Shepherd Neame Tapping The Admiral - Beer Review

Beer!

Mr.R opened a bottle of Shepherd Neame Tapping The Admiral, and I had a sip.
I only had a sip and no more because I didn't really like it. It's not something I would rush to try again, but I think Mr.R enjoyed it.

It comes in a clear bottle, it poured a lovely amber, burnished gold colour, and was quite lively with lots of head, which took a while to subside.
This ale had a pleasant aroma of hops, baked barley, and roasted malt.
It was refreshingly sharp with the strong flavour of the hops giving it a nice bitterness and citrus taste, also a touch of sweetness from the malts, burnt and woody notes, and overtones of vanilla, caramel, and toffee.

Having said all that, it was a subtle tasting beer which was light and not particularly memorable. I think it was only 4.5%.
It was cheap, and so we can't complain about it too much.

I forgot to take a photo of the actual beer in the glass before Mr.R had drank it, hence two very similar looking shots of the empty bottle.

From the label -
When Nelson was killed at Trafalgar his body was preserved in a cask of brandy during the long trip back to England. Legend has it that thirsty sailors snuck drinks from the brandy cask carrying Nelsons corpse. This gave rise to the phrase for illicit drinking ''Tapping The Admiral''.
See - Golden
Smell - Toffee, Spicy, Roast
Taste - Brandy, Sweet, Rich 

I wonder if there's any truth to that little tale? It's a nice idea adding a bit of folklore to booze bottles.
Have you tried Shepherd Neame Tapping The Admiral?
What did you think of this ale?

Shepherd Neame, Double Stout - Beer Review

I love stout!

It wasn't until our past travels took us to Eastern Europe that I really got the taste for stout, but now I really enjoy it.
This review is not about Eastern Europe though, it's about the oldest brewer in Britain. Shepherd Neame.
Ooh, just writing the name has made my tastebuds tingle.

We recently had a bottle of Shepherd Neame Double Stout, well, I say we, but actually I only managed to have a sip before Mr.R made it vanish.
We love this ale, it is rich and creamy, with flavours of coffee, chocolate, molasses, caramel, roasted malts, and a bitter finish.
It is seriously good. So good, I wish I had some now, but alas I don't.

The label on the bottle says -
A classic double stout from a recipe discovered in the vaults of Britain's oldest brewer. This beer combines the complex flavours and characteristics of pale ale, roasted crystal and chocolate malts with the finest kilned roasted barley. It is bittered with our famed East Kent hops and brewed in the UK's last remaining wooden mash tuns.
This magnificent example of a classic double stout delivers a velvety-smooth plate of dry, burnt flavours complemented by roast, cocoa and coffee notes. Black, creamy and delicious, it is a Shepherd Neame masterpiece. 
SEE Black
SMELL Roasted, Chocolate, Hoppy
TASTE Dry, Coffee, Bitter 
5.2%

Just reading the description of this double stout you can feel the pride in their product. And they are most definitely right to be proud of this seriously delicious brew. It is sublime.

Hmm, as I sit typing this beer review I am transported back to when we first arrived back in Britain from our World travels, we didn't have anywhere to live so we were travelling around the country searching for somewhere to call home. At one point we were staying in Kent, where we found a really lovely new home, all be it a very temporary one in the shape of the pub down the road from our accommodation.
What made this pub the perfect home for us was the bottles of Shepherd Neame Double Stout that we spotted on a shelf behind the bar as soon as we entered.
Thankfully the landlady had a few bottles in the fridge too, but not for long. Once we'd had a bottle each, we couldn't resist having a second one.
Just before we left the pub the landlady asked if we'd be back, we said we would so putting her remaining stock of Shepherd Neame Double Stout in the fridge would be much appreciated.
We returned to the pub the following day, and the cold double stout slipped down like the purest silk. Absolutely delicious!
I think it's pretty obvious from my rambling that we love this beer.
Have you improved your life by drinking Shepherd Neame Double Stout?
If not, I strongly suggest you try it at your earliest convenience. You'll love it!

Shepherd Neame 1698 Real Ale

We like real ale.
Mr.R has always enjoyed a decent real ale, whereas I've only been a fan since I got a taste for real ale during our most recent World travels.
Now we're back in Blighty we have been enjoying some English real ales.

Mr.R recently bought a bottle of Shepherd Neame 1698, bottled conditioned Kentish strong ale.
He really liked this beer, and so did I.

The Shepherd Neame website says this about the beer -

1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale 6.5%
Thrice-hopped and bottle conditioned, 1698 is the connoisseur's choice, a beer to be savoured.
Originally brewed to celebrate the tercentenary of Britain's oldest brewer, 1698 is a characteristically hoppy Kentish ale, and has Protected Geographical Indication, the same unique regional protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.
The ale matures naturally in the bottle and can be enjoyed fresh or allowed to settle for a few months to mellow. The natural effervescence produced by bottle-conditioning – the interaction of yeast and brewing sugars – gives 1698 fine, champagne-like bubbles that further enhance the fragrance, flavour and overall drinking experience.
A silver medal winner in the Taste of Britain Awards, 1698 has been included in the International Beer Challenge's World's Top 50 Beers and has won a Gold Award from the British Bottlers' Institute.


Tasting Notes
First brewed in 1998 to celebrate Shepherd Neame's tercentenary, this copper-bronze, bottle conditioned beauty is an intense yet uniquely intricate offering thrice-hopped during the brewing process. This adds rich resinous notes and spikes of citrus to a moreish strong ale already rife with notes of liquorice, Masala wine, caramel and spicy orange. A frisson of dark fruit freshens the finish. Serve with smoked cheese.

We really liked this lovely real ale. It was spicy, fruity and malty, with a hop finish, it had a nice mouthfeel, and we would definitely buy it again.
Have you tried Shepherd Neame 1698 Ale?