Beer Tasting Notes

This page will provide beer tasting notes for the locally brewed beers which are currently available and have been sampled and assessed by the Cheltenham CAMRA Tasting Panel. The panel meets occasionally, details of which can be found in the Branch Diary. This includes breweries in neighbouring branches which the Cheltenham TP have been asked to assess.

CAMRA Tasting Panels are responsible for tasting all the real ales that are regularly brewed within their area, and for submitting the descriptions to CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. Please note that the Tasting Panel descriptions herein are the long versions – which need to be abridged due to space restrictions within the GBG. They also put forward beers to CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain Competition. The Tasting Card (click to expand), shows how comprehensive the assessment is.

Further information can be found in this article, Tasting Panel Notes, which appeared in the Winter 2022 edition of The Tippler, the Gloucestershire Branches magazine. CAMRA’s guide, defining the beer styles can be found here.
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Cheltenham Branch Breweries
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Ashton Brewery

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Black Cow	4.1		A low bitterness sweet milk stout.	Awaiting Information
Black IPA	5.0		Contradiction in terms though it is, this is a refreshing IPA hopped with Chinook and Centennial but with an addition of Carafa Special malt to give the black colour and a subtle roast malt flavour.	Awaiting Information
Citra	4.3		A pale ale brewed to showcase the fantastic Citra hop. Pungent and aromatic with lemon and lime flavours and a dry, bitter finish.	Awaiting Information
Gold	4.5	1042	Their signature pale ale made with plenty of hops, giving tropical fruit flavours and a crisp bitter finish.	Straw-coloured and hazy. New world hops with light sweetness on the aroma. Balanced taste of bitterness, tropical fruits, and pale malt. This develops on the aftertaste with lemon and pineapple. A long drying finish with some citrus and sweetness offsetting the bitterness.
Hazy Blonde	4.8	1052	A juicy, hazy, full-bodied New England IPA bursting with tropical fruit flavours from Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo hops.	Awaiting information.
It's Full Of Stars	4.3		A sessionable fruity pale ale brewed with Galaxy hops from Australia giving passion fruit aromas and flavours of citrus and peach.	Awaiting information.
Jaffa Cake	6.2		A decadent milk stout made with a small addition of orange peel and roasted cocoa nibs giving a citrus bitterness and hints of dark chocolate. Available during winter months only.	Milk stout aromas and flavours of roast malt and chocolate. Lactose sweetness, and subtle bitter orange, reminiscent of Jaffa Cakes. The beer balances sweetness and bitterness with subtle orange and cocoa nibs, offering a smooth, complex, and moderately sweet profile. A pleasant, long aftertaste featuring astringent dryness, lactose and orange citrus notes.
Kakapo	4.3	1041	A refreshing pale ale brewed with the unique Neleson Sauvin hope from New Zealand. This hop imparts distinctive white wine fruitiness with flavours of fresh crushed gooseberries.	Awaiting information.
King's Speech	5.4		A dark copper coloured strong ale made with four different malts and subtly hopped with English varieties.	Awaiting information.
Mosaic	4.4	1041	A refreshing pale ale, heavily hopped with an American hop variety, giving flavours of tropical fruit and citrus.	Awaiting Information
Onyx	4.1		A highly sessionable traditional porter made with black malt and delicately hopped with English Fuggles and Goldings.	Awaiting information.
Out of the Woods	4.2			Hazy, pale straw colour with a lasting white head. Intense sweet tropical fruit aromas. Sweetness develops on the taste and aftertaste. Fresh, smooth mouthfeel. Slightly resinous tropical fruit. Good balance with a refreshing citrus and bitterness. A long, drying spritzy finish.
Ride The Reindeer	5.0	1050	Speciality Ingredient: Oatmeal, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.	Awaiting information.
Ruby	4.4		A dark ale made with six different malts producing complex flavours and deep red colour. Lightly hopped with Centennial and Amarillo hops.	Awaiting information.
Shot in the Dark	4.6	1043	A traditional porter made with dark roast malt, English Fuggles and Goldings hops and an addition of quality ground coffee.	Awaiting Information

