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Review centre for beer and wine kits, equipment, commercial beers and homebrewing/winemaking books.
Beer kit reviews Wine kit reviews
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Note that all reviews with (PL) added are completely unsolicited & totally
independent, submitted by me, Peter Laycock. I give MY PERSONAL VIEWS ONLY,
irrespective of the manufacturer. I have included the date of my last review, a
price guide, a “Final quality” rating that completely ignores the price BUT my
“Overall” rating does, as value for money is generally of great importance to
most home brewers/winemakers. Paradoxically, the more expensive kits tend to be
the easier to make as no additional sugar needs to be dissolved in hot water
before mixing in with the kit.
A beer or wines “Final quality” is the hardest rating to appoint as this is very
personal, as a rough guide *** indicates a quality I would expect at the given
price. (SB) denotes reviews by Mr. YoBrew himself, Stephan_B & Tony
Stevens (AS) has submitted reviews for two of the relatively new “Milestone”
kits, thanks Tony.
Underlined text denotes new or amended items.
NOTE:-
All prices etc. have been re-assessed after the recent manufacturers price hike
(around 20% for beer) caused by last years wonderful Summer weather & the myopic
(UK & others) Government’s need to divert grain from food use to bio-fuels.
British Diamalt who make John Bull kits amongst other things, have unfortunately ceased trading, Some of their kits are still available & generally are very good. I’m sad to see them go.
Click to here to see Wine kit reviews
After that horrible thought let's get down to business.
I have been as accurate as I can for my price rating, they include the cost of any added (including priming) sugar etc. and are based on typical December 2007 prices:-
£= 40p or
less, ££ = 41-55p, £££ = 56-70p, ££££ = 71-95p & £££££ = 96p or more per litre
of beer.
Some Typical Beer Drinking Temperatures
Barleydale Bitter (PL 1998)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Big initial head soon died down but lasted for the whole pint, very bitter,
slight "extract" tang, kept well after opening, good yeast, plus its good taste
& aftertaste make it one of the better beers. A very impressive beer, despite
being only 1.5Kg, it is possibly in the same league as the EDME Superbrew Golds
etc. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I bought this beer whilst on my travels in York,
unfortunately the shop closed down (an all too familiar story) before I was able
to purchase any more.
Brewferm Dark Abbey (Donker Abdij) (PL 2004)
Price ££££
Ease of making ***
Final quality *****
Overall *****
Comments:-After drinking 500ml of this Abbey style beer I knew why most Belgian
Monks belonged to silent Orders! A dark Garnet coloured, full-flavoured brew,
with a head that just would not shift! Not a drink for the faint-hearted, brew
it if you dare! EXCELLENT.
Brewferm Diablo (PL 2008)
Price ££££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ***
Comments:- Much darker in colour than shewn
on the label picture - mid teens rather than <10EBC. Massive head, very modest
condition, not much aroma but lots of taste (herby). I have often seen this beer
quoted as a Duvel clone but unfortunately my findings do not support this.
Brewferm Framboos (PL 2007)
Price £££££
Ease of making ***
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:-A very good condition with a nice reddy-brown colour, a strong
raspberry aroma and (dry) taste. This must be one of the most expensive kits
made, very unusual, very different & it helps if you like raspberries! VERY
INTERESTING.
Brewferm Kriek (PL 2008)
Price
£££££
Ease of
making ***
Final
quality ****
Overall
***
Comments:-
In fairness I must state that I have never tried a Kriek before, consequently I
have no “reference point” or pre-conceptions.
From the reviewing point of view this is the worst beer I’ve had, from the
drinking point of view it is very good.
My first observation was that the beer was
NOT RED, unlike the picture on the label, but around 15EBC with a slight
orangey-red-coppery tinge. The initial head was good & never quite disappeared,
leaving some lacing, condition was modest. No cherries were really evident to me
in the slightly dry & acidic taste but cherry stones were hinted at in the long
finish I was surprised at the complexity in a beer of only 5.5% ABV. I expected
a cherry version of the excellent full-flavoured “Framboos”, consequently I was
quite disappointed, not a bad beer by any means but it tasted as if the cherries
had been omitted & so I felt the price slightly unjustified. This beer really
needs well over 3 months in the bottle before sampling.
Brewferm Pils (20l Option, PL 2005-8)
Price ££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall *****
Comments:-This kit allows the brewer 2 options, add sugar to make a 20l kit or
make 12l using no sugar (apart from priming ). The 20l option was made,
resulting in a lager with an excellent pure white head and a decent condition
with the colour similar to the label picture
(around 10EBC) looking very much.
