Thwaites Co-Operative 'Strong Brown Ale'

I thought I'd check this one out since the beer selection in my local Co-Op is rather lame but I'm a fan of Thwaites beers.

It's all treacly malt, almost molasses like in weight and texture. Great body and mouth feel and a rich, dense, satisfying umami, almost broth-like palate. Lots of flavours of Marmite and Chinese black-bean sauce mixed in with that sweetness. It's not a style of beer I often enjoy (time and a place!) but this wasn't half bad, certainly a meal-in-a-glass sort of beer, and I'd recommend it if you're a fan of heavier brown ales - Newcastle Brown it ain't.

5.0% abv £1.90 (ish) from the Co-Op

Thwaites 'Indus' PA

A really good, readily available, flavoursome beer that achieves flavour without having too much alcohol. That's not to say I have anything against strong beers, it's more a question of if Thwaites can get flavour at low alcohol volumes how come so many others fail to do so?

I thought this was quite a good beer, while there's a nod towards the more aggressively hopped American styles of IPA, it's weak enough to drink by the pint and has enough interest for the hop-head. Greene King IPA it isn't. Pours golden, with spice and pithiness and a good long toasty finish.

Although of course it's not an India Pale Ale it's an Indus Pale Ale, so I'm sure that any comparisons are invalid!



4.6%, £1.89 (50cl) from Ocado.