More Lines Than Detention (12/94)
As we journey to Wiltshire it’s one of the few times I have gone against the self-imposed rules of this adventure.
At the start I said my picks would be made in two ways.
A: Totally Random County
And
B: Totally Random Brewery.
However, as the random name generator led me to Wilshire and I started to research, I soon realised that almost every brewery (bar one) did not interest me at all, with all the beers looking like they would be firmly in place in a working men’s club and I just knew that I wouldn’t enjoy the experience at all. As such and after being down generally I made the executive decision that this time around I would just pick and as a result we ended up with Kettlesmith Brewing.
I ordered the Kettlesmith Case of Beer – Mix n Match 1 which basically allowed me to pick my own single cans from their collection. The beers totalled £37.35 but a rather high shipping of £6.99 brought the total up to £44.34 which for 12 beers means we’re looking at on average £3.70 a beer so one of the more expensive breweries recently.
There were a few multiples in the pack with me getting two of the double IPA’s and two of the standard IPAs, but as noted the mix n match nature means you could customise any order to your taste.
https://kettlesmithbrewing.com/collections/shop-now
About Kettlesmith Brewing as told by themselves.
Kettlesmith Brewing Company is a small, independent craft micro-brewery located in Bradford on Avon, just outside of Bath. We brew modern interpretations of a wide variety of beer styles; we draw inspiration from our background in America and England as well as our love of Belgian beer.
We see beer as having a place in restaurants and at the dinner table as a serious alternative to wine, a passion spearheaded by Antony, who is our head brewer and a Certified Cicerone. We aim to support our products with information, education and food pairing advice. We partner with other food producers to encourage people to see beer with fresh eyes.
We brew a core range of 6 beers with additional, seasonal and monthly beers giving extra styles and the chance for exploration. We deliver beer in keg, cask and bottled formats.
Our beers are engaging, flavourful and complex and suitable for vegans. As we find new perspectives on celebrated styles, we invite you to come and explore with us.
Just a quick addition to the above, each can has a food pairing recommendation which comes with it which I found to be a really good touch and very on messages for them looking to get beer to be treated as a more sophisticated beverage
With that said, lets dive in.
Quite a dark pour for an IPA which I was expecting it to be slightly lighter, which in turn may well suggest that this ends up having a bit of a more bitter taste than normal. It did pour like a dream though.
To the nose it’s hitting all the standard notes I would expect that slight fruity tinge to the nose that plays on the nose.
My first thought was correct and this is certainly more bitter and hoppier than a standard craft IPA, but I think it works really well. I’ve noted in my beer journey so far that more often than not ta craft IPA will fall into one of two categories. Beery or citrusy with no real in the middle and I’d say that’s the case with this with it sitting firmly in the beer bracket with a big malty bitter aftertaste that plays on the tastebuds.
There is the potential that the aftertaste may not be for everyone and whilst not overpowering certainly makes itself know and that it has full intentions of staying around. One thing I will say is on the can it mentions berry and citrus flavours, I have to be honest that I can’t pick out the berry flavour but as I’ve also alluded to a number of times, I don’t have a pro palate far from it.
As we go for the first beer from Kettlesmith I’m confident of how the tasting is going to go.
To the eye, this looks incredibly light and doesn’t have the haziness of most IPA’s and looks more like a lager, it also lost its head very very quickly on initial pour. I’m not sure if this is a trademark of Witbier’s in general as it’s not typically my wheelhouse.
To the nose there is an herby note to it, which on checking the can afterwards is the result of crushed coriander seeds, quite happy with my nose picking that out, but it is the only thing that I am really getting and it sort of is the overpowering smell to it overtaking everything else that is hidden behind it, hopefully this isn’t the same to taste.
Ok now I’ve tasted it I’m taken back to WEST Brewery and the Witbier I had from there, unfortunately it’s just not for me. What confuses me with the Witbier’s is the overall flavour profile. It sits on the mouth a little weird for me and I think it is the whole herby nature of it all. What should be on paper a nice light and refreshing drink just isn’t appealing in the overall taste. What I will say is that I can tell there is quality here. The drink isn’t undrinkable it’s just not to my preference.
I’m also unable to pick apart the subtleties of the beer and I do think the whole spicy / herby nature just overpowers everything a little too much for my limited flavour abilities.
As with the Timeline this pours darker than the normal IPA’s so I expect that this will be very similar to the standard IPA but just bigger and bolder. What I have noticed is that there is Simcoe hops in this one, which is one of my go to’s if I see it on an ingredients list.
The nose actually isn’t giving too much away and it doesn’t seem to be leaning too far either way in any direction.
To drink I think I prefer this to the standard IPA and not just because it’s my wife’s name. There is a real delicate balance going on for a strong beer. As before it’s not one of those where by you are bombarded with citrus but if you really search for it, you can find it there. It’s incredibly hoppy and the bitter aftertaste whilst there doesn’t stay for too long and dissipates quicker than in the Timeline.
This more controlled aftertaste actually belies how strong a beer it is, as in a blind taste test I’d for certain think the regular was stronger purely based on the palate leftover. I’m really glad I picked up two of these (as I did with the IPA) so I can truly sit back and enjoy the second one. The balance of everything is actually perfect and I’m struggling to think of a beer especially at DIPA which has walked that tightrope so well in a long time.
For a Pale Ale this actually looks reasonably dark, at least on par with the previous IPA’s so I’m expecting again a similar and I’d almost say signature flavour profile of this one, with it being quite hoppy and strong flavoured.
There’s quite a level of freshness to the nose and certainly has a fruitier note to it than the previous beers, but again you know this is a beer not something hiding away and pretending to be one.
Ok this is subtle but delicious, my first thoughts were right, very hoppy with that bitter aftertaste which stays around, it’s an incredibly light drink and probably the first so far that actively reflects its ABV.
When you just think that the aftertaste stays a little too long it releases your tastebuds and entices you to have the next mouthful. Once again as I’m sure I’ve said this is very much a “beer” with the bitterness and hoppiness front and centre again I feel hitting that signature of Kettlesmith who are embracing beer rather than adapting to the more hybrid beer/fruit world we find ourselves in more and more.
The photo hasn’t actually done the colour justice of just how deep and caramel it is, with a thickness to it.
To the nose there is a hint of fruitiness, but it’s not giving too much away, but I’m expecting something quite heavy.
So, the beer itself has a slight bitterness to it which thankfully doesn’t really overstay it’s welcome with the hops being front and centre on the back of a slight fruity peppery sensation to the palate. What is quite surprising with this is that it’s not anywhere as heavy as it looked on initial pour which is always a pleasant surprise when you don’t get bloated instantly.
There is the slight caramel taste which always enters but it works very very well and considering as we move further away from standard IPA’s this is a very enjoyable drink. I recommend the drink as a gateway beer both ways for those looking to turn to darker beers from IPA’s and vice versa and finds that nice niche middle ground.
Just seeing that award shows that there is going to be a strong pedigree in this beer, so expectations are already pretty high. It looks incredibly light and refreshing, which is echoed in the nose with a very low hoppy smell and the same with bitterness and a slight citrus tone to it.
This is a really good beer. First of all, its fundamentally German as the name would suggest with the malty aftertaste which runs through the entire the entire drink and lingers pleasantly on the palate as the main flavour profile is very much that of beer. There is no hint of bitterness to the drink and is not aggressively flavoured in anyway, with every flavour a delicate touch. The citrus notes sing through the most on a quick mouth swill with the fluid movement bringing it to life.
The lightness is also prominent and tastes like something far weaker and nothing like the 4.9% shown on the can. Although I’m an amateur in this journey this beer is also held in high regard by beer buyers, resulting in its Gold award at last year’s European Beer Challenge.
I’m going in sort of blind here as I’ll be 100% honest, I’m not entirely sure what a Saison is…so I don’t know what to expect. I’m not going to read the blurb on the can either and let’s see what we can pick out here.
To the nose there is a hint of citrus to it, but not getting an awful lot else. It must be said that as this beer is being tasted there is a strong chilli cooking in the background which is taking up most of the olfactive senses. It does look absolutely beautiful however with a deep amber and gentle head.