This is probably the best lager kit I've ever made. If I were to make any
negative comments then the beer is slightly hazy & the yeast deposit in my
bottles was a little un-stable, but it would be churlish of me to do so, if
fact, the loose sediment adds a little wheat beer flavour to the last pourings
from the bottle. EXCELLENT.
A good pure-white head, modest condition, colour similar to the picture (around 10EBC) with a slight haze. The aroma was slight & the taste gentle & un-demanding, a touch of acidity that increased as the last part of the bottle was added to the glass, caused by the addition of the slightly loose yeast. Note:- This is NOT a bad thing
Brewferm Pils (12l Option, PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-After making the 20l option I really had to try the 12l alternative
(purely for scientific interest), As expected, darker, fuller & more complex
than the 20l kit and slightly easier to make owing to the smaller volume and no
additional fermentation sugar. On a personal basis I prefer the former (comment,
not a criticism). Yeast a bit loose. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Brewferm Tarwebier (White Beer, PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall *****
Comments:-Very good looking, excellent head/condition, nice golden colour around
10EBC & star-bright (when yeast not swirled in). Not all that impressed, but
then my favourite wheat beers are Franziskaner Weissbier Hefe-Weissbeir &
Hoegaarden Witbier! Still it is a very good kit to try & gave a feeling of
well-being!
Brewferm Triple (PL 2005)
Price ££££
Ease of making ***
Final quality *****
Overall *****
Comments:-
At 2 month it had a poor head & condition, around 15EBC with a malty taste with
some oakiness & herbs, I personally prefer hoppier beers but the wife loved it.
At 3 months it had noticeably improved and continued to do so for quite a while
(Brewferm recommend a minimum of 6-8 weeks maturation for all their kits rather
than the usual week or two quoted by some!). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Brewmaker Dry Irish Stout (PL 1999)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
An excellent brew, although the head was not too good, yeast good and solid in
the bottle. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Brewmaker Irish Velvet Dry Stout (PL 2003)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:- The initial head did not last very long, condition not too bad, this beer tasted a little too bland for me. Time improved my beer quite significantly and a not unpleasant "Cola" taste developed.
NOTE That
Brewmaker kits supply yeast nutrient and finings, I do not use these as they are
superfluous (the kits clear beautifully in a few days), consequently I would
like them omitted and any savings re-invested to improve the quality/quantity of
the extract.
Brewmaker Pilsner Lager (PL 2003)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
Colour about 10 EBC, darker than shewn on label. Good initial head did not last
long, condition O.K. Not unpleasant but more like a bland beer than a Lager.
Brewmaker Victorian Bitter (PL 2003)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
The supplied yeast nutrient & finings were not used (or needed - star-bright
after 8 days rest). After a month it had a poor head, decent condition but was
much darker than in the picture on the label. Tasted a bit malty but not too
good. Much improved after another month (apart from the head). This beer did not
seem nearly as good as in my previous brews but it was started the day before a
phenomenal heat wave, this may have had an adverse effect, but it did improve
vastly with time & is thus
Cooper’s Real Ale (PL)
Ease of
making ***
Final
quality **
Overall **
Comments:-
“Classic” top fermentation brewing for 2 days, then like bottom fermentation.
Star-bright after “resting”. Note that Cooper’s mention the effect of priming
sugar on a finished beer & shew how to calculate this effect, as far as I know,
no other kit manufacturer bothers to give such valuable information. A nice
coloured beer, twice as dark as the label shews &, unfortunately, as flat as a
proverbial, with little condition. Being a tight-fisted Yorkshire man I had to
drink the stuff and at 5.3%
Edme Microbrewery Series Wheat Beer (PL 2005)
Price ££
Ease of making ** (See below)
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:- I've come across spelling errors before on Edme labels but the information on the label and the included instructions were pure fiction! A 13.5l kit said the label, add 1Kg sugar & make 23l suggested the leaflet, the information printed in the Technical Data panel agreed with neither. The "Comprehensive brewing instructions enclosed were risible. A quick response from Edme to my e-mail enquiry answered some of my questions but a further e-mail remained un-answered. In the end I decided to brew 23l whilst keeping my fingers crossed.
The
resulting brew had a massive head, lots of condition and a colour similar to the
picture on the label. The taste was slightly disappointing as I expected a
"cleaner" taste and a little more wheat flavour although not too bad for the
price it was let down by exceedingly poor instructions/information.
Edme Superbrew Gold Bitter (PL 2002)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:- Poor head, good condition, colour slightly darker than on the label. Not unpleasant or anything special but has a tang to it, improved up to 2-3 months, RECOMMENDED although I personally prefer the Yorkshire Bitter.
NOTE That
EDME and MUNTON’S both give a typical analysis of their beers on the labels, a
practice which must be applauded.
Edme Superbrew Gold Irish Stout (PL 2004)
Price £££ (see below)
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Pleasant enough, style similar to Murphy's. RECOMMENDED.
Edme Superbrew Gold Irish Stout (PL 2005)
Price - no ratings given, see below.
Ease of making - no ratings given, see below.
Final quality - no ratings given, see below.
Overall - no ratings given, see below.
Comments:-
As this was not made to the manufacturer instructions it would be unfair to give
it my normal ratings. Edme include alternative instructions for a 13.8l version
using no sugar, I decided to make 18l, reducing the recommended 1Kg sugar
(23L)to 350g & adding 500g Spraymalt to get around 42 EBUs, similar to the "old"
Guinness, with the priming sugar an effective O.G. of about 1040.4 was
calculated. After the initial shock this was a very full-bodied & full-flavoured
(roasted malt & hops) beer, acrid bitterness with a perfumey hint (like the
"old" Guinness). V.G. long-lasting head & condition, quite clingy & a very
smooth texture & a long finish. VERY ENJOYABLE
For a
comparison between an ordinary kit & one modified with Spraymalt see John Bull
Best Bitter.
Edme Superbrew Gold Weizen Lager Wheat Beer (PL 2003)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
A big initial head quite well maintained by the very good condition, a golden
corn colour (Lucozadey - orangey) around 15EBC. Very pleasant but not a lot of
wheat, some bubblegum, slight clinging & a solid yeast (for a Weizen?). After 2+
months this beer developed that little bit extra quality that sometimes comes
with maturity. RECOMMENDED.
Edme Superbrew Gold Yorkshire Bitter (PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
A true "Quatermass" head during pleasant smelling fermentation! Good head &
condition, a nice lightish colour, similar to that on the label. A very
acceptable taste even after only a short maturation period (despite a slight
"tang" which disappeared with time). Yeast (very little) was quite stable.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Edme Superbrew Gold Yorkshire Bitter (Modified, PL 2006)
Price - no ratings given, see below.
Ease of making - no ratings given, see below.
Final quality - no ratings given, see below.
Overall - no ratings given, see below.
Comments:-
As this was not made to the manufacturer instructions it would be unfair to give
it my normal ratings. After the modified Irish Stout I decided to repeat the
experiment by reducing this kit to 20l, giving the final beer 4.5% (with priming
sugar), around 24EBC & 26EBU (all calc.). Excellent long-lasting head with lots
of clinging, very good condition & colour as expected with plenty of hop-bite &
was very dry whilst young but developed in to an excellent beer after some 2
months maturation. My only criticism was the slightly harshness of the hops, but
this is not a problem when previously made to the manufacturers instructions &
it could be exasperated by our hard water. A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.
Geordie Mild (PL 2002)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Very clear, 100+ EBC, big initial head soon disappeared but good condition. Not
a great deal of taste but went down very well! Kept well after opening & a good
yeast. RECOMMENDED.
Geordie Lager (PL 2002)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Reasonable TOP fermentation, no problems, quite solid sediment left. Head O.K.,
lots of bubbles rising. Colour, a little darker than on the label, around 10EBC.
Yeast a bit loose, keeps O.K. after opening. Improved noticeably within a short
maturation period. Not really like a lager to me but still very drinkable. Not
the best or worst lager I've tried (kit or bought!), still RECOMMENDED.
John Bull Best Bitter (PL 2004)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Quite clear, around 20EBC, poor head, good condition & good yeast performance
(especially for the price). This was quite thin & lacked taste, otherwise NOT
UNPLEASANT. Improved somewhat after 4 months.
John Bull Best Bitter (Modified) (PL 2004)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
Made with 500g Spraymalt & 350g sugar rather than the quoted 1Kg sugar resulted
in a much smoother drink, otherwise very similar to the "normal" kit. Note the
F.G. was 4° higher for the same O.G.
