Brewed by Broughton Ales, this golden ale (6%) is the first of several in the top 50 brought to us on behalf on Marks & Spencer. The brewery says (for their Border Gold Organic Ale), "This exceptional ale is brewed to the exacting standards required by Soil Association Certification Ltd. of the United Kingdom. Organic malt from the UK and organically grown New Zealand hops are blended with pure water from the Scottish Border hills. The end result is a light golden coloured beer full of flavour and aroma. A refreshing clean tasting beer with an excellent hop aroma and aftertaste. At 6.0% ABV a premium ale for those who know and care about what they eat and drink.

The Independent says,"...they've produced a belting, light golden pale ale with an easy hop aroma, and gentle aftertaste that is tailormade for long summer sunsets".

I say; Interesting beer, hard to to believe it's 6%, as the taste is quite understated. Not bad by half, although probably not a beer I would chase, as the hop aroma is a little too subtle compared to some beers out there. Soft and chewy, this is a beer I am glad to have tried, and certainly won't be bottom of my list.

Royal Oak Traditional Bitter (5%), from O'Hanlons Brewery in Devon, was a bugger to track down, in the end Ale Cellar in Durham came to my rescue. Yet another beer that I hadn't tried before, this beer has won a whole stack of awards, and is made to an 1896 recipe. The brewery says, "The Royal Oak story celebrates Charles II's escape after the Battle of Worcester when he hid from the Roundheads in the branches of a great oak - inspiring many a pub sign, and one noble beer.  Royal Oak Ale is a celebration of British country brewing. Classically amber, its rich malts and fragrant hop aromas blend into a soft, balanced complexity with a long and rewarding bitter finish. This world-famous beer has been brewed to virtually the same recipe since 1896".

The Independent says, "The O'Hanlon brewery was founded in 1995, and has been mopping up plaudits and prizes ever since. The Royal Oak, an English Pale Ale, won a gold medal at the 2004 International Brewing Industry awards, and another gold at the 2005 Taste of the West Festival. A complex, bronze, peppery beer, ithas the punchiness of a traditional working-man's pint, and stands up to stronger tasting food".

I say; Mmmm, definitely an amber ale, definitely a traditional beer, reminds me of my brothers' homebrew back in the 80's (not a bad thing). Obviously a good beer, but not really my cup of tea. To me, has a smoky, malty taste, and to be honest I cannot really smell any hoppy aromas. Due to the current trend of making golden, hoppy ales (which I am into), this is not really the type of beer that I would chase, and therefore would not be in my own list of top 50 beers.

The 51st beer in the top 50, which I'm sure The Independent would have put in had they been aware of it. This is the beer that got me into ale, and into my curent fad of the golden variety. Brewed in Fremantle, Western Australia, where I spent the last 8 years, this beer cleans up at the majority of Australian Beer Awards, and with good reason. Bottle conditioned, this beer is like having a garden growing in your mouth. Floral hoppiness dominates, and yet the Pale Ale (5.2%) has something slightly different with each taste. Available in a handful of places across the UK (including my local who got it in following my begging), my only complaint is that it comes in small, 330ml bottles. The brewers, Little Creatures, do put it into pint bottles, so maybe if the brewery are reading this they could think about exporting those, as well as their other beers, Roger's Ale, Bright Ale and Pils!  Quite simply the best beer in the world!

Obviously The Independent don't comment on this beer, but if they did, they would agree with me!

Now I know that this must be sounding repetitive, but here is another beer I haven't tried before, and another I will try again. As you can probably gather, I do like my golden ales, definitely the beers that do it for me. This is a golden ale with a difference, it is made with porridge oats! The brewery says,"Hebridean Gold (4.3%) is a uniquely different ale, brewed with porridge oats. This produces an ale of exceptional smoothness, with a deep and creamy head. Like a Hebridean sunset, it is magnificently beautiful and must be experienced".

The Independent says,"Close your eyes and imagine you're in the Highlands, with this belting novelty beer from the Isle of Skye's only brewery. Made from porridge oats, which lend a distinctive aroma and aftertaste, this chesnut bitter has rich demerara overtones".

I say; Another winner, with this smooth tasty ale. To be honest, I don't think you would know it contained porridge oats unless you read the label. Has a fantastic underlying bitterness married to a sharpness and crispness that almost bites. Not too sure I could drink lots of it, but as a stand alone beer - wonderful! 

I was very pleased when this came out in the draw, this is one of the top 50 that I have been itching to try.  Dorothy Goodbody's Golden Ale (4.2%) is a bottle conditioned ale brewed in the Wye Valley, in Herefordshire.  They say, "Nothing gives Dorothy Goodbody more pleasure than the succulent aroma of the two finest English hop varieties: Goldings and Fuggles. Dorothy selected these and best Maris Otter pale malt for her 'Golden Ale'. A natural winning combination! Crisp and slightly zesty, enjoy on its own or with chicken dishes, salads and pasta".

The Independent says, "Herefordshire might be the home of cider, but they run to a pretty decent pint of bitter, too. This clean, refreshing beer, from one of the finest local breweries in Britain, is lively, fun, and reminded our panel of summer picnics".

I say; wow, oh for summer days! Pulled out of the hat on the warmest day of the year so far, this made me want to kick back and chill.  Crisp and clean, golden and citrus like, this beer is a million miles away from standard bitters, so much so even my wife approves.  So far, 3 beers down, and I'm agreeing with the Independent's panel.