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Recent Reviews of Beers, Breweries, Pubs/Bars and Towns/Cities
Beer Review
by beerhappens
Review Score
58.33%
Overall6/10
Taste7/10
Aroma4/10
Body7/10
Appearance3/10
A surprisingly decent traditional ale from a brewery that's (surprisingly) new to me. Quite sweet, almost lemon/lime - juicy stuff.
At pub: The Halfway HouseIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: at the bar
1 Jul 2025
Nightjar: Lost in IKEA
Review Score
51.00%
Overall5/10
Taste6/10
Aroma6/10
Body5/10
Appearance4/10
Hazy gold. Good creamy head as poured, with very good retention and some lacing. Dry, wheat, citrus pith aroma. Dry, fruit, bit ?wine? taste and after. Some effervescence.
At pub: Black CatIn: Liverpool
1 Jul 2025
Salopian: Day In A Life
Review Score
51.08%
Overall5/10
Taste6/10
Aroma5/10
Body5/10
Appearance4/10
Bright gold. Active pour, dispersing, OK head with some retention and OK lacing. Fruit candy hop aroma. Similar taste and after – very cold, might have more to it if warmer. Refreshing and light.
At pub: Black CatIn: Liverpool
3 May 2025
The Willow Bank
Review Score
51.50%
Overall1/10
Beer Quality5/10
Beer Selection4/10
Atmosphere6/10
Service6/10
Value7/10
Used to be a regular haunt of mine, I'm shocked to see how long it's been since I was last there. A slightly limited selection - it was, and I think still is, a Green King pub, so it obviously favours their brews, but managed to have a couple of interesting, some local, options and generally at a decent price.
Reportedly Accepts CashVisited: 10 Apr 2017Food AvailableHas Beer Garden/Outdoor Space
3 May 2025
BrewDog: NanoDog White IPA
Review Score
47.25%
Overall5/10
Taste5/10
Aroma4/10
Body4/10
Appearance4/10
Hazy brass gold. Some fizz on pour, dispersing, with no retention or lacing. Fairy Liquid, hop syrup aroma, developing slightly warm, herbal note under. Soapy Witbier, bit cheap homebrew. Disappointing – I know the NanoDog range is meant to be experimental, but this is almost homebrew-level.
In: LiverpoolPurchased from: BrewDog.com
3 May 2025
Vault City: Salted Caramel Crema
Review Score
82.00%
Overall9/10
Taste8/10
Aroma8/10
Body6/10
Appearance8/10
Black. Some dark tan head as poured, thin halo and no surface retention with some layering. Rich chocolate, salted caramel, coffee aroma. Dark roast salted caramel mocha taste, similar after. Creamy, thick, smooth. Part of a series of flavoured coffee Impy Stout, with Hard Lines Coffee.
At pub: Dead Crafty Beer Co.In: LiverpoolPurchased from: Dead Crafty Beer Co.
21 Apr 2025
d'Achouffe: Chouffe 0,4
Review Score
54.00%
Overall8/10
Taste5/10
Aroma4/10
Body5/10
Appearance7/10
Light beer bit wheezy however not very much
At pub: The Ship and MitreIn: Liverpool
21 Apr 2025
Huyghe: Delirio
Review Score
64.00%
Overall7/10
Taste9/10
Aroma7/10
Body6/10
Appearance1/10
Smooth fruity beer very estery
At pub: The Ship and MitreIn: Liverpool
21 Apr 2025
Mash Gang: Lesser Evil
Review Score
75.00%
Overall9/10
Taste8/10
Aroma10/10
Body8/10
Appearance5/10
Very sweet strong aroma
At pub: The Ship and MitreIn: Liverpool
20 Apr 2025
Duvel Moortgat: Duvel
Review Score
69.08%
Overall8/10
Taste7/10
Aroma6/10
Body5/10
Appearance7/10
THE CLASSIC! Widely available now, but still good.
At pub: Bierhuis De BrouzaeleIn: GentPurchased from: the pub I was in
6 Apr 2025
Three Hills: BPAVK - Triple Chocolate Brownie Pasty Stout
Review Score
92.17%
Overall10/10
Taste10/10
Aroma8/10
Body7/10
Appearance9/10
A truly outstanding beer. The flavour is candy fudge chocolate malt (and quite sweet, but not too much), and caramel vanilla roast.