John Bull Best Bitter (Modified) (PL 2006)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
20l rather than the quoted 23l were made & only 500g sugar rather than the
quoted 1K. A massive, long lasting head with good condition & some clinging to
the side of the glass. The dry, harsh bitterness disappeared slightly with time.
John Bull Brown Ale (PL 2004)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-Classic fermentation. Big initial head was short lived but there were
lots of bubbles rising, around 100EBC or more. A touch of sourness, otherwise
not a lot of taste. NO PROBLEMS WITH DRINKING IT.
John Bull Wheat Beer (PL 2002)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
A "classic" fermentation. MASSIVE head, very slow to reduce, very good
condition. Colour (similar to colour on label) estimated around 20EBC. Does not
taste too much like a wheat beer to me, but I have not tried too many. Some
sourness & astringency, very slight clinging to the glass, keeps very well in
the bottle after opening & yeast O.K. (note it is a wheat beer). A bit different
& NOT UNPLEASANT.
John
Bull MasterClass Bavarian Lager (PL 2007)
Price
£££
Ease of
making *** (See Export Pilsner comments)
Final
quality ****
Overall
***
Comments:- For some reason this lager
was reluctant to clear & consequently had quite a lot of slightly unstable yeast
in the bottles, otherwise there was nothing much wrong with the result –
massive, long lasting head, good condition, colour as quoted etc., my only
problem was that at 36-44 UBUs, this was slightly too bitter for my personal
taste.
John Bull MasterClass Export Pilsner (PL 2004, 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making *** (See comments)
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Slightly cheaper than most 3Kg kits, the only problem I had making this kit was
with the size of the tin! Nice light colour around the 10EBC mark but some
haziness & slightly unstable yeast. It had a massive long-lasting "stiff" head &
excellent condition. Very pleasant to drink, deserves the name "MASTERCLASS".
2008 Update:- I made a second batch at around the same time as the Irish Stout
below but with a final gravity of around 1008 it was about 6° below that of the
stout. As both kits use the same yeast (Stout & Pilsner!), the only way to
explain this is if the Pilsner kit contained about 2Kg of malt extract & 1Kg
sugar. Knowing that the kit is sold as “all malt”, I asked John Bull if they
could explain this phenomenon BUT THEY COULD NOT EVEN BOTHER TO REPLY to my
e-mail. I still enjoyed this drink very much but the “Overall” rating may have
to be reduced if we, the trusting consumers, are being ripped off. Perhaps this
review may prompt John Bull to respond.
John
Bull MasterClass Irish Stout (PL 2008)
Price
£££
Ease of making *** (See Export Pilsner comments)
Final
quality ****
Overall
****
Comments:- Very dark colour, decent, long-lasting head with some clinging to the
glass. The taste was of roasted malts with some liquorice with quite a long
finish, but I would have liked a bit more hop flavour.
Milestone Black Pearl (AS 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making *****
Final quality *****
Overall *****
Comments:- If you like Irish stout then this is for you. It says ' Authentic
Irish Stout ' on the box and it is exactly that. This stuff is like nectar, easy
to brew, and tasted wonderful even just after 3 weeks in the barrel. I put some
of the brew into 4 bottles yet to be tried. Like the Crusader this is also a NO
sugar Brew with 2 cans to 3Kg and I cannot fault it at all. The guy in the brew
shop said one of his other customers had said it was the best stout he had ever
tasted and I totally agree with him. This kit is not a watery tasteless brew
like some I have tried it is a full flavour real Irish stout. BRILLIANT, HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED - THE BEST STOUT I HAVE EVER BREWED.
Milestone Crusader (AS 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making *****
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:- I came across these fairly new kits during a recent visit to my
excellent local brew shop. I am normally a Woodforde’s Kit brewer and didn't
think I would come across a kit that would equal these, until now. This brew is
a typical Belgium style beer with a generally different taste to normal kits
that are available. My son is a definite lager drinker and finds this brew to
his taste especially when served cold. The initial taste is rather citrus and
flowery but then you get a definite bitter hoppy after taste. I am not a Belgium
style beer drinker normally but found this brew to be very moreish. The start of
fermentation is not typical of today’s beer kits in that there was no froth
during fermentation which makes me think it’s lager yeast. This beer is easy to
make, clears quickly and was great after 4 weeks. There was plenty of life to
the beer with a long lasting head. Like Woodforde’s this is a no Sugar kit with
2 cans to 3Kg.
