Burning Sky

 Evening folk,

       I realise I may have said this previously - whether in a pub, or in previous posts - or both, but I really like Burning Sky Brewery based in Firle in Sussex. Am also aware that I may have mentioned the excellence of owner and head brewer Mark Tranter, previously the Head Brewer at Dark Star brewing, prior to it's consumptoin by a giant National brewery/brewing conglomerate, who previously produced the excellent Revelation. This month I enjoyed 4 Burning Sky beers - all of which I loved. I was going to blog tonight about the brew am on now. But they are all worthy of a nod.

The first I tried was called Snap Decision,  a very enjoyable American Brown Ale possibly in the high 5 or 6 %. Despite my love of pales am not in fact terrifed of brown ale - and when it's brewed by a great brewery am more than willing to try it. It was as perhaps obvious, a very nice drop - missing the oft dour elements of the UK versions of this style.

Next was a can of their Saison Printemps. Probably 6%, and a mix of what may have been aged beers along with traditional saison producing yeast (or, perhaps inevitably, any number of mis remembered ingredients). I have to say that this was fabulous. I know they have done a lot of different styles of saison but I hadn't had any for a while and this proved what I was missing - gorgeous mouthfeel, delightful aftertaste and drinkability. Nothing like it's strength!

I bought two mighty 750ml bottles - their 7% Greengage saison , a mix of greengage fruits along with a special oak aged saison. I treated myself to two glasses of this and quaffed it in about 90 minutes in total. I seem to have thought it featured Kviek yeast but am now certain that is wrong. That aside, this was another ludicrously easy drinking, mildly but effectively sour and bitterly fruited mix of joy in what is in affect a wine bottle.   

Tonight am finishing the second half ot the frankly amazing 9.7% Eldeberry Monolith - described as a long oak aged wild black beer then aged for a further 6 months on local elderberries. It suggests it tastes a bit like an earthy Burgundy. Wow. It's as good as that characteristic suggests. It is immense.

Not that this makes it in anyway hard drinking - am supping it slowly mainly because am writing and setting up the Laptop. It continues to delight. Being the last of the bottle I added the yeast or other adjuncts in the bottom of the bottle and if anything this mnakes it even more drinkable. The Burgundy is definately there in terms of flavour. But mainly it's a fabulous wonderous sup. And pleasingly, for a brew of such depth and strength , the best before date on the bottle is 2031. If I had managed to get hold of another I may well have saved it until new years eve in 2030.

Thankfully, Burning Sky continue to produce a lot more of their wonderful beer experiments along with excellent IPAs and other styles of beer. If you see any I would heartily recommend that you give them a try.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Citra everything

 Evening!

          Last month I bought two cans off Sean from Other Half Brewing. I had become a fan of their stuff, along with Veil Brewing, and other's whom I have temporarily forgotten the names of, for a while now. Despite the height of their prices (remember kids - I do still perhaps pointlessly strive to pay no more than a pound a percent), I managed to order 2 x 6.5% DDH IPA's. Citra everything is the second.

I realise that people - like myself - could suggest that Citra everything should simply be a can filled with green Citra hops - and it wasn't. Luckily I had brought this to enjoy a tasty hoppy cloudy beer. It did not disappoint.

It's actually called small CITRA EVERYTHING and is in a can with a lovely pinky red label. Taking the lid off  I straight away smelled the lovely Citra flavours as they wafted over my nose.I realise that numerous unsavoury undertakings could have taken place at Other Half Brewing, but their lack of more than the most basic information about the brew simply meant that I loved the flavour even more. The only frustration, and even then minimal, was a lack of explanation of the use of the word small....

Aroma wise it was almost all Citra - but despite my poor memory of the specifics of Citra am confident enough to suggest there was a mild, none hoppy, sweetness in there. In the end it mattered not. The overall taste is clean and suppable - so much so that I have had to ignore this half a can that I have left whilst I set up the P.C. After an unusally long 50 minutes in the glass am now convinced that the Citra is even more noticable - but am equally aware that this could be a trick of the mind.

I may have mentioned previously that I have had a mixed series of encounters with American, and recently also Canadian brews - but this ticked almost all of my boxes. Probably but not entirely based  on my not having been to my second home for 7 months, I do remember that the fab staff at Shakespeares supplied a large number of frankly wonderful USA breweries whose products I love - although the only one I can remember is Founders Brewing Co and their Kentucky Breakfast Stout - and I know I have not had that for years.

Finishing the murky soup was a very pleasant and equally long awaited achievement. I know its a tad pricey, but on this basis it's worth every penny.

Next time you spot a few cans I would suggest you grab some!

Your very best of health.

Wee Beefy