Hulloo,
the title is continued by the words "pubs I have been to this month". As a direct result of financial and physical (more financial) constraints, am going out much less these days, and thus have less to report. Despite the above, here are some fragmented "memories" (guesswork) of pubs visited and ales consumed, since payday.
On payday I met up with Tash to see Matty off, and to go for a wander and buy some food items. This turned out to be thirsty work and so we ended up in "an boozer" for refreshments. That was the Sheffield Tap, where Tash had a coffee and I a pint of Alechemy pale ale, which had a name and everything. Suitably refreshed we headed for the Moor and then for coffee before I headed for the Devonshire Cat. They were having their Lines brewery tap takeover, and I was interested to try their beers.
There were five of their beers on keg and I started on a pint of the hop flux, a New England IPA at 5.1% "on oats". I didn't get to speak to the brewers so had no chance to ask for more details of what was on the different other ingredients. Am willing to accept there were oats in the beer....
I Also had a half of their DIPA which had Nelson Sauvin Citra and Mosaic in it, but it was a victory for expectation over delivery, with the hop flavour too subtle for my liking. Myself and Mr P who had joined me also tried the Lignes de Brux on Ekuanot which was a 6.1% hoppy wild yeast ale collab with Trois Dames brewery. Mr P also had a half of the Brux Trois collab with Track brewing. All were very interesting beers, but not ones I would necessarily choose over more recognised favourites given the choice.
Up next to the Bath Hotel for a pint of something which has since escaped me, in a virtually empty pub, before heading to BrewDog for a half of something hoppy and of Tiny Rebel Imperial Puft imperial marshmallow stout.B oth were excellent.
On the 1st I popped in the Tap and Tankard for the very last time (not knowingly since had planned to go Saturday) and had two pints of Don Valley Brewery Hitch Cock pale ale. Bumped into Kev and Bill who told me the pub was not going to be demolished as John Lewis has not agreed to move so the road wasn't going to be built. Research eh! After an emergency stop for a pint of Little Critters in the Huntsman I finished in the Old Queens Head for a bowl of garlic soup and a pint of Little Critters King Crow Imperial Espresso stout. Delicious!
I also recently popped in the Three Tuns where I had a half of the Titanic Plum Porter, mainly because, alas, the Blue Bee had run out. Afterwards I headed to Shakespeares to await the arrival of Tash. I had a couple of pints of the Kernel Mandarina, Bavaria, Citra and Centennial IPA at 7% which was on wonderful form, along with a half of the Cloudwater DDH pale NZ Chinook and a third of the 2015 Buxton Tsar. All excellent potations to warm the soul.
Later I headed to the Bankers with Tash for a pint of the Little Critters Golden Pale, then to the Cavendish for two halves of Brooklyn East India Pale, and finished in the Bath Hotel with a half of the Electric Bear NZ pale.
My final jaunt was last Friday when Mr G very kindly invited me out for a few pints, knowing I had insufficient funds to buy my own. We started in Shakespeares where I had three pints of the excellent Kernel above, before some annoying people with loud voices and chips came into the Clock room, after an hour of which we decided to move on.
Bar Stewards was our destination and in here Mr G kindly bought me two pints of the excellent Verdant Bloom IPA at a price which alas was nearly £2.00 more than that of the Kernel which was stronger, across the road. As I reassured him, the beer would be beautiful - and it didn't disappoint. I also got to see Steve and Cicely or similarly/spelled named persons who I used to know years ago in Walkley. A fab night of excellent company and beers throughout.
Now begins the lengthy wait for next pay day, although I do have four cans of hoppy goodness in stock to tide me over until the money trickles back....
Your very good health!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Sheffield Tap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sheffield Tap. Show all posts
Monday, 12 February 2018
Friday, 21 July 2017
Short crawls in Sheffield
Hello,
back when I had money (laughs, then starts sobbing) I went on a few pub crawls in sunny Sheffield, mainly at the weekend, since I work, and nobody drinks on a school night. Well, apart from me, obvs. To be fair, in the good old days (pre October 2016) I used to drink virtually all the time. I digress however. Here is some more recent evidence of indulgence.
It was the first Saturday of the month and I nipped into town and to Beer Central to pick up my latest saves. Only the 6 or 7 this time, but as always some crackers amongst them. All now supped I hasten to add. I went straight from there to the Beer Engine and spoke to Tom about his new venture. I haven't seen him for a while so it was good to catch up, and having started on a pint of delicious beer that had a name I was bought another - in this case two halves, one of Lost Industry cherry and banana sour and Alphabet A to the K oatmeal pale (and Friendache, where I got that form tells me I had a pint of Toxteth IPA from Mad Hatter - proving why I post so many pics of beers I have drunk!). The sour was on especially impeccable form.
All three beers were as ever in perfect condition and I quaffed them outside in bright sunshine, before heading up to Hop Hideout for more sitting outside, this time supping something hoppy from To ol, and possibly something else. Or neither. I also bumped into Ron Patterson who is a beer historian and told him all about the Royal Cottage. He ordered food. That, is a fact.
I headed into town and then met up with Tash outside the Sheffield Tap. Here I had a pint, definitely of beer, and she had a cider. Or wine. We bumped into Katherine and I left them two to catch up and met them in the Old Queens Head, where I had a pint of the most local ale available. I also had half a bottle of wine. This may explain later "forgetfulness" in a style more apparent than normal.
From here I headed to meet Scott and Col and Sue and others in the KIT for Col's birthday drinks. It wasn't until Sunday that I figured out what I had, and why that had made me forget everything I had done in Shakespeares afterwards. I had a pint of the Brodies DIPA at 9%. This was not my most sensible move. It was good catching up with Col and Sue and Fluffy though.
Another trundle came the next day - having somehow done overtime I met Matty in the Shakespeares and bought a pint of something on cask am sure. We sat in the sunshine once again catching up before heading for the Kelham Island Tavern and having two thirds each of the Brodies - this was a clearly very strong tasting as well as strong gravity beer which explained memory loss on Saturday quite well. We finished this short and quick crawl in the Riverside where we had pints of a pale ale. This is probably the least revealing crawl I have ever written up. Luckily I can remember much more about the next.
A Sunday post overtime drink was arranged with Miss Middlemarch, but alas she cancelled as I was heading to Shakespeares so it seemed rude not to attend anyway. I sat in the sunshine once again, enjoying a frankly excellent pint of Kernel, although am not sure which, but it was on fine form. All too quickly however I had supped it and I returned for a further half before moving on.
My next stop was the Gardeners Rest. I haven't been in since Pat and Eddie sold it to the community and all that seems to have changed is there are now slightly fewer beers on. To be honest, I only ever seemed to go to the Gardeners when it was quiet, and with them being new owners as well this seems like a sensible move. They also appear to have a card machine, which am not sure was there before. Ironic, now that I only have once card....
I sat outside once again, talking to a guy about the local wildlife he had seen and supping a pint of Elusive, or similar sounding pale ale which was on great form. Its good to see the Gardeners still drawing in customers and serving excellent beer.
Just up the hill is the Forest, on Rutland Road. It was busy inside but nobody was sat outside - although there is now only one table to do so at. I got a pint of the Toolmakers Phillips screwdriver, some free crisps which were much appreciated, and went and sat outside where I was joined by a couple of locals who initially talked about holidaying abroad. It was lovely and hot and a fantastic place to sit, so I nipped in and got another half before heading off.
My final stop was at The Old Workshop. As I mentioned in my post yesterday I managed to sit outside, and I did indeed people watch. I got a fantastic pint of Kernel Citra IPA and supped that in hot sunshine watching the crowds arrive. I got chatting to a guy called Nick from Middlesborough who asked me to look after his pit bull, the Duke - named after a John Wayne character and film, whilst he got a drink. We got chatting to a group who came in and he offered to buy me a drink so I asked for a half of the Kernel but somehow the message got mixed up and he bought me a pint. The dog enjoyed the water in the bowl at least. Many thanks for the pint. I slowly finished this whilst the sun went behind the factories before heading home. A fine finisher.
I may have spent a little too much on the first and last but I enjoyed every one of them, and went to some cracking boozers en route. Once more, demonstrating the range of venues and beer menus available to the slakers of finest sunny Sheffield.
Huzaah!
Wee Beefy
back when I had money (laughs, then starts sobbing) I went on a few pub crawls in sunny Sheffield, mainly at the weekend, since I work, and nobody drinks on a school night. Well, apart from me, obvs. To be fair, in the good old days (pre October 2016) I used to drink virtually all the time. I digress however. Here is some more recent evidence of indulgence.
It was the first Saturday of the month and I nipped into town and to Beer Central to pick up my latest saves. Only the 6 or 7 this time, but as always some crackers amongst them. All now supped I hasten to add. I went straight from there to the Beer Engine and spoke to Tom about his new venture. I haven't seen him for a while so it was good to catch up, and having started on a pint of delicious beer that had a name I was bought another - in this case two halves, one of Lost Industry cherry and banana sour and Alphabet A to the K oatmeal pale (and Friendache, where I got that form tells me I had a pint of Toxteth IPA from Mad Hatter - proving why I post so many pics of beers I have drunk!). The sour was on especially impeccable form.
All three beers were as ever in perfect condition and I quaffed them outside in bright sunshine, before heading up to Hop Hideout for more sitting outside, this time supping something hoppy from To ol, and possibly something else. Or neither. I also bumped into Ron Patterson who is a beer historian and told him all about the Royal Cottage. He ordered food. That, is a fact.
I headed into town and then met up with Tash outside the Sheffield Tap. Here I had a pint, definitely of beer, and she had a cider. Or wine. We bumped into Katherine and I left them two to catch up and met them in the Old Queens Head, where I had a pint of the most local ale available. I also had half a bottle of wine. This may explain later "forgetfulness" in a style more apparent than normal.
From here I headed to meet Scott and Col and Sue and others in the KIT for Col's birthday drinks. It wasn't until Sunday that I figured out what I had, and why that had made me forget everything I had done in Shakespeares afterwards. I had a pint of the Brodies DIPA at 9%. This was not my most sensible move. It was good catching up with Col and Sue and Fluffy though.
Another trundle came the next day - having somehow done overtime I met Matty in the Shakespeares and bought a pint of something on cask am sure. We sat in the sunshine once again catching up before heading for the Kelham Island Tavern and having two thirds each of the Brodies - this was a clearly very strong tasting as well as strong gravity beer which explained memory loss on Saturday quite well. We finished this short and quick crawl in the Riverside where we had pints of a pale ale. This is probably the least revealing crawl I have ever written up. Luckily I can remember much more about the next.
A Sunday post overtime drink was arranged with Miss Middlemarch, but alas she cancelled as I was heading to Shakespeares so it seemed rude not to attend anyway. I sat in the sunshine once again, enjoying a frankly excellent pint of Kernel, although am not sure which, but it was on fine form. All too quickly however I had supped it and I returned for a further half before moving on.
My next stop was the Gardeners Rest. I haven't been in since Pat and Eddie sold it to the community and all that seems to have changed is there are now slightly fewer beers on. To be honest, I only ever seemed to go to the Gardeners when it was quiet, and with them being new owners as well this seems like a sensible move. They also appear to have a card machine, which am not sure was there before. Ironic, now that I only have once card....
I sat outside once again, talking to a guy about the local wildlife he had seen and supping a pint of Elusive, or similar sounding pale ale which was on great form. Its good to see the Gardeners still drawing in customers and serving excellent beer.
Just up the hill is the Forest, on Rutland Road. It was busy inside but nobody was sat outside - although there is now only one table to do so at. I got a pint of the Toolmakers Phillips screwdriver, some free crisps which were much appreciated, and went and sat outside where I was joined by a couple of locals who initially talked about holidaying abroad. It was lovely and hot and a fantastic place to sit, so I nipped in and got another half before heading off.
My final stop was at The Old Workshop. As I mentioned in my post yesterday I managed to sit outside, and I did indeed people watch. I got a fantastic pint of Kernel Citra IPA and supped that in hot sunshine watching the crowds arrive. I got chatting to a guy called Nick from Middlesborough who asked me to look after his pit bull, the Duke - named after a John Wayne character and film, whilst he got a drink. We got chatting to a group who came in and he offered to buy me a drink so I asked for a half of the Kernel but somehow the message got mixed up and he bought me a pint. The dog enjoyed the water in the bowl at least. Many thanks for the pint. I slowly finished this whilst the sun went behind the factories before heading home. A fine finisher.
I may have spent a little too much on the first and last but I enjoyed every one of them, and went to some cracking boozers en route. Once more, demonstrating the range of venues and beer menus available to the slakers of finest sunny Sheffield.
Huzaah!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 14 April 2017
A fantastic Sheffield pub crawl
Hello all,
apologies for the delay in posting, have had a few issue to deal with of late, not least my overdraft being taken off me and me slowly finding out which bills I haven't paid, since my card was retained when I tried to get a mini statement. Luckily I had saved some funds with Mumrah so have been able to buy food and get out now and again. Here is some of what I suspect may have happened.
I met up with Glen for the first time in years. We met at the Sheffield Tap which was rammed, and had halves of the Hawkshead Cumberland Pale or similar at 3.6%. It was well over £3.00 a pint. Very tasty and refreshing though, and not the most expensive beer of the night.
That was at the Rutland Arms where we had a fabulous pint each of the Lervig tasty juice tropical fruit IPA. Being Norwegian keg is why it cost £6.00 odd a pint, but living in the saaaaarf I imagined Glen would be unsurprised. He wasn't, but admitted that this was frankly fabulous. One of the most refreshing, hoppy, juice filled and thirst quenching beers I think I've had. We did think about stopping for food but funds were limited and I had two emergency vouchers for a nearby burger chain. And besides, we needed to meet Tash and head for Shakespeares, a pub that was closed the last time Glen had been drinking in Sheffield.
Regurgetated burger slithers munched we met Tash in the Bankers and let her finish her wine before heading off to Shakespeares. As always the range did not disappoint. It also did not stick in my memory. I may have had Ridgeside cask but am certain there was a fabulously hoppy Kernel on keg so me and Gen would have had that. Tash had a pint of dry cider, or maybe a glass of wine. Seems two days of human and unhuman cannonball from Magic Rock has rewired my memory....
We finished the night in the Wellington where we would have at least two pints for me of Neepsend Breakfast IPA Mark 3. We also tried a pint of their Centennial ( according to rich) and finished on more Breakfast IPA. A fantastic quick pub crawl of some of Sheffield' finest real ale pubs for Mr. W was had.
More posts soon about other bowzey trips in the steel city of sunny Sheffield.
Cheers and Huzzah!
Wee Beefy
apologies for the delay in posting, have had a few issue to deal with of late, not least my overdraft being taken off me and me slowly finding out which bills I haven't paid, since my card was retained when I tried to get a mini statement. Luckily I had saved some funds with Mumrah so have been able to buy food and get out now and again. Here is some of what I suspect may have happened.
I met up with Glen for the first time in years. We met at the Sheffield Tap which was rammed, and had halves of the Hawkshead Cumberland Pale or similar at 3.6%. It was well over £3.00 a pint. Very tasty and refreshing though, and not the most expensive beer of the night.
That was at the Rutland Arms where we had a fabulous pint each of the Lervig tasty juice tropical fruit IPA. Being Norwegian keg is why it cost £6.00 odd a pint, but living in the saaaaarf I imagined Glen would be unsurprised. He wasn't, but admitted that this was frankly fabulous. One of the most refreshing, hoppy, juice filled and thirst quenching beers I think I've had. We did think about stopping for food but funds were limited and I had two emergency vouchers for a nearby burger chain. And besides, we needed to meet Tash and head for Shakespeares, a pub that was closed the last time Glen had been drinking in Sheffield.
Regurgetated burger slithers munched we met Tash in the Bankers and let her finish her wine before heading off to Shakespeares. As always the range did not disappoint. It also did not stick in my memory. I may have had Ridgeside cask but am certain there was a fabulously hoppy Kernel on keg so me and Gen would have had that. Tash had a pint of dry cider, or maybe a glass of wine. Seems two days of human and unhuman cannonball from Magic Rock has rewired my memory....
We finished the night in the Wellington where we would have at least two pints for me of Neepsend Breakfast IPA Mark 3. We also tried a pint of their Centennial ( according to rich) and finished on more Breakfast IPA. A fantastic quick pub crawl of some of Sheffield' finest real ale pubs for Mr. W was had.
More posts soon about other bowzey trips in the steel city of sunny Sheffield.
Cheers and Huzzah!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 30 April 2016
The oldest and newest - a pub crawl in Sheffield
Hello,
last night I went on a slightly different pub crawl with Tash. I have been resolutely dedicated to drinking in Shakespeares - as is always the case, and the Three Tuns recently. I thought, therefore, that it might be enjoyable to venture to some less often visited boozers after work.
I started by myself in the Fat Cat. It was busy, and I had to wait to get a seat, but was soon sitting down with a Wateralls pork pie and a pint of Bobs Brewing Yakima Chief. I quite like Bobs stuff and this was a perfect beer to start on at 5.0%. I went back for another half as well, whilst waiting for Tash, and bought some very very crispy hard pork scratchings. The scene was set.
Meeting Tash we decided to go somewhere near work and so popped in to the Harlequin. Here we both had pints of the Exit 33 Stateside Pale, also at or about 5%. This beer has a beautiful bitter aftertaste which creeps up on you, but has a very clean finish and of course bags of hops. By the time we left about 20.00 there was a band setting up in the back and the pub was very busy.
We walked through Hancock and Lant and stopped to see if there was anything happening with the proposal by Red Sky Inns to convert the toilets on Blonk Street into a bar. It seems implausible to look at the structure, it seems far too small, but there does appear to be room downstairs at river level and am guessing it goes back further under the road. Will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens on this plot.
Our next stop was the Old Queens Head, probably the oldest pub in Sheffield (I can't remember the name of the one near Graves Park which sells no real ale). The pub was also busy and still appears to be run by Czechs, with Czech food available on Monday nights, written in English and Czech. Tash's Dad was Czech and she can read a little but its a difficult language to master. I had a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black, a drop in ABV to 3.3%, and Tash a pint of Prospect Whatever, around 3.8% which was a slightly hoppy amber ale. I don't go in this pub very often so it was nice to see it popular, and still selling four real ales including a guest.
Our next stop was Sheffield's newest pub. The Centennial Brewpub is now open on Shoreham Street and features cask, keg and bottled beers. The brewery is enormous, and pleasingly gleamy bright, and there is seating down the side and a long bar with fresh snacks on the end. We both had a half of the Northern Monk True Pale on cask and a half of the EU IPA on keg at about £1million. It was good to see Louis who recently left Shakespeares, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
Sitting towards the back we found the Northern Monk a little flat but Tash loved the EU IPA. Granted, we both agreed its overpriced at £6.00 a pint - that's virtually a pound a percent, but it was well rounded and tasty. Alas the snacks are also expensive - a scotch egg is £3.25, so we decided to miss out on food and have another half of the IPA and a half of their delicious Kolsch lager. The bar is now growing into its carpet warehouse home and is a nice place to visit for a few halves.
