As most people will know, the bank holiday isn't the only reason some people are celebrating....it is for me....but some people are also looking forward to the
Champagne and beer. Some would say the two are as far apart from each
other as two drink can be. Beer, seen as the drink of the every man
(and women) wile champagne is seen as the drink of the wealthy. But a
semi recent development in beer brewing brings a new style to the beer
world and draws the two rather special beverages closer then ever.
Bière de Champagne is a style of beer in which the brew is normally
matured for a lengthy amount of time and then goes under the ‘méthode
Champenoise’ to remove the yeast. Just like champagne.
And today I’m tasting what is probably the most easily obtainable of
these beers. ‘Deus’ is brewed in Belgium and then transported to
France to undergo conditioning and yeast removal . As you pour the beer
in to a champagne flute (well, you’ve got to have the appropriate
glassware don’t you) it instantly foams up the glass with a thick,
white head, so its like champagne already, but it quickly fades and
leaves only a thin lace at the top of the beer. Just looking at it, you
can tell this isn’t your normal beer. Straw gold and with the
carbonation creating thousands upon thousands of tiny bubbles, it
certainly looks the part. The aroma is loaded with fresh slightly tart
apples and pears with also a subtle hint of honey in the background
that’s making it smell so inviting. So why fight it. Time for taste.
Peaches and zesty oranges are the first flavours that come through the
onslaught of carbonation on my tongue, but this is meant in a good way.
It makes the beer ultimately refreshing and with other tastes of cider
apples, a nice wheaty taste (probably coming from the yeast) and a
slight spiciness balancing out the flavours, leavening the finish it
crisp and dry on the palate .
Overall a very nice beer and certainly one to experience. But as you
may of guessed it comes at a price. £13.99 being the average price
makes this one expensive beer. But I think its better then most
sparking wines and Champagne I’ve tried (which to be honest isn’t that much, and when I
have its only been the average £30ish pound a bottle type. But that’s
not the point) and with it being a time to relax and celebrate, why not give it a go??
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_list I learned that the Civil List is the sum that covers most expenses associated with the Sovereign performing of his or her state duties, including those for staffing, state visits, public engagements, official entertainment, and upkeep of the Royal Households. For the period of 2000 - 2010, the Civil List has continued to be fixed at £7.9 million annually.
ReplyDeleteFrom the same link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_list I found out that only the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh receive funding from the Civil List. The state duties and staff of other members of the Royal Family are funded from a Parliamentary Annuity, the amount of which is repaid by the Queen from the monies put into the Privy Purse from income from the Duchy of Lancaster.
From http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page4971.asp I learned that in the financial year 2005-06 the revenue surplus from the Crown Estate paid to the Treasury amounted to £190.8 million. So – rather than being the drain on the public purse that one might believe, Her Majesty and the rest of the Royals actually generate a profit of over £180 million for the country every year.
Yes that may be true... but they don’t EARN that cash...their born and the money comes to them from people who come on holiday to this country because they think the royal family mean something...and unfortunately they haven’t for about 300+years
ReplyDeleteMmm, I remember trying Deus a couple of Christmasses ago. Can't for the life of me remember the taste though, so I'm going to have to try it again...
ReplyDeleteYeah I think you will have to :D......maybe we should try it again together :)
ReplyDelete