IN THE PUB WITH MADONNA! (Timothy Taylor Landlord)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Timothy Taylor Landlord
Date:	17/07/04 (248 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good when kept well

Disadvantages: Poor when it isn't!

Many moons ago I started drinking Real Ale. The main reason for this was that I wanted a beer that actually tasted of something! I also wanted to know what was in the beer I was drinking and to support the Independent breweries (the bloke on the Real Ale Society stall at Fresher?s week at Uni was pretty hot too). That was back in 1990 and I have sampled a few good and bad beers since then. Many beers (and breweries) have come and gone and some have become classic drinks that you would think have been going forever. One such beer is Timothy Taylor Landlord.

~~~THE BREWERY.

Timothy Taylor started brewing in 1858 in the Yorkshire town of Keighley. In 1863 the brewery expanded to larger premises at the Knowle Spring Brewery ~ they still use the pure Pennine spring water to brew their range of beers. They also try to stick to traditional methods and to maintain their independence as a family run brewery.

Some of the beers you may find from Timothy Taylors include Golden Best (an unusual light coloured Mild at 3.5% ABV), Dark Mild (a traditional dark Mild also at 3.5% ABV) and Ram Tam (a strong, dark winter beer at 4.3% ABV). Timothy Taylor beers (Landlord in particular) are available nationwide and have won awards at beer festivals too. The only bottled beer they produce is Landlord and, although it is a nice drink, it isn?t a patch on the Cask version.

~~~THE BEER.

***Background***

Landlord is a Pale Ale ~ a light coloured beer that is brewed (generally) to a higher gravity (alcohol content) than standard bitters. Landlord has been a former Supreme Champion Beer of Britain on numerous o
ccasions (voted back in 1994/95 and in 1999) and has won many other awards. Most recently it has been in the news because Madonna revealed (on the Jonathon Ross show) that she loved to drink Real Ale and that Landlord was the one she drank the most and considered to be her favourite.

***Vital Statistics***

Landlord weighs in at 4.3% ABV and is brewed using Golden Promise Barley, to produce traditional Pale Ale Malt (Timothy Taylors try to get their Malt from traditional floor Maltings ~ where the malt is laid out on a flat surface to partially germinate and release the sugars required for brewing to begin). Fuggles, Goldings and Styrian Goldings hops are also used in the brewing process to create a distinct and balanced beer.

***Look, Aroma & Texture***

Looks wise, Landlord is a pale amber coloured beer that, when at its best, is clear, bright and golden. There is a small white head that clings a little to the side of the glass. Aroma is hoppy, slightly sweet, citrus and floral. For something so pale, there is quite a strong scent, but not overpowering and mainly as a result of the hop blend. The texture is slightly carbonated, but still quite smooth on the palate.

***Taste***

When served well Landlord is a good and tasty beer. It is predominantly bitter, with a pleasant citrus and fruit element. You can taste the hops and the bitterness increases as the pint goes down. It is refreshing and crisp, leading to a finish that is dry and bitter. The aftertaste is long and also maintains the bitterness that is present throughout, completing the balance. A beer that quenches the thirst!

~~~TANGE?S THOUGHTS.

Landlord is a well balanced beer with a good range of tastes th
at develop as you drink. The only problem with drinking it is that it is quite a difficult beer to keep and is often not at its best. When kept and served in good nick it is a cracking beer, but it can really be mediocre and let down by poor cellar management (Landlord is best if left to settle in the barrel for a good few days before serving ~ some pubs want to get it served straight away and ruin a perfectly good beer). My other gripe is that Landlord has become a victim of its own success ~ it used to be a treat to get a pint and now you go into a pub and think ?Oh, it?s Landlord again!?

We have drunk Landlord in a large number of pubs all over the country. Prices have varied from around £1.80 to £2.50 a pint dependent on which part of the country you are in. I must admit (for the reasons of Landlord overkill I mentioned earlier) it isn?t my first choice at the bar and will normally try something new if I can, but it is a beer I have sampled on a good few occasions.

I would recommend Landlord, but with reservations. You may get a good one and really enjoy it. On the other hand you may get a less matured pint that is just a shadow of what this award winning beer can offer. Landlord is a nice beer to refresh on a hot summer?s day sitting outside the pub?now, that?s the life!

~~~BREWERY DETAILS.

Timothy Taylor & Co. Limited
Knowle Spring Brewery,
Keighley,
West Yorkshire,
BD21 1AW
Tel: 01535 603139
http://www.timothytaylor.co.uk/#

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