This is one of those beers that they say you must try before you die; rather like Westvleteren and Pabst Blue Ribbon. PBR might actually hasten death.

Old Peculier (Theakston) = 7/10

Ratebeer 3.59 96th percentile
Beer Advocate 88th

An unassuming nose doesn't allude to this beers approaching greatness. There is only a faint whiff of lactose, earth and berries. The sip doesn't knock you over, but it does make you weep. It is all there in perfect balance: raisins, berries (blueberry, blackberry), sherry, caramel and Terra Firma. It is clean as a military barracks floor but a bit warmer. I wish I had bought two bottles.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5.6%
Value +1
Appearance +1 (Classic English style label: a crest, bold lettering and words why this beer is awesome)

This brew appeared in Roger Protz's book "300 Beers to Try Before You Die". A heavily hopped IPA that spends 6 months in a cask before bottling; sign me up.

Burton Empire Ale = 9/10

The first thing you notice is the huge meringue-like head. Oddly there was little aroma that could escape through this fluffiness. Light caramel and loads of carbonation set the palate for a massive hop slap. They were more of the herbal, medicinal, mineral and resinous style. There was a long and thick tongue coating of mixed bitterness and fruity malts.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 7.5%
Value +1
Appearance +1 (best old school label ever!)

Now this is an English standard brew. I can remember sipping this beer in a nook somewhere.

Spitfire by Shepherd Neame = 6/10

Ratebeer 3.02 48th percentile
Beer Advocate B

The nose was surprisingly productive. Lots of toffee, fruits, toast and spicy hops. It had great balance between the toffee coated toast with citrus and peppery hops. A good bitter should be underwhelming and enjoyable; this describes the Spitfire perfectly.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content -1 4.5%
Value +1
Appearance +1 Classic English flashy label

RedHook ESB
Fiddlers Elbow
Sailor Hagar ESB

It's English, it's strong, it's an ale. Do we need to say anything more?

Dorothy Goodbody's Country Ale = 8/10

Ratebeer 3.27 80th percentile
Beer Advocate A- (1 review)

Alluring artwork aside, the nose is also getting me going. Though faint, it has enough biscuit and caramel malts to let you guess what is ahead. Yes, it just what you were expecting. A strong English ale in all its glory: caramel/bready malts balanced with slightly spicy and floral hops. There was a slight citrus flavour that gave an astringent and dry ending. Don't forget the low carbonation and medium mouthfeel.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 6%ABV
Value +1
Appearance +1 (nice label)

Innis and Gunn Dark Rum Cask and the Health Kick
Duchy Original Organic
Bass Pale Ale

London Porter (Fuller's)

Ratebeer 3.97 100th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +4

The nose was full of milk chocolate goodness and a little roast/smoke. Like most English canned beer the head started off pretty good and fluffy but vanished quickly. The taste was just like the nose announced: smooth, sweet, creamy chocolate, roasted and not very bitter. The fuggles hops gave a slight velvety bitterness but nothing pronounced.

Aftertaste +1

There was a slight roasted chocolate aftertaste with a little stale coffee mixed in.

Alcohol Content 0 5.4%

Value +1

Fuller's makes a very drinkable porter. It was not challenging to the taste buds, but it did make them happy.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I found this at the local LCBO while in Toronto. Sadly that was about all I found worth drinking.
Overall 7/10

This should be the standard against which all porters are rated. Fuller's had it all: sweet chocolate malts, not too bitter, roast/smoke and a velvety mouthfeel.

Black Boss Porter
Gonzo Imperial Porter
Anchor Porter

Meantime London Porter

Ratebeer 3.59 96th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +5

For the regular followers of my blog, you know that I love a good porter. This one is the best one to date. It is gloriously toasted with a slight acidic smell similar to coke. Caramel was also present in the aroma. There was low carbonation and the pour gave a dark brown with ruby edges. The taste was very simple; light alcohol warmth with acidic/roasted malts, weak coffee and toast. Your mouthfeel was both acidic and creamy.

Aftertaste +1

The ending was very dry, slightly astringent and acidic.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

Value +1

A great London style dry porter.

Ingame Enhancement +1

More Seattle samplings, YUM.

Overall 9/10

This was the best porter sampled to date. It was dry and acidic with roasted malts, coffee, toast and caramel.

Gonzo Imperial Porter
Anchor Porter
Snoqualmie Steam Train Porter

Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Stout

Ratebeer 3.21 65th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

This is not a thick and heavy stout, but a light and drinkable one. A nose that is faint with bitter chocolate and roast is always inviting to a stout lover. This 'goodbody' is medium to full and slippery. The sweetness of the bitter chocolate played well with the roasted cocoa nibs. Overall it is easy drinking and not overwhelming.

