Now then!
just a quick update about a bit of good news for the Sheffield brewing scene, and more celebratory goings on.
Blue Bee Brewery
have won Gold at the Stockport Beer and Cider Festival for their Nectar Pale Ale. This is a great bit of news for the brewery, possibly their first award (please don't take my word for this particular fact, I recall summat in Chesterfield last year maybe?) and is great recognition for a brewery that's only been brewing for about 18 months or so.
You can find them on Twitter here if you want to wish them well, or their website can be found here . I am hoping they will heed my entirely serious request to brew a smoked marzen next, a feat which, speaking as someone with absolutely no brewing experience whatsoever, I would expect to be a cinch....
Fat Cat hire a massive automobile
Not the whole story, since mercifully its not a monster truck (although, would that necessarily be a bad thing?) and importantly its a red bus hired for the Jubilee celebrations which is taking people on a tour of the Kelham Island area throughout the Jubilee weekend, until tomorrow evening. Well worth a trip I'd suggest, along with a pie and a pint in the Fat Cat. Thanks to the Postcode Gazette for this info.
Please also note they are not open until 18.00 on Friday 8th of June for the funeral of Dave Wickett.
Some festivals still on....
Don't miss the Tramway at 192 Chatsworth Road Chesterfield, The Commercial Chapeltown, The Organ Grinder Canning Circus Nottingham, The Lescar Sheffield, and MoCa bar in Matlock. Apologies if I missed any pubs off, am sure any pub hosting a festival for the jubilee will still be selling beers so keep an eye out!
That's all the gen for now, thanks.
Wee Beefy
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Monday, 4 June 2012
A short Sheffield pub crawl
Hello,
what with the unbridled excitement of beer festivals of late I have neglected to tell you about some of the Sheffield pubs that sell a decent pint of real ale at all times, irrespective of commemorative events. Thursday was payday, thank goodness, so me and Mr P went out for a jar or two to celebrate.
Cranes
We started in the Three Cranes, neither of us had been in for a while so it was decided this would make a nice change. It was a Sheffield ale extravaganza on the bar, with Blue Bee and Abbeydale providing all the beers that were on. We both went for pints of the Blue Bee Nectar Pale, and due to a mix up behind the bar, ended up with a large taster of Abbeydale Daily Bread as well, which was much darker than I recalled but very nice all the same.
The Nectar may not have been selling too fast since my first out pint was a little sharp, but soon mellowed, if that's not contradictory for a zesty hoppy beer, into a fine pale ale. We then went for a half and a pint of the Blue Bee Lustin for Stout. This was the stand out beer of the night, brilliantly balancing the bitter roast malt with a satisfying creamy malt finish. I am told that the Cranes have removed Guinness and put the Lustin for Stout on in its place - whether this is mere conjecture or not, it was in fine form, so they are obviously selling plenty of it.
Shakespeares
Next we headed down past the old Moseleys Arms and across the ring road to Shakespeares. Here there was a surprising lack of beers that tempted me, which doesn't happen very often. I dallied with the idea of a half of the Ossett Mild but went instead for a more standard strength bitter from a brewery I wasn't expecting to enjoy the wares of. Great then that my notes have gone for a wander and I can't recall what it was! Shamefully lackadaisical of me...
Bath
After these Mr P headed off home and I hot footed it to West Street and off down to the Bath Hotel, where I bumped into Ken from Harrisons.
In here they had the excellent Oakham Citra on, not as weak as other Citra offerings but still a really excellent 4.0% beer, hoppy, but more citrus hop than dry hop, and with that noticeable Oakham signature background malt. Or, as it may be, yeast. Have yet to understand the way that would show in the beer's flavour, but will let you know when I do.
Harrisons 1854
My final resting place was the 1854 where it was Farmers Blonde all the way. Fellow project member JW turned up and we had an impromptu and not desperately sober convening of the project team, accompanied by rather a large amount of refreshments as it happens. This was a great way to end my night out, celebrating the glory that is payday.
And further still in the past....
What with wretched finances I haven't been out that often in the last week of May, and my disappearing Internet meant I forgot to update you on the Rutland.
Me and Chala were in a Wednesday or two ago supping excellent Blue Bee Bees Knees bitter (the darkest bitter ever?) with the lovely brewing team, and along with Chala enjoying the Freedom Organic lager I was ploughing my way through a number of excellent pints of Stroud Brewery Budding.
This is only the second beer I have tasted from this brewery, noticeable on the bar for its excellent traditional pumpclip designs, and both have been delicious. As it was this was in fact a trifle hazy but it didn't mean that it tasted any worse for it. It was a fantastic malty beer (but there were some hops) which had me rushing back to the bar for more.
Sheffield Tap
My final update is on the Tap, where I went after the Commercial beer festival in Chapeltown on Friday (and (its on) today and tomorrow don't forget!). From a goodly range with plenty of Phoenix I think, I went for a half of the Marble Mild, and a pint of the Cromarty Brewing Co Red Hop Rye Ale.
Unusually for me I actually wrote some notes on my phone - since this is time consuming and fiddly it must have been a really good or bad ale to warrant such an action. As it was, it was a negative review, but not as bad as I have suggested above. Essentially, I thought the Red Hop Rye was too dry and one dimensional, and almost every mouthful tasted of sage or rosemary - not good ingredients in a beer, nor good bedfellows for hops. The burnt toffee notes and dry bitterness that you get in red ales were there, but they clashed with the weird herbal notes.
The drinking experience was alas made all the more disappointing by the decision by the staff to start using what must have been a gallon of bleach before last orders, meaning that sat in the panelled room at the back I soon started to smell nothing but. The smell was so overpowering that I had to go and sit back in the busy bar. Here the more ascorbic and jarring flavours of the beer lessened slightly, but I still enjoyed my Marble Mild far more.
A slightly disappointing end to a great night, which better bleach management could have avoided...
That's all for now, I have a craving for some dinner (alas not getting out and about on the bank holiday, disgraceful!) so must leave you. More news and views coming soon.
Wee Beefy
what with the unbridled excitement of beer festivals of late I have neglected to tell you about some of the Sheffield pubs that sell a decent pint of real ale at all times, irrespective of commemorative events. Thursday was payday, thank goodness, so me and Mr P went out for a jar or two to celebrate.
Cranes
We started in the Three Cranes, neither of us had been in for a while so it was decided this would make a nice change. It was a Sheffield ale extravaganza on the bar, with Blue Bee and Abbeydale providing all the beers that were on. We both went for pints of the Blue Bee Nectar Pale, and due to a mix up behind the bar, ended up with a large taster of Abbeydale Daily Bread as well, which was much darker than I recalled but very nice all the same.
The Nectar may not have been selling too fast since my first out pint was a little sharp, but soon mellowed, if that's not contradictory for a zesty hoppy beer, into a fine pale ale. We then went for a half and a pint of the Blue Bee Lustin for Stout. This was the stand out beer of the night, brilliantly balancing the bitter roast malt with a satisfying creamy malt finish. I am told that the Cranes have removed Guinness and put the Lustin for Stout on in its place - whether this is mere conjecture or not, it was in fine form, so they are obviously selling plenty of it.
Shakespeares
Next we headed down past the old Moseleys Arms and across the ring road to Shakespeares. Here there was a surprising lack of beers that tempted me, which doesn't happen very often. I dallied with the idea of a half of the Ossett Mild but went instead for a more standard strength bitter from a brewery I wasn't expecting to enjoy the wares of. Great then that my notes have gone for a wander and I can't recall what it was! Shamefully lackadaisical of me...
Bath
After these Mr P headed off home and I hot footed it to West Street and off down to the Bath Hotel, where I bumped into Ken from Harrisons.
In here they had the excellent Oakham Citra on, not as weak as other Citra offerings but still a really excellent 4.0% beer, hoppy, but more citrus hop than dry hop, and with that noticeable Oakham signature background malt. Or, as it may be, yeast. Have yet to understand the way that would show in the beer's flavour, but will let you know when I do.
