Battle of the beers - 2nd round, Heat 4

[Uncle Leo]

Hobgoblin (Brettie Angell) vs Bombardier (Hazey)

Should be another close one, but I thought Guinness would thrash Corona so what do I know :dizzy:

 

[SUFC_Al]

:doh:

Love both of them. Sorry Rich, I'm gonna have to vote against you on this one, Bombardier is just too nice.

 

[Pubey]

Hobgoblin for me - never really like bombardier

 

[Moridin]

Hobgoblin for me too, Bombardier is just the Graeme Jones of the ale world......

 

[Napster]

Hobgoblin for me.

 

[loz]

Happy to see either of these go through- went for Hob though, purely because it's harder to get hold of and hence gets underdog status.

 

[Mr. Benedict]

Tough one this, but Hobgoblin just about shades it.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Another tough one, but I've gone for Bombardier.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Both good beers, gone for the Hobgoblin though. Yesterday's was an absolute travesty.

 

[Hazey]

A review by a beer drinker:

~~~THE BEER.
***A Bit of Background***

Bombardier is the flagship beer for a campaign to make St George’s Day a public holiday ~ you can follow a link on the Charles Wells website to sign a petition and get involved. There is also lots of information about the different ways you can buy and drink it ~ Bombardier is a versatile drink that comes in cans, bottles and cask (they even do a smooth version….but that’s not worthy of a mention!).
***Vital Stats***

Bombardier weighs in at 4.3% ABV and is brewed using Crystal and Pale malts, combined with a mix of Styrian Goldings and Challenger hops. The strength puts it in the category of a premium or best bitter.
***Look, Aroma & Texture***

Bombardier is an amber to copper colour, with chestnut tinges when held up to the light. It has a decent sized milky coffee coloured head that is pretty foamy and long lasting. The aroma is hoppy (not the citrus hops I normally mention, but a kind of spicy/peppery scent) and fruity (like grapes or raisins), with a balancing maltiness. Texture is quite rich, yet remains quite light on the palate. There is also a faint spicy tingle.
***Taste***

The first flavour I got from my first sip was malt ~ a rich malt with underlying hints of caramel and toffee. This soon blends with flavours of raisins, blackberries and other dark, rich fruits. Add to this a hoppiness that develops and becomes increasingly bitter towards the finish. This leads to an aftertaste that retains that bitterness but also brings in a hint of spices and more vine fruits. The aftertaste is quite long and combines the flavours that are present throughout ~ the final mouth feel is pretty dry and still has a burnt malt character.
~~~WHAT TANGE THINKS.

It is a shame that Bombardier seems to be reaching saturation point in my local pubs. There was a time when it was quite difficult to find, but it is now everywhere. Some pubs serve it in a less than ideal state so many people’s experiences of cask Bombardier will not be a particularly memorable one (and maybe in some cases an unpleasant one).
Thankfully The Industry (a pub round the corner from my house) in Newbold, near Chesterfield, has it on as one of their long term Guest Ales at the moment. We pay £2.20 a pint for it (slightly overpriced, but a decent beer all the same) and have found it to be well kept and rather tasty indeed.

When in good condition, and well cared for, Bombardier is an excellent example of an English Bitter. It is well balanced, full of flavour and with a good amount of body. The fruit flavours mix well with the malt and the bitter hoppiness makes it quite refreshing and dry all at the same time. I find it to be quite complex, but it definitely works well and is a drinkable beer. The alcohol content is still low enough to make it a creditable session ale too!
If your current experiences of Bombardier have been less than favourable I recommend that you persevere and seek out a good pub with a well kept cellar! I think that Bombardier is an under-rated beer that is better than most people think ~ I have enjoyed it on many occasions and would drink it again. It is quite a rich beer, so may not appeal to the lager style beer drinkers, but it has enough flavour and character for a Real Ale drinker like me.

 

[Hazey]

May I also add that Bombadier is the Beer of England, as I said in the last round, our football team is crap, so lets make up for it and make our beer a winner, lets face it, what else will we do this summer?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Sorry Rich, I'm gonna have to vote against you on this one, Bombardier is just too nice.

Me too, sorry mate!

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

I thought Guinness would thrash Corona so what do I know :dizzy:

Who are all these shandy drinking nancy-boys on here with no taste?!

:thump:

Bombardier for me. Dunno why, but I've never really got into Hobgoblin - a bit too rich for my palate.

Matt

 

[Napster]

Who are all these shandy drinking nancy-boys on here with no taste?!

:thump:

Bombardier for me. Dunno why, but I've never really got into Hobgoblin - a bit too rich for my palate.

Matt

I suppose for the same reason I like Laphroaig rather than Bowmore

 

[Cricko]

Who are all these shandy drinking nancy-boys on here with no taste?!

:thump:

Bombardier for me. Dunno why, but I've never really got into Hobgoblin - a bit too rich for my palate.

Matt

Pass Mate ....

 

[Vange Shrimper]

I better vote for Hobgoblin....

 

[Hazey]

Come on people Bombadier can go all the way here.

 

[SUFC_Al]

Come on people Bombadier can go all the way here.

i voted against my brothers choice to try and get Bombardier through!

 

[Cricko]

i voted against my brothers choice to try and get Bombardier through!

Sacre Blur!..............I will have to back Rich now you turn coat Al..;)

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Sacre Blur..............

Don't think I ever saw Damon, Graham, Alex and the little weasly ginger one who nobody knows his name ever drinking either of these in The Good Mixer in Camden.

Think they were more lager-top kinda guys!