A small bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe while home on holiday, and drunk at my place here in Taipei [note this bottle is labeled as ‘5%’] Aroma: very intriguing, memories of late season apple orchard. Appearance: opaque bronze, 2-3mm. off-white lacing. Palate: medium-bodied and rather tart, softish carbonation; finish is pleasantly acidic. Taste: predominantly sour, lightly sweet, nicely balanced. Some funk, a little bit of caramel; very refreshing, I could drink more.

A small bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe while home on holiday, and drunk at my place here in Taipei. Aroma: agreeably sour. Appearance: very beautiful clear bronze with great aeration, one finger off-white cream. Palate: medium-bodied and sticky on the tongue, average carbonation; finishes on a rather cloying sweetness. Taste: pretty heavily sweet, rock candy, a suggestion of caramel. There’s some residual sourness there but it can’t break through. My first Faro, ever, and I don’t think it’s going to go down as a favourite style of mine; the appearance is great. [Note to self: 1,000th. rating! 890 on Ratebeer and 110 on Brewver, Feb. 2017 to date, slow but steady, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.]

A small bottle purchased from AMS supermarket Albert Heijn, and drunk at the airport hotel. Aroma: slightly sour grass. Appearance: clear honey amber, 2-3mm. off-white head. Palate: full-bodied and oily, average carbonation; warm and lingering finish. Taste: medium-sweet with biscuit, almond; the alcohol is discreet. Nothing out of the ordinary but just what I needed at the time.

A draught pint at the airport hotel, LHR. Aroma: grassy. Appearance: very handsome clear copper with one finger of light tan cream, good head retention. Palate: light-bodied and slick, softish carbonation; the finish is pretty abrupt. Taste: lightly sweet, some biscuit, an agreeably nutty flavour. Passable, though ultimately a bit watery.

A bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe and drunk at Dad’s while home on holiday. Aroma: yeasty. Appearance: beautiful clear darkest of dark brown, 2-3mm. light tan head dissipating rapidly. Palate: medium-bodied and quite dry on the tongue, average carbonation; the finish is long and lingering and quite boozy at this ABV. Taste: lightly sweet, plenty of almond; nice beer, would like to try it draught. A very handsome pint, beautiful appearance.

[This beer is tagged as a ‘Michael Jackson 500’ on ratebeer.com, and falls within the top quintile, according to Ratebeer reviewers.] A small bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe and drunk at Dad’s while home on holiday. Aroma: chip shop vinegar, raisins, pleasantly sour. Appearance: clear mahogany, 4-5mm. tan suds. Palate: light-bodied and tart, carbonation is on the soft side. The aftertaste is not especially sour, it ends with a nice full, chewy mouthfeel. Taste: lightly sweet with sour notes, there is a pronounced floral taste, the flavour of Parma Violets. Very well balanced, easy drinking, a lovely smooth, entry-level Flemish red.

[This beer is tagged as a ‘Michael Rudolph 100’ on ratebeer.com] A bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe and drunk at Dad’s while home on holiday. Aroma: Dundee cake, port wine. Appearance: opaque mulligatawny soup, one finger light tan head, some sediment in motion. Palate: medium-bodied and somewhat dry on the tongue, quite lively carbonation; finish is warming with a sharp bite. Taste: lightly sweet with some sour notes, well balanced. Plenty of cake, some plums, agreeably boozy. Overlooking the floaters, this is good stuff.

[This beer is tagged as a ‘Michael Rudolph 100’ on ratebeer.com] A bottle purchased online from Beers of Europe and drunk at Dad’s while home on holiday. Aroma: malt, with some dark chocolate. Appearance: opaque cola, 2-3mm. tan scum. Palate: light-bodied and slick, average carbonation; good dry aftertaste. Taste: medium bitter, well malted, flavour tends towards coffee. Quite satisfying.