The aroma likewise is a gorgeous vanilla caramel fudgey malt and sweet-smelling.
The body and mouthfeel is just perfect - warning and candy sweet roast, quite a complex caramel thing going on, and definitely the alcohol warmth comes through, but so balanced nonetheless.
Appearance is solid black, and decent enough head of amber foam.
The aroma likewise is a gorgeous vanilla caramel fudgey malt and sweet-smelling.
The body and mouthfeel is just perfect - warning and candy sweet roast, quite a complex caramel thing going on, and definitely the alcohol warmth comes through, but so balanced nonetheless.
Appearance is solid black, and decent enough head of amber foam.
At pub: at homeIn: Liverpool
16 Feb 2025
Rivington
Review Score
82.00%
Overall9/10
Consistency8/10
Innovation7/10
Technical Quality9/10
Value7/10
New Release Frequency8/10
This brewery kind of crept up on me. I didn't find many up until a few years ago, but now I'm coming across many - they've become quite prolific. Mostly cans, and lots of IPAs and pales. My favourite was the 2021 batch of American Barleywine (large bottle). Consistently good quite beers, and good american hops.
Brewing Location: AnderstonDistribution: NationalEstablished: 2014Has Taproom: YesKnown For: Lots of IPAs, but also pales, some sours and the occasional gorgeous stout
16 Feb 2025
Black Cat
Review Score
82.50%
Overall8/10
Beer Quality9/10
Beer Selection9/10
Atmosphere5/10
Service9/10
Value8/10
This is my local - as local as it can get being at the top of my road. They have a good selection of craft beers on tap, with enough new ones each time to remain interesting. It's also great they have two cask pumps on. There's also a decent fridge stock - maybe not as plentiful as in their newer Rose Lane branch, but still good.
It's a very popular bar, although this and the quiz and other events can make it very loud sometimes. During the daytime it's actually really nice and quiet.
They have a food menu, but it's from next door - a collaboration.
Reportedly Accepts CashIt's a very popular bar, although this and the quiz and other events can make it very loud sometimes. During the daytime it's actually really nice and quiet.
They have a food menu, but it's from next door - a collaboration.
Visited: 13 Feb 2025Beer Range: many craft beers on tap, plus a decent fridge selection most of the timeFood AvailableHosts Beer Events
15 Feb 2025
Gent
Review Score
89.50%
Overall10/10
Pub Scene10/10
Craft Beer10/10
Beer Events5/10
Value8/10
Beer Tourism8/10
It's been so long since I've been there, but it's such a beautiful city. I remember looking out over the canals in awe at the beauty at night one evening, after leaving an incredible pub with so many not-so-common traditional Belgian bottled beers. There were also a couple of a craft beer pubs on a canal/lake while I was there. Such a good time!
Size: Medium CityVisited: 3 Feb 2013Duration: 2 daysNotable Venues: Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, \'t Einde and De PlanckGood Public TransportGood for Walking Between Venues
15 Feb 2025
Timmermans: Kriek Nouveau Lambic
Review Score
68.33%
Overall4/10
Taste10/10
Aroma10/10
Body6/10
Appearance8/10
A classic kriek that's been around just about forever. Nothing amazing, but good for one of the original fruit beers, before the scourge of the proliferation of modern fruit beers took hold. This beer is pure cherry, very juicy and sweet, and red in colour, sometimes with a decent head.
At pub: home, and a hotel roomIn: GentPurchased from: probably a local supermarket, and probably at Oddbins when at home
4 Feb 2025
Azvex: Clear Craze
Review Score
59.00%
Overall6/10
Taste6/10
Aroma7/10
Body5/10
Appearance7/10
A full bodied IPA, with taste of orangey hops but some raw barley grain - surprising for an Azvex. It has similar aroma of orange barley and citrus, with again a surprisingly raw barley mouthfeel and body. Nice orange citrus hops though. Really good head of phone and medium golden - quite cloudy.
At pub: at homeIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: Londis Penny Lane
4 Feb 2025
Rivington: See You in the Cosmos
Review Score
69.67%
Overall5/10
Taste10/10
Aroma10/10
Body5/10
Appearance6/10
Taste is tropical smoothie with lots of mango and passionfruit (maybe other tropical fruits). Aroma is very creamy mango smoothie again and sweet-smelling. Body is just pure smoothie, very thick and tropical fruit. Seriously opaque - one of the most I've ever seen! Interesting beer, but dumping so much fruit into a beer - hmm!
