It was a chilly Tuesday night. Sheffield United had just scored two goals in the last ten minutes to salvage a 3-3 draw against Cardiff. Dave and I were in high spirits, and needed some liquid refreshment. The bright lights of the Devonshire Cat drew us in, like particularly attractive moths to an unusually safe lantern.
Once inside, an idea was born. We would make our way through each beer on the pub’s ample beer menu, leaving our own comments for future reference. Then came the epiphany: we could publish! So here it is: the first edition of Moore & Brown’s Devonshire Cat Challenge.
Enjoy, indulge, and drink responsibly.
Schlenkerla Rauchbier – German – 5.1% - 50cl - £2.95
The Menu says: Schlenkerla is slang for gammy leg. The original owner had a twisted walk. He’s on the label! Rauch means smoke. The beer’s smoky palate and aroma is achieved by kilning the barley malt over burning beechwood logs. This is a tradition carried on only in the Bamberg area in Franconia and is similar to Islay whisky in palate.
We say: Put very simply, this beer is not one for the untrained palate. The first thing that hits you is the smell. Imagine a Pepperami, but stronger, and you’re about halfway there. Despite the overpoweringly smoky aroma though, this beer actually tastes quite mild for a dark ale. Once you get over the smell (the best method we found was to use a beermat as a makeshift lid), and the fact that you seem to be drinking a pint of sausage, the Schlenkerla is a warming beer. Worth a try, but do prepare yourself: this is not one for the faint hearted.
Moore Rating: 6/10 Brown Rating: 6/10.
Liefmans Kriek – Belgian Lambic – 6.0% - 37.5cl - £3.50
The Menu says: Once a year the brewery adds cherries to some of its brown ale and allows further fermentation. The finished product is deliciously smooth, dark and distinctive with a sweet/sour flavour. A lovely brewery making truly great beers that take years to mature before being let out of the brewery.
We say: First of all, don’t drink this one straight after a bottle of Rauchbier. To say these two compliment each other would be like saying Carling is the nicest lager in production. Ridiculous. Liefmans Kriek is a very strange drink, in that whilst it is sold as a beer, it tastes nothing like one. The closest drink in taste we could think of was the student staple Snakebite. Dave even thought he could smell the Strongbow, but then again he does live in a bus shelter. Quite a bitter sourness meant that a full bottle was a struggle to drink, and left our mouths feeling particularly dry. It may cater to some tastes, but at £3.50 a bottle Liefmans Kriek is not even a decent value Snakebite. Disappointingly expensive.
Moore & Brown’s Snakebite Rating: 5/10.
