A few people have asked me for a list of the Belgian and British beers that battled it out on Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club, so here the are:
Pale ale category:
Brewster’s Pale Ale v De Koninck ‘Bolleke’
Barley wine category:
Stroud Brewery Maris Otter Vintage Ale v Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl Bush Ambree
Dark beer category:
The Kernel Export Stout v Brasserie De La Senne Stouterik
Flavoured beer category:
Innis and Gunn Rum Finishv Liefmans Cuvee Brut
Abbey/Trappist beer category:
Ampleforth Abbey Dubbel v Westmalle Dubbel*
Do the Belgians take their beer more seriously than the British?
What do you think of the beers chosen for the battle? Would you have chosen differently?
I’m interested in your thoughts so either drop me a line (my email address is on the Contact me page) or add your comments below.
If you’re wondering what the hell this post is about, see my two previous posts – the second of which includes a link to the programme.
http://afemaleview.net/2012/12/27/beer-on-the-telly-this-xmas/
http://afemaleview.net/2012/12/31/food-fight-club-and-jamie-jimmys-beer-reviewed/
* The programme incorrectly stated that it was Westmalle Tripel, but having consulted the other two judges we are certain it was actually the Dubbel.
I suppose it all depends on the criteria they gave each category. Could an India Pale Ale be used in the Pale Ale category for example and what constitutes a flavoured beer…?
Pale Ale
If I could have an IPA, then I’d have picked Worthington’s White Shield, otherwise something like Dark Star’s Hophead (although they don’t bottle that do they?), Magic Rock Curious or Oakham Citra.
Barley Wine
Shirley they should have picked the current Champion Beer of Britain, Coniston’s No. 9…? Even better would be Greene King’s sensational Old 5X, but try prising a bottle of that out of them. Moor’s Old Freddy Walker would have been a good choice too.
Dark Beer
No complaints about the choice, but I can’t imagine they gave the bottles time to settle before serving. At least that’s my opinion from watching how they handled them back in the “cafe” on the programme…
Flavoured Beer
I’m going with honey as a flavouring, so it has to be Thornbridge Bracia, for my money, one of the best, if not the best beer brewed in the country. If barrel ageing is a flavour, then Magic Rock’s Bourbon Barrel Bearded Lady was a winner. Another one could have been Moor’s Fusion, the 2009 one was utterly sensational. Or how about playing them at their own game and using Lovibonds WBA Gold Medal winning Sour Grapes…?
Abbey/Trappist Beer
Not really much of a choice there…
I do think they could have picked better beers to represent us to be honest, especially in three of those categories.