The Fifth posting of Wazza's Drinking Around the World... well... Europe!

Wazza's Drinking Around the World!

G'day all! Here we are already at the 5th addition of Wazza's Drinking Around the World. And I, personally, am loving it.

Here today we have a bit of a bottler...

5. Sharp's Wolf Rock Traditional Red IPA - Alc.Vol. 4.8%

The bottle is huge.

Okay, let's read the blurb first this time... They (Sharp's) have been brewing this beer since 1994, and they brew with moreish character and brewed with passion. I suppose most brewers who like their job would say the same thing.

"Eight nautical miles off Land's End lies the infamous reef Wolf Rock, the inspiration for this exceptional Red IPA..."

And, they have politely told us what we should expect from this very tall bottled beer - it's almost the size of an Aussie King Brown...

"Aroma: ripe fruit, roast malt, spicy"

"Taste: full ripe sweetness, citrus"

"Finish: roasted, berry fruit"

"Serve: best served chilled"

"Food Pairing: charcuterie (?), smoked fish or cheddar ploughmans"...

Well, first off, I had to look up the word "charcuterie"...!

From Wikipedia (who else?)

The full glass

"Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. Charcuterie is part of the garde manger chef's repertoire. Wikipedia"

Well, we all learn something new everyday, don't we?

I poured the beer, into a pint glass, whilst watching "Spectre",

Ian Fleming's newest addition to the Bond franchise. And it does have a beautiful colour, a wonderful red, ruby colour, with low fizz and beautiful clarity.

With the help of my cousin, Brian, we had this whilst watching this great movie (I'm a BIG Bond fan!), and we found it a bit heavy, but a bit weak at the same time.

Yes it does have everything the wrapper said it would, but it didn't mention the aftertaste, which was a bit wanting. The citrus taste did overpower the burnt berries, leaving my palate a tad confused. And for once, this one had to be chilled, and my English cousin loves his beers at room temperature, and he said it was full bodied, and has a nice taste.

So down the to my review:

• Sight - 7 - looks lovely, beautiful colour, and very clear, with light fizz
• Smell - 6 - didn't get the full aroma honestly, but there were hints of fruitiness
• Taste - 7 - nice, heavy, but weak on the palate
• Feel - 6 - felt that it was a bit weak
• Aftertaste - 6 - aftertaste that lingered longer than the taste
• Pleasure - 6 - A beer that I'd have for differing reasons. Would be better with food
• Ability - 6 - I'm not sure that this is a common man/woman's beer. 
• Encore - 6 - I don't think I'd drink this again and again, but my palate may change
• Reputable - 5 - haven't heard of it before, but I am in the U.K.
• Purchase - 5 - Won't go out of my way to get it.

Out of 10 I give it - 6 out of 10 

Honestly not my type of beer. It does give you the perfect pint in measurement, but nothing to generally write home about... well, except in this instance

So keep drinking readers, and I hope to see your comments on the pages past, present and future of my blog

Cheers! And drink on!

Wazza