At pub: at homeIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: R&H Fine Wines Allerton Road
18 Jan 2025
Grumpy's Brewhaus
Review Score
70.50%
Overall7/10
Beer Quality5/10
Beer Selection6/10
Atmosphere9/10
Service9/10
Value9/10
When I was backpacking around Australia many years ago, I bought a bike and cycling up and deep into the hills, to many surrounding villages. One was Hahndorf, a real rural community, and I found this brewpub. It's nothing flashy, but they had five beers they'd brewed right there, and it's such a good memory. Good traditional place, but sadly it seems they might have since closed down. (I'm happy to be corrected.)
Reportedly Accepts CashVisited: 11 Sep 2005Beer Range: various traditional real ale-style beersHas Beer Garden/Outdoor Space
12 Jan 2025
Tiny Rebel
Review Score
73.50%
Overall8/10
Consistency6/10
Innovation9/10
Technical Quality6/10
Value7/10
New Release Frequency8/10
I've been finding new Tiny Rebel beers since soon after the brewery was established, and they've become extremely prolific. I find they're best at flavoured beers. Some of the pales and IPAs are really good, and there are some classics, but they're one of the few breweries (in my opinion) that do flavoured beers very well.
Brewing Location: NewportDistribution: NationalEstablished: 2012Has Taproom: YesKnown For: flavoured beers
11 Jan 2025
Abbaye de Leffe: Leffe Brune
Review Score
70.50%
Overall7/10
Taste8/10
Aroma7/10
Body6/10
Appearance9/10
This is a classic. Okay, by modern standards, it's not the best dark beer in the world, as it's long been mass-produced, but it's an excellent go-to for a tasty dark beer that has some reasonable strength to it. The flavour is quite a chocolate malt, and sometimes I've even got berries or dried fruit from it.
At pub: at homeIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: probably local Bargain Booze or supermarket
2 Jan 2025
Chester
Review Score
72.50%
Overall7/10
Pub Scene8/10
Craft Beer7/10
Beer Events5/10
Value7/10
Beer Tourism6/10
As of writing, it's been a while since I've been to Chester, but it's actually not far away. The last time I went there, the best pub was the Cellar, pretty much the only craft beer bar, with several real ale pubs around too, mainly in the city centre. I know the craft beer scene has since exploded though. Well worth a visit.
Size: Small CityVisited: 27 Aug 2019Duration: 1 day, but visited many timesBest Areas: the town centre, in general, but good bars dotted aroundNotable Venues: The CellarGood Public TransportGood for Walking Between Venues
2 Jan 2025
AleSmith: Speedway Stout: Vietnamese Coffee
Review Score
66.00%
Overall8/10
Taste7/10
Aroma8/10
Body6/10
Appearance8/10
Red-black with a tan ring as poured, not lasting (possibly wrong shaped glass?) Milk chocolate coffee aroma, developing vanilla, woody bourbon, caramel... Similar taste and after, which doesn't really do it justice - so complex, it cycles through about 20 different profiles, tried to capture an average in my score.
At pub: The 23 Club / The Clove HitchIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: The 23 Club / The Clove Hitch
30 Dec 2024
Desperados NL: Desperados Verde
Review Score
51.00%
Overall2/10
Taste9/10
Aroma9/10
Body4/10
Appearance6/10
Lots of spearmint, and this pure mintyness lasts throughout. Basic, but fresh, however there's an artificial quality to it. It's refreshing though. In appearance, the head is really good, and it's light gold in colour. A basic summer beer.
At pub: at homeIn: Liverpool
29 Dec 2024
Basqueland Brewing Project: Chocolate Moose
Review Score
70.00%
Overall8/10
Taste8/10
Aroma9/10
Body6/10
Appearance8/10
Black. Large dark tan head on pour, with good surface and halo retention and OK lacing. Dryish, cocoa, Nutella aroma. Hefty, boozy, Pain au Chocolat taste and after.
