Nelsons Revenge.

I could wait no more.  It had been almost two weeks (1 week and 4 days to be exact, but who's counting?) since I had bottled up the latest addition to my brewing repertoire - "Nelsons Revenge".  As you may know, my last attempt at brewing ended up with the creation of a rather effervescent, but impotent brew with little flavour or alcohol content.  I had it already set in my mind, that if this particular tipple also failed to deliver then I would hang up my fermenter and racking cane for good.

I removed the hallowed object from our outside pantry, in a manner not unlike Harrison Ford stowing some archaeological treasure into a leather knapsack - the anticipation of the golden contents too much to contemplate.  The beads of sweat gathered on my brow as I carefully pried open the green cap that protected the nectar inside from the external elements.  In all honesty I was expecting to be writing about my second "epic fail" today.

With much gusto I slugged down the first dramatic draught of ale and found to my glee and amazement a perky hoppy-ness erupting on my tongue cohabiting with the reassuring sense of something alcoholic going down the back of my throat.  It was a malty brew, with an intense bitterness that I was hoping for, coupled with a neat 5.0% ABV confirmed by my hydrometer.

It is only 11am in the morning, so I will resist the temptation to pop another bottle at this hour.  Tonight though, in celebration of the start of the Euro 2012 football championship I will sit back and revel in the delight that I am drinking a delicious ale, that was my brewed by my fair hand.