"God money I'll do anything for you."

It's payday.
"God money I'll do anything for you."
What I want you to do is stop listening to that electro industrial goth nonsense and be bored with beer rambling. Get ready to go out and hand over your hard earned wages for some great beer.

It's been a bumper few days of beer for me. So much so, that I'm planning to have only one beer next week!  No, it's not going Sober for October, I'm taking care of myself and making next week's blog a real challenge!

I present some big spends, some rare treats, but still some value for money beers.  Besides that there is beer here that is good enough to be worth the price, if not more.

Since this blog is served with a healthy side of pragmatism and can be paired with a certain frugality, I'm heading straight to Lidl's box of 6 Exclusive Belgian Ales.  At the cost of £10.99 that price may seem a bit steep, but it will buy a 7.2, 9 and four 10.5% 330ml genuine bottle conditioned imported ales. I put them at a conservative estimate of £22 bought elsewhere. The next six reviews cover them.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Gulden Draak. A boozy sweet treat that gives a lip smacking flavour of caramel, delivered deftly avoiding being heavy or sickly. Beautiful.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Gulden Draak 9000. Blancmange flavour mixed with golden syrup and lime wine gums. Again never stodgy or overly sweet.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Piraat Triple Hop. It's hops Jim but not as we know them, the extra hops lends a lime flavour whilst the ale brings a hint of cinnamon.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Piraat. The quintessential spicy clove tasting Belgian golden strong ale. Classic.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Bornem Dubbel. Flavours of molasses, candy pear, caramel and cream with hints of Angus bitter.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.'s Bornem Triple.  Standard butterscotch clove and hint of Bananarama flavour is similar but more subtle.

Fourpure's Juicebox, £1.80 for a 330ml can from Tesco. Tastes like funky orangeade with a grapefruit finish. A great introduction to US IPA.

Birra Moretti's Grani Antichi, £5.00 for a 750ml bottle from Tesco.  A fiver for a bottle of lager?  Well with it being 8% and wine bottle sized, it is twice the strength, twice the size providing a lot of that slightly sweet strong lager that is an Italian staple.

Wiper & True's Quintet, £2.70 for a 500ml bottle from Waitrose. Wonderfully balanced full flavoured but understated IPA. Very Tasty.

Brouwerij Boon's Oude Geuze, £3.20 for a 330ml bottle from Waitrose.  Dry yet oily with fruit sherry tartness. Yet another great introduction to a classic style.

Alphabet Brewing Company's A to K, £2.20 for a 330ml can from Bargain Booze.  Oatmeal and grapefruit flavour. Distinctive.

Alphabet Brewing Company's Flat White, £2.20 for a 330ml can from Bargain Booze. Tastes like the coffee it's named after, but a light(ish) coloured Stout?

Cloudwater's Helles Tettnanger, £2.40 for a 440ml can from Bargain Booze. Best UK Helles?  Definitely.  Best Helles?  certainly. Best Lager?  probably **winks**.

 

Cloudwater's Parkin Cake, £5.50 for a 440ml can from Bargain Booze. Smells like a well mixed, good quality whisky mac (whisky & ginger wine) and taste like the classic cake soaked in booze. Bliss.

There you go, there is some great ale and beer out there.  So go get 'em.