Beer #408 - Greene King Down the Dragon

I recently found myself in a Greene King pub in Hornchurch and, believe it or not, this was the most appealing beer on the bar. A 'chilli and chocolate infused auburn ale' from Greene King is probably a million miles away from what I would choose in an ideal world but as it turned out, it was a pretty decent beer. It's a fairly robust bitter with a pleasant caramel malt character and, if I'm being a little generous, a hint of chocolate. The chilli is unmissable though, catching you quite firmly at the back of the throat. Dare I say it, I wouldn't be averse to drinking this again if it came to it.






Brewery: Greene King
Country: United Kingdom
ABV: 4.8%

Beer #397 - 961 Beer - Brewmaster’s Select 01 - Lebanese Pale Ale

And another beer from Lebanon, the second to feature on this blog from the 961 microbrewery. This has a rather interesting list of ingredients including za’atar, sumac, mint, sage, anise, and chamomile. The mint and sage run quite prominently through the beer which is quite unlike anything else I've ever tried. The aroma is quite hoppy but the flavour is dominated by the mint and sage with a gentle spicing also evident. There is a lot going on in this beer and it really made me think about the flavours. By the end of it I really couldn't decide how much I liked it but it's perfectly drinkable and worth trying for the novelty value alone!





Brewery: 961 Beer
Country: Lebanon
ABV: 6.3%