Harrisons 1854
My final resting place was the 1854 where it was Farmers Blonde all the way. Fellow project member JW turned up and we had an impromptu and not desperately sober convening of the project team, accompanied by rather a large amount of refreshments as it happens. This was a great way to end my night out, celebrating the glory that is payday.
And further still in the past....
What with wretched finances I haven't been out that often in the last week of May, and my disappearing Internet meant I forgot to update you on the Rutland.
Me and Chala were in a Wednesday or two ago supping excellent Blue Bee Bees Knees bitter (the darkest bitter ever?) with the lovely brewing team, and along with Chala enjoying the Freedom Organic lager I was ploughing my way through a number of excellent pints of Stroud Brewery Budding.
This is only the second beer I have tasted from this brewery, noticeable on the bar for its excellent traditional pumpclip designs, and both have been delicious. As it was this was in fact a trifle hazy but it didn't mean that it tasted any worse for it. It was a fantastic malty beer (but there were some hops) which had me rushing back to the bar for more.
Sheffield Tap
My final update is on the Tap, where I went after the Commercial beer festival in Chapeltown on Friday (and (its on) today and tomorrow don't forget!). From a goodly range with plenty of Phoenix I think, I went for a half of the Marble Mild, and a pint of the Cromarty Brewing Co Red Hop Rye Ale.
Unusually for me I actually wrote some notes on my phone - since this is time consuming and fiddly it must have been a really good or bad ale to warrant such an action. As it was, it was a negative review, but not as bad as I have suggested above. Essentially, I thought the Red Hop Rye was too dry and one dimensional, and almost every mouthful tasted of sage or rosemary - not good ingredients in a beer, nor good bedfellows for hops. The burnt toffee notes and dry bitterness that you get in red ales were there, but they clashed with the weird herbal notes.
The drinking experience was alas made all the more disappointing by the decision by the staff to start using what must have been a gallon of bleach before last orders, meaning that sat in the panelled room at the back I soon started to smell nothing but. The smell was so overpowering that I had to go and sit back in the busy bar. Here the more ascorbic and jarring flavours of the beer lessened slightly, but I still enjoyed my Marble Mild far more.
A slightly disappointing end to a great night, which better bleach management could have avoided...
That's all for now, I have a craving for some dinner (alas not getting out and about on the bank holiday, disgraceful!) so must leave you. More news and views coming soon.
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Jubilee pubs
Hello,
the Diamond Jubilee has meant bunting and flags on pubs, plus festivals and other events in pubs this weekend. Its interesting because with the unfortunate associations that people make between patriotism and bigotry, more so with the Ingurrlish flag of the Israeli Saint George, the site of bunting and Union Jacks can sometimes be a bit off putting.
Add to this the rather vexatious issue of sovereignty and the monarchy and you have quite a few weighty issues attached to the way pubs are done out during the jubilee, but personally, irrespective of my feelings about Royalty, Jubilee flags on pubs means only one thing to me - the Vine Inn, Tunstall, Stoke On Trent.
Back in 2002 Wee Fatha was collecting firkins of real ale for Del at the Hillsborough Hotel. I was accompanying him on a jaunt round Cheshire picking up some Weetwood ales or similar, and I twisted his arm to drive us to the pub in Tunstall. I didn't have Internet at home or at work back then so information was very limited, and a good part of the visit comprised of trying to find the place. Once there it was quickly apparent why I'd wanted to go, and the effort had been worth it.
With only the address to go on, we stopped somewhere near Pitts Hill to ask directions, got some to Pitts Hill, and then stopped on Pitts Hill itself to find someone who knew where Naylor Street was. Luckily they did, because its off a little side street, and you can't see the pub from the road. We inched up the street in the van and pulled up just past the tiny back street gem which is the Vine, resplendent in flags and bunting for the Silver Jubilee.
I had rang earlier in the week and had one of those conversations that you only seem to have with the owners of redoubtable old boozers. Having taken a few goes to ascertain that it was the pub, I then enquired if it would be open at the time we would be in Tunstall. "Why do you want to know" came the puzzled response. I explained that the pub was on the National Inventory and I wanted to visit but needed to know ir would be open. Further questions followed about where I was coming from, and who I worked for, before I stated that in fact, I was a customer. Silence followed, then reiteration of opening times, and the lengthy process was finished.
Arriving at the pub it was busy and we just managed to grab a seat in the tiny bar room on the right. The interior of the pub is its draw, and it still retains three separate rooms. A long corridor led to the private kitchen, where I understand, one of the old ladies who owned the pub were sat. Down the corridor on the left was the games room, with a hatch for service opposite. On the left as you entered was the lounge.
This was the most unspoilt room in the pub. The lounge really was just that. Tables with tablecloths and mats, net curtains, period furnishings and a lot of older ladies sat nursing delicate drams of the spirit bars finest. Its a phrase you hear a lot about unspoilt pubs, that its like walking into someones house, but this room really was. It wouldn't have looked out of place if someone had brought in a pot of tea, popped on the radio and opened a pack of biscuits.
Back in the bar there was no real ale (still is) but there was keg Double Diamond on the bar, a novelty if not entirely enjoyable beer if nothing else. Unfortunately, our stay was short, as we had to get the beer back to Hillsborough, and this coupled with how busy the pub was prevented me from taking any photo's whilst I was there. I did get one or two when I visited in 2009 though.
The Vine is an amazing example of an unchanged back street pub, and I highly recommend a visit - bunting or no bunting. And no matter whether I get to go again or not, I'll still remember how it looked decked out red white and blue in 2002.
There is a link to the CAMRA heritage pubs website page for the pub here . The photo's are far better.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
the Diamond Jubilee has meant bunting and flags on pubs, plus festivals and other events in pubs this weekend. Its interesting because with the unfortunate associations that people make between patriotism and bigotry, more so with the Ingurrlish flag of the Israeli Saint George, the site of bunting and Union Jacks can sometimes be a bit off putting.
Add to this the rather vexatious issue of sovereignty and the monarchy and you have quite a few weighty issues attached to the way pubs are done out during the jubilee, but personally, irrespective of my feelings about Royalty, Jubilee flags on pubs means only one thing to me - the Vine Inn, Tunstall, Stoke On Trent.
Back in 2002 Wee Fatha was collecting firkins of real ale for Del at the Hillsborough Hotel. I was accompanying him on a jaunt round Cheshire picking up some Weetwood ales or similar, and I twisted his arm to drive us to the pub in Tunstall. I didn't have Internet at home or at work back then so information was very limited, and a good part of the visit comprised of trying to find the place. Once there it was quickly apparent why I'd wanted to go, and the effort had been worth it.
With only the address to go on, we stopped somewhere near Pitts Hill to ask directions, got some to Pitts Hill, and then stopped on Pitts Hill itself to find someone who knew where Naylor Street was. Luckily they did, because its off a little side street, and you can't see the pub from the road. We inched up the street in the van and pulled up just past the tiny back street gem which is the Vine, resplendent in flags and bunting for the Silver Jubilee.
I had rang earlier in the week and had one of those conversations that you only seem to have with the owners of redoubtable old boozers. Having taken a few goes to ascertain that it was the pub, I then enquired if it would be open at the time we would be in Tunstall. "Why do you want to know" came the puzzled response. I explained that the pub was on the National Inventory and I wanted to visit but needed to know ir would be open. Further questions followed about where I was coming from, and who I worked for, before I stated that in fact, I was a customer. Silence followed, then reiteration of opening times, and the lengthy process was finished.
