New Beer Range From Tesco

We don't often shop in Tesco. Nothing wrong with the store itself, and whilst some might question the company's ethics, the same could be said of most of the major supermarkets. The reason we don't buy our groceries in Tesco is simply they don't have an outlet in Tonbridge. Today though, we drove over to nearby Sevenoaks, where they do have a rather large Tesco store, and leaving Eileen to do the weekly shop, (she doesn't like to be distracted), I had a browse along the beer aisles.

Amongst the "Buy 3 for the price of 2" and the "Four beers for £6.00" offers, I noticed a small range of attractively packaged British Ales, called "Simply". Priced at the equally attractive price of just £1.33, I picked up a bottle of IPA plus a bottle of Dark Ale. There's not a huge amount of information on the bottles, but they do list the ingredients, together with the characteristics of the beer. They also suggest foods to complement the beer, with both styles suggesting the beer can be enjoyed, chilled on its own. There's honesty for you!  No indication as to the brewery responsible for these beers is given, but the front label does carry the master brewer's signature and to me it looks like that of Marston's Head Brewer, Emma Gilleland. Certainly the beers have that Marstons taste about them.

I found the 5.0% IPA very enjoyable, with a nice balance between the citrus hops and the rich, biscuity maltiness. The 4.5% Dark Ale was also very good. Perhaps not quite as dark as I would have liked, but still a deep ruby red in colour. The label says "Rich and full-bodied, with a smooth fruity flavour"; a description I would not disagree with.

I'm drinking this beer now, as I write, but whilst in Tesco's earlier, I  noticed a Simply Stout in the same range. I am now wishing I'd slipped a bottle of that as well into my shopping basket.