Tel: 07796 445822.
Web: ashtonbrewery.co.uk


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Brewhouse & Kitchen (Cheltenham)

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Best Mate	5.0	1053	Ruby-coloured, spicy and hoppy rye IPA.	Awaiting information.
Big Chase	4.0	1042	A light and floral, well balanced spring time session beer.	Awaiting information.
Brillig	4.6	1048	Awaiting information	Awaiting information
Code Breaker	5.0	1051	Awaiting information.	Awaiting information.
Colonel Jack	5.0	1052	A traditional IPA, strong, bitter, citrusy and hoppy.	Citrus and spice on the nose, which delivers orangey notes and earthy, bitter hops on the palate. Some sweetness and yeast. Slight citrus, fruit and uncomplicated dryness on the aftertaste.
Crystal Rock	4.0	1036	A traditional, caramel, bitter session ale.	Aroma of hedge fruits, spice and white pepper. Light in body and hop character. Malty with apple and nutty hints but no dominant flavour. Hop dryness with sweet/sour on the aftertaste. An easy drinking Session Bitter.
Dowty Boy	4.9	1050	A cloudy, citrusy, but refreshing, wheat beer.	Awaiting information.
Heritage Project Porter	4.5			The aroma promises roasty, maltiness with background hops. The body is thin and clean. Flavour is medium roast, with coffee notes and a light plum fruitiness, but little hop character. Coffee continues on the aftertaste together with a slight sourness. Roast and coffee flavours fade.
Landed Eagle II	4.8	1049	A traditional porter, rich with roast and chocolate notes.	Awaiting information.
Propulsion II	6.0	1059	Awaiting information.	Awaiting information.
Skilly Spring	4.0	1037	Awaiting information.	Awaiting information.
The Composer	5.2	1052	Awaiting information.	Awaiting information.
Tin Man	5.0	1041	Golden, Hoppy and refreshing	Citrus, mango and lychee on the nose. Thin in body and lightly hopped. Some fruity/citrus notes are dominated by bitterness and hints of sulphur. Sweet/sour with some yeast on the aftertaste.

Tel: 01242 509946.
Web: brewhouseandkitchen.com

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Clavell & Hind

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describe their beer on their website	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Blunderbuss	4.2		An English pale ale that has been brewed to bring out white and summer fruit characteristics. Named after the Blunderbuss, this beer explodes with flavour. Impressing the regular pale ale drinkers as well as the unaccustomed.	Crisp, clean, heady aroma with melon sweetness and other hoppy tropical fruit notes. Some pineapple which develops on the aftertaste. Good malt and citrus hop bitterness which carries through to a long, well-balanced, fresh, drying finish.
Coachman	3.8		A refreshing golden ale brewed using the finest English hops. This beer bridges the gap between lager and ale. Clean tasting and thirst-quenching. A delightful, sweet mouthfeel followed by a moreish bitterness, leaving the drinker wanting more.	Restrained honey and caramel aroma with herbal notes. Light body with some citrus bitterness, refreshing cucumber and hop. Good head retention with mild orange notes on the aftertaste. Long, slightly astringent bitter finish. An easy-drinking Golden Ale.
Dawn Run	4.0		This superbly crafted light copper best bitter has a well-balanced flavour profile and beautifully sweet malt backbone. Gentle sweetness with caramel and toffee notes, a subtle biscuity character and a restrained bitterness.	Dark Brown, light aroma with some yeast. Toffee malt sweetness is balanced by strong bitterness with hints of plums and damsons. Light bodied and easy drinking. An appealing, long drying finish. A solid, traditional, English hopped session bitter.
Liberty IPA	4.8		A straw coloured beer with a citrus and floral aroma. Smooth bitterness followed by deep summer fruits and soft caramel malts.	Bright gently aroma. Soft mouthfeel, light bodied. Malt sweetness is evident with light hoppy-citrus bitterness. Traces of apple, tropical fruits and papaya. Limited aftertaste with some slight astringent bitterness.
Sleighman	4.5		Beautiful citrus fruit aromas give way to a delightful rye spice quality. A superb winter warmer.	Awaiting information.

