Hulloo,
Its much more likely these days that I will visit a newly opened venue than revisit an old haunt, especially given the searing pace at which Sheffield's beer scene is evolving and expanding. In the past fortnight however I have, amongst rather too many, visited an old pub new to me, a new pub in an existing licensed venue which was also new to me, and revisited two pubs that had previously gone somewhat daarn ill....
Nearly two weeks ago, prior to the first venue, I caught the bus up to Heeley and visited the Brothers Arms, which has remained a cracking boozer, and where I had a pint of Bad Seed Imperial lager, sat outside in their wonderful beer garden, enjoying the fabulous cloud patterns in the sky, and, of course, the beer. I then nipped to the Sheaf View where I had a pint of Neepsend and Lost Industry Spruce Almighty on cask, and a half of their dry hopped sour shutter speed on keg. The Shutter Speed was served flat, which didn't suggest it was OK at all, although upon finding out it was a sour the aroma and flavours, when mixed with the dry hopping, made more sense. Evidence I should read beer labels more carefully methinks! I also caught up with Jon and Mandy in the continuously excellent White Lion, next, and had two excellent pints of Abduction, sat in the snug on the left, before getting a taxi to Jabeerwocky.
This new bar is housed in the former Bar Ambassada PL on London Road, a Polish venue. There is still a similar theme to some of the beers sold and Eastern European dishes feature on the excellent food menu. I discovered whilst reading up on the venue after visiting that it is owned or run by Chris who used to be manager at the Bath Hotel. I got to know Chris whilst visiting there and it was ages ago that I spotted him in Bar Stewards (or he me) and he, probably, told me about his new venture. I understand that his partner is in charge of sourcing the food. This puts an extra glint on my single visit, where although the card machine wasn't working, I still had a pint of Gipsy Hill Partizan Pale on keg, and a meal which I often eat at the Czech run Old Queens Head, the name of which currently escapes me. The food was delicious (and much needed), as was the beer, so I will definitely be arranging a return visit soon.
Early last week I was catching up with the wonderful Tash and after meeting in town for a wander and some shopping we decided to pop into the Roebuck on Charles Street, now renamed (perhaps recently?) as the Roebuck Tavern and Kitchen. I used to go in here in the nineties, ended up there during quite a few team nights out in the Noughties, and gave it a go when it was owned by Wood Street Brewery (now no more). The last time I went in was probably three or four years ago and it was fairly terrible. Walking past, we saw boards advertising craft (shudder) beers and food from Yorkshire, and were swung by it's promise to serve proper Yorkshire fishcakes, not rissoles....
On entering there seems to have been a subtle redecoration, and true to their claim the beers on cask did seem to be from Yorkshire - I didn't check them all though as I noticed they had Blue Bee Centennial IPA on at 5.0% so went for a pint of that and a large glass of white for Tash. We tried sitting inside on some stools next to a shelf but there was a red hot radiator on right next to the seats so we headed out onto the terrace for a more comfortable drink and a catch up.
The Blue Bee was a little odd - it was not off but seemed to somehow taste like two separate concoctions. Knowing the breweries wares as I do I was unconvinced that this was how they had intended the beer to taste, but it was palatable so I decided not to mention it.
I did however go inside to the obviatorium, and found there was no working hand drier and the cold tap was rammed firmly and fully on and un-turn-off-able. I managed to turn my tap off with some wrangling so when I went past the bar I pointed out that the tap was on full and couldn't be turned off and that there was no working hand drier. The response I received encapsulated a complaint made by my friend Dougie about younger people being unable to apologise. He had encountered dire service and rooms at an expensive hotel and the starlet behind the counter had said thankyou, instead of, for example, "am really sorry to hear that", or, "we will knock something off your bill, or give you a voucher", or similar. The response to my reporting the above was met with "thanks for letting us know". Well, thanks back. I will go and sit outside with my wet hands whilst your bathroom fills with water. Its such a shame that getting two basic features of a pub right eluded the people at the Roebuck, especially when their beer range has improved and their food sounds very tempting.
The Saturday before I had gone to the Grindstone in Crookes with WK and many of his and our friends to finish his birthday celebrations. I had started drinking in this pub in 1991 when it was still owned by Wards. It was the first and only place I ever tasted Wards Kirby Ale, and also the first place I read Beer Matters magazine. Its fair to say that as well as a different number of previous reputations, the pub has since also had a number of different owners, and rumours that Greedy King were going to sell it may or may not have ousted, perhaps the third management team to walk out and leave the pub closed in the last couple of years. Whether related or not this pub is now owned by Stancill.
Arriving at 22.45 on a Friday night we expected the pub to open til 23.30 or midnight, in line with other venues in Crookes but after my half jokingly telling Wee Keefy to hurry up, they called last orders at 22.55, with the pub already starting to empty by 23.20. I know that in the last thirty years most pubs used to shut at this time but things have surely moved on? That said, although the keg was expensive, all the real ales were £2.50 a pint so I had a couple of pints of Stancill India Ale, and sat around a giant table in a bay window with the gang. In effect we didn't really spend long enough to make a detailed assessment but if nothing else, at least its open, and out of Greedy King's hands....
My final stop was yesterday in Penistone, a place I have only been to the pub in once before. Myself and WK walked from Royd Moor in the warm Easter Sunday sunshine and knowing their beer festival was on we stopped for a couple of halves each in the White Heart, who were hosting the free festival, before walking back to the car. WK tried a half of the Penistone Amber (I think) and I the same brewery's Back Oil stout which had a very distinctive and overpowering burnt taste to it. WK then had a half of Ashover Font which was excellent and myself a Fernandes Blue something, which was very enjoyable. The beers at the festival are all £3.20 a pint but I am told that normally in the bar all the beers are £4.00 a pint, which is pretty pricey for a 3.8% bitter on cask. WK went on Good Friday and expected to enjoy the Hog Roast which was advertised but was told that they weren't having one on Good Friday, and there was no evidence that there had been one on Sunday or was going to be. Again, little things, but puzzling why nobody has sorted them out. Am led to believe as well that this is one of the few places in the town to get a choice of real ales, so it is perhaps somewhere I may pop back into to check out it and its competition.