This kit is great value and is a couple of quid less than Woodforde’s - Check it out, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Milestone Crusader (PL 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ***
Comments:-
I couldn’t find the %ABV quoted anywhere on the box, the instructions were good
but somewhat “Americanized” & printed on two single-sided A4 sheets which I
thought wasteful but it leaves plenty of space for brewing & tasting notes. The
Gervin Nottingham yeast was quite amazing, it easily filled the top 70mm of my
fermenter, lots do, but this one actually lifted the lid by 20mm or so before I
skimmed it off. A thick (15mm) solid sludge was left behind. Rested for 3 days,
leaving 5mm of solid sludge. At 6 weeks old it had a very good head & initial
condition with a colour in the low teens with a slight haze & a lot of very
loose sediment in the bottle. Quite a subdued, undemanding taste with just a
touch of malt coming through, very pleasant & easy drinking, the creamy head
matched the taste. It is not the best in the world but with no real faults it
can beat most pub beers.
Munton's Connoisseurs IPA Bitter (PL 2002)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:- Very clear, 30 EBC, poor head but good condition. What taste there is slightly malty, grainy dry & astringent. Kept well after opening & had a good yeast. RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS - I consider it to be a little too pricey for the quality.
NOTE That
MUNTON’S and EDME both give a typical analysis of their beers on the labels, a
practice which must be applauded.
Munton's Connoisseurs Pilsner (PL 2002)
Price ££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
Good initial head, colour darker than on the label, a chill haze (for a
PILSNER?), some clinging to the glass, quite a weak but not unpleasant taste,
yeast a bit "swirley". Much improved all round after 2 months or so, head
retention not too bad, but did not really taste like a Pilsner. Despite the
rather negative comments this was rather nice to drink, RECOMMENDED although a
little pricey.
Munton's Gold Old English Bitter (PL 1999)
Price £££££
Ease of making *
Final quality *
Overall *
Comments:- Very slow yeast. It was about 36hrs before any noticeable (vile smelling) action occurred. Virtually no head/condition, after 2 months it smelled & tasted like burnt plastic. THROWN AWAY!
In all
fairness the problems may well have been caused by me but I do not fancy
re-trying this expensive kit.
Munton's Premium Gold Smugglers Ale (WD 2010)
Price £££££
Overall *****
Lager Tom Caxton kit. (SB 2000)
This had a "Hop enhancement system" which allows you to vary the bitterness of the brew.
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments.
We left this over a month to mature and added 1/3 hop enhanced. Some found this
a cross between larger and beer but definitely a fine brew.
Tom Caxton Lager (PL 1998)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
Does not taste much like a Lager, more like a beer. Slightly hazy & the yeast
was a bit unstable. Not really to my taste, but otherwise O.K.
UNICAN Bitter, UNICAN Lager (SB 2000)
Very cost effective (Approx 5% alcohol)
The end result was a pleasant bitter which we drank after a month of maturing.
Ease of making ***
Final
quality ****
WOODFORDE'S NOTE (PL)
Ease of
making ****
Final
quality *****
Overall
****
Basically
a “normal” Woodforde’s kit with a sachet of (Challenger) hop powder. If you like
hoppy beers then this probably one for you! With a superb (tight-bubbled) head &
condition it stuck to the glass sides quite well. It was very drinkable, albeit
slightly harsh in the hop department, after only a month and improved with age.
EXCELLENT.
Woodforde's Great Eastern Ale (PL 2005)
Price ££££
Ease of making ****
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:-
After my last, slightly disappointing kit, this beer was back on top form. After
just a month it had a modest head which did not disappear altogether, slight
clinging to the glass but this kit needs more time to reach its best. It had a
fair condition, colour less than 20 EBC and a smooth and gentle taste with some
butterscotch, barley sugar and marmalade. Yeast in the bottle is exceptionally
stable, especially when compared to my previous Woodforde's beers, on that
score, this is probably the best yeast I've ever used (note that I always "rack
& "rest" my beers for about a week before bottling). After 2 months it had a
good tight-bubbled head like the old (proper) Guinness. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -
Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge (PL 2006)
Price ££££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:- I'm sure my previous kit tasted much better than this, checking my records, I found that the subtly of taste and aroma has been replaced with harsh bitterness. Unfortunately I've occasionally noticed this before with Woodforde's and some other kits; surely we should expect more consistency than this.
Woodforde's Norfolk Wherry (PL 2005)
Price ££££
Ease of making ****
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:- Again, after my last, slightly disappointing kit, this beer was back on top form. Although suffering from a chill haze it is completely clear when drunk at slightly below room temperature (optimum). A new yeast seems to have been used as the sediment in the bottle was a lot more stable than for previous brews. EXCELLENT!