Arriving at the pub it was busy and we just managed to grab a seat in the tiny bar room on the right. The interior of the pub is its draw, and it still retains three separate rooms. A long corridor led to the private kitchen, where I understand, one of the old ladies who owned the pub were sat. Down the corridor on the left was the games room, with a hatch for service opposite. On the left as you entered was the lounge.
 |
| A not very good picture of the hatch and corridor. |
This was the most unspoilt room in the pub. The lounge really was just that. Tables with tablecloths and mats, net curtains, period furnishings and a lot of older ladies sat nursing delicate drams of the spirit bars finest. Its a phrase you hear a lot about unspoilt pubs, that its like walking into someones house, but this room really was. It wouldn't have looked out of place if someone had brought in a pot of tea, popped on the radio and opened a pack of biscuits.
Back in the bar there was no real ale (still is) but there was keg Double Diamond on the bar, a novelty if not entirely enjoyable beer if nothing else. Unfortunately, our stay was short, as we had to get the beer back to Hillsborough, and this coupled with how busy the pub was prevented me from taking any photo's whilst I was there. I did get one or two when I visited in 2009 though.
The Vine is an amazing example of an unchanged back street pub, and I highly recommend a visit - bunting or no bunting. And no matter whether I get to go again or not, I'll still remember how it looked decked out red white and blue in 2002.
There is a link to the CAMRA heritage pubs website page for the pub here . The photo's are far better.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Commercial, Chapeltown, Queens 60th Jubilee beer festival
Good afternoon,
The Commercial is on the right as you walk up Station road from the railway bridge, and retains a traditional layout of separate rooms inside. The entrance corridor leads straight to the bar, with a narrow corridor running its length, with doors at the end for the loos. On the right is an archway into a lounge room, with another entrance further up, and there is also a games room on the far left past the loos. This also leads to the very tiny bar snug, which is a great place to end up in on a cold night, or indeed any other time of year. Last time I was in it was festooned with hundreds of pumpclips.
Being the festival weekend the pub was packed at 18.00 on a Friday and stayed busy for the whole of the three hours I was in. There were 40 beers on over the whole festival, along with 6 real ciders - in fact, some probably haven't been on yet with two days to go. I bought 6 different beers, but this included 3 pints of the excellent West Coast Brewing Riptide Black IPA, surprisingly light in alcohol for a beer of this style, but very drinkable, hoppy and refreshing.
The other beers I tried were :
its not all gallivanting about in North East Derbyshire, there are beer festivals to be found in Sheffield as well. On Friday afternoon I was invited to the Commercial at Chapeltown for their beer festival. This one had obviously slipped under my radar somehow, but Mr Robbery, Ally and Malc were off out so I decided to join them for a few. The festival started on Thursday and runs through until Tuesday if you fancy popping down.
Getting there has always been a bit of a spoiler for me - I was thinking only last week about how it was years since I'd last been, and then immediately started to remember how much of a ball ache journey it was. Mind you, I should have considered all the options. You can catch the First bus 75 from Sheffield, which stops a ten minute walk away from the pub, or the train (also stops at Meadowhall, and much much quicker) or the 265 from Waingate which actually stops across the road, so its not so bad. And to my surprise, I got there in less than 40 minutes from town.
The Commercial is on the right as you walk up Station road from the railway bridge, and retains a traditional layout of separate rooms inside. The entrance corridor leads straight to the bar, with a narrow corridor running its length, with doors at the end for the loos. On the right is an archway into a lounge room, with another entrance further up, and there is also a games room on the far left past the loos. This also leads to the very tiny bar snug, which is a great place to end up in on a cold night, or indeed any other time of year. Last time I was in it was festooned with hundreds of pumpclips.
Being the festival weekend the pub was packed at 18.00 on a Friday and stayed busy for the whole of the three hours I was in. There were 40 beers on over the whole festival, along with 6 real ciders - in fact, some probably haven't been on yet with two days to go. I bought 6 different beers, but this included 3 pints of the excellent West Coast Brewing Riptide Black IPA, surprisingly light in alcohol for a beer of this style, but very drinkable, hoppy and refreshing.
The other beers I tried were :
8 Sail Jubilation, 4.0%
Kelham Island Hoppy and Glorious, 5.0%
Oakwell Dark Mild, 3.4%
Pennine Street Party IPA, 4.8%
York Legacy, 4.0%
And I had tasters of :
TSA Red Bush Raspberry Ale, 4.8%
Durham Redemption, 10.0%
Caledonian Coffee Porter, 4.3%
Talking of some of the above, its probably a good idea not to buy a pint of Redemption, let alone a half, but Ally had two halves I think - I would have been asleep! As it was I left around 21.00 in full working order, to head back into town and the Sheffield Tap, more of which to come tomorrow.
There are other beers still to come like I said, and its a shame I can't get back again because there were a couple I really wanted to try. Along with the excellent food, which looked very tempting. Theres more details at the pub's website here including a list of beers on the bar. The Commercial is a great place for a drink if you are in the area. Highly recommended.
Wee Beefy
Three Valleys Beer Festival report 2012
Morning,
yesterday was my third trip out to the Three Valleys beer festival, being held over one day across 10 pubs in the Drone, Lineker and Sheaf Valleys (I still don't know if these are the three!). Here's some of the details of how my trip went...
I was setting off early since in a break with tradition I wanted to start at the Totley end, catching the bus to Dronfield to start at the Three Tuns. I got the bus into town, then chewed my fist in anxious worry as the 10 minutes late 97 dawdled aimlessly toward my destination, Dore Station, which I made with 4 minutes to spare.
Bus to Beelzebub
Well, officially I did. Except that 11.48 came and went with no sign of a bus. Then it arrived at 12.00 - at the bottom of Twentywell Lane, and picked up some people. Realising that Dore Railway Station was incorrect we waved at te bus but to no avail, it set off up Twentywell lane leaving us a 20 plus minute wait for the next one. Looking at the programme today, there is a section that says that you catch the bus at Dore Station across the road from the car dealership. Well that's great, but why do I need to download a programme to find out this mystery?
If it doesn't stop at Dore Station like it did last year, say Twentywell Lane Bottom instead. The other 2 people at the station of lies walked up to Bradway and I went to the "bus stop" to fume and wait. In the end Barraharri graciously offered to drive from Dronfield and pick me up. He arrived 5 minutes after the next bus was due, and we didn't see it heading toward Totley. Considering that NotDorestationatallactually is the second stop, its inconceivable that the first bus of the day could be 12 minutes late. Seemingly though, expectations of incredulous unreliability needed ramping up throughout a day where the festival experience was soured by absurdly bad transport links.
Three Tuns, Hallowes
Anyhoo, froth finished, we arrived by car at the Three Tuns to find a hog roast, clay oven, hay bails and outside seating, and a pub bar heaving with handpumps and a whole list of tasty treats in the cellar. As Barraharri was driving he stuck to a low gravity pint of Barlow Heath Robinson, whereas I had a very tasty pint of their Deepdale Pale Ale. Alas, served in plastic glasses. Apparently,. some sort of deal allowing them to do something or other that am not sure about. This was not a good start.
Luckily things improved and we had another drink, I a half of RCH Old Slug Porter and a pint of Burton Bridge XL mild, and Barraharri a delicious pint of diet coke. The driver's lament. The XL was a very tasty dark malty ale that dispelled any misconception about mild lacking flavour, and the Old Slug was drier and more bitter than I remember but excellent all the same. Here we met up with Rich and Tim, two friends of Barraharri who were heading eventually for the Horns Inn. They joined us in the car to Barlow (the car was the best option since the people who I had seen at the bottom of Twentywell lane when I got a lift arrived after our first pint, with the bus over half an hour late, followed ten minutes later by the next one. It was clear the bus would be a waste of time).
The Barlow Brewery
Barlow brewery had an outside bar this time, perhaps because the little bar in the brewery buildings was just too small. There was a range of Barlow beers on, and music (alas not the excellent Whisky Bob Shaker til later) and excellent sensibly priced food. Barraharri had another Heath Robinson and the rest of us all had the Dark Horse, another full flavoured mild (although it might have been an old or dark ale) which was very nice. Plastic glasses here as well, but there was last year, and its not a pub, so plastic is easier.
We filled up on food and had another beer - me a half of the excellent Anastasia Imperial Stout, with its fabulous yellow cream head, and Tim and perhaps Rich tried the Three Valleys Pale Ale. This was another good showing by Barlow that made it the best venue so far, although the beer range at Three Tuns topped it.
Taxiharri very kindly drove us to the Hearty Oak next, as he had to go home and get changed for work. The Hearty Oak was where I was charged twice last year (I didn't notice til about 5 weeks later) and it was important that I remembered to get over it, which of course I have, which is why I haven't mentioned it. And definitely didn't at the bar.
Hearty Oak Northern Common
Here there was another excellent choice of ales and we all started on pints of the impressive Buxton Moor Top Pale, a refreshing hoppy beer bursting with dry bitterness despite its 3.6% strength. We navigated the heaving crowds to dins (this says find, honest, but it makes so little sense I've left it in) a spot to sit and survey the scene whilst supping our ales. The pub was even busier than it was last year so they must be doing something right - perhaps the brilliant beers on offer swung it.
Our next pint certainly did - Ashover Brewery Liquorice Alesorts, a fine stout with the natural bedfellow of liquorice sitting in amongst the dark dry roast malts brilliantly. A poor flavoured stout is one where the additional tastes overtake the base beer but this was not the case. The excellent stout was a fantastic beer to finish on - but we had many more pubs and beers to go....
Rutland, Holmesfield
Next we walked to the Rutland Arms, again eschewing the random delights of guessing the time of the bus. The Rutland was a surprise omission this year, since for many years it had been the best pub for beer in Holmesfield, though now its a closer contest what with the excellence of the Hearty Oak. Inside it was quite quiet for a Saturday and there were about 6 ales on offer - Tim and Rich had Sharps Doom Bar, and I had a half of the Castle Rock Harvest Pale, and a hot dog.
After the flavour blitz of the Ashover and Buxton beer there was widespread disappointment with the dull, malty sweetness of the Doom Bar. Because I had only just met my drinking companions I didn't want to seem like a patronising expert so hadn't steered them away from Doom Bar, but it transpired that it would have been better if I had.
Horns Inn
Off next on foot to the Horns Inn, a surprise inclusion to my mind. In 2010 the Horns was easily the worst venue we visited, with off beer and no apparent interest in getting something else in to replace it. I wanted to go, if nothing else, to see what had changed, and also because Tim and Rich were there to see their mates band the Nervous Triggermen.
Straight away on entering it was clear that this was a much improved pub. Three real ales on the bar and a bar set up in the back room dispensing ales from the barrel. There was an informative beer list provided, with the pub mainly showcasing Raw Brewery beers, and guests that they had supplied from Offbeat and Prospect and others. And there were glasses, just like in the last 2 pubs. Thank Christ.
I started with the Raw Solstice Pale and its probably useful to point out that I had lost track of what my companions were drinking by this stage! I also tried a pint of the excellent Raw Anubis Porter but the best beer of the night, and possibly the festival, was the Dark Star Saison. A wonderfully refreshing cloudy Belgian style ale with zesty pineapple notes and a wheaty body that went down like pop. I don't know how many pints I had of this - possibly three - but it was an awesome beer. We managed to get a seat near the bar to watch the band as well, who were quite good. Had I not been hindered by the need to get home, I could easily have gone nowhere else that night....
However, home it had to be, and |I wanted to visit the Coach and Horses as well. So this meant putting my trust in, and exhausting my patience waiting for, the festival bus.
Twenty minutes after the bus to Dronfield was due the Barlow bus arrived. The programme says it stops outside the pub but it doesn't, although I concede that it wouldn't make much sense for it to do so. Having checked it wasn't Dronfield bound I went back to standing outside the pub awaiting the other bus. And what a wait.
I think it may have been 45 minutes late, but it might have been more, when the barely driveable tractor of exasperation trundled up, to a round of sarcastic applause. We struggled down into Dronfield and when we finally got near the station we found the road closed due to a serious road accident. I haven't heard anything on the news but I hope it wasn't fatal - it did seem to involve a number of vehicles.
Coach and Horses
The driver went for a bag of chips and I walked quickly up to the Coach and Horses, where I bumped into a gent who used to come in the shop many years ago, embarrassingly he knew my name, but I couldn't recall his. Sorry about that, if you are reading this! Once inside there was a selection of beers on the bar from Thornbridge and elsewhere, and 6 outside in the outside bar. I started with a pint of the Dark Star Summer Madness, which was not really to my liking, too fruity and slightly sweet, but was, after asking nicely, served in a real live glass, and everything.
I managed to secure a comfy settee to sit at and nipped outside to fetch a half of the Bridgehouse Stokers Ale, which was a very pleasing dryish bitter, and a half of the excellent Magic Rock Dark Arts as my finisher. These were served in plastic being from an outside bar, but I took them in and fed them into my pint glass as it became available. I also got some free chicken wings to tide me over.
By half 9 I was in need of a trip home and not fancying the walk to the Station and then waiting an unguessable length of time for the bus back to Totley and then catching two more buses home, I jumped on the 43 instead, and was in town by about 22.00. One more bus hop later I was at home, making a gastronomic delight of bacon and fried bread, whilst my chop cooked in the oven. The bacon was delicious, and I even remembered to turn the oven off when I went to bed two hours later. I'm sure that chop would have been lovely....
Overall this was probably the best organised Three Valleys, especially the level of detail about beer and venues on the website, and stand out pubs were the Hearty Oak, Coach and Horses and the Horns Inn.
The downside, and lasting bad memory for me was the utterly shambolic transport. They really really need to get that sorted if the festival is to maximise its undoubted potential.
Wee Beefy.
yesterday was my third trip out to the Three Valleys beer festival, being held over one day across 10 pubs in the Drone, Lineker and Sheaf Valleys (I still don't know if these are the three!). Here's some of the details of how my trip went...
I was setting off early since in a break with tradition I wanted to start at the Totley end, catching the bus to Dronfield to start at the Three Tuns. I got the bus into town, then chewed my fist in anxious worry as the 10 minutes late 97 dawdled aimlessly toward my destination, Dore Station, which I made with 4 minutes to spare.
Bus to Beelzebub
Well, officially I did. Except that 11.48 came and went with no sign of a bus. Then it arrived at 12.00 - at the bottom of Twentywell Lane, and picked up some people. Realising that Dore Railway Station was incorrect we waved at te bus but to no avail, it set off up Twentywell lane leaving us a 20 plus minute wait for the next one. Looking at the programme today, there is a section that says that you catch the bus at Dore Station across the road from the car dealership. Well that's great, but why do I need to download a programme to find out this mystery?
If it doesn't stop at Dore Station like it did last year, say Twentywell Lane Bottom instead. The other 2 people at the station of lies walked up to Bradway and I went to the "bus stop" to fume and wait. In the end Barraharri graciously offered to drive from Dronfield and pick me up. He arrived 5 minutes after the next bus was due, and we didn't see it heading toward Totley. Considering that NotDorestationatallactually is the second stop, its inconceivable that the first bus of the day could be 12 minutes late. Seemingly though, expectations of incredulous unreliability needed ramping up throughout a day where the festival experience was soured by absurdly bad transport links.
Three Tuns, Hallowes
Anyhoo, froth finished, we arrived by car at the Three Tuns to find a hog roast, clay oven, hay bails and outside seating, and a pub bar heaving with handpumps and a whole list of tasty treats in the cellar. As Barraharri was driving he stuck to a low gravity pint of Barlow Heath Robinson, whereas I had a very tasty pint of their Deepdale Pale Ale. Alas, served in plastic glasses. Apparently,. some sort of deal allowing them to do something or other that am not sure about. This was not a good start.
Luckily things improved and we had another drink, I a half of RCH Old Slug Porter and a pint of Burton Bridge XL mild, and Barraharri a delicious pint of diet coke. The driver's lament. The XL was a very tasty dark malty ale that dispelled any misconception about mild lacking flavour, and the Old Slug was drier and more bitter than I remember but excellent all the same. Here we met up with Rich and Tim, two friends of Barraharri who were heading eventually for the Horns Inn. They joined us in the car to Barlow (the car was the best option since the people who I had seen at the bottom of Twentywell lane when I got a lift arrived after our first pint, with the bus over half an hour late, followed ten minutes later by the next one. It was clear the bus would be a waste of time).
The Barlow Brewery
Barlow brewery had an outside bar this time, perhaps because the little bar in the brewery buildings was just too small. There was a range of Barlow beers on, and music (alas not the excellent Whisky Bob Shaker til later) and excellent sensibly priced food. Barraharri had another Heath Robinson and the rest of us all had the Dark Horse, another full flavoured mild (although it might have been an old or dark ale) which was very nice. Plastic glasses here as well, but there was last year, and its not a pub, so plastic is easier.
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| Rapscallions |
Taxiharri very kindly drove us to the Hearty Oak next, as he had to go home and get changed for work. The Hearty Oak was where I was charged twice last year (I didn't notice til about 5 weeks later) and it was important that I remembered to get over it, which of course I have, which is why I haven't mentioned it. And definitely didn't at the bar.
Hearty Oak Northern Common
Here there was another excellent choice of ales and we all started on pints of the impressive Buxton Moor Top Pale, a refreshing hoppy beer bursting with dry bitterness despite its 3.6% strength. We navigated the heaving crowds to dins (this says find, honest, but it makes so little sense I've left it in) a spot to sit and survey the scene whilst supping our ales. The pub was even busier than it was last year so they must be doing something right - perhaps the brilliant beers on offer swung it.
Our next pint certainly did - Ashover Brewery Liquorice Alesorts, a fine stout with the natural bedfellow of liquorice sitting in amongst the dark dry roast malts brilliantly. A poor flavoured stout is one where the additional tastes overtake the base beer but this was not the case. The excellent stout was a fantastic beer to finish on - but we had many more pubs and beers to go....
Rutland, Holmesfield
Next we walked to the Rutland Arms, again eschewing the random delights of guessing the time of the bus. The Rutland was a surprise omission this year, since for many years it had been the best pub for beer in Holmesfield, though now its a closer contest what with the excellence of the Hearty Oak. Inside it was quite quiet for a Saturday and there were about 6 ales on offer - Tim and Rich had Sharps Doom Bar, and I had a half of the Castle Rock Harvest Pale, and a hot dog.
After the flavour blitz of the Ashover and Buxton beer there was widespread disappointment with the dull, malty sweetness of the Doom Bar. Because I had only just met my drinking companions I didn't want to seem like a patronising expert so hadn't steered them away from Doom Bar, but it transpired that it would have been better if I had.
Horns Inn
Off next on foot to the Horns Inn, a surprise inclusion to my mind. In 2010 the Horns was easily the worst venue we visited, with off beer and no apparent interest in getting something else in to replace it. I wanted to go, if nothing else, to see what had changed, and also because Tim and Rich were there to see their mates band the Nervous Triggermen.
Straight away on entering it was clear that this was a much improved pub. Three real ales on the bar and a bar set up in the back room dispensing ales from the barrel. There was an informative beer list provided, with the pub mainly showcasing Raw Brewery beers, and guests that they had supplied from Offbeat and Prospect and others. And there were glasses, just like in the last 2 pubs. Thank Christ.
I started with the Raw Solstice Pale and its probably useful to point out that I had lost track of what my companions were drinking by this stage! I also tried a pint of the excellent Raw Anubis Porter but the best beer of the night, and possibly the festival, was the Dark Star Saison. A wonderfully refreshing cloudy Belgian style ale with zesty pineapple notes and a wheaty body that went down like pop. I don't know how many pints I had of this - possibly three - but it was an awesome beer. We managed to get a seat near the bar to watch the band as well, who were quite good. Had I not been hindered by the need to get home, I could easily have gone nowhere else that night....
However, home it had to be, and |I wanted to visit the Coach and Horses as well. So this meant putting my trust in, and exhausting my patience waiting for, the festival bus.
Twenty minutes after the bus to Dronfield was due the Barlow bus arrived. The programme says it stops outside the pub but it doesn't, although I concede that it wouldn't make much sense for it to do so. Having checked it wasn't Dronfield bound I went back to standing outside the pub awaiting the other bus. And what a wait.
I think it may have been 45 minutes late, but it might have been more, when the barely driveable tractor of exasperation trundled up, to a round of sarcastic applause. We struggled down into Dronfield and when we finally got near the station we found the road closed due to a serious road accident. I haven't heard anything on the news but I hope it wasn't fatal - it did seem to involve a number of vehicles.
Coach and Horses
The driver went for a bag of chips and I walked quickly up to the Coach and Horses, where I bumped into a gent who used to come in the shop many years ago, embarrassingly he knew my name, but I couldn't recall his. Sorry about that, if you are reading this! Once inside there was a selection of beers on the bar from Thornbridge and elsewhere, and 6 outside in the outside bar. I started with a pint of the Dark Star Summer Madness, which was not really to my liking, too fruity and slightly sweet, but was, after asking nicely, served in a real live glass, and everything.
I managed to secure a comfy settee to sit at and nipped outside to fetch a half of the Bridgehouse Stokers Ale, which was a very pleasing dryish bitter, and a half of the excellent Magic Rock Dark Arts as my finisher. These were served in plastic being from an outside bar, but I took them in and fed them into my pint glass as it became available. I also got some free chicken wings to tide me over.
By half 9 I was in need of a trip home and not fancying the walk to the Station and then waiting an unguessable length of time for the bus back to Totley and then catching two more buses home, I jumped on the 43 instead, and was in town by about 22.00. One more bus hop later I was at home, making a gastronomic delight of bacon and fried bread, whilst my chop cooked in the oven. The bacon was delicious, and I even remembered to turn the oven off when I went to bed two hours later. I'm sure that chop would have been lovely....
Overall this was probably the best organised Three Valleys, especially the level of detail about beer and venues on the website, and stand out pubs were the Hearty Oak, Coach and Horses and the Horns Inn.
The downside, and lasting bad memory for me was the utterly shambolic transport. They really really need to get that sorted if the festival is to maximise its undoubted potential.
Wee Beefy.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Three Valleys Beer Festival 2012
Hello,
apologies for a long stint without posts - I have swapped Internet provider, and after having a reckless 3 hours connectivity on Wednesday night, have had no chuffing signal since! Intermittent signal my arse...
3 Valleys
Anyhoo, the main purpose of this post is to remind you of the excellent Three Valleys beer festival 2012 which is taking place tomorrow, Saturday the 2nd June. This year, as you would expect, the venue list is reflective of a burgeoning real ale scene in Dronfield, and it seems there is much less interest in Holmesfield, which is a shame - not even the consistently excellent Rutland appears to be involved this time, which is surprising.
As usual there will be a festival bus running between the Castle Inn at Bradway, Barlow, Holmesfield and Dronfield, and as last year Barlow Brewery will open up their bar and their premises to accommodate drinkers bands and food for the day.
A link to the festival website can be found here , including a download of the rather perplexing bus timetable - my reading is that the Miners Arms at the top of Dronfield is the centre of the route, so for instance you can get there by festival bus from Dore station, then either wait for a bus to Barlow, or carry on down past the Three Tuns to Dronfield. That's what I'm doing, starting at the Three Tuns.
