Review: Stag's Beer Festival

The Stag’s Beer Festival runs until this Friday. Someone was needed to taste the beer and we were only too happy to offer our services.

This year’s selection has 13 local cask ales and 12 bottled world beers. There’s a real range on offer from the very light and easily quaffable brews, to very dark and heavy drinks – with a few surprises in between. I tried each of the cask ales, which range in strength from 3.8 to 5.3%.

I started with Nuptu’Ale by Oakleaf Berwery. It’s pretty light with a citrus aftertaste and a bitter finish – tangy and easily drinkable. If you’re normally a lager or cider drinker, this is probably the ale for you. There’s a strong flavour of lemon rind and this beer gets better the more you drink of it. Very tasty indeed.

Next up I went for Botley Mill by Botley Brewery. This is warm and oakey, with a spiciness and strong fragrance other beers lacked. It’s a balanced taste, more sophisticated that you think upon your first sip. It’s not the best looking beer, being cloudy and copper coloured but ale fans will love it while people not accustomed to ale will probably want something else.

Following this, I tried Susu’s Revenge. It’s apparently a well-known ale from the Union’s regular supplier renamed in honour of the resident cat. Unfortunately it doesn’t fare well in comparison to these other ales – after something rich in flavour this will taste watery. There’s a faint peppery flavour and it’s easily drinkable but it’s far from the most exciting beer on offer. The bar staff tell me it’s a good choice if you want a shandy, so for those who don’t drink much that’s a good option.

Ale Dorado from Longdog Brewery is just what I hoped Susu’s Revenge would be like. It’s full of flavour but still has a crisp finish, refreshing with a berry aroma. It was described to me as a “quaffer” and it’s certainly a beer you don’t want to have just one of. Ale-hater Katy tried a sip and declared it “lovely” and wouldn’t give it back, so like Nuptu it’s one to try if you’re not a regular ale drinker.

Flowerpots Brewery Best – again a bit watery, but after a few gulps does have a good hoppy taste to it. This is an unsophisticated beer, the sort of thing you’d have with a hearty meal, but as far as these ales go, it’s a bit forgettable.

Those who can’t wait for Christmas will probably enjoy Captain B from Irving Brewery. As soon as you get a whiff of it you notice the spiciness and the sweetness. Take a sip and the fruit flavours take over – imagine Christmas cake flavoured beer. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re itching to get wrapping presents and decorating the tree, this ale will get you in the mood. It’s not something you’d want to drink a lot of but it’s certainly worth trying; you won’t find another beer quite like it.

Southampton’s Dancing Man Brewery’s Dark Nomadic Ale is another with strong fruity flavours. It’s very warming and bitter with more than a hint of dark chocolate and orange about it. It’s a little too burnt tasting perhaps on the first taste but as you get further down the glass the sweet odours come to the fore again and that delicious chocolate orange will be the lasting impression.

5 Little Fishes from Andwell Brewery smells like coffee but when you take a gulp that flavour isn’t as strong as you expect. It’s still present though, along with a brown sugar type sweetness you’ll enjoy more and more as you drink it. I’d say this is another quaffer and even our ale (and coffee) hater Katy agreed it improves a lot on that second sip.

Next up was Dropped from Havant Brewery. At first it didn’t seem that exciting but after a gulp or two I was enjoying its crisp bitterness. There’s some of that burnt coffee flavour like Dark Nomadic Ale but the aftertaste is more hoppy and cleaner than I expected. If you’re making a night of it, this is another ale you’ll be happy to have several of, or if you’re ordering a Stag’s pizza this would make a fine companion.

Black Jack Porter from Flack Manor is one for the connoisseurs, very bitter but with a hint of sweetness and the flavour of nuts dipped in dark chocolate. This certainly isn’t a quaffer, it’s one to savour and enjoy slowly. I’m not much of a fan of porters but I did enjoy the sophistication of this one.

Midhurst Mild from Ballard’s Brewery looks darker than it tastes, with a crisp nutty flavour that put me in mind of those amaretto biscuits. Katy remarked that it “smells like real beer” and liked its sweetness. It’s easily drinkable and probably a good one to try along with Nuptu and Ale Dorado if you’ve never really tried ale before. That said, it still does have something to offer to ale fans.

Russian Winter is a pretty serious brew. It tastes weaker in terms of alcohol than its 5.3% ABV, but that could be because the alcohol is masked by the strong flavours of espresso and burnt toast. Once you get deeper into the glass, a fruity sweetness is present. It’s pretty warming and one for the serious drinker on a cold day.

Last but certainly not least is Jabberwocky from Triple FFF Brewery. It was interesting to taste this one alongside Russian Winter because they share that burnt toast type charcoal taste but Jabberwocky has this unique liquorice allsorts flavour alongside. Katy says this one smells like a sweetshop. If you’re after unusual beer, this and the Captain B are the ones you’ll want.

Overall, I’m massively impressed by the Stag’s this year. I reviewed the beer festival two years ago and was disappointed to see plenty of beer you could find in supermarkets; the range of beer in stock this week, however, rivals those you see at the South Western Arms beer events. If you’re into your beer, or even if you’ve never given ale a chance, hurry down to the Stag’s and get stuck in.

Other beers from around the world available at the beer fest