10a - Banks: Barley Gold (Very Strong Ale).

I have numbered this beer 10a because I will have to revisit it at some point. I was ready to give this beer a truly scathing review. In fact I was looking forward to giving the review I thought this beer deserved, but then I investigated the can a little closer in order to see precisely what awards it had won, and noticed that it was past its "Best Before" date.... by 8 months.

It took me several days to recover from New Zealand's Radler bier, and I was looking forward to getting my teeth into a meaty English beer. But this beer made me physically shudder, when I tasted it. I was going to say that this beer is the brewing equivalent of water-boarding, and that the owners of the owners of the Park Brewery at Wolverhampton should be reported to the International Criminal Court at the Hague for crimes against humanity, but now I know that would be unfair.

There is a definitely English flavour to this beer but it is accentuated to the point of caricature and I can only put that down to the extra 8 months that this beer has had to mature.

I would drink this beer with fetid meats and blue vein cheese.

NEXT: I retreat to the safe haven of Germany and seek Sancruary with the Catholic Church. I try Franziskaner - Weissbier. If Barvarian friars can't make a nice beer, I don't know who can.

09 - Monteith: Radler Bier **

I bought Monteith's Radler Bier at the recommendation of a local Bottle shop manager. While I am greatful for the interest in this blog, I will think twice before taking his recommendation again. Radler Bier is not a serious beer. It is not a beer for beer drinkers, but rather one for the ladies or men don't quite like the taste of beer. I can only imagine someone thinking this is a nice beer when they are comparing it to a VB.

Radler Bier has a hint of lemon which combines with the beer to taste more like ginger beer than a traditional beer. I am sure there is a market for this beer, but it is obvious that I am not in there target demographic. Perhaps the government should slap an alcopop tax on this one.

I would drink this beer with..... with.... Oh let's be honest, I will never drink this beer again. It is not a beer so much as a travesty of brewing.

Next: We're returning to England to try Bank's 9.1% Barley Gold (Very Strong Ale). This is an award winning beer, so I hope I can scrape the tast of the Radler Bier out of my mouth before I try it.

08 - Grolsch: Premium Lager *******

I know I am probably rushing this beer, but I want to get this beer tasted so I can try a few new goodies that I have acquired.

Premium Lager very nice crisp and clean German ale. It has a slightly bitter flavour but is in no way unpleasant. In fact Grolsch is a beer for every day. It is not the most impressive beer I have tasted but it is a beer that I find too easy to drink. In fact I will have another very soon.

This is a beer that will go well with a steak or a hamburger.

Next: I make a short stop over in New Zealand to try Monteith's Radler Bier.

07 - Schwelmer: Pils ******

Schwelmer's Pils is a beer that you should buy if for no other reason than to acquire one of their terrific bottles. The bottle is not the best thing about this beer but it does come a close second. The beer is slightly cloudy and and the taste is .... curious. This is by no means an unpleasant beer. It is a very nice simple malt beer. I suspect that The Schwelmer Brewery has been using this recipe for a very long time.

But from the colour and taste, one suspects that the English had something to do with the brewing process somewhere along the line. This is a nice beer by most standards, but by the standards one expects from the Germans, it is disappointing. I will drink this beer long before I buy English, but when I get it, it will be to increase my collection of lovely resealable bottles.

I would drink this beer with kangaroo meat or some other game.

Next: I stretch to the bottom of the pantry and try Grolsch's Premium Lager

06 - Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei: Original Lager ********

DAB's Original Lager is another German treasure. It is not only running an efficient rail system that the Germans excel at, they truly are masters of the art of brewing. Who knew?

This is a beer that keeps giving. The flavour needs no more than the barley, malt, and hops to create an exquisite flavour. There are no overpowering tones as we find in English beers, but it is not a weak or watery beer by any means. DAB's Original is a beer that improves with the tasting.

I would drink this beer with cheese, and German sausage... and sauerkraut. The 660ml bottle is a sheer pleasure because the extra half a glass counters the inevitable disappointment one feels when the first glass is empty. This is a delightful beer and I will be drinking this again, and again, and again..... but responsibly.

Next: Schwelmer - Pils