One last tip is to check which side of the road the bus stops on at the Coach and Horses in Dronfield - it seems to only stop on the side of the road heading towards Sheffield, then turns round at Bowshaw roundabout and comes back past the other side heading for the station - but in previous years the driver hasn't picked up on the opposite side, even though there have been 30 or 40 people waiting. Lets hope its a little more clear this year!
Hope you can get along on Saturday, all the best
Wee Beefy
apologies for a long stint without posts - I have swapped Internet provider, and after having a reckless 3 hours connectivity on Wednesday night, have had no chuffing signal since! Intermittent signal my arse...
3 Valleys
Anyhoo, the main purpose of this post is to remind you of the excellent Three Valleys beer festival 2012 which is taking place tomorrow, Saturday the 2nd June. This year, as you would expect, the venue list is reflective of a burgeoning real ale scene in Dronfield, and it seems there is much less interest in Holmesfield, which is a shame - not even the consistently excellent Rutland appears to be involved this time, which is surprising.
As usual there will be a festival bus running between the Castle Inn at Bradway, Barlow, Holmesfield and Dronfield, and as last year Barlow Brewery will open up their bar and their premises to accommodate drinkers bands and food for the day.
A link to the festival website can be found here , including a download of the rather perplexing bus timetable - my reading is that the Miners Arms at the top of Dronfield is the centre of the route, so for instance you can get there by festival bus from Dore station, then either wait for a bus to Barlow, or carry on down past the Three Tuns to Dronfield. That's what I'm doing, starting at the Three Tuns.
One last tip is to check which side of the road the bus stops on at the Coach and Horses in Dronfield - it seems to only stop on the side of the road heading towards Sheffield, then turns round at Bowshaw roundabout and comes back past the other side heading for the station - but in previous years the driver hasn't picked up on the opposite side, even though there have been 30 or 40 people waiting. Lets hope its a little more clear this year!
Hope you can get along on Saturday, all the best
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Friday night out in the valley of beer
Good day,
last night I was fortunate to be carried away to a bibulous nirvana, set adrift on a raft of refreshments in a river of beery bibacity, when I went out to sample the wares of the valley of beer.
I hadn't expected to be going anywhere to be perfectly honest - a quick call to the bank earlier that day had revealed a distinct lack of funds and I had resigned myself to an evening of sobriety and drear, until I got a surprise call from Wee Keefy. He asked if I wanted to meet him at the Gardeners Rest for a pint. I explained my monetary predicament and he offered to buy me one, so, despite obviously feeling quite sick at the heinous suggestion of free beer, I reluctantly agreed...
The 1854
Before then however there were 2 hours to fill in, so I gritted my teeth and stayed working as long as I could bare before leaving the office and walking up to Harrisons 1854. Arriving like a heaving, perspiring beetroot, I committed the cardinal sin of buying some beer using plastic. Surely, the express way to destruction, but on a hot day, a very welcome way of paying for a thirst quenching pint.
This was Farmers Blonde, of which I had two, sat at the bar chatting to Barkeep Barraharri and planning a beer trip later in the year. It would have been nice to have taken advantage of the sunshine by sitting outside but I knew I had a walk to the Gardeners ahead so preferred a cool rest. Suitably chilled, I soon headed off for the bounty of the Upper Don Valley, the valley of beer, no less...
Wellington
Soon I was away down the side of Netherthorpe road, then along Meadow Street and down to the tram stop. Here, using the last real money I had, I stopped for a quick half in the Wellington. Myk was at the bar filling me in on details of pubs that I had missed or forgotten, whilst I supped a half of a Little Ale Cart beer called Simon. Obviously I was certain I'd remember its full title (it was 4.0%) but having scoured the tinterweb for details I'd suggest its quite new because I can't find out the beer's surname...
Still, it was another very drinkable and fairly delicious ale cart offering, which its a shame I didn't have more time to enjoy. Because all too soon I was Gardeners bound. Just after leaving the pub, heading along the old Penistone Road, I received a text from Wee Keefy - he was going to be late so I needn't rush. Good. I was ten minutes away at best, was dieing for the loo, and had 20 pence.
Still, I gamely forged on, seeking out the jennel and walkway at the side of the river which I used to consider a useful shortcut for many years but then inexplicably stopped using, and finally arrived at the Gardeners, with companions nowhere to be seen, to set about waiting across the road.
Gardeners Relief
At 10 to 8 Wee keefy and Jambon arrived and we went inside to firstly attend to a need, and then rejoice at finding another redoubtable range of beers on the bar. So vast was the range (and so uncertain the promise of further ale) I had two halves instead of a pint - half of the Llangorse Brewery Dark Side, and half of the Brodies Old Street.
Regarding the Llangorse, I know I could have asked, but I really thought it was going to be dark. It wasn't. It was light brown, and tasted OK, but nothing to get excited about. There was a strange aftertaste that I couldn't pin down, and as soon as I tasted Keefy's Old School Brewery Blackboard I knew I would have preferred that.
The Brodies on the other hand was a totally different scenario. Absolutely masses of hops, fizzing on the tongue and receding to a dry citrussy aftertaste, all packed into what I thought was a low gravity beer, but is in fact 5.3%, (which to be fair is much more the strength it tasted). I was now officially really glad that I had gone out for a pint, even if I was relying on brotherly generosity. Not just the brother though...
Next Jambon declared he would buy a round, Carlos had joined us by this time, he went with his favoured Guinness and me and Jambon pints of the Brodies, which simply got hoppier the more we drank, but without ever becoming ascorbic or harsh, just citrus hops and smiles all the way down the pint.
Our final pint in here was more Guinness for Carlos and a pint of the Navigation Stout, which is another Navigation beer that didn't quite match the exellence of the first one I tried at the beginning of the month in Shakespeares, but was still very good none the less. This had a very dry roast bitterness before finishing with a more creamy malt led finish, and in fact it rather grew on me as I ontinued drinking.
Ship
Off next to the Ship since neither Jambon or Wee Keefy had ever visited, and as usual we weren't disappointed by the beer range - we all had (except for Carlos!) pints of the Spire Sovereign, which went down well with those who tried it, as did the pub. I am pleased to announce two more converts to my list of new found Ship Inn fans. That the atmosphere and overall experience of visiting is every bit as reliable as the beers makes this an excellent stop off whilst in the area.
Shakespeares
Our final stop was without notes. It was late, I don't think we got there til 23.00, and although I know I only had one pint, I concede I have absolutely no idea what it was. Being Shakespeares I bet there's a good chance it was the an SWB or Revolutions brew, but I couldn't say. All I know is we ended up sat outside in the smoking garage (?!) slowly sipping our pints, before I had to run away and catch the night bus home.
A fab night with friends and family, with impeccable beer and pubs. I really can't think of anything better.
Wee Beefy
last night I was fortunate to be carried away to a bibulous nirvana, set adrift on a raft of refreshments in a river of beery bibacity, when I went out to sample the wares of the valley of beer.
I hadn't expected to be going anywhere to be perfectly honest - a quick call to the bank earlier that day had revealed a distinct lack of funds and I had resigned myself to an evening of sobriety and drear, until I got a surprise call from Wee Keefy. He asked if I wanted to meet him at the Gardeners Rest for a pint. I explained my monetary predicament and he offered to buy me one, so, despite obviously feeling quite sick at the heinous suggestion of free beer, I reluctantly agreed...
The 1854
Before then however there were 2 hours to fill in, so I gritted my teeth and stayed working as long as I could bare before leaving the office and walking up to Harrisons 1854. Arriving like a heaving, perspiring beetroot, I committed the cardinal sin of buying some beer using plastic. Surely, the express way to destruction, but on a hot day, a very welcome way of paying for a thirst quenching pint.
This was Farmers Blonde, of which I had two, sat at the bar chatting to Barkeep Barraharri and planning a beer trip later in the year. It would have been nice to have taken advantage of the sunshine by sitting outside but I knew I had a walk to the Gardeners ahead so preferred a cool rest. Suitably chilled, I soon headed off for the bounty of the Upper Don Valley, the valley of beer, no less...