Having visited four completely different venues with differing results in each, this once again shows that the range of places to try beers in different types of location continues to change and expand apace. And it has also been a perfect way to enjoy the made up festival of bunnies that is Easter....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Roebuck Charles Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roebuck Charles Street. Show all posts
Monday, 22 April 2019
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
A pub crawl in sunny Sheff
Good afternoon,
usually on bank Holiday Monday, certain things almost inevitably happen. It pisses it down with rain. We arrange to go somewhere miles from home full of people united in their abject disappointment at how crap everything has turned out to be. There is very rarely much in the way of good beer. Tensions are laid bare. It would almost be better being at work. So this year I had a change.
The venue? Some good pubs in Sheffield. Who with? Whoever from my extended drinking family I came across en route. The plan? Refreshing beer. Yummy, tasty, refreshing beer, that tasted yummy and was refreshing.
I started in the Sheffield Tap. It was gloriously sunny and I was able to grab a spot at one of the tables outside watching a tumult of vehicles and pedestrians missing out on the beery delights I had before me. That was Outlaw Low Life (wow, catchy name..) and half of Tapped Brew Co Bramling Cross. The Low Life was a 2.8% beer. After the Government's "sensational" plan to cut duty on lower gravity beers, literally tens of them have been brewed to almost nobody's knowledge or delight.
This was the 4th such beer I've tasted. It was actually quite good - none of the cask versions have lacked flavour but this managed to have enough body to carry it. The Bramling Cross meanwhile was a really enjoyable beer with lots or aromatic British hops to tingle the taste-buds.
I popped in the Showroom cafe bar next upon rumours a bit ago that they were serving more than one beer, and not always the same one. There was a real cider from Westons, and Thornbridge Sequoia and Abbeydale Now Then. It seemed rude to miss out on the Now Then beer so I supped a half (£1.60) whilst siting slightly jealously watching people walking outside in the sunshine. Only a hardy few, myself included, stuck it out in the heavy heat indoors.
Soon after I arrived at the Rutland Arms to find much talked about Arbor/Dark Star (I think) collaboration beer Bock Star on. As it was 6.7% I started with a much more sensible Mallinsons Nelson Chinook. This ticked all the right boxes, although it lacked some of the balancing fruitiness that Mallinsons brews often have. I also gave in and the Bock Star anyway, despite its strength, on the premise that I was going to eat.
They had a home cured bacon sandwich made with homemade bread on the menu. Straight away I had to think about my reputation for only eating bacon sandwiches, which keeps Stu awake at night. In an act of wanton rebellion, I opted for a Blue Bee Lustin for Stout steak pie and chips. In your face familiarity! I then repaired to the beer garden to bag the last bit of sun by hoiking the table further up the slope towards the entrance ( a feat which would prove pointless as the sun naturally moved higher and thus over the rest of the table, meaning I ad to jolly well hoik it back again!).
I finished off with a Steel City beer which I struggled to read the name of but knowing the recent popular theme of the demise of the milk snatcher, I surmised that it might have been Walpurgis Nacht. But it could have been another version of Metal Fatigue.. or just original Metal Fatigue. Clearly some sort of fatigue was encountered...
After I left I had to nip in the Roebuck to avail myself of a resource and ended up buying a half of Yellow wood IPA from Wood Street Brewery. A strong, malty, orangey brown beer with a smattering of hops in the end of the taste which doesn't really sell itself as an IPA. Luckily I know not to raise my expectations too much re the Roebuck and Wood Street beers so this was a pleasant enough diversion.
An unexpected stop came about as I snook across Tudor Square where everyone was watching the snooker. A cry of "Wee Beefy!" rang out and I quickly spotted some blobs and a waving stick. As I neared it turned out these were humans waving their hands, and I knew them. Carlos and Jambon were settled, albeit slightly uncomfortably on the paving stones, soaking up the atmosphere. Sensing I was becoming a trifle refreshed I wasn't expecting to have a drink but Jambon kindly bought me a pint of the excellent Blue Bee Brown Ball from the Old Monk. The "bitterest brown beer ever" was just as reassuringly brutal as I'd hoped.
My penultimate stop was the Closed Shop at Commonside. I had hoped to experience the wonder of the legendary beer garden, but once again I arrived too late (although, to be fair, they didn't open til 16.00 so the only way I could have enjoyed its sunny glory would have been to have sat in it when the pub was shut...)
Here I had a Raw Majjik Mild, which alas had died a death, so replaced it with a pint of Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla Stout. Hardly a subtle affair, but far more beer like and enjoyable than the Plum Porter drink. I had a couple of pints of this whilst chatting with Nate Rawg in da house (not literally, we were still in the pub) and Mr Stephens, before moving onto a half of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA. Having only a half was a sensible move since, against all my expectations and all that I previously understood about drinking, as the day wore on I was mysteriously feeling less sober. Mind boggling...
Next, for the information of Nathan and Andy, I DID NOT go to the Hallamshire House as alleged, but instead went to fail to buy anything from the closed Dram Shop and headed into town on the bus to visit the Bath Hotel.