Aftertaste +2

A good stout should stay a while on the palate. This one sure does that; it is long and bubbly with sweet, roasted chocolate.

Alcohol Content -1 4.8%

Sometimes low alcohol brews with big flavours are a perfect match. Sadly due to the rigid scoring system developed by the ARC quality assurance department, this beer gets a negative score.

Value +1

Yes, I will get this one again. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes Guinness.

Ingame Enhancement +1

No gaming tonight. I shared this brew with the courier that brought me the Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

Overall 7/10

This is a great and drinkable stout. Just enough flavour is satisfy, but not too much to overwhelm.

Pike Entire Wood Aged Stout
Blackheart Oatmeal Stout
Rogue Chocolate Stout

St. Peters Honey Porter

Rate beer 2.82 29th percentile
Beer Advocate C+
Taste +4

The nose of fireweed honey fills the room and hides all other aromas from this dark brew. Your first taste, and every taste, is predominated floral sweet, dark honey. Only the slightest of roasted malt and bitter chocolate breaks through this thick honey veil.

Aftertaste +1

It is all honey that coats your upper palate and slowly fades away.

Alcohol Content -1 4.5%

Value +1

It was very unique, but you must like a strong honey flavour.

Ingame Enhancement 0

No gaming tonight. Just sat with the little one and watched Monsters vs. Aliens.

Overall 5/10

If you like a honey heavy sweet beer with a little roast on the side, then this one is for you. Did I mention that it was sweet?

Tin Whistle Chocolate Cherry Porter and playing the field
Black Boss Porter
Snoqualmie Steam Train Porter and New Parts

Taddy Porter (Samuel Smith's)

Ratebeer 3.72 96th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +4

We never see enough of this style in BC. The aroma calls to you with a siren-like voice. It haunts you with roasted coffee beans and chocolate; yet sweet like milk. As you sail closer, your palate crashes upon a light rock of carbonation, but it is the taste that pulls you under. The roasted cocoa and burnt toast scares you at first, but it is creaminess and smoothness that washes over as you stare into the darkness.

Aftertaste +1

The lingering is not as poetic; just a slight roasted chocolate than ends clean.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

This is not meant to be a heavy hitter, but a nice easy drinking beer.

Value +1

This should be the definitive porter style.

Ingame Enhancement +1

With more L4D maps everyday, it just like my beer fridge; never the same taste twice.

Overall 7/10

I love a good porter. They are light and easy drinking, yet flavourful.

Swan's Coconut Porter and Heart and Soul
Black Boss Porter
Granville Island Porter and Real life

Fiddlers Elbow (Wychwood)

Ratebeer 2.92 38th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3

The aroma is sweet with wheat, citrus hops and grass. Your taste buds are treated to a very light malt sweetness with a bit of nuttiness. The overall feel is buttery and the floral hop crispness was very nice.

Aftertaste +1

All that remains is a faint floral hop residue, slightly oily. This brew is very refreshing.

Alcohol Content 0 5.2%

Value 0

It was a nice beer but it just didn't really grab the palate.

Ingame Enhancement 0

I am really looking forward to some L4D player content maps. Every time I play it is like deja vu.

Overall 4/10

This was an ok English bitter, I though Duchy Organic was better.

Other English style bitters
Bass Pale Ale
Rogue Youngers

Newcastle Brown Ale

Ratebeer 3.04 49th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +2

You get a faint caramel malt sweetness in the nose. There is a little added roast with the taste. An unexpected astringent hoppiness is at the finish.

Aftertaste 0

Very clean and uneventful

Alcohol Content -1 4.7%

Value 0

I had this on tap at the Penny Farthing Pub. It was very drinkable but not interesting.

Ingame Enhancement 0

No gaming; RL friend for a change.

Overall 1/10

Drink this one if there is nothing else available

Flavius: I think I need a Blackberry.
Meterman: Why, no one desires to communicate with you.
F: It will help me stay connected to the wired world.
M:Most of us hope you will sever your ties completely.
F: I see all these people looking at their blackberries being important. I feel like I'm missing out.
M: It's a false illusion. Most of them are following RSS feeds about Jon and Kate plus 8 gossip.

Hook Norton Double Stout

Ratebeer 3.51 86th percentile
Beer Advocate B+
Taste +4

The nose smells like blackness; bitter hot chocolate, nuts mixed with malt sweetness. The taste is surprisingly smooth and washes your mouth out with a dry chocolate bitterness. It is similar to a 75% cocoa mass mouth wash with lots of malt.

