What on earth is going on? This is a seriously good British (or should I say Scottish?) craft lagered beer. West is inspired by the enviable beer culture of Franconia, but their best seller St Mungo reminds me of a Bohemian Pils — whatever side of the border it falls on it’s a pretty stupendous lager, emanating from the home of Tennant’s, the grandfather and grandmother of cooking lagers. The nose is resiny, I’m thinking good Pilsner Urquell, a bodacious and sensual body with a dry bitter finish, a very dry finish that suggests you might need another (and I bloody will have another). I would contend it’s closer to a Bohemian Pilsner than a Helles, but I would also say this is a very modern lager, and perhaps indicative of the attitude that Franconia has to beer as opposed to the Reinheitsgebot-happy drones of a lot of the German brewing industry (though West do adhere to the Law). It’s fantastic and it’s probably one of the best British craft lagers I have had for ages (I also worship at the feet of Meantime’s Vienna, Pils and Festbier, while Taddington, Cotswold and Freedom, as well as a growing clutch of others, have my vote — and just in case you are interested, this is all part of ongoing research for a feature). West: where have you been all my life?
Cotswold has our vote as well, very nice lager.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember rightly, isn't the owner of West from Bavaria?
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ReplyDeleteI concur with you, hope to get out there this month,
Velky, she’s from close to Buttenheim, was talking to her on Friday, Buttenheim’s Lowen-Brau beers are some of my favourite on earth.
It has developed into a very nice brewery. St Mungo beats most of the mass market German "TV beers" hands down, and the Dunkel is much better than most of Munich's Big Six offer.
ReplyDeleteI too have been pondering whether St Mungo is Helles or Pils. I'm still not sure which. Maybe I should ask.
The root ginger looks like dead fingers. Or do the dead fingers look like root ginger?
ReplyDeleteCooking, they were organic, hence the resemblance to dead digits (Soil Association rules say all organic veg has to look like parts of the body), was making belly pork with star anise and various spices, all good Sunday grub.
ReplyDeleteThere are getting to be quite a few decent British lagers abnout. One that impressed us was Wylam Bohemian Pils -- terrible branding, clunky old ale bottle, but bloody good, earthy Franconian/Czech style beer inside.
ReplyDeleteNot tried West's but a trip that way is on the cards later this year.
Bailey — haven’t had Wylam for a while, you’re right about the clunky ale bottle, went there last year though didn’t try it then, but I did speak to someone about it several years ago and according to my notes they said: ‘The Bohemian Pilsner is treated like a real ale, but the Leitonbrau (not sure what that it is but it’s in my notes) is lagered for one month. We use local maltsters and use English hops such as Goldings and fuggles alongside Hersbrucker, saaz, cascade and Willamette. All full flower.’ Make of that what you will.
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