Tel: 01452 238050*
Web: clavellandhind.co.uk

Our Taproom is based at our new, purpose-built brewery located at Unit 2, Elmstone Business Park, Elmstone Hardwicke, Cheltenham, GL51 9SY. Tucked away on the outskirts of Cheltenham, this modern space is where we’ll be crafting our beers and where we look forward to welcoming you.
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Cotswold Lion Brewery

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Best In Show	4.2	1042	Tawny best bitter with satisfying autumn fruit flavours.	Light aroma with some spicy hop notes. Thin bodied. Initial malt flavour with light bitterness, and some hop character, and hedge fruits. A long drying hoppy aftertaste.
Drovers Return	5.0	1050	Ruby coloured premium bitter, full of malt and fruit flavours.	A dark red/brown Premium Bitter. Spicy, malty, with some caramel on the nose. Good malty flavour with roast, nutty and chocolate notes. Bramble, raisins, and dark fruits dominate. This is balanced with a light hoppyness. Bitterness develops on the aftertaste, and this leads to complex dark fruit, malt, and drying hops. This continues into a long-lasting, dry, satisfying fruitiness.
Golden Fleece	4.4	1044	Golden IPA. A full flavoured citrusy ale.	Pours bright gold. Fresh grassy hop aroma with honey and orangey notes. English hops with a pronounced bitter taste. Malty with some hedge fruits, heather, straw, and honey. Refreshing with soft hops and a long, satisfying drying bitterness. A well-balanced Pale Ale.
Hogget	3.8	1039	Copper session ale with a fruity bitterness and clean finish.	Awaiting information.
Shepherds Delight	3.6	1036	Crisp light, golden ale with a refreshing clean citrus flavour.	Light in colour for a Session Bitter. Malt flavours are light but balanced with a refreshing English hop character. Bitterness diminishes slightly in the aftertaste with a long drying finish. Thin bodied, but a thirst-quenching session beer.
Top Notch	4.0	1039	Top Notch Session Bitter is a classic British ale that is low-gravity, sessionable, and meant to be consumed a few pints at a time. It's a balance between hop bitterness and malt sweetness, with a light amber colour. English hops provide floral, earthy, bitterness and an aroma of stone fruit, the malt flavour is biscuity, and mildly sweet as a contrast to the clean and well defined bitterness	Light aroma. Taste is a balance of earthy hops, sweet malt, caramel, biscuity flavours. Some stone, hedge fruits, and pear drops. Lightly sweet, cleanly brewed and easy drinking. Dry, astringent aftertaste.

Tel: 01242 870164.
Web: cotswoldlionbrewery.co.uk

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Neighbouring Branch Breweries.
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North Cotswold Branch Breweries
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Donnington

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
BB	3.6	1035	A pleasant amber bitter with a slight hop aroma, a good balance of malt and hops in the mouth and a bitter aftertaste.	Awaiting information
Donnington Gold	4.0	1041	Our latest permanent, award-winning beer has a golden colour with a citrus flavour followed by a rounded malt finish.	Gold and bright in the glass. Malty, sweet caramel aroma with a little (though not dominant) citrus. The hop profile develops in the taste and aftertaste, with light fruit notes and malt character. A dry hop finish with rounded bitterness and some citrus.
Double Donn	4.4		Nutty aroma with toffee and a trace of orange fruit. Sweetish, chewy, cereal malt flavour with an earthy edge and decent bitter finish.	Awaiting information.
SBA	4.4	1045	Malt dominates over bitterness in the subtle flavour of this premium bitter, which has a hint of fruit and a dry, malty finish.	Awaiting information