Wellington
Soon I was away down the side of Netherthorpe road, then along Meadow Street and down to the tram stop. Here, using the last real money I had, I stopped for a quick half in the Wellington. Myk was at the bar filling me in on details of pubs that I had missed or forgotten, whilst I supped a half of a Little Ale Cart beer called Simon. Obviously I was certain I'd remember its full title (it was 4.0%) but having scoured the tinterweb for details I'd suggest its quite new because I can't find out the beer's surname...
Still, it was another very drinkable and fairly delicious ale cart offering, which its a shame I didn't have more time to enjoy. Because all too soon I was Gardeners bound. Just after leaving the pub, heading along the old Penistone Road, I received a text from Wee Keefy - he was going to be late so I needn't rush. Good. I was ten minutes away at best, was dieing for the loo, and had 20 pence.
Still, I gamely forged on, seeking out the jennel and walkway at the side of the river which I used to consider a useful shortcut for many years but then inexplicably stopped using, and finally arrived at the Gardeners, with companions nowhere to be seen, to set about waiting across the road.
Gardeners Relief
At 10 to 8 Wee keefy and Jambon arrived and we went inside to firstly attend to a need, and then rejoice at finding another redoubtable range of beers on the bar. So vast was the range (and so uncertain the promise of further ale) I had two halves instead of a pint - half of the Llangorse Brewery Dark Side, and half of the Brodies Old Street.
Regarding the Llangorse, I know I could have asked, but I really thought it was going to be dark. It wasn't. It was light brown, and tasted OK, but nothing to get excited about. There was a strange aftertaste that I couldn't pin down, and as soon as I tasted Keefy's Old School Brewery Blackboard I knew I would have preferred that.
The Brodies on the other hand was a totally different scenario. Absolutely masses of hops, fizzing on the tongue and receding to a dry citrussy aftertaste, all packed into what I thought was a low gravity beer, but is in fact 5.3%, (which to be fair is much more the strength it tasted). I was now officially really glad that I had gone out for a pint, even if I was relying on brotherly generosity. Not just the brother though...
Next Jambon declared he would buy a round, Carlos had joined us by this time, he went with his favoured Guinness and me and Jambon pints of the Brodies, which simply got hoppier the more we drank, but without ever becoming ascorbic or harsh, just citrus hops and smiles all the way down the pint.
Our final pint in here was more Guinness for Carlos and a pint of the Navigation Stout, which is another Navigation beer that didn't quite match the exellence of the first one I tried at the beginning of the month in Shakespeares, but was still very good none the less. This had a very dry roast bitterness before finishing with a more creamy malt led finish, and in fact it rather grew on me as I ontinued drinking.
Ship
Off next to the Ship since neither Jambon or Wee Keefy had ever visited, and as usual we weren't disappointed by the beer range - we all had (except for Carlos!) pints of the Spire Sovereign, which went down well with those who tried it, as did the pub. I am pleased to announce two more converts to my list of new found Ship Inn fans. That the atmosphere and overall experience of visiting is every bit as reliable as the beers makes this an excellent stop off whilst in the area.
Shakespeares
Our final stop was without notes. It was late, I don't think we got there til 23.00, and although I know I only had one pint, I concede I have absolutely no idea what it was. Being Shakespeares I bet there's a good chance it was the an SWB or Revolutions brew, but I couldn't say. All I know is we ended up sat outside in the smoking garage (?!) slowly sipping our pints, before I had to run away and catch the night bus home.
A fab night with friends and family, with impeccable beer and pubs. I really can't think of anything better.
Wee Beefy
Monday, 21 May 2012
Shefield pub news and a far away festival.
Hello,
here is some info based on recent events, nights out and discoveries.
Dada
it seems the Da's have lost their minds completely and only gone and put on two guests from their allocation of four handpumps. Oakham Ales JHB, and the excellent Dark Star Pale Ale where the offerings to complement the Thornbridge Brock, and the thingemabob. James advises that Oakham Citra will be on soon as well - this is one of my favourite Oakham offerings, mores the shame that a sudden scarcity of funds means I may miss tasting it.
Wellington
Is continuing to offer excellent in house brewery beers and, on my last two visits, a guest from the excellent West Berkshire Brewery. Prices are also very competitive, especially for the Little Ale Cart beers, and they continue to provide at least one dark beer, so its well worth a visit.
Rutland Arms
Tonight was to be the night I wrote about the recent revelations about the Rutland, and the impact on the pub, its regulars, and its "community". My main point was going to focus firmly on the lack of any statement from the pub. Happily this situation has now changed.
As befits a pub which places itself firmly in the social media spectrum, a statement has been made on the Rutland's Facebook Wall (I haven't checked Twitter yet, although, being limited to 140 characters one assumes only a link to Facebook....) There may be a catch in that you have to "Like" them, (ironic!) but its there.
It was vital a statement was made to highlight the pub and pub company's stance concerning what had happened and the wider issue of "banter" and sexual harrassment at work. Whether you think they took too long over it, or even that it makes no difference, I personally think its a positive development. I read the story in three different papers and got conflicting details, (and really only one side) so clarification is beneficial, and ultimately something the regulars deserve.
Crucially, the Blue Bee Turned Out Mild and their excellent Red White and Blue were in impeccable form when I visited on Saturday, especially the latter. It starts with the beer ....
The Hop
The Hop continues to showcase covers bands and opens that little bit later on a weekend than some of the more traditional pubs nearby. They have also continued to stock a non-Ossett/Ossett acquired brewery guest real ale. On Saturday night the excellent Milestone Traditional Mild was on good form, and formed part of a decent range of pale and dark beers on offer.
And finally....
Far away festival
Years ago in days of yore this blog was rather "catchily" called Wee Beefy's unspoilt pubs and Cretan kafenions. This was very a reflection of my soft spot for Crete (there are some posts from there from 2010 in the post list) and regular visits to it.
Very slowly Crete is starting to make beer. Its own beer. Not Henninger or Carlsberg or Amstel brewed under license (and am not sure that is even still done in Crete itself, more likely the Greek mainland), but actual Cretan beer. Albeit even then the first brewery to be set up commercially in Crete, possibly since the inter war years or longer, was set up by an enterprising German, there are very very small signs of interest in beers brewed in Crete.
At present, to the best of my not very up to date knowledge, there are two breweries actually in Crete - Brinks Rethymnian, an organic brewery making unpasteurised bottled beer, and Charma, a brewery based in or around Chania producing a lager and a dark ale (Charma Black). Mythos, Alfa and the excellent Craft Brewery from Greece are also notable, more so Craft for its excellent Pilsner.
Its not an exaggeration to say that before these two Cretan brewers started and before Craft became available (albeit in small pockets, mainly on the South coast), beer in Crete was dismal. If you didn't like Amstel or Heineken it was useless. Mythos provided some respite, and Alfa is quite palatable, but it was only if you paid over the odds for export Guinness or found a bottle of Amstel Bock hiding at the back of a fridge or Supermarket shelf, that you could ever get anything darker to sup.
In a surprise but welcome development, I can report that this year Crete will hold its first beer festival. It runs from the 13th to the 22nd of July, and is taking place in Platanias, a touristy area outside one of the major cities, Chania. There is a link here but the details are almost all as above, and the link to the exhibition centre, if you translate it, is really for advertisers, sponsors, or, I dunno, brewers?
The logo's on the Exhibition centre advert mysteriously mention neither of the two Cretan breweries so this could all be a cynical exercise in appealing to the more, how shall we say, beer loving nations that swarm to the island every year, but we'll have to see. There is also one which seems to say "I'm Backing The Pub" which despite its apparent Englishness I think I have seen before on a beer mat in Chania.
