The other night we took a break from tabletop gaming and went into boardgame mode, I brought along a four pack of Boddington’s Pub Ale, which I haven't had in quite some time. I haven't written a beer review in a while either, so here you go.
The cans have the little air-bubble compressed sphere thingie [edit: the "thingie" is actually called a 'wdiget', thanks kelvingreen] in them to simulate the hand-drawn English pub pouring style and it's what gives the ale such a smooth, creamy consistency and flavor. I drank them out of the cans, but I suppose the correct way is to pour it into a pint glass and let it settle for about ten minutes. This will also give it the proper time to warm up a bit, since it's not to be served ice cold. Be careful opening the can! It will explode in a shower of foam if handled carelessly. Andy had a great quote, but I don't want to bug him as of this writing to ask what it was.
Boddingtons is definitely a archetypical English Ale, if you're not a fan of these, you may be a little disappointed. It lacks the "explosion" of hops and malts, but it does provide a mellow, smooth taste that is consistent from first sip to last. There are blogs out there dedicated to reviewing tasty brews, for me, I'm not so technical. If you're looking for a smoky, Guinness type ale, this may not be for you, nor is is a Newcastle Brown Ale. We also had the those (the latter) on hand, and they were good mind you, but still different enough from the Boddingtons to not be able to draw a direct comparison. Boddingtons has a unique, mellow flavor that provides a rich, full taste. It's the perfect game night brew.
Ah, we had the Boddingtons brewery just outside the uni I did my MSc at, almost didn't get it!
ReplyDeleteHa! At least it would've been a tasty distraction! I'm jealous, I'd love to try it in its natural state...
ReplyDeleteTetley's is very similar although I like it slightly more, give it a try if you can find it.
ReplyDeleteThe ball is called a "widget", if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I myself am a Boddingtons fan as I don't care much for Guiness as much as Killians Irish Red. Boddingtons is a great beer to drink when gaming and I try to have some now and then when I can find it.
ReplyDelete@zeB: I'll keep an eye out for it. Fortunate;y we have a pretty good brew shop in town that specializes in all kinds of beer, if anyone has Tetley's, they will.
ReplyDelete@KGReen: I am interested, thanks! Post edited!
@KRUG: I like Killian's too, and yeah, I think Boddingtons will make more appearances at the game table in the future.
Thanks for the link! Boddingtons is pretty good, but if you can find it on tap its even better! Its amazing to me how much a difference there was between the can and from the tap. Tetley's is also a good choice. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteNo problem Scott, I use your site *a lot* when looking up something new to try out.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'm going to have to get some Boddingtons on tap, and find some Tetley's to boot!