Aftertaste +2

This brew will not go away. Your palate is blessed with an alcohol and hop tingle that leaves to reveal an everlasting chocolate bittersweet residue.
Alcohol Content -1 4.8%

A lot of stouts tend to be a little low on the alcohol content.

Value +1

This is stellar chocolate stout, almost better than Young's. I would get it again.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Played it old school today with CSS. I don't play enough so I got owned; at least I didn't make a fool of myself.

Overall 6/10

A good chocolate stout; enough said.

Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

Ratebeer 3.78 97th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +5

With a slight nose of alcohol, oatmeal and bitter chocolate you know this will be one rich beer. It does not disappoint; there is a thickness to this pint that covers the mouth with bitter chocolate and lightly roasted malt. Despite the slight hops and roasted malt bite, this is one remarkably smooth beer.
Aftertaste +1

It leaves an after bite of bittersweet chocolate liqueur, but it fades gently away with the alcohol tingle.

Alcohol Content 0 5.2%

Value +1

I get this beer whenever I have been a good boy.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Tonight was a standard night: beer, zombies and friends. Although the zombies were virtual and the friends I have never met in RL.
Overall 8/10

I seem to have one of these every month. Rightly so, it is a great indulgence beer.
Other non-noteworthy posts
Brother Bart Belgian Brown Ale
Lucky Force 8
Unibroue Quatre-Centieme and Professional help

Bass Pale Ale (England)

RateBeer 3.16 59th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +1

The nose, well.... is not there. If I had to make one up I would say apple juice. It was a little watery, but sweet. Not much flavour really, maybe a slight pale malt sweetness similar to watered down apple juice. There was just the slightest hints of floral hops at the end. You could pick up the fainted metallic taste, it didn't seem out of place.

Aftertaste +1

Very light, but the metallic (hard water) and floral hops quickly slipped away clean.

Alcohol Content 0 5.1%

Value 0

It wasn't something I would not buy again; it was too flavourless.

Ingame Enhancement 0

No one playing tonight. So I just sat here drinking my flavourless beer; hoping to pick out some flavours. Anything. Bueller...Bueller..

Overall 2/10

I really only wanted to try this beer because it appeared in an Edouard Manet painting (A bar at the Folies-Bergere). Nothing of note here.

Duchy Original Organic Ale (England)

Rate beer 3.06 48th percentile
Beer Advocate B

This is an effort of Prince Charles HRH The Prince of Wales to try and foster organic farming within England. Duchy Originals makes all sort of stuff; cookies, jams and soups. The most significant in our eyes is the beer.

Taste +3

It pours a nice amber colour with little carbonation. The first whiff calls out English bitter; light hoppy aroma with bread and raspberries. The flavour is all English bitter style; very smooth and slightly bitter. The bitterness is not from the hops, more of a tart apple or toast.

Aftertaste +1

Truly a pleasant balance of bitterness and sweetness that finishes quick and clean.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Could we maybe get a 5.1% sometime?

Value +1

This is $3.50 for a full pint (500ml). Cheaper than a pub. It is actually the cheapest of all English import bitters; very odd for something organic.

Ingame Enhancement +1

These days the zombies are scared. Nightware has a dedicated server so we have them cornered.

6/10

Duchy is a very quaffable English style bitter. Well worth the money if you like this style of beer, or if you want something organic. Maybe you are into Prince Chuck?

.
Flavius: I think I should go on a liver cleaning diet.
Meterman: Very timely, considering our hobby of drinking and reviewing beers.
F: There are so many options; herbal cleanses, colonics, fasting..
M: Draino, Rotorouter.
F: I hope it cleans out all my inner toxins.
M: Great, a nice clean slate for you to start polluting again with your beer and donut diet. Whenever I see you eat I think of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Innis and Gunn Rum Cask Aged
Beer Advocate B
Rate Beer 3.17 58th percentile

Taste +3

The nose starts off with molasses, rum and cherries. The taste is oddly similar to a rum and coke. There is the rum and oak flavours that overlays the mild malty sweetness. Somewhere in there is little smokey/woody taste. This beer is quite unique

Aftertaste +1

The lingering is all malty/coke acidic sweetness. The finish was clean.

Alcohol content +1 7.4%

You can get just the slightest of alcohol ting at the end of a big mouth full.

Value +1

This was not cheap, but it does present well with the fancy box and all. You get 330ml for $3.50. It gets a positive score for its uniqueness of flavour.

Ingame Enhancement +1

WOOT, as always there was much bloody debris after Meterman, Nightware and I rampaged the virtual zombie infested forests for over an hour.

Overall 7/10

This was a very enjoyable and drinkable beer. I have drank two so far, with one more in my fridge. I plan to buy a few more before they are gone.