Cloudwater Chubbles X 10th Birthday QIPA!

 Hello there readers

       back in April this year Cloudwater put out a message about the hop line up along with their intent, to brew their first QIPA - a special 10th Birthday strong Chubbles! Not only did the hop line up - Centennial, Mosaic, Strata, Columbus, Galaxy, Enigma, Citra, Nelson and El Dorado - excite, but it seemed to sit perfectly with the expected extra 2% ABV - and today, am currently trying my second taste of this absurd Miasma of tropical Hops.

The cynical amongst you may simply claim that this is just Cloudwater showing off the" easy"  spectacle of mixing numerous hops at a higher ABV - not least if you had perhaps encountered negative brewing operations previously. But weirdly, the excellence of Cloudwater's existing I, D and T IPA mixes meant that this was likely much of that - but when its as accessible and easy drinking as this - who cares?

One of the beauties of Chubbles is their pairing with The Veil Brewing, possibly in Albany, New York. I dont now much about them as a brewery but I have to say have enjoyed everything that they have thus far produced. Perhaps its heir love of producing cloudy, hop heavy, soup, that is so deliciously easy drinking. Such values do not dissipate in this offering - drinking the same now am happy to confirm that it retains a dark yellow, slightly orange appearance, and despite it being a hefty 12% it remains ridiculously easy drinking.

I realise that my knowledge of QIPAs is slightly restricted by a lack of them being produced in the UK, even more so since never ending rising fuel and ingredient costs in both the brewing and indeed the home living sectors - but - I have to mention once again how stoopidly easy drinking this remains!

Incidentally - I also wouldnt normally drink a QIPA as my 3rd beer of the day, however I did want to make sure that I at least was able to demonstrate a reasonable snifter of its taste attributes whilst I write - theres a heck of a lot of Mango and possibly stone fruit, and some sweetness - in the aftertaste - but you cant escape a truly excellent lingering Citra bitterness in the bite. This is a dry and simultaneously fruity adult beer at the very top of its game, and quite likely also the limit of the margins of its possibility of retaining bitterness in that absolute wall of citrussy hops.

In short - its basically, everything I expected of a beer of this magnitude, but brewed well.

Finally - I did half jokingly ask a few of my regular pub haunts if they were considering purchasing cans or a keg of this beer - I ordered it the Friday dinnertime on the day it appeared on their webstore - but I suspect that although it may have appeared at their bar in Manchester or London, it might not be available on KftF at any time soon,  which is a shame, because I offered to buy half a keg if they did.......

With warmest regards

Wee Beefy

 

Chubbles

 Evening all,

        When there was a Magic Rock Cannonball run at Shakespeares way back in the days when Verdant changed Howl to Allen, I started on a third of Chubbles. Arguably the fact it was a third, in my mind, somehow normalises the fact that this combo with The Veil Brewing was a whopping 10%. On that day, much of which was spent sat in the sunshine with the lovely Vikkie, I tried halves of all three of the Cannonball versions and enjoyed a can of Verdant Allen, but the Chubbles really stood out.

Since then have likely only ever had a can of it once. And this year, I missed buying a can from Beer Central on two separate occasions, such was it's popularity......

Luckily the man Luke at Dronfield Beer Stop has got quite a range of Cloudwater beers in. As I may have already mentioned, probably because am using a roobish version of Windows on my PC I registered as a key worker (as I am) on the Cloudwater website but that said my card wasn't valid. I have since found out this is due to using Vista. I have therefore been unable to order beers from Cloudwater brewery's website. Luckily there were cans of both Chubbles and chubbles 2 available - in fact, as a chum in the business confirmed, there is even a third version. Being a sensible chap I simply ordered a can of each. They were exceptional.

Am all too aware that there's a chance I may like "easy drinking" aspects more so even than the blend  of hops in the soupy brews that I sup. That's my suggestion, based solely on my own observations. The thing is, I do rank that aspect very highly. And I have tried many beers recently which lasted 5 or 10 minutes a can. Had I not enjoyed it so much previously, one of these cans may have been dispatched similarly quickly.

