Shepherd Neame - 1698

Bottle conditioned and thrice-hopped, or so says the Shepherd Neame marketing spiel, what did I expect? I expected more of the same, something to the same or better standard as Whitstable Bay, Late Red or Early Bird. What did I get?

Well, first, I need to tell you a little bit about Shepherd Neame. They are MASSIVE in Kent, just like Fullers are in London, Shepherd Neame are massive here, you can barely walk a hundred yards in any given direction without tripping over a Neame. Each one tends to have Master Brew on tap and then another from their extensive repertoire on top of that, the problem is (and I hate to say this) but a couple of their ales are just a bit bland and lacking in fortitude, even the good ones tend to be versions of the poor ones with one or two features that redeem and then hoist it to the status of 'good beer.'

1698, named for their tercentenary, is a completely different creature. If I were given a blind taste test then I would not say that this was a Shep's.  This proves to me that they know how to make intricate and interesting beer, even if their idea of intricate and interesting is: "BOOM! HOW D'YA LIKE HOPS ALL UP IN YO FACE?!" This 6.6% Strong Ale has the feel and taste of a chocolate stout or heavy porter and the hoppiness of a strong IPA. I rather like it when bottles have tasting guides on the back because I like to feel smug when I disagree. Apparently this is auburn... I'll take their word for that one, I'm downing this bad boy straight out the bottle like some sort of King/Farmer. They say it smells roasted, I say it smells more nutty with hints of hops and poached figs. THEY say it tastes rich, fruity and warming... Well... Ok, they've pretty much got that one down, though I would add that it tastes rather like caramel to boot... Fine, they got it mostly right.

I didn't think I'd like this beer as much as I, in fact, do. My first ever drink was a pint of Oranjeboom in a Shepherd Neame down the road from where I used to live and if they served this at all of them then I would be a much better customer.

Food Suggestion: Caramelised pork belly with a caramelised apple on the side... Caramel!

Drink this if you like: Mackeson's Stout... No, really, that's the closest thing I can think of to this, though this has more than double the alcohol content and doesn't come in a can.