Summer bliss in a bottle (Badger Golden Champion Ale)

Member Name: The Operator

Product:	Badger Golden Champion Ale
Date:	12/05/02 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Do I have to?

Disadvantages: See above

Beer is one of life's essentials. Well it is to me anyway; along with shepherd's pie, tea and spring and summertime in the countryside. Have you noticed how wondrous the blossom has been this year? My part of Kent has been positively enriched by some beautiful cherries amongst others of late which looks like it could be marvellous summer. Think long summer evenings sitting outside enjoying good company and just watching the sun slide below the horizon, the scents of the twighlight wafting around you, those final golden rays given extra magificence reflected in the moist sparkle of your lover's eyes...Sorry, I went a bit there, this is a beer op, I do apologise.

English summer days and evenings. If only you could bottle it and literally drink in that essence; those suggestions of a country garden; of fruit and flowers and peace.

Got news for you, eager readers. They have bottled it, down in Dorset at The Badger Brewery in Blandford St. Mary and it's gorgeous. They call it "Badger Golden Champion Ale". Summer in vitro. Bliss in a bottle. It is.

Open a bottle of this and you'll immediately be assailed by a wonderful bouquet of elderflower. I recognised it even before I read the label because I used to have one of these things overlooking my garden when I had one and, although the blackfly and the purple bird lime were a nuisance later in the year, the flowers gave off a lovely scent in the early summer.

Michael Jackson, the renowned beer writer not the curious man-child popster, once commented, " Even a single sip set me thinking of fresh, sunny spring days and a glass of beer with lunch in the garden." And even I have to agree with the hugely irritating Jilly Goolden when she said of it on Food and Drink that "It's like sitting by an open window and in streams the garden.."

I don't know what they put in it, there are no clues on the official Badger Brewery websit
e (www.badgerbrewery.com) as to even the hops used and I do like to supply technical information if I can because some people care about it, so apologies there, hop fans.

What else of it? It comes, in my case, in a chunky brown bottle emblazoned by an eye-catching but rather unattractive, shiny red and gold label with the word "Champion" printed large across the middle. This appellation courtesy of the fact that it won the 1998 Tesco Beer Challenge which must be a very important thing to win in the beer world as it's judged by beer industry peers no less. Open it and pour it out and it even looks like summer as it's a lovely sunny amber colour. You know the smell already so what about the taste? Oh, you'll hate me. Summery.There you go. Well, I'm sorry it's all I can think of. Not at all heavy, it's initially fruity and sweet which then gives way to a slight tannic bitterness. Leave it long enough and the sweetness returns. There is an aftertaste but it is by no means unpleasant, a bit like that left by a sweet cider. But it's that summery feel I can't get over. It'll even go well with a salad, even one of my mum's salads.
At 5% ABV it's a medium strong ale but beware, even 5% will creep up and deal you a nasty belt with the back of its hand if you let this beer's subtle delights tempt you into "just" another one.

It's widely available in supermarkets and good offies anywhere and at around £1.50 if you're lucky like I was, for 500ml it's pretty good value for a premium beer. Serve it chilled, no more than 12 deg C for maximum effect. Now, those eyes...

Summary: