Chris Henley reviews Flavourly.com’s Craft Beer Club subscription service… To read more reviews from Chris, click here.
I’ve got to that stage now where I no longer really purchase generic fizzy lager. We live in a world with so much choice, and within Bristol there are some great independent pubs serving some great independent beers. I now want to have that choice at home whilst sat on my sofa after a hard day at work. Without sounding like an alcoholic, I like a wide range of alcoholic beverages, but have always liked my beers: I love the range of flavours in ales, stouts, lagers, IPAs, porters, stouts and others.
I can’t claim to be a real expert when it comes to beer, but over the years I’ve had one or two and certainly know what I like. I also feel that as someone who does frequently go out and try new things, I was perfectly poised to write a review on a craft beer box from an exciting company called Flavourly.
I immediately like Ryan, the founder, as (like me) he was tired of drinking bland mainstream fizzy beers. I also really liked the personalisation of the welcome pack, using Emily’s name.
Within this same piece of promotional material it also advised me on how to pour craft beer and how to taste like a pro: useful information and a great extra touch.
The comprehensive blurb on the beers in the pack was great, containing key information like the history of each, why it was made and tasting notes. A map of the U.K. showed where the bottles had come from, and a light and dark gradient line highlighted the colour of each beer. Within the promotional bits and bobs were also two coasters. Not necessarily coasters I’d use on a daily basis but thanks to the descriptions of 12 beer types on them, I now know the difference between a Porter, Imperial Stout and a Black IPA.
The box was well-packaged, with plenty of cushioning for the beers, and also included a branded bottle opener, a beer glass and two packets of crisps, along with eight different beers.
The first one I decided to go for was the Black IPA from Stewart Brewing in Scotland which is bottle-conditioned and came in at 5% ABV. It was inevitably dark in colour and had a slight fizz to it. I enjoyed its hoppiness, and the aftertaste had a slight bitter coffee taste to it.
The next one up and on a different day was a Welsh brewery Tiny Rebel’s Urban IPA. This was a 5.5& ABV golden brown coloured IPA, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I liked the Banksy-style branding and cheeky blurb. I found it rather fruity and woody and very refreshing. I could quite easily have a several pints of this lovely beer and it wouldn’t feel too much. Slightly bitter but with a crisp taste within the mouth, this would be the perfect beer in the summer whilst having a BBQ.
I decided to then try the Black Saison by Firebrand. This was partly due to the fact the good lady had put it in the fridge for me but it was certainly one that had caught my attention. Brewed in Launceston in Cornwall with Cornish spring water, this 5% ABV beer was very dark, black I’d say, in colour. Malted wheat and roasted barley were the flavours I was getting, but it also had a hoppy flavour to it which I enjoyed. It was all finished off with a slightly sweet taste. If you like your porters and stouts then you’ll love this one. I certainly want more.
The 5.1% ABV Amber Ale from Fourpure came in a can: an American amber ale from a London brewery which was refreshing, light and fizzy. It had strong barley flavours but there was also a lot of malt there. I enjoyed how refreshing it was, but compared to the others within the pack it lacked the overall taste experience.
I decided to try another Scottish beer next as the first one was so good. The 19th Brew Golden Ale hails from the Eden Mills brewery, situated along the banks of the Eden estuary in Scotland. I found this light golden ale refreshing, not too fizzy and with a slight taste of citrus. It also had a nice hoppy taste which I’m a big fan of. If I wanted to drink a lager then I’d certainly consider this one.
Next up was the Seven Brothers IPA, coming in at 5% ABV . This was slightly bitter in taste and the grapefruit hops most likely aided this. It was a slightly cloudier ale compared to some of the others I have tried, but I enjoyed it. This ale had a citrusy taste, and the initial flavour was similar to that of a white beer. It was initially light in flavour but grew over time. I also liked that you could smell grapefruit and the bitter aftertaste stayed with you for some time after a mouthful.
I left two slightly different beers to the end and was looking forward to these as they seemed different to the norm.
Hiver’s brown honey ale is a dark amber coloured ale, 4.5%ABV and brewed with raw British honey. 10% of profits go to pollinator charities and urban space projects, so a big thumbs up even before the bottle had hit my lips.
As an unpasteurised brown ale it was slightly hoppy with an ever so slight bitter aftertaste. I was expecting an overly sweet ale but that was certainly not the case. Raw blossom and heather honeys added a depth to the overall flavour as well as a lovely honey smell. Flavoursome without it being too sweet at all so I certainly approved of it .
I was now on my last bottle and certainly left the best-named one till the end, in my opinion…
Ticketybrew is a rose wheat beer: 4.5% ABV and brewed by a Manchester husband and wife team. This interesting wheat beer was light in colour slightly cloudy and inevitably smelt of roses or Turkish delight. It was surprisingly refreshing and had a spicy kick with the ginger that was added. The ginger lingered in your mouth for quite a while, and I found this made the whole drinking experience really rather enjoyable. The couple wanted to prove that the hop needn’t be the only product used in brewing, and I feel they’ve made a great beer here. Quite a fun spicy beer and not overly sweet as the smell may make you think it is.
So would I sign up to a beer membership with Flavourly? The easy answer is yes. I loved the range of different beers that I had never heard of and if you rate the beers online, the Flavourly team will learn more about the beers you like and send you the ones they feel you would enjoy the most. Priced at £24 per month for 8 craft beers and two snacks, it’s pretty good value for money.
If you’re thinking about trying Flavourly, use discount code BITES12, and you’ll receive £12 off your first craft beer box – perfect either for yourself or as a Christmas gift! Visit www.flavourly.com to subscribe.
Please note: this box was received free of charge, but in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the company did not see this review before it was put up on the site.