beer of England”, too. A wonderfully over-reaching marketing effort, since they mean “of the English Cricket Team”.

Verbatim: Marston’s Pedigree. 9/2/09. 500ml 4.5% $11 @ Malthouse. Classic English ale, brewed in a weird old oak cask system, and it shows. Very woody undertones, especially late. It’s a nice light amber, and has a smooth start. Easy-going, understated but rewarding. With the Burton water mineral note.

I’ve already said how utterly indifferent I am to the organic fad, so when Prince Charles’ outfit present me with a ‘classic ruby ale’ to try, I’m flooded with conflicting emotions: apathy, curiousness, anti-Monarchism (but I always have that), a desire to not give money to Prince Charles but still to have his beer, and — above all, thirst. My conflict was solved when a customer bought one for me, out of the blue. Nice.

Which is a good word for the beer: nice. It won’t change your life, but it’s solid. Not overly ‘ruby’ for a ‘ruby’ ale, you’d have to say, but it’s a good little quaffer.

Verbatim: Duchy Originals Organic Ale. 14/11/08 $12.5 @ Malthouse. 5.0% 500ml. Shouted by a customer, so my republican cred is intact. An organic ruby ale. Classic English. Don’t give a toss about organic-ness, of course, but this is very pleasant. Quite accessible, I think. Some reviews say its hardcore. Maybe my taste is skewed.

Verbatim: Ivanhoe (A very English pale ale). 18/11/07, $7ish, 5.2%, 500ml. Note sure why I started a new page. Watching Dr Who. Nice reddy-brown. Say it’s well-balanced, and it is. Geat beery beer. Proper stuff. Nice round hoppy and malty note.

Afterthoughts, October 2010: Every now and then, I’ll mess up something seemingly-simple about my Diary; like here skipping a page (which you can’t discern from the scan, obviously), or not having a black pen, as with Duvel. It worries me more than it should. I just have that kind of brain. But still, I get over it, and make the notations anyway. That’s a relief.

Meanwhile, I’ve never read Ivanhoe. Perhaps I should. Or perhaps it’ll just join the long list of classics that I’m not even ashamed to’ve not read. (I have vague recollections of having a comic book version when I was little, but don’t think I ever read that, either.) I can’t tell if that’s wrong of me, or if that’s just very ‘English’ all the moreso.

Verbatim: Young’s Special London Ale. 500ml, $5, 6.4%, 14/5/06. Bottle conditioned, and it shows; gorgeous bubbles. Dark amber color, big round taste, malty + with hops for, well, England. All-around wonderfully beery. Brilliant, but definately not for everyone.

Afterthoughts, October 2010: Everybody ready? We’re about to fall off another cliff of Ridiculous Slackness…