Drinks of the Month

As we hope to say farewell to the extreme chill of Winter, we wave goodbye to the darker drinks and welcome some of the lighter flavours. From a new sparkling cider from Hush Heath Estate in Kent, to a brand new beer from one of London's newest producers, Wild Card Brewery and a sparkler from the 2012 UK Winemaker of the Year, Furleigh Estate, there's plenty so slake our thirst from great British producers.
We'll be adding to this selection as the weeks go by, so check back, let us know what you think, and do suggest other drinks you think we should take a look at.
Cheers!

Furleigh Estate Blanc de Blancs 2009

From the Jurassic coast and this year's UK Winemaker of the Year comes this white winner.

Apricots and ripe, ripe apples on the nose, perhaps with a light mandarin peel note, this is expressive and elegant. The palate has gentle stone fruits, yeasty notes, and a long finish.

Furleigh Estate Blanc de Blancs 2009, £25, Furleigh Estate website

Posted on 14 Mar 2013 in

Hush Heath, Jake's Orchard Cider

Elegant and sprightly, Jake's Cider has light aromas of cooked and green apple, with a subtle herbal tinge, flavours which continue onto the palate.  

Named after the owner's son, Jake's Cider is crafted from Cox, Bramley and Egremont Russell apples from the Hush Heath Estate. 

£13.50, from New Forest Cider Shop, Borough Market; www.hushheath.com

Posted on 14 Mar 2013 in

Nutbourne Bacchus 2011

A wonderfully aromatic wine which illustrates beautifully what England's signature grape can achieve given the right handling and the right soils. 

Floral aromas mix with light lemon, moving to a palate with tart tropical fruit flavours alongside ripe Granny Smiths.

Posted on 14 Mar 2013 in

Wild Card Brewery, Jack of Clubs

An impressive debut from William at his Walthamstow-based Wild Card Brewery, this is truly a Ruby Ale, with a vibrant fruity nose. Hints of caramel and vibrant hops are nicely balanced on the malt-driven palate - there's a fair dose of crystal malts, both dark and light.

If this is a sign of things to come, bring it on. The beautifully designed bespoke playing cards add a suitably stylish flourish. 

Posted on 14 Mar 2013 in

Nyetimber Demi-Sec NV

Here's something original on the English sparkling wine front - a demi-sec rather than brut fizz from those Sussex pioneers, Nyetimber.

With aromas of candied fruit and rich honey on the nose, this feels like it could be special. And it is.

12%, £35, Harvey Nichols nationwide, Sparkling English Wines 

 

Posted on 21 Nov 2012 in

Courage Imperial Russian Stout

The alcohol percentage on this one is downright frightening at 10%. But that's how Catherine the Great of Russia liked it, and she got what she liked when she made demands of her courtiers in 1795.

A bit of background here: Russian Imperial Stout is a strong dark stout dating back to the 18th century when it was produced at Thrale’s Brewery in London to export to the court of Catherine II of Russia. The high alcoholic strength was necessary to prevent the beer from freezing in the temperatures of the Baltic Sea on its voyage to Russia and along with a high degree of hop, it has the keeping quality of a fine wine.

10%; limited availability at the moment – it's only just been relaunched in the UK – but you will find at the wonderful Beers of Europe and beerritz.co.uk

Posted on 21 Nov 2012 in

Compass Box Flaming Heart

We have written previously about Compass Box, the independent whisky bottler with a flair for dramatic names.

Their latest release, the 2012 edition Flaming Heart, matches its name with a big, bold whisky.

A great dram to warm up with when the weather turns cold.

48.9%/70cl, £80-85, from The Whisky Exchange and other specialist retailers

Posted on 10 Sep 2012 in

Adnams Sole Star

Before you switch off at the sight of this low alcohol beer from those purveyors of flavour, Adnams – please don't.

With his customary flair, far-sighted head brewer Fergus has tweaked his malt recipe so that, yes, there's plenty of flavour.

Posted on 21 Jan 2012 in

Laithwaites Theale Vineyard Blanc de Blancs 2007

With its sprightly mix of ripe orchard fruit and zesty, tart peach to finish, alongside a lick of citrus twang, Laithwaites have fashioned a lively sparkler form its weeny vineyard outside its HQ in Theale.

£22.99, Laithwaites shops & online

Posted on 21 Dec 2012 in

Harviestoun Ola Dubh


Dubbed Black Oil by its good friends, this is a joy. Harviestoun's already delicious Old Englne Oil Porter is aged in Highland Park 12 Year Old casks, a sojourn which adds numerous layers of complexity.

8%, from £4-6 slurp.co.uk, harviestoun.com, www.beersofeurope.co.uk, Beerritz.co.uk

Posted on 30 Mar 2013 in

Henneys Vintage 2011

Created by former-Bulmers cidermaker, Mike Henneys, Vintage 2011 is the cider that took the all-important pork round in the first Cider vs Wine Contest at The Thatchers' Arms earlier this year.

It was up against pretty stiff opposition in the shape of a rich, Portuguese red, Quinta Do Crasto 2010, and the dish, to be fair, also included a tangy sausage, tomato and mixed bean cassoulet.

Henney's Vintage 2011, Herefordshire; Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tesco; Henneys.co.uk; £2.09/50cl;

Posted on 30 Mar 2013 in

Once Upon a Tree The Wonder

Another delightful first from Simon Day at Once Upon a Tree, this is the UK's first "ice" pear wine. Using techniques from the wine world, he froze the pear juice, concentrating it before fermentation. Simon chose Conference and Comice pears for their sweet yet subtle pear character, instead of traditional perry pears with their tannic character.

£19.95/37.5cl, direct from Once Upon a Tree shop, online & a variety of stockists, see web

Posted on 17 Dec 2010 in