u/AndysBeerReviews

Picked this up from M&S for £3. It’s their 5.4% Mexican Style Lager, brewed by Siren Craft Brew with lime and sea salt.

At first I thought the lime was going to completely overpower it, but as I worked through the beer the base lager started coming through and that salty edge slowly began to build.

Quite an interesting take on the style, and definitely more going on than just lager with a bit of lime thrown in.

Full review here:

https://youtu.be/x-hHGYjxfbs

Has anyone else tried this one yet?

Tried Vault City’s 4.8% Orange Creamsicle tonight and this one massively exceeded my expectations.

I’d had it sitting in the fridge for a while because I just wasn’t that excited about opening it, but it turned out to be excellent. Really fresh, juicy orange flavour, smooth vanilla, and enough balance to stop it becoming overly sweet.

Evil Twin Brewing’s Orange Soda has always been my benchmark for orange beers and I gave that a 10/10. I genuinely think this was just as good.

Full review here:

https://youtu.be/hqYu-WKtipo

Anyone else tried this one? And are there any other orange beers you reckon can compete with it?

Why I'm starting with 3-5-2

My preferred FPL formation for the opening Gameweeks is 3-5-2, I've used this for years now and it works for me.

The main reason is to give me a solid midfield.

Midfielders receive five points for scoring compared with four for forwards, while also collecting a point for a clean sheet. More importantly, several of this season's most interesting midfield options effectively play as attackers anyway.

https://www.andrewscaife.com/2026/08/fpl-team-reveal-202627-my-starting-3-5.html

Saltaire Golden Boot is a 4.8% pale ale that was released for the World Cup, so I’m guessing Morrisons are now clearing through whatever stock they’ve got left.

And actually... it’s pretty decent. Citrus and orange peel, a little spice, some biscuity malt underneath and a clean bitter finish. Nothing groundbreaking, but certainly not a beer that tastes like it belongs in the bargain bin.

I scored it 7/10. At £1 for a 500ml bottle, I’d happily buy it again.

Full review: https://youtu.be/ApaAuVYxHTE

Anyone else spotted these reduced in Morrisons?

Picked this up in Lidl for just £1.49 and, at 8.4% ABV, I genuinely wasn’t sure what to expect.

Forbel Tripel is brewed in Belgium and uses barley, wheat and oats, which immediately made me think of Tripel Karmeliet. Even the label has that slightly familiar Belgian abbey beer look to it.

Taste-wise, it’s actually pretty decent. Plenty of Belgian yeast character, fruity banana, a bit of spice and a nice warming finish from the alcohol. It doesn’t drink like something that only cost £1.49.

I scored it 7/10. For the money, I think it’s a bit of a bargain.

Full review here if anyone’s interested:

https://youtu.be/Wj8I7XsYqB8

Has anyone else tried this one? And if you have, did it remind you of any of the better-known Belgian Tripels?

I’ve just reviewed the new 3.4% Madrí Excepcional Limón, which I picked up from Tesco for £4.50 with a Clubcard.

I’ll admit upfront that I’ve always had a bit of an issue with Madrí. The whole faux-Spanish heritage and branding has never sat particularly well with me. It feels like a very carefully manufactured Spanish identity for what is, to most UK drinkers, essentially a British-brewed lager brand.

That said, I can’t argue with how successful it’s been. Madrí has become incredibly popular in the UK, and clearly plenty of people really like the stuff.

As for the Limón, I was disappointed.

The lemon absolutely dominates it. For most of the drink I could barely taste the lager underneath, although eventually I started picking up a mild lager character in the background.

Oddly enough, the best thing about it was the lemon itself. Considering how strong the flavour is, it actually tasted surprisingly fresh rather than artificial or like cheap lemon squash.

For me, though, there just wasn’t enough beer left underneath it.

I gave it 5/10.

Full review if anyone fancies watching:

https://youtu.be/9aBblx1C1q0

I’d be interested to know what people think of Madrí generally too. Does the manufactured Spanish image bother you at all, or is it simply a decent mainstream lager with very clever marketing?

Perlenbacher Gold review: £1.11 for a 500ml German lager, but why is it in a plastic bottle?

I picked up a pack of nine 500ml bottles of Perlenbacher Gold from Lidl for £9.99, which works out at only £1.11 per bottle.

The first thing that caught my attention was the PET bottle. I’m used to putting homebrew into plastic bottles, but I can’t remember seeing many commercial beers sold this way in the UK.

The beer itself is a fairly straightforward, malt-led lager. There’s some grainy bread, light honey sweetness and a gentle grassy hop note, with plenty of carbonation and a dry, mildly bitter finish. I did notice a slight metallic edge, but overall it was perfectly drinkable for the price.

It isn’t an especially characterful German lager, but at £1.11 for 500ml, it’s difficult to complain too much.

Have you tried this one, and would a plastic bottle put you off buying a beer?

Full review: https://youtu.be/8G1WGe-r52E

I’m doing a blind Budweiser vs Budvar taste test, mostly because I’ve always assumed Budweiser isn’t really for me… but I’ve never actually reviewed it properly on the channel.

https://youtu.be/5kITCal2xIk

That feels a bit unfair, so I’m taking my own bias out of it.

Same temperature, same glasses, poured blind. I’ll taste them as Beer A and Beer B, pick a winner, then find out which was which.

Part of me thinks Budvar will walk it. Part of me is slightly worried I’ll embarrass myself.

Nah! That was never going to happen 🤣

I went into this expecting a fairly safe, pub-friendly hazy IPA, and that’s pretty much what it is. Soft, easy drinking, a little citrusy, and definitely not trying to blow your head off with hops.

There’s a little piney bitterness in there, which was a nice surprise, but the best bit for me was the aftertaste. Lovely sweet and pithy citrus hanging around at the end, which gave it a bit more interest than I expected.

Still, it doesn’t quite push far enough for me. Pleasant, drinkable, but not one I’d rush back to unless it was the best option on the bar.

I scored it 6.5/10.

Anyone else had this one? Better on cask, keg, or bottle?

Tried Day Maker from Thornbridge, a 4% session IPA that feels very much built for easy drinking rather than blowing your head off with hops.

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I got soft citrus, a bit of gentle tropical fruit, low bitterness and a clean, dry finish. Nothing too wild, but nicely made and exactly the sort of beer you could have a couple of without feeling battered.

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I scored it 7/10. Not a world-beater, but a solid, refreshing session IPA and very drinkable.

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Anyone else tried this one? How did you find it?

This is one of those lagers that doesn't shout for attention but rewards you if you take your time with it.

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I picked up plenty of fresh bread and honey-like malt sweetness upfront, followed by a touch of lemon zest and some gentle herbal hop character. It finishes dry, crisp and slightly peppery, making it very easy to go back for another sip.

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Italian pilsners are an interesting style. They tend to be a little more hop-forward and aromatic than a traditional German pilsner while keeping that clean lager backbone.

I scored it 7/10.

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Have you tried Adagio? What did you make of it?

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#beer #craftbeer #lager #italianpilsner

This was a decent one. Golden in the glass, lightly sweet, softly spicy, with a little honey and gentle fruit coming through. Smooth for 6%, and the dry Belgian yeast finish kept it clean rather than too heavy or sticky.

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Not the most complex Belgian blonde I’ve had, but it was very drinkable and nicely balanced. I scored it 7/10, which feels fair. Solid beer, just not quite one I’d be rushing back for.

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Anyone else tried this one?