Taste Test: Cotswold 3-8 vs Summer Breeze

2007-07-15

At the Cotswold Show I was invited to compare a recent beer purchase of George Gale's Summer Breeze, with one of our local brews - Three-Eight from the Cotswold Brewing Co. Both are 3.8% alcohol, and both include Saaz hops - but the major difference perhaps is that one - the Cotswold - is a lager, while the other is an ale.

And the verdict is - they're both jolly good. While the Summer Breeze is a fine beer however, the Three-Eight has the advantage of combining the coolness associated with a lager, with a hint of the rounded charm of an ale. This may be down to the ingredients, to be honest I have absolutely no idea but if I were to choose between the two on a summer's day I would probably go for the Cotswold.

I might tell a different story later on, as the balm of the day took on the slight chill of the evening I might be glad of the warmer character of the Summer Breeze. For now, however, it is the Cotswold Three-Eight that has my vote.