Given the recent opening of the British Beer Company on South Willow Street in Manchester, I reached back in the refrigerator drawer to pull out a few samples from England that I picked up at Bert's Better Beers in Hooksett recently.

The British Moorehouse Brewery is located in Lancashire (Burnley, if you want to know), and is offering some real variety for beer lovers. For example:

Moorehouse Pendle Witches Brew Ale, 5.1% abv. Maris Otter and Crystal Malts, wheat, Lakeland water and their own personal yeast. Yellow gold under a very frothy white head, and after the hint of skunkiness wears off there's a nice and bitter nose and palate, with citrus, fairly light body, perfect for summer drinking. Slightly bitter finish, low alcohol, a little thin on the texture, but I consider that a good thing for summer.

Moorehouse Blonde Ale, 4.5% abv. The color is, well, blonde, or yellow in beer terminology, pure white head, a very light nose — takes some concentration to pull something out of it. The bitter hops hit you right away on the palate though, rich and striking when served well-chilled. Dry palate, good acidity that makes it even more refreshing, light body, long medium bitter finish.

And Sam Adams continues to invent:

Sam Adams Summer Ale, 5.3% abv. Wheat ale brewed with lemon peel and grains of paradise. Available pretty much everywhere beer is sold. Average-sized white head, lasting and creamy, golden heading toward yellow beer, with a nose of hoppy citrus, lemon, some floral notes. Light bodied, dry on the palate, with medium bitterness, medium carbonation, light/delicate alcohol, medium texture, not a lot of weight, medium flavor intensity of hops, lemon, oranges. Nice finish. Conclusion: ready for summer.

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA, 6% abv. German and English Hops, brewed near the 48th parallel of the northern hemisphere. Off-white frothy head that also lasts, amber beer, pretty clear in the glass, and here we have malt on the nose. There's a hint of citrus in the background demanding some attention, too. This IPA has more weight than the Summer Ale. Off dry, and it's here on the palate that the bitterness of the hops shines through, right to the finish. Medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, with good flavor intensity, combining hops in the background with a foreground of malt, including a grainy-hay-straw type palate. Long finish.

Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA, 5.8% abv. Wheat ale brewed with apricots and spices. Yellow gold beer, hazy under a slightly off-white large head, frothy at the top, creamy further down. Very interesting nose, with hops and fruity. They put apricots in it, and there's a slight fruity bitterness that rises up. Don't stick your nose into the foam when you try it (trust me on this). Intriguing bitterness, the apricots are definitely there, standing on a beautiful hops foundation, with lemon, hints of lime, pine notes, spice. Lots going on here. If you are a lover of hoppy/bitter beer, this is one for you.

Samuel Adams Porch Rocker, 4.5% abv. “Beer with natural flavors added.” Inspired by a traditional German mix of beer with lemonade. Yellow-amber hue under a very frothy white head, super spicy nose that jumps out of the glass at you, with cinnamon and cloves, honey hints, citrus, off-dry on the palate, with medium bitterness. Though it's really the flavor profile just mentioned that marches forward, there is just that hint of sweetness from the malt. My best of show for this Sam Adams crop.

Next Week: Moorehouse English Owd Ale, Moorehouse Black Cat Ale, a few more Sam Adams (Dark Depths, Third Voyage, Tasman Red, all now in 12-ounce bottles, and the new Grumpy Monk, and maybe a little wine, too.

Jim Beauregard is a local wine and beer writer who can be reached at regardingwine@aol.com.