At pub: at homePurchased from: Beer 52
27 Dec 2024
Azvex: Cacaodemon II Hell on Earth
Review Score
76.00%
Overall9/10
Taste8/10
Aroma7/10
Body9/10
Appearance9/10
Just so very thick, and brimming with cocoa! (Or maybe cacao - who knows.) The name is apt, as it's a demon of an imperial stout. Not the easiest of beers to drink, but I just had to score it high, as it's such a serious beer. I'm not sure if it's better than the first Cacaodemon, but I remember liking that one more.
At pub: at homeIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: Londis Penny Lane
23 Dec 2024
Cambridge
Review Score
94.00%
Overall10/10
Pub Scene10/10
Craft Beer10/10
Beer Events8/10
Value7/10
Beer Tourism10/10
I've been to Amsterdam for the craft beer scene many times since 2000 and earlier, and I have very fond memories. I need to go again, but honestly it just got better and better for the beers and craft pubs. There are of course still the absolute classics, like Wildemann. I love Amsterdam so much!!
Size: Large CityVisited: 23 Apr 2019Duration: 4 daysBest Areas: Areas around the river and major tourist walkwaysNotable Venues: In de Wildeman, Proeflokaal Arendsnest and many moreGood Public TransportGood for Walking Between Venues
20 Dec 2024
The Ship and Mitre
Review Score
90.00%
Overall9/10
Beer Quality8/10
Beer Selection10/10
Atmosphere10/10
Service8/10
Value8/10
One of the best pubs in Liverpool, located on Dale Street. I've been going there since my late teens and have had probably at least a couple of thousand beers from there.
They've kept up the quality and range over the decades and have a very wide range of real ales and craft beers. They have local, national and international beers. The prices are decent. They also have a good range of craft bottles and can to have in or take out. The seating is ample, and it's one of those places with various different compartments within the large pub area to sit. Amazing place!
Reportedly Accepts CashThey've kept up the quality and range over the decades and have a very wide range of real ales and craft beers. They have local, national and international beers. The prices are decent. They also have a good range of craft bottles and can to have in or take out. The seating is ample, and it's one of those places with various different compartments within the large pub area to sit. Amazing place!
Visited: 31 Mar 2024Beer Range: Real ales and some craft beersFood AvailableHosts Beer Events
15 Dec 2024
Hubsters
Review Score
86.50%
Overall8/10
Consistency9/10
Innovation6/10
Technical Quality10/10
Value7/10
New Release Frequency10/10
I've been having their beers since the days of Loka Polly and the Kernel-style beer name, with mainly the hops names. I've since had probably almost 500 of their beers. The very high quality and authentic American style IPAs and pales is astounding. They do delve into some stouts and fruit sours now and again. For their birthday, they released some very strong imperial stouts, and I wish they'd do this more often, but their IPAs are simply amazing.
Brewing Location: MoldDistribution: RegionalEstablished: 2018Has Taproom: YesKnown For: American-style IPAs
7 Dec 2024
Goose Island: Matilda
Review Score
69.50%
Overall8/10
Taste8/10
Aroma7/10
Body7/10
Appearance8/10
Pours hazy amber-gold with a creamy head that hangs around just long enough to say hi. Taste is a mix of malty sweetness, spicy Belgian yeast and a many some zippy orange zest in the back. Aroma’s not the loudest, mellow caramel and yeast vibes, but it works. Body’s smooth and balanced, with just enough dryness. Cheers, my Matilda!
At pub: homeIn: ChicagoPurchased from: local bottle shop!
7 Dec 2024
Goose Island: Halia (2017)
Review Score
79.50%
Overall9/10
Taste9/10
Aroma9/10
Body8/10
Appearance9/10
First sip and BAM, it’s like getting slapped in the face by a peach in the best way possible! Tangy, funky little number with peach, white wine and just enough sour zing. The aroma’s got that barnyard funk (Brett, baby!), and the golden glow is stunning. Almost too pretty to drink (almost). Aged in wine barrels? Fancy stuff, but it pays off.
In: Chicago
10 Nov 2024
Wentworth: Barnsley Beer Company Nutty Stack
Review Score
42.50%
Overall3/10
Taste5/10
Aroma4/10
Body7/10
Appearance8/10
Just a very standard and very average bitter.
At pub: at homeIn: LiverpoolPurchased from: probably Netto supermarket
neil_buckley
Beerphemera
beermaddave
BelgianBeerFan