Election fever!

Well, who needs to vote with your feet when you can now vote with your throat thanks to ASDA, and their light-hearted range of Election Ales, in stores now.

The ales are available in 220 ASDA stores across Britain, and all are priced at the same, equitable price of �1.48. ASDA's beer buyer Ged Futter told beer-pages: "If your party wins you can pop one open to celebrate; if the news is bad you can always down a few to drown your sorrows".

Labour Landslide Bitter
Once a deep red ale with a strong union of extreme flavours and minority appeal. Landslide now has a recipe with a blue tinge and prudent ingredients that appeal to all tastes. The initial perception is of a confident, very smooth beer - but with the suspicion that some off notes have been covered up. It has a nice head - but may not stay around too long - watch carefully your glass may turn Brown.

Lib Dem Lift-Off Bitter
A cheeky young and pretentious beer - plump and humorous. Perhaps more promise than it can deliver. It has strong European flavours and is itching to be taken seriously. Nicely balanced beer that could hold more power than expected - the alternative pint.

Tory Triumph Bitter
An old established ale with a long pedigree. Recently out of favour but looking for a return to popularity. A true blue bitter. It has a dark head with something of the night about it. Perhaps for the richer palate with a luxurious, toffee-nosed background, but claims to be good for the constitution. Now brewed without any continental ingredients to appeal to traditional drinkers.

Plaid Cymru and SNP Independence Ales
Both from fiercely independent breweries. Heady mixes of purely local ingredients. The nose has a strong regional accent and it's brewed only for local consumption. Strong undercurrent of grass roots and just desserts though it may not travel well.

And now the truth: the beers are all brewed for ASDA by J. W. Lees in Manchester, and in fact, it is exactly the same beer in all the bottles, so you can't get more proportionally representative that that. And here's what it tastes like:

J.W. Lees, ASDA Election Ale (England) Released in April 2005, in the run-up to Britain's general election, ASDA playfully put five beers on its shelves packaged for suporters of the main political parties (Labour, Conservative, Lib-Dem, SNP and Plaid Cymru each had a beer). In fact, all the beer in the bottles is the same brew: a gold/nut brown bitter with a moderate off-white head. The nose has a nice spice and orange-peel note with some grassy hops and a hint of malt. On the palate it is quite smooth and creamy, with an initial biscuity sweetness, a nettly hop quality and decent bitterness in the finish. Not a bad drop all told, and good fun too. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, ?1.48, Asda.