Disclaimer – I’m a football nut. I’m also English. This is a very potent combination that can lead to silly behaviour, particularly when beer is added to the mix. Please take these World Cup episodes with a HUGE pinch of salt and see them for what they are intended to be – a bit of beery fun!

Britain’s oldest brewers Shepherd Neame are hoping they have something to celebrate following the launch of their 1698 Strong Ale at the Systembolaget this month.

At 6.5% ABV this is the strongest British ale available in the monopoly and comes repackaged in pasteurised form in a classy looking 330ml bottle.

Previously known as 1698 Celebration Ale (and a few years back available in the Systembolaget as a bottle conditioned beer) it was first released by the brewery in 1998 to mark its 300^th anniversary.

What makes this beer a little special is the use of English hops three times during the brewing process (at the start and end of the boil and dry hopping before fermentation). These hops work in perfect counterbalance to the rich bread and toffee malts and alcohol body to produce a deceptively drinkable beer considering its strength.

I managed to track down Sheps Head Brewer David Holmes, who said this of 1698:

“It’s an incredibly well balanced beer, with fragrant Kentish hops matching the sweetness of the malts perfectly. We wanted to come up with a beer that had that little bit ‘extra’ to commemorate our 300th birthday and with 1698 I think we’ve done just that”.

A great cheese and desert beer in my opinion. Try it with a chunk of Västerbottensost or a tangy goats cheese and I promise you’ll feel like celebrating!

1698 Strong Ale

An English Strong Ale from Shepherd Neame, England

Article Number: 1698 (now that’s easy to remember isn’t it?)