Beer Review - Hornbeam Mary Rose (Bottle)

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
A Chestnut red bitter. It is a developmental product, no two batches have been exactly the same. We are seeking to replace Hornbeam Bitter 3.8% with a new core bitter at the same strength. The Name of the new core bitter is to be confirmed.

Hornbeam Mary Rose

Another beer sent over by a mate of mine back in the UK.

4.2% abv

This beer grew on me quickly. To begin with I thought it was rather too sharp and bitter and although the general carbonation was very gentle there was a little too much fizziness on the tongue for my liking at first. It did settle down.

BUT lovely, lovely hops on the nose. I am quickly becoming a big fan of American hops, in this case Amarillo and Cascade.

I've used Cascade in a couple of brews of All Grain Brewer's Pride taken from this book Home Brew Self Sufficiency.

The thing is I moved to France in 2005 from the UK and having only been back a handful of times, I've missed out on the re-emerging micro brewery scene and the explosion of American hopped beers creeping into the market. France is a little way behind the rest of the world when it comes to beer. I have yet to be impressed by any local brews and the shops and supermarkets are filled with an array of over carbonated, too sweet blonde piss. Amber and darker beers are a sad rarity. Not so long ago a friend told me about the wonderful new beer called Guinness and asked if I'd heard of it!!!! FFS I don't know what is taught in schools here but I'm sure the general population are somehow convinced that the rest of the world has only just come into being. "Do you have radio and FAX machines in England yet?"

The good news is, it is beginning to change and there is an awakening happening here, more and more French people are realizing beers can be more than just a fizzy, lagery glass of bubbles and sugar and so it is quite an exciting time to be brewing here. Shops and bars are springing up that trade exclusively in good beers either from craft breweries around France - there's a growing home brew community - and Belgian, German and even, Dieu forbid, English beers - although not enough of the latter yet. Like their wine, American beers do not appear to exist here other than the occasional Budweiser.

Also, and this is criminal, hand pulled real ale doesn't seem to exist here either. From what I've seen, even in the micro breweries that have a bar built on, it's all force carbonated, keg beer. GAS, GAS, GAS, SUGAR, hint of malt or hops, GAS!!! Oh yes, and always served way too cold!

Back on topic. The fruitiness on the nose increases as the beer rests in the glass to the point that I couldn't really pick out any malt aromas, plenty in the flavour don't get me wrong but the hop aroma took centre stage and it was a bloody good hop aroma. Grapefruit, citrus. The label mentions tangerines which I couldn't pick out, but then again I'm no pro.

Nice reddy amber colour and clarity - even when I did manage to allow a little of the yeast into the glass.

Note, the yeast is easily disturbed and rests as a few lumpy pieces on the bottle bottom.  This may be due to it having been posted here though I did give it a couple of days resting.

I'm not sure what yeast they use and their website is a little new and lacking in much info at all really, not to mention a few dead or broken links - as a freelance web designer I notice these things - so I am trying to culture some up from the recovered dregs.

So, do I like Mary Rose? Yes I do. I'd buy it, I'd be keen to try a cask version and at 4.2% I could see myself having a good session on it too. All in all, a good all-rounder but I have to say again, I'm loving the hop aromas in this one.

Beer Review - Hornbeam, Dark & Devine

tldr: Nice roasted flavours, malt and New Zealand hops on the nose, dry on the tongue but with quite a strong, long lasting bitterness. Genuinely very enjoyable but maybe not a full session beer.

For those of you with some time to read:

I received a surprise package in the post yesterday morning from my good friend, Alex back in the UK. Two bottles of beer from a relatively new, family run craft micro-brewery in the Manchester area going by the name of Hornbeam.

Tonights bottle...

Dark & Devine

(from the bottle, "Ale To Die For") 

4.2% abv

The first thing that struck me was this was not as dark as I had been expecting from the label. As you can see in the photo above, it's still quite an amber coloured beer.

The second thing that hit me (like a train - but in a good way) was the gorgeous waft of roasted malts and hops as I began to pour. Wonderful smelling beer.

The head formed easily while pouring and there was a pleasing amount of carbonation, not a gaseous micro fizz like some churn out. Very nice indeed.

The colour betrays the actual roasted maltiness and I couldn't put my finger on the hop aromas.

A quick read of the bottle informed me that New Zealand hops are used in the recipe although not a hop type I have used in any of my brews yet so I still can't say which type/s are used. If I was going to guess, I'd hazard a guess on Nelson Sauvin but I am probably wrong. I'd look at high Alpha Acid variety as there is a distinct, strong bitterness here.

I'm not going to give marks out of 10 as tastes and smells are different to everyone so I'd sum this beer up by saying, yes I would buy it , yes I would like to try more of Hornbeam's range and Yes I am going to try and culture the yeast dregs from the bottom of the bottle.

I don't think I would spend a whole evening in the pub drinking this (actually, who can afford to do that these days?) but I'd certainly make sure I had 2 or 3 at some point in the night.

So, cheers Alex matey, thanks for introducing me to Hornbeam Brewery. Tomorrow night I'll crack open the bottle of their Mary Rose Bitter.