I produced
another batch soon after but used EDME SuperBrew Gold yeast (don't ask why!). I
have never seen a yeast like this before, the "usual" tendrils were only about
6mm across and there were literally hundreds of them, the beer in the fermenter
cleared exceptionally well, very quickly & the remaining sediment can be best
described as being like a solid lump of clay. As usual the beer was EXCELLENT
with a slightly different taste from the Woodforde yeast version.
York Brewery Yorkshire Terrier (PL 2006)
Price ££££
Ease of making **
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:-
An unusual kit to me, as it contained 1.8K liquid malt & 1K Spraymalt plus 50g
hop pellets which looked like "Technicolor" mushy peas during the brewing
process. An uneventful fermentation which finished about 6° higher than the
quoted S.G. Decent condition & quite a long lasting head that tended to cling to
the sides of the glass. Quite hazy with a colour possibly twice the quoted 7
EBCs. A full-flavoured beer with a long dry bitter aftertaste. This kit was
fairly difficult to make in comparison to the usual kits & better instructions
would have helped some. Despite my criticisms, which after all is the reviewer's
job, I've drunk many beers (including "real ales") much worse than this in Pubs.
I am now a member of York Brewery Club (I get 5% discount in the bar & 10% off
everything else including kits). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
York Brewery Stonewall (PL 2006)
Price ££££
Ease of making **
Final quality *****
Overall ****
Comments:-
A very similar kit to the Yorkshire Terrier, the only difference being that it
used fewer hop pellets. This is reflected in a slightly grainier, maltier taste,
the hops not as prominent. An ideal stable-mate (kennel-mate?) to the Terrier.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
£= £6-8,
££ = £8-10, £££ = £10-12, ££££ = £12-14 & £££££ = £14+ for 4.5l (6 bottles) wine
Kit.
Some typical wine drinking temperatures (°C).
Beaverdale BAROLO Red (SB 2000 & 2001)
Ease of making ****
Final quality *****
The results of this review meant it was a must for me to try. This I did and was very pleased. I will try the Red Californian next.
This kit
is a genuine single variety grape juice and all you need is in the kit so no
measuring or weighing, just brew it!
Beaverdale Barolo (PL 2006)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality *****
Overall *****
Comments:-
After seeing Stefhan's (Mr. Yobrew) review (see above) and his other comments on
the home page and in the winemaking section, I just could not resist his
recommendation. I found it to be a beautifully deep garnet coloured wine,
star-bright with a decent body. There was a good nose, taste and aftertaste, not
an easy-drinking wine owing to its complexity. I found it went exceptionally
well with Danish Blue cheese and good music (NO, not Robbie & Mad Donna!).
Despite all his enthusiasm, in my opinion, Stefhan slightly under-rated this
wine, PROBABLY THE BEST RED
Beaverdale Californian White (PL 1998)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
Not too bad but improved greatly with age.
Beaverdale Chablis Blush (PL 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Give this wine about 3 months in the bottle for a vast improvement in taste.
Dry, some acid & strawberries. VERY
Beaverdale Chamblaise (PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Well up to the Beaverdale standard but the yeast was unusually a little
unstable.
Beaverdale Chardonnay (PL 2003)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
EXCELLENT, even better after a year!
Beaverdale Chardonnay (SB 2007)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
I have always been please with House of Beaverdale and normally I make red wine
as that's what I like but for summer I though I would make some white. I added
too many Campden tablets. Each time I racked it I added Campden tablets. Then I
noticed and so could anyone that the wine had a distinct sulphur taste. Oops I
thought maybe if I leave it for a few months it will be OK. Six months latter
and it was just fine. It’s as good a white wine as I have tasted but then again
I am not a good judge of white wines. All I can say is that thus far, House of
Beaverdale have never let me down. They do not go silly on price like selections
but they do deliver on quality (Best by far). They also avoid the mistakes of
the lower end of wine kits where they do not seem to care what artificial
additives they use. So for me these guys rock.
Beaverdale Gewürztraminer (PL 2001)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ***
Overall ****-
Comments:-
Very solid yeast deposit. Quite spicy but has a slightly "watered-down" taste.
Improved with time. GOOD.
Beaverdale Merlot (PL 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:- Star-bright with nice dark ruby-red colour & decent flavour. WELL WORTH THE MONEY.
