Piddle Brewery - Piddle 4.1%

Taste: we've had some very negative comments about the smell. (Jock strap, goalies gloves, door handle, sweat bands) taste is less controversial. Caramel stream water.

Appearance: Wee based. Sporty bottle.clear ale.

Would you buy 2? Yes.

Would you buy 4? Not to smell.

Rating (out of 7): 5***** A great taste with a controversial scent.

Piddle Brewery - Silent Slasher 5.1%

Taste: Fruity fanciful!!! Hamburger sweets from the eighties. It doesn't sting our lips. That's a treat. What a surprise.

Appearance: death is weeing. Yellow beer

Would you buy 2? Please

Would you buy 4? A treat, this would be.

Rating (out of 7): 6******

Location:Dundonald Road,Merton,United Kingdom

Rocky Head Brewery - 1909 English Pale Ale 6.9%

Taste: complex, stimulating. Grassy fields and wealth. Dense Mid-Range.

Appearance: put your fog lights on for this one, its misty.

Would you buy 2? Please. This was a gift though.

Would you buy 4? I'd accept 4.

Rating (out of 7): 6******

Location:Goodenough Road,Merton,United Kingdom

Piddle Brewery - Santa's Potty 3.9%

Taste: Smokey tang. Looks like Santa might have burned his potty. It has the yeasty taste of a homebrew and complex aromas of a fine brandy-wine (if there is such a thing)

Appearance: smutty bottle. Are we lead to believe that Santa is only just being potty trained in 2012?!? ... We don't blame him though, who raised him? No one I bet. Wolves?

Would you buy 2? He's obviously had a good diet. It smells great. Sold!

Would you buy 4? Yes. Why not.

Rating (out of 7): 5*****

Location:Goodenough Road,Merton,United Kingdom

Holden's - Golden Special Bitter 5.1%

Taste: Strong, full-bodied... like Leonardo DiCaprio hocking a thick warm loogie off the edge of the Titanic from James Cameron's epic space adventure, Titanic. It's sweet.. Not too sweet though, just the right balance. It's from the Black Country (as in coal not racism.)

Appearance: Golden! Like the movie set gold from Harry Potter. I mean it's not fooling anyone but it's easy enough on the eye.

Would you buy 2? Yes I would.

Would you buy 4? Sod off mate... There's a whole world out there dude.

Rating (out of 7): 4**** A nice drop for the sessioner in you.. It won't pump your nads and make you go 'whooop' though. Perfectly fine though.

Location:Worcester

Purbeck Brewery - Thermal Cheer 4.8%

Taste: Chocolate malt drink. So malty. It's thick with warmth. But where there's warmth and moisture, there's also decay. It doesn't taste quite right. Like its on the turn.

Appearance: nice artwork. Beer is dark.

Would you buy 2? If it was draught.

Would you buy 4? ...... (Silence)

Rating (out of 7): 4**** I bet it's a five on tap.

Location:Beaufoys Avenue,Ferndown,United Kingdom

Bateman's - Rosey Nosey (4.7%)

Taste: multi-delight! Coffee, wood, refreshing. Mmm, christmassy.

Appearance: ice tea

Would you buy 2? It's Christmas!

Would you buy 4? It's Christmaaaaaaaaaaaas!!!!!!

Ratings (out of 7): 5

Wye Valley - Christmas Whiskers (4.5%)

Taste: Biscuits, ash and a little soapy (but not unpleasant). A touch watery and a happy burnt ember feeling. Interesting.

Appearance: An old wooden fence.

Would you buy 2? Maybe

Would you buy 4? Maybe not

Rating (out of 7): 4 * * * *.

Brains - Fir King Good (4%)

Taste: Earthy but the christmas pump art was misleading. Where's the spices? This is not bad, it's just standard. We suspect Brains had a leftover ale and an 'amusing' name  and tried to hitch a ride on the christmas ale train. Shame really.

Appearance: Table brown

Would you buy 2? We've got three of the suckers.

Would you buy 4? Bah humbug.

Rating (out of 7): 4 * * * * Drinkable. Standard. Not christmas.

St Austell - Clouded Yellow (4.8%)

Taste: That is really good. Bit lemony... cloves... it's quite tangy and fruity in a way. Lemon? Lemon for sure! A spring time ale, but a favourite around this table it seems.

Appearance: Dropped a banana in it?

Would you buy 2? This question is irrevelant...

Would you buy 4? I've ordered 12!

Rating (out of 7): 6 * * * * * *. Well done!

Adnams - Shingle Shells 3.9%

Taste: soft hops and Buiscuity malts. It's a smooth Christmas ride. Really very delicious.

Appearance: darker than it tastes. Xmas pump clip.

Would you buy 2? We have.

Would you buy 4? Ordinairally, yes. But,alas. I must leave

Rating (out of 7): 5*****

Location:River Thames,Kingston upon Thames,United Kingdom

Brains - Barry Island IPA (6%)

Taste: Woah yeast/ malt combo explosion in the mouth. An envigorating lemon zing and then... it burns smoothly away to nothing. Fizzle.

Appearance: Bronze torque.

Would you buy 2? There's a thought. Go on then.

Would you buy 4? Mmmmmmm.

Rating (out of 7): 5 * * * * *. For a Brains!

Young's - Christmas Ale 4.8%

Taste: It tastes like a damp basement or a leaky loft. There's little Christmassy about it.... Or so I thought? It's a tad orangey but nowhere near a Christmas clementine. Very cold.

Appearance: red. It's got a Santa hat on the pump. A little Christmassy.

Would you buy 2? Yes.

Would you buy 4? We've bought 8!!!!

Rating (out of 7): 3*** it's a plain Jane standard bitter. There's little Christmassy about it! If it wasn't for our salt dab, we'd be lost...

Location:Worple Road,Merton,United Kingdom

Tap Room Brewing Company - IPA 6.3%

Taste: An American IPA. Imported and honked by Sainsbury's. It's not as boldly hopped as a lot of American beers but it's sharp and has some honey flavours in there too. It's very pleasant.

Appearance: Weak tea. Sainsbury's themed bottle.

Would you buy 2? I might!

Would you buy 4? It's possible.

Rating (out of 7): 5***** it's delicious, but not daring.

Staffordshire Brewery - Rockin Robin 4.8%

Taste: This is promising... Wow! Lovely. Cherry fruit and chocolate flavours. Like a malty Black Forest gateaux. Nice, rounded taste.

Appearance: Crazy robin is ready for Xmas.

Would you buy 2? I think I would.

Would you buy 4? At a pub, at Christmas, with an open fire, yes.

Rating (out of 7): 5***** A lovely seasonal drop.

Staffordshire Brewery - Grumpy Santa Beer 5%

Taste: Strong tasting bitter. I'm sure it's christmassy, but I don't know why. It had a nostalgic homebrew tang.

Appearance: label shows a man who clearly doesn't want to be Santa.

Would you buy 2? Maybe not. Too grumpy.

Would you buy 4? No thanks

Rating (out of 7): 4*** more interesting than a three.

Staffordshire Brewery - Cold Turkey 5%

Taste: Warming. The taste is delayed coming through. It has the vague sense of some old forgotten air. Perhaps having been trapped in an old container. It does have a nice Christmassy edge. That it tastes quite boozy and quite malty.

Appearance: Christmassy label. Threatening to take tradition 'to a whole new level'. Beer's in a metal tankard. But if I had to guess.... Golden.

Would you buy 2? Yes!

Would you buy 4? I probably could. On Christmas Day.

Rating (out of 7): 5***** quite unique. I'm liking it.