Here Trooperstar Steff was at hand (along with other bar lady whose name I forget - sorry, other bar lady whose name I forget) to recommend I had a wildly insensible pint of Dark Star Six Hop (only 6.5%!) at £4.00 a pint, and to chat with me about stuff not to mention things. The Six Hop was very nice, but a slightly unrealistic challenge so late in the day. It was enjoyable nonetheless.
So, no rain, no crowds, no disappointment and no discord. I look forward to following this formula at the end of the month as well!
Wee Beefy
usually on bank Holiday Monday, certain things almost inevitably happen. It pisses it down with rain. We arrange to go somewhere miles from home full of people united in their abject disappointment at how crap everything has turned out to be. There is very rarely much in the way of good beer. Tensions are laid bare. It would almost be better being at work. So this year I had a change.
The venue? Some good pubs in Sheffield. Who with? Whoever from my extended drinking family I came across en route. The plan? Refreshing beer. Yummy, tasty, refreshing beer, that tasted yummy and was refreshing.
I started in the Sheffield Tap. It was gloriously sunny and I was able to grab a spot at one of the tables outside watching a tumult of vehicles and pedestrians missing out on the beery delights I had before me. That was Outlaw Low Life (wow, catchy name..) and half of Tapped Brew Co Bramling Cross. The Low Life was a 2.8% beer. After the Government's "sensational" plan to cut duty on lower gravity beers, literally tens of them have been brewed to almost nobody's knowledge or delight.
This was the 4th such beer I've tasted. It was actually quite good - none of the cask versions have lacked flavour but this managed to have enough body to carry it. The Bramling Cross meanwhile was a really enjoyable beer with lots or aromatic British hops to tingle the taste-buds.
I popped in the Showroom cafe bar next upon rumours a bit ago that they were serving more than one beer, and not always the same one. There was a real cider from Westons, and Thornbridge Sequoia and Abbeydale Now Then. It seemed rude to miss out on the Now Then beer so I supped a half (£1.60) whilst siting slightly jealously watching people walking outside in the sunshine. Only a hardy few, myself included, stuck it out in the heavy heat indoors.
Soon after I arrived at the Rutland Arms to find much talked about Arbor/Dark Star (I think) collaboration beer Bock Star on. As it was 6.7% I started with a much more sensible Mallinsons Nelson Chinook. This ticked all the right boxes, although it lacked some of the balancing fruitiness that Mallinsons brews often have. I also gave in and the Bock Star anyway, despite its strength, on the premise that I was going to eat.
They had a home cured bacon sandwich made with homemade bread on the menu. Straight away I had to think about my reputation for only eating bacon sandwiches, which keeps Stu awake at night. In an act of wanton rebellion, I opted for a Blue Bee Lustin for Stout steak pie and chips. In your face familiarity! I then repaired to the beer garden to bag the last bit of sun by hoiking the table further up the slope towards the entrance ( a feat which would prove pointless as the sun naturally moved higher and thus over the rest of the table, meaning I ad to jolly well hoik it back again!).
I finished off with a Steel City beer which I struggled to read the name of but knowing the recent popular theme of the demise of the milk snatcher, I surmised that it might have been Walpurgis Nacht. But it could have been another version of Metal Fatigue.. or just original Metal Fatigue. Clearly some sort of fatigue was encountered...
After I left I had to nip in the Roebuck to avail myself of a resource and ended up buying a half of Yellow wood IPA from Wood Street Brewery. A strong, malty, orangey brown beer with a smattering of hops in the end of the taste which doesn't really sell itself as an IPA. Luckily I know not to raise my expectations too much re the Roebuck and Wood Street beers so this was a pleasant enough diversion.
An unexpected stop came about as I snook across Tudor Square where everyone was watching the snooker. A cry of "Wee Beefy!" rang out and I quickly spotted some blobs and a waving stick. As I neared it turned out these were humans waving their hands, and I knew them. Carlos and Jambon were settled, albeit slightly uncomfortably on the paving stones, soaking up the atmosphere. Sensing I was becoming a trifle refreshed I wasn't expecting to have a drink but Jambon kindly bought me a pint of the excellent Blue Bee Brown Ball from the Old Monk. The "bitterest brown beer ever" was just as reassuringly brutal as I'd hoped.
My penultimate stop was the Closed Shop at Commonside. I had hoped to experience the wonder of the legendary beer garden, but once again I arrived too late (although, to be fair, they didn't open til 16.00 so the only way I could have enjoyed its sunny glory would have been to have sat in it when the pub was shut...)
Here I had a Raw Majjik Mild, which alas had died a death, so replaced it with a pint of Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla Stout. Hardly a subtle affair, but far more beer like and enjoyable than the Plum Porter drink. I had a couple of pints of this whilst chatting with Nate Rawg in da house (not literally, we were still in the pub) and Mr Stephens, before moving onto a half of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA. Having only a half was a sensible move since, against all my expectations and all that I previously understood about drinking, as the day wore on I was mysteriously feeling less sober. Mind boggling...
Next, for the information of Nathan and Andy, I DID NOT go to the Hallamshire House as alleged, but instead went to fail to buy anything from the closed Dram Shop and headed into town on the bus to visit the Bath Hotel.
Here Trooperstar Steff was at hand (along with other bar lady whose name I forget - sorry, other bar lady whose name I forget) to recommend I had a wildly insensible pint of Dark Star Six Hop (only 6.5%!) at £4.00 a pint, and to chat with me about stuff not to mention things. The Six Hop was very nice, but a slightly unrealistic challenge so late in the day. It was enjoyable nonetheless.
So, no rain, no crowds, no disappointment and no discord. I look forward to following this formula at the end of the month as well!
Wee Beefy
Monday, 28 January 2013
A lush week - part 2. Louche in the slush.
Hello again!
to quickly get you all right up to date with the thirsty life of Beefy, I'll take you through Thursday to Sunday, a period of time when more than one drink was bought, more than one bottle was opened, and more than one toast to a poet's favourite stomach was mooted.
