Classic Ales Six Pack

I was in my local beer purveyor and came across a mixed six called "Classic Ales". It features a half dozen ales from all over England. On closer inspection, the pack seems to have been produced by Marston's PLC, and all six beers appear to be brewed under its auspices. The beers appear to originate in a few different places across England, but the address given for the collection itself is Marston's House, Wolverhampton. The collection contains:

• Banks's Bitter;
• Brakspear Bitter;
• Jennings Cocker Hoop;
• Marston's EPA;
• Ringwood Fortyniner; and
• Wychwood Hobgoblin.

Each bottle contains 500mL of suds. As you can imagine, that makes for an uncommonly bulky six-pack--in fact, I had a bit of a hard time getting it home on the subway/streetcar, since the box foolishly lacks a handle and it barely fit in my usual beer-toting bag.

The box has a brief write-up of each of the six beers, as well as serving suggestions. My favourite part is that the word "zingy", which one seldom hears, is actually used twice. The box also invites the drinker to "Take an ale trail amongst some of our finest breweries, from the South Coast to the Lake District, showcasing how great beers, like fine wines, have a diversity of flavours and characteristics to savour and enjoy." Sounds fun!

So stay tuned to the Stout Man for posts about each of the six--or, five anyway. I've already reviewed Hobgoblin, but you can check out that review here.

Cheers!