Brains - The Rev. James

As far as I'm aware there are only a handful of Welsh beers readily available on the market here in England, which is odd considering the relative proximity, even when compared to somewhere like Scotland, Wales just seems a lot closer. One of the other ones is Brains SA... Which is just their full corporate name a bit backwards. I remember liking Brains SA and I had wondered to myself whether they had much else to offer and now, completely by accident, I happen to have a pint of Rev. James in front of me.

First impressions are that it pours well with a thick head of thin froth that dissipates quickly but leaves 2mm to remind you you're still drink something that's got a bit of life to it. The main site blurb describes Brains as the Welsh version of Guinness, a national institution, well I don't think much of our national beer so I hope Brains know what they're talking about. The aroma is definitely warming with hints of nutmeg and vanilla, which is definitely an interesting opening gambit. The taste is a smooth raisin-sweet concoction that reminds me heavily of sweet and nutty fruit cakes with crusted, sugary, icing. It doesn't have a massive flavour as such but what flavour it does have is, at least, interesting and, in line with what the bottle says, is rarely seen in ale these days.

It's easy to say that you like something but it's hard to really quantify it without resorting to a numerical system, so in the interests of retaining some semblance of intellectual and creative integrity I will rate this beer by saying I like it THIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much *stretches arms out a little but not too much, I don't want to pop a joint or anything.*

Food Suggestion: The bottle says something hearty, I say cake, I say fruit cake. It already tastes a bit like fruit cake, why not double it up like a badass?

Drink this if you like: Hobgoblin is pretty close, as is Theakstons and Black Sheep. Interesting beers with interesting flavours that are nice to drink, especially when you're on a bit of a budget.