Hop City

Artanoo,

           a week before I went on leave, and then into self isolation, I found out from my chum and colleague S.o.J (that's the Sword of Justice - you need to pronounce the w, and everything) that this year's Hop City, had been cancelled. I can confirm that I personally have never managed to attend either this, or it's sister gathering Dark City, previously, so that is something I may have to attempt to achieve next year. In the meantime however, I recently discovered that during a moment of online uncertainty, or just happiness, I had purchased a can of the Northern Monk Hop City. That, alone, is one reason why I hope to attend very soon.....

Hop City is a frankly wonderful collaboration between hosts Northern Monk and other breweries to showcase and celebrate the wonderful choice of hops, and suppliers, in tasty brews. And this year's offering in no way disappointed.

The first thing I noticed on the back of the can was the name and logo of Yakima Chief Hops. As most of you will know this company, based in America (and I may be wrong but I suspect it's based in the West, although my brain states California, so am not sure) who supply, grow, research and release new and existing  brands, of the wonderful ingredients in our luffly bowze. A recent Abbeydale beer featured HBC 472 and HBC 692 in their excellent Deliverance DIPA, and these are new brands, in terms of release at any rate, researched and released by Yakima Chief.

The three breweries collaborating were German Frau Gruber, and a brand I had never heard of before (accept on a Smashing Pumpkins album) that being Soma Beer, as well as another new (to me) enterprise called Popihn in France. With perhaps one or two too many sups in the past, I have to admit that it's very difficult to come across a collaborative brew where I have never previously heard of two of the three cohorts, and am pleased to report that this, as well as the amazing list of hops used, produced a fabulous beast of easy drinking hoppy delight.

Oh - and I should point out that it kicks in at 9.5%. It's described as a double dry hopped (DDH ) DIPA, and looking down at the mesmerising list of products used shows how appropriate the DDH aspect was. When I first started drinking in the 1990's I can confirm that almost all strong beer was brown or black, and anything pale was gruesomely sweet.  Using such excellent ingredients, as well as the knowledge of all involved, completely removes any such fears.

The Hops used were HBC692 T90, Cyro Sabro, Cyro Citra, Sabro T90 and Citra and Simcoe T90. I wrote earlier in the year about my appreciation of Sabro as a hop ingredient, and have always loved Citra and Simcoe, but the combination of all six ingredients produced a simultaneously challenging (in a good way), and ultimately enjoyable, mass of hop bitterness and fruity flavours, rendering this output amazing. I am also aware that I may come across as somewhat easily swayed by "drinkability" but honestly, when you reach that strength and it's as refreshing as beers at 5 or 6%, then I have to say that is amazing.

Overall, whether you are searching for hops, bitterness, fruity citrus flavours or ease of drinking, then you will be very impressed by this brew, and that along with previous occasions of missing out, makes Hop City itself an ideal place to head to when ever it's next on.

In the meantime, your very best of health.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Polly's

Hello again,

        the second of potentially a small number of posts about breweries, whot bruz beer innit. Tomorrow I am receiving a delivery from another local brewery so they may come along next but in the meantime, and without checking my last three years of Faceache posts for details, here are the things I have known, noticed, and, absurdly, actually recalled, about the beer makers of the name in the title.

Earlier I asked folk on Faceache if they could remember the brewery's original name, quicker than it had taken me to do so - since a whole morning of memories was required to confirm they used to be called Loka Polly. Given their Welsh location am guessing that Loka, which I now worry may in fact be Loca, is a word of the welsh language. I understand that whilst distributing beers to a European country (and the name does escape me) they were told that such arrangements could not continue as there was already a massive soft drinks firm in that country with that same name, so they agreed to trim their name to just Polly's. Luckily, the  losing of the first four letters in no way contributed to a decline in quality.

Tonight I am drinking a collaborative brew they did with Big Mountain - at least, am assuming Big Mountain are also a brewery - one surely remembers my mea capra with that Thornbridge beer.....

Luckliy, Big Mountain are based in Chamonix according to the gen on the can, so am happy to continue. This brew, called Oh My, is a truly wonderful, light orangey yellow and fabulously cloudy pale ale at 5.8% and featuring Citra and Sabro hops, Extra pale and Munich malts, oats, wheat and London Ale yeast. As I mentioned on Faceacge earlier, the smell alone made me instantly want to quaff this - but then the wonderful mixture of flavours and desirable smoothness and easy drinkingness has caused me to slow down, and to start writing this. Currently I have a can of their 8% DIPA in the fridge, which I am very much looking forward to supping over the next week....

The beauty of this beer for me is the way the balance unfolds in my mouth - it starts with a good wall of citrussy bitterness but straight away wells up the oat and wheat mixed with the fabulous Sabro hops. I had previously ,mentioned how I had liked all beers featuring Sabro that I had thus far tried and this was no exception -  whether its just that, or the combination of that and Citra, or indeed all of the tastes included, the aroma and taste are of brilliant quality. And at 5.8%, possibly once again related to the Citra and Sabro flavours, its ludicrously easy to drink.

Am thinking now when I first came across this brewery - I am going to boldly claim that it was nearly three years ago, but to be honest I have absolutely no idea. I also can't remember the first place I saw it but I can tell you that back in the early days it took a prominent position in Bar Stewards and has always been a firm favourite of mine in there - even their some times challengingly sour beers which were released last year. That said however I have to say that these latest hoppy beers have been exceptional.

Checking their website here (for the first time ever alas) it states that they launched in early 2018 - at that point I was just getting back to drinking again after my stroke in November 2017 so that is my excuse for misremembering! I can't think of any other breweries from Mold, which we went through en route to Llanfihangel Ng Ngwynfa, obvs, (incorrectly spelled no doubt) but whether I can or not, am perfectly happy that through Alan and Charlie at the Stews I have manged to encounter this fabulous brewery.

Try them and enjoy them!

Cheers!

Wee Beefy  

Verdant and Cloudwater do colab. World can now end.

Hello,

      I worry that the title of this post may identify me as a Cloudwater or Verdant "fan boy". I recognise that by the associations of ideas and things I like, that I may have fallen into a category amongst some readers whereby I am not to be trusted on some more patina heavy issues due to my perhaps foolish love of "modern" and worse still "craft" beers. To which, I would say - what is Craft exactly? As many have found, its a liquid word. Its meaning changes per utterance. Am not a crafty darling. I just know what I like. And I don't like the term Craft.

So, having got all that out of the way, lets talk beer. At the beginning of May 2018, or other dates, a collaboration DIPA was released having been brewed by Verdant and Cloudwater Breweries. Naturally, regular readers will have correctly assessed that I had to have this. And I just have. Although it took a long time getting hold of a can....many thanks to Dave from Archer Road Beer Stop for my early birthday present!

The first thing I have to mention is Expectation versus delivery. Being a fan (not boy) of both breweries, I naturally assumed that this would rewrite the story of beer. That was my expectation. Luckily that was tempered. Expectation versus delivery always ends in disappointment I find. It was time to expect to be underwhelmed.

My other fear was that they would do something completely off kilter, and that I wouldn't like it. A marmite gose. an aubergine Hungarian IPA, a caviar stout. Luckily, and the reason that I rejoiced, they stuck to type and did an excellent DIPA. And that made me very, very happy. Because it was like all I love bout their two breweries output but slightly better. And that is all I wanted....

The label implied that the beer had been brewed at the Verdant brewery, and their signature sweet hoppy taste, maybe from the London Ale yeast they use, was prominent throughout. Despite obvious soupy orange and yellow hued comparisons in appearance, their beers are very different in how they are constructed. Verdant are sweeter, and less hoppy compared to Cloudwater. A tribute then that both of these characteristics featured strongly in Swifts or Swallows?, which is the name of the colab.

Having just drunk it I can report a lingering bitterness but also that lightly malt sweetness that frames their beers. They used Citrea and Columbus hops which may have added a lemony hint to the bitterness, along with Cloudwater standards of flaked oat and Dextrin, which are no doubt contributors to it being so easy to drink.

So two of my favourite breweries have made a highly acceptable soupy DIPA. And that makes me very satisfied. End of.

Goodbye!

Cheers

Wee Beefy

Infinity Vortex

Don't worry kids,

      my blog hasn't been hacked by Sci-fi nerds, or film buffs who love Star Wars. The title is actually the name of a beer of which I consumed quite a lot the other Tuesday at Bar Stewards.

I had started the evening across the road at my second home Shakespeares. I had a pint of Vocation Chop and Change featuring English hop Jester, which was a cracking pint, with a surprisingly citrus zest, followed by a half of Cromarty White Out session IPA at 3.something, which was an excellent palate cleanser with plenty of bite. Tastebuds awoken, I headed across the road to Bar Stewards.

I had heard about the Infinity Vortex beer from Sean at Beer Central who described it as the best IPA of the year. According to the board at Bar Stewards its 7.9%. Verdant DIPAs are usually 8% and Cloudwater's only .5% stronger so is this an I or DI PA? To be fair it doesn't matter. It was a chuffing glorious beer. Yet another significant notch on the headboard of the Patrons Project for the crew at Northern Monk.

Checking the tinterweb am satisfied that I may have misread that, as its 7.4%, and thus perfect IPA strength. Its Patrons Project 13.01, a DDH IPA with Citra, El Dorada, and, it sez, Cashmere tank petrol? brewed by Northern Monk, Other Half and Equilibrium breweries. I know I probably like my soupy hoppy IPAs a little too much but any beer over 6% that drinks like juice is a winner for me. And even though I don't know what Petrol tank or Cashmere petrol tank maybe in terms of an ingredient, something in that glorious mix made Infinity Vortex an absolute winner.

I had three, maybe three and a half pints of this superstar and may have finished on a can of the Cloudwater Chubbles TIPA. This in part may explain why I don't recall getting home. I absolutely don't regret this splurge of lupulin. It was the best....um...amount of money I have spent this year!

I remember when Northern Monk came out about five years or so ago and I didn't recall being particularly taken by their beers, but in the last two years their renown and my appreciation for their output has grown considerably. The Northern Monk tap takeover during Sheffield Beer Week at Bar Stewards helped cement that in my outlook, and last Friday I had three pints of the Northern Monk New World IPA on cask at my second home, an incomparable citrussy easy drinking hop bomb that was one of the most balanced beers I have had in years. Mind you, the beer is only 60 IBU (I think) so the balance must be what carries off the hops perfectly - a theme for a future post might be how I have come to not notice bitterness but fruity hoppiness in beer, possibly rendering IBU a meaningless measurement?

Well done to Northern Monk for once again making my drinking week with this excellent IPA, and to Bar Stewards for putting it on sale. I didn't get a can from Sean's but if he gets any more in I may get one as a birthday treat.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

BBNo 0520 and Hop City collaboration IPA.

Good evening,

         its the Friday night before the Bank holiday. Today the temperature has nudged 30 degrees and its still warm now, looking like 16 or 17 overnight. The room has a lovely orange glow from the last embers of the hot sunshine. I am crying out for a cold beverage.

I have had a bottle of beer in my fridge since late March or early April, and recently spent a sum of money on some other rather excellent ales from Sean at Beer Central. The bottle in question is the BBNos and came from Shakesepares and is the first I will use to try and cool me down. I wouldn't normally drink it straight from the fridge but am warm and alas a little sweaty and the instructions on the bottle of the unfiltered and unpasteurised ale say to do that. It also says drink fresh - it was bottled 30 January so should be drunk by 30 May. I have therefore also followed that instruction. The Hop City is chilling in the fridge whilst I write about this one...

The BBNo 05/20 is an Azacca and Amarillo IPA at 6.5%, so a perfect starting strength. The label mentions that the resinous tropical fruit flavours of the Azacca are enveloped in the soft citrus of the Amarillo - this is probably why the veer has such a piney, fruity hoppiness, although it packs a very bitter after taste.

Its colour is darker than I had imagined and I wonder if I had drunk it in February instead of May it might have been paler? Not that it matters, its still a wonderfully easy drinking punchily hopped IPA. The aroma is also beautiful , its possibly pine or hop resin that I can detect. Its definitely a characteristic of the hops used that gives it that distinctive moreish luponic tang. And now its warmed a little, there are subtle flavours of blood orange coming through. And the bitterness does not dissipate. Brilliant.

The Hop City IPA is a beer Sean raved about. I understand there was a festival in Leeds, maybe at the Northern Monk brewery, of the same name, and this collaboration was born out of or for, that. The IPA is a collaboration between Northern Monk, Cloudwater and YCH Hops. I had never heard of the latter, but a quick Google search leads you to their website which is here and information about Cyro Hops. I have heard of them, if nothing else because Cloudwater and Magic Rock I think used them, or maybe the Lupulin Powder, in some recent canned ales. Alas at present I can't recall which beers, but one of the DIPA's had Lupulin powder in it so am guessing its the same product.

The Hop City is lighter than the BBNo and has a distinctive Cloudwater nose - maybe its that J W Lees yeast they use? For a hoppy 6.2% pale its incredibly easy drinking and the hoppy bitterness is subtle but ever present. The can proclaims they used HBC 344, which is a new or maybe experimental hop, along with Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic. The result is a lovely blend of tropical fruit, spice and bitterness.

These are two fantastic beers that showcase the hops used perfectly, and both have tropical fruit notes with lingering bitterness, so are right up my street.

Lets hope that now I know about it, I will be able to try similar and other hoppy ales at Hop City 2018.

Cheers!


Wee Beefy

The Four Degrees

Now then.....

       no Lazerngennulmurn, this is not a post about a discalculate soul pop covers band, instead it is my musings on a rather magnificent collaboration IPA in a can which I purchased and supped before entering "the dark time" of no frol. Please find hereafter some observances about said luponic compound.

The first thing to mention is Boak and Bailey, erstwhile beer blogging legends, successful authors,  and persons who create a host of reactions queries and debates from readers by writing in a concise but simultaneously voluminous style. I ramble, Boak and Bailey subtly, but intentionally, ask numerous questions in 30 lines. Its quite a skill.

Years ago, in the past, they wrote a brewery map or family tree starting with Kelham Island and Thornbridge breweries. There is a link to the PDf about Kelham here. Using the much over-relied-upon meter of "facts" they sewed together a tapestry of links between the starter brewery and where their former brewers had since gone. Kelham Island, it seemed, had certainly set a lot of brewers careers in motion.

It was interesting therefore to find that the 4 Degrees of Separation IPA was based on a reunion of the current and three previous brewers at Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield. Especially given that one of the founders of Abbeydale Brewery, Patrick Morton, used to work at Kelham Island Brewery and was featured in that very same article. Abbeydale may not be a brewing family tree, but it certainly has notable links between some excellent and talented brewers. The brewers involved in this were Abbeydale, Magic Rock, Northern Monk, and Siren Craft. All worked or brewed at Abbeydale in the early stages of their career and as the list above illustrates, have since gone on to start successful enterprises of their own.

Alas the can has insufficient space (although it features amazing artwork from Yasmina Kontiki) to tell you whom it is from each so am going to guess that Stuart Ross of Magic Rock was one, since he brewed in Sheffield - I know he did at Crown and am willing to guess he did at Abbeydale too. A prize of the joy of knowledge goes to anyone who can name the other two....

Its great that Abbeydale have branched out into the kind of full on, hop laden, citrus hop smack, fruity, cloudy, and dryly bitter IPA's that I drink so many of these days. Its better still that this type of production sits so comfortably in its portfolio along with Moonshine, Deception and Absolution. Abbeydale produce cask, keg and small runs of cans (I understand they hired a canning machine for this) and whilst they may brew more cask than anything else there is no detectable "battle" for style supremacy. What they have done is forged ahead into new areas of beer style and production, whilst remaining united behind all their products.

As a footnote to this, since you are probably justifiably expecting it, the beer was fantastic. It was very very easy to drink, cloudy, or as I call it "London opaque" (thanks Nate!) and had a wonderful lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.  From memory (AKA the can) I can recall tasting Amarillo, Cascade, Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy in the heady hoppy mix. That last line is simultaneously accurate and dishonest. Not because I couldn't taste any of the hops listed on the can, but because I had to look on the can to remember....

I did like as well that its initial flavour was slightly less juicy hopped than I was expecting but soon became overwhelmingly fruity and dry as I supped. It was a darkly orange 7% IPA of deliciousness, and the glass of it probably lasted me about 15 joyful minutes. A great testament to the drinkability and wonderful balanced flavours in the beer.

I understand some may still be for sale in Sheffield but I also understand it was a limited production  line so I would recommend that you grab some whilst you can. Well done to Abbeydale for not only setting the three protaganists on a career in brewing, but also bringing them back together to treat us to a fantastic IPA, made, of course, in sunny Sheffield.

Your very bestest of healths!


Wee Beefy

Sun Fest 2015 at the Rising Sun

Hulloo,

        last year I missed the great July booze up that was Sun Fest, this year I managed to go twice. Now in its 9th year, here's what I saw, drank, and most importantly, remembered.

I met Tash on Friday in town. We've both had, and indeed still have, a cold, and some sort of fever. Tash didn't want to head straight off to the festival so I joined her in the Grapes. We sat in bright hot sunshine around 15.30 supping cool pints of Abbeydale Moonshine, and listening to the conversations on the back terrace. It was bliss, but I wanted a slightly wider choice of ales. I left Tash to acclimatise and headed for Sun Fest.

Arriving before 17.00 I remembered that you gain entry in a tent in the car park, and found it straight away. For a tenner, I got a glass and a voucher in £1's and 10 pences, and headed for the beer tent next door. First beer was a lovely refreshing 3.5% pale, Rune from Fyne Ales. I sat at a table in bright sunshine, and relaxed. This was a good start.

Next up was another good beer - this time from Chadwicks Brewery in Kendall, and their lovely Spring Hop. A deliciously refreshing, herbal, hoppy pale which went down well. I was now joined by Patrick and Kate, or David, as she is known in polite company. They had started on the Elland and something else, and both were OK, but thereafter all our choices started going downhill.

I tried some Sentinel beer next for the first time. It was really cloudy, but tasted OK, although am not sure it was very balanced. Zest fest was zesty, and hoppy, but possibly not quite ready.

My next beer was a half of the Black Iris and Hand Drawn Monkey smoked Chilli farmhouse IPA. It didn't taste of chilli. It didn't taste of IPA. It didn't taste of farmhouses. It tasted of watered down orange juice with smoke. It was initially interesting, and eventually vile. As the band FFS said - collaborations don't work . This would remain the case until the next day......

Meanwhile, Patrick tried the Cloudwater Grisette. Apparently, hype states that Cloudwater are officially the best brewery in the world. Luckily, I had seen no such hype - but still was mightily unimpressed with this beer. A very feint taste of hops on a sea of nothing. It tasted ever so slightly of saison in the middle but little else. Humph!

I spoke to Pat Morton next and asked him what he had liked - he immediately recommended the Single Speed Mosaic from Fixed Wheel Brewery. This turned out to be much better, and was a favourite of a few people.  I then tried some Astaroth on keg from Oakham Ales. Having always loved their beers I had high hopes for this - but it tasted strange. Tinny, disjointed, although when jointed, hopped lovely.

I tried a Quirky brewery gold next but that was poor so moved onto something far better - Mallinsons Cha cha cha. Well balanced pale and hoppy was what it said , and what it delivered. I finished the Friday night visit with a half of Acorn Gorlovka, always a go to dark ale, and it was lovely.

The next day I arrived about 15.00 to meet Rich Hough and friends. It was Rich's birthday and much was planned, starting at the festival. It was, by the way, also the birthday of Diane from the Fat Cat. Beers and best wishes to both. We were joined by Kath, Rich's brother Ed, Anthony, John Clarke, Mark, Steve, Yvonne and others to wish Rich well. And to drink of course. Which reminds me, the other thing that happened was that I tasted some far better beer.

I started on a half of the Elland Pacifica, a 4.6% Golden Ale, and this started things off nicely. I then tried a keg beer, and discovered one of the brews of the festival. Buxton and Wilderness Brewing Co in Arizona did a 6.7% brown ale called Bitter Recognise. Clear, crisp., hoppy and with lovely balancing malt, this was a fantastic beer.

I thought about trying the Burton Bridge Burton Ale but went instead for the Brass Castle - at least, I think I did. Alas, no memories exist of this beer which was, one assumes, delicious. Rich let me try some of his excellent Abbeydale Collaboration pint of Griffin'd Ale from Abbeydale and Griffin Claw in Detroit. Claims of it being a beast of an IPA were treated with some suspicion by me but by eck, it was packed with hops. Excellent! This was tasted whilst I supped a third of the Fernandes 6.0% Stone Circle IPA - a lovely balanced beer, although less hoppy than I recall the pre Ossett IPA's of Fernandes being.

My final two beers were Great Heck Black Jesus, a 6.5% Black IPA, which was on good form as Great Heck beers usually are, and I finished on a half of Siren Undercurrent Oatmeal Pale. This was perhaps a little over carbonated but as always with Siren beers was on great form.

Overall then, after a promising start and a very icky middle, I thought the beer range was very good, as it always has been. It just took me longer than I expected to find the best beers of the festival, which for me, were the Chadwicks Spring Hop and Buxton and Wilderness Bitter Recognise. Looking forward to sampling the wares on offer at the decade festival next year.

Cheers!


Wee Beefy

Unfestival

Now then,

        despite the c-units at www.referer.com hijacking this blog am ploughing on with info about stuff, not to mention things. The last week, for instance, has been busy but rewarding, and here are some details about why.

Last week I had two fantastic sessions with friends in Shakespeares. You've seen the Shakespeares. The first saw me supping a pint of the Liverpool Organic beer with a Higsons mat on the front. Obviously it had a name, but this info is from 8 days agpo. You've got NO chance, seriously... I moved onto a half and then more halves of the much vaunted and eagerly awaited Moor and Arbor collaboration alliance stout at 1 million per cent. Of course, I jibe, it was only 9.2%. Only.

Crucially it was a bout £2.00 a pint cheaper than the Rutland which is why I had waited so long to try it. Yeah, I could have paid over the odds, but why bother? There are many reasons why one pub charges more than another, and the Shakespeares free house status plays a part - but that doesn't excuse the absurdities of the Sheffield Tap on any grounds, to use an example.

Anyhoo, I interspersed between the double dark alliance and another beer which was on, and was dark - whatever it was it was very nice and was likely from Salamander. Always a reliable source of dark ales.

On my next visit I was on pints of the Mallinsons kjuwregtew6546984dsgfs hop beer. Yep. That's right. I have absolutely no idea what beer that was. But it was new hop, with a 3 and a b in it, and it was delicious. I had a pint and a half. Afterwards I met a friend to head for the Wellington. In here we supped a surprisingly and unusually poor Harley's Sorachi - not off, just tired. We sat in the sun enjoying it before moving onto the Ship.

The Ship featured my favourite Bradfield and indeed summer session beer Bradfield Pale at 5.0%. A few pints of this mighty quaffable pale were despatched whilst listening to an odd but eclectic mix of tunes and catching up with a fab friend. Before long however, Shakespeares beckoned once more. And, I confess, this wasn't a research night. So I have no idea what passed my lips.

Finally, on Monday I was off to Crookes with the Wee men for a meal. Our surprising choice was the Ball, previous battlefield of ill informed staff and Greedy King hate policies, to see if their new softer side, i.e. the food, was up to scratch. To my surprise it was. Prior to my arrival I had warmed up at the Closed Shop with an excellent half of Blue Bee Tangled Up, (although, perhaps a little sweeter than normal?), and a pint of the impeccable;e XT Dark Mild. Nom.

In the Ball, pints of the new Abbeydale Invocation made with hops from space, and also Bradfield Farmers Stout, were supped. WK was on the stout all night and WF tried the Copper Dragon Black Gold and a half of the Kelham Sweet Home Alabama.

The beer quality was very good and much to my surprise the food was excellent. I'd expected oven by numbers pubco (Greedy King are that, but worse lets face it) fare but it was, whether by trick or hard work, bloody nice food, and although we all went for full price dishes the 2 for..erm,....less offer featured some great meals.

So, in conclusion, that rounds off a fantastic week of mostly excellent beer and completely fabulous company, which I hope to repeat again soon.

Cheers

Wee Beefy

Beers not drunk at festivals

Hello,

     after my refreshing beer festival visits and a mildly unimpressive fortnight of stress inspired over indulgence, I can finally take a breather and tell you about what happened when I visited pubs recently.

The day of my fretful job interview saw me "relaxing" (I was unexpectedly very thirsty afterwards) in Shakespeares, who recently and unfairly planned a beer fest to coincide with SIBA BeerX, having some fine pints. Most notable amongst those on offer was the rather unfortunately named Uranus from Mallinsons. Having not spotted it on Pumpclip Parade yet I'd like to think it shows a planet. And no black hole. Etceterra.

Luckily despite the potential for groansome despondence the beer was unsurprisingly brilliant, zesty but well balanced and very moreish. Before Wee Keefy came down to wish me well, I also tried a pint of Salamander Zulu Bride which was no doubt a porter, and against my better judgement, a Rat Brewery beer, their collaboration with Brew Co, Brewtown Rats, which is a wheat beer. Erm, probably. It was ages ago.....

After my jaunts on Tuesday and Thursday I was meeting Angie at The Bath Hotel for pints on Friday afternoon, yer know, practising for the beer fest and all that. As I was off that day this occurred at 14.00 and I arrived to an empty pub. Frustratingly other people arrived but I suppose Friday is a bad day for an exclusive pint. As is one when you invite a friend.

Steff was on hand to dispense beers and exciting news about Thornbridge collaborations with their staff. Two new beers are soon (well, May-ish) to hit the bars, with the names a complete secret. One is a pineapple and marmite gueze called Agadon't, and will be brewed by the Man of Ash, the other an ice cream and paracetamol mild called Nurofun Light, brewed with Ed and Steff at the Bath. Both promise to have real names, and exist.

On the bar here I tried a pint of the Saltaire Cascade to ease me into things followed by something very enjoyable from Dark Star which I can't possibly remember. I also had, amongst crisps and halves of Thornbridge Colorado Red, which is far better this time round, a fantastic roast pork sandwich to guard against sudden sleep or lack of cohesion later. It didn't completely work, but tasted lovely as always.

Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest but I had reluctantly agreed to go on a walk with Chala. Having run into monetary confusions (i.e. where the hell has it gone?) I opted to take enough change for a warm drink and a snack and we headed off to meander, a plan postponed slightly by the dumplings at Wirst Mainline running the 17 15 minutes late. Well done.

We alighted at Norton Church and walked into Graves park, and soon arrived at the Rose Garden Cafe. Cracking bacon sarnies in here, and my coffee was nice, but one thing that struck me was they sell bottled beers. A range of small Thornbridge offerings including Jaipur, and larger Wentworth  bottles. Not sure what restrictions apply (if any) but it would be a great place to sit in the summer with a cool beer looking out over the park.

A longish circular walk followed before we came out onto Derbyshire Lane and into the Mount Pleasant. Landlord Stuart doesn't yet know the dates of his next beer festival but expect a Summer one to be announced soon. Five beers were on, the Tetley Rebadge Mount Pleasant, Milestone Sherwood Stag, Greene King IPA, Kelham Easy Rider and Adnams American IPA. I had the latter whilst Chala had a pint of the Easy Rider, both were sensibly priced at under £3.00.

Seeing as how we were walking down to Chesterfield Road next, it seemed churlish not to pop in the Cross Scythes, since they erm, take cards. I quickly bought a pint of Halcyon on cask, alas this was, as I suppose I should have guessed given its run out most other places, a little tired, but still a great drink. Chala meanwhile had the Craft Union, a beer she took quite a shine to, having decided against Black Harry.

As time passed we accidentally had more beer - me a pint of the surprisingly sweet Dark Star Festival, Chala plenty more Craft Union, whilst I also tried the Hopfweizen Dunkel and a pint of Jaipur, before heading back to the safety of Halcyon. Deliciously decadent afternoon removal.

One last stop beckoned, that being the White Lion where we saw Mandy, John, a bloke in a tiger suit and Aussie John, whilst supping Jaipur and something called Celtic Dark. I got some great pics sat in the snug, and it was a really nice way to finish a lazy Sunday.

So its been a boozy old time of late, but nice to get in some rarely visited venues as ever, and to be reassured by the commendable reliability of old friends like Shakespeares and Mallinsons.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy  

Collaborations that work.

Hello,

     last night I got to try a couple of wildly different collaborative brews. The only thing they had in common was that without exception, they were both excellent.

Thornbridge, whom you may have heard of, have been at this collaboration malarkey for a while now. Downstairs I have bottles of the Alliance, a stupendously strong series of aged beers brewed in conjunction with Brooklyn brewery in 2007. I have had one of them before. Unfortunately, it was too overwhelmingly strong to be enjoyable, but could, when I open a bottle (hopefully on the 18th) at my beer tasting with friends, be a little more rounded and approachable.

Also downstairs I have a bottle of Coalition, a 7% Old Ale brewed with Dark Star Brewery in Sussex in 2009, with a price tag so heinously astronomical that I only own this bottle due to the kindness and generosity of Davefromtshop. I have yet to try this beer, but I get the feeling it will be very nice based on the ingredients. There are liberty hops involved, but surely Thornbridge wouldn't ruin the old ale style so well represented by Harveys and Highgate by ramming it full of bitterness?

More recently Thornbridge brewed a collaboration with Odell brewery from the U.S, and bottled it (literally, not backed out). Pond Hopper was a heavy drinking hoppy but overly chewy spectacle  which was memorable less for its alleged brilliance than for its ludicrous price - I still laugh now thinking of someone at the Hallamshire House in Commonside telling me with a straight face that that they didn't seem to be selling many at the newly reduced price of £18.00 (albeit for 750ml) a bottle!

Colorado Red also appeared recently, thankfully I have seen it exclusively on cask, so it hasn't attracted the unpalatable Keykeg mark up or retailed at £12.00 a go in bottle, (or has it!?) and this was also brewed in conjunction with Odell. I can't say I loved it, but it was a nice enough red ale which made a pleasant change from dire versions of Kipling and Jaipur.

Now however, Thornbridge seem to have finally excelled themselves with a collaboration. It's called Horny Goat, a mocha porter brewed to 6.2% in collaboration, I think, with the brewery of the same name in Milwaukee. The details are a bit hazy based on one look at a pump clip but what is crystal clear is that this is a fantastic beer.

I actually spotted it on Saturday but was 2 pints and a half a Halcyon in and decided against trying it, but last night I had two ruefully short lived, wondrously smooth, effortlessly drinkable and hugely enjoyable pints of this beer. Complemented by a range of beers excellent even for DAda, this was the star of the show, bettering even the Halcyon. More please Thornbridge!

The other beer collaboration I encountered last night was that from Blue Bee Brewery of Sheffield. This time, not a mindmeld of two brewers but an offer by brewer Rich to Shakespeares staff to brew a beer at the brewery. I don't know exactly which of the Shakespeares staff brewed (its a lovely idea for it to have been every single one of them) but I know for certain that the end result is a beer called (Jesus, I hope I don't get this wrong!) Shake Rattle and Roll, which features a glorious blend of lovely hops.

Myself and Mr P got into Shakespeares just in time to get the last pint and a generous free nearly half pint of the last out to top up with. Alas for Mr P it was I who took up the honour of supping the Blue Bee, of course, but we shared the free top up.

Not only was this a fine pint but also, and I hope Rich won't mind my saying, a welcome return to form for Blue Bee after a very rocky September. I was puzzled by the Brown Street, horrified by some of the Nectar and Tangled Up, but nothing, not even the excellent Techmophobeer (remember its MOvember kids!) could match the hoppy glory of this one off brew. I just hope, having enjoyed it so much, that I wasn't witnessing the last ever barrel sell out at Shakespeares....

So there you have it, meritable, useful, understandable and ultimately incredibly enjoyable collaborative brews do exist, and they don't have to be plus 9% to be good.

They also don't need to cost a fortune. What terrifically good news!

Wee Beefy

Did I see you with IBU?

Morning!

    earlier on today I was able to taste a very special beer indeed. Its made with ingredients, including all those that you would expect to see, then put in casks, sent to a public house, and proceeds from there through beer lines using a pump and out into a pint glass.

Luckily, it managed to be a little more interesting than that....

DCLXV1 (nice catchy name lads!) was brewed by Steel City Brewing, beers they brew, here of using hops fame, and Arbor Ales, who are from Bristol and everything. Its 6.66% and 666IBU. Now, I'm no biochemist (or even a brewer) but I am led to believe that the above International Bitterness Units measurement makes this a very very hoppy beer indeed. And as if to reiterate that, I could smell the hops when the pint was put on the bar in front of me. Wow.

By way of comparison, BrewDog Hardcore IPA has an IBU of 150 (but Punk IPA apparently only 40?) so if you ever tried Hardcore and pulled a lime, salt and tequila face you might expect this Steel City beer to kill your tastebuds. Except it doesn't.

Its a Black IPA in style, granted, and they can often have masses of harsh dry bitter hops in the initial taste, and some Black IPA's, regrettably, fail to balance this out with the malts used and the way this leads through that malt to the aftertaste. This beer, on the other hand, achieves that perfect balance (considering the amount of hops such as Sorachi Ace and Simcoe used) of astringent hop, quickly followed by creamy malt and ushers a mixture of both into the finish, with hoppy flavours lingering long in the mouth.

This may be the best beer I have tried from Steel City Brewing. And its perhaps because the level of threatened bitterness, whilst am sure is there, is incorporated so successfully into the overall flavour. One wonders if perhaps it was the collaboration with Arbor that made the beer so much more balanced? Not for a minute wanting to take anything away from Steel City, but weirdly, I found the hoppiness in this beer nicer and easier on the palate than that in both the Black Hops and the Dark Funeral.....

In fact, the most terrifying or perhaps equally the most impressive thing about this beer was its excellent drinkability. Granted I only had one pint (it was 2 in the afternoon, am not mental) but had I been in for a longer session I reckon I could have put away three quite easily.

Finally, its not clear how much of this will be available and for how long so if you fancy a taste I suggest you get down to the Rutland Arms on Brown Street and get some.

Now to wait for the desperately silly Mikkeller 1000IBU beer, which I understand is served in lead lined tankards....

Wee Beefy