Beer Guerilla: Best of British

Beer Guerilla: Best of British

His original plan foiled by looters, Will Beckett calls in his very own A-Team to a secret underground lair (the decidedly un-secret Hawksmoor) and kicks off his very own beer-based Battle of Britain

Sometimes even guerillas meet circumstances they can’t overcome. The hysteria created by a group of 14-year-olds in hoodies who looted JD Sports trainers and nicked Imodium by the fistful before torching the place meant that this month, for the first time, Beer Guerilla experienced the bitter taste of defeat.

It could have been so different. Armed with six British beers I had planned a stealth trip to a sports bar to check what various Home Nations supporters thought of our national drink. I had visions of an England victory, of legendary banter about Wayne Rooney’s hairline and witty anecdotes about British brewing history. Alas, the game was called off.

This left me in a bit of a quandary. I walked around for a few days lost in my own thoughts. I needed a British venue – after about 72 hours I realised the answer was staring me in the face… Hawksmoor.

All I needed now was a group with whom to taste. That and to avoid a blatant plug for Hawksmoor Guildhall (opening in October – now taking bookings) or Hawksmoor at Home, also being published in October (available for pre-order at hawksmoor.co.uk). That would be beneath me, beneath Imbibe and beneath you, the reader. No, I needed impartiality, expertise and, a bunch of people who could be there pronto as deadline was looming. Step forward Leo Besant (Hix), Richard Dinwoodie (Utobeer and The Rake), Alec Parkinson (Wright Brothers Soho) and Jonathan Zammit-Tabona (Imbibe) all heeding the Beer Guerilla call.

The problem with assembling an all-star team of beer experts is that the usual style of these columns seems inappropriate. Rocking up in an England kit, draped in a Union Jack, dragging a reluctant bulldog behind me is just dandy when offering free beer to people whose sole intent is getting hammered and arguing about Theo Walcott; but, surrounded by people who actually know what they’re talking about you need to aim a little higher.

We sat down to a serious tasting session – five dedicated men, ruthless in their judgements and eager in their quest for self-improvement. I insisted on the best – on exceptional tasting notes, immaculate opinions… and comparing all the beers to a famous Briton. Perhaps the total idiocy of Beer Guerilla lives on?

Bishops Finger 5.4% ABV, sn

Although it’s Shepherd Neame’s main beer, the team didn’t like it as much as Spitfire. Still, this strong, full-flavoured beer is likely to be very good with food. All the ingredients are from Kent too – unusual in itself.

Famous British equivalent:

Mick Jagger – Kentish, successful but eclipsed by John Lennon.

Innis & Gunn 6.6% ABV, i&g

Innis & Gunn is aged in oak, with various styles and casks available. This is the original 6.6% beer and has seen 30 days in bourbon barrels. The panel found strong malty flavours, citrus, vanilla and an initial complexity that wasn’t as prevalent in the finish. Verdicts varied, some thought it was fantastic and others, well, less so.

Famous Briton equivalent:

Nick Clegg – promising start but fading away a bit, to split opinion.

Kernel IPA ColUmbus 6.2% abv, kb

Evin O’Riordain brews out of a tiny railway arch in London’s Bermondsey, and his incredible beers that are finding their way into many of the capital’s top restaurants. The IPA changes regularly, presumably as his mood does, but this one was a massive hit with everyone. Full citrus flavours but a generally soft mouthfeel, with a nice piney hoppiness. And surprisingly easy-drinking for a 6.2% abv.

Famous(ish) Briton equivalent:

Edith Sitwell, who wrote, ‘Eccentricity exists [here] because of that peculiar knowledge of infallibility that is the hallmark and birthright of the British nation.’

Sharp’s Doom Bar 4% ABV, mc

A Cornish favourite and at 4% the lowest abv beer that we sampled, with a light mouthfeel and a delicate flavour. Parkinson and Besant both noticed prominent dry fruit flavours, and Dinwoodie, who wasn’t keen on the nose, still found that the beer had quite a pleasant bitterness.

Famous Briton equivalent:

Gary Barlow – pleasant enough to have mass appeal, but with an unexpected bitterness.

Spitfire 4.5% ABV, sn

Brewed by Shepherd Neame in Kent, this beer was a favourite. Not only was the panel impressed with its floral and grassy notes (with references to English gardens, hay-making and so on), but Spitfire is the most unashamedly British ale. It’s in the name, the branding, the tongue-in-cheek marketing campaigns and even the all-too British suggestion that things ain’t what they used to be (as Spitfire isn’t the bottle-conditioned beer it once was). This is a beer to build an Empire on.

Famous Briton equivalent:

Churchill – quintessentially British icon, who evokes a mild nostalgia for bygone days.

Wychwood Hobgoblin 5.2% ABV, m

One of the most complex examples we tried, defying the convention that popular beers ought to aim for safe ground. Pears, roasted malt, chocolate, stewed fruit, nuts and strong malt and hop flavours. The makers of the beer suggest drinking it warm (unlike Barack Obama who chilled it down) but we served it cold and liked it that way. These small acts of rebellion make me feel important.

Famous Briton equivalent:

Nick Drake – ‘complex and a bit fruity’ (thanks for that one Leo).

Suppliers

Marston’s, 01902 711811; Shepherd Neame, 01795 532206; Molson Coors UK, 0845 6000 888; Kernel Brewery, 07757 552 636; Innis & Gunn, 0131 220 7230

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – September/October 2011