We finished the night in the Sheffield Tap. There was a Wild beers sour on keg called Sleeping Lemons which was delicious, so Tash had a pint of that, and we met Matty n here who had a quick half. I tried a half of the Thornbridge Ravenhaf, (am sure it wasn't called just Raven) described as a Black IPA. It had an overpowering taste of perfume. To be fair the staff swapped it for another of the Sleeping Lemons but claimed they could not taste perfume - even though it smelled and tasted perfumed. I have no idea what could be in the beer to make it taste like this. The Sleeping Lemons was lovely however.
So ended an alternative Friday night session, with a selection of different pubs providing mainly excellent ales in cask and keg, and in different styles. It was good to see so many pubs so busy, and will be interesting to see how the Senteniel bar develops over time.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
last night I went on a slightly different pub crawl with Tash. I have been resolutely dedicated to drinking in Shakespeares - as is always the case, and the Three Tuns recently. I thought, therefore, that it might be enjoyable to venture to some less often visited boozers after work.
I started by myself in the Fat Cat. It was busy, and I had to wait to get a seat, but was soon sitting down with a Wateralls pork pie and a pint of Bobs Brewing Yakima Chief. I quite like Bobs stuff and this was a perfect beer to start on at 5.0%. I went back for another half as well, whilst waiting for Tash, and bought some very very crispy hard pork scratchings. The scene was set.
Meeting Tash we decided to go somewhere near work and so popped in to the Harlequin. Here we both had pints of the Exit 33 Stateside Pale, also at or about 5%. This beer has a beautiful bitter aftertaste which creeps up on you, but has a very clean finish and of course bags of hops. By the time we left about 20.00 there was a band setting up in the back and the pub was very busy.
We walked through Hancock and Lant and stopped to see if there was anything happening with the proposal by Red Sky Inns to convert the toilets on Blonk Street into a bar. It seems implausible to look at the structure, it seems far too small, but there does appear to be room downstairs at river level and am guessing it goes back further under the road. Will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens on this plot.
Our next stop was the Old Queens Head, probably the oldest pub in Sheffield (I can't remember the name of the one near Graves Park which sells no real ale). The pub was also busy and still appears to be run by Czechs, with Czech food available on Monday nights, written in English and Czech. Tash's Dad was Czech and she can read a little but its a difficult language to master. I had a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black, a drop in ABV to 3.3%, and Tash a pint of Prospect Whatever, around 3.8% which was a slightly hoppy amber ale. I don't go in this pub very often so it was nice to see it popular, and still selling four real ales including a guest.
Our next stop was Sheffield's newest pub. The Centennial Brewpub is now open on Shoreham Street and features cask, keg and bottled beers. The brewery is enormous, and pleasingly gleamy bright, and there is seating down the side and a long bar with fresh snacks on the end. We both had a half of the Northern Monk True Pale on cask and a half of the EU IPA on keg at about £1million. It was good to see Louis who recently left Shakespeares, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
Sitting towards the back we found the Northern Monk a little flat but Tash loved the EU IPA. Granted, we both agreed its overpriced at £6.00 a pint - that's virtually a pound a percent, but it was well rounded and tasty. Alas the snacks are also expensive - a scotch egg is £3.25, so we decided to miss out on food and have another half of the IPA and a half of their delicious Kolsch lager. The bar is now growing into its carpet warehouse home and is a nice place to visit for a few halves.
We finished the night in the Sheffield Tap. There was a Wild beers sour on keg called Sleeping Lemons which was delicious, so Tash had a pint of that, and we met Matty n here who had a quick half. I tried a half of the Thornbridge Ravenhaf, (am sure it wasn't called just Raven) described as a Black IPA. It had an overpowering taste of perfume. To be fair the staff swapped it for another of the Sleeping Lemons but claimed they could not taste perfume - even though it smelled and tasted perfumed. I have no idea what could be in the beer to make it taste like this. The Sleeping Lemons was lovely however.
So ended an alternative Friday night session, with a selection of different pubs providing mainly excellent ales in cask and keg, and in different styles. It was good to see so many pubs so busy, and will be interesting to see how the Senteniel bar develops over time.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Three days of Birthday drinks
Hello,
on Friday it was Tash's birthday. We both booked the day off work and had many plans to celebrate. We met up with a handful of friends in a number of pubs to sample glorious ales. I can remember what Tash's age is, but it would be rude to let that be known. I can also, however, remember most of what we drank with whom, and where.....
After work on Thursday, having left quite late, we headed across the river to the Harlequin. Matty was already there with Chris and we found the pub packed. Half an hour before we had arrived a retirement do turned up - a scrum was fought through to get to the bar and we were lucky to find somewhere to sit. Matty was on the 7% or more Speyside stout from Exit 33 and recommended the Club 33 from the same brewery. In the end, I bought him another pint of that and me and Tash a pint of the Five Towns beer. The four of us then sat down to watch the crowd enlarge and the noise level raise higher. Great for the pubs coffers am sure, but we didn't fancy staying.
We walked round to Tesco to get supplies and headed for Shakespeares where we met Tony. I bought a pint of Tempest Amber ale for me and halves of the excellent Cloudwater IPA at 8% for Tash and Matty and we sat in the clock room for a catch up. Another round of Cloudwater followed for all of us. halves of course, and we started discussing plans for Tash's birthday, and my Mum' at the end of the month.
We finished the night in the Three Tuns drinking the excellent, hoppy, Blue Bee Rakau pale ale. It has an initially citrus slightly fruity bitterness and then finishes with an incredible dry bitter aftertaste. Matty had gone home by now and after another piont each and a chat with Unpro and his German brewer friends Mark and Sebastien we headed home.
Friday saw us up and out later than planned but it was nice to get a lie in! We quickly went to a couple of shops and got to the Sheffield Tap about 17.30. Oakham Inferno was the beer for me Matty and Tash at an eye watering £10.80 for 3 pints (its 4.0%!) and we got some stools round a table and sat down to await Rachael and Wee Keefy.
After they arrived, further pints of the Inferno followed before WK decided to buy three strong bottled beers to try. Having dissuaded him away from buying a strong USA sharing bottle at £23.00 we opted for a Trappist Rochefort Double at 7.1% for him, a can of Magic Rock Cannonball at 7.4% for Tash and a fantastic bottle of Loch Ness Prince of Tranquility Barrel aged imperial stout at 10.1% for me. WK liked his Trappist I think, everyone liked the astounding clean hoppiness of the Cannonball and all of us were blown away by the alcohol and smooth balance of flavours in the Loch Ness. An excellent beer from Drumnadrochit.
From here we headed up to the Dove and Rainbow, me via a snack after my hefty beer, and I had a pint of the Blue Bee Tempest (or maybe Hambleton Nightmare, or maybe neither!) and Tash as she was a mature regular, was given a bottle of Chaumet perry to drink for her birthday. Needles to zay, Matty dispensed with this. From here most people went home and me and Tash went down to the Shakespeares to finish.
Shakespeares had alas run out of the Cloudwater but I bought Tash a pint of the excellent Kernel Centennial pale ale on keg and me a pint of another Tempest red ale I think, on cask. We met up with Tony once again and he very kindly gave Tash a bottle of the 8% Cloudwater Winter IPA for her birthday - which is now in my fridge awaiting tasting by Tash. A further pint each of the Kernel followed plus we got chatting to the lovely Katie, and also spotted Dave, who admired my Tweed jacket - big hugs to Tash for this gift! A late taxi home, followed by pizza at 03.00 rounded off the night nicely.
Yesterday was a much more relaxing day - we opened the Pinot Noir and supped a couple of small glasses each around 19.00 before leaving the house in the snow about 22.00. We got to the Bath Hotel at 22.40 and found excellent Hopjacker Kansas City Shuffle and Anarchy Brew Co Quiet Riot on cask, both at 5.5%. We started on a pint each of those two followed by a pint for me and a half for Tash of the Hopjacker. When Matty arrived we had a pint each again, and a final pint and a half before catching a taxi about 01.00. Great as always to see Stef and despite some of the loudest people on earth drinking in their it was still a great two hours supping.
Looking forward to enjoying more excellent ales in the coming weeks, and to celebrating two more friends birthdays in January.
Hic!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
on Friday it was Tash's birthday. We both booked the day off work and had many plans to celebrate. We met up with a handful of friends in a number of pubs to sample glorious ales. I can remember what Tash's age is, but it would be rude to let that be known. I can also, however, remember most of what we drank with whom, and where.....
After work on Thursday, having left quite late, we headed across the river to the Harlequin. Matty was already there with Chris and we found the pub packed. Half an hour before we had arrived a retirement do turned up - a scrum was fought through to get to the bar and we were lucky to find somewhere to sit. Matty was on the 7% or more Speyside stout from Exit 33 and recommended the Club 33 from the same brewery. In the end, I bought him another pint of that and me and Tash a pint of the Five Towns beer. The four of us then sat down to watch the crowd enlarge and the noise level raise higher. Great for the pubs coffers am sure, but we didn't fancy staying.
We walked round to Tesco to get supplies and headed for Shakespeares where we met Tony. I bought a pint of Tempest Amber ale for me and halves of the excellent Cloudwater IPA at 8% for Tash and Matty and we sat in the clock room for a catch up. Another round of Cloudwater followed for all of us. halves of course, and we started discussing plans for Tash's birthday, and my Mum' at the end of the month.
We finished the night in the Three Tuns drinking the excellent, hoppy, Blue Bee Rakau pale ale. It has an initially citrus slightly fruity bitterness and then finishes with an incredible dry bitter aftertaste. Matty had gone home by now and after another piont each and a chat with Unpro and his German brewer friends Mark and Sebastien we headed home.
Friday saw us up and out later than planned but it was nice to get a lie in! We quickly went to a couple of shops and got to the Sheffield Tap about 17.30. Oakham Inferno was the beer for me Matty and Tash at an eye watering £10.80 for 3 pints (its 4.0%!) and we got some stools round a table and sat down to await Rachael and Wee Keefy.
After they arrived, further pints of the Inferno followed before WK decided to buy three strong bottled beers to try. Having dissuaded him away from buying a strong USA sharing bottle at £23.00 we opted for a Trappist Rochefort Double at 7.1% for him, a can of Magic Rock Cannonball at 7.4% for Tash and a fantastic bottle of Loch Ness Prince of Tranquility Barrel aged imperial stout at 10.1% for me. WK liked his Trappist I think, everyone liked the astounding clean hoppiness of the Cannonball and all of us were blown away by the alcohol and smooth balance of flavours in the Loch Ness. An excellent beer from Drumnadrochit.
From here we headed up to the Dove and Rainbow, me via a snack after my hefty beer, and I had a pint of the Blue Bee Tempest (or maybe Hambleton Nightmare, or maybe neither!) and Tash as she was a mature regular, was given a bottle of Chaumet perry to drink for her birthday. Needles to zay, Matty dispensed with this. From here most people went home and me and Tash went down to the Shakespeares to finish.
Shakespeares had alas run out of the Cloudwater but I bought Tash a pint of the excellent Kernel Centennial pale ale on keg and me a pint of another Tempest red ale I think, on cask. We met up with Tony once again and he very kindly gave Tash a bottle of the 8% Cloudwater Winter IPA for her birthday - which is now in my fridge awaiting tasting by Tash. A further pint each of the Kernel followed plus we got chatting to the lovely Katie, and also spotted Dave, who admired my Tweed jacket - big hugs to Tash for this gift! A late taxi home, followed by pizza at 03.00 rounded off the night nicely.
Yesterday was a much more relaxing day - we opened the Pinot Noir and supped a couple of small glasses each around 19.00 before leaving the house in the snow about 22.00. We got to the Bath Hotel at 22.40 and found excellent Hopjacker Kansas City Shuffle and Anarchy Brew Co Quiet Riot on cask, both at 5.5%. We started on a pint each of those two followed by a pint for me and a half for Tash of the Hopjacker. When Matty arrived we had a pint each again, and a final pint and a half before catching a taxi about 01.00. Great as always to see Stef and despite some of the loudest people on earth drinking in their it was still a great two hours supping.
Looking forward to enjoying more excellent ales in the coming weeks, and to celebrating two more friends birthdays in January.
Hic!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 13 December 2015
An Ale Amble round the edges of Sheffield centre
Hello,
yesterday I was pleased to meet up with Charlie, AKA renowned beer blogger from the aswiftone beer blog Ale Ambler. We had not met up for a couple of years and we decided to meet in the Sheffield Tap to start a short pub crawl.in the grey, darkening streets of sodden Sheffield
The days tarted well I had arranged to meet Charlie the night before -desit having been a trifle refreshed at the time, and despite having lost my phone, I remembered that I was meeting the AA at
12.30. I hadn't however, remembered to get ready for 11.45. I was burning my bacon at that point. And trying to contact the AA via Facebook. Luckily I found his Twitter account and messaged him. I found my dead phone 10 minutes before I left, and met the AA at 13.08. Luckily things improved form here on.
In the Sheffield Tap it was busy and I spotted the AA at the bar. He had a half of Arbor Oz Bomb and me a First Chop AVA. We repaired to the brewery room where the smell f brewing hung in the air, and I sat and gently shook whilst Double A made notes. I was still mildly drunk from the night before you see. Both beers were lovely. Especially the Arbor.
Coats and scarves done up we walked out of the Tap into a wall of water and struggled along Brown Street, Sidney Street and up onto Arundel Street. Double A is fond of street art - as opposed to graffiti (the difference between which is different to many) and we stopped off at a wall near the pub to look at some.
The Lord Nelson is a small, back street, corner local, owned by Greedy King, but still retaining its character and selling a good range of real ales and bottles - and black pudding pork scratchings. I also noticed bottles of West Brewing St Mungo's lager in the fridge - not something I have seen anywhere for a while.
We had a pint and a half of Pennine Happy New Year 2016 - maybe a little early but it isn't how I would expect a celebration ale to taste. That said. it was beautiful. Very quaffable with a balanced bitterness and very easy to drink. The AA also had a half of Bradfield Belgian Blue. This was as I predicted - poorly balanced and sweet (and with no identifiable blue). Absolutely nothing with how it was kept I should point out. It was in here as well that I decided to recharge my phone. Alas, two minutes in, the lead fell out and I didn't notice. It would be two pubs later before I got my phone charged!
The AA liked the lord Nelson - now with I love Fanny's T-shirts to order, for those confident that people would realise the pub was known as that. He liked what they had done with the space and the fact that there were four separate drinking areas still. Definitely a pub we will revisit.
Along back streets and through Decathlon car park we were soon in the underpass and heading for the Beer Engine. Sadly Tol Barry was not around - he would be in later. The AA will have to return to Sheffield to meet him.
On the bar was a great selection of real ales and kegs - sadly rather too many dark ones for me but the Siren Oatmeal Pale Undercurrent was on at £3.40 a pint so I had a half of that and the keg four Hopmen of the Hopocalypse. The AA meanwhile had a half o the Wild Beer Millionaire, a salted caramel chocolate ale which we were warned was quite sweet. It was an immensely strong flavoured beer at 4.7%, and although I preferred my delicious Oatmeal Pale and Hopmen, the AA found it quite easy to drink.
As usual there was an interesting range of music on and trade was steady, if not busy. One thing I will point out about the Beer Engine is the toilets - soft loo roll, heating, handwash and a hand dryer and hot water. None of which are difficult to provide, but usually only two of which are available in other pubs. Its nowhere near as important as the quality of the beers however. Since they are also excellent and well thought through, this makes the Beer Engine a fab place for a pint.
Up Eccy road next and we arrived from the continuing downpour at the Portland House. On the bar there were four Welbeck and Leeds best and a Celt Experience beer called something an Brett. The guy behind the bar asked of we were here to try it, and given the choice we were. The AA was not aware of brettanomyces - part of the Saccharomycetaceae family of myacies, for ease of reference! The only reference I could muster at the time was that they featured in Imperial Russian Stouts, and that breweries were now trying them out for the unique unusual flavour. The beer was certainly in possession of that - it was an unusual but possibly over-bretted beer, but definitely one that challenged our taste buds. The other thing here was that I managed to charge my phone o 26%.
We caught a bus back into town and went to collect the AA's haul of shopping from Wateralls and a cheese specialist - where I also purchased some Brampton Impy Dark Derby cheese. After a quick chat with Sean from Beer Central we headed up to the Devonshire Cat. The AA got a half of Shiny Sorachi and I the Hop Studio Obsidian Black IPA. We sat in my usual place and found that we couldn't use the sockets to charge my phone....
Never the less, we enjoyed our beers, but me rather more than the AA whose Sorachi flavoured beer was overpowering! We also bumped into new manager Liz formerly of the Sheffield Tap. December, it seems, is s busy time of year to start your new job...
Up the road next for me and The AA's final pub the Bath Hotel. I got a pint of Harbour Pale and he a half of Jaipur on keg. We sat in the back and watched the fire very slowly fail to get going and then be drowned by more coal. A shame, since we were soaked. I had a further pint of Jaipur and Matty joined us whilst we waited for Tash, but the AA admitted he had reached his limit and we soon left for him to get his train. Thanks so much for your company Ale Ambler! Glad to have introduced you to a new Sheffield pub or two.
I headed off to BrewDog next to wait for Tash - as the crawl was finished we could now drink beer in the cntre. We shared a bottle of the Fantome Saison. The bar was quite packed and the music was fantastic as it so often is. We also had two halves of the Aberdeen BrewDog Ghost Writer and the Prototype Black IPA, along with a venison pie and mash and gravy - which was very tasty, but really needed to have come on a plate as opposed to in a box.
Our final stop of the night was in the Tap and Tankard where we had two halves of the Green Jack gone fishing and a half of Double Top Shanghai. I also bought Tash a double gin and tonic as she was feeling a little unwell. The music changes from being rock and dub to awful pop later one - a deliberate ploy no doubt to persuade customers to leave. It worked, and we left about midnight.
This was another fantastic pub crawl in Sheffield featuring a mix of different pub styles and beer styles. Great to catch up with the Ale Ambler, and this day out proves that there are plenty of other Sheffield crawls for us both, and indeed us three, to do in the future.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
yesterday I was pleased to meet up with Charlie, AKA renowned beer blogger from the aswiftone beer blog Ale Ambler. We had not met up for a couple of years and we decided to meet in the Sheffield Tap to start a short pub crawl.in the grey, darkening streets of sodden Sheffield
The days tarted well I had arranged to meet Charlie the night before -desit having been a trifle refreshed at the time, and despite having lost my phone, I remembered that I was meeting the AA at
12.30. I hadn't however, remembered to get ready for 11.45. I was burning my bacon at that point. And trying to contact the AA via Facebook. Luckily I found his Twitter account and messaged him. I found my dead phone 10 minutes before I left, and met the AA at 13.08. Luckily things improved form here on.
In the Sheffield Tap it was busy and I spotted the AA at the bar. He had a half of Arbor Oz Bomb and me a First Chop AVA. We repaired to the brewery room where the smell f brewing hung in the air, and I sat and gently shook whilst Double A made notes. I was still mildly drunk from the night before you see. Both beers were lovely. Especially the Arbor.
