Hello,
every Friday, and others, I have been in Shakespeares. Regular readers may think this is the shortest post ever...it is. Although, there is more....
I started the pay month (which was likely in May as it happens) in Shakespeares with Tash and Tony. We were joined by Anne and went inside for numerous silly photos and excellent beer. Main highlights were the amazing Siren Limoncello IPA at 9% and the Dark Star Revelation.
The next week me and Tash met Matt and I was already joined by Vicky and Simona from work. Cayti, Rachael and Ade turned up with Father to be Chis. If am to be honest, I can't remember what I had. I, and my many drinking companions, enjoyed it though.
The next weekend I just realised I didn't go.....
The next was my birthday. Numerous pints, maybe including a half of Siren Liquid Monstrous, a Top Tackle Whisky, and a bottle of Double IPA were supped. Numerous people turned up to see me snooze. Sorry, booze. It was a great, late, long and enjoyable session.
Last week I went in for a half only, of North Riding Citra, and today I was in for a few with Tash on John's birthday. Once again, they gave the customer what he asked for, and all was well. Especially the intentionally brewed Steel City Brewing "When am 64".
Hats off to the Shakespeares, for providing excellent beers, often tasty snacks, and great value and customer service. A great way to end the month.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Shakespeares Gibraltar Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakespeares Gibraltar Street. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Celebrated Sheffield pub celebrates celebrated status with celebration
Or waaah
Shakespeares Ale and Cider House on Gibraltar street, is the recipient of this years Sheffield CAMRA Kelham Island Tavern of the year award, in an astonishing and wholly deserved triumph. As many of you may know from an earlier post here, there were plaudits and congratulations a plenty back when it was announced, but the affirmation of that status was officially celebrated on Tuesday, and I was there.
I arrived on a high and in celebratory mood myself, following having my boiler fixed and securing some important legal paperwork, and had therefore figured it was a no brainer to head out to Sheffield's best pub to rejoice. On arriving I bumped into T_I_B, AKA Tom,. from the world of the Internet. He was down for the same reason as myself and seemingly countless others, to congratulate the team. I had a pint of the Black Iris Wit, and he the Mallinsons Epicurion, an astringently bitter but well rounded pale ale with bags of citrus hops that I drank plenty of throughout the evening.
Various luminaries arrived; KE Page from the world of writing, Where's Andy C, Rich from Blue Bee, Alan Gibbons from the CAMRA, J.B, Dave U from the world of brewing, Malc, Ally and Rob, Andy T, Robin, William the owner, Martin, Nathan "Nate Rawg" Naterawg, Closed Shop Kate, Dan Abbeydale, Josh Kelham and Dave Williams. A throng of chattering aficionados and fans amassed whilst we talked, and I made several trips to the bar to buy more pints.
And more pints still. Many more Mallinsons followed for me, plus an excellent if heavy pint of the Hop Studio XS (alas I missed their Citra). Mercifully, given my unslakable thirst, Shakespeares had kindly laid on a vast spread in the school room. There were also free beer tokens , which was a generous and warmly appreciated touch. A speech and scrum followed, before orgiastic mastication began, and more Mallinsons was supped.
There was also the chance to network and chat to people about blogs (whatever they are, disappointingly just a list of pubs visited that one may not like, and beers drunk it seems), which included some very interesting discussions. Predominantly though it was memorable as a vibrant coming together of people who appreciate the efforts of Chris, Robin, Keisha, Linda and the team, the determination of William and others, and the overall increasing excellence of Shakespeares.
As the hours went by another Mallinsons passed my lips, and finally I finished on a pint of refreshing Deception, a Shakespeares mainstay, to cleanse my palate and refresh me. Eventually, and before anyone could put a chair upside down on a table, I jumped in an ale tractor home and according to disparate and inconclusive strewn evidence, ate something.
Congratulations once again to the team at Shakespeares for their hospitality and hard work, and who knows, I may visit again some day.
Wee Beefy
Shakespeares Ale and Cider House on Gibraltar street, is the recipient of this years Sheffield CAMRA Kelham Island Tavern of the year award, in an astonishing and wholly deserved triumph. As many of you may know from an earlier post here, there were plaudits and congratulations a plenty back when it was announced, but the affirmation of that status was officially celebrated on Tuesday, and I was there.
I arrived on a high and in celebratory mood myself, following having my boiler fixed and securing some important legal paperwork, and had therefore figured it was a no brainer to head out to Sheffield's best pub to rejoice. On arriving I bumped into T_I_B, AKA Tom,. from the world of the Internet. He was down for the same reason as myself and seemingly countless others, to congratulate the team. I had a pint of the Black Iris Wit, and he the Mallinsons Epicurion, an astringently bitter but well rounded pale ale with bags of citrus hops that I drank plenty of throughout the evening.
Various luminaries arrived; KE Page from the world of writing, Where's Andy C, Rich from Blue Bee, Alan Gibbons from the CAMRA, J.B, Dave U from the world of brewing, Malc, Ally and Rob, Andy T, Robin, William the owner, Martin, Nathan "Nate Rawg" Naterawg, Closed Shop Kate, Dan Abbeydale, Josh Kelham and Dave Williams. A throng of chattering aficionados and fans amassed whilst we talked, and I made several trips to the bar to buy more pints.
And more pints still. Many more Mallinsons followed for me, plus an excellent if heavy pint of the Hop Studio XS (alas I missed their Citra). Mercifully, given my unslakable thirst, Shakespeares had kindly laid on a vast spread in the school room. There were also free beer tokens , which was a generous and warmly appreciated touch. A speech and scrum followed, before orgiastic mastication began, and more Mallinsons was supped.
There was also the chance to network and chat to people about blogs (whatever they are, disappointingly just a list of pubs visited that one may not like, and beers drunk it seems), which included some very interesting discussions. Predominantly though it was memorable as a vibrant coming together of people who appreciate the efforts of Chris, Robin, Keisha, Linda and the team, the determination of William and others, and the overall increasing excellence of Shakespeares.
As the hours went by another Mallinsons passed my lips, and finally I finished on a pint of refreshing Deception, a Shakespeares mainstay, to cleanse my palate and refresh me. Eventually, and before anyone could put a chair upside down on a table, I jumped in an ale tractor home and according to disparate and inconclusive strewn evidence, ate something.
Congratulations once again to the team at Shakespeares for their hospitality and hard work, and who knows, I may visit again some day.
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Shakespeares snifter
Hello again,
it seems I have wound up in (or maybe been washed up in) Shakespeares quite a lot of late. The benefit of which has been some very nice beer and company, and friendly helpful service from the staff.
I was in briefly on Wednesday on a gloriously quiet afternoon enjoying a surprisingly nice pint of Bartrams Galena, a quaffable 3.8% blonde beer with plenty of hops and on at a decent price of £2.50, making oit probably the cheapest of the guests. I have always had reservations about Bartrams, not least because I have one or two dreadful beers of theirs, and because I am always concerned about small breweries who bottle condition their beers (they may not do now, am not sure). They used to brew a range of about thirty beers and they seemed very samey and not very good.
The Galena however, although retaining the Bartrams flavour (is this the yeast?) was a much better offering than anything I'd had before. Almost yellow gold and really easy to drink, but all the time with that pleasing hoppy fizz in the aftertaste rounding the beer off very well.
I also tried a half of the Salamander Practical Pipsqueak Porter, 4.8% and £2.70 a pint. This was everything I wanted it to be, with characteristic roast malt bitterness, and was, thankfully after some reddy dark brown finds recently, as black as sin. One thing you can say about Salamander's output is that they are brilliant at dark beers.
I was in again last night with Middlemarch and had a whole session on the Galena, I even got my fruit fancier drinking partner to try Abbeydale Deception, which she stuck on for the duration. The Galena was still on and on good form, and I finished with a really nice half of the Revolutions Brewery Esca bitter. I remember hearing a band of the same name on John Peel in the early nineties, with a track called Trucking and Paving. I never knew if it was Eska or Esca - given Revolutions musical interests I wonder if this beer is named after the band?
Its great to work near to and regularly have chance to visit a classic boozer, with probably Sheffield's cheapest sandwiches on the bar, real cider, 8 real ales, a changing keykeg guest, lager wheat and fruit beer on draught, and a great range of whiskies and bottle beers.
We really are spoilt here in Sheffield it seems.
Wee Beefy
it seems I have wound up in (or maybe been washed up in) Shakespeares quite a lot of late. The benefit of which has been some very nice beer and company, and friendly helpful service from the staff.
I was in briefly on Wednesday on a gloriously quiet afternoon enjoying a surprisingly nice pint of Bartrams Galena, a quaffable 3.8% blonde beer with plenty of hops and on at a decent price of £2.50, making oit probably the cheapest of the guests. I have always had reservations about Bartrams, not least because I have one or two dreadful beers of theirs, and because I am always concerned about small breweries who bottle condition their beers (they may not do now, am not sure). They used to brew a range of about thirty beers and they seemed very samey and not very good.
The Galena however, although retaining the Bartrams flavour (is this the yeast?) was a much better offering than anything I'd had before. Almost yellow gold and really easy to drink, but all the time with that pleasing hoppy fizz in the aftertaste rounding the beer off very well.
I also tried a half of the Salamander Practical Pipsqueak Porter, 4.8% and £2.70 a pint. This was everything I wanted it to be, with characteristic roast malt bitterness, and was, thankfully after some reddy dark brown finds recently, as black as sin. One thing you can say about Salamander's output is that they are brilliant at dark beers.
I was in again last night with Middlemarch and had a whole session on the Galena, I even got my fruit fancier drinking partner to try Abbeydale Deception, which she stuck on for the duration. The Galena was still on and on good form, and I finished with a really nice half of the Revolutions Brewery Esca bitter. I remember hearing a band of the same name on John Peel in the early nineties, with a track called Trucking and Paving. I never knew if it was Eska or Esca - given Revolutions musical interests I wonder if this beer is named after the band?
Its great to work near to and regularly have chance to visit a classic boozer, with probably Sheffield's cheapest sandwiches on the bar, real cider, 8 real ales, a changing keykeg guest, lager wheat and fruit beer on draught, and a great range of whiskies and bottle beers.
We really are spoilt here in Sheffield it seems.
Wee Beefy
Monday, 12 March 2012
New Barrack and Kelham Island Tavern's beer festivals
Evening,
I must start by clarifying a few points from my last post. Firstly, the outside bar at the Kelham is covered, also the beer from Ascot Ales was their "standard" Anastasia stout, which means their imperial version may well be pretty awesome. Also, I kind of took it as read that the decade beer festival related to the Tavern's first CAMRA award or beer guide entry. Speaking to Trevor Saturday night it appears its a decade since the pub reopened. I honestly thought it had been open far longer than that!
So to business, I had intended to get myself to the New Barrack Tavern for midday to have a good go at the ales on offer. As it turned out, I woke up in the afternoon. So started a day of "flexible" arrangements....
Shakespeares
I chose to start proceedings at my regular haunt since I needed to get some change for the bus. Even at this late stage in the afternoon I wasn't completely convinced that I was in the mood for more beer. From the range available I ummed and aahed about having a low gravity starter, but when I spotted the Hornbeam Black Coral Stout my mind was made up. I have seen this beer in here a few times and its never let me down. I took the opportunity to escape the throngs of visiting CAMRA types in the front rooms and sit in the "school room" in contemplative peace before stirring myself for the next part of my trip out.
New Barrack Tavern
I have to admit that I rarely get to the NBT. Even though its not that far from the Double H it seems too much of an undertaking for some reason. Hence I have visited only once in the last 12 months, one evening in the summer en route to the Blake. It was dead, although the beer was nice.
The extremes of business and quiet are nowhere better illustrated than the Barrack Tavern. There was a beer fest on, it was a pleasant almost warm Saturday, and there were 3 people in, plus 4 in the beer garden. I took the opportunity to take a few pics whilst I supped a half of the Prescott Seasons Best, described as a winter warmer and a ruby stout and somehow being neither. As I was getting my snaps the barman commented that this would be a good time since it would be rammed in 10 minutes - a fact reiterated by Mr M in the beer fest snug.
And so it was that at 17.00 the pub was flooded with football fans and 3 extra bar staff appeared behind the bar! One minor problem was that the bar in the snug selling the festival beers was accessible only from that room. So in the initial rush no-one could be spared to work on the festival bar for quite some time. Ironically when someone did arrive, I had already got a beer from the other bar and said barman was distinctly under utilised.
My second beer was the Harbour Brewing Co Harbour Amber at 4.0%. Having rashly started on two stouts I wanted to calm things down a little. I knew that I should expect a sweetish malty Cornish beer and that's what I got. It was described by Mr M as "not unpleasant" and by myself as "inoffensive". Their weaker Harbour Light was still in the cellar, perhaps one best enjoyed in its locality.
I also had a half of the Andwell Porter from Hampshire which was very easy to drink, but surprisingly dry for a porter - the flavour was more suited to a dry stout but it was a nice drink and a beer from a brewery I've never tried before. New and unusual brewery offerings was going to be a feature of today. Next halves drunk were Woodlands Red Squirrel, a 3.9% beer that didn't suit being served by gravity, and a tasty Bristol Beer Factory Number 7, which was memorable mainly for some interesting fruit notes in the initial taste.
Interspersed between 2 excellent pork pies was my favourite beer of the festival the Craddocks Stout, which had just the right level of balance and strong roasted flavours I was after. My final beer was a half of the Triple F Comfortably Numb, which was a pleasant enough ale which could have done with a few more hops.
This was my first New Barrack Tavern beer festival and overall it was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Its interesting to compare the range there with that at the Kelham. Broadly the NBT had a much more adventurous beer order but apart from the eggy Ashover I didn't find a bad beer at the Kelham. That said there seemed to be a few beers at the Barracks that were very competitively priced. If I am really lucky I may be able to pop in in the next few days to to try the Castle Rock Hebridean stout.
Back to the Kelham next and I had only a couple in here. A half of the Yorkshire Dales Colt Park Wood couldn't match the brilliance of the Bleak House, but I really enjoyed my half of the 5.5% American Blonde from Brewshed in the outside bar. Alas this was quite a brief visit and when I left about half 6 the place was rammed. I had to leave, since I had a dream about salami bites at the Fat Cat.....
The Cat
Alas on arriving it transpired that the dreamlike promise of salami bites was likely to remain so as they had not sold them for a year or two now. So I had another excellent pork pie and a very interesting Kelham beer called Big Black Blue Sound, Kelham's take on a Black IPA. This was a very satisfying beer, but not as hoppy as I was expecting. I didn't mind though, and it was a nice accompaniment to my snack as I sat outside in the beer garden.
Shakespeares again...
I also popped back to Shakespeares, this time for a half of the Summer Wine Brewery Zenith IPA. This was one of the best beers of the night so far. Even though it was served a trifle cloudy, it was fresh tasting and bursting with all the hops and critrussy zest I was hoping for.
Harrisons 1854
I ended up at the 1854 much earlier than I had planned. In fact, I was going to go from there to Nether Edge to try out a few pubs but that really wasn't feasible since it was getting late, and also, my chosen attire of a T-shirt and shirt was not having the insulating effect that I was expecting. Here, with the bar busy with a private party, as is often the case on a Saturday, I ended up having the best beer of the night. The Abbeydale Deception was bursting with flavour and served in perfect condition. Had I not been a trifle tired by this stage, I reckon I would have sunk another (few).
My final port of call was the Bee Hive. The Blue Bee beers were on sale as always, as was Sequoia from Thornbridge, but I had a pint of Abbeydale Dark Angel, 4.7% and, I think, £2.60 a pint. Granted the Hive is not exactly a great place to sit drinking by yourself in but the beer is very good value and on my 3 visits has always been well kept. A great way to bring the days wandering to a close!
Wee Beefy
I must start by clarifying a few points from my last post. Firstly, the outside bar at the Kelham is covered, also the beer from Ascot Ales was their "standard" Anastasia stout, which means their imperial version may well be pretty awesome. Also, I kind of took it as read that the decade beer festival related to the Tavern's first CAMRA award or beer guide entry. Speaking to Trevor Saturday night it appears its a decade since the pub reopened. I honestly thought it had been open far longer than that!
So to business, I had intended to get myself to the New Barrack Tavern for midday to have a good go at the ales on offer. As it turned out, I woke up in the afternoon. So started a day of "flexible" arrangements....
Shakespeares
I chose to start proceedings at my regular haunt since I needed to get some change for the bus. Even at this late stage in the afternoon I wasn't completely convinced that I was in the mood for more beer. From the range available I ummed and aahed about having a low gravity starter, but when I spotted the Hornbeam Black Coral Stout my mind was made up. I have seen this beer in here a few times and its never let me down. I took the opportunity to escape the throngs of visiting CAMRA types in the front rooms and sit in the "school room" in contemplative peace before stirring myself for the next part of my trip out.
New Barrack Tavern
I have to admit that I rarely get to the NBT. Even though its not that far from the Double H it seems too much of an undertaking for some reason. Hence I have visited only once in the last 12 months, one evening in the summer en route to the Blake. It was dead, although the beer was nice.
The extremes of business and quiet are nowhere better illustrated than the Barrack Tavern. There was a beer fest on, it was a pleasant almost warm Saturday, and there were 3 people in, plus 4 in the beer garden. I took the opportunity to take a few pics whilst I supped a half of the Prescott Seasons Best, described as a winter warmer and a ruby stout and somehow being neither. As I was getting my snaps the barman commented that this would be a good time since it would be rammed in 10 minutes - a fact reiterated by Mr M in the beer fest snug.
And so it was that at 17.00 the pub was flooded with football fans and 3 extra bar staff appeared behind the bar! One minor problem was that the bar in the snug selling the festival beers was accessible only from that room. So in the initial rush no-one could be spared to work on the festival bar for quite some time. Ironically when someone did arrive, I had already got a beer from the other bar and said barman was distinctly under utilised.
My second beer was the Harbour Brewing Co Harbour Amber at 4.0%. Having rashly started on two stouts I wanted to calm things down a little. I knew that I should expect a sweetish malty Cornish beer and that's what I got. It was described by Mr M as "not unpleasant" and by myself as "inoffensive". Their weaker Harbour Light was still in the cellar, perhaps one best enjoyed in its locality.
I also had a half of the Andwell Porter from Hampshire which was very easy to drink, but surprisingly dry for a porter - the flavour was more suited to a dry stout but it was a nice drink and a beer from a brewery I've never tried before. New and unusual brewery offerings was going to be a feature of today. Next halves drunk were Woodlands Red Squirrel, a 3.9% beer that didn't suit being served by gravity, and a tasty Bristol Beer Factory Number 7, which was memorable mainly for some interesting fruit notes in the initial taste.
Interspersed between 2 excellent pork pies was my favourite beer of the festival the Craddocks Stout, which had just the right level of balance and strong roasted flavours I was after. My final beer was a half of the Triple F Comfortably Numb, which was a pleasant enough ale which could have done with a few more hops.
This was my first New Barrack Tavern beer festival and overall it was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Its interesting to compare the range there with that at the Kelham. Broadly the NBT had a much more adventurous beer order but apart from the eggy Ashover I didn't find a bad beer at the Kelham. That said there seemed to be a few beers at the Barracks that were very competitively priced. If I am really lucky I may be able to pop in in the next few days to to try the Castle Rock Hebridean stout.
Back to the Kelham next and I had only a couple in here. A half of the Yorkshire Dales Colt Park Wood couldn't match the brilliance of the Bleak House, but I really enjoyed my half of the 5.5% American Blonde from Brewshed in the outside bar. Alas this was quite a brief visit and when I left about half 6 the place was rammed. I had to leave, since I had a dream about salami bites at the Fat Cat.....
The Cat
Alas on arriving it transpired that the dreamlike promise of salami bites was likely to remain so as they had not sold them for a year or two now. So I had another excellent pork pie and a very interesting Kelham beer called Big Black Blue Sound, Kelham's take on a Black IPA. This was a very satisfying beer, but not as hoppy as I was expecting. I didn't mind though, and it was a nice accompaniment to my snack as I sat outside in the beer garden.
Shakespeares again...
I also popped back to Shakespeares, this time for a half of the Summer Wine Brewery Zenith IPA. This was one of the best beers of the night so far. Even though it was served a trifle cloudy, it was fresh tasting and bursting with all the hops and critrussy zest I was hoping for.
Harrisons 1854
I ended up at the 1854 much earlier than I had planned. In fact, I was going to go from there to Nether Edge to try out a few pubs but that really wasn't feasible since it was getting late, and also, my chosen attire of a T-shirt and shirt was not having the insulating effect that I was expecting. Here, with the bar busy with a private party, as is often the case on a Saturday, I ended up having the best beer of the night. The Abbeydale Deception was bursting with flavour and served in perfect condition. Had I not been a trifle tired by this stage, I reckon I would have sunk another (few).
My final port of call was the Bee Hive. The Blue Bee beers were on sale as always, as was Sequoia from Thornbridge, but I had a pint of Abbeydale Dark Angel, 4.7% and, I think, £2.60 a pint. Granted the Hive is not exactly a great place to sit drinking by yourself in but the beer is very good value and on my 3 visits has always been well kept. A great way to bring the days wandering to a close!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 29 January 2012
A night out drinking in Sheffield
Good evening again,
my mate Fluffy, who is called that, and everything, came up from that London over this weekend and on Friday I took him on a pub crawl, based vaguely on the route I took with Barraharri, except we were starting at 19.00 so had much less time to cram em all in. Here are the details I can remember from that night out.
Sheffield Tapped.
as a Friday night meeting place its arguable that the Sheffield Tap is perhaps a little down the list of ideal locations. Its invariably full, to the extent that the welcome addition of two extra rooms now seems far too tame an undertaking when you see a sea of people covering every inch of floor and furniture ahead of you. Below is a grainy picture that singularly fails to depict the above described scenario.
Its also noticeable as you enter from the road, that the panelled room hosts a striking miasma of sweaty fog. A most unfortunate side effect of small crammed spaces filled with alcohol partaking persons. Sigh. Despite this I was spurred on by a parting of the sea of bodies and soon found myself stood at the bar behind someone who had just got served, so I was served pretty quickly. There was a selection of Magic Rock beers on, I really fancied a dark one but the Dark Arts was 6.6% - not an ideal starter for a pub crawl - so I ended up with a pint of the Curious, also Fluff's choice, and my starter when I did the crawl last year.
In here I met up with Fluff, Steve and Natalie. This was to be our band of beer troubadours for the night. We soon worked out that strict rules would have to apply on when people went for their next beer, and that the crawl organisers instruction to leave was final. We called Steve away from the bar to demonstrate the regulations in action, and avoid unnecessary delay, and headed for the Rutland.
Rutland Arms Brown Street
Not unsurprisingly the Rutty was also rammed. It was difficult to get to see what beers were on, and I had to be quite unsubtle in freeing up a bit of bar to stand at. Rule number one - never stand at a packed bar with your back to it - you are taking up vital space!
In here Steve had some Stowford Press cider (not ready for the hard stuff yet it seemed), Natalie got an amnesia, sorry, unrecorded drink, and me and Fluff had a couple of halves. I had Blue Bee Nectar Pale, he had Revolutions brewery Devolution, and we both had a half of the Steel City Brewing Dark Funeral. Its important to make clear at this point that Natalie isn't a real ale drinker. Its perhaps a bit harsh to make her come out on a real ale pub crawl, but to be fair there was a decent mix of traditional and modern, and she could have said no. Just to clarify that she wasn't kidnapped, since that's what it probably looked like....
Anyhoo, back to the beer. The Nectar was OK but I was glad it wasn't Fluff's first taste of the beer, the Revolutions which is a brewery that usually produces good beer was OK but had a weird aftertaste plonked on the end that didn't work. The Dark Funeral was about as subtle as a depth charge, but this was what we expected and desired. At this point, it became clear that somebody wasn't quite dressed for a walk. So me and Fluff set off on foot for our next pub whilst the others settled down for another drink and a taxi.
Cranes
The Cranes was quite busy and there was some decent music on. There were two Blue Bee beers on but we found out the Bees Knees had finished so both had our second Nectar Pale of the night. It tasted a little better than it does at the Rutland so that was a good coup but we had to make a snap decision. It transpired that Steve and Natalie were not yet in their taxi and confused about where we were. Since we had decided to have halves in some pubs, we decided to direct them to Dada and make this a short visit. We stuck to our half each and stopped in the Cranes only a little while longer, chatting to Rick.
Dada.
Right on cue, London living Sheffielder Fluff asked me as soon as I told him where we were going why it wasn't called Dee-dah, and I have to confess I don't have an answer. Perhaps its only a matter of time before this nickname becomes the real name?
Inside it wasn't too busy when we arrived, and our companions were already sat down drinking so we took a little time to decide on our important choice of beers. Fluff had a half of the Fyne Highlander and the Pub scrawl, me a pint of the same. Alas, the Scrawl had crawled lamely to the end of its life and we replaced it with the same quantity of Brother Rabbit from Thornbridge.
Brother Rabbit isn't really my first choice Thornbridge beer, I find it a but thin and it seems to play to its strength rather than defying it, so it was a surprise that it was so enjoyable. It probably helped that we had a lower strength beer anyway what with time getting on and many more stops to fit in. I did however via an informative chat with Emily, purchase the Thornbridge Steelmaker, only half, and which to my disappointment was a lager. Despite its strength, something about this beer made me feel let down; there just wasn't any of the flavour or taste I was expecting. Perhaps as if to embody this imbalance, here again the crawl became disjointed, as me and Fluff struck out alone for the far away treats of the 1854.
The Dear Old Deer
As we had picked up pace and were walking past anyway, and with no contact possible with Steve, we opted to pop in to the Red Deer for a quick half. Alas the recent flurry of guests seemed to have blown over and we were back to a more conservative range, so we had halves of the Moorhouses Blonde Witch. This was in decent form, and probably our only North West beer of the night.
Harrisons
Over the car park and we were entering the subdued lighting, comfy seating, eclectic but usually good music providing ambiance of the 1854. Fluff was on his first visit, and Steve did also catch up with us here as well. Having experienced frothy Deception last night I had my pint without the sparkler, a trespass of logic that flabbergasted and enraged Fluff, who has to suffer traditionally flat beer rather than choose it. He opted for sparkler on, which given that the beer had calmed down was maybe a better bet. Nevertheless it was still a nice pint and a good chance to chill out and catch up for a bit with Barraharri.
University Arms
Our penultimate stop was the Arms, where I had a pint of Dark Star Hophead, Steve a pint of amnesia, and Fluff some Leadmill B52. Someone definitely had a half of the Raw Edge IPA, but to be fair, I have no idea who did, and given the fact that my notes had by now become artistic rather than informative, only a phone call to Fluff will sort this out. Importantly though, the beer was very nice. Unless Fluff didn't like his B52. Which I also can't remember.... no doubt the details of our final stop will be resolutely crystal clear!
Shakespeares
Unsurprisingly, as is always going to be the case if I am in, I had a pint of a pale summer wine brewery beer - but wait, tell me oh magician of words, what exactly was that beer called?
Well, to report my notes literally, it was apparently " SWB Porside". So, using English, it could be Portside, it could be Portico, it could be, well, just about anything beginning with P to be honest. No doubt this will leech some of the credibility from my telling you that it was very enjoyable, but there you go. I know Fluff had a pint of Rudgate Grain of Truth and Steve a pint of the Gwynt Yr Draig Black Dragon cider so it just me who's unclear!
After this the last two survivors left and I went back to Dada, an unwise move since the DJ was on so I couldn't attempt my usual bar leaning chat trick. I abandoned ship and headed for the safety of Harrisons where, as well as having a rather inadvisable glass of wine, I ended up getting a lift home from Johanna - I think she must have realised I was going to fall asleep on the night bus that I kept repeating my intention to catch. Am very grateful for my safe return.
So, all in all, a very enjoyable wander with some OK beer but alas very little truly excellent beer, in fact I may be so bold as to suggest that the first pint was the best.
Luckily that whetted our appetites for doing something similar all over again on Saturday, the details of which I will impart tomorrow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
my mate Fluffy, who is called that, and everything, came up from that London over this weekend and on Friday I took him on a pub crawl, based vaguely on the route I took with Barraharri, except we were starting at 19.00 so had much less time to cram em all in. Here are the details I can remember from that night out.
Sheffield Tapped.
as a Friday night meeting place its arguable that the Sheffield Tap is perhaps a little down the list of ideal locations. Its invariably full, to the extent that the welcome addition of two extra rooms now seems far too tame an undertaking when you see a sea of people covering every inch of floor and furniture ahead of you. Below is a grainy picture that singularly fails to depict the above described scenario.
Its also noticeable as you enter from the road, that the panelled room hosts a striking miasma of sweaty fog. A most unfortunate side effect of small crammed spaces filled with alcohol partaking persons. Sigh. Despite this I was spurred on by a parting of the sea of bodies and soon found myself stood at the bar behind someone who had just got served, so I was served pretty quickly. There was a selection of Magic Rock beers on, I really fancied a dark one but the Dark Arts was 6.6% - not an ideal starter for a pub crawl - so I ended up with a pint of the Curious, also Fluff's choice, and my starter when I did the crawl last year.
In here I met up with Fluff, Steve and Natalie. This was to be our band of beer troubadours for the night. We soon worked out that strict rules would have to apply on when people went for their next beer, and that the crawl organisers instruction to leave was final. We called Steve away from the bar to demonstrate the regulations in action, and avoid unnecessary delay, and headed for the Rutland.
Rutland Arms Brown Street
Not unsurprisingly the Rutty was also rammed. It was difficult to get to see what beers were on, and I had to be quite unsubtle in freeing up a bit of bar to stand at. Rule number one - never stand at a packed bar with your back to it - you are taking up vital space!
In here Steve had some Stowford Press cider (not ready for the hard stuff yet it seemed), Natalie got an amnesia, sorry, unrecorded drink, and me and Fluff had a couple of halves. I had Blue Bee Nectar Pale, he had Revolutions brewery Devolution, and we both had a half of the Steel City Brewing Dark Funeral. Its important to make clear at this point that Natalie isn't a real ale drinker. Its perhaps a bit harsh to make her come out on a real ale pub crawl, but to be fair there was a decent mix of traditional and modern, and she could have said no. Just to clarify that she wasn't kidnapped, since that's what it probably looked like....
Anyhoo, back to the beer. The Nectar was OK but I was glad it wasn't Fluff's first taste of the beer, the Revolutions which is a brewery that usually produces good beer was OK but had a weird aftertaste plonked on the end that didn't work. The Dark Funeral was about as subtle as a depth charge, but this was what we expected and desired. At this point, it became clear that somebody wasn't quite dressed for a walk. So me and Fluff set off on foot for our next pub whilst the others settled down for another drink and a taxi.
Cranes
The Cranes was quite busy and there was some decent music on. There were two Blue Bee beers on but we found out the Bees Knees had finished so both had our second Nectar Pale of the night. It tasted a little better than it does at the Rutland so that was a good coup but we had to make a snap decision. It transpired that Steve and Natalie were not yet in their taxi and confused about where we were. Since we had decided to have halves in some pubs, we decided to direct them to Dada and make this a short visit. We stuck to our half each and stopped in the Cranes only a little while longer, chatting to Rick.
Dada.
Right on cue, London living Sheffielder Fluff asked me as soon as I told him where we were going why it wasn't called Dee-dah, and I have to confess I don't have an answer. Perhaps its only a matter of time before this nickname becomes the real name?
Inside it wasn't too busy when we arrived, and our companions were already sat down drinking so we took a little time to decide on our important choice of beers. Fluff had a half of the Fyne Highlander and the Pub scrawl, me a pint of the same. Alas, the Scrawl had crawled lamely to the end of its life and we replaced it with the same quantity of Brother Rabbit from Thornbridge.
The Dear Old Deer
As we had picked up pace and were walking past anyway, and with no contact possible with Steve, we opted to pop in to the Red Deer for a quick half. Alas the recent flurry of guests seemed to have blown over and we were back to a more conservative range, so we had halves of the Moorhouses Blonde Witch. This was in decent form, and probably our only North West beer of the night.
Harrisons
Over the car park and we were entering the subdued lighting, comfy seating, eclectic but usually good music providing ambiance of the 1854. Fluff was on his first visit, and Steve did also catch up with us here as well. Having experienced frothy Deception last night I had my pint without the sparkler, a trespass of logic that flabbergasted and enraged Fluff, who has to suffer traditionally flat beer rather than choose it. He opted for sparkler on, which given that the beer had calmed down was maybe a better bet. Nevertheless it was still a nice pint and a good chance to chill out and catch up for a bit with Barraharri.
University Arms
Our penultimate stop was the Arms, where I had a pint of Dark Star Hophead, Steve a pint of amnesia, and Fluff some Leadmill B52. Someone definitely had a half of the Raw Edge IPA, but to be fair, I have no idea who did, and given the fact that my notes had by now become artistic rather than informative, only a phone call to Fluff will sort this out. Importantly though, the beer was very nice. Unless Fluff didn't like his B52. Which I also can't remember.... no doubt the details of our final stop will be resolutely crystal clear!
Shakespeares
Unsurprisingly, as is always going to be the case if I am in, I had a pint of a pale summer wine brewery beer - but wait, tell me oh magician of words, what exactly was that beer called?
Well, to report my notes literally, it was apparently " SWB Porside". So, using English, it could be Portside, it could be Portico, it could be, well, just about anything beginning with P to be honest. No doubt this will leech some of the credibility from my telling you that it was very enjoyable, but there you go. I know Fluff had a pint of Rudgate Grain of Truth and Steve a pint of the Gwynt Yr Draig Black Dragon cider so it just me who's unclear!
After this the last two survivors left and I went back to Dada, an unwise move since the DJ was on so I couldn't attempt my usual bar leaning chat trick. I abandoned ship and headed for the safety of Harrisons where, as well as having a rather inadvisable glass of wine, I ended up getting a lift home from Johanna - I think she must have realised I was going to fall asleep on the night bus that I kept repeating my intention to catch. Am very grateful for my safe return.
So, all in all, a very enjoyable wander with some OK beer but alas very little truly excellent beer, in fact I may be so bold as to suggest that the first pint was the best.
Luckily that whetted our appetites for doing something similar all over again on Saturday, the details of which I will impart tomorrow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Wee Beefy's Beer Bites - beer and pubs and pubs and beer
Evening,
just a quick note or two about some beers I tried last night whilst out and about with Mr Cain.
Shakespeares
"I would give all my fame for a pot of ale"
Luckily that sacrifice won't be necessary, as I am in the Gibraltar Street hostelry spending a modest sum on one of their range of really good ales. Last night there was plenty that caught my eye - Sheffield Porter was the only dark offering but I decided to start light and had a pretty good choice to go at. Whilst Mr C stumped for cooking lager, which the barman protested less than vigorously was a term that didn't apply to Becks Vier, I had halves of the Ossett Winter IPA and Staithes brewery Boulby Blonde a surprisingly punchy bitter pale ale at 3.5% which stood up admirably to the Ossett IPA at 5%.
The next round saw me get to try some Wantsum Brewery beer from Kent, something I failed to achieve when I was down there in 2010. I had a half of their dark brown 4.6% Dynamo along with another really enjoyable glug of the Winter IPA. Its strange that I almost always plump for the guests at the Hop (assuming that is, it is a guest, see posts passim) and as if to justify that trend, this IPA at Shakespeares was one of the best pints of Ossett I've ever had. Maybe I should only drink Ossett when its a guest elsewhere...
In News news, there is a beer festival coming at the end of February here with the potential that they may keep back a beer from the cellar at the moment to have then - this info not fully confirmed yet though so keep an eye out for further details.
The Cranes
No dark ales in the Cranes alas but the Blue Bee beers are still a feature so I had a pint of the Nectar Pale, back to being hoppy but somehow still tasting different to when I tried it in the Rutland in the summer. That said it didn't matter since it was a very refreshing bitter beer. The pub was moderately busy which is always a good thing and there are a few decent brews advertised on the coming soon board - looks like I'll have to pop back again later in the week for a thankful tope.
Ta-dah!
Dee-dah's on Trippet Lane has finally broken its Christmas imposed ban on selling anything new and got some new offerings to tempt us. Mr C and I were well catered for with a pint of decent lager for him and for me, the dream of all beer lovers, a whole delicious pint of Thornbridge Pollards coffee milk stout, all to myself. Not even marred by it being a trifle too cold, I enjoyed every last drop, deven though I changed my order for round 2...
Mr C had a very agreeable pint of Thornbridge's Kolsch style lager Tzara, and I had a half of the Fyne Highlander, which lived up to its name by being a gloriously malty but bitter Scottish ale, and I also tried one of their key keg offerings. Of course, vital to my making a point of trying the beer was to attempt a comparison, but I've forgotten what the hell it was! Also available was the new Thornbridge offering "Scrawl" brewed to coincide with Friday's live arts pub crawl event, where 10 artists will display their work in 10 pubs or bars around Sheffield, for free, for one night only. For more details go to Pete McKee pub scrawl .
It could have been one from Flying Dog or possibly Kill Your Darlings from Thornbridge, but am sorry, I can't recall for certain. I do remember it was quite cold which was a shame, but it meant that I probably enjoyed the Fyne a bit more, and to be honest, when it had warmed up a bit it was very enjoyable, erm, whatever it night have been.
The 1854 overture
I still had time for a last drink in Harrisons, the beers were falling fast when I arrived as is often the case on the first night open after the weekend, but my half of fresh Farmers Blonde gave me a chance to pay it a bit of attention and try and work out what those prevalent flavours are. Its certainly quite dry, it was refreshing, but I think the off putting feature that lets it down a bit is the particular malt they use. Its still a nice well kept pint though, and in no way resulted in my falling asleep on the bus on my way home...
Do go and check out some of these pubs for yourself, and happy drinking!
Wee Beefy.
just a quick note or two about some beers I tried last night whilst out and about with Mr Cain.
Shakespeares
"I would give all my fame for a pot of ale"
Luckily that sacrifice won't be necessary, as I am in the Gibraltar Street hostelry spending a modest sum on one of their range of really good ales. Last night there was plenty that caught my eye - Sheffield Porter was the only dark offering but I decided to start light and had a pretty good choice to go at. Whilst Mr C stumped for cooking lager, which the barman protested less than vigorously was a term that didn't apply to Becks Vier, I had halves of the Ossett Winter IPA and Staithes brewery Boulby Blonde a surprisingly punchy bitter pale ale at 3.5% which stood up admirably to the Ossett IPA at 5%.
The next round saw me get to try some Wantsum Brewery beer from Kent, something I failed to achieve when I was down there in 2010. I had a half of their dark brown 4.6% Dynamo along with another really enjoyable glug of the Winter IPA. Its strange that I almost always plump for the guests at the Hop (assuming that is, it is a guest, see posts passim) and as if to justify that trend, this IPA at Shakespeares was one of the best pints of Ossett I've ever had. Maybe I should only drink Ossett when its a guest elsewhere...
In News news, there is a beer festival coming at the end of February here with the potential that they may keep back a beer from the cellar at the moment to have then - this info not fully confirmed yet though so keep an eye out for further details.
The Cranes
No dark ales in the Cranes alas but the Blue Bee beers are still a feature so I had a pint of the Nectar Pale, back to being hoppy but somehow still tasting different to when I tried it in the Rutland in the summer. That said it didn't matter since it was a very refreshing bitter beer. The pub was moderately busy which is always a good thing and there are a few decent brews advertised on the coming soon board - looks like I'll have to pop back again later in the week for a thankful tope.
Ta-dah!
Dee-dah's on Trippet Lane has finally broken its Christmas imposed ban on selling anything new and got some new offerings to tempt us. Mr C and I were well catered for with a pint of decent lager for him and for me, the dream of all beer lovers, a whole delicious pint of Thornbridge Pollards coffee milk stout, all to myself. Not even marred by it being a trifle too cold, I enjoyed every last drop, deven though I changed my order for round 2...
Mr C had a very agreeable pint of Thornbridge's Kolsch style lager Tzara, and I had a half of the Fyne Highlander, which lived up to its name by being a gloriously malty but bitter Scottish ale, and I also tried one of their key keg offerings. Of course, vital to my making a point of trying the beer was to attempt a comparison, but I've forgotten what the hell it was! Also available was the new Thornbridge offering "Scrawl" brewed to coincide with Friday's live arts pub crawl event, where 10 artists will display their work in 10 pubs or bars around Sheffield, for free, for one night only. For more details go to Pete McKee pub scrawl .
It could have been one from Flying Dog or possibly Kill Your Darlings from Thornbridge, but am sorry, I can't recall for certain. I do remember it was quite cold which was a shame, but it meant that I probably enjoyed the Fyne a bit more, and to be honest, when it had warmed up a bit it was very enjoyable, erm, whatever it night have been.
The 1854 overture
I still had time for a last drink in Harrisons, the beers were falling fast when I arrived as is often the case on the first night open after the weekend, but my half of fresh Farmers Blonde gave me a chance to pay it a bit of attention and try and work out what those prevalent flavours are. Its certainly quite dry, it was refreshing, but I think the off putting feature that lets it down a bit is the particular malt they use. Its still a nice well kept pint though, and in no way resulted in my falling asleep on the bus on my way home...
Do go and check out some of these pubs for yourself, and happy drinking!
Wee Beefy.
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Christmas ale news - pubs polypins and packs o bottles
Greetings,
have been out sampling and in some cases enduring the delights of a Christmas works night out along with a few other festive get-togethers of late, and have also purchased my supplies of essential liquids for the wearisome Christmas period. All is not lost though, and to celebrate the winter solstice, I am providing a Saturnalian rundown of recent beers tasted and venues visited.
Shakespeares Gibraltar Street Shalesmoor
I was in today for a very brief couple of drinks and to catch up with my friend, alas he was on the fizz, but I tried a refreshing and hoppy Hornbeam Top Hop bitter at £2.40 a pint and a half of the more expensive Raw Black Ghost dark IPA which was fantastic, if a little top heavy on frol for a lunchtime. And, at the risk of falling foul of my rubbish eyesight, i am sure there was a sign outside advertising a beer festival starting today,and running until the 23rd December - alas no details on their website or Facebook page so please accept my apologies if this turns out to have been a hallucination.....
Archer Road Beer Stop
I have been up to Britain's premier beer selling emporium tonight to purchase a polypin of Abbeydale Moonshine at mates rate, which modesty forbids me from disclosing, as well as a selection of their finest bottled ales. As well as the incredibly generous Davefromtshop giving me a bottle of Brampton Winter Bock, I selected, amongst other things, a Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen, a Durham Temptation imperial Russian stout,(as depicted in picture below, owing to a lack of ARBS images!) a limited edition Thornbridge coalition (NOTE - no longer in stock, sorry!), a Blue Monkey Ape Ale, a Durham Evensong, a Summer Wine Brewery 10 malts porter and their NZ IPA, Tucher Kristkindlemarkt, and some Timmermans Framboise, Mythos and Vedette for our lass.
There are of course many many more ales available but even availing myself of a generous discount my intended bottle expenditure could not run to many on top of the Polypin. So my suggestion would be to get yourself up there to sample the amazing range and see for yourself - now selling Dunham Massey Winter Warmer (subject to availability).
Dunham bottles
Which brings me nicely on to Wee Fatha's kind errand to the Dunham Massey brewery shop to purchase some of their realiably excellent bottle conditioned ales. My absolute favourite is the porter, alas there were only 2 bottles left so me and WF had one each, along wth a new Strong beer called Gold, and their Dunham Dark to name but a few.
Aside from the pertinent fact that I love the taste of their beer, especially the dark ones, I am happy, in Dunham Massey Brewery, to have found a reputable beer bottler who knows their stuff. In an age of reckless amateurish bottle conditioning techniques that has seen breweries seemingly willing to sell sub standard yeast bombs, its refreshing to see that Dunham, who know they are good at it, have continued bottling and selling their ales with yeast in the bottle to an appreciative public. The fact that its safe to drink their beers just past the best before date and that the yeast can be poured into the beer without adding a horrid astringent edge is proof that the beers are a fine example of the bottle conditioning craft.
Hop gen.
On Friday the team works night out started at the Hop so ensuring a decent, if very long waited for, pint of real ale to start things off.
The Hop also had fantastic Fernandes offerings and on Monday night the excellent Rat Brewery Dirty Rat mild and their hoppy King Rat IPA. A member of staff told me that they were concentrating on having a Fullers pump and one for each of their (Ossett's) other brewery offerings, i.e the Rat and Ratchett, Riverhead, and, to my surprise, Fernandes at Wakefield (although I should have known really since the founder am certain moved to Filey or similar to set up a Brewery there.). This still doesn't really help to clear up the price disparity but does unfortunately offer little indication of an upcoming none Fullers or Ossett beer, but I will no doubt be back in soon to find out.
Real ale after midnight
One of the never ending disappointments of late night city centre drinking has always been the dearth of places where you can find a decent pint after the witching hour. Recently a few bars have added real ale and the trend is slowly being reversed, to the point where you can now almost rely on a decent drink no matter how late it is you are strutting your stuff.
A case in point would be Friday, when (albeit only at just gone 23.00 ) we were in the Cavendish (groan), which had one real ale on offer, a palatable pint of Blue Bee Nectar Pale Ale. Harrisons 1854 round the corner serves after midnight Friday and Saturday and has 3 real ales, Deception, Moonshine and Bradfield Blonde. The Wick at Both Ends may be open a smidgen later and they seem to have settled on a range of Sheffield Brewing Co Tramlines and Thornbridge Sequoia.
Bungalows and Bears opens late as does the Old House and Great Gatsby. The bears range is usually a York beer with a guest although quality can be patchy, Gatsby offers a pleasant Blue Bee rebadge, and the Old House continues to impress with Bradfield Stout, Abbeydale Moonshine and Kelham Island Sheffield best bitter as regulars plus two guests - recently Abbeydale Thaw and a reindeer themed beer that looked like it was brewed by Far North (but they are now defunct), and, having forgotten its name, appears not to exist despite 30 minutes of internet searching.
Final suggestions would be the Red Deer (obviously ) proudly selling Rudgate Ruby Mild on Friday along with 7 other real ales and open til about 2 AM or later, plus West Street Live offering Hobgoblin till an unspeakable hour, and the dear old venerable Washington, still offering Tetleys and Moonshine and sometimes great tunes until somewhere near 03.00AM. So, you need no longer despair if you require a sophisticated yippled after 00.00.
Christmas Beer Review #001
Brewery Hacker Pschorr, Munich
Name : Oktoberfest Marzen
Strength : 5.8%
BCA/none BCA? : None.
Purchased : Archer Road Beer Stop Sheffield
This yummy marzen comes from my favourite Munich brewery, the often unfindable Hacker Pschorr. It has a white foamy head (although served a little warmer than would be ideal ) and the aroma is of malt, predominantly, and a sweetness that reminds me of light English Ale.
The colour is a pleasing light chestnut (as hopefully demonstrated above) and there's just enough carbonation to create a pleasing pop on opening the swing-top bottle and a slow restful recline in the glass, with no unnecessary assault of bubbles charging up through the whole of the drink.
The taste is mellow and pleasing - there is a burst of lager malt, alas my knowledge of the different types is sketchy so thats all I can say - which develops into a more noticable sweeter flavour, more like an orange preserve, and then as the flavours mingle you can detect something not unlike a low gravity bottled sweet stout. The finish is a bit short somehow, but enjoyable, reinforcing the malt and some subtle bitterness, and lingering briefly with a reminder of the sweeter malts in the beginning of the mouthful.
WBrating : 7.5/10
More bottled beer reviews as and when sobriety and availability permits over Christmas.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
have been out sampling and in some cases enduring the delights of a Christmas works night out along with a few other festive get-togethers of late, and have also purchased my supplies of essential liquids for the wearisome Christmas period. All is not lost though, and to celebrate the winter solstice, I am providing a Saturnalian rundown of recent beers tasted and venues visited.
Shakespeares Gibraltar Street Shalesmoor
I was in today for a very brief couple of drinks and to catch up with my friend, alas he was on the fizz, but I tried a refreshing and hoppy Hornbeam Top Hop bitter at £2.40 a pint and a half of the more expensive Raw Black Ghost dark IPA which was fantastic, if a little top heavy on frol for a lunchtime. And, at the risk of falling foul of my rubbish eyesight, i am sure there was a sign outside advertising a beer festival starting today,and running until the 23rd December - alas no details on their website or Facebook page so please accept my apologies if this turns out to have been a hallucination.....
Archer Road Beer Stop
I have been up to Britain's premier beer selling emporium tonight to purchase a polypin of Abbeydale Moonshine at mates rate, which modesty forbids me from disclosing, as well as a selection of their finest bottled ales. As well as the incredibly generous Davefromtshop giving me a bottle of Brampton Winter Bock, I selected, amongst other things, a Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen, a Durham Temptation imperial Russian stout,(as depicted in picture below, owing to a lack of ARBS images!) a limited edition Thornbridge coalition (NOTE - no longer in stock, sorry!), a Blue Monkey Ape Ale, a Durham Evensong, a Summer Wine Brewery 10 malts porter and their NZ IPA, Tucher Kristkindlemarkt, and some Timmermans Framboise, Mythos and Vedette for our lass.
There are of course many many more ales available but even availing myself of a generous discount my intended bottle expenditure could not run to many on top of the Polypin. So my suggestion would be to get yourself up there to sample the amazing range and see for yourself - now selling Dunham Massey Winter Warmer (subject to availability).
Dunham bottles
Which brings me nicely on to Wee Fatha's kind errand to the Dunham Massey brewery shop to purchase some of their realiably excellent bottle conditioned ales. My absolute favourite is the porter, alas there were only 2 bottles left so me and WF had one each, along wth a new Strong beer called Gold, and their Dunham Dark to name but a few.
Aside from the pertinent fact that I love the taste of their beer, especially the dark ones, I am happy, in Dunham Massey Brewery, to have found a reputable beer bottler who knows their stuff. In an age of reckless amateurish bottle conditioning techniques that has seen breweries seemingly willing to sell sub standard yeast bombs, its refreshing to see that Dunham, who know they are good at it, have continued bottling and selling their ales with yeast in the bottle to an appreciative public. The fact that its safe to drink their beers just past the best before date and that the yeast can be poured into the beer without adding a horrid astringent edge is proof that the beers are a fine example of the bottle conditioning craft.
Hop gen.
On Friday the team works night out started at the Hop so ensuring a decent, if very long waited for, pint of real ale to start things off.
The Hop also had fantastic Fernandes offerings and on Monday night the excellent Rat Brewery Dirty Rat mild and their hoppy King Rat IPA. A member of staff told me that they were concentrating on having a Fullers pump and one for each of their (Ossett's) other brewery offerings, i.e the Rat and Ratchett, Riverhead, and, to my surprise, Fernandes at Wakefield (although I should have known really since the founder am certain moved to Filey or similar to set up a Brewery there.). This still doesn't really help to clear up the price disparity but does unfortunately offer little indication of an upcoming none Fullers or Ossett beer, but I will no doubt be back in soon to find out.
Real ale after midnight
One of the never ending disappointments of late night city centre drinking has always been the dearth of places where you can find a decent pint after the witching hour. Recently a few bars have added real ale and the trend is slowly being reversed, to the point where you can now almost rely on a decent drink no matter how late it is you are strutting your stuff.
A case in point would be Friday, when (albeit only at just gone 23.00 ) we were in the Cavendish (groan), which had one real ale on offer, a palatable pint of Blue Bee Nectar Pale Ale. Harrisons 1854 round the corner serves after midnight Friday and Saturday and has 3 real ales, Deception, Moonshine and Bradfield Blonde. The Wick at Both Ends may be open a smidgen later and they seem to have settled on a range of Sheffield Brewing Co Tramlines and Thornbridge Sequoia.
Bungalows and Bears opens late as does the Old House and Great Gatsby. The bears range is usually a York beer with a guest although quality can be patchy, Gatsby offers a pleasant Blue Bee rebadge, and the Old House continues to impress with Bradfield Stout, Abbeydale Moonshine and Kelham Island Sheffield best bitter as regulars plus two guests - recently Abbeydale Thaw and a reindeer themed beer that looked like it was brewed by Far North (but they are now defunct), and, having forgotten its name, appears not to exist despite 30 minutes of internet searching.
Final suggestions would be the Red Deer (obviously ) proudly selling Rudgate Ruby Mild on Friday along with 7 other real ales and open til about 2 AM or later, plus West Street Live offering Hobgoblin till an unspeakable hour, and the dear old venerable Washington, still offering Tetleys and Moonshine and sometimes great tunes until somewhere near 03.00AM. So, you need no longer despair if you require a sophisticated yippled after 00.00.
Christmas Beer Review #001
Brewery Hacker Pschorr, Munich
Name : Oktoberfest Marzen
Strength : 5.8%
BCA/none BCA? : None.
Purchased : Archer Road Beer Stop Sheffield
This yummy marzen comes from my favourite Munich brewery, the often unfindable Hacker Pschorr. It has a white foamy head (although served a little warmer than would be ideal ) and the aroma is of malt, predominantly, and a sweetness that reminds me of light English Ale.
The colour is a pleasing light chestnut (as hopefully demonstrated above) and there's just enough carbonation to create a pleasing pop on opening the swing-top bottle and a slow restful recline in the glass, with no unnecessary assault of bubbles charging up through the whole of the drink.
The taste is mellow and pleasing - there is a burst of lager malt, alas my knowledge of the different types is sketchy so thats all I can say - which develops into a more noticable sweeter flavour, more like an orange preserve, and then as the flavours mingle you can detect something not unlike a low gravity bottled sweet stout. The finish is a bit short somehow, but enjoyable, reinforcing the malt and some subtle bitterness, and lingering briefly with a reminder of the sweeter malts in the beginning of the mouthful.
WBrating : 7.5/10
More bottled beer reviews as and when sobriety and availability permits over Christmas.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 2 December 2011
Rumour Mill potential win, Three Cranes, Henrys, Browns, Ship Inn and Shakespeares.
Hello,
another short entry am afraid as its late and I need to get to bed!
The Hop at West One
Rumour Mill Success on cards
I note from the latest copy of Beer Matters that the much anticipated and by me, feared dead in the water bid to open a new bar at West One has finally got the all clear and the venue should be open about today! Ossett brewery have got permission to open The Hop, a real ale bar, specialising in casks, pies and bands. The article I saw stated opening late November which by my reckoning means I could have gone tonight - watch this space for more info very soon.
Browns. Literally very.
After a taxing trek to Abbeydale and Nether Edge (finding the Union Inn in darkness, which I am sad to hear is apparently due to the landlord's ill health) and the Broadfield lit up but being refurbished, me and Chala arrived in town thirsty and fancying a change. I had campaigned for a trip to the Rutland but was rebuked, Chala was warming to my Henry's suggestion but en route decided that the sparkly lights and pastel darks decor of Browns at the top of Union street and the Peace gardens, was worth a look. I had heard it sold real ale but it was well down my list of preferences but I decided to acquiesce.
It was busy inside, with many people annoyingly sat in two's at 4 seat tables, and there was a prevalent, if unused waiting staff desk on entering, that threatened to scoop you into a dining area instead of allowing you to indulge in a sit down and a sup. Chala headed off to find a table whilst i ordered a pint of York Terrier and a half of Peroni for her. The staff were uniformed, but not exactly exuding character or personality, and laboured long over pouring the drinks, mid way through which Chala returned to report a surfeit of seating. So we asked if we were OK to sit upstairs, which the barman confirmed.
Beers in we headed off upstairs but spotted a table downstairs near the window was free so sat there, crucially taking up only a half of the available 4 seater space. Minutes later a waitress asked if we wanted a menu, upon the refusal of which she insisted that we move as this was an area for diners only. So we suggested we moved upstairs, only to be scalded for our ignorance, given that this was also the restaurant. Pointing out that we'd been assured this was OK fell on deaf ears even though there was no-one hovering for our seats so she could have let us stay there for the time it would take us to finish our drinks.
So like second class citizens we traipsed back to the bar area and found a place to stand at a high table, to be joined by a lady who bemoaned the grim quality of her spritzer and looked, like me, as if she would rather have been in Henry's or Platillos. As soon as the drinks were gone we gratefully headed off for Henry's, with ample seating, kind and friendly staff and barely audible music. Browns, I think, is a restaurant which begrudgingly provides drinks. I would stay well clear unless you are going in about 15.00 and can snap up a seat at one of the four tables for drinkers. Very poor.
Henry's
Further to the above we spent an enjoyable evening in Henry's stopping for a bite to eat and some nice beer - I had a Fernandes bitter, and halves of Riverhead Liquorice porter and Castle Rock Black Gold mild. One word of warning though - the Bacchus Frambozen is an excellent example of fruit beer, and no doubt attracts some hefty import duty, but without a price list on show, charging £5.50 a pint is just plain cheeky. You need to sort that out Henry's - do that and get a better wine list and I'll be in once a week rather than once a month.
Three Cranes
On a couple of recent visits there have been 2 Blue Bee beers on again, and the magical seemingly never to happen Stones cask has appeared on the bar at a reasonable £2.55 a pint. On my last visit the range also included the fantastic Blue Bee Lustin for Stout. The appearance of two dark beers in the last few weeks maybe suggests they are able to shift the darker brews, which most publicans baulk at.
Ship Ahoy
Talking of which, the excellent Ship Inn at Shalesmoor had no such problems with the Spire stout, and this time when I visited they were offering Thornbridge Brother Rabbit, Bradfield Belgian Blue and a Sheffield beer which sounded like Abbeydale Daily Bread but looked like a Kelham clip. Either way I didn't try it, but the Blue was excellent. Its well worth making time for a visit to the Ship to remind yourself what having a free hand in beer selection can do for consumer choice, (especially real ale fans) and what difference an experienced landlord makes to a boozer. It doesn't open til about 19.30 in the evenings though - just to note.
Shakespeares news
A few recent visits have included offerings such as Hornbeam Black Coral Stout, and Kelham Island Stockwell Rocker, a 4.0% stout, to name but a few. Alas, I missed their recent beer festival but with 6 to 9 neers on all the time its unlikely you'll be unable to find a brew to suit your tastes. Look out for regular offerings from Summer Wine Brewery, who's excellent offerings can often be found on the bar, often with biro on paper pump clips.
That's all for tonight am afraid, but I'll be on again in the next few days to tell you about the New Inn beer festival at Cropton, amongst other beery details.
Happy supping
Wee Beefy.
another short entry am afraid as its late and I need to get to bed!
The Hop at West One
Rumour Mill Success on cards
I note from the latest copy of Beer Matters that the much anticipated and by me, feared dead in the water bid to open a new bar at West One has finally got the all clear and the venue should be open about today! Ossett brewery have got permission to open The Hop, a real ale bar, specialising in casks, pies and bands. The article I saw stated opening late November which by my reckoning means I could have gone tonight - watch this space for more info very soon.
Browns. Literally very.
After a taxing trek to Abbeydale and Nether Edge (finding the Union Inn in darkness, which I am sad to hear is apparently due to the landlord's ill health) and the Broadfield lit up but being refurbished, me and Chala arrived in town thirsty and fancying a change. I had campaigned for a trip to the Rutland but was rebuked, Chala was warming to my Henry's suggestion but en route decided that the sparkly lights and pastel darks decor of Browns at the top of Union street and the Peace gardens, was worth a look. I had heard it sold real ale but it was well down my list of preferences but I decided to acquiesce.
It was busy inside, with many people annoyingly sat in two's at 4 seat tables, and there was a prevalent, if unused waiting staff desk on entering, that threatened to scoop you into a dining area instead of allowing you to indulge in a sit down and a sup. Chala headed off to find a table whilst i ordered a pint of York Terrier and a half of Peroni for her. The staff were uniformed, but not exactly exuding character or personality, and laboured long over pouring the drinks, mid way through which Chala returned to report a surfeit of seating. So we asked if we were OK to sit upstairs, which the barman confirmed.
Beers in we headed off upstairs but spotted a table downstairs near the window was free so sat there, crucially taking up only a half of the available 4 seater space. Minutes later a waitress asked if we wanted a menu, upon the refusal of which she insisted that we move as this was an area for diners only. So we suggested we moved upstairs, only to be scalded for our ignorance, given that this was also the restaurant. Pointing out that we'd been assured this was OK fell on deaf ears even though there was no-one hovering for our seats so she could have let us stay there for the time it would take us to finish our drinks.
So like second class citizens we traipsed back to the bar area and found a place to stand at a high table, to be joined by a lady who bemoaned the grim quality of her spritzer and looked, like me, as if she would rather have been in Henry's or Platillos. As soon as the drinks were gone we gratefully headed off for Henry's, with ample seating, kind and friendly staff and barely audible music. Browns, I think, is a restaurant which begrudgingly provides drinks. I would stay well clear unless you are going in about 15.00 and can snap up a seat at one of the four tables for drinkers. Very poor.
Henry's
Further to the above we spent an enjoyable evening in Henry's stopping for a bite to eat and some nice beer - I had a Fernandes bitter, and halves of Riverhead Liquorice porter and Castle Rock Black Gold mild. One word of warning though - the Bacchus Frambozen is an excellent example of fruit beer, and no doubt attracts some hefty import duty, but without a price list on show, charging £5.50 a pint is just plain cheeky. You need to sort that out Henry's - do that and get a better wine list and I'll be in once a week rather than once a month.
Three Cranes
On a couple of recent visits there have been 2 Blue Bee beers on again, and the magical seemingly never to happen Stones cask has appeared on the bar at a reasonable £2.55 a pint. On my last visit the range also included the fantastic Blue Bee Lustin for Stout. The appearance of two dark beers in the last few weeks maybe suggests they are able to shift the darker brews, which most publicans baulk at.
Ship Ahoy
Talking of which, the excellent Ship Inn at Shalesmoor had no such problems with the Spire stout, and this time when I visited they were offering Thornbridge Brother Rabbit, Bradfield Belgian Blue and a Sheffield beer which sounded like Abbeydale Daily Bread but looked like a Kelham clip. Either way I didn't try it, but the Blue was excellent. Its well worth making time for a visit to the Ship to remind yourself what having a free hand in beer selection can do for consumer choice, (especially real ale fans) and what difference an experienced landlord makes to a boozer. It doesn't open til about 19.30 in the evenings though - just to note.
Shakespeares news
A few recent visits have included offerings such as Hornbeam Black Coral Stout, and Kelham Island Stockwell Rocker, a 4.0% stout, to name but a few. Alas, I missed their recent beer festival but with 6 to 9 neers on all the time its unlikely you'll be unable to find a brew to suit your tastes. Look out for regular offerings from Summer Wine Brewery, who's excellent offerings can often be found on the bar, often with biro on paper pump clips.
That's all for tonight am afraid, but I'll be on again in the next few days to tell you about the New Inn beer festival at Cropton, amongst other beery details.
Happy supping
Wee Beefy.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Wee Beefy's beer bites
Now then browsers,
A few more spoonfuls of wholesome beer news to digest and maintain a healthy diet of bibulous information, in no particular order.
The Railway Wadsley Bridge.
The inimitable Jean continues to single handedly steer this previously neglected ship along the treacherous waterways of the beer and pubs business, seemingly with consummate ease. On my recent visit there were only two beers on, Bradfield Blonde and Acorn Barnsley Bitter, and a decent number of punters in. I would have preferred a stronger beer option but I have to say that the Acorn was in cracking nick, and duly warranted a second pint. This pub has restricted opening hours of Friday Saturday and Sunday only, with the pub open all day Sunday and on the other two from 5 onwards, so ringing ahead may be advisable if making a trip, but its well worth a look.
Shakespeares
Recent ales seen on the bar include an incredibly bitter Three Swords from Kirkstall, Blue Bee Lustin For Stout (the brewery of which now have their own website at http://www.bluebeebrewery.co.uk/w/doku.php?id=beers ), a couple of underwhelming Geeves Brewery offerings (alas not found a good one yet!) Summer Wine Brewery Dark Mild, and 2 from Hornbeam brewery Manchester. On a recent visit one of theirs that i tried, the White Swan, was very, very strange, even though I should have read the description on the board (although poor eyesight makes this near impossible), I was really unhappy with the bubble bath taste.
I returned to the bar and asked if, given that i knew that the beer was not off, they would be kind enough to replace it anyhow since it was so affrontingly vile. They duly did, cautioning that no-one else had complained and replaced it with the Hornbeam bitter which was a much better beer altogether. Well done to Shakespeares for their admirable focus on customer satisfaction.
Ship Inn Shalesmoor
You know how it is, you don't know what it is you've missed until its gone. I have had that dread feeling many times and often rued my decision making and priorities in not getting to visit pubs that have been swallowed up by progress or disappeared altogether. Luckily, this has not happened to me regarding a pub I have passed many times without popping in, the Ship at Shalesmoor.
You can't miss it. Every time you drive from West bar past the Shakespeare (erm, you probably can't do this in a car any more, but you get my drift ), or swing round the corner to Shalesmoor tram stop on the tram, you can see this fine tiled building, proclaimimg proudly its Truswells Ales, standing steadfastly on its own on a road previously blessed with at least 5 pubs, I am told.
Its not like I haven't been in either. I went in with Chala years ago, and took a handpicked selection of the Gloystarne lads there on an epic chrisrtmas pub crawl in the late nineties, amongst other visits. The problem is, I was never totally sold on Kimberly ales, and then when the pub and Kimberly brand became owned by Greene King, I kind of lost my inspiration to go, and missed the chance to appreciate what a refreshingly traditional local this was.
I tried to pop in a couple of Sundays ago but alas it closes during the day Sunday I think, but remedied this on Friday night. Inside to my surprise there wasn't a Grim King beer in site, instead 3 guest beers, Bradfield Blonde, Thornbridge Sequoia, and the one I had, Spire Dark Side of the Moon, at £2.60 a pint. I picked a table near the door with a draught repelling snob screen to my right and sat down to take in the hub of conversation and the stream of regulars (based on their being addressed by name) to the bar to order beer.
It dawned on me that Grim King through their objectionable megalomania had previously deprived me of a great pub experience. So now I have the opportunity to make up for lost time, I strongly recommend you do the same, and give the Ship a try.
P.S - don't forget the 50p a go pool!
Double H
Earlier that same evening I had been in the Hillsborough Hotel. Always a handy stop after a slake in the Blake, especially since they serve food til 21.00. Alas I chose the wrong night for a visit. Unfortunately the manager had been in an accident and wasn't in and, whether related or not, there was only a third of the cheffing staff and it seemed, an occurrence of beermageddon.
My first pint the Crown HPA was on its last legs, but not enough that i would take it back. I knew there was a wait for food so decided to drink it quickly and move onto my favourite, the Stannington Stout. Alas, this had run out so I had a try of the Cottage - I can't recall its name, but it wasn't Golden Arrow, and to be fair their beers are usually very samey - i.e all incredibly poor. It was true to form so I got a pint of Blue Bee Bees Knees. Not my favourite Blue Bee beer, but it sufficed.
I toyed after this with the idea of a Crown bitter but after trying another grim offering I had a half of the Derby 30 hop which went off straight after, and then a half of the Cottage Golden Arrow, mainly in desperation at the lack of available options. The HPA soon disappeared and it was quite late into the evening before any beers were replaced.
I have been going to the Double H for yonks so won't be making plans to avoid it on this showing when there was a clear explanation - and significant sympathy and apologies from the staff - for this poor display. It just means I'll have to go back sometime when all is working well again and secure a pint of the fantastic Stannington Stout.
Harrisons 1854
Just a quick note about the above, to remind you if nothing else that they continue to sell two real ales from Abbeydale, at £3.00 a pint which is reasonable for West Street. Make sure you pop in for one of their DJ nights or other events - find them on Facebook (I am told this is a public page! http://www.facebook.com/Harrisons1854 - please ignore the Harrisons link posted yesterday, twas raang am afraid, sorry for any confusion.)
Ay up duck! A pub crawl with a difference
On a recent trip out with Mr Ashman, I happened across a great new idea that is being promoted in fairest Sheffield. A local artist is (with the agreement of the premises involved!) spray painting pictures of ducks on a number of Sheffield's best hostelries from the City Centre right out to the fringes of the city.
The idea is that participants will strive to find pubs emblazoned with the painted canards (the Latin name for the genus duck is Anas, so I have helpfully sidestepped that for the French instead......) and visit them to sample their unique atmosphere, appearance, music, beer garden, or hopefully decent ale, (although am not sure that everyone is guaranteed to be a real ale stockist). Each duck will carry an archetypal Sheffield phrase, and participants are encouraged to visit as many as possible to get the best drinking and pub experiences, as well as scoring points along the way.
The anticipation is that "duck hunters" will find their way to all of the duck emblazoned hostelries, and in doing so, drink some Sheffield beer and discover some pubs they may not have done before. There are prizes on offer to those who visit every venue and for other achievements in the field. To find out more details, visit Facebook and search Ay up ducks (spelling important) or follow the link (note, i am unsure if this is public) on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ayupducks .
On the Slake in S6
The above meeting happened at my regular after work destination the Blake at Walkley. As ever the pub strives to provide a range of excellent beers on its 6 hand pulls, along with real cider and an impressive range of continental draught and bottled beers. Not forgetting of course, the fabulous pork pies. On my last visit a notable choice available on the bar was an excellent West Coast Brewery California Pale Ale. This is a beer from a new brewery from North Wales who I understand are brewing using the Conwy brewery kit at present. For (not much more) info see
http://www.conwybrewery.co.uk/16.html .
This news serves as an introduction to a recent trip round Walkley to see how the ever changing scene there is progressing. Across the park from the Blake both the Firwood and Belle Vue appear to still be trading. Try as I might, I have never been tempted to go in the Vue but note changes afoot at the Cottage.
On South Road the Freedom House has just reopened its doors, its first night was Friday 7th October. On my visit I found there was no real ale but was assured it was being delivered Tuesday and would be on by Friday. I seem to recall its only Bombadier (which I subconsiously just mis-spelled as Bombadire) but its a start, and hopefully this will be the nub of a revival. The Firwood connection is that according to Beer Matters, the new licensee is a former Firwood Cottage landlord, although am not sure if they have moved directly from there.
Further down towards Hillsborough, and on Walkley Bank the Florist had no real ale on when I visited, but I was told that they usually do, and that the Farmers Blonde was being substituted by the Bitter.
37th Sheffield Beer Festival
This year I was at two sessions of the fest, alas this is a rather expensive way of doing things, but I had hoped to see some people there on the Friday. Normally I would never go Friday, instead Saturday all day only, or maybe Thursday as well at a push. Much as I enjoyed the festival overall, I think I'd have rather used my normal plan.
Friday was a very hot day as you all know, so its important to note how impossible it would have been to predict the record breaking temperatures that week. That said, the sports hall at Ponds Forge was boiling. The beer was warmer at the cider bar end than the other (cooler beer stopped around the letter H?) and no one seemed to have thought of opening a door at each end of the hall to create a through draught, like they do in Crete for example.
That said the Hummingbirds were good, if a little quiet for such a large space, and there were some notably good beers on. Saturday was less sweaty and being a quieter session it was easier to get sat down, and near to a door at that. The quiz was as tough as always (I failed miserably again) but it was nice being there for the afternoon and still able to sample a decent range of beers, with plenty available when I left at 18.30.
The only puzzle not solved was the prices. Some lower gravity beers were well above town prices - for example a half of the Blackedge Pike which is a 3.8% session beer was £1.70. One member of the bar staff alluded to the fact that some casks had come by courier, and I also heard that some beers were as low as £2.20 a pint (Acorn perhaps?), but there were far too many beers that should have been affordable at sensible strengths that topped £3.20 a pint and some of the stronger ones, which are naturally more expensive, were over £4.00 and thus a pound more than nearby pubs. In summary - a welcome return indoors, the venue size and location are perfect, but sort out the prices!
Forum 3 - or the York at Broomhill.
Now kids, don't get all up in arms, am not sure for definite that the forum own the York and the Old House, but if they do, then visiting the three establishments shows an interesting transition, from hit and miss beer to beer heaven, but without a traditional boozer in sight.
Have not been in the forum for a couple of month but noted a reduced emphasis on the real stuff, and a friend informed me that last week there was no ale to be had at all. Up the road the Old House is also one I have missed of late but last time I went it was still serving decent beer and great food. The York, all the way out at Broomhill, is an interesting addition. The pub interior boasts a mish mash of classic and modern pub interior styles, with emphasis on food, and a good range of beer, including the Anvil Porter brewed for them by brew Company. The interior is warm and comforting and the bar is reassuringly classic looking.
Having only been on a Sunday I haven't had chance to see what the food side entails regarding seating. The impression I get is that the right hand seating is for drinkers and the left and to the back is for diners. I don't mind this per se - its no doubt essential to have dining as part of the set up given the money laid out in its transformation (the bar has moved a third time since the early nineties) but I would like to think that the drinking area is not encroached when it gets busy - I will have to come back soon and see for myself.
Drinks wise, there are 5 or 6 real ale pumps including the porter, and one or two used for real cider and perry, along with a decent range of continental bottled beers (too few darks though!) and a very impressive wine list, coupled with cocktails, softails, spirits and even speciality teas. So do give it a try, preferably to compare and contrast it with the Old house and Forum.....
Aaagh! Not the Nottingham House....
I was to have had a third trip to the above featured pub, the York, but en route my mate Carlos told me it was rammed and so we decamped to the Notty House. What a travesty this turned out to be! The pub was quiet for a Saturday night, and the plain white walls hinted at the fact that it may only have just reopened. On the bar were four handpumps, with none serving real ale. The staff were inattentive and seemingly inexperienced, more interested in the fact that me and my mate both had soft drinks (as he was taking it easy and there was no decent beer) than anything else.
I made a trip to the loo and found 7 empty toilet roll holders and some piles of hopefully unused bog roll on the floor, away from the cubicle there were no hand towels with the holders left open (assumedly by desperate blokes in the cubicles?) and along with the lack of hot water, I also had no opportunity to make my hands clean as there was also no soap or handwash.
I found Carlos in the beer garden where we paused very briefly to drink our soft drinks before heading off for a professional and enjoyable pub experience down the road at the University Arms. I don't normally rate a pub on toilet cleanliness alone, and am not going to now, but i have to say the Notty House was memorable for just how gross its facilities were, coupled with its apparent lack of management and of anything worth drinking. The fact that anyone was drinking in there at all I think says a lot about its former qualities and maybe a little about the fact that some students it seems will drink anywhere. 1 out of 10 - for having an outside space.
So that ends a beer bites that was really a beer 3 courses, hope to to be back soon with some more info and details of trips away from sunny Sheff.
Wee Beefy.
A few more spoonfuls of wholesome beer news to digest and maintain a healthy diet of bibulous information, in no particular order.
The Railway Wadsley Bridge.
The inimitable Jean continues to single handedly steer this previously neglected ship along the treacherous waterways of the beer and pubs business, seemingly with consummate ease. On my recent visit there were only two beers on, Bradfield Blonde and Acorn Barnsley Bitter, and a decent number of punters in. I would have preferred a stronger beer option but I have to say that the Acorn was in cracking nick, and duly warranted a second pint. This pub has restricted opening hours of Friday Saturday and Sunday only, with the pub open all day Sunday and on the other two from 5 onwards, so ringing ahead may be advisable if making a trip, but its well worth a look.
Shakespeares
Recent ales seen on the bar include an incredibly bitter Three Swords from Kirkstall, Blue Bee Lustin For Stout (the brewery of which now have their own website at http://www.bluebeebrewery.co.uk/w/doku.php?id=beers ), a couple of underwhelming Geeves Brewery offerings (alas not found a good one yet!) Summer Wine Brewery Dark Mild, and 2 from Hornbeam brewery Manchester. On a recent visit one of theirs that i tried, the White Swan, was very, very strange, even though I should have read the description on the board (although poor eyesight makes this near impossible), I was really unhappy with the bubble bath taste.
I returned to the bar and asked if, given that i knew that the beer was not off, they would be kind enough to replace it anyhow since it was so affrontingly vile. They duly did, cautioning that no-one else had complained and replaced it with the Hornbeam bitter which was a much better beer altogether. Well done to Shakespeares for their admirable focus on customer satisfaction.
Ship Inn Shalesmoor
You know how it is, you don't know what it is you've missed until its gone. I have had that dread feeling many times and often rued my decision making and priorities in not getting to visit pubs that have been swallowed up by progress or disappeared altogether. Luckily, this has not happened to me regarding a pub I have passed many times without popping in, the Ship at Shalesmoor.
You can't miss it. Every time you drive from West bar past the Shakespeare (erm, you probably can't do this in a car any more, but you get my drift ), or swing round the corner to Shalesmoor tram stop on the tram, you can see this fine tiled building, proclaimimg proudly its Truswells Ales, standing steadfastly on its own on a road previously blessed with at least 5 pubs, I am told.
Its not like I haven't been in either. I went in with Chala years ago, and took a handpicked selection of the Gloystarne lads there on an epic chrisrtmas pub crawl in the late nineties, amongst other visits. The problem is, I was never totally sold on Kimberly ales, and then when the pub and Kimberly brand became owned by Greene King, I kind of lost my inspiration to go, and missed the chance to appreciate what a refreshingly traditional local this was.
I tried to pop in a couple of Sundays ago but alas it closes during the day Sunday I think, but remedied this on Friday night. Inside to my surprise there wasn't a Grim King beer in site, instead 3 guest beers, Bradfield Blonde, Thornbridge Sequoia, and the one I had, Spire Dark Side of the Moon, at £2.60 a pint. I picked a table near the door with a draught repelling snob screen to my right and sat down to take in the hub of conversation and the stream of regulars (based on their being addressed by name) to the bar to order beer.
It dawned on me that Grim King through their objectionable megalomania had previously deprived me of a great pub experience. So now I have the opportunity to make up for lost time, I strongly recommend you do the same, and give the Ship a try.
P.S - don't forget the 50p a go pool!
Double H
Earlier that same evening I had been in the Hillsborough Hotel. Always a handy stop after a slake in the Blake, especially since they serve food til 21.00. Alas I chose the wrong night for a visit. Unfortunately the manager had been in an accident and wasn't in and, whether related or not, there was only a third of the cheffing staff and it seemed, an occurrence of beermageddon.
My first pint the Crown HPA was on its last legs, but not enough that i would take it back. I knew there was a wait for food so decided to drink it quickly and move onto my favourite, the Stannington Stout. Alas, this had run out so I had a try of the Cottage - I can't recall its name, but it wasn't Golden Arrow, and to be fair their beers are usually very samey - i.e all incredibly poor. It was true to form so I got a pint of Blue Bee Bees Knees. Not my favourite Blue Bee beer, but it sufficed.
I toyed after this with the idea of a Crown bitter but after trying another grim offering I had a half of the Derby 30 hop which went off straight after, and then a half of the Cottage Golden Arrow, mainly in desperation at the lack of available options. The HPA soon disappeared and it was quite late into the evening before any beers were replaced.
I have been going to the Double H for yonks so won't be making plans to avoid it on this showing when there was a clear explanation - and significant sympathy and apologies from the staff - for this poor display. It just means I'll have to go back sometime when all is working well again and secure a pint of the fantastic Stannington Stout.
Harrisons 1854
Just a quick note about the above, to remind you if nothing else that they continue to sell two real ales from Abbeydale, at £3.00 a pint which is reasonable for West Street. Make sure you pop in for one of their DJ nights or other events - find them on Facebook (I am told this is a public page! http://www.facebook.com/Harrisons1854 - please ignore the Harrisons link posted yesterday, twas raang am afraid, sorry for any confusion.)
Ay up duck! A pub crawl with a difference
On a recent trip out with Mr Ashman, I happened across a great new idea that is being promoted in fairest Sheffield. A local artist is (with the agreement of the premises involved!) spray painting pictures of ducks on a number of Sheffield's best hostelries from the City Centre right out to the fringes of the city.
The idea is that participants will strive to find pubs emblazoned with the painted canards (the Latin name for the genus duck is Anas, so I have helpfully sidestepped that for the French instead......) and visit them to sample their unique atmosphere, appearance, music, beer garden, or hopefully decent ale, (although am not sure that everyone is guaranteed to be a real ale stockist). Each duck will carry an archetypal Sheffield phrase, and participants are encouraged to visit as many as possible to get the best drinking and pub experiences, as well as scoring points along the way.
The anticipation is that "duck hunters" will find their way to all of the duck emblazoned hostelries, and in doing so, drink some Sheffield beer and discover some pubs they may not have done before. There are prizes on offer to those who visit every venue and for other achievements in the field. To find out more details, visit Facebook and search Ay up ducks (spelling important) or follow the link (note, i am unsure if this is public) on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ayupducks .
On the Slake in S6
The above meeting happened at my regular after work destination the Blake at Walkley. As ever the pub strives to provide a range of excellent beers on its 6 hand pulls, along with real cider and an impressive range of continental draught and bottled beers. Not forgetting of course, the fabulous pork pies. On my last visit a notable choice available on the bar was an excellent West Coast Brewery California Pale Ale. This is a beer from a new brewery from North Wales who I understand are brewing using the Conwy brewery kit at present. For (not much more) info see
http://www.conwybrewery.co.uk/16.html .
This news serves as an introduction to a recent trip round Walkley to see how the ever changing scene there is progressing. Across the park from the Blake both the Firwood and Belle Vue appear to still be trading. Try as I might, I have never been tempted to go in the Vue but note changes afoot at the Cottage.
On South Road the Freedom House has just reopened its doors, its first night was Friday 7th October. On my visit I found there was no real ale but was assured it was being delivered Tuesday and would be on by Friday. I seem to recall its only Bombadier (which I subconsiously just mis-spelled as Bombadire) but its a start, and hopefully this will be the nub of a revival. The Firwood connection is that according to Beer Matters, the new licensee is a former Firwood Cottage landlord, although am not sure if they have moved directly from there.
Further down towards Hillsborough, and on Walkley Bank the Florist had no real ale on when I visited, but I was told that they usually do, and that the Farmers Blonde was being substituted by the Bitter.
37th Sheffield Beer Festival
This year I was at two sessions of the fest, alas this is a rather expensive way of doing things, but I had hoped to see some people there on the Friday. Normally I would never go Friday, instead Saturday all day only, or maybe Thursday as well at a push. Much as I enjoyed the festival overall, I think I'd have rather used my normal plan.
Friday was a very hot day as you all know, so its important to note how impossible it would have been to predict the record breaking temperatures that week. That said, the sports hall at Ponds Forge was boiling. The beer was warmer at the cider bar end than the other (cooler beer stopped around the letter H?) and no one seemed to have thought of opening a door at each end of the hall to create a through draught, like they do in Crete for example.
That said the Hummingbirds were good, if a little quiet for such a large space, and there were some notably good beers on. Saturday was less sweaty and being a quieter session it was easier to get sat down, and near to a door at that. The quiz was as tough as always (I failed miserably again) but it was nice being there for the afternoon and still able to sample a decent range of beers, with plenty available when I left at 18.30.
The only puzzle not solved was the prices. Some lower gravity beers were well above town prices - for example a half of the Blackedge Pike which is a 3.8% session beer was £1.70. One member of the bar staff alluded to the fact that some casks had come by courier, and I also heard that some beers were as low as £2.20 a pint (Acorn perhaps?), but there were far too many beers that should have been affordable at sensible strengths that topped £3.20 a pint and some of the stronger ones, which are naturally more expensive, were over £4.00 and thus a pound more than nearby pubs. In summary - a welcome return indoors, the venue size and location are perfect, but sort out the prices!
Forum 3 - or the York at Broomhill.
Now kids, don't get all up in arms, am not sure for definite that the forum own the York and the Old House, but if they do, then visiting the three establishments shows an interesting transition, from hit and miss beer to beer heaven, but without a traditional boozer in sight.
Have not been in the forum for a couple of month but noted a reduced emphasis on the real stuff, and a friend informed me that last week there was no ale to be had at all. Up the road the Old House is also one I have missed of late but last time I went it was still serving decent beer and great food. The York, all the way out at Broomhill, is an interesting addition. The pub interior boasts a mish mash of classic and modern pub interior styles, with emphasis on food, and a good range of beer, including the Anvil Porter brewed for them by brew Company. The interior is warm and comforting and the bar is reassuringly classic looking.
Having only been on a Sunday I haven't had chance to see what the food side entails regarding seating. The impression I get is that the right hand seating is for drinkers and the left and to the back is for diners. I don't mind this per se - its no doubt essential to have dining as part of the set up given the money laid out in its transformation (the bar has moved a third time since the early nineties) but I would like to think that the drinking area is not encroached when it gets busy - I will have to come back soon and see for myself.
Drinks wise, there are 5 or 6 real ale pumps including the porter, and one or two used for real cider and perry, along with a decent range of continental bottled beers (too few darks though!) and a very impressive wine list, coupled with cocktails, softails, spirits and even speciality teas. So do give it a try, preferably to compare and contrast it with the Old house and Forum.....
Aaagh! Not the Nottingham House....
I was to have had a third trip to the above featured pub, the York, but en route my mate Carlos told me it was rammed and so we decamped to the Notty House. What a travesty this turned out to be! The pub was quiet for a Saturday night, and the plain white walls hinted at the fact that it may only have just reopened. On the bar were four handpumps, with none serving real ale. The staff were inattentive and seemingly inexperienced, more interested in the fact that me and my mate both had soft drinks (as he was taking it easy and there was no decent beer) than anything else.
I made a trip to the loo and found 7 empty toilet roll holders and some piles of hopefully unused bog roll on the floor, away from the cubicle there were no hand towels with the holders left open (assumedly by desperate blokes in the cubicles?) and along with the lack of hot water, I also had no opportunity to make my hands clean as there was also no soap or handwash.
I found Carlos in the beer garden where we paused very briefly to drink our soft drinks before heading off for a professional and enjoyable pub experience down the road at the University Arms. I don't normally rate a pub on toilet cleanliness alone, and am not going to now, but i have to say the Notty House was memorable for just how gross its facilities were, coupled with its apparent lack of management and of anything worth drinking. The fact that anyone was drinking in there at all I think says a lot about its former qualities and maybe a little about the fact that some students it seems will drink anywhere. 1 out of 10 - for having an outside space.
So that ends a beer bites that was really a beer 3 courses, hope to to be back soon with some more info and details of trips away from sunny Sheff.
Wee Beefy.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Shakespeare, Gibraltar Street Shalesmoor reopens; Robin Hood and Anvil, little Matlock and Stannington
Hello
I was heading out to the Robin Hood with Mr P earlier and spotted signs of life at the Shakespeare, which seemed to have been dormant until quite recently, following the announcement that it had been bought by the owner of the New Beehive, Bradford. Mr P spotted a sign announcing its reopening, and we added it to our list of venues for the evening.
Arriving about 21.00 we found the main bar packed out, and the room to the left empty but for its seating and a generous table of nibbles - although as noted by many, for a Sheffield pub launch, there were precious few items of cutlery available to divvy up the quiche....
Furnishings and fittings are basic tables and old chairs with bare flag floors throughout, making it quite echoey in places. This crisp resonance, along with the very real smells of fresh paint varnish and wood, means you can be in no doubt that this is a recently refurbished pub.
There were 8 handpumps dispensing local ales, including a new one from Welbeck Abbey brewery - more on that soon; and 2 real ciders in a box, as well as Continental draught beer including Bellevue Kriek. I had a pint of the Welbeck Red Leather and Mr P a half of a surprisingly dark Blue Bee Bee's Knees bitter, both of which retailed at a sensible £2.30 or so a pint.
The cosy fireplace in the wall feature behind the bar sadly seems to have disappeared, but there is another room to the right of the back of the bar, created by bricking up the former coach entrance on the right, and the loos are much improved; the smell of fresh paint possibly masked any lingering horrors, but i can safely say they were some of the worst pub toilets in Sheffield before.
Being launch night there were about 6 staff behind the bar, which is quite difficult to pull off, and i think i spotted the owner, but did not have time to ask him anything even if it were him. In the left hand room is a fabulous old clock and a number of pump clips all around the walls at dado height. The only potential downer is the fact that the Wards window in here appears to have been lost - perhaps broken ?
Its always a risky business reopening and working in an old pub with an unspoilt or old interior, and the loss of the window - its sibling still visible on the right as you look at the pub - is a real shame. That said, there is now a subtle and attractive new sign outside and the room gained on the right gives more space to what I hope will be throngs of drinkers visiting the pub from now on. There is also a large beer yard/area to the rear.
The pub was getting busier as we left before 22.00, and it looks like even at this early stage there is potential to make something of a business that successive pub companies failed or perhaps wanted to fail at making successful. Here's wishing the Speare (sorry) all the very best for the future.
Robin Hoodoo
As part of my succession of visits to the pub between now and August bank holiday, I continued tonight by taking Mr P to the pub at Little Matlock near Stannington. Luckily they had real ale on but only one, a very nice pint of Yorkshire Farmer. We sat outside defying the threat of rain for most of our visit before heading inside.
The beer situation appears to be that they get a delivery Friday each week, and put the beer straight on - not sure if this is ideal - and its clear that they are operating a hand to mouth ordering system, since on my visit tomorrow I will be having more beer from the same 9 on tonight if I am to get any at all. I understand the need to keep the cellar stocks light but this risks running out of beer, which, as mentioned before, if you don't do food Wednesday and Thursdays, is surely a key component in keeping customers there and buying ?
After we walked back along Greaves lane to the Anvil on Stannington Road. The makeover is complete and doesn't seem to have radically altered the layout i have seen on my last few visits. There are 4 beers on, Kelham, Bradfield Blonde, Lees Bitter with Black Sheep on soon. Not a life changing selection, but both the Lees and the Blonde were very well kept.
More info on Scotland and Welbeck Abbey brewery soon.
Wee Beefy.
I was heading out to the Robin Hood with Mr P earlier and spotted signs of life at the Shakespeare, which seemed to have been dormant until quite recently, following the announcement that it had been bought by the owner of the New Beehive, Bradford. Mr P spotted a sign announcing its reopening, and we added it to our list of venues for the evening.
Arriving about 21.00 we found the main bar packed out, and the room to the left empty but for its seating and a generous table of nibbles - although as noted by many, for a Sheffield pub launch, there were precious few items of cutlery available to divvy up the quiche....
Furnishings and fittings are basic tables and old chairs with bare flag floors throughout, making it quite echoey in places. This crisp resonance, along with the very real smells of fresh paint varnish and wood, means you can be in no doubt that this is a recently refurbished pub.
There were 8 handpumps dispensing local ales, including a new one from Welbeck Abbey brewery - more on that soon; and 2 real ciders in a box, as well as Continental draught beer including Bellevue Kriek. I had a pint of the Welbeck Red Leather and Mr P a half of a surprisingly dark Blue Bee Bee's Knees bitter, both of which retailed at a sensible £2.30 or so a pint.
The cosy fireplace in the wall feature behind the bar sadly seems to have disappeared, but there is another room to the right of the back of the bar, created by bricking up the former coach entrance on the right, and the loos are much improved; the smell of fresh paint possibly masked any lingering horrors, but i can safely say they were some of the worst pub toilets in Sheffield before.
Being launch night there were about 6 staff behind the bar, which is quite difficult to pull off, and i think i spotted the owner, but did not have time to ask him anything even if it were him. In the left hand room is a fabulous old clock and a number of pump clips all around the walls at dado height. The only potential downer is the fact that the Wards window in here appears to have been lost - perhaps broken ?
Its always a risky business reopening and working in an old pub with an unspoilt or old interior, and the loss of the window - its sibling still visible on the right as you look at the pub - is a real shame. That said, there is now a subtle and attractive new sign outside and the room gained on the right gives more space to what I hope will be throngs of drinkers visiting the pub from now on. There is also a large beer yard/area to the rear.
The pub was getting busier as we left before 22.00, and it looks like even at this early stage there is potential to make something of a business that successive pub companies failed or perhaps wanted to fail at making successful. Here's wishing the Speare (sorry) all the very best for the future.
Robin Hoodoo
As part of my succession of visits to the pub between now and August bank holiday, I continued tonight by taking Mr P to the pub at Little Matlock near Stannington. Luckily they had real ale on but only one, a very nice pint of Yorkshire Farmer. We sat outside defying the threat of rain for most of our visit before heading inside.
The beer situation appears to be that they get a delivery Friday each week, and put the beer straight on - not sure if this is ideal - and its clear that they are operating a hand to mouth ordering system, since on my visit tomorrow I will be having more beer from the same 9 on tonight if I am to get any at all. I understand the need to keep the cellar stocks light but this risks running out of beer, which, as mentioned before, if you don't do food Wednesday and Thursdays, is surely a key component in keeping customers there and buying ?
After we walked back along Greaves lane to the Anvil on Stannington Road. The makeover is complete and doesn't seem to have radically altered the layout i have seen on my last few visits. There are 4 beers on, Kelham, Bradfield Blonde, Lees Bitter with Black Sheep on soon. Not a life changing selection, but both the Lees and the Blonde were very well kept.
More info on Scotland and Welbeck Abbey brewery soon.
Wee Beefy.
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