Beaverdale Muscadet (PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Previously I said this wine was not my favourite style but had all the right
characteristics and
Beaverdale Sauvignon Blanc (PL 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:- After three months in the bottle it was not too bad but seemed a bit
“lacking”. Improved greatly with age –very good flavour, taste & finish.
EXCELLENT.
Beaverdale White Bougeron (PL 2008)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:- Star-bright, darkish straw
colour with citrus & melon in the taste. EXCELLENT.
Beaverdale White Burgundy (PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
This really is one of my favourite kits, EXCELLENT.
Brewmaker Basic white (Sweet) (SB 2001)
This was very cost effective.
Ease of making ***
Final quality **
Overall ***
Note the
quality was not as good as it could be due to oxidization which is really down
to the brewer. When served very cold this was fine.
California
Connoisseurs Chianti (PL 2007)
Price £££
Ease of
making ***
Final
quality ***
Overall **
Comments:-
Lovely clear, deep garnet colour & a slight bouquet, initially there was very
little taste & virtually no finish but the wine did improve quite a lot with
age.
California Connoisseurs Gewürztraminer (PL 2007)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
A beautifully coloured & very clear wine, there was nothing at all bad about
this wine but, to me, it was slightly let down by a somewhat bland taste for
this style.
California Connoisseurs Liebfraumilch (PL 2006)
Price £££
Ease of making ** (See comments)
Final quality **
Overall **
Comments:-. A Canadian kit that uses Llalamand Lalvin Champagne yeast that was
foam-free & working after an hour! The comprehensive instructions came in the
form of a record sheet complete with gravity “targets”, this would be ideal for
a novice if the process were a little simpler, the dried elderflowers were also
a bit of a problem. Unfortunately the finished product tasted like a slightly
overpowering cheap elderflower wine. VERY DISAPPOINTING. At this point I must
state that I do not like Liebfraumilch at the best of times.
California Connoisseurs Pinot Blanc (PL 2005)
Price £££
Ease of making *** (See Liebfraumilch above)
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
This kit just oozed quality, from the "named" yeast (rather than the usual
non-descript packages provided), the instructions and the 6 bottle labels
supplied. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Condessa Cherry Brandy (PL 2003)
Price £££££
Ease of making *
Final quality ****
Overall ***
Comments:-This is NOT a kit for the novice with just the basic equipment as it
needs a reasonably accurate thermometer, it is also quite time consuming.
Condessa seem to have simplified their process slightly & the instructions a
little clearer. Unfortunately I started at the beginning of a phenomenal heat
wave and these kits do not like the heat! I received excellent help from
Condessa on their help line and a "very fast" yeast re-starter through the post.
Condessa Vodka (PL 1998)
Price £££££
Ease of making *
Final quality ???
Overall ???
Comments:-
Again, NOT a kit for the novice with just the basic equipment, it is also quite
time consuming. I had a slight problem with the making (my fault - I failed to
see a finer point of the instructions) but I received excellent help from
Condessa on their help line. It is impossible for me to rate this product but I
had a willing Guinea Pig (the wife) on hand. Unfortunately she does not drink
Vodka neat, hence the question marks in the ratings, but rated it as a very good
mixer.
Grande Maison Reserve Chablis (PL 2004)
Price ££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ***
Overall *
Comments:-
A 1.4Kg kit containing lots of sugars (hence no added sugar required) and
assorted chemicals, it even had a sachet of flavouring! I would expect this in a
very cheap kit or a high alcohol kit but not in a wine at this price! It looked
and tasted like an apricot wine. The wine did improve significantly in a short
time but I still found it VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Grande Maison Chardonnay (Single Grape) (PL 2002)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
A dark straw colour, full flavour, butter, butterscotch, green apples, long
citrus finish, astringent with some acid. EXCELLENT. It appears these kits may
no longer available but the inferior (in my opinion) “Reserve” kits are.
Grande Maison Pinot Noir (Single Grape) (PL 2003)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Tried after just 2 months in the bottle. Very dark & clear ruby red. Raspberry,
strawberry, jam & violets in the mouth with a long finish. A good body with a
slight alcohol taste, dry & quite astringent. After a further 2 months it had
more flavour, the violets being more prominent. Decent raspberry & violet nose.
EXCELLENT. It appears these kits may no longer available but the inferior (in my
opinion) “Reserve” kits are.
Grande Maison Sauvignon Blanc (Single Grape) (PL 2004)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
The fermentation was frighteningly slow in starting (36hrs). Apricot in colour
with legs & lots of flavour - apricot/citrus/melon/honey. Some "sweetness" in
the finish. EXCELLENT. It appears these kits may no longer available but the
inferior (in my opinion) “Reserve” kits are.
Grande
Maison Reserve Barolo (SB 2007)
Price £££
Ease of making ****
Final quality **
Overall ***
Comments:-
Quite drinkable but not a touch on the real thing. I must confess I did not add
the Barolo flavouring sachet as I am a bit against adding too many chemical
flavours to make an imitation of a wine. So I guess if I had added the
flavouring it would be better. But should we be calling it Barolo on one hand
and simply taking a sweet inferior grape juice and adding artificial flavours.
For me the pack price is not low enough to justify this.
Grande
Maison Cabernet Sauvignon (SB 2007)
Price £££
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ***
Comments:-
Nice easy to follow steps. No sign of artificial additives. Made with 100%
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The result was rather pleasing.
Selections Premium wine kit (Barolo) (SB 2007)
Price £££££ (Expensive)
Ease of making ***
Final quality **
Overall *
Comments:-
What a disappointment. I am not happy with the whole selections idea. I can buy
a bottle of OK red wine from Nettos for £2.10, this includes wine tax, the wine
ready made and aged in a professional winery, it also includes the bottle
labels and a cork. And I can just buy one bottle at a time. So if you sell bulk
unfermented grape juice it should be significantly cheaper. Yet a selections kit
of grape juice to make 30 bottles costs around £1.80 a bottle. Gee at these
prices the juice better be from the best vineyard in Italy, but there is no sign
that it’s from Italy so how do they get to call it Barolo. On top of this as a
home brewer you will have the odd error leading to a poor taste and that is what
I got with this one. Probably my mistake but I was very careful and I racked it
as instructed and left to age for a year. That the risk of doing a 30 bottle
kits. It is better to do a one gallon kit. Smaller kits (6 bottles) allows you
to build up a better variety of wine and a mistake only affects 6 bottles.
I have not given up on Selection. I have 30 bottles of Du roi on the go. See how
that works out.
Solvino Chardonnay Style (PL 2004)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
A 1Kg kit with no yeast or any additives apart from the preservative. Made with
Grande Maison Chablis yeast as none was supplied (on a personal basis I prefer
yeast to be supplied, although others would wish to choose their own, possibly
giving a better quality wine). A slightly dark gold colour, star-bright with
"legs". The flavour was stronger and fuller than I would have expected at this
price. A
Solvino Italian Classic Red (PL 1999)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ***
Overall ****
Comments:-
A Boot's yeast used (none is supplied with the kit) produced a quite violent
initial fermentation. Dry, lightish body & quite smooth. Not too bad but not a
"classic", drinking 1 bottle seemed to give me a headache the following morning.
Solvino Italian Classic White (PL 2005)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality ****
Overall ****
Comments:-
Again, not a "classic" but very good for the price.
Young's Country Definitive Black Cherry (PL 2006)
Price £
Ease of making ***
Final quality **
Overall **
Comments:-
This is a new kit to me and it used twice the sugar I would have expected for a
kit of this type, especially when considering that the kit contained glucose and
glucose-fructose syrups. The lovely dark ruby coloured wine had a hint of
"chemicals" in the bouquet, taste & after-taste. It had been matured in bulk for
4 months but bottled only 2 weeks earlier, hopefully it will improve with age.
The wine tasted drier than I expected for a F.G. of around 1004 (not a problem
as I prefer dry wines & this figure is well within the range quoted in the
instructions). DEFINITIVELY NOT RECOMMENDED.
Young's Definitive Chardonnay Style (PL 2006)
Price £
Ease of making **
Final quality **
Overall **
Comments:-
Very poor yeast, would not work for 3.5l, had to top up to 4.5l ! Took almost 2
month to ferment! (I may have had a duff yeast, it does happen occasionally.)
Again I thought I was paying too much for a lot of sugar! The results were much
better than expected, a beautifully star-bright wine with a light lemon colour
and a very strong flavour that was possibly too powerful and had a hint of
“chemicals”. DEFINITIVELY NOT RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to our reviewers for their time and effort.
Note: The method of reviewing used here is not intended to be scientific instead it is fellow home brewer’s write-ups on their own kits. Therefore these reviews should not be taken as fact, but simply a record of the writer's observations of their own kits.
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