A while back, I pondered the state of things in Dorset, where they drink beer from the Piddle Brewery.

Fast forward a few months, and my Dad presents me with three bottles as a house-warming present.

Here we have:

• Piddle in a bottle
• Jimmy Riddle in a bottle
• Little Willie

Naturally, the next step was a taste test.

Piddle in a Bottle - At first I thought it just tasted like lager, but then I got the aftertaste and realised the bitterness of the ale. It’s nice, but I don’t think I could drink a whole one. Maybe if I was sitting in a traditional pub with a roaring fire, and was preparing to nurse the beer for an entire evening. I think I just drink too fast for this kind of alcohol.

Jimmy Riddle in a bottle - This falls somewhere between the two others. Not as in-your-face as the Piddle, but not quite as reliant on the aftertaste as the Little Willie. I actually think this one was my favourite of the three,.

Little Willie - The first taste is pretty bland. I immediately felt it wasn’t as good as the other two. It has quite an aftertaste though. Mr C thought it was a bit like liquorice, but I wasn’t so sure. I think I prefer more of a taste immediately than an after taste, so this was my least favourite of the three.

I can’t say that I’m going to become an ale drinker in the future, but it was great fun testing them out. Next time I might try something with a more normal name, though.