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Beer Strength ..%
a.b.v
Many
people prefer to choose beer by its
"Percentage of Alcohol by Volume" . Perhaps a low % ABV for a "session
beer"
in the summer with friends round or a higher strength beer for a darker
winters evening.
Please use the menu to see how have we
have grouped our range according to strength and to make it easier to
compare different products.
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MILD
A style of ale that is thankfully enjoying a revival in todays market, moving away from it's old image. Mild, in its modem interpretation, is a beer that is 'midly hopped'. It is often sweet, as it allows the flavours of the malt to come to the fore. Many Milds use roasted malts, thus tending to be a dark beer, with a smooth texture. Yet there are also pale Milds. The general view that Milds are low in strength tends to be true, but it is not always the case.
BlTTER
Probably the most common style of ale and this is really no suprise as is has dominated pubs for years. Unlke IPAs which were brewed to last long journeys at sea, bitters were produced so they could be served only a few days after storage. Tending to be deep bronze to copper in colour (due to the use of darker malts), Bitters can have a spicy, peppery and grassy hop character. They may also taste of tangy fruit and nutty malts.
Bitters range from 3.4% tO 3.9%.
BEST BITTER
Best Bitters are classed by CAMRA as 4% and over, not going above 5%. Many ales tend to be brewed around this figure. Best Bitters are, just in fact, stronger in strength than their Bitter counterparts. Best Bitters tend to have very malty and fruity characteristics (almost a biscuit taste). Yet hops and bitterness are still important to the style.
PALE ALE
The line between pale ale and a bitter is one that is blurred. Many breweries now produce a light ale that could not necessarily be considered a bitter so the term 'pale ale' has been coined. As a lower strength ale to its sister ale IPA, pale ales tend to have lighter malts, something which gives it its colour, and hops. As such they can be smooth on the palate, with citrus and floral aromas.
STOUT / PORTER
Originally Porters were a blend of ales that were dark brown, which over the years has changed to black. At that time the strongest or stoutest beer in a brewery was called a stout. In more modern times the strengths of stouts and porters have reduced. As these ales are dark, look for a roasted malt character, sometimes with hints of either dark fruits, coffee or liquorice. Porters, complex in flavour, range from 4% to 6.5%, while Stouts use roasted malted barley which can be sweeter and range from 4% to 8%.
STRONG/ OLD ALE / BARLEY WINE
The differentiation between a strong ale and an old one is that a strong ale is strong in strength, while an Old Ale can range from 4% to 6.5%. Anything above 10% tends to be considered a Barley Wine. Extra Special Bitters [ESB] are over 5% and retain its Best Bitters flavours, just it is more intense. An Old Ale (which does not have to be dark) can have a more profound malt character, with hints of grain and tart fruit. Barley Wines are stronger further. Now many breweries produce Barley Wines that can be very sweet, almost like ripe fruit. There can also be hints of chocolate and coffee.
SPECIALITY
A speciality ale can be anything from a wheat beer, fruit beer, or even a cask conditioned lager. lts name tends to give away what it may taste like but beware this may not always be the case. If you don't want to gamble then ask for a sample but whatever the case, you are in for an ale that is going to be unique.
(with thanks to Birmingham CAMRA - 'Out in Brum')
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