Coats and scarves done up we walked out of the Tap into a wall of water and struggled along Brown Street, Sidney Street and up onto Arundel Street. Double A is fond of street art - as opposed to graffiti (the difference between which is different to many) and we stopped off at a wall near the pub to look at some.
The Lord Nelson is a small, back street, corner local, owned by Greedy King, but still retaining its character and selling a good range of real ales and bottles - and black pudding pork scratchings. I also noticed bottles of West Brewing St Mungo's lager in the fridge - not something I have seen anywhere for a while.
We had a pint and a half of Pennine Happy New Year 2016 - maybe a little early but it isn't how I would expect a celebration ale to taste. That said. it was beautiful. Very quaffable with a balanced bitterness and very easy to drink. The AA also had a half of Bradfield Belgian Blue. This was as I predicted - poorly balanced and sweet (and with no identifiable blue). Absolutely nothing with how it was kept I should point out. It was in here as well that I decided to recharge my phone. Alas, two minutes in, the lead fell out and I didn't notice. It would be two pubs later before I got my phone charged!
The AA liked the lord Nelson - now with I love Fanny's T-shirts to order, for those confident that people would realise the pub was known as that. He liked what they had done with the space and the fact that there were four separate drinking areas still. Definitely a pub we will revisit.
Along back streets and through Decathlon car park we were soon in the underpass and heading for the Beer Engine. Sadly Tol Barry was not around - he would be in later. The AA will have to return to Sheffield to meet him.
On the bar was a great selection of real ales and kegs - sadly rather too many dark ones for me but the Siren Oatmeal Pale Undercurrent was on at £3.40 a pint so I had a half of that and the keg four Hopmen of the Hopocalypse. The AA meanwhile had a half o the Wild Beer Millionaire, a salted caramel chocolate ale which we were warned was quite sweet. It was an immensely strong flavoured beer at 4.7%, and although I preferred my delicious Oatmeal Pale and Hopmen, the AA found it quite easy to drink.
As usual there was an interesting range of music on and trade was steady, if not busy. One thing I will point out about the Beer Engine is the toilets - soft loo roll, heating, handwash and a hand dryer and hot water. None of which are difficult to provide, but usually only two of which are available in other pubs. Its nowhere near as important as the quality of the beers however. Since they are also excellent and well thought through, this makes the Beer Engine a fab place for a pint.
Up Eccy road next and we arrived from the continuing downpour at the Portland House. On the bar there were four Welbeck and Leeds best and a Celt Experience beer called something an Brett. The guy behind the bar asked of we were here to try it, and given the choice we were. The AA was not aware of brettanomyces - part of the Saccharomycetaceae family of myacies, for ease of reference! The only reference I could muster at the time was that they featured in Imperial Russian Stouts, and that breweries were now trying them out for the unique unusual flavour. The beer was certainly in possession of that - it was an unusual but possibly over-bretted beer, but definitely one that challenged our taste buds. The other thing here was that I managed to charge my phone o 26%.
We caught a bus back into town and went to collect the AA's haul of shopping from Wateralls and a cheese specialist - where I also purchased some Brampton Impy Dark Derby cheese. After a quick chat with Sean from Beer Central we headed up to the Devonshire Cat. The AA got a half of Shiny Sorachi and I the Hop Studio Obsidian Black IPA. We sat in my usual place and found that we couldn't use the sockets to charge my phone....
Never the less, we enjoyed our beers, but me rather more than the AA whose Sorachi flavoured beer was overpowering! We also bumped into new manager Liz formerly of the Sheffield Tap. December, it seems, is s busy time of year to start your new job...
Up the road next for me and The AA's final pub the Bath Hotel. I got a pint of Harbour Pale and he a half of Jaipur on keg. We sat in the back and watched the fire very slowly fail to get going and then be drowned by more coal. A shame, since we were soaked. I had a further pint of Jaipur and Matty joined us whilst we waited for Tash, but the AA admitted he had reached his limit and we soon left for him to get his train. Thanks so much for your company Ale Ambler! Glad to have introduced you to a new Sheffield pub or two.
I headed off to BrewDog next to wait for Tash - as the crawl was finished we could now drink beer in the cntre. We shared a bottle of the Fantome Saison. The bar was quite packed and the music was fantastic as it so often is. We also had two halves of the Aberdeen BrewDog Ghost Writer and the Prototype Black IPA, along with a venison pie and mash and gravy - which was very tasty, but really needed to have come on a plate as opposed to in a box.
Our final stop of the night was in the Tap and Tankard where we had two halves of the Green Jack gone fishing and a half of Double Top Shanghai. I also bought Tash a double gin and tonic as she was feeling a little unwell. The music changes from being rock and dub to awful pop later one - a deliberate ploy no doubt to persuade customers to leave. It worked, and we left about midnight.
This was another fantastic pub crawl in Sheffield featuring a mix of different pub styles and beer styles. Great to catch up with the Ale Ambler, and this day out proves that there are plenty of other Sheffield crawls for us both, and indeed us three, to do in the future.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 18 October 2015
This week, I have been mostly.....
Drinking.
once again, not exactly a revelation, but an appropriate back story to a week or more of libations that I hope to record some details of here.
Recently myself and Matty and Tash have found ourselves in the Harlequin more often than usual. Its not that I have anything against the Harlequin, more that in the beginning of the month when I have actual money I tend to travel or go to my usual haunts. By this week, I largely pay for my beer on card. Its cash only at the Quin. Despite this on recent visits I found sufficient funds to invest in pints of Five Towns and North Riding Golden Years IPA, which we all had several pints of, along with Exit 3 IPA, and on my last visit, a very palatable pint of Blue Bee Motueka Pale Ale. Motueka is not a hop I encounter that often but there was a definite and interesting tang to this beer, which I assume is a Motueka characteristic. Decent value as well at £3.00 a pint for a 5% beer.
I haven't been to Shakespeares that much of late. I was in last night after the Ship, not partaking in but observing with interest the punters at, their inaugural gin festival. There have been a couple in Gatsby's and the Harlequin over the last year but I have never been tempted to go. Had Tash been better this last week I think we could have snook in for a taster or two. Last night I started with a pint of Brodies Steam, a half of North Riding Citra and a half of Blue Bee Ginger beer. Good to see that during the gin fest the beers were still top notch.
I sat in the back room and met Tracey and Tom, Phoebe and Tom and Sarah and Tom. This isn't, despite appearances, a bizarre four way, instead three couples. These lovely folks were at Shakespeares to see a man playing upstairs whose three names probably included Steven and Adams. Its always nice to meet new people and this was no different, hopefully all six enjoyed the gig. I went back afterwards for another half of the excellent Blue Bee Ginger beer, and to pay my tab - another excellent Shakesperian visit.
Talking of Gatsby, sort of, on Sunday after our jaunt to Ull and a coffee in Tamper Sellers Wheel, we went up to the Double G. Its never been my favourite venue but they usually sell two real ales and we fancied a change. They appear now to be permanently selling cask Saltaire Cascadian Black and Roosters YPA. Am not really a fan of either but ordered a half of YPA each for me and Tash. I assumed the cloudiness was a chill haze but even when they warmed up they were still hazy. I think it might have been the end of the barrel - at least I hope so, because £3.60 a pint is a lot for a duff beer.
After this we went and ate two portions of Kumara fries each in the Red Deer. They were having a bit of a Stancil fest, but there was a Brewsters and a Welbeck beer on as well. So me and Tash both had a pint or two of Welbeck Cubits Voyage, a 3.5% session ale using New Zealand Hops. I also tried a half of the Brewsters hopped Porter which was delicious. Am not a Stancil fan however so didn't have any of theirs, apart from a taste of the unfined Blonde.
We finished the night having several pints of Blue Bee in the Three Tuns Silver Street Head. The food menu has again reduced and Jamie was wearing his chef's hat, am not sure if this means another chef has left or not! Once again the ale was excellent, as were the pork scratchings, am just struggling to remember which Blue Bee pale we had. More of the same in terms of quality, when we popped in Wednesday to see Matty off to London with his friends Stuart and Phil.
By the way, Welbeck Abbey Brewery are opening their first Sheffield venue, a micropub on Ecclesall Road called Portland House. Their Facebook page described the venue, opening a week on Thursday 29 October, as a pub, brewery and cafe. Am not sure of the brewery details but I heard about their potential opening some time ago from one of the guys behind the project. Its tag line is a "Micropub without the gimmicks" so it will be interesting to see the results.
Bath Hotel news now - was in the redoubtable boozer Monday or Tuesday drinking one of the beers of the year. The Cloudwater 6.7% Autumn IPA on keg is a revelation - citrus, resinous, spicy hops on a warming malt background is my half arsed attempt at a description - either way it was a fantastic pint which me and Tash had one of each. We found out earlier in the day the pub had some trouble from drug and alcohol abusing molluscs who threatened the two female staff and generally caused havoc. Whilst I was walking down with Tash there was a massive argument going on across the road, and at one stage the front door was locked as a maniac was outside with a knife and a block of wood. Credit to the staff at the pub for working under this kind of pressure. Such a lot to deal with as well as meeting profit and sales targets.
A couple of visits to the Bankers Draft have shown some interesting ales including a mild, Purity UBU amber ale and Fatheads Yakima Sun, part of their ale festival. The Bankers is not my favourite place by a long stretch but is somewhere worth popping on for a coffee or soft drink or an ale, as I have done a few times of late.
Finally, the Sheffield Tap continues to offer some decent real ales. I popped in on Friday with Tash as she wasn't well and needed to sit down somewhere for a coffee - an extra large Cappuccino was £3.50 but am assured was delicious. I thought I would have a Fyne Ales Highlander, but at £4.00 a pint for a 4.5% cask beer said no - a similar strength Bad Seed Brewing Comet (I think!) was much better value at £3.40 a pint so i had a couple of pints of that. Always worth popping in to sample the real ales - just check the prices first.
That's all the news I have for now, am hoping to have a Sheffield beer festival write up next week!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
once again, not exactly a revelation, but an appropriate back story to a week or more of libations that I hope to record some details of here.
Recently myself and Matty and Tash have found ourselves in the Harlequin more often than usual. Its not that I have anything against the Harlequin, more that in the beginning of the month when I have actual money I tend to travel or go to my usual haunts. By this week, I largely pay for my beer on card. Its cash only at the Quin. Despite this on recent visits I found sufficient funds to invest in pints of Five Towns and North Riding Golden Years IPA, which we all had several pints of, along with Exit 3 IPA, and on my last visit, a very palatable pint of Blue Bee Motueka Pale Ale. Motueka is not a hop I encounter that often but there was a definite and interesting tang to this beer, which I assume is a Motueka characteristic. Decent value as well at £3.00 a pint for a 5% beer.
I haven't been to Shakespeares that much of late. I was in last night after the Ship, not partaking in but observing with interest the punters at, their inaugural gin festival. There have been a couple in Gatsby's and the Harlequin over the last year but I have never been tempted to go. Had Tash been better this last week I think we could have snook in for a taster or two. Last night I started with a pint of Brodies Steam, a half of North Riding Citra and a half of Blue Bee Ginger beer. Good to see that during the gin fest the beers were still top notch.
I sat in the back room and met Tracey and Tom, Phoebe and Tom and Sarah and Tom. This isn't, despite appearances, a bizarre four way, instead three couples. These lovely folks were at Shakespeares to see a man playing upstairs whose three names probably included Steven and Adams. Its always nice to meet new people and this was no different, hopefully all six enjoyed the gig. I went back afterwards for another half of the excellent Blue Bee Ginger beer, and to pay my tab - another excellent Shakesperian visit.
Talking of Gatsby, sort of, on Sunday after our jaunt to Ull and a coffee in Tamper Sellers Wheel, we went up to the Double G. Its never been my favourite venue but they usually sell two real ales and we fancied a change. They appear now to be permanently selling cask Saltaire Cascadian Black and Roosters YPA. Am not really a fan of either but ordered a half of YPA each for me and Tash. I assumed the cloudiness was a chill haze but even when they warmed up they were still hazy. I think it might have been the end of the barrel - at least I hope so, because £3.60 a pint is a lot for a duff beer.
After this we went and ate two portions of Kumara fries each in the Red Deer. They were having a bit of a Stancil fest, but there was a Brewsters and a Welbeck beer on as well. So me and Tash both had a pint or two of Welbeck Cubits Voyage, a 3.5% session ale using New Zealand Hops. I also tried a half of the Brewsters hopped Porter which was delicious. Am not a Stancil fan however so didn't have any of theirs, apart from a taste of the unfined Blonde.
We finished the night having several pints of Blue Bee in the Three Tuns Silver Street Head. The food menu has again reduced and Jamie was wearing his chef's hat, am not sure if this means another chef has left or not! Once again the ale was excellent, as were the pork scratchings, am just struggling to remember which Blue Bee pale we had. More of the same in terms of quality, when we popped in Wednesday to see Matty off to London with his friends Stuart and Phil.
By the way, Welbeck Abbey Brewery are opening their first Sheffield venue, a micropub on Ecclesall Road called Portland House. Their Facebook page described the venue, opening a week on Thursday 29 October, as a pub, brewery and cafe. Am not sure of the brewery details but I heard about their potential opening some time ago from one of the guys behind the project. Its tag line is a "Micropub without the gimmicks" so it will be interesting to see the results.
Bath Hotel news now - was in the redoubtable boozer Monday or Tuesday drinking one of the beers of the year. The Cloudwater 6.7% Autumn IPA on keg is a revelation - citrus, resinous, spicy hops on a warming malt background is my half arsed attempt at a description - either way it was a fantastic pint which me and Tash had one of each. We found out earlier in the day the pub had some trouble from drug and alcohol abusing molluscs who threatened the two female staff and generally caused havoc. Whilst I was walking down with Tash there was a massive argument going on across the road, and at one stage the front door was locked as a maniac was outside with a knife and a block of wood. Credit to the staff at the pub for working under this kind of pressure. Such a lot to deal with as well as meeting profit and sales targets.
A couple of visits to the Bankers Draft have shown some interesting ales including a mild, Purity UBU amber ale and Fatheads Yakima Sun, part of their ale festival. The Bankers is not my favourite place by a long stretch but is somewhere worth popping on for a coffee or soft drink or an ale, as I have done a few times of late.
Finally, the Sheffield Tap continues to offer some decent real ales. I popped in on Friday with Tash as she wasn't well and needed to sit down somewhere for a coffee - an extra large Cappuccino was £3.50 but am assured was delicious. I thought I would have a Fyne Ales Highlander, but at £4.00 a pint for a 4.5% cask beer said no - a similar strength Bad Seed Brewing Comet (I think!) was much better value at £3.40 a pint so i had a couple of pints of that. Always worth popping in to sample the real ales - just check the prices first.
That's all the news I have for now, am hoping to have a Sheffield beer festival write up next week!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Four days several pubs - AKA the bank holiday
Greetings!
have been quite refreshed recently so have posted slightly less than usual. Well, slightly less than in 2012 and 2013.... Anyhoo, here are some details of a "never tried the same pub twice" four days pub crawl which I did over the bank holiday weekend, I'm told.
Friday started in the Harlequin with folks from work. I was on a couple of pints of the Exit 33 Mosaic pale ale, which is ace, not least because it has mosaic hops in it. I also tried it on keg (note, this is £3.70 a pint on keg. I.e. its a pound dearer, and that is all...). To be honest, whilst it should be better on keg, it was in fact better on cask. #science
Over to Shakespeares next to see Saara and Adele and others and to be joined by Tash and Matty. I definitely had a Blackjack beer, possibly 50 Dollar Chip, and maybe some of the Track and Squawk mango and marmalade gose. Which I made up. We finished the night in the Dove and Rainbow where, despite my age, and in celebration of Rachael's birthday, I moshed for about 3 hours. My neck and shoulders hurt for the next 3 days. Despite that, I enjoyed the do, and the company, and the Hambleton nightmare beer.
Saturday me and Tash headed for the Bath Hotel. If memory serves me right (rarely!) there were only 4 cask beers on and although the Blackjack tasted OK, the keg beers were once again the star offerings. Cloudwater had their English lager on, made with lager malts and seasonal English hops to give a refreshing, crisp and none too bitter pale lager ale. Th real star of the show however was the amazing Wiper and True Ella. A red copper colour almost, the fabulous flavours of the Ella hops and potentially red malt were stunning. Despite these being expensive beers, we both had two pints each along with some Karkli to eat. Its a shame in some ways to not find much worth drinking on cask but am sure this is a temporary blip. Either way, the Ella was amazing.
We finished the bight in BrewDog. I started on a half of Hardcore IPA, which seems a little less rounded and hoppy than the amazing version I had on cask at the Coach and Horses years ago, and Tash had 2/3rds of a Mad Hatter beer, the name of which escapes me fore a change. We finished on another of the same for Tash (!) and a mango Gose and Pineapple Berliner Weiss for me. Am not usually a fan of fruit beers but both were amazing - refreshing and sour and not too fruity. An excellent end to the night.
Sunday saw us in town shopping, before we headed for the Devonshire Cat for a change. We had pints of Abbeydale Alchemy (it had an |A in it...) which was a lower strength ale that tasted of grapefruit, an excellent and refreshing beer. I also tried a Monty's stout on keg which was perfect, along with some breadcrumb coated fried brie wedges.
We walked down next to the Beer Engine. We were just in time to catch Tom but he was soon away and we sat outside in the sun and the rain supping a range of Bad Seed Brewery cask and keg beers. I particularly liked trying their Cascade pale on both types of dispense - I think there was little difference in quality, but they tasted very different. The Espresso stout was also lovely, as was their saison. As usual, a stellar range of beers was available.
We finished the night in the Albion across the road, having a half of Camden Ink on keg and a pint of Sheffield brew Co Five Rivers on cask. An interesting mix of beers in three very different pubs on Sunday.
Bank Holiday Monday arrived, as did the rain. Luckily, when it rains, it keeps the large majority of pricks out of Bakewell. So we were able to go and have 4 hours of prickless entertainment in a refreshingly quiet Bakewell. We started in the Red Lion, and I had a pint of Chatsworth Gold and Tash, gawd luvver, a cup of tea. It came to a fiver, which is still expensive, but not for Bakerwell based on certain nearby establishments.
We went for a walk down the river and poppped in a couple of shops before retiring to the Manners for several pints of the Robinsons Hop beer - which the staff claimed wasn't as hoppy as the Blonde. Alas, I really don't get on with Robbies blonde so stuck to the Hop ale for three pints, whilst Tash had one and another of the Wizard Amber. Cracking beer and pork scratchings made this an enjoyable visit.
We finished our visit in the Castle. A depressing range of Greedy King beers awaited us (although I think they had a guest comping on) and we had halves of the Greedy King extra IPA at 5.6% or similar. The pub is probably quite old but loses a lot of its character to its food service and lack of original features. The beer was actually OK though....
We finished the quartet of quaffing in the Sheffield Tap where we had beer. I'm not even going to try and remember what I had, it was beer and it was very tasty thank you. Alas we had to leave about 22.30 for me to get the bus home and Tash to get back to hers but this had once again been a good day of travel and drinking.
So, overall, we visited 12 pubs in 4 days and had numerous delicious and completely varied types of ale in wonderful surroundings. Another, potentially not required, reminder of the merits of boozing in the Steel City and nearby.
With Cheers
Wee Beefy
have been quite refreshed recently so have posted slightly less than usual. Well, slightly less than in 2012 and 2013.... Anyhoo, here are some details of a "never tried the same pub twice" four days pub crawl which I did over the bank holiday weekend, I'm told.
Friday started in the Harlequin with folks from work. I was on a couple of pints of the Exit 33 Mosaic pale ale, which is ace, not least because it has mosaic hops in it. I also tried it on keg (note, this is £3.70 a pint on keg. I.e. its a pound dearer, and that is all...). To be honest, whilst it should be better on keg, it was in fact better on cask. #science
Over to Shakespeares next to see Saara and Adele and others and to be joined by Tash and Matty. I definitely had a Blackjack beer, possibly 50 Dollar Chip, and maybe some of the Track and Squawk mango and marmalade gose. Which I made up. We finished the night in the Dove and Rainbow where, despite my age, and in celebration of Rachael's birthday, I moshed for about 3 hours. My neck and shoulders hurt for the next 3 days. Despite that, I enjoyed the do, and the company, and the Hambleton nightmare beer.
Saturday me and Tash headed for the Bath Hotel. If memory serves me right (rarely!) there were only 4 cask beers on and although the Blackjack tasted OK, the keg beers were once again the star offerings. Cloudwater had their English lager on, made with lager malts and seasonal English hops to give a refreshing, crisp and none too bitter pale lager ale. Th real star of the show however was the amazing Wiper and True Ella. A red copper colour almost, the fabulous flavours of the Ella hops and potentially red malt were stunning. Despite these being expensive beers, we both had two pints each along with some Karkli to eat. Its a shame in some ways to not find much worth drinking on cask but am sure this is a temporary blip. Either way, the Ella was amazing.
We finished the bight in BrewDog. I started on a half of Hardcore IPA, which seems a little less rounded and hoppy than the amazing version I had on cask at the Coach and Horses years ago, and Tash had 2/3rds of a Mad Hatter beer, the name of which escapes me fore a change. We finished on another of the same for Tash (!) and a mango Gose and Pineapple Berliner Weiss for me. Am not usually a fan of fruit beers but both were amazing - refreshing and sour and not too fruity. An excellent end to the night.
Sunday saw us in town shopping, before we headed for the Devonshire Cat for a change. We had pints of Abbeydale Alchemy (it had an |A in it...) which was a lower strength ale that tasted of grapefruit, an excellent and refreshing beer. I also tried a Monty's stout on keg which was perfect, along with some breadcrumb coated fried brie wedges.
We walked down next to the Beer Engine. We were just in time to catch Tom but he was soon away and we sat outside in the sun and the rain supping a range of Bad Seed Brewery cask and keg beers. I particularly liked trying their Cascade pale on both types of dispense - I think there was little difference in quality, but they tasted very different. The Espresso stout was also lovely, as was their saison. As usual, a stellar range of beers was available.
We finished the night in the Albion across the road, having a half of Camden Ink on keg and a pint of Sheffield brew Co Five Rivers on cask. An interesting mix of beers in three very different pubs on Sunday.
Bank Holiday Monday arrived, as did the rain. Luckily, when it rains, it keeps the large majority of pricks out of Bakewell. So we were able to go and have 4 hours of prickless entertainment in a refreshingly quiet Bakewell. We started in the Red Lion, and I had a pint of Chatsworth Gold and Tash, gawd luvver, a cup of tea. It came to a fiver, which is still expensive, but not for Bakerwell based on certain nearby establishments.
We went for a walk down the river and poppped in a couple of shops before retiring to the Manners for several pints of the Robinsons Hop beer - which the staff claimed wasn't as hoppy as the Blonde. Alas, I really don't get on with Robbies blonde so stuck to the Hop ale for three pints, whilst Tash had one and another of the Wizard Amber. Cracking beer and pork scratchings made this an enjoyable visit.
We finished our visit in the Castle. A depressing range of Greedy King beers awaited us (although I think they had a guest comping on) and we had halves of the Greedy King extra IPA at 5.6% or similar. The pub is probably quite old but loses a lot of its character to its food service and lack of original features. The beer was actually OK though....
We finished the quartet of quaffing in the Sheffield Tap where we had beer. I'm not even going to try and remember what I had, it was beer and it was very tasty thank you. Alas we had to leave about 22.30 for me to get the bus home and Tash to get back to hers but this had once again been a good day of travel and drinking.
So, overall, we visited 12 pubs in 4 days and had numerous delicious and completely varied types of ale in wonderful surroundings. Another, potentially not required, reminder of the merits of boozing in the Steel City and nearby.
With Cheers
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 31 May 2015
A Wander in the Western Isles - Harris, Uists, Eriskay and Skye
Now then,
here is the final part of my post trilogy about the pubs, places and scenery of the Western Isles.
We left Stornoway later than planned but WF did manage to get in the Crit for a pic which I didn't manage. Soon we were heading down towards Harris, before doing which we ended up at the Loch Eriscort Inn. This hotel, pub and restaurant is run by a bloke from Huddersfield - he sells real ale in "summer" , but no-one is sure when that is....and at other times bottles from Hebridean Brewing Co. Tash had a coffee and WF a soft drink so I shared a bottle of Hebridean Claymore with Tash,. which was o tasty and easy to drink we had another - this time the Highlander, whilst WF nipped to the loo!
We traveled down the road beyond to St Peters Port and back and then headed off to Harris. A diversion for 45 minutes to Huishnish beach was well worth t, if nothing else for the views and driving through the grounds of a castle. We were soon in Tarbet in Harris and went to the modern Isle Of Harris Inn. They had two real ales on, Deuchars and Redness from Loch Ness Brewery. Me and Tash had a pint each of that, which was £4.00 a pint. Its 4.2%. It s likely the going rate on the Islands - except, so few sell real ale.
We took teh winding coast road to the ferry and were soon on North Uist. We ate at Lochmaddy Hotel, which has two handpumps but almost always just Deuchars on - which was lovely. Alas, we went twice and ate twice and paid on card so am unsure how much real ale cost. The food was lovely.
The next day we headed out past the Westford Inn at Kirkibost. The Whatpub website has it being for sale and locals say its not been open for a year or more. When we went past, there was no longer even a sign - here is a link with a photograph. We headed down the West coast to Benbecula over a causeway and down to South Uist and eventually arrived at the Borowdale Hotel. Alas, this place also only sells real ale in the Summer so we left and headed for the Polocharr Inn at Polocharr on the coast. No real ale here either - they say they couldn't sell it and won't do so anymore, but they do sell about 8 or 9 bottles form local Scottish breweries. Sat in the cosy lounge I had a bottle of Loch Ness Brightness, whilst Tash and WF were on hot drinks.
Our trip to Eriskay was brief and took us to the pub Am Politician - this is also in the local CAMRA list of pubs selling real ale but doesn't even have a handpump! They used to sell "bottled real ale". I did not ask what, and they had none left. Tea was once again back at the Lochmaddy Hotel, where the food was excellent once more, as was the 2 or 3 pints of Deuchars I supped.
The next day we caught the ferry in bright siunshine - Friday was the best day weather wise, although cold, it was gloriously sunny thoughout. We got to Uig and visited the remains of Duntulm Castle and the waterfall at Kilt Rock and the Quiraing, a beautiful area of the island, before driving along a long single track road to Waternish and the wonderful Stein Inn. Three real ales were on plus bottled beers and Wee Fatha treated us to two shots - the last two - of Talisker 25 year old. At £25.00 a shot. He did allow himself a small taste but we drank the rest and were and remain eternally grateful. We also had two pints of Skye Gold, which was lovely, and the Cairngorm Scapa Pale.The Stein is a wonderful pub in a fantastic setting - I really hope we can return.
Our evening meal was at Seamus bar at the Sligachan Hotel. They now have their own brewery, the Cuillin Brewery, so we tried al 4 of their ales, Skye Ale, Black Face, Eagle and Pinnacle. The Pinnacle was probably the best, the others had slightly odd but not unpleasant flavours, although they were popular in the busy bar.
Our penultimate day so us travel over the Glenelg ferry down a beautiful mountain road from Breakish where we stayed. Once in Glenelg we went to see the brochs, but a need for the loo took us to the Glenelg Inn. Situated at the waters edge with a lovely view we didn't expect to find real ales - but they sold 3, Deuchars, London Pride and Caledonian XPA. Me and Tash had a pint of that and an absolutely brilliant soup and roll to put us on. The pub is well worth a visit, and must be lovely to sit outside in "Summer" as its called.
After seeing the brochs we drove over Mam Rattigan pass to join the road to Fort William and another obviatory need saw us return to the Eagle Barge at Laggan Locks. A pint and a half of the An Teallach were sampled and we were once again made to feel welcome in this tiny, floating pub. We soon reached our accommodation and they have a bar and restaurant that sells one real ale. This was Cairngorm Nessies Monster Mash, and itv was £3.40 a pint if I recall. We had pints of this with our evening meal before WF went to get a much needed early night and we went to the excellent Grog and Gruel.
The pub sells 6 real ales and three keykeg beers as well as bottles and is very popular with locals and visitors. There were two An Teallach ales on, so I had a pint of each, along with a Williams Giraffe pale ale, a Nimrod cask lager, an Orkney Red Mcgregor and another, as well as the Williams Ceasar Augustus hoppy lager on Key keg. To note, this is a 50% beer on Keykeg for £3.45 a pint. Suffice o say we had plenty! Me and Tash stayed later for many more drinks and whiskies, before returning to the West End Hotel around 01.00 for more real ale and whiskies. With hanks to the Night Porter for serving and chatting with us.
Sunday was our return home, but after a 9 hour train journey we ended up at the Sheffield Tap. We both went for the Delicious but astonishingly expensive 6.7% Magic Rock Villainous - it was fantastic, yes, but at £5.00 a pint easily the most expensive beer of the holiday....
Finally, our thanks and best wishes to Wee Fatha. Without his desire, knowledge and drive, in more than one sense, none of this holiday would have happened.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
here is the final part of my post trilogy about the pubs, places and scenery of the Western Isles.
We left Stornoway later than planned but WF did manage to get in the Crit for a pic which I didn't manage. Soon we were heading down towards Harris, before doing which we ended up at the Loch Eriscort Inn. This hotel, pub and restaurant is run by a bloke from Huddersfield - he sells real ale in "summer" , but no-one is sure when that is....and at other times bottles from Hebridean Brewing Co. Tash had a coffee and WF a soft drink so I shared a bottle of Hebridean Claymore with Tash,. which was o tasty and easy to drink we had another - this time the Highlander, whilst WF nipped to the loo!
We traveled down the road beyond to St Peters Port and back and then headed off to Harris. A diversion for 45 minutes to Huishnish beach was well worth t, if nothing else for the views and driving through the grounds of a castle. We were soon in Tarbet in Harris and went to the modern Isle Of Harris Inn. They had two real ales on, Deuchars and Redness from Loch Ness Brewery. Me and Tash had a pint each of that, which was £4.00 a pint. Its 4.2%. It s likely the going rate on the Islands - except, so few sell real ale.
We took teh winding coast road to the ferry and were soon on North Uist. We ate at Lochmaddy Hotel, which has two handpumps but almost always just Deuchars on - which was lovely. Alas, we went twice and ate twice and paid on card so am unsure how much real ale cost. The food was lovely.
The next day we headed out past the Westford Inn at Kirkibost. The Whatpub website has it being for sale and locals say its not been open for a year or more. When we went past, there was no longer even a sign - here is a link with a photograph. We headed down the West coast to Benbecula over a causeway and down to South Uist and eventually arrived at the Borowdale Hotel. Alas, this place also only sells real ale in the Summer so we left and headed for the Polocharr Inn at Polocharr on the coast. No real ale here either - they say they couldn't sell it and won't do so anymore, but they do sell about 8 or 9 bottles form local Scottish breweries. Sat in the cosy lounge I had a bottle of Loch Ness Brightness, whilst Tash and WF were on hot drinks.
Our trip to Eriskay was brief and took us to the pub Am Politician - this is also in the local CAMRA list of pubs selling real ale but doesn't even have a handpump! They used to sell "bottled real ale". I did not ask what, and they had none left. Tea was once again back at the Lochmaddy Hotel, where the food was excellent once more, as was the 2 or 3 pints of Deuchars I supped.
The next day we caught the ferry in bright siunshine - Friday was the best day weather wise, although cold, it was gloriously sunny thoughout. We got to Uig and visited the remains of Duntulm Castle and the waterfall at Kilt Rock and the Quiraing, a beautiful area of the island, before driving along a long single track road to Waternish and the wonderful Stein Inn. Three real ales were on plus bottled beers and Wee Fatha treated us to two shots - the last two - of Talisker 25 year old. At £25.00 a shot. He did allow himself a small taste but we drank the rest and were and remain eternally grateful. We also had two pints of Skye Gold, which was lovely, and the Cairngorm Scapa Pale.The Stein is a wonderful pub in a fantastic setting - I really hope we can return.
Our evening meal was at Seamus bar at the Sligachan Hotel. They now have their own brewery, the Cuillin Brewery, so we tried al 4 of their ales, Skye Ale, Black Face, Eagle and Pinnacle. The Pinnacle was probably the best, the others had slightly odd but not unpleasant flavours, although they were popular in the busy bar.
Our penultimate day so us travel over the Glenelg ferry down a beautiful mountain road from Breakish where we stayed. Once in Glenelg we went to see the brochs, but a need for the loo took us to the Glenelg Inn. Situated at the waters edge with a lovely view we didn't expect to find real ales - but they sold 3, Deuchars, London Pride and Caledonian XPA. Me and Tash had a pint of that and an absolutely brilliant soup and roll to put us on. The pub is well worth a visit, and must be lovely to sit outside in "Summer" as its called.
After seeing the brochs we drove over Mam Rattigan pass to join the road to Fort William and another obviatory need saw us return to the Eagle Barge at Laggan Locks. A pint and a half of the An Teallach were sampled and we were once again made to feel welcome in this tiny, floating pub. We soon reached our accommodation and they have a bar and restaurant that sells one real ale. This was Cairngorm Nessies Monster Mash, and itv was £3.40 a pint if I recall. We had pints of this with our evening meal before WF went to get a much needed early night and we went to the excellent Grog and Gruel.
The pub sells 6 real ales and three keykeg beers as well as bottles and is very popular with locals and visitors. There were two An Teallach ales on, so I had a pint of each, along with a Williams Giraffe pale ale, a Nimrod cask lager, an Orkney Red Mcgregor and another, as well as the Williams Ceasar Augustus hoppy lager on Key keg. To note, this is a 50% beer on Keykeg for £3.45 a pint. Suffice o say we had plenty! Me and Tash stayed later for many more drinks and whiskies, before returning to the West End Hotel around 01.00 for more real ale and whiskies. With hanks to the Night Porter for serving and chatting with us.
Sunday was our return home, but after a 9 hour train journey we ended up at the Sheffield Tap. We both went for the Delicious but astonishingly expensive 6.7% Magic Rock Villainous - it was fantastic, yes, but at £5.00 a pint easily the most expensive beer of the holiday....
Finally, our thanks and best wishes to Wee Fatha. Without his desire, knowledge and drive, in more than one sense, none of this holiday would have happened.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 9 May 2015
Walking and drinking near Ogston Reservoir
Hello,
Recently I had the day orf. Work. It was a wet and dry sunny and cloudy day according to the weather, but would stay dry between 13.00 and 16.00. Which was good, since that was when most of our walk took place. Sheffield to Chesterfield, Chesterfield to Higham, walk to Ashover and up tp Kelstedge then bus it to who knows where. Here are some details.
I had arranged to meet Davefromtshop at the Sheffield Tap. In line with my usual level of planning and some fading memories, I hadn't thought about when it opened.Neither had I remembered that Davefromtshop now lives in Chesterfield, our second stop. Both these subjects came up when I saw him, about 10.35, with me standing outside the locked door of the Tap. Luckily, Liz was on hand to remind me that it opens at 11.00. We stopped in the station for 20 minutes, saw a massive rainstorm then walked out in bright sunshine to the Tap.
I had been in the night before and sampled the fabulous Arbor J Bomb - so I had a pint and Dave a half. Its made with Jester hops and is the fruitiest most citriussy bitter beer I;ve had in ages. A perfect, f delayed, start to the day.
Soon we were on the train to Chesterfield, and we found CoCo bar and the White Swan shut. Luckily, Spoons opens early so we popped in there for Dave to have half a Chantrey stout and me half a Jaipur. We then walked to the bus stop and caught the Red Arrow to Higham. I knew the Crown would be shut, also the Shoulder of Mutton at Hallfieldgate, so after taking a few pics we set off. Down the track. across the field and railway and up through lush green countryside to Brackenfield.
From here we headed up a narrow green lane to Ogston Carr Woods, over a couple of small footbridges and then got lost slightly, before rejoining the path and then climbing a gate onto the road. We walked up the lovely Stonerow Lane towards Dalebank and turned off second left down to Falllgate, past the closed Miners Ar,s then along the main road into Ashover.
Luckily you come out on Butts Lane and so we went straight into the Old Poets Corner. The fires were lit and it was lovely and warm, although, after our walk we didn't really appreciate that. Dave had a pint of Dark and Delicate or similar, and me a pint of Oakham's wonderful Inferno, before we went outside to watch the clouds amass and the brewery worker toil, before heading back inside.
Our second pints saw us both on 5.5% Ashover Butts Pale Ale. Far less citrussy and astringent then the Oakham, but with a lovely body, this was the pint that saw us nearly stay for a third. Instead, we headed out and up - to find both the Crispin and Black Swan closed. We opted, as time was getting on, not to return to the Poets and instead made the short brisk walk uphill to Kelstedge, and the Kelstedge Inn. I've not been in since it was a Mansfield boozer and to be fair its now really a restaurant. They do still sell real ales though and Dave had a half of Flipside and me a half of Peak Ales Bakewell best. Both were OK. Its not somewhere I'd rush back to though.
Soon we were in Matlock and went to MoCa Bar, for Dave's first visit. The original plan was to go to Belpwer, Openwoodgate, Ripley and home but the ba was quiet,, comfortable, friendly, and selling all real ales at £2.80 a pint. Dave had a Blue Monkey 4 Wise Monkeys and me a pint of the 5.9% Blue Monkey English Blue pale ale. It was fantastic.
After arguing that we should go to Derby and catch the late train, we splashed out on a quarter of huntsman pie and pickle, and two more pints of the delicious if strong English Blue. We left to discover a lack of busses to Chesterfield or Derby so went in the Crown for a loo stop and a half. I ordered a half of the Nutbrook mild whilst Dave went to the loo, then I did the same, to come back and find that the mild was off, and then the lady had poured us a pint of another Nutbrook beer and then became unhappy when we reminded her it was a half. Well done Wetherspoons! Although, the Nutbrook was lovely.
The bus to Belper was on time and we half an hour to wait for the TP to Derby so nipped in the nearby Lion Hotel. Not really a great boozer but they had 4 or 5 Marstons range real ales on and we both had a tasty if expensive half of Ringwood Boondoggle.
Once in Derby we caught a bus to the station and went to the Station Inn. Door wide open, little else has hanged thankfully. As is also unchanged, we both had pints of Bass from the jug and chatted and plotted where to go for our last drink - since it was only 22.30 and the last train was 2 hours 10 minutes away.
This was decided to be the Alexandra. I had a pint of, and probably Dave as well, a light Pale ale of moderate strength. Alas, I can't remember what it was but do that it was lovely. Soon, pork pies eaten, last orders was called so we sensibly opted for a plus 7% Lincoln Green Gyle blah di blah and sat and drunk that very, ve-ry, v.e.r.y....slowly.
So ended a good walk and some lovely beer in interesting pubs along the way. I will have to do it again, with Tash, maybe on a Saturday, increasing the number of pubs that would be open. Until then I will remember the English Blue as the very best beer, of a wonderful day out.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Recently I had the day orf. Work. It was a wet and dry sunny and cloudy day according to the weather, but would stay dry between 13.00 and 16.00. Which was good, since that was when most of our walk took place. Sheffield to Chesterfield, Chesterfield to Higham, walk to Ashover and up tp Kelstedge then bus it to who knows where. Here are some details.
I had arranged to meet Davefromtshop at the Sheffield Tap. In line with my usual level of planning and some fading memories, I hadn't thought about when it opened.Neither had I remembered that Davefromtshop now lives in Chesterfield, our second stop. Both these subjects came up when I saw him, about 10.35, with me standing outside the locked door of the Tap. Luckily, Liz was on hand to remind me that it opens at 11.00. We stopped in the station for 20 minutes, saw a massive rainstorm then walked out in bright sunshine to the Tap.
I had been in the night before and sampled the fabulous Arbor J Bomb - so I had a pint and Dave a half. Its made with Jester hops and is the fruitiest most citriussy bitter beer I;ve had in ages. A perfect, f delayed, start to the day.
Soon we were on the train to Chesterfield, and we found CoCo bar and the White Swan shut. Luckily, Spoons opens early so we popped in there for Dave to have half a Chantrey stout and me half a Jaipur. We then walked to the bus stop and caught the Red Arrow to Higham. I knew the Crown would be shut, also the Shoulder of Mutton at Hallfieldgate, so after taking a few pics we set off. Down the track. across the field and railway and up through lush green countryside to Brackenfield.
From here we headed up a narrow green lane to Ogston Carr Woods, over a couple of small footbridges and then got lost slightly, before rejoining the path and then climbing a gate onto the road. We walked up the lovely Stonerow Lane towards Dalebank and turned off second left down to Falllgate, past the closed Miners Ar,s then along the main road into Ashover.
Luckily you come out on Butts Lane and so we went straight into the Old Poets Corner. The fires were lit and it was lovely and warm, although, after our walk we didn't really appreciate that. Dave had a pint of Dark and Delicate or similar, and me a pint of Oakham's wonderful Inferno, before we went outside to watch the clouds amass and the brewery worker toil, before heading back inside.
Our second pints saw us both on 5.5% Ashover Butts Pale Ale. Far less citrussy and astringent then the Oakham, but with a lovely body, this was the pint that saw us nearly stay for a third. Instead, we headed out and up - to find both the Crispin and Black Swan closed. We opted, as time was getting on, not to return to the Poets and instead made the short brisk walk uphill to Kelstedge, and the Kelstedge Inn. I've not been in since it was a Mansfield boozer and to be fair its now really a restaurant. They do still sell real ales though and Dave had a half of Flipside and me a half of Peak Ales Bakewell best. Both were OK. Its not somewhere I'd rush back to though.
Soon we were in Matlock and went to MoCa Bar, for Dave's first visit. The original plan was to go to Belpwer, Openwoodgate, Ripley and home but the ba was quiet,, comfortable, friendly, and selling all real ales at £2.80 a pint. Dave had a Blue Monkey 4 Wise Monkeys and me a pint of the 5.9% Blue Monkey English Blue pale ale. It was fantastic.
After arguing that we should go to Derby and catch the late train, we splashed out on a quarter of huntsman pie and pickle, and two more pints of the delicious if strong English Blue. We left to discover a lack of busses to Chesterfield or Derby so went in the Crown for a loo stop and a half. I ordered a half of the Nutbrook mild whilst Dave went to the loo, then I did the same, to come back and find that the mild was off, and then the lady had poured us a pint of another Nutbrook beer and then became unhappy when we reminded her it was a half. Well done Wetherspoons! Although, the Nutbrook was lovely.
The bus to Belper was on time and we half an hour to wait for the TP to Derby so nipped in the nearby Lion Hotel. Not really a great boozer but they had 4 or 5 Marstons range real ales on and we both had a tasty if expensive half of Ringwood Boondoggle.
Once in Derby we caught a bus to the station and went to the Station Inn. Door wide open, little else has hanged thankfully. As is also unchanged, we both had pints of Bass from the jug and chatted and plotted where to go for our last drink - since it was only 22.30 and the last train was 2 hours 10 minutes away.
This was decided to be the Alexandra. I had a pint of, and probably Dave as well, a light Pale ale of moderate strength. Alas, I can't remember what it was but do that it was lovely. Soon, pork pies eaten, last orders was called so we sensibly opted for a plus 7% Lincoln Green Gyle blah di blah and sat and drunk that very, ve-ry, v.e.r.y....slowly.
So ended a good walk and some lovely beer in interesting pubs along the way. I will have to do it again, with Tash, maybe on a Saturday, increasing the number of pubs that would be open. Until then I will remember the English Blue as the very best beer, of a wonderful day out.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 26 April 2015
A lovely weekend in the city of ale
Now then,
do you see what I did? I put "the city of ale", knowing that those of you who live in Sheffield will at once correctly identify Sheffield as the city of ale, and that those of you who don't, may have other, erroneous assumptions about it. Its no more than a lure, of course. Its obviously Sheffield.....
Last Sunday, despite both of us being injured, myself and Tash decided to walk into town to meet Wee Keefy at the station. We took an unusual route, down to Darnall, over the railway, up to and over the Parkway and up Manor Lane to the castle then down City Road, Granville and along Norfolk Road to the station. Considering our injuries it didn't take too long. And once there, we headed for the Sheffield Tap.
Inside Wee Keefy was patiently waiting, and had been for 30 minutes. I got us both a pint of Oakham JHB and we chatted to WK about Scotland, the ttrip to which we were discussing and were given the tickets for. I thought about trying the non German and non mild German Mild from Kirkstall but went instead for delicious pints of Loki Black IPA from Tiny Rebel, in fact we all did. WK then lost control of his wallet and made a rash but ultimately delightful purchase.
We had been laughing at the absurd price of the Harviestoun Ola Dubh whisky aged reserve stout at 10.5%. It was nearly a tenner a bottle. Nobody would pay that wild they? Well,. WK did and got three third glasses and shared it between us. Gawd Blezzim! I understand from the blurb on the bottle that it was brewed in 1991. Or, at least, that is when they first did their increasing by 0.1% strong beer up until 2000. It could, therefore have been the 2000 brew, bottled in 1991 whisky casks, but to be fair its not clear. What was clear, was the absolutely beautiful beer the bottle contained.
Absolutely jet black, with a strong aroma of whisky - Highland Park casks were used - its difficult to convey just how easy drinking it was. At 10.5% you expect a bit of chewiness, but this was so smooth and ultimately very well balanced. Looking at the back of the bottle I see now - the beer was aged in oak barrels used previously to age Highland Park's 1991 vintage scotch whisky - and the front tells me it was bottled in April 2013. Irrespective of when the beer was brewed, it tastes amazing. It contains oats and barley by the way, but also is not a stout. Its a strong dark ale.
To finish, and now joined by Mr Devden, we had haves f the Magic Rock Human Cannonball at 9.3 %. I shan't disclose the price. It was a lovely end to a fantastic drink with WK in the Sheffield Tap.
Up next, after we had seen Matty off, we went to the Tap and Tankard. Sunday nights in the TnT are always quiet but all other drinkers had left by about 22.00. Me and Tash sat in the little alcove at the end of the bar for an hour or two enjoying perfect pints of the Hand Drawn Monkey Aussie Red, a deliciously smooth, easy drinking, but hoppy and bitter red ale from the Huddersfield brewers.
There was excellent tunes from female blues singers in the 30's to the 50.s and as it got quieter the atmosphere became more soothing, making us feel right at home. There were other beers on than the Aussie Red but we didn't want anything else. It was the perfect, mildly soporific finisher, to an excellent session of drinking.
Out of interest, we were given a free 3rd of the Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, which is more likely a stout, with our free food tasters at the Beer Engine a couple of weeks ago. It complemented the chorizo and sweet potato perfectly. I think I may have unknowingly fallen out of love with Harviestoun recently but along with Schiehallion their cask lager, I think the above displays a fantastic quality of products from the brewery. One to look out for, I think, across all formats.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
do you see what I did? I put "the city of ale", knowing that those of you who live in Sheffield will at once correctly identify Sheffield as the city of ale, and that those of you who don't, may have other, erroneous assumptions about it. Its no more than a lure, of course. Its obviously Sheffield.....
Last Sunday, despite both of us being injured, myself and Tash decided to walk into town to meet Wee Keefy at the station. We took an unusual route, down to Darnall, over the railway, up to and over the Parkway and up Manor Lane to the castle then down City Road, Granville and along Norfolk Road to the station. Considering our injuries it didn't take too long. And once there, we headed for the Sheffield Tap.
Inside Wee Keefy was patiently waiting, and had been for 30 minutes. I got us both a pint of Oakham JHB and we chatted to WK about Scotland, the ttrip to which we were discussing and were given the tickets for. I thought about trying the non German and non mild German Mild from Kirkstall but went instead for delicious pints of Loki Black IPA from Tiny Rebel, in fact we all did. WK then lost control of his wallet and made a rash but ultimately delightful purchase.
We had been laughing at the absurd price of the Harviestoun Ola Dubh whisky aged reserve stout at 10.5%. It was nearly a tenner a bottle. Nobody would pay that wild they? Well,. WK did and got three third glasses and shared it between us. Gawd Blezzim! I understand from the blurb on the bottle that it was brewed in 1991. Or, at least, that is when they first did their increasing by 0.1% strong beer up until 2000. It could, therefore have been the 2000 brew, bottled in 1991 whisky casks, but to be fair its not clear. What was clear, was the absolutely beautiful beer the bottle contained.
Absolutely jet black, with a strong aroma of whisky - Highland Park casks were used - its difficult to convey just how easy drinking it was. At 10.5% you expect a bit of chewiness, but this was so smooth and ultimately very well balanced. Looking at the back of the bottle I see now - the beer was aged in oak barrels used previously to age Highland Park's 1991 vintage scotch whisky - and the front tells me it was bottled in April 2013. Irrespective of when the beer was brewed, it tastes amazing. It contains oats and barley by the way, but also is not a stout. Its a strong dark ale.
To finish, and now joined by Mr Devden, we had haves f the Magic Rock Human Cannonball at 9.3 %. I shan't disclose the price. It was a lovely end to a fantastic drink with WK in the Sheffield Tap.
Up next, after we had seen Matty off, we went to the Tap and Tankard. Sunday nights in the TnT are always quiet but all other drinkers had left by about 22.00. Me and Tash sat in the little alcove at the end of the bar for an hour or two enjoying perfect pints of the Hand Drawn Monkey Aussie Red, a deliciously smooth, easy drinking, but hoppy and bitter red ale from the Huddersfield brewers.
There was excellent tunes from female blues singers in the 30's to the 50.s and as it got quieter the atmosphere became more soothing, making us feel right at home. There were other beers on than the Aussie Red but we didn't want anything else. It was the perfect, mildly soporific finisher, to an excellent session of drinking.
Out of interest, we were given a free 3rd of the Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, which is more likely a stout, with our free food tasters at the Beer Engine a couple of weeks ago. It complemented the chorizo and sweet potato perfectly. I think I may have unknowingly fallen out of love with Harviestoun recently but along with Schiehallion their cask lager, I think the above displays a fantastic quality of products from the brewery. One to look out for, I think, across all formats.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 3 April 2015
A great start to April in Sheffield
Hulloo,
this blog will cover my refreshments and travels since Sunday. Admittedly April didn't start til Wednesday, but, yer know, you have to start somewhere....
On Sunday night, having woken up at Christ on a bike o-clock - that being 15.20 (!) I headed to town to catch a 53 up to Heeley. Alas, the bloody thing never showed up so I caught a 48 instead. You know, because the 48 goes the same way as the 47 doesn't it.... later, at the terminus, I asked the driver for advice and he told me he was now he 47 , so I went back on him and got off near the Victoria. An interesting, if frustrating, 95 minutes after leaving home.
The Brothers Arms was busy inside but virtually empty outside in the cold and wind. Having roused a member of staff from the caravan I got a pint of Mallinsons Spruce Goose, and halves of Siren Dinner for Three and Oakham Black Hole Porter. I then found a table inside and went to sup. The Mallinsons was not actually supposed to be a pint, but never mind, it was a tasty if slightly heavy brew. The Siren was interesting as well. Next up I spent longer grabbing the attention of the staff and had a pint of Buxton High Tor, and a half of Siren Liquid Mistress.
This time the Siren was the best, but the High Tor was an equally memorable pint. By now I was sat wit Dave Staves, who, and this is something that often happens these days, I realised I have known for over 20 years. It was good to catch up with him, for the hour or more we were both there. The final beer was a half of Salopian Kashmir, since the other beers had either run out or were a little weird! The guy behind the bar even went out to open the now closed outside bar for me., which was a nice touch.
On Tuesday, the day after his birthday, me and Matty met after work for a few pints. We started at the Shakespeares - I think! I only say this because it was late when we got to Commonside, which is where my notes start. Having left work at 18.45 I think we must have diverted to my favourite boozer first. Alas, I have no recollection of what we had, apart from, definitely, Sorachi Face Plant from Weird Beard.
We later arrived at the Closed Shop , and I had a pint of the Blue Bee rational Black IPA. I do like the beer, but it tasted a little smokey, slightly burnt - possibly the malt used or something? We also shared a half of the Siren Seven Seas which is, I think, a wheat pale ale. It didn't taste as I expected, but was still very nice.
Across the road and we saw the jolly bearded face of the Man of Ash outside the Hallamshire House. He quickly informed us that the Thornbridge Murmansk Porter was on. Given its strength, we divvied up a pint and a half, and sat in the snug on the left to catch up further. It was good to bump into the Man of Ash, who I have seen little of lately , presumably because of the arrival of the little one (this is a child, by the way, not a visiting midget...)
Off quickly to catch the bus and to jump in the Bath. Hotel. Matty had a pint of Brock and myself a pint at least, of Palasine (?) Pale from Bad Seed Brewing Co. It was getting late, but the pub was still quite busy, and it was a great place to finish our drinking for the night.
Finally, Wednesday saw myself and Mr P on one of our monthly Wanderiains. We started at the Rutland - as always, the place was rammed, but we managed to get a seat. Alas this was near the jukebox, which I am sure they turned up when we sat down! I had a half of the Geeves Imperial IPA, and the Raw City Ceremony, or Criterion, or neither, of opposites, whilst Mr P had a pint of Reet Pale. We didn't stay after our drinks because we couldn't hear each other speak, so headed for the Sheffield Tap.
Here Mr P had one of the Tapped Brew Co beers and I went for something that has escaped me - I promise I made notes last night for my next blog post! We sat in the small room round the back as the large dining room was hired out for a do. It was relaxing and quiet in the back and a good chance to catch up .
From here we walked up to the Tap and Tankard. Mr P had a pint of Kelham Island and I had a pint of Bad Seed Cascade Pale Ale. I also tried the Kelham Island American Pale Ale on keg - I was initially sceptical since it was only 4.0%, and I was right to be. As thought, the beer lacked the character and depth of flavour to work kegged and was drowned in carbonation. Still, the Bad Seed was very quaffable and the catching up and discussions continued.
Our final port of call was at BrewDog. Mr P had never been - and I think he likes it. He had a sensible lower Gravity Red Willow beer - although, I thought he ordered a stout, and what he got wasn't dark at all - anyone know if Red Willow brew a white stout? Meanwhile, I had a very expensive drink. The BrewDog Paradox, Compass Box stout. It was 15%, and, being kegged and BrewDog, it was a £1.00 a percent. That's right. It was £15.00 a pint. I very nearly didn't go for a third, but I figured at that strength, I would very likely not want another drink after wards. And besides, it was Mr P's round. Sorted!
The beers were both, as always in BrewDog, impeccable. The stout was obviously very strong but surprisingly smooth, and carrying a punchy peaty smoked aftertaste from the whisky used. Overall, this was a very enjoyable visit, and a great introduction to the bar for Mr P.
Hopefully April will continue to provide excellent ales in excellent pubs - I am heading to the newly reopened Beer Engine on Cemetery Road later to try it out - blog to come about that.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
this blog will cover my refreshments and travels since Sunday. Admittedly April didn't start til Wednesday, but, yer know, you have to start somewhere....
On Sunday night, having woken up at Christ on a bike o-clock - that being 15.20 (!) I headed to town to catch a 53 up to Heeley. Alas, the bloody thing never showed up so I caught a 48 instead. You know, because the 48 goes the same way as the 47 doesn't it.... later, at the terminus, I asked the driver for advice and he told me he was now he 47 , so I went back on him and got off near the Victoria. An interesting, if frustrating, 95 minutes after leaving home.
The Brothers Arms was busy inside but virtually empty outside in the cold and wind. Having roused a member of staff from the caravan I got a pint of Mallinsons Spruce Goose, and halves of Siren Dinner for Three and Oakham Black Hole Porter. I then found a table inside and went to sup. The Mallinsons was not actually supposed to be a pint, but never mind, it was a tasty if slightly heavy brew. The Siren was interesting as well. Next up I spent longer grabbing the attention of the staff and had a pint of Buxton High Tor, and a half of Siren Liquid Mistress.
This time the Siren was the best, but the High Tor was an equally memorable pint. By now I was sat wit Dave Staves, who, and this is something that often happens these days, I realised I have known for over 20 years. It was good to catch up with him, for the hour or more we were both there. The final beer was a half of Salopian Kashmir, since the other beers had either run out or were a little weird! The guy behind the bar even went out to open the now closed outside bar for me., which was a nice touch.
On Tuesday, the day after his birthday, me and Matty met after work for a few pints. We started at the Shakespeares - I think! I only say this because it was late when we got to Commonside, which is where my notes start. Having left work at 18.45 I think we must have diverted to my favourite boozer first. Alas, I have no recollection of what we had, apart from, definitely, Sorachi Face Plant from Weird Beard.
We later arrived at the Closed Shop , and I had a pint of the Blue Bee rational Black IPA. I do like the beer, but it tasted a little smokey, slightly burnt - possibly the malt used or something? We also shared a half of the Siren Seven Seas which is, I think, a wheat pale ale. It didn't taste as I expected, but was still very nice.
Across the road and we saw the jolly bearded face of the Man of Ash outside the Hallamshire House. He quickly informed us that the Thornbridge Murmansk Porter was on. Given its strength, we divvied up a pint and a half, and sat in the snug on the left to catch up further. It was good to bump into the Man of Ash, who I have seen little of lately , presumably because of the arrival of the little one (this is a child, by the way, not a visiting midget...)
Off quickly to catch the bus and to jump in the Bath. Hotel. Matty had a pint of Brock and myself a pint at least, of Palasine (?) Pale from Bad Seed Brewing Co. It was getting late, but the pub was still quite busy, and it was a great place to finish our drinking for the night.
Finally, Wednesday saw myself and Mr P on one of our monthly Wanderiains. We started at the Rutland - as always, the place was rammed, but we managed to get a seat. Alas this was near the jukebox, which I am sure they turned up when we sat down! I had a half of the Geeves Imperial IPA, and the Raw City Ceremony, or Criterion, or neither, of opposites, whilst Mr P had a pint of Reet Pale. We didn't stay after our drinks because we couldn't hear each other speak, so headed for the Sheffield Tap.
Here Mr P had one of the Tapped Brew Co beers and I went for something that has escaped me - I promise I made notes last night for my next blog post! We sat in the small room round the back as the large dining room was hired out for a do. It was relaxing and quiet in the back and a good chance to catch up .
From here we walked up to the Tap and Tankard. Mr P had a pint of Kelham Island and I had a pint of Bad Seed Cascade Pale Ale. I also tried the Kelham Island American Pale Ale on keg - I was initially sceptical since it was only 4.0%, and I was right to be. As thought, the beer lacked the character and depth of flavour to work kegged and was drowned in carbonation. Still, the Bad Seed was very quaffable and the catching up and discussions continued.
Our final port of call was at BrewDog. Mr P had never been - and I think he likes it. He had a sensible lower Gravity Red Willow beer - although, I thought he ordered a stout, and what he got wasn't dark at all - anyone know if Red Willow brew a white stout? Meanwhile, I had a very expensive drink. The BrewDog Paradox, Compass Box stout. It was 15%, and, being kegged and BrewDog, it was a £1.00 a percent. That's right. It was £15.00 a pint. I very nearly didn't go for a third, but I figured at that strength, I would very likely not want another drink after wards. And besides, it was Mr P's round. Sorted!
The beers were both, as always in BrewDog, impeccable. The stout was obviously very strong but surprisingly smooth, and carrying a punchy peaty smoked aftertaste from the whisky used. Overall, this was a very enjoyable visit, and a great introduction to the bar for Mr P.
Hopefully April will continue to provide excellent ales in excellent pubs - I am heading to the newly reopened Beer Engine on Cemetery Road later to try it out - blog to come about that.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 13 November 2014
November nidorousness (so far)
Hello,
having set myself up to drink now and again in November this allows me the opportunity to record some actual nights out and supping and stuff. Here am that....
On 31st October I started my drinking at Dada with a fantastic but somewhat hastily dispatched pint of the Dark Star American Pale Ale on keg for something like £3.50 a pint. I was in a rush as meeting Miss N in Boots but she was delayed, allowing me extra time to sup this fantastic tipple. We later met folks in the Sheffield Tap and had pints of Magic Rock. Or similar. Or not....and at Chandlers in Chesterfield where we went to celebrate Halloween, there was no real ale. But the Erdinger was good.
On Sunday we went to the Polish beer tent at the continental market. Two draught beers were on but I'd had them before, Zywiec and Lech, so we had bottles - I had Kaszetelan Nierpasteryzowane unfiltered lager, and Miss N had Tatra, as one of er cats used to be named that. Matty joined us and he and then we moved onto, bottles of Warka Strong, a nutty darker lager at 6.5%. My work colleagues however recommended the 7.0% Debowe Mocne which is brewed by Tyskie and tastes of nuts. Well, it takes all sorts!
From here we walked down to the Rutland to enjoy Blue Bee Nycto Black IPA and Oyster Stout and too much High Wire. The jukebox was temporarily ours (so little recent stuff) and we soon settled down to a night of relaxation. One interesting note was that a 6.2% Siren Craft Brew Porter, served by cask, was on at £6.20 a pint. That is correct. Probably. Matty was told they added 40% to the cost they bought the beer at to get that price - am not sure if that is a lot but either way it must be very overpriced in the first place. Suffice to say I didn't buy any, on principal. The High Wire on keg was nearly £2.50 less a pint so we supped that instead. It was matchless by the way.
A last one followed at the Sheffield Tap which was about to close for refurbishment - it should have reopened fully today if not last night.
Other recent visits have included the Red Deer - recently they also had the excellent Nycto from Blue Bee on, which is a good development for those of us with a love of very hoppy beer. We went there to meet Matty and got ourselves a quiet table in the corner to write a birthday card for our friend Double M and supped the beer by the fire.
The Bath Hotel tonight had at least 4 excellent beers on - Summer Wine Brewery Diablo at 6% and Thornbridge Pollards, both on cask, and Buxton Axe Edge Pale (6.8%) and Far Skyline on keg. Tonight we stuck firmly to Fentimans Victorian Lemonade and Dandelion and Burdock but the other night we tried both the Diablo and the Axe Edge - both were on excellent form.
Finally, a bit of bad Bath news - I found out tonight (though I hear its been on Twitter already) that Edd is to leave the Bath Hotel. This is a shock for me and a real shame to see such a great member of staff leave the pub, which has become a firm favourite of mine under Edd and Steff's stewardship. No news yet on who will take over but its a shame to lose such a high caliber member of staff.
More news soon!
Wee Beefy
having set myself up to drink now and again in November this allows me the opportunity to record some actual nights out and supping and stuff. Here am that....
On 31st October I started my drinking at Dada with a fantastic but somewhat hastily dispatched pint of the Dark Star American Pale Ale on keg for something like £3.50 a pint. I was in a rush as meeting Miss N in Boots but she was delayed, allowing me extra time to sup this fantastic tipple. We later met folks in the Sheffield Tap and had pints of Magic Rock. Or similar. Or not....and at Chandlers in Chesterfield where we went to celebrate Halloween, there was no real ale. But the Erdinger was good.
On Sunday we went to the Polish beer tent at the continental market. Two draught beers were on but I'd had them before, Zywiec and Lech, so we had bottles - I had Kaszetelan Nierpasteryzowane unfiltered lager, and Miss N had Tatra, as one of er cats used to be named that. Matty joined us and he and then we moved onto, bottles of Warka Strong, a nutty darker lager at 6.5%. My work colleagues however recommended the 7.0% Debowe Mocne which is brewed by Tyskie and tastes of nuts. Well, it takes all sorts!
From here we walked down to the Rutland to enjoy Blue Bee Nycto Black IPA and Oyster Stout and too much High Wire. The jukebox was temporarily ours (so little recent stuff) and we soon settled down to a night of relaxation. One interesting note was that a 6.2% Siren Craft Brew Porter, served by cask, was on at £6.20 a pint. That is correct. Probably. Matty was told they added 40% to the cost they bought the beer at to get that price - am not sure if that is a lot but either way it must be very overpriced in the first place. Suffice to say I didn't buy any, on principal. The High Wire on keg was nearly £2.50 less a pint so we supped that instead. It was matchless by the way.
A last one followed at the Sheffield Tap which was about to close for refurbishment - it should have reopened fully today if not last night.
Other recent visits have included the Red Deer - recently they also had the excellent Nycto from Blue Bee on, which is a good development for those of us with a love of very hoppy beer. We went there to meet Matty and got ourselves a quiet table in the corner to write a birthday card for our friend Double M and supped the beer by the fire.
The Bath Hotel tonight had at least 4 excellent beers on - Summer Wine Brewery Diablo at 6% and Thornbridge Pollards, both on cask, and Buxton Axe Edge Pale (6.8%) and Far Skyline on keg. Tonight we stuck firmly to Fentimans Victorian Lemonade and Dandelion and Burdock but the other night we tried both the Diablo and the Axe Edge - both were on excellent form.
Finally, a bit of bad Bath news - I found out tonight (though I hear its been on Twitter already) that Edd is to leave the Bath Hotel. This is a shock for me and a real shame to see such a great member of staff leave the pub, which has become a firm favourite of mine under Edd and Steff's stewardship. No news yet on who will take over but its a shame to lose such a high caliber member of staff.
More news soon!
Wee Beefy
Monday, 31 March 2014
Odes of March
So, its nearly April and am doing my 13th or 14th post of 2014...
hardly a productive third but also not a dry one. Here are a few notable details from the last week to support the second point,
Monday I was in the Bath Hotel after seeing Wee Fatha to meet Miss N and collect my keys. which had mischievously jumped out of my pocket on Saturday when I got my camera out, Along with access to my house this also allowed me chance to sup a couple of pints of the excellent Whim Flower Power, a favourite IPA of mine with plenty of hops and a refreshing dry bitterness. We finished on halves of Hardknott Azimuth pale on Keykeg which was drier still, but a nice drop.
We followed this with a trip to Brewdog Sheffield based in the former Jacks records opposite the Forum on Division street. Inside its quite small considering how busy it was and how popular Division street gets, but we found a booth overlooking the Forum and supped Tempest marmalade IPA and Magic Rock circus of sour for Miss N. We followed this with half a hardcore IPA and a bottle of Fantome saison, a surprisingly effective combo. Back in on Saturday we shared a bottle of the Fantome but am not sure it was a tenner this time...
Yesterday I was in the Rutland supping Hopcraft Mosaic Plus at a rather hefty price, along with excellent Magic Rock Punchline chipottle porter and Summer Wine Cascade IPA at over 7% which was a very enjoyable beer. After an emergency chip butty we headed for the Sheffield Tap; I seem to have forgotten what we enjoyed, but we did bump into Tap Mum Liz.
Friday I supped a Brew Co Pioneer IPA in the Riverside for a few hours before heading to meet Miss N and Matty in Shakespeares where he had a stout and Miss N and I supped the excellent Brodies - rare that you see Brodies and this was on great form when we supped iyt. We also stopped out for a curry from West Bar Tandoori which was excellent.
Sunday me and Wee Keefy were in Crookes at the Ball and I was supping the Chatsworth Gold from Peak ales and the Naylors 1641 pale, all at £3.00 0r less and well kept. En route to meet Miss N in the Rutland I also had a quick half of Moonshine in the Red Lion which made a good change.
More news and hopefully regular posts when I get to fix my old or buy a new tomputer!
Wee Beefy
hardly a productive third but also not a dry one. Here are a few notable details from the last week to support the second point,
Monday I was in the Bath Hotel after seeing Wee Fatha to meet Miss N and collect my keys. which had mischievously jumped out of my pocket on Saturday when I got my camera out, Along with access to my house this also allowed me chance to sup a couple of pints of the excellent Whim Flower Power, a favourite IPA of mine with plenty of hops and a refreshing dry bitterness. We finished on halves of Hardknott Azimuth pale on Keykeg which was drier still, but a nice drop.
We followed this with a trip to Brewdog Sheffield based in the former Jacks records opposite the Forum on Division street. Inside its quite small considering how busy it was and how popular Division street gets, but we found a booth overlooking the Forum and supped Tempest marmalade IPA and Magic Rock circus of sour for Miss N. We followed this with half a hardcore IPA and a bottle of Fantome saison, a surprisingly effective combo. Back in on Saturday we shared a bottle of the Fantome but am not sure it was a tenner this time...
Yesterday I was in the Rutland supping Hopcraft Mosaic Plus at a rather hefty price, along with excellent Magic Rock Punchline chipottle porter and Summer Wine Cascade IPA at over 7% which was a very enjoyable beer. After an emergency chip butty we headed for the Sheffield Tap; I seem to have forgotten what we enjoyed, but we did bump into Tap Mum Liz.
Friday I supped a Brew Co Pioneer IPA in the Riverside for a few hours before heading to meet Miss N and Matty in Shakespeares where he had a stout and Miss N and I supped the excellent Brodies - rare that you see Brodies and this was on great form when we supped iyt. We also stopped out for a curry from West Bar Tandoori which was excellent.
Sunday me and Wee Keefy were in Crookes at the Ball and I was supping the Chatsworth Gold from Peak ales and the Naylors 1641 pale, all at £3.00 0r less and well kept. En route to meet Miss N in the Rutland I also had a quick half of Moonshine in the Red Lion which made a good change.
More news and hopefully regular posts when I get to fix my old or buy a new tomputer!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 24 January 2014
Second century begins at Tapped
Hello,
am not suggesting that the Tapped Brew Co is about 1900 years behind the rest of us, am just trying not to use the word century or hundred in this post about their...ninety ninth plus one brew. I can see this will be a fruitless exercise however....
Anyway, on Tuesday the Tapped Brew Co had an event on at the Sheffield Tap where you could see the whole brewing process from start to finish in one night, and taste some of their hundredth brew. It was called 100 Cent, and used centennial hops. Do you see what they did?
Admittedly the merit in being twice as good as 50 Cent is difficult to measure but if we get over it not being called Centenary, we can appreciate the beer for its ingredients. I am led to believe it was Mojo with the change being to make it with 100% centennial hops.... but I wasn't paying attention. What am I, your information monkey?! Ge darda yere....! No, really, I sort of think it was Mojo rebadged. It was a very tasty brew whichever way you looked at it. Especially since I love centennial hops - Mallinsons single hopped centennial was my beer of the 2012 Sheffield beer festival, so I was instantly sold on the tastes we had.
Having been delayed by hospital responsibilities I was quite late arriving so we only wandered into see who and what was there at the end, and to soak up the wonderful smells that brewing creates. It was interesting seeing the next size of kit up from Blue Bee and to try and spot beer twitterers and bloggers (I didn't). If you want to know how to brew beer by the way, this barely factual post here tells you everything the author knew about brewing beer. That's as much as I'm willing to promise.
The evening was also an opportunity to sample some other excellent ales and formed one of the highlights of a week of rather good beer. The Magic Rock Chipotle Punchline, a mightily maverick but hugely satisfying chocolate chilli porter, had just enough bite (a difficult balance to measure) and just the right amount of bitterness to work. It was also a beer that probably worked best in its Keykeg guise, given its powerful blend of flavors. Either way it was very good.
The other notables this week were found in just two venues. DAda, as I alluded previously, had Red Willow Heartless chocolate porter featuring 85% cacoa single origin Colombian chocolate. Again, the trick here was to expertly blend the bitterness of the chocolate, the hops and the sweetness afforded by the malt, to make something palatable and eminently suppable. Heartless was just that. It was not, a Wednesday night beer. It was a beer for a long Saturday. We had a couple of pints to show willing though....
The final duo came from Shakespeares Ale and Cider House. There was a North Riding Galaxy single hop in the cellar, and I bloody love galaxy as a hop so it was nailed on that I'd have that - it was exactly what I hoped for, lovely citrus bitterness but none of the dryness that single hop beers sometimes allow to creep in with more astringent hops. This was accompanied by pints of the Hopcraft "The Beast" IPA at 6.5% and £3.30 a pint. There were plenty of hops to get your taste-buds round but it wasn't a 6.5% drink, and there were no unpleasant lingering aftertastes or other untidiness to distract you from enjoying it. As I did. Thrice.
Its often said that older and more experienced people know best. As the bairns at Tapped Brew Co roll out their 100th brew, Hopcraft are already a go-to brewery for me, and Magic Rock and Red Willow are renowned established brewers. With quality like that to aspire to, the prospects for newer breweries, and those supping their beers, look mighty fine. May things only improve!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
am not suggesting that the Tapped Brew Co is about 1900 years behind the rest of us, am just trying not to use the word century or hundred in this post about their...ninety ninth plus one brew. I can see this will be a fruitless exercise however....
Anyway, on Tuesday the Tapped Brew Co had an event on at the Sheffield Tap where you could see the whole brewing process from start to finish in one night, and taste some of their hundredth brew. It was called 100 Cent, and used centennial hops. Do you see what they did?
Admittedly the merit in being twice as good as 50 Cent is difficult to measure but if we get over it not being called Centenary, we can appreciate the beer for its ingredients. I am led to believe it was Mojo with the change being to make it with 100% centennial hops.... but I wasn't paying attention. What am I, your information monkey?! Ge darda yere....! No, really, I sort of think it was Mojo rebadged. It was a very tasty brew whichever way you looked at it. Especially since I love centennial hops - Mallinsons single hopped centennial was my beer of the 2012 Sheffield beer festival, so I was instantly sold on the tastes we had.
Having been delayed by hospital responsibilities I was quite late arriving so we only wandered into see who and what was there at the end, and to soak up the wonderful smells that brewing creates. It was interesting seeing the next size of kit up from Blue Bee and to try and spot beer twitterers and bloggers (I didn't). If you want to know how to brew beer by the way, this barely factual post here tells you everything the author knew about brewing beer. That's as much as I'm willing to promise.
The evening was also an opportunity to sample some other excellent ales and formed one of the highlights of a week of rather good beer. The Magic Rock Chipotle Punchline, a mightily maverick but hugely satisfying chocolate chilli porter, had just enough bite (a difficult balance to measure) and just the right amount of bitterness to work. It was also a beer that probably worked best in its Keykeg guise, given its powerful blend of flavors. Either way it was very good.
The other notables this week were found in just two venues. DAda, as I alluded previously, had Red Willow Heartless chocolate porter featuring 85% cacoa single origin Colombian chocolate. Again, the trick here was to expertly blend the bitterness of the chocolate, the hops and the sweetness afforded by the malt, to make something palatable and eminently suppable. Heartless was just that. It was not, a Wednesday night beer. It was a beer for a long Saturday. We had a couple of pints to show willing though....
The final duo came from Shakespeares Ale and Cider House. There was a North Riding Galaxy single hop in the cellar, and I bloody love galaxy as a hop so it was nailed on that I'd have that - it was exactly what I hoped for, lovely citrus bitterness but none of the dryness that single hop beers sometimes allow to creep in with more astringent hops. This was accompanied by pints of the Hopcraft "The Beast" IPA at 6.5% and £3.30 a pint. There were plenty of hops to get your taste-buds round but it wasn't a 6.5% drink, and there were no unpleasant lingering aftertastes or other untidiness to distract you from enjoying it. As I did. Thrice.
Its often said that older and more experienced people know best. As the bairns at Tapped Brew Co roll out their 100th brew, Hopcraft are already a go-to brewery for me, and Magic Rock and Red Willow are renowned established brewers. With quality like that to aspire to, the prospects for newer breweries, and those supping their beers, look mighty fine. May things only improve!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Reasons to be cheerful
Evening
its been a fortnight of firsts and two weeks of reassuring regulars here at Beefotronic PLC. Having trekked through the East end to find new and untried boozers last weekend, in between times and thereafter I have been sticking to what I know. Below is a sample of some of the ales and pubs encountered in Sheffield lately, and news of a new brewery tap for you to try out.
Immediately after my Don walk I met Miss N in the Red Deer. It was entirely rammed, as it is on a Saturday night but we patiently acquired a seat and plenty of company, to sup pints of excellent Roosters Wild Mule. I haven't always got on with Roosters beers for one reason or another but this one really hit the spot.
Afterwards, and a couple of other times recently, we were in DAda. On every occasion it was on I sampled the excellent Burning Sky saison which was on at a price cheaper than the Bath and the Sheffield Tap. When that ran out I sought solace in redoubtable old stager Halcyon from Thornbridge. There's a Red Willow chocolate stout in the cellar but over the last week there has been nothing but Thornbridge cask wise, yet in a moment of recklessness I tried a pint of Kipling for the first time in ages. Having dismissed it as being past its best and no longer a decent beer I was pleasantly surprised to find it in good nick and I even admit to having had a few pints of it. Like I said to Jamie, you can't complain a beer is shit without trying it. Other quality ales sampled recently include the Schlenkerla Rauchbier at £4.00 a pint, which is possibly too heavy for a whole pint but an excellent finisher nonetheless.
The Rutland was my destination yesterday and I tried the Magic Rock Rapture on cask, and the 8 Ball and High Wire NZ on keykeg. Both are quality beers but I was annoyed with myself for not remembering that I didn't rate Magic 8 Ball on keg - with any luck it will resurface on cask one day...
Meanwhile Shakespeares continues to be good at being good. Recent treats have included the excellent Cross Bay Zenith, which is a really well balanced beer, and the cask De Ranke Pere Noel at a very reasonable price - £3.40 for a 7% beer. I also finally got to try (and enjoy) Potion Number 9 from Penzance brewing Co, beloved of Boak and Bailey, along with the excellent Tornado from the Little Ale Cart brewery, and the Geeves Imerial Stout at 8% - an excellent finisher. On my last visit on Friday, the Imperial brewery Burning Amber was a very palatable session beer, and the Great Heck Black Jesus specifically wasn't - yet was every bit as good as it was at the Sheffield beer festival.
The Sheffield Tap nearly provided the beer of 2014 with the impeccable Hardknott Vitese Noir, as covered in my last post and also recently sold a palatable Bristol Beer factory UPA, and a rather chewy Buxton Dark Knights. The Buxton was potentially too bitter for a stout but the UPA was very well balanced. Despite this am still not sure I "get" Bristol Beer factory's cask output.
An impromptu trip to the University Arms heralded a rather fine pint of Crouch Vale Anchor Street Porter at £3.00 a pint. It was notable that as well as the Acorn Old Moor Porter that had been on earlier that day, all the real ales were below £3.00 a pint. Definitely something to bear in mind if you are thinking of having some real ale in the area.
Finally, the new brewery tap I mentioned. In Rotherham, the Prince of Wales Feathers on Westgate has been bought (seemingly months ago - get me for being up with developments!) by Chantry brewery and reopened and renamed as the New York Tavern. Selling the full range of Chantry brewery beers the pub is, I read with horror. the last on Westgate - I know its a long time since I traveled to Rotherham but that's ridiculous! Here is a link to their website should you need details that I am short of having never visited - although, I may never venture in, based on them advertising "world bottle beers". I don't want to seem pedantic, but it should be "bottled"....
Either way this reopening is further great news in a town with, if we are to be brutally honest, little to offer the real ale drinker beyond the Bridge Inn and the Blue Coat. So, there you have it, choice and value for money and reasons for optimism. What more could you want from January?
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
its been a fortnight of firsts and two weeks of reassuring regulars here at Beefotronic PLC. Having trekked through the East end to find new and untried boozers last weekend, in between times and thereafter I have been sticking to what I know. Below is a sample of some of the ales and pubs encountered in Sheffield lately, and news of a new brewery tap for you to try out.
Immediately after my Don walk I met Miss N in the Red Deer. It was entirely rammed, as it is on a Saturday night but we patiently acquired a seat and plenty of company, to sup pints of excellent Roosters Wild Mule. I haven't always got on with Roosters beers for one reason or another but this one really hit the spot.
Afterwards, and a couple of other times recently, we were in DAda. On every occasion it was on I sampled the excellent Burning Sky saison which was on at a price cheaper than the Bath and the Sheffield Tap. When that ran out I sought solace in redoubtable old stager Halcyon from Thornbridge. There's a Red Willow chocolate stout in the cellar but over the last week there has been nothing but Thornbridge cask wise, yet in a moment of recklessness I tried a pint of Kipling for the first time in ages. Having dismissed it as being past its best and no longer a decent beer I was pleasantly surprised to find it in good nick and I even admit to having had a few pints of it. Like I said to Jamie, you can't complain a beer is shit without trying it. Other quality ales sampled recently include the Schlenkerla Rauchbier at £4.00 a pint, which is possibly too heavy for a whole pint but an excellent finisher nonetheless.
The Rutland was my destination yesterday and I tried the Magic Rock Rapture on cask, and the 8 Ball and High Wire NZ on keykeg. Both are quality beers but I was annoyed with myself for not remembering that I didn't rate Magic 8 Ball on keg - with any luck it will resurface on cask one day...
Meanwhile Shakespeares continues to be good at being good. Recent treats have included the excellent Cross Bay Zenith, which is a really well balanced beer, and the cask De Ranke Pere Noel at a very reasonable price - £3.40 for a 7% beer. I also finally got to try (and enjoy) Potion Number 9 from Penzance brewing Co, beloved of Boak and Bailey, along with the excellent Tornado from the Little Ale Cart brewery, and the Geeves Imerial Stout at 8% - an excellent finisher. On my last visit on Friday, the Imperial brewery Burning Amber was a very palatable session beer, and the Great Heck Black Jesus specifically wasn't - yet was every bit as good as it was at the Sheffield beer festival.
The Sheffield Tap nearly provided the beer of 2014 with the impeccable Hardknott Vitese Noir, as covered in my last post and also recently sold a palatable Bristol Beer factory UPA, and a rather chewy Buxton Dark Knights. The Buxton was potentially too bitter for a stout but the UPA was very well balanced. Despite this am still not sure I "get" Bristol Beer factory's cask output.
An impromptu trip to the University Arms heralded a rather fine pint of Crouch Vale Anchor Street Porter at £3.00 a pint. It was notable that as well as the Acorn Old Moor Porter that had been on earlier that day, all the real ales were below £3.00 a pint. Definitely something to bear in mind if you are thinking of having some real ale in the area.
Finally, the new brewery tap I mentioned. In Rotherham, the Prince of Wales Feathers on Westgate has been bought (seemingly months ago - get me for being up with developments!) by Chantry brewery and reopened and renamed as the New York Tavern. Selling the full range of Chantry brewery beers the pub is, I read with horror. the last on Westgate - I know its a long time since I traveled to Rotherham but that's ridiculous! Here is a link to their website should you need details that I am short of having never visited - although, I may never venture in, based on them advertising "world bottle beers". I don't want to seem pedantic, but it should be "bottled"....
Either way this reopening is further great news in a town with, if we are to be brutally honest, little to offer the real ale drinker beyond the Bridge Inn and the Blue Coat. So, there you have it, choice and value for money and reasons for optimism. What more could you want from January?
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Subtle heavyweights
Now then,
over the last couple of weeks, as befits the cold wet slog of January, I've treated myself to one or two "luxuries" in the way of beers. Somehow the grim reality of coming back to work, the constantly wet feet and the dank wet washing aromas in your house, combine to persuade you that actually, you've bloody well earned a bottle - or more expensively a pint - of something strong. And recently, two such examples have particularly stood out.
The other night I was going home like a good boy to make some warming food and get an early night. No frol would pass my lips, no bar would see my money, and I'd be rested for another day pushing the dead-weight round the horse gin of failure. Or working for the civil services, as ts otherwise known. Despite these noble abstentions plans, I discovered Miss N and Matty were in the Sheffield Tap and it was suggested I might join them for one, on my way home. The Sheffield Tap is not on my way home. And one wasn't an option.
Matty had ordered me a delicious pint of Magic Rock High Wire NZ on cask so this was a pretty good start, and formed part of another night ending line up, like you see now and again at the Tap. The High Wire didn't hang around, and with my eye on the Dark Arts I was contemplating a slow, careful clamber up the ABVs to the Tapped Brew Co's excellent Roulette Imperial Stout. However, despite being able to have independent thoughts and make rational choices all of my own, when Matty asked me what I thought about the idea of having an imperial double vanilla stout at about a million percent. and despite my brain saying "No! That's madness!" my lips made other shapes and I seemed to have agreed.
I may have mentioned before that my initial opinion on Hardknott brewery was that, for whatever reason, they were weighed down by a lot of hype. I reckoned I ought to love their brews based on their excellent label designs, innovative brews and, well, I admit, their repute among my peers, but it wasn't until last year when I tried their Infra Red that I started to "get them". That night, I done gone and got completely got. Because Hardknott Vitesse Noir, perhaps absurdly, is already looking like the beer of 2014. Nurse - the screens!
If I'm right, having read a few reviews and Hardknott's website I think that Vitesse Noir is a triple imperial stout with vanilla chocolate and coffee. Now, initially there were numerous aspects to this beer that made me cautious. Not least its 11% strength, and the fact I was buying it in the Sheffield Tap, but also the prospect of the vanilla or chocolate being too overpowering and making it syrupy or cloying, or there being a burnt coffee bitterness that would wipe out the subtle sweeter and softer flavours. Luckily, with the exception of the price. none of these concerns were realised.
It was an incredibly smooth well balanced beer. Not a jarring roast malt or an overly sugary vanilla or chocolate hint to be found, this was just layers of perfectly balanced flavours enjoying each other's company in a glass. A precision crafted beer jigsaw where every piece had been made with care and passion. It was very very good indeed. Even considering that it was £152.96 a third at the Sheffield Tap*
Having assumed that the bar had been set well beyond the reach of any other beer I was quickly reminded that in an ever evolving and in my opinion improving beer scene, bars don't stay at one height forever. This week, after a lovely meal, cracking red wine and some admirable dark beers, I decided to open my bottle of Spire brewery Xtinguisher, a 12% barley wine.
One of the interesting observations about barley wine is that its a beer that never seems to sound as tempting as an imperial IPA or an imperial brown or a triple stout. This is not just a language or aesthetic consideration, I think this is a refection of the fact that when I first started drinking beer, stronger beers were, if I recall correctly, a bit, erm. Dumb? Huge sledgehammer morasses of lumbering malt and overwhelmed hops with sugar obliterating any flavour in the desperate chase for alcohol. Barley wine came in nip bottles, was inexpensive and therefore the choice tipple of wannabee outdoor lager enthusiasts, and had usually undergone a label revamp in 1975. In short it was so-o-o-o-not cool. So what would a brewery proud of producing some fairly traditional styles in it's range, do with a barley wine?
Well, the answer is succeed. With some aplomb. Despite being a few years old and starting off at a mere 12% the beer was disconcertingly easy to drink. Instead of the teeth tingling sweet honey flavours of other barley wines, there was a subtle Fullers like marmalade in the background which mingled perfectly with a sweet yet subtle mix of malts. Bottle conditioned, the beer was a great advert for why, when done right (must. not. discuss...crap...B.C.A.s.....) the conditioning can improve the beer brilliantly. The yeast added even greater complexity, and made the beer even easier to sup, and the carbonation was just right, creating a head the same size as you'd expect from a hand pulled pint.
The alcohol was also a factor, it was after all probably a smidgen above it's starting ABV, but the almost whisky punch was so delicate and sat so well with the marmalade and malt flavours in the body that not only did you feel like you were getting a treat, but you were able to tell that it was a strong beer commanding respect.
The above shows that even when you have a new beer at every turn and even when you have compiled a list of what you consider to be reliable breweries and beers, there are still surprises to be had, and expectations to be exceeded. There might not be huge similarities in terms of beer styles and online presence or even label designs to link Hardknott and Spire but both have created beers of exceptional quality which have illuminated nights where some very high quality beer was already being consumed.
Lets hope I encounter Vitesse Noir in a pub again soon - and that I can somehow get hold of another bottle of Xtinguisher to put away for a grim January night in 2018....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*Of course that would be ridiculous. The Sheffield Tap don't sell beer in thirds.....
over the last couple of weeks, as befits the cold wet slog of January, I've treated myself to one or two "luxuries" in the way of beers. Somehow the grim reality of coming back to work, the constantly wet feet and the dank wet washing aromas in your house, combine to persuade you that actually, you've bloody well earned a bottle - or more expensively a pint - of something strong. And recently, two such examples have particularly stood out.
The other night I was going home like a good boy to make some warming food and get an early night. No frol would pass my lips, no bar would see my money, and I'd be rested for another day pushing the dead-weight round the horse gin of failure. Or working for the civil services, as ts otherwise known. Despite these noble abstentions plans, I discovered Miss N and Matty were in the Sheffield Tap and it was suggested I might join them for one, on my way home. The Sheffield Tap is not on my way home. And one wasn't an option.
Matty had ordered me a delicious pint of Magic Rock High Wire NZ on cask so this was a pretty good start, and formed part of another night ending line up, like you see now and again at the Tap. The High Wire didn't hang around, and with my eye on the Dark Arts I was contemplating a slow, careful clamber up the ABVs to the Tapped Brew Co's excellent Roulette Imperial Stout. However, despite being able to have independent thoughts and make rational choices all of my own, when Matty asked me what I thought about the idea of having an imperial double vanilla stout at about a million percent. and despite my brain saying "No! That's madness!" my lips made other shapes and I seemed to have agreed.
I may have mentioned before that my initial opinion on Hardknott brewery was that, for whatever reason, they were weighed down by a lot of hype. I reckoned I ought to love their brews based on their excellent label designs, innovative brews and, well, I admit, their repute among my peers, but it wasn't until last year when I tried their Infra Red that I started to "get them". That night, I done gone and got completely got. Because Hardknott Vitesse Noir, perhaps absurdly, is already looking like the beer of 2014. Nurse - the screens!
If I'm right, having read a few reviews and Hardknott's website I think that Vitesse Noir is a triple imperial stout with vanilla chocolate and coffee. Now, initially there were numerous aspects to this beer that made me cautious. Not least its 11% strength, and the fact I was buying it in the Sheffield Tap, but also the prospect of the vanilla or chocolate being too overpowering and making it syrupy or cloying, or there being a burnt coffee bitterness that would wipe out the subtle sweeter and softer flavours. Luckily, with the exception of the price. none of these concerns were realised.
It was an incredibly smooth well balanced beer. Not a jarring roast malt or an overly sugary vanilla or chocolate hint to be found, this was just layers of perfectly balanced flavours enjoying each other's company in a glass. A precision crafted beer jigsaw where every piece had been made with care and passion. It was very very good indeed. Even considering that it was £152.96 a third at the Sheffield Tap*
Having assumed that the bar had been set well beyond the reach of any other beer I was quickly reminded that in an ever evolving and in my opinion improving beer scene, bars don't stay at one height forever. This week, after a lovely meal, cracking red wine and some admirable dark beers, I decided to open my bottle of Spire brewery Xtinguisher, a 12% barley wine.
One of the interesting observations about barley wine is that its a beer that never seems to sound as tempting as an imperial IPA or an imperial brown or a triple stout. This is not just a language or aesthetic consideration, I think this is a refection of the fact that when I first started drinking beer, stronger beers were, if I recall correctly, a bit, erm. Dumb? Huge sledgehammer morasses of lumbering malt and overwhelmed hops with sugar obliterating any flavour in the desperate chase for alcohol. Barley wine came in nip bottles, was inexpensive and therefore the choice tipple of wannabee outdoor lager enthusiasts, and had usually undergone a label revamp in 1975. In short it was so-o-o-o-not cool. So what would a brewery proud of producing some fairly traditional styles in it's range, do with a barley wine?
Well, the answer is succeed. With some aplomb. Despite being a few years old and starting off at a mere 12% the beer was disconcertingly easy to drink. Instead of the teeth tingling sweet honey flavours of other barley wines, there was a subtle Fullers like marmalade in the background which mingled perfectly with a sweet yet subtle mix of malts. Bottle conditioned, the beer was a great advert for why, when done right (must. not. discuss...crap...B.C.A.s.....) the conditioning can improve the beer brilliantly. The yeast added even greater complexity, and made the beer even easier to sup, and the carbonation was just right, creating a head the same size as you'd expect from a hand pulled pint.
The alcohol was also a factor, it was after all probably a smidgen above it's starting ABV, but the almost whisky punch was so delicate and sat so well with the marmalade and malt flavours in the body that not only did you feel like you were getting a treat, but you were able to tell that it was a strong beer commanding respect.
The above shows that even when you have a new beer at every turn and even when you have compiled a list of what you consider to be reliable breweries and beers, there are still surprises to be had, and expectations to be exceeded. There might not be huge similarities in terms of beer styles and online presence or even label designs to link Hardknott and Spire but both have created beers of exceptional quality which have illuminated nights where some very high quality beer was already being consumed.
Lets hope I encounter Vitesse Noir in a pub again soon - and that I can somehow get hold of another bottle of Xtinguisher to put away for a grim January night in 2018....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*Of course that would be ridiculous. The Sheffield Tap don't sell beer in thirds.....
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Beers in the post Christmas dead zone.
Now then,
I've noted before that the period from Boxing day to 30th December is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to getting a pint. This also applies to New years day and, when there are two days before the weekend in the new year I'd extend the have a guess period to tomorrow as well. This year, having not been so rash tas o venture out into the countryside (we once traveled to Kettleshulme and back via Staffordshire to find no pubs open and end up in the Peacock at Owler Bar in desperation), I spent some time in Sheffield. Here's what I found....
On the 27th as you know I was Crookes bound with Carlos, but on the 29th I was back...at Crookes Ale House. By this time the Magic Rock Ringmaster NZ had run out, and the other beers in the rammed pub were getting low too - not surprising then that they only opened for a couple of hours on the 30th with only a few pints and bottles on sale. On this occasion I started with a pint of Sheffield Brewing Ci porter but it was a bit thick - but not in a robust way, more a tired way. So next I had a couple of pints of their First Gold which was a bit better - I also purchased a bottle of Youngs Imperial Russian stout. Well done to Rob and Kitt for their pop up pub experiment, and best of luck to them setting it up permanently in Handsworth as promised...
We headed to the Cobden next where my brainier companions were doing and winning the quiz. Here several pints of excellent Farmers Belgian Blue were consumed before Miss H very kindly paid me home in a taxi.
On the 30th I was in town meeting Miss N at the station - it seemed rude not to celebrate her return with a pint so we nipped in the Sheffield Tap. Thankfully, Anarchy's sublime chaos breakfast stout was on (I checked the price first but it was the same as last time) so we had a couple of pints of that, along with their Blonde Star and a Firestone brewery red IPA which was very palatable. As testified by my pics on Facebook earlier, the back room was completely empty when we left before 22.00.The dead zone - it lives! (?)
Straying out of the days when punters disappear, on New Years Eve I found myself having to reluctantly go for pints at Shakespeares which is a really good pub. There were quite a few in but it wasn't raucous and there was of course some good beer on. Waiting for Miss N i had a couple of pints of excellent Mallinsons mosaic which was in fantastic form and far too quaffable - indeed it ran out after I got Miss N her pint. I moved onto Steel City Capt Morgans revenge (I think - but it may have been Unholy trinity. Whatever it was there was coffee and probably rum in it. Or something...). I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped as it tasted a bit too much of burnt coffee or filter coffee that had been stewed, which was a shame.
Finally on New Years day we found ourselves in town with an hour to kill - and Sheffield centre a ghost town. Not that I'd wish working on New Years day on anybody but it was noticeable that away from town the pubs were open. Luckily, wandering thirstily around near the station (where even the Howard was closed) we discovered the Rutland opened at 17.00. It being not long after, this was a result!
We started on pints of Brew Company Oat Stout which was a good start, and then onto halves of Solstice lager and Magic Rock Big Top. In the end, the Magic Rock was too good to resist ( I somehow missed it when it was first out) so we stopped for another couple before paying a lot pf money to get home. At least there was good beer to be had....
So, this year's dead zone looked the same as usual, yet somehow, by chance or otherwise, we seemed to land on our feet whenever we fancied a pint. In contrast, over the next couple of days, I hope to be posting about an area where the dead zone applies to pubs full stop - with the promise of at least one open pub in the mix.
Cheers and happy new year
Wee Beefy
I've noted before that the period from Boxing day to 30th December is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to getting a pint. This also applies to New years day and, when there are two days before the weekend in the new year I'd extend the have a guess period to tomorrow as well. This year, having not been so rash tas o venture out into the countryside (we once traveled to Kettleshulme and back via Staffordshire to find no pubs open and end up in the Peacock at Owler Bar in desperation), I spent some time in Sheffield. Here's what I found....
On the 27th as you know I was Crookes bound with Carlos, but on the 29th I was back...at Crookes Ale House. By this time the Magic Rock Ringmaster NZ had run out, and the other beers in the rammed pub were getting low too - not surprising then that they only opened for a couple of hours on the 30th with only a few pints and bottles on sale. On this occasion I started with a pint of Sheffield Brewing Ci porter but it was a bit thick - but not in a robust way, more a tired way. So next I had a couple of pints of their First Gold which was a bit better - I also purchased a bottle of Youngs Imperial Russian stout. Well done to Rob and Kitt for their pop up pub experiment, and best of luck to them setting it up permanently in Handsworth as promised...
We headed to the Cobden next where my brainier companions were doing and winning the quiz. Here several pints of excellent Farmers Belgian Blue were consumed before Miss H very kindly paid me home in a taxi.
On the 30th I was in town meeting Miss N at the station - it seemed rude not to celebrate her return with a pint so we nipped in the Sheffield Tap. Thankfully, Anarchy's sublime chaos breakfast stout was on (I checked the price first but it was the same as last time) so we had a couple of pints of that, along with their Blonde Star and a Firestone brewery red IPA which was very palatable. As testified by my pics on Facebook earlier, the back room was completely empty when we left before 22.00.The dead zone - it lives! (?)
Straying out of the days when punters disappear, on New Years Eve I found myself having to reluctantly go for pints at Shakespeares which is a really good pub. There were quite a few in but it wasn't raucous and there was of course some good beer on. Waiting for Miss N i had a couple of pints of excellent Mallinsons mosaic which was in fantastic form and far too quaffable - indeed it ran out after I got Miss N her pint. I moved onto Steel City Capt Morgans revenge (I think - but it may have been Unholy trinity. Whatever it was there was coffee and probably rum in it. Or something...). I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped as it tasted a bit too much of burnt coffee or filter coffee that had been stewed, which was a shame.
Finally on New Years day we found ourselves in town with an hour to kill - and Sheffield centre a ghost town. Not that I'd wish working on New Years day on anybody but it was noticeable that away from town the pubs were open. Luckily, wandering thirstily around near the station (where even the Howard was closed) we discovered the Rutland opened at 17.00. It being not long after, this was a result!
We started on pints of Brew Company Oat Stout which was a good start, and then onto halves of Solstice lager and Magic Rock Big Top. In the end, the Magic Rock was too good to resist ( I somehow missed it when it was first out) so we stopped for another couple before paying a lot pf money to get home. At least there was good beer to be had....
So, this year's dead zone looked the same as usual, yet somehow, by chance or otherwise, we seemed to land on our feet whenever we fancied a pint. In contrast, over the next couple of days, I hope to be posting about an area where the dead zone applies to pubs full stop - with the promise of at least one open pub in the mix.
Cheers and happy new year
Wee Beefy
Monday, 9 December 2013
Drunken spells with a slight chance of twats later
Yo ho humbug!
yes kids its that time of year again. Twat O Clock! Fancy a pint in a normally decent pub now full of twats? You can! For every night between now and Christmas guarantees nailed on twattishness at every turn. Even quiet pubs have decked out the halls with twats of all shades of festive cheer! Vomit, urine, WKD....
OK, I admit, the above is a bit cynical really because having managed to attend three Christmas "do's" on two consecutive nights I can confirm that its still possible to have a decent night, at this time of year, even if few of the people you are sharing the occasion with are bothered about the fine drop. Thus .....
Friday I read with a heavy heart that our team Christmas do, which was otherwise admirable for featuring a scheduled five and a half hours of drinking prior to the meal, was to begin in Yates. Early considerations included - why would you drink in Yates whilst sober? In fact, why would you drink in Yates at all? Well, because not everyone is so mardy about ale as I am and some people for reasons that I can't fathom like to dance and drink coloured shit with spirits in. And it pains me to admit that I probably should get over it. I still think starting at Yates is like having a kebab and then going out however...
In the end I only wandered in as the group were leaving so alas cannot report on the ale situation. Meanwhile, over the road is Lloyds Number One. I know its a Wetherspoons type of thing but it does sell real ale and so I was straight on to a couple of pints of Bradfield Belgian Blue. A seasonal favourite of mine, which makes me think I may be going soft, it was probably £3.00 a pint or something (I wasn't researching, although I concede this is no worse than my usual level of reportage) and went down very well.
Up next was Revolution De Cuba, whose high prices seemed to have kept the place tolerably busy, and whose drinks list kept the cocktail guzzlers happy. Beer wise they had Anchor Steam Ale in bottles so it wasn't all that bad. From here I switched do's and headed to meet Miss N in All Bar One. Granted they had Doom Bar on but I went for the Meantime Pilsner at £4.30 or similar instead. It had more hops in....
Members of Miss N's entourage wandered off to the Bessemer across the road, and against our better judgement we followed suit. Alas we missed the Moonshine but I had a half of Directors out of curiosity and Miss N a half of Hobgoblin from the remaining three beers. I'm not going to pretend its my kind of place but it sold real ale and people seemed to be happy. Not that I advocate such things, but if being happy is what they like then I suppose that's fine....
Off to DAda next, albeit having shaken off the do, and it was solid. I mean, I know the building is, but in a bar queuing sense. Here was my first wall of customers of the festive season. Luckily a pint of Thornbridge Christmas ale on Cask for Miss N and a pint of Chiron for me were purchased, and we found a space to have a chat before heading off once more in true Xmas do style.
The Three Tuns once again had some good Raw beers on and the lovely Dave behind the bar. Young Patrick was also in attendance and we stopped in there for a couple of pints of the Raw porter, which I think was Anubis but am unsure. It was bloody nice whatever it was. We ended the night at Shakespeares where we both had pints of late hopped Steel City All Hallowes which had hops in it and everything, and was also quite nice. And I definitely didn't fall asleep...
The next night we started at a rammed Sheffield Tap and were spoilt for choice. Pints in here were Hardknott Katalyst, a lower gravity extra hoppy pale, Buxton Rednik Stout (many) and the excellent Magic Rock Dark Arts (at least two). Understandably, despite queues in the heaving bar, I was reluctant to leave this beer utopia behind.
Yet we did as we headed for the Dove and Rainbow to see a friend's band play. The range is always a little underwhelming here but does usually feature at least one local beer with hops in it - so I had a few pints of the Abbeydale Absolution in the three hours we were there. Not a regular haunt as I have noted before but I actually had to admit that it was far and away the least intolerable pub in terms of sheer overcrowding that I experienced over the two nights.
Our final stop was DAda once again where I laughed at signs on the walls and tables on the left stating "reserved from 19.00" for an area comprising six empty tables and with four people sat at one table. Mind you, it was nearly midnight. Here I had two pints from the promising new Burning Sky brewery based in the south. Aurora was an intensely bitter pale ale and probably only let down by the dryness of the bittering hops, whilst Plateau was also a beer, which I drank about 01.20. That serves as my excuse for having no memories more specific than "I liked it".
All of the above suggests that once you have attuned yourself to the sheer volume of punters and the real possibility but not guarantee of extreme twattishness, it is possible to have a pretty decent night out at Christmas. And in Sheffield at least, you can expect to find some decent real ales in the majority of the venues you visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
yes kids its that time of year again. Twat O Clock! Fancy a pint in a normally decent pub now full of twats? You can! For every night between now and Christmas guarantees nailed on twattishness at every turn. Even quiet pubs have decked out the halls with twats of all shades of festive cheer! Vomit, urine, WKD....
OK, I admit, the above is a bit cynical really because having managed to attend three Christmas "do's" on two consecutive nights I can confirm that its still possible to have a decent night, at this time of year, even if few of the people you are sharing the occasion with are bothered about the fine drop. Thus .....
Friday I read with a heavy heart that our team Christmas do, which was otherwise admirable for featuring a scheduled five and a half hours of drinking prior to the meal, was to begin in Yates. Early considerations included - why would you drink in Yates whilst sober? In fact, why would you drink in Yates at all? Well, because not everyone is so mardy about ale as I am and some people for reasons that I can't fathom like to dance and drink coloured shit with spirits in. And it pains me to admit that I probably should get over it. I still think starting at Yates is like having a kebab and then going out however...
In the end I only wandered in as the group were leaving so alas cannot report on the ale situation. Meanwhile, over the road is Lloyds Number One. I know its a Wetherspoons type of thing but it does sell real ale and so I was straight on to a couple of pints of Bradfield Belgian Blue. A seasonal favourite of mine, which makes me think I may be going soft, it was probably £3.00 a pint or something (I wasn't researching, although I concede this is no worse than my usual level of reportage) and went down very well.
Up next was Revolution De Cuba, whose high prices seemed to have kept the place tolerably busy, and whose drinks list kept the cocktail guzzlers happy. Beer wise they had Anchor Steam Ale in bottles so it wasn't all that bad. From here I switched do's and headed to meet Miss N in All Bar One. Granted they had Doom Bar on but I went for the Meantime Pilsner at £4.30 or similar instead. It had more hops in....
Members of Miss N's entourage wandered off to the Bessemer across the road, and against our better judgement we followed suit. Alas we missed the Moonshine but I had a half of Directors out of curiosity and Miss N a half of Hobgoblin from the remaining three beers. I'm not going to pretend its my kind of place but it sold real ale and people seemed to be happy. Not that I advocate such things, but if being happy is what they like then I suppose that's fine....
Off to DAda next, albeit having shaken off the do, and it was solid. I mean, I know the building is, but in a bar queuing sense. Here was my first wall of customers of the festive season. Luckily a pint of Thornbridge Christmas ale on Cask for Miss N and a pint of Chiron for me were purchased, and we found a space to have a chat before heading off once more in true Xmas do style.
The Three Tuns once again had some good Raw beers on and the lovely Dave behind the bar. Young Patrick was also in attendance and we stopped in there for a couple of pints of the Raw porter, which I think was Anubis but am unsure. It was bloody nice whatever it was. We ended the night at Shakespeares where we both had pints of late hopped Steel City All Hallowes which had hops in it and everything, and was also quite nice. And I definitely didn't fall asleep...
The next night we started at a rammed Sheffield Tap and were spoilt for choice. Pints in here were Hardknott Katalyst, a lower gravity extra hoppy pale, Buxton Rednik Stout (many) and the excellent Magic Rock Dark Arts (at least two). Understandably, despite queues in the heaving bar, I was reluctant to leave this beer utopia behind.
Yet we did as we headed for the Dove and Rainbow to see a friend's band play. The range is always a little underwhelming here but does usually feature at least one local beer with hops in it - so I had a few pints of the Abbeydale Absolution in the three hours we were there. Not a regular haunt as I have noted before but I actually had to admit that it was far and away the least intolerable pub in terms of sheer overcrowding that I experienced over the two nights.
Our final stop was DAda once again where I laughed at signs on the walls and tables on the left stating "reserved from 19.00" for an area comprising six empty tables and with four people sat at one table. Mind you, it was nearly midnight. Here I had two pints from the promising new Burning Sky brewery based in the south. Aurora was an intensely bitter pale ale and probably only let down by the dryness of the bittering hops, whilst Plateau was also a beer, which I drank about 01.20. That serves as my excuse for having no memories more specific than "I liked it".
All of the above suggests that once you have attuned yourself to the sheer volume of punters and the real possibility but not guarantee of extreme twattishness, it is possible to have a pretty decent night out at Christmas. And in Sheffield at least, you can expect to find some decent real ales in the majority of the venues you visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
An ale amble from Commonside to town and some pubs inbetween.
Ay up
it's not all festivals and epic county wide beer crawls here in the Beefosphere. Oh no. There's also, um, returning to beer festivals. And meeting folks from the far North. Near Barnsley.
The AA was in Sheffield on Saturday to come and try some ales at Shakespeares beer festival, which you may recall my mentioning previously. Like any sensible chap he intended getting food before imbibing too much and had come to know the nosh at the Closed Shop, where I met up with him. A fine range of ales was on offer from which I chose the Otley - I think it was their wheat beer (Dave? Any idea?!) ad I ordered my first shaky pint of the day to accompany my meal.
As befits his want the AA was studiously on halves - in this case of the same. So both of us failed to record the beer's name. How errant we bloggers can be...
A fantastic steak and ale pie and chips wit roasted veg was my choice (£6.95) and the AA was on an impressively large burger and chips. This was a very tasty meal which lined my stomach nicely for my festival reprise. It also helped me sup a half of the Ilkley Mary Jane IPA, far stronger than ordinary Mary Jane at 6.0%. Slightly heavy it packed a punch in terms of flavours and wasn't swamped by bitterness, although there was plenty there - a more traditional but no less enjoyable IPA.
From here we walked down to Shakespeares in a siling swirling downpour before settling down for a few beers. This time I was trying some new breweries. At least, after I had tried the Five Towns again. Now on hand pump it seemed a little drier and less enjoyable which was a shame. Meanwhile the AA was on a half of Cornish Crown 1 Hop 11 Grains. At least, that's what my beer list says, but my memory claims it was from Coastal. Either way it was very nice.
We were going to try the Geeves HIPA but it had run out since our arrival so I had a half of the Wild Boar Mad Pig, a very weak and not particularly accomplished beer, whilst the AA tried a half of the Pumpkin porter - which he liked but was adamant he wouldn't want a lot of. Ironic considering our finisher....
Our penultimate round saw me on Mithril Clocks Back and the AA a half of the Arbor Single Hop which he liked, before we both had a half of the Arbor Down Deeperst Black Saison. Suffice to say we weren't having another after this and soon the AA was heading North whilst I wandered up to DAda. Its important to clarify that, in no way is my inability to recall what I had in there, related to Arbor. It is (probably) entirely the result of my only being in for a short period before I headed off to meet Miss N and Matt in the Tap.
En route to which I ventured in the Dog and Partridge for a swift half. I spotted the Cross Bay seasonal and went for that but it was a little tired. I mentioned it to one of the staff and he offered me a free replacement which was good customer service (I had more or less finished it) - except I had to head off! In fairness they offer a try before you buy policy as far as I know so I could have done that and despite this being a third tired or off beer I've had there in a year I think that whilst a bit more checking is required, their willingness to remedy such issues is a positive feature.
Finally I arrived at the Sheffield Tap, none the worse far having downed at ;least 2 thirds of my last Arbor half in Shakespeares. It seemed only sensible to have a pint and a ha;f of the Magic Rock Dark Arts on cask, which I did. It was on impeccable form as Magic Rock beers seem to have been of late. And it also provided both the perfect end to a Sheffield pub crawl and the necessary encouragement to head home to bed.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
it's not all festivals and epic county wide beer crawls here in the Beefosphere. Oh no. There's also, um, returning to beer festivals. And meeting folks from the far North. Near Barnsley.
The AA was in Sheffield on Saturday to come and try some ales at Shakespeares beer festival, which you may recall my mentioning previously. Like any sensible chap he intended getting food before imbibing too much and had come to know the nosh at the Closed Shop, where I met up with him. A fine range of ales was on offer from which I chose the Otley - I think it was their wheat beer (Dave? Any idea?!) ad I ordered my first shaky pint of the day to accompany my meal.
As befits his want the AA was studiously on halves - in this case of the same. So both of us failed to record the beer's name. How errant we bloggers can be...
A fantastic steak and ale pie and chips wit roasted veg was my choice (£6.95) and the AA was on an impressively large burger and chips. This was a very tasty meal which lined my stomach nicely for my festival reprise. It also helped me sup a half of the Ilkley Mary Jane IPA, far stronger than ordinary Mary Jane at 6.0%. Slightly heavy it packed a punch in terms of flavours and wasn't swamped by bitterness, although there was plenty there - a more traditional but no less enjoyable IPA.
From here we walked down to Shakespeares in a siling swirling downpour before settling down for a few beers. This time I was trying some new breweries. At least, after I had tried the Five Towns again. Now on hand pump it seemed a little drier and less enjoyable which was a shame. Meanwhile the AA was on a half of Cornish Crown 1 Hop 11 Grains. At least, that's what my beer list says, but my memory claims it was from Coastal. Either way it was very nice.
We were going to try the Geeves HIPA but it had run out since our arrival so I had a half of the Wild Boar Mad Pig, a very weak and not particularly accomplished beer, whilst the AA tried a half of the Pumpkin porter - which he liked but was adamant he wouldn't want a lot of. Ironic considering our finisher....
Our penultimate round saw me on Mithril Clocks Back and the AA a half of the Arbor Single Hop which he liked, before we both had a half of the Arbor Down Deeperst Black Saison. Suffice to say we weren't having another after this and soon the AA was heading North whilst I wandered up to DAda. Its important to clarify that, in no way is my inability to recall what I had in there, related to Arbor. It is (probably) entirely the result of my only being in for a short period before I headed off to meet Miss N and Matt in the Tap.
En route to which I ventured in the Dog and Partridge for a swift half. I spotted the Cross Bay seasonal and went for that but it was a little tired. I mentioned it to one of the staff and he offered me a free replacement which was good customer service (I had more or less finished it) - except I had to head off! In fairness they offer a try before you buy policy as far as I know so I could have done that and despite this being a third tired or off beer I've had there in a year I think that whilst a bit more checking is required, their willingness to remedy such issues is a positive feature.
Finally I arrived at the Sheffield Tap, none the worse far having downed at ;least 2 thirds of my last Arbor half in Shakespeares. It seemed only sensible to have a pint and a ha;f of the Magic Rock Dark Arts on cask, which I did. It was on impeccable form as Magic Rock beers seem to have been of late. And it also provided both the perfect end to a Sheffield pub crawl and the necessary encouragement to head home to bed.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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