Talking about "legacy" when BrewDog are still very much around might feel a bit premature. They are not finished, they are not fading away quietly, and they are certainly not short of headlines or opinions. But after nearly two decades, enough time has passed to pause and take stock. Not as a eulogy, more as a moment to look at what BrewDog have genuinely left behind so far.   If you mention BrewDog online, the conversation usually goes the same way. Toxic workplace culture. Greenwashing. Misleading marketing. Overhyped beers. James Watt. None of those criticisms came from nowhere, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. There have been real issues, real mistakes, real errors of judgement, and real people affected along the way. Add in a catalogue that can feel wildly inconsistent at times, and it is easy to see why plenty of drinkers have switched off and no long rider the Brewdog train (this is one of the brewers that I know when  do a beer review for them I'll get at ...

What Do Those Numbers Really Mean ABV and IBU look like they should make choosing a beer easier. One tells you how strong it is, the other tells you how bitter it should be. In theory, that sounds helpful. In reality, it often leads to confusion when the beer in your glass doesn’t match what you expected from the label. A lot of people end up searching for “alcohol IBU” because they’re trying to join the dots. They’ve had a beer that tasted sharper, stronger, smoother, or more intense than expected, and they want a simple explanation. The problem is that these numbers are only clues. They help describe a beer, but they don’t predict flavour in a neat, reliable way.   What alcohol means in beer Alcohol in beer is measured as ABV, which stands for alcohol by volume. It’s the easiest number to understand and, to be fair, it’s usually the most useful. A 4% beer is generally lighter and easier going. A 6% beer tends to feel fuller and more flavourful. Push past 7 or 8%, and you...

Barleywine is one of those beer styles that quietly confuses a lot of people. It’s strong, it’s sweet, it doesn’t behave like most modern beers, and in the UK, Gold Label is often the only reference point people have, whether they like it or not. I’ve always had a soft spot for strong beers. From early on in my beer journey, anything with a bit of weight, warmth, and depth grabbed my attention. So it didn’t take long before barleywines started to make sense to me. They felt slower, more deliberate, and less interested in chasing trends. Gold Label tends to divide opinion, but it also keeps popping up in searches and conversations. That alone says a lot. It might not be fashionable, but it’s clearly not forgotten. If you’d rather watch than read, here’s my flavour-led review of Gold Label, where I talk through how it actually tastes today and why it sits where it does in the barleywine world.   What is a barleywine beer? Despite the name, barleywine is very much...

Beer storage sounds like a big, nerdy topic until you’ve had a beer you were really looking forward to, and it tastes tired, flat, or just a bit “off”. Most of the time, it isn’t the brewery’s fault. It’s what happened to the beer after it left left them.   Now I don’t have a cellar, and while I do have an "Ale House" where I record my beer reviews,  it doesn’t keep a steady temperature all year round. What I do have is a few cool cupboards that stay fairly stable, and that’s enough to store most beers properly if you use a bit of common sense.   This post is the simple version of what I’ve learned from years of drinking, buying, storing, and occasionally messing it up. I also end up talking about temperature a lot on my YouTube beer review channel, because it makes a bigger difference than most people expect, especially with lagers, ciders, and hop-forward beers (basically if you serve your beers too cold, you'll dull all of the aroma and flavour!). ...

Barrel-Aged Beers. A Beginner’s Way In My Beer of the Year for 2025 went to "If I Only Had A Second Chance" from Pomona Island , an Imperial Stout aged in Muscat barrels, and from the very first sip I knew I was drinking something a bit special.    It had all the deep, roasty flavours you expect from a big Imperial Stout, rich coffee, dark chocolate, that slightly burnt sugar edge, but then the barrel ageing kicked in and softened everything. The Muscat barrels brought a gentle sweetness, a subtle fruitiness, a touch of wood, and a mouthfeel that was ridiculously smooth. Nothing was sharp, nothing felt rushed, it just felt complete.    That beer got me thinking about barrel-aged beers more generally. Why they often feel richer and smoother than the base beer they start from. Why they seem to slow you down when you drink them. And why so many people are curious about them, but aren’t always sure where to begin.    Why Barrel-Aged Beers Feel Dif...

Revisiting Familiar Beers. What Still Holds Up, and Why. Every now and then, I find myself going back to beers I thought I already understood. Not new releases, not hype-driven cans, but familiar names. Beers I’ve drunk for years, sometimes decades. Revisiting them now, with a bit more experience and a lot more perspective, is always interesting. Some don’t quite live up to the memory. Others quietly impress all over again. Here’s a small selection of well-known beers I’ve reviewed recently, and why they’re still worth talking about.   Grolsch Premium Pilsner. Nostalgia meets reality. Grolsch is one of those beers that arrives carrying a lot of baggage. For me, that iconic green swing-top bottle is pure nostalgia, straight back to the 80s. Bros on the radio, bottle tops in laces, and the feeling that lager somehow tasted better back then. Revisiting it now, it doesn’t quite recreate those early drinking memories, but that’s not really the point. What it does deliver is...

What is Bitter? The backbone of British pub culture, misunderstood by name alone. What is bitter? For many people, the name puts them off before they’ve even tried it. They expect something harsh or aggressive, when in reality, bitter is one of the most balanced and versatile beer styles around. Bitter isn’t about bitterness for its own sake. It’s about balance.   So, what is bitter exactly? Bitter is a traditional British ale, typically cask-conditioned, that balances malt sweetness with hop bitterness. It emerged as a popular style in the nineteenth century and became a staple of pubs across the UK. Despite the name, bitterness is just one part of the picture. Malt, yeast, and balance matter just as much.   Different strengths of bitter Bitter comes in several strengths, each with its own character. Ordinary bitter is low in alcohol and very drinkable, while best bitter adds a little more body and flavour. Extra Special Bitter, often shortened to ESB, pushes...

What is a Witbier? The cloudy Belgian wheat beer that proves subtle can still be interesting. If you’ve ever wondered what is witbier, chances are you’ve already drunk one without really thinking about it. It’s often light in colour, hazy in the glass, and gently flavoured, which can make it easy to overlook. That’s a shame, because when witbier is brewed well, it’s quietly refreshing, balanced, and far more nuanced than it first appears.   So, what is witbier exactly? Witbier is a traditional Belgian wheat beer, most closely associated with the town of Hoegaarden. The word “wit” means white, referring to its pale, cloudy appearance rather than any actual colour. It’s brewed with a high proportion of wheat, usually alongside barley, and traditionally flavoured with coriander and orange peel. The result is a beer that’s light, aromatic, and designed to be refreshing rather than bold.   What does witbier taste like? A good witbier is soft and smooth, with gentle c...

These guys and their beers are genuinely brilliant. Tartarus Beers are one of those breweries I found myself going back to again and again, almost without noticing. I’d try one beer, then another, then a few more, and it slowly clicked; I was sat in the House of Ales micropub one day, drinking yet another Tartarus beer, and realised they’d joined my mental list of “safe bet” brewers. That’s why they’re my Brewery of the Year for 2025. Tartarus Beers are based just outside Leeds, but they still feel firmly rooted in the heart of Yorkshire. They’re a microbrewery producing small batch craft beer, and you can taste it in every glass, nothing feels mass-produced or soulless. Their beers feel like someone has taken the time to do them properly. One of the first things you notice when you look at their beers is the mythical theme they use, every beer has a creature or legend tied to it, along with a unique name and some incredible can art; and these aren't throwaway designs, they’re det...