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Goffs

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Black Knight	5.3	1053	A very dark ruby red tinted beer with powerful chocolate malt aromas and a hint of vanilla. Very smooth, very rich dry malt flavours with a subtle hoppiness. A classic winter porter.	A strong fruity character with good chocolate notes and a light spiciness on the nose. A complex mix of rich fruit, raisins, mocha chocolate and light dry hop. A sweet dark-fruit bitterness develops, with a faint trace of charcoal on the aftertaste. A light, drying, complex finish.
Cheltenham Gold	4.5		Award winning American hopped golden ale. Brewed with a blend of the 7 “C” hops, including Cascade, Citra & Chinook to give a light and citrusy hop burst.	Bright gold in the glass. Strong USA hop/citrus aroma. A balance of citrus hop and light malt sweetness on the palate with no one dominating flavour. Pronounced bitterness develops on the aftertaste with a long drying finish.
Jester Brew 6 Mango IPA	5.0		Juicy as you like! The mango sweetness is offset by liberal hopping with Falconers Flight hops for bursts of citrus. Perfect for balmy Summer evenings.	Vegan friendly, hazy orange beer. Massive notes of mango on the aroma with malt and hops evident. Sweet mango is well balanced by a gentle hop bitterness and malt character, which work together to deliver an appealing mouthfeel. Citrus notes become evident with some yeast and sulphur balancing the mango. A second wave of mango develops on the aftertaste, which the gives way to bitterness and medium to long bitter, drying finish.
Jouster	4.0	1040	A well balanced all English hopped best bitter with a gentle hoppy aroma and a malty finish.	Earthy pepperiness and sweet notes on the nose with gentle hops. The taste is relatively sweet, with little hop bitterness for balance, but some hedgerow fruits. The aftertaste is drying, but the bitterness and fruit fade quickly.
Lancer	3.8		A zesty golden session ale packed full of Cascade hops to give a light citrus aroma.	Bright gold in the glass, the aroma has verbena notes of lemony grass and light pear esters. Light in body, some lime and citrus bitterness develops on tasting. Bitterness in the aftertaste leads to a long drying finish as the citrus flavour diminishes. A pleasing, light easy drinking beer, with a refreshing bitterness and light citrus.
Tournament	4.0	1038	Awaiting information.	Complex aroma of earthy, spicy hops, sweet malt, raisins and hedgerow fruits. Spicy hop/malt develops on the taste with caramel and an earthiness coming through, finishing in a rounded bitterness. A good balance of malt and hops, with prominent caramel, toffee notes and English hop character. The aftertaste is drying and bitter with hop and fruit lingering in a long, developing finish. A wide spectrum of aromas and flavours throughout.
White Knight	4.7	1046	A well hopped bitter with a light colour and full bodied taste. Bitterness predominates in the mouth and leads to a dry, hoppy aftertaste. Deceptively drinkable for its strength!	Bright with a light malt aroma and a touch of fruit, hop and earthy sweetness. Citrus hops and fruit develop. A sweet start quickly leads to bitterness. Dominant bitterness develops on the aftertaste leading to a drying finish.

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Tewkesbury Branch Breweries
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Inferno

