Hellall,
I must apologise for my lateness in providing info regarding this excellent event - I can assure you that it in no way reflects the quality of the venue or the happenstance, instead its simply that I have been wondering whether I was really sufficiently qualified to write up about this fest - the principal reason for which, instead of my brain injury, simply being that this year despite its earlier-ness I only visited once. And that was a monetary decision.
And so here is what I found.....
Arriving at 18.00 I was queuing before Wee Keefy joined me. I have to say it seemed busier than previous years - attendance on a Wednesday night used to be quiet, but I waited ten minutes to get in. Not a long time I accept, just a surprise if nothing else. Once I had paid the fee - which as well as getting you in also got you a glass and a fiver's worth of tokens, I headed straight into the downstairs tent and bumped into S.o.J and Jack. The kind fella even gave me a free programme which I had for some weird reason avoided buying - at just 50 pence. The info would have perhaps made my initial choice better - having asked for a pale hoppy beer I was sold a half of Peak Ales IPA, which was a decent sup, but a tad disappointing. S.o.J was on the excellent Williams Brothers Tin Man Tropical IPA at 5.5% and this was my second sample, and regardless of my being a Williams Brothers fan this was much better and well balanced. Joined now by WK we headed upstairs to find a 4Ts beer, and bumped into Josh, Bob, Marv White and his mate, along with Vikki and Matt. And the search for beers continued.....
I wanted to try a 4T's Papa Mangoes, a 7.0% ale described as a Mango fruit Double IPA. I was a little worried by the strength - not that it was too high, instead that for a double IPA it should be 8% minimum. The smell was very nice but the taste had an awful background - described as a children's cough syrup by Vikki, and as I went further down I had to agree - perhaps hoppy Calpol?
Things desperately improved next with a half of the Blue Bee Mosaic Brut IPA at 7.4% - always a fan of their stronger strongly hoppy beers this was a worryingly easy to drink IPA which ticked all the right boxes. After a wander and a very slow purchase of more tokens I dropped down to a Born in the Borders Flower of Scotland, a pale ale with some good flavours and a decent amount of Scottish malt to blend it. Things then got better still.
There were two cask ales from Almasty , Cashmere and Amarillo Cyro Pale was an excellent blend at 5% and their Mosaic and Azzaca IPA at 6% was phenomenal. I am led to believe by a mixture of memories and scribbles that I also tried a half of the Arbor Yakima Valley at 7.0%, but am not certain whether or not I may have simply imagined this what with said beer being a big favourite. And now it was time to head down to the Keg room to sample some truly excellent ales.
I started on a third of the Abbeydale and Box Social Voyager IPA 19. All of a sudden the ale was soupy and tasted of excellent hops. The night was thereafter good. Not that it didn't get better, as next was one of my two halves of frankly excellent Cloudwater DIPA at a robust 9% - I finished my visit on the second. Am also sure I tried a third of St Mars of the Desert's excellent Clamp, a fab 5.4% IPA, and possibly a Track You Do You 7.0% IPA. Its fair to say I may have been a trifle relaxed by this stage, and that may also explain my lack of information regarding the taste of the latter.
I left about 22.00 having had a fab night, with some fab people, including Johnny and Declan from Bar Stewards, and also Nate and Lucy, whom I bumped into in the Keg bar. It was interesting to hear of a complaint that a nearby barman received, where a punter said "thi sell that Keg beer un are dornt lark it, nevah goin again" an automatically infuriating comment, not because of the rejection of keg as a style, instead the fact that they sold over two hundred cask beers as well! They must have walked straight in the keg bar and without a word walked straight out......
Despite not being able to attend another night I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and with just one exception all the beer tasted was on excellent form. Big thanks to all the volunteers, and specifically to Mr Morton for his excellent role in ordering the beers for this fab festival.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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