In addition to the above that includes the balance of a drink - and Cloudwater do now and again confirm the specific hops they use in particular brews. As not in this case, all I can say is that it tasted exactly how I remembered it - although I sadly have to admit that the amount of boohar I consumed thereafter possibly renders my memories of that exercise somewhat less supportive.

Interestingly the Chubbles 11 is an 8% version that states "discovery of pilsengris" on the front. Sadly, as the oldest man on earth, am not sure if this is an ingredient or beer style but I have to say that am certain that this was even better than the mighty first Chubbles!

Its important to admit that usually 8% is not a noticable drop in strength (although those brilliant original Cloudwater DIPAs were all 9% if I recall) but I was a little disappointed pre trying - and I had no reason. This of course makes the tasting of other Cloudwater + 6% beers afterwards  even more interesting. And now I have a regular supply, albeit without my key worker discount, I fully intend to purchase a few every month.

Am not sure how many were brewed and canned, but if you aren't concerned about higher ABV beers, and also didn't discover your impression of strong beers based on sickly sweet 1970s barley wines, I would highly recommend you give a can a try.

The very best of health!

Wee Beefy

Kommune

Hello,

     a long time ago I was in my twenties. I would have been knocking on the door of the above named place an hour before it officially opened, and yet, I think its hideous modernity would have made me hate it. Twenty years later and Kommune encapsulates both the past, being housed in the former Co-op in Sheffield, and the future, in its modern way of dispensing ales and food, in a  vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. And I really enjoyed my first visit. It seems then that as I age am liking more modern venues more. That is perhaps strange. But perhaps not as strange as the reactions of others.

I should maybe first set out my stall. I am over forty and a massive fan of the National Inventory of Unspoilt Pub Interiors. I have been to the Luppitt Inn, Duke of York at Elton and the Colliers Arms at Mossley, and fell in love with their timeless simplicity and cared for beauty. I also drink beer in all formats, from gravity mild to soupy keg, and from can or bottle. Having estranged myself from the needless pre-judgemental nonsense espoused by the Campaign for Real Complaining, I am now much happier in my drinking and much more focused on what beer tastes like and whether or not I like how it tastes. And I think this in some ways enabled me to enjoy Kommune more than people with their own expectations. I mean, lets not get started on expectation versus delivery....

I should point out that cost is a consideration for us all. And this is where expectation can play a villainous role. For clarity, I couldn't afford to go on the opening night as I had no money. Visiting on payday however, I had no concerns about prices and wasn't shocked or horrified by any. I have a friend who didn't like their first visit for reasons including the cost of a burger. And because Hop Hideout was shut when they arrived. I have to say I can understand their disappointment with the latter. I went straight to Jules and Will's venue when I arrived and as ever they did not disappoint. I didn't let the concerns expressed over food prices affect me though, and had I had more time I would have happily eaten there.

I met two friends from work as I came in and they literally left after five minutes because they said that the place made them feel uneasy. I was at the very least surprised. Yes I made a number of jokes about it being a hipster creche, and admitted that I felt old, but in all honesty these concerns were quickly eroded as I sat with friends, drinking excellent ale. I was on a fruity tropical pale from Ridgeside and it was delicious. I decided not to start on the Cloudwater and Veil Brewing Chubbles as it is 10%, but it is still one of the best beers I have ever had...

I should also point out that I didn't go to the main bar so I can't comment on its range, cost, or service. These are all important factors in your appreciation of a venue and as always Hop Hideout excelled, making me enjoy my visit all the more. Am hoping that as the venue beds in any creases in the tablecloth of customer service can be ironed out.

I have to say that as well as the range of beers I saw at Hop Hideout  I was pleased with the range of ages and cultures I saw in Kommune even more. Its easy to promote a venue as inclusive and welcoming but harder for this to play out in reality. The combo of food hall and bars is perhaps what makes this possible, I think it removes the barriers that people put up regarding their expectations of both or either. If I was in a traditional pub I would be unhappy if a family with kids turned up, just as I may recoil at the idea of people drinking and being noisy when I am eating. For some reason I didn't have any concerns about the interactions or behaviours of others here. Its rare to find a venue that offers that kind of peace and reassurance.

The last thing I will say is that Sheffield continues to slowly catch up with other great beer cities such as Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and others, regarding the type of venue that you can enjoy a beer in. I don't want to sound like am flogging an ideal, but I do think that the widening of appeal to drinkers with differing backgrounds, needs, expectations and appreciations can only be a good thing. Sheffield is a vibrant ale city. It is not stultifying. Its a giant, awakening, lively, beast.

And long may this continue

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Cannonball Run 2018

Hello,

      many pubs in Sheffield, and, no doubt Huddersfield and elsewhere, did the Cannonball Run this year. I certainly tried the new Neo in Hop Hideout and I know the Rutland also ran the three if not all four.

In case you are lost, the Cannonball Run is having all four, or in this case the three stronger, Magic Rock Cannonball beers. I don't think there is an order, or prescribed quantity. Its just a way of enjoying the Magic of the Rock and their excellent but boozy beers Cannonball, which I recall is a 7.4% American IPA, Human Cannonball, which is a 9.3% DIPA, Neo-human Cannonball which may also be 9.3% and a New England DIPA and the big sick daddy monster of them all, which is Unhuman Cannonball, a TIPA at 11.0%. This may at least explain the lack of insistence on quantity.....

On Saturday I got to Shakespeares, my second home, about 15.00 and bought a third. Not of Magic Rock mind. Of Cloudwater Citra DIPA at 8.5%. It was very very easy to drink, and its soupy orange hue looked wonderful against the dark green succulents (not sure of name) in the pot in the garden, splashed in glorious sunshine.

Next I took advice on my second beer - and had a third of the Cloudwater and Veil Brewing Chubbles TIPA. Although not doing so well at the Cannonball Run thus far, Chubbles is a simply fantastic beer. As I relaxed in the hot sun, waiting for the couple on the bench on which I must sit to get the last two hours of sunshine to leave, Vikkie turned up with a half of Human Cannonball, and soon bought me the same. So began a lengthy and fabulous run of frankly insensibly strong beers.

On my recommendation she had half a Chubbles next and myself half a Neo Human, followed by a half each of the absurdly quaffable Unhuman. The beer got louder, redder, and stronger, and the rays got hotter as we chased the sun to its final resting place on the wall on the left, and had another two halves, of unspecified potation.

We lost the sun soon after and headed for more ....sun, at Bar Stewards. V had a half of beer (am sorry, I can't remember what) and I had a half of the Lervig IPA at 7.something. We sat in the yard in the last of the bright sunshine and talked beer and barbecues and then went to purchase a can of Verdant DIPA Howl to share.

This features a few lines from her fave poet Allan Ginsberg (or one of many other human poets) and their poem Howl. As expected, Verdant had pulled out all the stops in making this a fabulous and stupendously easy drinking hoppy DIPA which went down far too easily.

We wandered back to Shakespeares not long after where we had halves of the Unhuman, or the Neo, or indeed any one of the beers we had already consumed. It was 20.00. We were sunned and tired. And we were thirsty. After a period of time the winged warrior arrived to magically spirit me away home and the next thing I knew I was getting up to do overtime......

For many reasons May has been a good month, notably the hot sunny weather, which has baked me nicely, the compny, which has treated me so well, but mostly the ale, which has stewed me similarly. The Cannonball Run is an excellent idea, and when accompanied by the quality of beer on offer at Shakespeares and Bar Stewards over last weekend, its quite impossible to resist.

Huzaah!

Wee Beefy