Lets explore the British drinks
The UK’s first biodynamic wine begins as a modest little number. With clean, gentle aromas, the palate is full of orchard fruits on top of a base of mandarin and lemon with a crisp backbone and finish. A blend of Bacchus, Rivaner and Solaris from the 2010 harvest, the texture and freshness makes this good […]
We’re in traditional rosé country here, with Plumpton’s Dean Blush NV. Wild salmon pink in colour, it has a steady stream of fine bubbles. On the nose there’s aromas of roasted peach and tinned strawberry. Light to medium in body with redcurrant and raspberry flavours, this has a good, dry, fairly lengthy finish. With its […]
Made at the UK’s only viticultural college by the students from the college’s own grapes, Plumpton Estate Rosé 2009 is one to blow the winter blues away. With great strawberry notes on the nose, there’s plenty of raspberries and redcurrants on the palate. Finishing dry, a classy aperitif with the acidity to suit simply cooked […]
Living up to its Ruby Ale description, Harveys Georgian Dragon is delightfully bright in the glass, offering aromas of apricots and ripe peaches, followed through by light caramel notes and a medium hoppy bitterness on the finish. I’d call this versatile in food terms – it went equally well with shepherd’s pie and roast salmon […]
Wild strawberries on the nose, the bubbles in Gusbourne‘s Rosé are both fine and lively. Drawn solely from the 2008 vintage, this is full of raspberry, cherries and strawberries, has lasting texture and a mouthwatering finish. Pleasingly versatile, it has the fizz to open proceedings as an aperitif and the structure to welcome fish and chips […]
Bright mahogany in colour, with hoppy notes on the nose, this is a popular festive favourite from Buckinghamshire’s oldest brewery. Inspired by the famous London porters of the 1700s, this was first created on the brewery’s 20th birthday in 2000 with the hops chucked in by the then Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. Much complexity of […]
From the oldest independent Buckinghamshire brewery, Chiltern Brewery 300s Old Ale is a complex beast. But then it is named after the historic region, the Three Hundreds of Aylesbury, that surrounds the brewery. Orangey amber in colour, this is a fab blend of dark and light malts, reflected in a fun nose of digestive biscuits, […]
Another example of Bolney’s Sam Linter being innovative – it’s not often you see a Pinot Grigio this side of the English channel. In this cool climate, we’re heading into northern Italian style, with lemon, pear and apple flavours on the palate, and good crispness to balance.
The first beer to emerge from Meantime’s brand spanking new Greenwich brewery made its debut by going on tour. Hailing a ride in a specially-suited London cab, London Lager travelled the length and breadth of London, towing a similarly-liveried caravan full of said bottles. Head brewer and Meantime founder Alastair Hook has always been passionate about London’s […]
Master distiller Desmond Payne has modified his traditional recipe for Beefeater’s Winter Edition. Along with extra Seville orange peel, he’s thrown in cinnamon, nutmeg and pine shoots for this great wintry interpretation. Good solo and in G&Ts, it’s definitely most fun in cocktails. We were split between a warm apple toddy and a more hedonistic […]
