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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4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
Bottle. Musty ginger and light caramel aroma. Clear pale copper with a small white head. Strong ginger, sweet caramel malt flavor. Light body, soft carbonation. Not great, but at least I’ve got my Dorset tick.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 May 2013
at 14:17
5.5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Imported from my RateBeer account as Badger The Blandford Fly (by Badger Brewery (Hall & Woodhouse)):
Aroma: 6/10, Appearance: 2/5, Taste: 5/10, Palate: 3/5, Overall: 12/20, MyTotalScore: 2.8/5
9/V/13 - 50cl bottle from Waitrose (UK) @ Klaas' place - BB: XII/2013 (2013-452) Thanks to Klaas for sharing the bottle!
Clear light orange beer, small white head, unstable, non adhesive, dissipates immediately. Aroma: some grains, fruity, peaches, hay, bit metallic, orange peel. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bit sweet, sugary, metallic, bitter, orange peel, marmalade, ginger. Aftertaste: bit sweet, sugary, pretty bitter and spicy, orange marmalade, bit grassy. Weird, but not too bad.
Aroma: 6/10, Appearance: 2/5, Taste: 5/10, Palate: 3/5, Overall: 12/20, MyTotalScore: 2.8/5
9/V/13 - 50cl bottle from Waitrose (UK) @ Klaas' place - BB: XII/2013 (2013-452) Thanks to Klaas for sharing the bottle!
Clear light orange beer, small white head, unstable, non adhesive, dissipates immediately. Aroma: some grains, fruity, peaches, hay, bit metallic, orange peel. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bit sweet, sugary, metallic, bitter, orange peel, marmalade, ginger. Aftertaste: bit sweet, sugary, pretty bitter and spicy, orange marmalade, bit grassy. Weird, but not too bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 May 2013
at 11:03
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
@ Victory Bar, Stanley. Light amber. Lightly gingery nose. Soft amber ale, with light caramel and a touch of ginger. Not normally a fan of ginger beers, but this is soft-stated enough to get by.
Tried
on 01 Feb 2013
at 14:53
3.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 2.5
Flaske kjøpt på Sainsburys, Angel. Delt med Rune på rom 224 Premier Inn Blackfriars 6 Nov 12. Gyldenbrun med litt skum. Lukta gir julestemning. Ingefær. Smaken gir enda mer julestemning: Søt gløgg. Ille som øl betraktet. --- Beer merged from original tick of Blandford Fly on 17 Jul 2025 at 15:11 - Score: Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5. Original review text: Spandert av Rune. Delt med ham, Lunde og Synny i Dr. Lies gt.
Tried
on 03 Jan 2013
at 05:58
4.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 3.5
500ml bottle from a Sainsburys store. Clear copper coloured body. Bubbly ring to the rim of the surface. Ginger all over – spicy, sweet , dry and smooth. Possible to drink without further excitements (shared with Finn, hotel room, London 06.11.2012). --- Beer merged from original tick of Blandford Fly on 17 Jul 2025 at 15:11 - Score: Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 4.5 | Flavor - 4.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5. Original review text: 500ml bottle from Vinmonopolet Langnes. Shared with Synny, Lunde and Finn. Amber-brown body, beige head leaving spotty lacing on the glass. Moderate aromas of mid-sweet malts and spices. Mixed taste of caramel malts, toffee and ginger spices. Mid-sweet spiced malty ending. Fair enough. (Tromsø, 17.07.2025).
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2012
at 12:14
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle shared at a Den Haag RB tasting. Clear light amber pour with a thin white bubbly head. The aroma is not unexpectedly spicy and ginger. The flavour is fruity, spicy and slightly bitter. A really unusual and very drinkable beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Nov 2012
at 12:20
5.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle from Tesco; Pours dark brown ginger and caramel taste OK to try but couldn’t face another one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Oct 2012
at 13:40
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Pours a clear gold with a foamy head with a sharp, fruity aroma. The taste is quite balanced, with the sweetness just the right side of tangy and it fizzes on the tongue after a mouthful.
Tried
on 09 Sep 2012
at 12:07
4.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
500ml Bottle: best before Feb 2013, poured into my Abbot Ale glass tankard during a ‘Random Tasting Evening’ in Aug 2012. Looked fine: deep golden body with a fairly small, but lasting head of white bubbles. The nose has a faint ginger taint to it, with a sweeter caramel overtone almost masking it. Taste wise the sweetness is too much, even with the ginger trying to combat it: this is a sugared ginger tasting brew. I’m no fan of ‘ginger beers’: however this one wasn’t as bad as my words might imply, it was almost enjoyable, just a bit too sweet really.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2012
at 02:31
4.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4
Looks like a fine golden ale but is one for people who only like ginger because of its strong aroma and dominant flavour. Good boy.
Tried
on 24 Aug 2012
at 14:54