Beer Review: Badger Golden Glory

Name: Golden Glory

Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)

ABV: 4.5%

Style: Bitter 

Location: Blandford St. Mary

Aroma: Quite understandably being a Peach Ale, it has heaps of peaches, with notes of marzipan, malt and a lacing of hops that is discernable, but not overwhelming on the nostrils. 

Colour: A cross between dark gold and amber, with a one finger off-white head.

Flavour: The taste of Peaches are immedietely apparent on first sip, and linger in the foreground for a while, there is a slight residual sweetness coming though the malty notes. The background bitterness gradually becomes more noticeable until it takes over, and the peach element is gradually pushed away. The mouthfeel is smooth, yet biscuity, it is medium bodied, though verging on dry.

Verdict: An unremarkable gimmick of a beer. The promise of abundant flavours and aromas of Peaches are quietly put aside, and gradually it becomes a thin tasting, session level bitter with some roasted malt notes and a lingering bitterness. Its as if the brewers were too embarressed to label this as a fruit beer, so they did their best to disguise this by restricting the amount of Peaches in the brewing process. Ironically this is the only thing they've managed to achieve with this waste of an ale. 

Rating: 4/10 

Beer Review: Badger Wicked Wyvern

Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)

Style: IPA

ABV: 5%

Location: Blandford Forum, Dorset

Aroma: A whisp of tropical fruits imbued with floral notes and hints of citrus coming through in the background. A discernable note of hops is present, without being too overwhelming.

Colour: Amber-bronze with a yellowish tinge, reminicent of a tropical sunset. Features a frothy two finger white head when poured. 

Taste: Quite hoppy, yet not too bitter, some fruitiness present and a touch of sweetness. There is a certain biscuity quality coming through from the strong malt backbone, while the mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, which is helped by it's abundant head.

Verdict: A fairly decent mid-level take on the East Coast IPA, the use of American hops such as Cascade, Amarillo and Mosaic helps give it an authentic taste and distinct flavour profile that borders on tropical fruits with a touch of spice. The hoppiness adds to the distinct qualities from the malt, which makes the beer seem stronger than its ABV would suggest.

Rating: 8/10 

Beer Review: Badger Tangle-Foot

Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse) 

Style: Golden Ale

ABV: 5%

Location: Blandford St. Mary, Dorset

Aroma: Piney, some tartness with hints of grassy hoppiness from the Challenger and Goldings hops used.

Colour: Deep gold with a generous two-finger off-white head that takes a while to dissipate.

Taste: Profoundly bitter and rather hoppy, with a background chorus of syrupy sweetness that helps offset much of the excess of the bitterness. There are some floral, grassy notes and the malt helps give it some added character. Despite some residual dryness, the beer has a creamy mouthfeel.

Verdict: A robust golden ale with richly balanced flavours that don't dissapoint. The hoppy bitterness is perfectly match by the sweet, floral notes that help give it character. The creamy mouthfeel adds to the overall drinking experience, and its overall crispness helps make it a true thirst quencher.

Rating: 8/10