Coopers Best Extra Stout from Australia: With a BA rating of 92 (exceptional) and an ABV 6.3 %, it’s actually a lot lighter than you might expect, meaning that it goes down very easily! Providing a great alternative to the Guinness Foreign Extra as the weather starts to get warmer, we are sure the dedicated stout drinkers will enjoy this rendition.
Downtown Brown (USA) ABV 5%
Eye of the Hawk (USA) ABV 8%
Fuller’s ESB: (England) ABV 5.9%
This English Extra Special Bitter (ESB) is quoted as being "The World's Original Extra Special Bitter" and “the definitive Premium Ale”. With a BA Rating of 94 (Exceptional), it’s strong and aromatic with great character, providing a full-bodied maltiness and rich hoppiness that are immediately evident and develop into a deep fruitiness.
Fuller's London Porter: (England) ABV 5.4%
Widely regarded as the World's Finest Porter, it has BA Rating of 98 (World Class): This is a classic rich dry porter, with a complex mix of chocolate, coffee, caramel, bread and malt. Arguably the perfect Porter, with a hint of bitterness leading to a nice dry finish but forget what I think, the rating says it all!
Fuller’s London Pride: (England) ABV 4.7%
This English Pale Ale is Fullers flagship brew and has a BA Rating of 95 (World Class): Considered to be one of the most respected cherished ales of Britain and the #1 selling premium ale; it can be viewed as another benchmark for the style. It has an excellent medium strength, medium body, with a strong malty base and rich balance of well developed hop flavors.
Full Sail Amber (USA) ABV 5.5% IBU 31
Described by the brewers as malty sweet, medium bodied with a reddish amber hue and a spicy floral hop finish. This Amber is a fourteen times Gold Medal Winner and get an outstanding rating on Beeradvocate. What more needs to be said?
FULL SAIL I.P.A. (USA)
World Beer Championships – Five time gold medal winner: Full Sail IPA is described by the brewers as thirst quenching, with a pronounced citrus flavor and a full malty body. Generously hopped to 60 IBUs with Yakima Valley hops, it’s certainly worth a try.
Full Sail Pale Ale (USA) ABV 5.4% IBU 37
Named “One of the Top Beers in the World” by Men’s Journal Magazine, it’s was a 2008 Great American Beer Festival® Gold Medal winner. According to the brewers, this ale not only has a fresh hop aroma, a crisp clean flavor and a refreshing finish, it also achieves “perfect balance”. No wonder why it also gets an outstanding rating on Beeradvocate.
According to the Brewer; "Leffe Blond is a pale abbey beer, with a full, sunny, golden color. It has a smooth and full bodied taste and a rich creamy head. Like all the Leffe beers, it is a ’connoisseur’ beer that is easy to drink." One of the more noticeable attributes of this blond Belgium abbey ale is the use of Vieux Temps yeast, giving it a somewhat unique yet interesting clove flavor.
Leffe Brune (Belgian Dark Ale / Abbey Style) ABV 6.5%
Lion Stout (Sri Lanka) ABV 8%
MORETTI LA ROSSA (Italian) ABV 7.2%
This Italian Birra Doppio Malto, is described by the brewer as a double malt, giving a “full caramelized malt flavor and an intense aroma of roasted malt”. Yet the hops used, are described as “particularly aromatic, giving a characteristic bitter aftertaste and a delicate fragrance to the beer”. The 7.2 % ABV places it akin to a German Doppelbock and worth a try.
Old Brown Dog Ale (USA) 6.7%
Old Speckled Hen (England) ABV 5.2%
“Old Speckled Hen’ has a full, smooth flavor and is very easy to drink. Its rich amber color and superb fruity aromas are complemented by a delicious blend of malty tastes. Toffee and malt combine with bitterness on the back of the tongue to give a balanced sweetness. This, all followed by a refreshingly dry finish.”
Pilsner Urquell: (Czech Republic) ABV 4.40%
Plzeňský Prazdroj, ironically better known by its German name Pilsner Urquell, this is the original benchmark Pilsner from Pilsen and arguably the forerunner of the modern generation of pale larger styles. So if you want to discuss Pilsners, it’s a must try. More highly hopped than most Pilsners, I think you will find that bitterness comes through in the taste more than most.
Prima Pils (USA) ABV 5.3%
Primator (Czech Republic) ABV 7.5%
Skull Splitter (Scotland) ABV 8.5%
Smuttynose Porter (USA) ABV 6.2%
Tilburg's Duch Brown Ale (Holland) ABV 5%
Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown (USA) ABV 9%
Spaten Optimator (German Dopplebock) ABV 7.6%
Brewed in strict accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 the brewers say little about this ale other than it’s a classic German Dopplebock. For myself its Malt, Malt, Caramel and more Malt; it has some excellent reviews and certainly worth a try.
Spaten Lager: (German) ABV 5.2%
An original Munich Helles Larger with a BA Rating of 92 (Exceptional): This is the #1 selling Bavarian import and arguably another benchmark lager for the style: Essentially, a premium bottom fermented lager that is golden in color with a well-balanced hop flavor and full malt aroma.
Warsteiner: Konig Ludwig Weissbier: (Germany) 5.5% ABV
Royal Bavarian Hefeweizen: A classic Bavarian Wheat Beer that is flavorsome with both fruitiness and spice, brewed in accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516.
Weihnstephaner Korbinian (Germany) ABV 7.4%
With a BA rating of 91, this is an exceptional Dopplebock from the world’s oldest brewery. Despite the 7.4% ABV, the emphasis is clearly on the malt and not the alcohol. Smooth and strong, with notes of dark fruit, raisin, fig, toast and caramel, this is definitely another sipper, to be savored.
Weihnstephaner Vitus ABV 7.7%
Winner of the “World’s best Beer Award”, “World’s Best Wheat Beer,” “World’s Best Strong Wheat Beer” and “Europe’s Best Strong Wheat Beer”: From the oldest brewery in the world, this “single bock”, is a must try for any Beer connoisseur! Providing a complexity of flavors that hit the pallet, with notes of fruit, banana and clove, a touch of pear, biscuit and malt… Sip it, savor it and enjoy it!