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Cherry Hot	6.0		Subtle cherry flavour with rich chocolate and intense dark roast finish	Awaiting information.
Cinder Stout	4.8		A combination of 7 malts give a complex flavour, but a smooth mouthfeel. Coffee, chocolate and vanilla can be explored with a flavoursome and sweet finish	Soft roast notes and vanilla on the nose. Light in both roasted barley and body. Sweet/chocolate, light coffee, and Crunchy Bar cinder flavours, raisins, and dates on the palate. Easy, soft coffee on the finish with some dark fruit/sweetness then dryness. Pleasant and easy drinking.
Dark Inferno	8.0		Russian Imperial Stout	Awaiting information.
Flaming Pud	5.5		Xmas pudding and brandy on top of Cherry Hot like grain base.	Dark, intense beer with good tan head. Aroma of Christmas cake, fruit and brandy, sweet chocolate, caramel, spicy fruit - sultanas, raisins. Full-flavoured. Prunes, morello cherries, smoky roast notes, and brandy, develop on tasting. The finish is complex, bitter, and drying.
Golden Embers	4.2		Crisp English pale ale.	Bright gold appearance with a big citrus hop aroma. Mandarin, white pepper and earthy notes on the palate with minimal malt flavour. Initial sweetness on the aroma is evident on the aftertaste before developing a long, dry, bitter, citrus finish.
Helles Fire	4.0		German style Lager.	Awaiting information.
Man on Fire	4.5			Clear amber/gold with good head and lacing. Incredible sweet tropical fruit aroma. Smooth balanced taste with tropical fruit, mango, and lychee flavours. Good bitterness and body. Drying, long finish with bitter/sweetness lingering.
Martha's Revenge	6.0			Made with Haribo sweets. Tropical hop forward, resinous sweet damson/plum flavours with a jammy/tangy mouthfeel. Full-bodied beer with a long, bitter finish and dry fruitiness. Piney and resinous.
Mental Martha	4.2		Devilish dark rye IPA.	Awaiting information.
Mild Burn	3.8
Prometheus	5.8		Triple hopped IPA.	A triple-hopped pale and hoppy ale. Bright, spicy, earthy aroma with oyster mushroom notes. Smooth on the palate with a touch of honey sweetness. Earthy and spicy hops dominate the flavour with a good malt backbone. Long bitter, medium astringency finish with some hedgerow fruits evident.
Sloe Burner	6.0		Chocolate stout infused with sloe Gin. Berries are seasonally picked locally.	A chocolate stout with just a hint of Sloe Gin. Berries are seasonally picked locally. Roast, caramel, chocolate and vine fruits are evident on the nose. Roast and chocolate come the fore on the palate. Long finish with roast flavours dominating. A small addition of sloe berries gives a very nice edge to this Chocolate Stout.
Spark	3.8		Light in ABV but not in flavour. This pale ale is packed full of hops and loaded with a light crystal malt, giving it plenty of backbone and mouthfeel for what is a lower percentage beer.	Bright gold with balanced malt, spicy hop, and tropical fruit on the aroma. Big new world hops, stone fruit, peach, papaya, and a touch of spice all develop on tasting. Thin mouthfeel with a long finish, where sweetness fades to lingering bitterness and citrus notes. Well balanced and drinkable.
Tinder Box	4.5		Caramel malt IPA.	Hedgerow fruits, spice and malt on the nose. Earthy and bittersweet autumn fruits dominate the taste with some caramel. Long, bitter drying finish. Dark for a Pale Ale, edging toward a Premium Bitter in style.
Towering Inferno	5.7		A strong oatmeal stout. Vanilla, oak chips and dark molasses makes this a full flavoured dark rich beer.	Awaiting information.
Vulcan	6.0		A Baltic porter with plenty of chocolate and crystal malts.	Dark ruby with a long-lasting beige head. Smoky hints on the nose. Aromas of fruit, chocolate, roast coffee. Sweet vinous taste with hints of plums and hedgerow fruits, raisins, and sultanas. A complex aftertaste. Caramel/sweetness developing to a drying and lingering hop finish.
Wheat Storm	5.0		Wheat cask beer infused with Camille.	A Belgian Wit style beer. Fresh and zingy on the nose. Classic Banana notes are followed by Clove, Coriander and Pear ester flavours. Yeast is prominent. Initial wheat and biscuit flavour with mild clove followed by big hit of floral/wood, due to the addition of Camille herb, quickly softening to spicy banana flavours. A complex and well-balanced beer.