Would you drink with this three legged Donkey?

Little Donkey
Little Donkey
On the dusty road...

OK so I may be grasping at straws here. If you have managed to read my review of Batemans Rosey Nosey beer you will know that I am trying to find a beer fit for the Christmas table. It's a bit like that thing on TV where they get different chefs to cook and then eventually choose one to cook for the queen - but at the same time nothing like it. Without having to read the previous review (please do though) the beer has to meet some simple criteria, namely a connection to Christmas by its name or packaging and must also smack a bit of wintery bite.

Now I have to say I haven't had that much luck finding Christmas beer its a bit early yet, not stocked everywhere and if they are tend to be a bit expensive. So the link may be a little loose at the moment but I think Wonkey Donkey should be just about allowed in because after all without the Donkey it would have been a long trip to Bethlehem. I promise a purchase of some "proper" Christmas beer soon but until then this will have to do. First off then before I manage to get my hands around a Wonkey Donkey here is a little bit more of information on the product and where it comes from.

Wonkey Donkey is produced by the Goose Eye Brewery, a brewery I had not previously heard of to be honest. It is based in Keighley, West Yorkshire but on the web site describes it to be in "the heart of the Yorkshire Dales" which seems either a bit optimistic or a significant change of geography has occurred. Established in 1991 it's a family concern with the whole family involved in the operation. The brewery has won numerous awards from the Campaign for Real Ale. The company produce a number of cask ales but the only bottled beer available is Wonkey Donkey.

So onto Wonkey Donkey. Before anything else though I thought I better do a quick bit of research into what a "Wonkey Donkey" was. Quick research using an online urban dictionary suggested "someone on ketamine" or "a women with one breast larger than the other". I also remember some link to Ant and Dec on Saturday morning TV. However I think the label on the bottle quickly gets rid of either of these two suggestions simply showing a three legged Donkey at the bar after a few too many beers stood rather, well, Wonkey I guess. Onto the pouring the beer.

Anyway if you have read my previous beer tasting you will perhaps know I am no expert on all of the various tastes and smells I should be getting yet - I just know if I like the beer or not! On pouring no real head was evident and I was slightly concerned it was going to be a bit flat. However it was certainly not flat and in a few seconds a head did develop although admittedly this was gone within a minute. However as I said the beer certainly didn't look flat and was lively enough without being like a glass of lemonade.

Holding the glass up I was quite surprised at the colour for what is a bitter as it almost looked like a lager. However reading the bottle the description is spot on as pale amber bitter. The beer itself uses pale Maris Otter malt.

On tasting the beer left a pleasant fizz in the mouth and as shown visually was certainly not flat. For a bitter it was surprisingly refreshing with a smooth but lively finish. My overall impression was a pleasant bitter that was light enough to drink even on a warm day, something I wouldn't normally say about an ale. However I was surprised by my second bottle.

When tasting Rosey Nosey I decided I would need two bottles to get a proper feeling for the beer. As it happened when I bought Wonkey Donkey it was on a deal if you bought three bottles (£4 at ASDA for 500ml bottles) which of course I was happy to go for. I hadn't actually intended to get stuck into the second bottle so it wasn't served as cold as the first and it also just happened to be served with a fairly strong Chicken Kiev pizza (which may have affected the taste and how well it would go with food).

The second bottle poured with a much better head. It straight away looked much more like a normal bitter but still with that nice amber colour. The head stayed around the glass and just seemed better conditioned.

My third experience a few days later was very much the same as the first. Not quite as smooth as you would expect from a bitter but still nice enough. Again though I served this slightly cold so suspect this beer is better served at slightly warmer temperature.

Overall then I thought Wonkey Donkey was a pleasurable experience and after few of these on Xmas day and I could well be looking like the animal on the front of the bottle. Maybe this isn't a Christmas ale but I would certainly try it again anyway even in summer. I preferred this to Rosey Nosey so at the moment Wonkey Donkey even on three legs has overtaken it but I still doubt this will be served with the Turkey in less than a month's time. What I would say with both of these reviews is that I would encourage you try the different beers. Obviously any beer (or drink for that matter) is an acquired taste and often when you read a review on this site for a hotel or a washing machine it tends to be just good or bad and relevant to everyone so just because I don't rate one doesn't mean you wont.

Incidentally Mary would not have made it to Bethlehem on the Wonkey Donkey on the front of the packaging. History would have been very different!