More wee beefy beer news

Hello again,

  as so often seems to happen in Summer (Ha!) when loads of stuff is going on, in depth writing on single subjects is not practicable. In respect of which here is another unseemly blob of information about the fine drop....

Dada

In a recent visit there was Pollards on again, along with a new Thornbridge beer for a housing charity, plus Galaxia, and the excellent Bath Gem. I tried a taste of the Thornbridge chariddee beer and was non plussed, it tasted much like Doc Fest and Pub Scrawl, and er, wait, I'm seeing a pattern here! Great if you don't want to be challenged by tastes I'm sure.

First Pint Pollards was of course immense, and very enjoyable to quaff whilst discussing the nuances of employment and ale with Jamie. I followed this with a really nice pint of Galaxia which is in fact becoming one of my favourite pale Thornbridge beers, which is a shame, since I don't think they produce it all the time. Initially I wanted to know just which Australian hopes were used until I realised with some embarrassment that Galaxia is of course the only hop used in this zesty and fruity "single hopped" pint.

The Tzara, whilst the real ales watched...

I finished with a half of Tzara, since it was still hideously warm and muggy out it seemed a good idea to finish supping with a cool quality lager, which hit all the right spots being cool, but not overly chilled, and refreshing.

Red Deer

A visit on Thursday heralded the opportunity to meet Mr Paul the DJ and his chums, along with trying two decent guest ales. One of the great mysteries of this pub to me is that there is clearly a core range of decent if somewhat predominantly hop shy malty beers, but sometimes the guests appear to be more of the same. This time was different, and I had two excellent halves of Great Heck Yorkshire Pale, and Empire Brewery Strikes Back, whilst chatting outside in the beer harden.

Bath Hotel

During yesterday's heaving skies and rivers of rain me and Chala bravely embarked on a rash and unwarranted yomp around Sheffield, including nipping in Tampa Coffee and Gusto for necessary fuel. Alas, the action of walking anywhere around Midday yesterday occasioned full saturation and so we had to go somewhere to get dry.

There were few customers in the Bath when we arrived and the barman very kindly agreed to light the fire in the back room for us, so we could warm ourselves and our layers up. Alas the Tzara was off on draught but Chala was happy with a bottle, and I opted for a pint of the Whim Hartington Bitter.

This was drier and less fruity than I remembers but was nice enough, but again the allure of the Pollards won through and I had a pint of that. I finished on a nice half of Dark Star Pale Ale, which was probably actually a little better than the Whim. Shame I couldn't make it back for the roast pork sarnies...

Rutland

A whistle stop visit last night heralded two excellent beers, which I had halves of due to being in a rush. The wonderfully quaffable Offbeat Wild Blackberry Mild and the dark bitter Elland St Georges Anger were both enjoyed with the mild probably being the beer of the night.

Tap

Still no outside facilities alas, and it was like an oven inside, but mercifully there was evidence of breweries other than Thornbridge on the bar. Having mistaken Marble Dobber for their Porter I switched sides on ordering and had a half of the robust and really quite monumental Beadecas Well from Thornbridge, and Marble Summer, which was another excellent refreshing pale beer Time constraints aside, I could have sunk a barrel of it. Yum!

Punchbowl, Crookes

Not your first choice beer pub in Crookes or indeed Sheffield but some friends were up there to attend an auction where an original Joe Scarborough painting was being sold to raise money for Help The Heroes. It was an interesting auction event, especially since the auctioneer turned singer when the bidding (which raised a lot of money - the picture went for over £2,000.00) had finished.

Some friends of ours know Joe so it was nice to get the chance to meet him and talk to him, and of course to get a preview of the picture before it was sold. Beer wise there was a choice of two - the Everards Whakatu was a low gravity beer promising NZ hops. I suppose being Everards I shouldn't have expected a Summer Wine Brewery or Hawkshead style NZ IPA beer, but it was so weak in flavour and so bereft of hops it was woeful, and also smelt off, even if it didn't taste it.

the other beer on offer was Kelham Island Easy Rider which is not so bad, and I had 3 or 4 pints of that during the evening as well. At least this demonstrates that, assuming the Noah's Ark is open/reopens, you can get real ale in every pub in Crookes, which is no bad thing.

Am off to Sunfest in a bit so hope to have something to write up tomorrow.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

I tried the new Blue Bee Brewery beer, and went to the pub, and everything

Artnoo

   yesterday I was invited out to have a few drinks with Wee Keefy, Half Pint, Lauren and Paddington. It seemed rude to refuse this kind offer, but those teasers at the Rutland Arms had made it known that Blue Bee Light Blue was on the bar, and having moaned endlessly about not getting to try iy it, it seemed equally important to go and have a taste.

                                  Rutland

So, an arduous public transport trial and a brisk stomp brought me to a very quiet Rutland where as well as Lustin For Stout there was the Blue Bee Light Blue sitting happily on the bar. I decided to have whole pint of it. It was 3.6% and pale. It didn't last very long.

Long enough though to make me aware that this is one of the best session ales I've tried. True, hoppiness in lower gravity beers isn't new or I assume impossible to pull off, but this was probably hoppier than their Nectar Pale and yet with the same balance. It was similar to the hoppy delights found in Brodies Citra, zingy and zesty citrus and exhilaratingly refreshing. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some Citra in it, but I really don't know.

I think that if we ever get round to summer this year this will be a big seller - now that Abbeydale have ditched Matins and since Kelham stopped making the scrumptious Fat Cat Pale Ale years ago, I can't see a similar beer in Sheffield breweries portfolio, and at £2.60 a pint in the Rutland, I can see it being the beer of choice for many.

Before leaving on what was a whistle-stop visit I also paused for half a Dark Star Espresso, which was different again to my last taste at Shakespeares, and was a little tiny bit more rounded at the same time. A nice "bridge" beer before my next pint in the Tap..

Sheffield Tap

In here it was 3 thick at the bar as one would expect, but what I wasn't expecting, was an orgy of Thornbridge beers (I think there may have been 7 on cask) and the rather less tempting prospects of some sweet and malt driven beers from Skinners from far away. The only sensible option therefore was to have a pint of the excellent Pollards Coffee stout.

This once again served to remind me that Pollards demonstrates a dreamy meld of complimentary flavours, with a sub plot of creamy roasted malt bitterness and coffee tastes, each taking their turn in the spotlight. Mores the shame then that I didn't have long to sample this delight, because time, and friends, wait for no man.

Uni Arms

I arrived to find the crowd at the bar and quickly got myself a pint of Blue Bee Lustin for Stout, which as well as being an excellent beer was what I and some of the others had for our next three rounds in here. This was also a chance to have a proper play about with my new camera., which, to my joy, has a setting called "through glass" - despite it being meant to be used for taking pics through windows, it seems well suited to my hobby of photographing people through pint glasses.

Later pubs

After this things became less clear. We went to the Ball on Crookes, and I remember having a pint of one of the few beers that was on which wasn't Greedy King brewed. Other than that I am at a loss to recall (and Wee Keefy can't remember neither) what was supped. We followed this with a visit to the Noah's Ark on Crookes, which was the landlord's last night (I think the pub will be closing or swapping tenants once more) where alas the real ale had run out and I was on Guinness. Humph.

 

 

So, a great night out with friends, and the opportunity to drink some of the best Sheffield brewed beers I've had for a while.

Look out for the Light Blue in all reputable independent retailers.

Wee beefy.

Torch shines on the path to beers

Orw waaaaarh,

    today marks the day that I summoned up what little pride I had and fannied about in Parson Cross and Southey to watch a family friend carry the olympic torch to, er, the end of the road.

Getting there in the first place was purgatory - every twat boarding the bus seemed incapable of assuming that they may need to alter their route - having been blessed with thinking, we waited until we knew we were near Yew Lane (having checked the timetable earlier) and asked the driver, once, quickly, when we were nearby, how far he would go, which as he had exasperatedly explained to many other morons, he didn't know, and we'd have to wait and see where the route was closed when we were near (like what we were).

So, degree in understanding basic facts attained, we waited until Chaucer Avenue and then enquired if we could embark on a trip up Yew Lane, which we did, disembarking at what was alas the end of our friends route but still not too far to be problematic. Minutes later we were with family and friends enjoying the bustling vision of unified and respectful celebration carried out by masses of people as our friend carried the torch at some speed down towards Deerpark Road. An impressive and humbling community led spectacle.

After this admirable melee we headed off on foot to the car and Wee Keefy and Carlos and Chala and I visited the Cow and Calf, Skew Hill Lane, Grenoside, eschewing the limited allure of the Clan rally emporium of racism which is the Norfolk Arms (or was last year, May 2011).

The Cow and Calf was surprisingly quiet for a warm sunny June evening and we were soon enjoying pints of inexpensive tasty beer all round. Wee Keefy and I had a pint of the Bitter each, Chala a half and Carlos a pint of the Sam Smiths Taddy lager. My pint of bitter and half a lager came to £2.85. Which was nice.

We sat outside in the courtyard, some of us having been regulars in the 1980's as kids, and a good time was had by all.

Back into (towards...) town Wee Keefy dropped us at the Hallamshire House. Here Chala had a half of Versa and myself a pint of the excellent Pollards Milk Stout.Wee Keefy joined us and had a pint of the Thornbridge Black Harry which I had a pint of with an excellent half of Galaxia. Our final round included a half of Tzara for Chala and a pint of Black Harry for me.

the Galaxia was a lot better than I recall it in the Tap, having a lovely fruity flavour which took off the bite of the hops perfectly. The Chiron however, which I tasted before opting for the Galaxia, was grim. Odd dry fruitless hop and a herby aftertaste. Perhaps not.

We had to escape after this but these two visits were a welcome finish to a great day out celebrating Sheffield, and a couple of its pubs.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy