Everards Tiger > Reviews (2)

We were meeting some friends for a drink a short while ago in The Rutland Arms in Chesterfield. There are four of us (two couples) so we generally share a four pint jug of beer ~ it works out cheaper than buying four separate pints, but the only problem is that we have to agree on what beer to drink! This time we had one jug of Black Sheep, but it had run out by the time we wanted a top up. We finally decided on Everard’s Tiger ~ purely because it was the one we hadn’t tried in ages.

~~~THE BREWERY.

Everards Brewery, which is based in Leicester, was founded back in 1849, by William Everard and Thomas Hull. They bought an old porter and ale

business (previously owned by the Wilmot family) and also took out the lease on another building nearby. Brewing has carried on ever since and continued success meant that they had to build a new brewery in the 1970s to cope with increased sales and demand. The new brewery was eventually completed in 1985 at Castle Acres (at Narborough, near Leicester) and production has been increasing ever since.

They produce three regular ales Tiger Best Bitter (4.2% ABV), Beacon Bitter (3.8% ABV) and Original (5.2% ABV), along with Seasonal Beers (at the moment this is Terra Firma). It is generally pretty easy to get hold of Everard’s beers ~ Tiger seems to be the most common though. There is also a Cool Chilled Tiger, but I haven’t tried it ~ Beer served too cold just doesn’t have any taste, so this doesn’t really appeal to me.

~~~THE BEER.

***A Bit of Background***

Tiger Best Bitter is marketed as Everard’s flagship beer and is apparently their best seller. The “Tiger” logo and the image of the tiger are very distinctive and have formed a major part of the advertising campaign for the beer. “Tiger Mania” is the slogan used to promote it and they use pictures of people being transformed into tigers as their marketing campaign ~ the line they use is “It’s the dry hop taste that brings on the condition”.

***The Vital Stats***

Tiger weighs in at 4.2% ABV and is made using Maris Otter barley and Crystal malt. As with all Everard’s beer Tiger is “dry hopped” ~ this means that whole, dry Goldings hops are added by hand to each cask during the final stages of brewing. This is a traditional technique that enhances the flavour and produces a well balanced taste.

***Look, Aroma & Texture***

Tiger is a clear, dark copper colour with a hint of amber. The head is quite thick, creamy and pretty long lasting. This led to a slight problem pouring it from the jug because the first person got a glass of froth! I just made sure I WASN’T the first person! The aroma is faint but hoppy, with a background smell of malt ~ pretty much the standard elements of a Bitter.

The texture is quite full-bodied and a real surprise in a standard Bitter. I actually found it to be creamy and smooth.

***The Taste***

The malt and hops that are first found in the aroma continue as the primary components in the taste. The malt is the main flavour, with the hops lending a subtle bitterness.

The “dry hopping” I mentioned earlier add the bitter flavour that comes through more strongly in the finish of the pint. The finish is long and leads to a dry, bitter aftertaste that lasts well.

***What Tange Thinks***

Tiger is a standard session Bitter and, as such, isn’t going to be the tastiest or strongest beer you’re ever going to drink. It is pleasant but not really remarkable! For something with such a strong name, and an advertising campaign that implies a real “animal” of a beer, it doesn’t have the individuality or depth of flavour that I would expect.

It is a crisp

, clean beer that is simple and easy to drink, but it doesn’t deliver any real punches. It is refreshing and manages to give a good balance between the malt and hop elements, but we didn’t feel the need to buy another jug! The smooth texture is nice and it would be refreshing on a summer’s evening. I would recommend it as a good beer to have with a meal, or as a lunchtime session beer, but I wouldn’t drink it exclusively on a night out. Its flavours aren’t too strong so it would probably compliment your food and not overpower it.

We paid £6.80 for a jug of Tiger, making it £1.70 a pint (the price if bought as individual pints was around £1.90). This wasn’t a bad price for a good quality beer, but I’d much rather have had something a bit more interesting! The best way I can describe Tiger is as a non-threatening, middle of the road beer. It is tasty, pleasant and isn’t going to blow you away. We enjoyed it and have no complaints about the texture and flavour, but we just weren’t doing cartwheels around the bar afterwards!

Overall it is a nice beer, but nothing to write home about.

~~~BREWERY DETAILS.

Everards Brewery Ltd
Castle Acres
Narborough
Leicestershire
LE19 1BY

Telephone: 0116 201 4100

http://www.everards.co.uk/