Best of British Beer, September
Main Website | Gluten Free Box
Cost: £30.45 (£24.50 + £5.95 Delivery)
Contents & Value…
Monty’s Brewery - Galaeth [500ml Bottle] - £3.08 // £37.00 Case of 12
Best of British Beer - Easy Tiger [440ml Can] - Not Sold Individually
Rudgate - Ragnar [500ml Bottle] - £3.23 // £38.80 Case of 12
Teme Valley - Wotever Next? [500ml Bottle] - £2.83 // £34.00 Case of 12
Glamorgan - Welsh Lager [440ml Can] - £1.95
Williams Bros. - Joker IPA [500ml Bottle] - £2.00
Total Value: £13.09 (+ value of Easy Tiger)
Initial Thoughts…
When I unboxed these beers I was excited by what was in there especially seeing a Joker IPA which I know is a great drink, however after pricing up the individual bottles I was left feeling rather shocked. Even deducting the high delivery cost of £5.95 it looks like I’m paying an extra £11.41.
“A refreshing 4.0% golden ale full of tropical fruit aromas, including passion fruit and pineapple from the skilful blend of Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops. It has a bitter finish, golden in colour, it’s a great hoppy gluten-free beer, one that transports you to those warm summer nights.”
Aroma: Biscuity and floral.
Taste: Hoppy with a touch of bitterness to it. A slight nuttiness in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Velvety and smooth.
My Notes: The taste lingers a bit in your mouth. I drank this straight from the fridge and feel it would have been better letting it come up to room temperature.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Min: Much better than the last (Easy Tiger). Better served at room temperature.
Best of British Beer - Easy Tiger (4.2%)
Brewed by Crafty Brewing Company for Best of British Beers Birthday in 2026 the can was designed by the BoBB’s child (I believe).
Aroma: Hoppy with a hint of citrus.
Taste: Crisp and clean; no additional flavours.
Mouthfeel: Light and watery.
My Notes: Great for a session beer, it went down very easily and left no aftertaste. Loving the friendly design of the can.
My Rating: 3/5
Min: Watery with a nice flavour, it felt watered down.
Rudgate - Ragnar (3.4%)
“The newest addition to our core range of ales, Ragnar is light and smooth with hints of citrus. Zesty and refreshing this pale ale is also vegan and gluten free.”
Aroma: Earthy with a copperness to it.
Taste: Malty with zesty citrus notes.
Mouthfeel: Full and lingers in the mouth.
My Notes: A really enjoyable drink. The pink label caught my eye when unboxing and made me feel quite happy by it.
My Rating: 3.5/5
“A strong, dark and bitter beer. The distinctive dry finish derives from chocolate malt, Pilgrim and Cascade hops. A long fermentation leaves little sweetness behind. A good counter balance to sweeter meals and desserts.”
Aroma: A 'light' and 'airy' smell to it.
Taste: Bitter, clean, flowery.
Mouthfeel: Watery, goes down easy, slight dryness.
My Notes: It weirdly reminds me a lot of dandelion & burdock when I was a kid, only without all the carbonation. It's a very lovely drink.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Min: Smells, looks, and tastes like a homebrew I made 20 years ago. It “just tastes nice”
Glamorgan - Welsh Lager (4.7%)
“Our take on Wales’ favourite drop: clean, crisp, refreshing lager, brewed with care and plenty of character. Light enough for easy drinking, full-flavoured enough to stand out, and proudly Welsh from the first sip to the last.
Voted Best Lager in Wales & the West Country in 2020!”
Aroma: Light and fruity
Taste Light fruity
Mouthfeel: Slightly bubbly, carbonated
My Notes: Looks like cider. Very easy to drink. There wasn’t a lot going on with it and it could quite easily have been a cider.
My Rating: 3/5
“There's at least one in every pack and this is our very own agent of chaos. Created from a complex layer of malts and blended hops, this well balanced IPA delivers satisfaction every time. Golden in the glass, fruity on the nose with hints of cedar. Joker IPA is Bitter/Sweet, full of flavour and is sure to put a smile on your face.”
Aroma: A bit of fruity/earthy scent.
Taste: Hoppy, a little biscuity and slight bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Watery but lively.
My Notes: I've tried all the Williams Bros GF beers in the past and this was, and still is, a firm favourite. Such a lovely colour and a fantastic flavour!
My Rating: 4.5/5
Min: Definitely hoppy. Bright. Nice. Still good.
Final Thoughts…
This will be my first and only variety box from Best of British Beer as the price is staggeringly high for 6 bottles. It was nice to try some new breweries, but I can source new breweries myself and try their whole range for a fraction of the price. I will continue to taste test gluten free beers as I really enjoyed it, but I will do it by brewery instead. On that note, the next brewery I plan to test is Lakedown Brewing Co.