Thursday was application form day. End of. Work, then writing, then fretting, then 5 hours kip. Friday night, hours after submitting my form, I was off on the omnibus to the wilds of Westfield to celebrate Burns Night with Wee Fatha. A mountainous haggis and mercifully fewer neeps and tatties helped us toast the Alloway wordsmith in style, accompanied by a dram of Edruador and a hefty taste of 20 year old Bladnoch.
Beers were bottled obviously, and came at opposite ends of the colour spectrum - Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, Schehallion and Mr Snowballs plus Williams Caesar Augustus provided the crisp and refreshing pale coloured foil to the malts. Still pale was Brew Dog Punk IPA, which reminded us of some rather unfortunate aromas, but tasted fine, and the surprise turn of the night was a bottle of Traquair House Jacobite, a heavy spiced dark Scottish Ale of 8.5%. Complete with about 4 years date left, and tasting fairly damned incredible, though not always a style I like this was a welcome beer on a wild snowy night.
Saturday was breakfast - (which became dinner) in Hillsborough with Mumrah Martin and Wee Keefy followed by a few stops in rather too many pubs. Starting at the Hallamshire House there was nothing on offer that exactly blew my mind but I do love Thornbridge Pollards, so it was a welcome return to the bar for this old favourite.
I went to the Nottingham House in Broomhill next, if nothing else to see how it had improved since October 2011. I say that because it can't possibly have not improved, and stayed open. Surprisingly, for the first time in years I was stared at by 4 barflies (complete with, one imagines harmless and friendly, dog) when I entered, making me feel quite uneasy. To distract me from the atmosphere I opted for a half of Moonshine from a choice of that and Taylors Landlord. The Nottingham is still an unprepossessing transient pub but at least you can drink real ale in it, and it seemed busy enough. Just not my scene.
The University Arms beckoned and any ideas of a short stop were shattered based on an excellent line up on the bar. I started with halves of Welbeck Abbey White Canon, a 2.8% pale beer at £2.25 a pint, with plenty of hop character and thankfully no cereal or biscuity malt, along with a half of the Raw Endeavour. This was another excellent Raw outing, but their Dark Peak Stout was also on so I had a half of that and the Redemption Brewery Big Chief IPA at 5.5%. So moreish was this excellent beer that I stopped for two more pints whilst chatting to a former colleague at the bar. A great way to spend an hour or two.
A brief stop at The Bath Hotel followed, this time to sample an excellent pint of Dark Star Darkness, before I headed into the Devonshire Cat for the first time in about 6 months. From a decent range I had a half of mystery obfuscate fragment, a memory description intended to cover up my woefully bad recall. I do remember it was rammed and I couldn't get a seat though.
I headed for Henry's next where, noting that I was feeling a bit tired again I opted for a half, this time of the very palatable Dukeries Gold - the first beer I've tasted from that brewery and a notable start.
Talking of starts, its been a rocky one in terms of renown and well, consistency for Wood Street Brewery, and a quick visit to the Roebuck did nothing to help change my mind about their beer. My half of Buabob was returned having nearly knocked me out before I'd even tasted the beer (I did by the way, it was vile) so I swapped it for a half of Sparkleberry, which was drinkable, but that's all I can say. Once again a serious dearth of customers makes me wonder if the Roebuck is a step too far, especially given that the brewery can't seem to get the beer right.
I stopped off briefly in The Red Lion next to sample a commendable half of Moonshine, but I was craving sustenance and a wider beer range so headed quickly on.
Into a rammed Rutland Arms next and despite my phone battery suicide plot I managed to guess I was in time for food, and having secured a quarter of a table I got sat down with a beer. Its shameful to admit that, despite the good company of JB and having a tasty sandwich to fill me up, I can't remember which beer I had, or if it was responsible for my nodding off slightly. Not an impressive Beefy display. Hopefully starting there on Wednesday will enable me to pull off a slightly less embarrassing performance, and, who knows, maybe recollect the beer?
I finished my trek in the Sheffield Tap where I was delighted to find an Outlaw beer I had been wanting to try, but also a new brewery that had somehow slipped under my radar. Apparently, a brewery has opened off Rutland Road just past the Woodside Inn (formerly the Forest). Who was to know?! Well, I didn't, but enjoyed drinking the Sheffield Toolmakers Brewery Razmataz Blonde, along with a fairly hefty Gadds Black Pearl Oyster Stout and a pint of the oddly enjoyable;e but surprisingly not that refreshing Mad Hatter, Outlaw's much discussed Jasmine Green Tea IPA.
So, a slightly silly night of drinking, but one for the most part of which was very enjoyable. Luckily I haven't time to drink tonight what with blogging, but tomorrow is a Wanderians event, Wednesday a Twissup, and Thursday is payday, so anything could happen!
All the best
Wee Beefy.
Monday, 3 December 2012
Day of rest
Hello again,
firstly can I just point out that owing to not finding it fixed, I don't foresee photo's making it onto this post yet again. On-line techno sleuth and fellow blogger Clare is on to it, but the immovable force of Blogger stands in our way. Obviously, as soon as the problem's fixed there'll be pics a plenty on here (and if its sorted already I'll have to come back and delete this bit. Or perhaps I'll leave it in as a kooky little window on my pre-pic solution mindset...).
Anyhoo, talking of mindsets, Sunday is normally a day when the excesses of Friday and Saturday are washed out of my system by a lie in, a scan of some websites and something cooked long and slow in the oven. Normally by about 17.00 the bouts of shaking and breathless perspiration have lessened, some of the words I say are recognisable as English, and I don't list to one side when I walk round the edge of the settee. In essence, I've been a good boy and am ready for work on Wednesday. I do work Mondays and Tuesdays mind, its just that they don't really count. They tend to be more of a subconscious automatic action than a professional undertaking.
