Integrated Bottling Solutions Hop & Glory

Branded Drinks / Integrated Bottling Solutions
Formerly brewed at Ventnor
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Coleford, England

Serve in English pint

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Bottled. Hugely flavoursome. Very fruity with an accompanying dark bitterness. Great balance. Yeasty alcohol aroma. An all round great performer. Top drawer. My only problem is who actually brews this. The bottled stuff is put out by Wessex Craft Brewers - now called Integrated Bottling Solutions. Chaz from Hobdens Wessex Brewery has stated that he doesn’t bottle his beer. On this latest issue the label states that Ventnor have brewed this. I shall investigate, but at this stage it appears that somewhere along the line WCB/IBS have acquired this brand for bottling without the cask brewer being fully aware of it.

Another odd one. I sampled a bottle of this last night purchased at the same time as an Archer Sweet FA - both appeared in the offy as new stock at the same time so I suspect (without proof) that this is also brewed by RCH Brewery. Can anyone confirm?? Anyhoo, the two beers were practically identical although Sweet FA had the edge. This one, was a pale fruity ale with a hint of raisin in the flavour. Not bad at all.

Bottle from Sainsburys brought by Sinterklaas. ABV 4%. Copper colour, small off-white head. Aroma is caramel malts, little fruity. Flavour is caramel malts, bit of hops.

Bottle@Cardinal. Slightly past date. Pours hazy, medium golden with a mostly diminishing creamy off-wihte head. Aroma of alcohol, prune, tobacco and molasses. Sweetness is light and bitterness is medium at first, but finishes light with an average duration. Light to medium bodied with a creamy texture and somewhat alcoholic finish. A fine ale. Sad to see this one retire.

50 cl bottle at Cardinal, Stavanger. A bit hazy amber color, fine white head. Aroma is fine hops and malt. Flavor is malty, hints of anis, not very much hops, moderate bitterness. A bit thin body.

500 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brewed for Integrated Bottling Solutions by Ventnor Brewery. ABV is 5.0%. Amber colour, big and lasting head. Moderate aroma, a little fruit, some toffee. The flavour has some malts, toffee and a moderate fruitiness. Acceptable hops in the finish. Not too bad.

4% bottle from mixed case. Yes hazy appearance. I got slightly winey almost smokey peaty whisky taste at times. Not too bad.

Bottle at home ... Slightly hazy amber ... tart fruity hop ... fruity and toffee malts ... a little sweet ... quite juicy ... well balanced.

275ml bottle. well, I’ve no idea who brews this - the label says ’Branded Drinks Partnerships’ but is otherwise identical to the image here - and is 4% abv. Anyway, I enjoyed this - nose of smoky, slightly creamy malt and fruit, pours hazy amber with a small whitish head. flowery hop flavours backed up with juicy malt, light bosy but smooth and the finish lingers, pleasantly bitter. not bad at all.

(Bottle 50 cl) This version by Ash Wine Brewery (Wessex Brewers) in Frome, Somerset. Beautiful, orangey golden hazy beer with a frothy head. Rather light-bodied and somewhat watery. Some vaguely burned - or perhaps rather smoked - notes and a very bitter finish. 110401

Bottle conditioned. Nothing like "straw coloured"; dark amber with a very sparse off-white head. Sweet and malty aroma, with some fruit. Not a nice taste; woody, vinous, malty and almost sour. Poor mouthfeel, flat and lifeless. Crap. Of course, I may not be sampling the real thing, it’s hard to tell with a brewing provenance like this one has.