Ok there’s a lot going on here. So first off, the predominant after taste is almost a peppery like, not containing any heat but just a slight tingle on the sides of the tongue as the tastebuds try and work out what is going on. It’s not oppressive and just sits letting you try and assess what is happening.
The primary flavour is that of a Belgian beer, so in the common market something like a Leffe there is citrus somewhere in there as well. What I’m enjoying about this beer is just how complex it is, but also harmonious. If you don’t think about the beer, you can drink it and enjoy it, it’s a lovely can. However, if you sit back and start to analyse the different flavours at play you can pick it apart as the journey happens. It’s not my favourite of the “Line” series so far, but it’s probably the most interesting in what it has accomplished.
With this being a darker beer, it’s presenting to the nose as you would expect with that richness and maltiness that you would expect. Other than that, there is not a significant hint of anything to the nose.
I’m not too keen on this one and this follows the general trend that I’ve noticed. The beers that are neither standard, strong IPA’s or really deep and challenging stouts, those that fit in the amber ale, red beers etc just don’t do it for me.
Outline has that malty toasty almost woody aftertaste which is just a little too unpleasant as it sits there, with nothing hugely discernible prior to that. Working the drink around the palate there is a bitterness to the drink also which I’m sure for someone who liked the style of drink more than I do, or has a more educated palate may enjoy more.
I will add the caveat I frequently do when it sounds like I’m not enjoying a beer. It’s just that I’m not overly enjoying it, I’m not saying it’s bad. I’ll drink the rest of the beer for sure. It’s just not entirely to my preference.
With this being a darker beer, it’s presenting to the nose as you would expect with that richness and maltiness that you would expect. Other than that, there is not a significant hint of anything to the nose.
I’m not too keen on this one and this follows the general trend that I’ve noticed. The beers that are neither standard, strong IPA’s or really deep and challenging stouts, those that fit in the amber ale, red beers etc just don’t do it for me.
Outline has that malty toasty almost woody aftertaste which is just a little too unpleasant as it sits there, with nothing hugely discernible prior to that. Working the drink around the palate there is a bitterness to the drink also which I’m sure for someone who liked the style of drink more than I do, or has a more educated palate may enjoy more.
I will add the caveat I frequently do when it sounds like I’m not enjoying a beer. It’s just that I’m not overly enjoying it, I’m not saying it’s bad. I’ll drink the rest of the beer for sure. It’s just not entirely to my preference.
So as is customary now we leave the stout until last. We’re a far cry away from “Ross doesn’t like Stout” but it kind of fits now having the stout as the last of the tastings.
To the nose this is giving it the beans to paraphrase Top Gear, all the flavour bombards here and immediately slaps the nose so I fully expect this to be replicated in the flavour. There’s going to be deep coffee notes for sure and we will see what else plays around the palate.
You know what, this is a little more subtle than I was expecting with the first few sips I was expecting a bombastic PACHOW~! To hit the tongue, but this is a lot more reserved. As you drink you do get the little tang of the fruity hops. Don’t get me wrong this is a stout there’s no hiding from that, but it’s the little bit of a ting.
There is something charming about this. It doesn’t have the craziness of some imperial stouts I’ve had in the past and nor should it with 4.4% abv. There is just something a little bit homely about it. There’s a deep molasses / treacle flavour to it, but it’s still fundamentally quite light and drinkable without anything which would over power the drinker too much.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed Kettlesmith Brewing and my choice to pick them over random generation proves to be vindicated. Even the beers that I didn’t especially love, you could tell there was a real quality about them.
The double IPA is a notable stand out for me and not just because it’s also my wife’s name and I was really surprised by the Kolsch at how much I enjoyed it, which based on it’s award is probably not that surprising really.
The Witbier and the Dubbel I struggled with a little bit and just didn’t fit what I normally go for and certainly didn’t wow me enough to change my opinion of that. As with almost all of these breweries I would certainly recommend them, based on your own preferences of course. There’s just no single beer that will be overtly memorable as the beer journey continues.
Next month we return back to Wales and another county, that
forced my hand in where I ordered from.
Next County: Powys
