Black Sheep Monty Pythons Holy Grail

Brewed by Black Sheep
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Ripon, England

The Aroma was lightly fruity. Appearance was incredibly thick and cloudy. The head was very thick and cloudy with a amber color. The taste was shockingly light with a light pilsner feel and lots of fizz. At best the beer was very average; reminded me of a Pilsner in fact. Think I’ll stick to the strong Dark Ale and Weisse beer. (NOTE: rated on 11-11.2008)

50cl dark brown bottle, as pictured. Pours a clear amber with medium, soapy off-white head with decent lacing. Malty (but not quite bready) aroma also suggests floral and fruit notes, with hops in the background. Rather nice. Medium carbonation, slightly grainy mouth feel. Medium bodied English ale. Flavor is agreeably fruity and malty, more so than that of the same brewery’s flagship "Black Sheep Ale". Bitter, dry hoppy finish and lingering medium-bitter aftertaste. Because of the hokey name/marketing, I hesitated before I finally ordered some bottles, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Good, sound middle-of-the-road esb, Well balanced fruity, malty and hoppy notes - this would be a highly sessionable beer, and not just during screenings of Monty Python movies.

(bottle - 12 oz) Copper pour with a thin off-white head. Aroma is malty and bready with a lot of malt and some mild hops. Flavor is mild and malty at the beginning with a very mild hop bite at the middle. Lots of bread and caramel malts with a very clean finish.

Bottle. Pours a copper color w/ a white head. Virtually no flavor or taste. Nominal hops and malts. Kind of grainy. Really, bland. Light to medium bodied. Easy on the palate. Definitely lacked character.

Bottle. Copper colored with a small off white head. The smell is malts, floral, dough, bread, and hops. The taste is malts, floral, hops, and some light bitterness.

500ml bottle into pint glass. It pours clear dark orange with a medium off white head that persists. Nose is light toasted malts with an orangey hop presence. Palate is light-medium bodied with a slick texture and low carbonation. Certainly easy to drink. Taste is caramel, brown malts and marmalade with a fruity hop bitterness to the finish. A decent fruity Bitter but not as good as Black Sheep Ale which is this brewery’s signature beer in my opinion.

(bottle poured into pint glass) Pours a dark amber, light copper color with small quickly diminishing head. Smells of flowers with a hint of citrus. Thin drink with lively carbonation finishes slightly dull and bland. I was hoping for some of the flower and citrus to translate but it did not. Interesting choice for name and label, but there are better examples of the style out there.

Bottle. golden color, quite smooth, slighty bitter finish. does not stand out.