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Menabrea Birra Bionda

30/6/2018

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Well, another sunny day, another lager.
This little Italian is nice and crisp with a hint of fruity hops on the nose, perhaps a little hoppier than most lagers but it makes for a very pleasant drink. I'm not a fan of overly hoppy beers (there are some local craft beers that I just won't let past my lips) so take it as read that if I'm saying it's a bit hoppier than most lagers and am still calling it pleasant then the Menabrea is a tasty beverage.
It's a crisp golden colour and isn't overly carbonated, so no crappy pours or burping all night (I'm looking at you, Budweiser).
The Menabrea Birra Bionda has a notably different flavour to the Central and Northern European lagers, it has the Southern European warmth and distinction of an Italian lady, and incidentally is about as close as I'm probably ever going to get to an Italian lady (again).

Type
Lager

Country of Origin
Italy

Brewer
Birra Menabrea SPA

ABV
4.8%

Size
330ml bottle

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Whitewater Clotworthy Dobbin

29/6/2018

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Oh I liked this one.
Slightly weaker in flavour than the Lacada Devil's Washtub, but that is no bad thing as the Devil's Washtub is pretty intense.
So yeah, the Clotworthy Dobbin has a great malt with plenty of depth and a beautiful ruby colour, check out the picture and see how it glows.
It's a really nice rich ale but unfortunately I didn't have time to review it the day after I had sampled it so I can't remember if it gave me any particularly strong feelings of arousal. It possibly did not because I was drinking it a fair bit colder than the recommended 8 degrees, the Clotworthy Dobbin is the kind of ale that wants to snuggle up close but I was just being cold and mechanical.
​I left satisfied, but much like my love life I think that I've been a disappointment.

Type
Traditional Ale

Country of Origin
Ireland (Northern)

Brewer
Whitewater Brewery

ABV
5%

Size
500ml bottle

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Whitewater Bee's Endeavour

27/6/2018

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Spiced with honey and root ginger I can see what they were trying to do, a modern day take on mead (I would assume). I really wanted to like this beer, particularly after having tried the Belfast Lager and confessing that I had been overly hard on the brewery because I as a non stout drinker wasn't fond of their stout. Unfortunately I'm just entirely 'meh' about the Bee's Endeavour.
It's not bad, the honey and ginger flavours are a nice presence and give it a nice nose, and the colour is beautifully rich. It's just after the initial burst of flavour it's lacking in any followup, in our slightly hipster WhatsApp beer group I referred to it as similar to flavoured soda water.
Don't get me wrong, there are worse beers out there (there's a brewery in County Meath that fairly reliably produces nothing but wank), this one just is never going to make it into the regular rotation.
I would suggest that this is a beer you buy because you want to try the combination of flavours, and it is worth trying, expanding your horizons and all that, but then go "Alright, now what's next?". 

Type
Golden Ale

Country of Origin
Ireland (Northern)

Brewer
Whitewater Brewery

ABV
4.8%

Size
500ml bottle

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Whitewater Belfast Lager

26/6/2018

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The Whitewater beers are something that I stayed away from for a long time because they were most famous for Belfast Black stout, that I don't like. Which is kind of a silly reason because 1) they make more than Belfast Black; 2) the only stout that I've ever liked has been Guinness so I shouldn't be tainting an entire brewery based on a type of beer that I don't even drink.
So I decided to pick up a range of the Whitewater beers to give them a go, and since it was a warm night decided to start with a nice, crisp lager. And I do have to confess that having now tasted into the range I was being unfair to the brewery.
Belfast Lager is definitely on the better end of the craft lagers available, a bright golden colour, a rich nose and a nice, full flavour. There is none of the 'soapy' texture that you sometimes get in lagers (Tennents leaps to mind there), it was crisp and refreshing on the tongue.
If trying to find something comparable in the mass-market range I would say that it is more akin to your Continental European lagers, Denmark and Germany in particular, rather than the weaker British lagers, and nothing at all like American lagers (I'm only talking mass-market here, the Yanks are producing some fantastic craft beer).
I probably had it chilled lower than they would recommend but on such a warm evening I had no complaints, it paired well with a tubby bloke slowly cooking on his sofa.

Type
Lager

Country of Origin
Ireland (Northern)

Brewer
Whitewater Brewery

ABV
4.5%

Size
500ml bottle

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Inedit Damm

25/6/2018

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Picture
I'm a big fan of this wee wheat beer. It's subtle without being watery with a beautiful balance between the wheat and malt making it smooth and easy drinking.
Great spicy nose, cloudy in colour and smooth on the tongue.
On dining, I'd pair it with a hot, sunny day, beyond that I'd say it's up to you.
I find it very reminiscent of Einstok White Ale because of the coriander and orange peel, (another great beer that is well worth your time).

Type
Wheat Beer

Country of Origin
Spain (Catalonia)

Brewer
Estrella

ABV
4.8%

Size
330ml bottle
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    Author

    Before becoming a freelance writer and novelist Kyle Spence spent a lifetime working in the FMCG industry, the last seven of which at Director level.

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