This Czech lager (5%) has bcome more available and popular since the advent of cheap flights and weekends away. The brewery says,"Traditional Czech brewing methods are used in the brewing of Staropramen. Staropramen uses a special blend of natural Czech ingrediants. Bohemian barley and Saatzer hops have been used to produce Czech beer for hundreds of years."

The Independent says, "The Czechs make the best lager in Europe, and Staropramen is their most famous brand. Familiar to drinkers across the UK, where it has become a leading keg brand since the end of the cold war: it proves that big brewers can sometimes turn out a decent pint. The bottled version, made in Prague, is light, golden and flavoursome: a prince amongbland, mass - market lagers. Available everywhere, it's the sort of lager you could happily stick to for the rest of your life."

I say; Relatively tasty, but not alot of depth to it. Better than the majority of lagers, I think it has lost out, for me, to the new range of summer ales. Would drink it again definitely, but wouldn't be one I'd go out of my way for.

What is there to say about this beer (4.1%)? It's T.T. Landlord, it's fantastic, it would be in most peoples top 10. The brewery say,"Landlord is the classic pale ale, brewed in the traditional way from the Knowle Spring water, using only the finist malt and leaf hops. This full-flavoured brew has won many awards, both at Brewers' Exhibitions and the Great British Beer Festivals.

The Independent say,"Madonna once declared Landlord her favourite ale, and the Material Girl seems to know what she's talking about. On tap, the Yorkshire beer has won more national awards than any other. Its bottled equivalent is a classic pale ale, marmalade in colour, with a robust, full flavour. In short, it's an epic bitter, that demonstrates why British beer is the best in the world."

Have to agree with The Independent. After spending 8 years in Australia, this is one of the reasons I returned here, seriously. A fantastic, chewy beer, bitter with subtle floral overtones, it's strong enough to bite whilst being able to be a session beer. One of the best beers there is, full stop.

A very well known name, although I can't honestly say if I've had this dark ale (5.6%) before. The brewery says, "A full-bodied, rich, smooth tasting ale with a mysterious and distinctive flavour. It's delicious. This award winning ale is based on our original family recipe."

The Independent says,"Old Peculier is king of UK strong beers, and has helped introduce many a sceptic to real ale. With a shadowy claret colour and a velvety white head, it has a nutty fruit flavour that saturates the nose. On the tongue it is prickly with a rich full body."

I say; Oh dear, another dark ale, not my thing usually. However, this is very smooth without a great deal of bitterness, and very impressive. Particularly smooth for a strong ale, this is not too malty, and leaves a lovely, long lasting aftertaste. Fair play, I'll try not to judge a book by its cover again!

Another honey beer in the list, as I stated before, my memory of Honey beers is a good one, in fact it wasn't until I tried the first one on the list that I enjoyed one. The Brewery says,"The Freeminer Brewery; This full flavoured golden coloured ale is brewed exclusively for the Co-op by the award winning Freeminer brewery in the Royal Forest of Dean. Brewed using First Gold Hops from Worcestershire and Fairtrade honey from Chile, the beer enjoys a silky aroma of hops and honey and a long, smooth finish. Enjoy lightly chilled with Caeser salad, chicken pasta and even cheesecake! Fairtrade aims to help marginalised growers and small scale producers in developing countries to get a fair deal for their output."

The Independent says,"Located in the depths of the Royal Forest of Dean, the Freeminer Brewery is one of real ale's best kept secrets, producing a fantastic range of beer using exclusively natural ingrediants (no extract of hops or barley) and traditional techniques. Bumble Bee is a belting example of Freeminer at its best: an amber beer, hoppy and earthy, with hints of vanilla."

I say; Mmmm, both bitter and sweet, deliciously moreish, has an amazing aftertaste which just says golden hops. Not too sweet, in fact very understated, a beer to enjoy cold when hot!

My brother loves Cornwall, and Sharp's make his favourite brew, Doom Bar. So I was excited to try this monster   (6.8%) beer. The Brewery says,"The idea for Chalky's Bite came about as a challenge from Rick Stein to Sharp's Head Brewer Stuart Howe. The task was to create an English beer with the character, individuality and quality to stand alongside the Belgian greats. The beer created is exceptional with a delicate flavour balance of three  different hops and wild Cornish fennel. With a totally natural process and a maturation period of over three months the beer is allowed ample time to develop a high level of carbination, its own distinctive flavourvand a beautiful light golden colour. This beer is great as an accompaniment to mussels. Chalky's patience whilst attending the many development sessions at the Brewery is justifiably rewarded in the name."

The Independent says,"Sharp's Brewery in Rock, Cornwall, sits just over an estuary from Rick Stein's eponymous seafood restaurant in Padstow. Created to commemorate the TV chef's late terrier, Chalky, it is matured for 4 months, and flavoured with local fennel."

I say; To me this is remaniscent of a chilli beer, there's something there in the flavour which reminds me of another beer, but I can't put my finger on it. Very moreish (scarily for 6.8%), the fennel doesn't really come through, which probably isn't a bad thing. I'll come back to this write up when my memory comes back!