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.
Gold	4.5	1042	Our signature pale ale made with plenty of Citra and Simcoe hops giving tropical fruit flavours and a crisp bitter finish.	Awaiting Information
Mosaic	4.4	1041	Well balanced fruity pale ale heavily hopped with US Mosaic giving mango, citrus, lemon and pine aromas.	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
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.

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


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Battledown Brewery

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
Pale	3.8	1037	Refreshing and beautifully balanced. Golden pale ale with a refreshing aroma and smooth clean taste. Full of Strisselspalt hops with a reprieve of honey flavour for balance.	Awaiting information
Original	4.4	1046	Robust and well rounded - our original beer. Traditional English chestnut beer with a robust malty aroma and taste, giving way to a well rounded sweet mouth feel.	Awaiting information
West Coast IPA	5.2	?	Boldly clean and crisp bitterness. A gorgeous dose of resin and grapefruit. Clean and crisp our Battledown West Coast IPA puts those old-school, New World Titans Cascade and Amarillo at centre stage.	Awaiting Information

Tel: 01242 693409.
Web: battledownbrewery.com

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Brewhouse & Kitchen (Cheltenham)

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
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.
Brillig	4.6	1048	Awaiting information	Awaiting information
Colonel Jack	5.0	1052	Awaiting information	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	Traditional caramel bitter	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.

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.
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.	A golden coloured ale with a perfect balance of citrus and marmalade hops and fresh ginger.
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.	An explosion of citrus and tropical hops.
RookWood	4.7	?	A rich, well-balanced premium ruby ale. This beer exudes malt character and dark fruit hop flavour combining to deliver a most memorable beer. Full of flavour and easy-drinking, perfect for those that like the richer things in life	A smooth blend of aromatic hops and dark hops.

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

* Will be moving to the Cheltenham Branch area in early 2023.
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Cotswold Lion Brewery

Beer	ABV %	OG	How the brewery describes it on their website.	How the Tasting Panel describes it.
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.
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.
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.
Hogget	3.8	1039	Copper session ale with a fruity bitterness and clean finish.	Awaiting information.
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.

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.
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.
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.
Fallen Knight	4.4	?	Awaiting information.	Awaiting information.
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.
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.
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.
Cinder Stout	4.8	?	Chocolate malt stout.	Awaiting information.
Emerald Flame	4.5	?	Hemp infusion ale!	Awaiting information.
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.
Mental Martha	4.2	?	Devilish dark rye IPA.	Awaiting information.
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.
Spark	3.8	?	English pale ale.	Awaiting information.
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	?	Winter oatmeal stout.	Awaiting information.
Vulcan	6.0	?	Chocolate Porter.	Awaiting information.
Wheat Storm	5.0	?	Wheat beer.	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.