Butchered Beer (@Brown_and_Green, Trentham) [By @spectreUK]

The crazy looking ‘John the Butcher’ on the front of the bottle reminds me of my barber, although you wouldn’t call him ‘John the barber’ to his face. Mainly because his name is Mary… okay, no he really is called John. When I first called him a barber over fifteen years ago he gave me a sinister glance through open scissors and tufts of freshly cut dark brown hair (okay, okay… so I was grey then too, even more grey now!). Good old John said to me, and I’ll never forget it; “I am not a barber, I can style women’s hair perfectly well!” and he pointed out his array of ‘hair stylist’ (barber) awards on the wall of his very traditional looking barber shop, before he started even more vigorously snipping at my hair making me more than slightly worried about my ears. Personally through all those years I’ve never seen a woman in his shop, or even one walk passed it. At the end of every cut John delights in producing his cutthroat razor to shave the back of my neck. It never fails to give me a shiver just before a deep breath and I stay as still as I possibly can…

The Wincle Beer Company in Cheshire produced this brown ale. At 4.3% volume this ale was brewed with Carafa Huskless and Crystal malts giving it an initial sweet creaminess on first taste. Lightly hopped with Northdown gives a bitter nutty character to the rich maltiness in the following flavour. I haven’t had the pleasure of drinking a pint of brown ale for quite a while. I usually have a habit of heading straight towards pale ales in the supermarket. This is a traditional flavoursome full-bodied brown ale that reminded me that there are other ales available on the market, and that I shouldn’t get too comfortable with just the one. Food wise John the Butcher would recommend you drink his brown ale, well rather one that he offers you as just taking his would result in you becoming his next victim… anyway a good hearty steak and chips would be wise to have this ale washed down with. And preferably sit at a table with your back against the wall closest the door...

By Spectre