This Sunday however, I had just been paid. So it seemed silly to fanny around in the house, most likely doing cleaning or shopping or other necessities. So I jolly well pissed off to the pub around 14.30, for no other reason than I could.
First stop was the Rutland Arms, for reasons including proving that I wasn't in fact mentally unbalanced, and also, that I didn't care about ordering food after all. Although, after buying a delicious and sensible half pint of Jarrow Brewery Isis Blonde at 5%, I remembered that I actually did need and desire food, so I had one of the Rutland's fab bacon butties.
I also had halves of Blue Bee Bees Knees (with added students), my weakest beer of the day, but no less enjoyable, along with Magic Rock Highwire NZ on the inexcusable Keykeg (and at a decent price as well, less than £4.00 a pint if I recall), along with the excellent Dark Star and Magic Rock collaboration Rock Star, which was a very enjoyable Black IPA. Clearly Sunday was going to be a day not of rest, but rapacious consumption. Still eh.
Over to the Sheffield Tap next and I had halves again - there was just so much damn good beer around yesterday it would have been dangerous to attempt anything else, so I bought Tempest Cresta Black, Fyne Avalanche and the Fyne IPA series Ruvaal Blonde IPA. Drunk in that order, this quickly guided me back towards the 5 or 6% beers that would ultimately be my ruin. Oops. The Avalanche was excellent as always.
A surprise stop next at the recently taken over by Wood Street Brewery Roebuck. Nothing immediately obvious decor wise but there were as you'd expect, Wood Street ales on the bar. Here I was tempted to partake in a hot snack - the inexpensive garlic bread was filling and very tasty, just what I needed. The only thing that let the experience down was the rather poor Wood Street Pale Ale. Another sigh of disappointment in a glass.
Off next on the 53 omnibus to a new pub for me. The Forest, which used to be rented out for parties and before that was notable for being the last pub in Sheffield to get a spirits license, has reopened as a traditional pub selling real ales, called the Woodside Inn. The ad in Beer Matters proclaims 6 real ales and there are indeed 6 pumps. Last night one had cider, one is a permanent Black Sheep font/pump thing which I always think is keg, and there were three guests on the remaining handpumps - I went for a half of the RCH PG Steam, at £2.00 a pint. Not a beer to set the world alight but in decent condition and a good price. Certainly a venue to revisit I think, if nothing else to herald the arrival of a new sign.
From here I headed to the Gardeners Rest for a couple more halves, including one of the best of the night, against a fairly exemplary line up. The Ramsbottom Bitter was OK if a little sweet for my taste, but the Hackney Cluster was incredible. Whether intentionally or not, it tasted very much of cereal, but had an orangey zesty bitterness and very warming malts balanced perfectly in what was a very enjoyable beer. Certainly those Hackney chaps seem to know what they are doing.
My penultimate stop was to have been the Brooklyn Steak place round the corner but alas that closes early Sunday so I didn't even get to see if they sell real ale, so I headed on for the Kelham Island Tavern, which I don't seem to get to very often. From a great range, and perhaps wisely eschewing the stronger, darker ales on offer, I had a very pleasant half of the Ascot Ales Single Hop, which unfortunately did not confirm the identity of said bittering ingredient, but was enjoyable all the same.
My last stop was in Shakespeares, and here I found, in a close contest, the absolute winner, the very best beer of the day. Due to unfortunate instances of sleep I can't be sure how many I had, but 1 pint is a safe bet, and 2 pints would be reckless, but not inconceivable. Led to my choice by Robin leaning on the pump it was on, there was no contest when I saw Raw Chinook IPA, 6.2% (and £3.20 a pint) was on sale. An absolutely tremendous beer packed full of immense flavour, but somehow contriving to have a very accomplished and rounded finish. In a November of quite frankly astonishing beer quality, this welcomed in December (ignoring the fact I'd been supping on the 1st!) in some style.
If only one Sunday evening amble is spent drinking beers that good in the coming weeks then 2012 could end up being a benchmark year for beer quality.
Your very best health
Wee Beefy.
firstly can I just point out that owing to not finding it fixed, I don't foresee photo's making it onto this post yet again. On-line techno sleuth and fellow blogger Clare is on to it, but the immovable force of Blogger stands in our way. Obviously, as soon as the problem's fixed there'll be pics a plenty on here (and if its sorted already I'll have to come back and delete this bit. Or perhaps I'll leave it in as a kooky little window on my pre-pic solution mindset...).
Anyhoo, talking of mindsets, Sunday is normally a day when the excesses of Friday and Saturday are washed out of my system by a lie in, a scan of some websites and something cooked long and slow in the oven. Normally by about 17.00 the bouts of shaking and breathless perspiration have lessened, some of the words I say are recognisable as English, and I don't list to one side when I walk round the edge of the settee. In essence, I've been a good boy and am ready for work on Wednesday. I do work Mondays and Tuesdays mind, its just that they don't really count. They tend to be more of a subconscious automatic action than a professional undertaking.
This Sunday however, I had just been paid. So it seemed silly to fanny around in the house, most likely doing cleaning or shopping or other necessities. So I jolly well pissed off to the pub around 14.30, for no other reason than I could.
First stop was the Rutland Arms, for reasons including proving that I wasn't in fact mentally unbalanced, and also, that I didn't care about ordering food after all. Although, after buying a delicious and sensible half pint of Jarrow Brewery Isis Blonde at 5%, I remembered that I actually did need and desire food, so I had one of the Rutland's fab bacon butties.
I also had halves of Blue Bee Bees Knees (with added students), my weakest beer of the day, but no less enjoyable, along with Magic Rock Highwire NZ on the inexcusable Keykeg (and at a decent price as well, less than £4.00 a pint if I recall), along with the excellent Dark Star and Magic Rock collaboration Rock Star, which was a very enjoyable Black IPA. Clearly Sunday was going to be a day not of rest, but rapacious consumption. Still eh.
Over to the Sheffield Tap next and I had halves again - there was just so much damn good beer around yesterday it would have been dangerous to attempt anything else, so I bought Tempest Cresta Black, Fyne Avalanche and the Fyne IPA series Ruvaal Blonde IPA. Drunk in that order, this quickly guided me back towards the 5 or 6% beers that would ultimately be my ruin. Oops. The Avalanche was excellent as always.
A surprise stop next at the recently taken over by Wood Street Brewery Roebuck. Nothing immediately obvious decor wise but there were as you'd expect, Wood Street ales on the bar. Here I was tempted to partake in a hot snack - the inexpensive garlic bread was filling and very tasty, just what I needed. The only thing that let the experience down was the rather poor Wood Street Pale Ale. Another sigh of disappointment in a glass.
Off next on the 53 omnibus to a new pub for me. The Forest, which used to be rented out for parties and before that was notable for being the last pub in Sheffield to get a spirits license, has reopened as a traditional pub selling real ales, called the Woodside Inn. The ad in Beer Matters proclaims 6 real ales and there are indeed 6 pumps. Last night one had cider, one is a permanent Black Sheep font/pump thing which I always think is keg, and there were three guests on the remaining handpumps - I went for a half of the RCH PG Steam, at £2.00 a pint. Not a beer to set the world alight but in decent condition and a good price. Certainly a venue to revisit I think, if nothing else to herald the arrival of a new sign.
From here I headed to the Gardeners Rest for a couple more halves, including one of the best of the night, against a fairly exemplary line up. The Ramsbottom Bitter was OK if a little sweet for my taste, but the Hackney Cluster was incredible. Whether intentionally or not, it tasted very much of cereal, but had an orangey zesty bitterness and very warming malts balanced perfectly in what was a very enjoyable beer. Certainly those Hackney chaps seem to know what they are doing.
My penultimate stop was to have been the Brooklyn Steak place round the corner but alas that closes early Sunday so I didn't even get to see if they sell real ale, so I headed on for the Kelham Island Tavern, which I don't seem to get to very often. From a great range, and perhaps wisely eschewing the stronger, darker ales on offer, I had a very pleasant half of the Ascot Ales Single Hop, which unfortunately did not confirm the identity of said bittering ingredient, but was enjoyable all the same.
My last stop was in Shakespeares, and here I found, in a close contest, the absolute winner, the very best beer of the day. Due to unfortunate instances of sleep I can't be sure how many I had, but 1 pint is a safe bet, and 2 pints would be reckless, but not inconceivable. Led to my choice by Robin leaning on the pump it was on, there was no contest when I saw Raw Chinook IPA, 6.2% (and £3.20 a pint) was on sale. An absolutely tremendous beer packed full of immense flavour, but somehow contriving to have a very accomplished and rounded finish. In a November of quite frankly astonishing beer quality, this welcomed in December (ignoring the fact I'd been supping on the 1st!) in some style.
If only one Sunday evening amble is spent drinking beers that good in the coming weeks then 2012 could end up being a benchmark year for beer quality.
Your very best health
Wee Beefy.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
A crawl of some new pubs, and a new angle on Keykeg beers
Hello,
me and Davefromtshop met up to sample a few more beers in pubs that either he has never been to here in sunny Sheffield, or hasn't been in for ages. Measuring your last visit in decades in a city where almost no pub remains unspoilt means you may as well have never been in! So both of the above meet the criteria for our pub crawl (and we finished in some classics, for beer reasons). Here are the details of our trip out.
Bath! And the thirst is gone (sorry)...
We started in the "new" Bath Hotel and Dave had beaten me too it. He was already on the Allgates Napoleon's Retreat. I should really have tried it having not really got on with it first time, but I had my eye on the Thornbridge Frank as Apollo, brewed for the Nicholsons pub chain. This was a very pleasant bitter and seemed a little more balanced, by which I mean a smidgen less hoppy, perhaps to suit those delicate London palates?
We also had time for a half each of the Dark Star Revelation, which seemed to be running out unfortunately. This was every bit as good as I remembered it and Dave was I thought, suitably impressed.
Bowery
On leaving it suddenly seemed as monsoon like as our last crawl so we decided that our next stop would be the Bowery. They started selling real ale last year, I thought maybe for the Tramlines festival only, but either way it was on now. Here we had two halves of Moonshine (£2.80 a pint) in a virtually empty venue. This is interesting for me because I'd never even seen the floor on my last couple of visits.
The Moonshine was a little cold but enjoyable enough, and as we were to find out quite a lot, it and other Abbeydale beers noticeable resilience once connected up was probably a deciding factor in just how many times we saw it throughout the night. There are also a decent range of bottled beers, and depending on your outlook, now and again some decent tunes.
Green Room
This was my second visit this month and once again I ended up with Moonshine, seemingly more reliable than the guests they have had on. Last time Abbeydale Resurrection was beyond being so, this time Kelham Island Riders on the Storm came out the colour of rainclouds, with a piquant olfactory bite to match. A shame, because i rate the beer, but it had to be swapped for Moonshine, on at £3.00 a pint.
This visit on a rainy Tuesday was also an opportunity to get to see the interior of the Green Room. Not least because of my strange battle of wills with them over the last 18 months (almost resolutely always missing the cask!) and also because last time I was in I had too little time to stop for a look around.
I was surprised just how spacious it was and with many different seating areas. They told me they have just started opening during the day, and they serve food during the day as well.
May be a great time to get in and have a look round, and enjoy a pint of the real stuff of course. Hopefully they can continue with the real ales and there will be another decent late night venue that you can go in and not be expected to part with cash for bland UK brewed copy lagers you don't want.
Wick at Both Ends
To give you a last visit timescale here, last time Dave was in it was the Mail Coach. So nothings changed then....
There was only one real ale on here so we both had halves of Deception, at £3.20 a pint. We found a table without school chairs and sat down for a chat listening to a decent selection of tunes. The Deception was on very good form, and although not trying them side by side, I can say quite certainly that I much prefer this beer to Moonshine. Hoppy, citrussy and with a little fruit, a perfect pale session ale.
Bungalows and Bears, of Sheffield and Liverpool fame
Our next stop was not actually a first for Dave. He had visited the Division Street Fire Station many many years ago. Once again, little had changed...
On the bar was Moonshine or Deception (sorry, can't recall, it seems equally likely to have been either) and the Robinsons Elbow beer, unlikely to be called that, but brewed by one of the blokes in the band Elbow (a popular beat combo from the North West I understand) who may also have a connection to the Hop Franchise. We found ourselves a table and set about reading the beer bottle menu, slightly less choice then the Bowery (and the Wick ,which is very good) and watching different people repeatedly make the erroneous decision to walk up some stairs to a barrier, then back down again. Little things...
Roebuck
Next we walked down towards the Rutland and along the way dallied with the idea of a visit to Henry's. Instead though we ended up in the Roebuck, which its a fair few years since I've been in, and longer than you need know for Dave. Here we sat in what was a very quiet pub, which alas somewhat accentuated the vastness of the premises, and supped a decent half of Kelham Island Pale Rider (£3.20) from a choice of 2, on four handpumps.
Rutland
Our penultimate stop was the Rutland, where it was possible to get a table this time, which was good because we were tiring by now. We each had a pint of the Blue Bee Turned out Mild Again, which Dave seemed very taken by. I also snaffled him some Phoenix Brewery beer mats (a tegestological treasure no doubt) and set about snacking and supping. Its probably about that time that elsewhere in the UK editors were putting the finishing touches to articles reporting the employment tribunal involving the Rutland. Without expanding on any details here, its clear that many people will have some soul searching to carry out in terms of how they and the Rutland continue. Enough said for now I think.
The Sheffield Tap
Our final port of cal was carefully organised so that we had time to try a few beers rather than rushing in before last orders and buying too many halves. Here initially we had a pint (for me) and a half of the truly excellent tempest Cresta, and a half of the Phoenix Black Bee. This honey porter was not really a hit with either us am afraid, it just started with honey and malt and then got sweeter.
Better though were our next round of beers. We had half each of the excellent super hoppy Summer Wine Brewery Kahuna 6.0%, a Camden Hells, and a half of the Magic Rock Brewery Rapture. I think this all came to £7.20, which with a keykeg or two thrown in and given the strength of the Kahuna isn't bad.
The real star of this was the unfiltered, unpasteurised (as written in pen I think on the font label!) Rapture . Gloriously cloudy, and with an amazing array of complimentary flavours that showcased the red hops brilliantly (although I wondered if there was red malt that was coming through?). Either way this was possibly the best keykeg beer I've ever had - the other contender also being from Magic Rock, their Magic 8Ball.
I confess that if there was to be any minor fault, it was a little bit too cold for me. That's one of the infuriating features of keykeg dispense it seems, in my admittedly limited experience. However, putting that aside, far and away the most incredible thing about this beer was the easy drinking quaffable nature afforded by its unfiltered and unpasteurised condition. Normally, as well as being let down slightly by chill, I find keykeg can also be a trifle over carbonated. This wasn't.
I can honestly say that this was a revelation - an easy drinking keykeg beer, and made all the better by the way its flavours burst through. It may be the case that some flavours are lost by colder or more carbonated serving, so the amazing array of malty and hoppy notes, pepping up in the drink intermittently like pogo-ing punks, bringing waves of fabulous flavour across the palate, was a dreamy surprise.
I came away thinking that if keykeg could become popular in this unfiltered form, it would be a much more appealling prospect for the real ale drinker. It would certainley be of equal interest for me to taste an unfiltered and unpasteurised keykeg offering along with the finest cask beers. I just hope that Magic Rock and other breweries are interested enough to do more of the same.
This was a fitting end to a brilliant night, featuring three or four of the best beers I've tried this year.
Now for a much needed rest from imbibing, in preparation for a visit to the Gardeners Rest beer festival on Saturday.
Wee Beefy.
me and Davefromtshop met up to sample a few more beers in pubs that either he has never been to here in sunny Sheffield, or hasn't been in for ages. Measuring your last visit in decades in a city where almost no pub remains unspoilt means you may as well have never been in! So both of the above meet the criteria for our pub crawl (and we finished in some classics, for beer reasons). Here are the details of our trip out.
Bath! And the thirst is gone (sorry)...
We started in the "new" Bath Hotel and Dave had beaten me too it. He was already on the Allgates Napoleon's Retreat. I should really have tried it having not really got on with it first time, but I had my eye on the Thornbridge Frank as Apollo, brewed for the Nicholsons pub chain. This was a very pleasant bitter and seemed a little more balanced, by which I mean a smidgen less hoppy, perhaps to suit those delicate London palates?
We also had time for a half each of the Dark Star Revelation, which seemed to be running out unfortunately. This was every bit as good as I remembered it and Dave was I thought, suitably impressed.
Bowery
On leaving it suddenly seemed as monsoon like as our last crawl so we decided that our next stop would be the Bowery. They started selling real ale last year, I thought maybe for the Tramlines festival only, but either way it was on now. Here we had two halves of Moonshine (£2.80 a pint) in a virtually empty venue. This is interesting for me because I'd never even seen the floor on my last couple of visits.
The Moonshine was a little cold but enjoyable enough, and as we were to find out quite a lot, it and other Abbeydale beers noticeable resilience once connected up was probably a deciding factor in just how many times we saw it throughout the night. There are also a decent range of bottled beers, and depending on your outlook, now and again some decent tunes.
Green Room
This was my second visit this month and once again I ended up with Moonshine, seemingly more reliable than the guests they have had on. Last time Abbeydale Resurrection was beyond being so, this time Kelham Island Riders on the Storm came out the colour of rainclouds, with a piquant olfactory bite to match. A shame, because i rate the beer, but it had to be swapped for Moonshine, on at £3.00 a pint.
This visit on a rainy Tuesday was also an opportunity to get to see the interior of the Green Room. Not least because of my strange battle of wills with them over the last 18 months (almost resolutely always missing the cask!) and also because last time I was in I had too little time to stop for a look around.
May be a great time to get in and have a look round, and enjoy a pint of the real stuff of course. Hopefully they can continue with the real ales and there will be another decent late night venue that you can go in and not be expected to part with cash for bland UK brewed copy lagers you don't want.
Wick at Both Ends
To give you a last visit timescale here, last time Dave was in it was the Mail Coach. So nothings changed then....
There was only one real ale on here so we both had halves of Deception, at £3.20 a pint. We found a table without school chairs and sat down for a chat listening to a decent selection of tunes. The Deception was on very good form, and although not trying them side by side, I can say quite certainly that I much prefer this beer to Moonshine. Hoppy, citrussy and with a little fruit, a perfect pale session ale.
Bungalows and Bears, of Sheffield and Liverpool fame
Our next stop was not actually a first for Dave. He had visited the Division Street Fire Station many many years ago. Once again, little had changed...
On the bar was Moonshine or Deception (sorry, can't recall, it seems equally likely to have been either) and the Robinsons Elbow beer, unlikely to be called that, but brewed by one of the blokes in the band Elbow (a popular beat combo from the North West I understand) who may also have a connection to the Hop Franchise. We found ourselves a table and set about reading the beer bottle menu, slightly less choice then the Bowery (and the Wick ,which is very good) and watching different people repeatedly make the erroneous decision to walk up some stairs to a barrier, then back down again. Little things...
Roebuck
Next we walked down towards the Rutland and along the way dallied with the idea of a visit to Henry's. Instead though we ended up in the Roebuck, which its a fair few years since I've been in, and longer than you need know for Dave. Here we sat in what was a very quiet pub, which alas somewhat accentuated the vastness of the premises, and supped a decent half of Kelham Island Pale Rider (£3.20) from a choice of 2, on four handpumps.
Rutland
Our penultimate stop was the Rutland, where it was possible to get a table this time, which was good because we were tiring by now. We each had a pint of the Blue Bee Turned out Mild Again, which Dave seemed very taken by. I also snaffled him some Phoenix Brewery beer mats (a tegestological treasure no doubt) and set about snacking and supping. Its probably about that time that elsewhere in the UK editors were putting the finishing touches to articles reporting the employment tribunal involving the Rutland. Without expanding on any details here, its clear that many people will have some soul searching to carry out in terms of how they and the Rutland continue. Enough said for now I think.
The Sheffield Tap
Our final port of cal was carefully organised so that we had time to try a few beers rather than rushing in before last orders and buying too many halves. Here initially we had a pint (for me) and a half of the truly excellent tempest Cresta, and a half of the Phoenix Black Bee. This honey porter was not really a hit with either us am afraid, it just started with honey and malt and then got sweeter.
Better though were our next round of beers. We had half each of the excellent super hoppy Summer Wine Brewery Kahuna 6.0%, a Camden Hells, and a half of the Magic Rock Brewery Rapture. I think this all came to £7.20, which with a keykeg or two thrown in and given the strength of the Kahuna isn't bad.
The real star of this was the unfiltered, unpasteurised (as written in pen I think on the font label!) Rapture . Gloriously cloudy, and with an amazing array of complimentary flavours that showcased the red hops brilliantly (although I wondered if there was red malt that was coming through?). Either way this was possibly the best keykeg beer I've ever had - the other contender also being from Magic Rock, their Magic 8Ball.
I confess that if there was to be any minor fault, it was a little bit too cold for me. That's one of the infuriating features of keykeg dispense it seems, in my admittedly limited experience. However, putting that aside, far and away the most incredible thing about this beer was the easy drinking quaffable nature afforded by its unfiltered and unpasteurised condition. Normally, as well as being let down slightly by chill, I find keykeg can also be a trifle over carbonated. This wasn't.
I can honestly say that this was a revelation - an easy drinking keykeg beer, and made all the better by the way its flavours burst through. It may be the case that some flavours are lost by colder or more carbonated serving, so the amazing array of malty and hoppy notes, pepping up in the drink intermittently like pogo-ing punks, bringing waves of fabulous flavour across the palate, was a dreamy surprise.
I came away thinking that if keykeg could become popular in this unfiltered form, it would be a much more appealling prospect for the real ale drinker. It would certainley be of equal interest for me to taste an unfiltered and unpasteurised keykeg offering along with the finest cask beers. I just hope that Magic Rock and other breweries are interested enough to do more of the same.
This was a fitting end to a brilliant night, featuring three or four of the best beers I've tried this year.
Now for a much needed rest from imbibing, in preparation for a visit to the Gardeners Rest beer festival on Saturday.
Wee Beefy.
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