X70 - Qvänum McBrian Ale (Sweden)

This was my first beer from this relatively new brewery in Sweden. The nose is deep and malty with notes of medium dark bread, sweet/sour cherries, muscovado sugar and orange peel. Very good. A lovely acidity in the nose. Very fresh.

The taste is deep, concentrated and full of interesting notes of blood grape juice, licorice, sweet hay/grass and dark fudge. A very nice structure. Very, very good.

90p   (tasted from bottle - 2011/05)

No 116 - Taybeh Golden (Palestine)

The nose is a little shy at first, just offers some aromas of dry hay, soap and some rubbery notes. It becomes sweeter when it warms up, and the rubbery note doesn´t air off. Some yellow fruit. That rubber aroma is a turn-off for me.

The taste is light, a little spicy and dry with metal aromas instead of rubber...! Dry spices and a bitterness that makes it too dry in the finish. This is in my opinion unbalanced. Definitely not my cup of tea.

67p   (tasted from bottle - 2011/05)