Lord Chambray’s Flagship Beers (Part 2)

Pairing your favourite cheeky meals with a good craft beer is sometimes all you need in life. 

Heck, sometimes all you need is the beer itself and a good conversation. Followed perhaps by another bottle of beer and some more laughter. 

Gone are the days where wine is the only suitable beverage to enjoy with good eats. The beers on the market nowadays are full-bodied, the proper amount of acidic and built with so much character and attention to detail that a well constructed dish begs for a properly made beer. 

Lord Chambray reigning as the supplier of different flavour profiles to fit your every mood. 

While the Gozo-based company boasts way more than the six flagship beers they stock all year round, the constant features of Blue Lagoon, Grand Harbour and Coral Cave as well as the next three Golden Bay, San Blas and Fungus Rock (which we will discuss here below) are iconic landmarks that truly deserve their moment to shine. 

Lord Chambray's Golden Bay

Style: Blonde Ale | Alcohol: 5.5% | pale, light, sweet

Colour	golden blonde with pale amber hue and a smooth white head
Aroma	floral (pear) light and sweet maltiness (bready)
Body	approachably smooth and light-medium bodied
Bitterness	moderate but noticeable hop bitterness particularly on finish (30 IBU)
Taste	young bitterness, malty, sweet and lightly fizzy with slight caramel notes

This Blonde Ale is so accurately named; Golden Bay — one of Malta’s northwestern beaches that amidst its deliciously golden sands carries a strong and persistent undercurrent. Much like the beach, this Lord Chambray flagship beer is easily returned to, it’s accessible and it will quickly become a favourite for both locals and visitors. 

The light bitterness and delicate floral notes give this craft beer a tone that is easily paired with any Malta classic, whether a home BBQ or a beach pasta salad; there’s no going wrong with Golden Bay. So much so that you can sit back and wash your worries away with nothing more than a cold bottle in hand. Head to Tabula Rasa where the bulk of Lord Chambray’s range including Golden Bay can be yours for the savouring over some food for the soul by means of a chat with Matthew Vella who is just as magical as this Blonde Ale.

Lord Chambray's San Blas

Style: English IPA | Alcohol: 5.9% | pale, bitter, strong

Colour	deep amber with rich coppery tones
Aroma	fragrant fruit notes (peach), spicy hops character (pepper), citrus and butter
Body	structured and full-bodied with substantial malt presence
Bitterness	hop-forward, malty backbone and bitter forward (50 IBU)
Taste	tangy, spicy, earthy and bitter with a dry caramel finish

If you were held at gun point and told to choose only one Lord Chambray craft beer to enjoy shamelessly for the rest of your life, a good option would be San Blas. This full-bodied English IPA is peachy and citrusy with a malt-led character. This beer is so approachable, unlike the Nadur, Gozo beach it is named after — but what they do have in common is that they are both so well worth it. San Blas English IPA is dreamy and sticking to this beer will not cause any judgement from anyone. 

One of Lord Chambray’s most popular beers, San Blas can be found in most of the supplying vendors’ outlets, it’s that good! But perhaps the best pairing out there is a nicely spiced curry or fried wonder from Tikka’s Thai Street Food in San Gwann where the Cashew Nut Stir Fry, the Holy Basil Wok dish and a portion of their delicious spring rolls will make your heart sing. The glorious aromatics in these Thai dishes and the wonderfully citrus notes of the English IPA will pair pretty perfectly.

Lord Chambray's Fungus Rock

Style: American Stout | Alcohol: 5.6% | dark, bitter, strong

Colour	deep brown to black with rich, dark appearance
Aroma	roasted barley and green coffee with walnut notes and light chocolate
Body	relatively easy-drinking for a dark beer with roasted malt character
Bitterness	moderate to pronounced bitterness (35 IBU) with dry assertive finish
Taste	roasted barley and coffee-like flavours with nutty (walnut) and chocolate hints for a dry, bitter finish

As stouty as they come, Fungus Rock is malty, bitter and just the thing you need sometimes. With a light acidity and bitter finish this American Stout may not be your norm but once you try it and really pay attention to what you’re drinking, you’ll find that it’s just right. 

One of the coolest spots to grab a bottle is definitely POPP Sliema Social Club where a healthy serving of their sticky wings will satisfy your hunger. Fungus Rock pairs really nicely with the crispy fried wings smothered in their buffalo sauce if you want a smooth sweet finish or even their hot sauce if you’re looking to fire things up a little bit. Get a little hungrier and grab The Legit Burger by NOVI or add some mozzarella sticks fried in tallow for a delicious crunch and stringy inner cheese pull. 

Beer culture is no longer restricted to pubs and bars where conversations are slurred and tables are always kind of sticky. A good beer, especially a craft beer, needs to be appreciated and given the time it deserves to be understood and enjoyed in the right setting. 

This is not to say that a good bottle of wine should be overlooked, but perhaps it’s high time that beer should get some more focus in the spotlight.