The Blandford Fly
Badger Brewery (Hall & Woodhouse) in Blandford St Mary, Dorset, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
5.41
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Don’t just take our word for it, ask any fisherman and they’ll attest – it’s not only the trickle of trout that bites on the tranquil River Stour at Blandford.
Should you wade these waters on a warm summer’s night, beware the infamous Blandford Fly, whose bothersome bite can only be soothed with a spicy slice of fresh ginger.
A uniquely sweet and spicy golden ale with a refreshingly different ginger taste, offset with hints of sweet toffee.
Should you wade these waters on a warm summer’s night, beware the infamous Blandford Fly, whose bothersome bite can only be soothed with a spicy slice of fresh ginger.
A uniquely sweet and spicy golden ale with a refreshingly different ginger taste, offset with hints of sweet toffee.
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6.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle. From this brewer, I tend to nearly always get a butterscotch note and I get a little of this again. The ginger does a reasonable job of disguising it, mind, so probably one of their best efforts. --- Beer merged from original tick of Blandford Fly on 04 Aug 2025 at 16:17 - Score: Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7. Original review text: Bottle from Sainsbury's, Preston, the Wirral.
Appearance - deep golden and clear. Frothy white head.
Nose - dried orange, caramel and honey. .
Taste - fresh and dried citrus, biscuit, honey and caramel.
Palate - medium bodied, textured and with some sweetness.
Overall - it does what it does fine.
Appearance - deep golden and clear. Frothy white head.
Nose - dried orange, caramel and honey. .
Taste - fresh and dried citrus, biscuit, honey and caramel.
Palate - medium bodied, textured and with some sweetness.
Overall - it does what it does fine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2016
at 13:22
5.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
Bottle (from selver). Pours amber with whiteish head. The head stays. Aroma is rather weak, malty, herbal-ginger, somewhat metallic. Flavor is sweet and bitter, malt, soap, fruits, ginger, herbal and metallic notes. Carbonation is high. Overall: drinkable as ginger beer. --- Beer merged from original tick of Blandford Fly on 29 Mar 2023 at 09:42. Original review text: bl
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jan 2016
at 13:50
3.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 3
Flavor 3
Texture 6
Overall 2.5
Bottle. Deep gold with a thin head. Aroma is thin ginger. Flavor is mild spice, ginger, sticky toffee. Sry spice finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2015
at 18:27
1.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 1
Flavor 1
Texture 4
Overall 0.5
Bottle. Pours clear light amber with small white head. Aroma is completely dominated by synthetic ginger. Taste is very sweet and light bitter. Body is light syrupy with good carbonation. Finish is long and very sweet and again completely dominated by ginger with faint hints of lime and malt. Is this lemonade or beer?
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 May 2015
at 15:07
4.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3.5
500ml bottle. Clear golden with a thin white head. Sweet, spicy aroma, taste is toffee, ginger and pumpkin spice. A little sickly tbh. Thin
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 May 2015
at 10:16
3.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 3
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 3.5
Bottled 500ml. Clear amber color, small steady white head. Sweet honeyish aroma with ginger. Light-bodied. Sweetish with harsh ginger-like notes. Almost like a alko soda mix. Terrible.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Apr 2015
at 16:12
4.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 6
Overall 3.5
Bottle. Pours clear darkish golden with airy but stable white head. Clear aroma of malt and yeast, with notes of hops and ginger. Bitter flavour of hops, with sweetish notes of ginger and yeast and some rather unpleasant touches of detergent and stale malt. Sweetish and mildly bitter aftertaste. Not my idea of fun.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Mar 2015
at 14:49
5.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
50 cl. bottle. Clear, deep golden colour with an amber tint. Thin, creamy white head. Sweet, spiced aroma with ginger, caramel malts, fruits and floral notes. Taste is light sweet. Medium body with a creamy texture and an average carbonation. Finishes rather spicy with ginger, fruits and light caramel malts. To hot on the ginger, a bit unbalanced beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Dec 2014
at 12:14
5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
500ml bottle. Clear golden colour with small to average, frothy, diminishing, off-white head. Spicy ginger aroma with a peppery touch, cautious caramel malty basis. Taste is slightly sweet caramel malty, ginger notes. Simple, monotonous, narrow - after all not too soapy.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Dec 2014
at 13:24
4.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
500ml bottle from Waitrose. Amber colour, with slight white head. Ginger and light caramel aroma. Strong ginger, sweet caramel flavour. Not great, a bit to ginger for me.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Jul 2014
at 23:00