Black Sheep, brewed by the eponymous brewery, used to be one of my favourite ales. However, recently I have had a few bad pints of this stuff from a couple of different pubs. I thought it was about time I bought myself another bottle to see if it’s the fault of the beer or if it was just that it wasn’t being kept properly in the pubs. It’s 4.4% ABV.
I am happy to say that Black Sheep from a bottle is still a lovely drink. It’s sharp and dry and it smells like a medieval tavern. Well, a romanticised tavern without all the body odour and animal shit. Drinking this beer makes me think of Robin Hood, roaring fires, Lindisfarne and Anglo-Saxons.
It’s one of those few beers that manages to blend the malt and the hops in just the way that I like it. It has a crisp bitterness but without the astringent bite that disappoints me in so many other beers. The flavour isn’t complex but it’s strong and hearty and makes me wish I was sitting around a fire with my friends.
So, still one of my top beers, it’s just a shame that the one pub I frequent that serves it on tap doesn’t seem to keep it properly. Or maybe Black Sheep from a cask just isn’t as good as from a bottle. Beers can be weird like that.
Incidentally, the Black Sheep Brewery is run by one of the Theakstons, so it ought to be good.