If I hear anything else I'll let you know, but if you happen to find yourself on the island in the second week of July, I would recommend a visit, if nothing else to find out what Troegs Craft brewers decide to sell, and how popular the Smithwicks and Macfarland brands turn out...
More news and stuff soon.
Wee Beefy
here is some info based on recent events, nights out and discoveries.
Dada
it seems the Da's have lost their minds completely and only gone and put on two guests from their allocation of four handpumps. Oakham Ales JHB, and the excellent Dark Star Pale Ale where the offerings to complement the Thornbridge Brock, and the thingemabob. James advises that Oakham Citra will be on soon as well - this is one of my favourite Oakham offerings, mores the shame that a sudden scarcity of funds means I may miss tasting it.
Wellington
Is continuing to offer excellent in house brewery beers and, on my last two visits, a guest from the excellent West Berkshire Brewery. Prices are also very competitive, especially for the Little Ale Cart beers, and they continue to provide at least one dark beer, so its well worth a visit.
Rutland Arms
Tonight was to be the night I wrote about the recent revelations about the Rutland, and the impact on the pub, its regulars, and its "community". My main point was going to focus firmly on the lack of any statement from the pub. Happily this situation has now changed.
As befits a pub which places itself firmly in the social media spectrum, a statement has been made on the Rutland's Facebook Wall (I haven't checked Twitter yet, although, being limited to 140 characters one assumes only a link to Facebook....) There may be a catch in that you have to "Like" them, (ironic!) but its there.
It was vital a statement was made to highlight the pub and pub company's stance concerning what had happened and the wider issue of "banter" and sexual harrassment at work. Whether you think they took too long over it, or even that it makes no difference, I personally think its a positive development. I read the story in three different papers and got conflicting details, (and really only one side) so clarification is beneficial, and ultimately something the regulars deserve.
Crucially, the Blue Bee Turned Out Mild and their excellent Red White and Blue were in impeccable form when I visited on Saturday, especially the latter. It starts with the beer ....
The Hop
The Hop continues to showcase covers bands and opens that little bit later on a weekend than some of the more traditional pubs nearby. They have also continued to stock a non-Ossett/Ossett acquired brewery guest real ale. On Saturday night the excellent Milestone Traditional Mild was on good form, and formed part of a decent range of pale and dark beers on offer.
And finally....
Far away festival
Years ago in days of yore this blog was rather "catchily" called Wee Beefy's unspoilt pubs and Cretan kafenions. This was very a reflection of my soft spot for Crete (there are some posts from there from 2010 in the post list) and regular visits to it.
Very slowly Crete is starting to make beer. Its own beer. Not Henninger or Carlsberg or Amstel brewed under license (and am not sure that is even still done in Crete itself, more likely the Greek mainland), but actual Cretan beer. Albeit even then the first brewery to be set up commercially in Crete, possibly since the inter war years or longer, was set up by an enterprising German, there are very very small signs of interest in beers brewed in Crete.
At present, to the best of my not very up to date knowledge, there are two breweries actually in Crete - Brinks Rethymnian, an organic brewery making unpasteurised bottled beer, and Charma, a brewery based in or around Chania producing a lager and a dark ale (Charma Black). Mythos, Alfa and the excellent Craft Brewery from Greece are also notable, more so Craft for its excellent Pilsner.
Its not an exaggeration to say that before these two Cretan brewers started and before Craft became available (albeit in small pockets, mainly on the South coast), beer in Crete was dismal. If you didn't like Amstel or Heineken it was useless. Mythos provided some respite, and Alfa is quite palatable, but it was only if you paid over the odds for export Guinness or found a bottle of Amstel Bock hiding at the back of a fridge or Supermarket shelf, that you could ever get anything darker to sup.
In a surprise but welcome development, I can report that this year Crete will hold its first beer festival. It runs from the 13th to the 22nd of July, and is taking place in Platanias, a touristy area outside one of the major cities, Chania. There is a link here but the details are almost all as above, and the link to the exhibition centre, if you translate it, is really for advertisers, sponsors, or, I dunno, brewers?
The logo's on the Exhibition centre advert mysteriously mention neither of the two Cretan breweries so this could all be a cynical exercise in appealing to the more, how shall we say, beer loving nations that swarm to the island every year, but we'll have to see. There is also one which seems to say "I'm Backing The Pub" which despite its apparent Englishness I think I have seen before on a beer mat in Chania.
If I hear anything else I'll let you know, but if you happen to find yourself on the island in the second week of July, I would recommend a visit, if nothing else to find out what Troegs Craft brewers decide to sell, and how popular the Smithwicks and Macfarland brands turn out...
More news and stuff soon.
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Gardeners Rest last orders beer festival
Now then,
I realise that the festival is still on and they are adding more beers as they settle (Navigation Blonde for example) but I only get to go once and last night was that visit. Here are some details of my latest pub beer festival.
I got there a little later than planned having popped in the Rutland Arms for a beer or two and Dada, details to follow later. I think the walk from The Rutland to the Gardeners probably did me a bit of good, but mainly made me really hungry. Luckily there was food at the festival - always a good sign, nothing worse than grumpy hungry punters.
The beer list was long, being day 3 some had run out and one or two weren't on. The list included Andrews Ales, Ashover, Eden, Alechemy, Front Row, Truefitt, Tryst and TSA to name but a few. I decided to start mild and keep the gravity low in the first few beers, so that I could "save myself" for some of the stronger ones later, and if needs be, go for a late one in town.
A slightly unpromising start was the first beer - not that it wasn't nice, but I asked for a mild, a half of Front Row Touch was suggested, and given that I hadn't looked at the list or pumpclips yet I agreed. A pale bitter arrived (although I tried to pretend it was a light mild), just after paying for which I spotted a Wild Mild pumpclip. Still eh.
I settled down in the conservatory and set about finding a handy list that I could refer to instead of squinting at the one on the wall next to the bar. Although of course that was up to date, so you kind of needed both. One thing I noticed were the prices, with some guests being between £2.30 - £2.40 a pint. And as you know, the Sheffield Brewing Company beers are always good value in here.
My next two halves were better, the Truefitt Ironopolis porter and TSA Wild Mild. I tasted the mild, which was nicely balanced, and it complemented the Front Row quite well. I left the Ironopolis for a bit, since I knew it was quite strong. Milds finished I sought info about food and got a friend for the Ironopolis. The Alechemy Cairnpapple was my second favourite beer of the night, along with the Ironopolis.The contrast of the grassy light malt and dry bitterness in the Cairnpapple nicely enhanced the glorious roasted malt bitterness in the porter. Truefitt are clearly a brewery to watch.
I got a sausage sandwich from outside which filled a hole perfectly before trying the other Alechemy offering, the Five Sisters. I didn't rate this as much as the Cairn but it was still a tasty and quaffable Scottish ale and, I erroneously thought, named after the spectacular Five Sisters of Kintail - the brewery helpfully explain what its really named after here.
Next it was time for a couple of finishers and to move into the main room to catch some of the music. This was more like a folk session with many guitarists and other instrumentalists, and plenty of people willing to stand up and sing. I had the Bottlebrook Rapture, a 5.9% beer which I remember as being blonde rather than pale (I think some notes would have helped) and the Andrew Ales Tinfast, which was described as a porter, and was, sort of.
Both of these finished my festival trip off nicely, and I think of the last two the Tinfast probably edged it, but my beer of the festival was the Ironopolis. The only beer downside was that the Brodies Old Street, which would have been an ideal starter, hadn't cleared by last night, and I can't see me getting down in the next week to try it.
Hopefully I will have plenty of chances to visit during the next couple of months before Eddie and Pat move on to waters new, but for now, that is my last taste of one of their beer festivals.
An early "all the best" to them both.
Wee Beefy
I realise that the festival is still on and they are adding more beers as they settle (Navigation Blonde for example) but I only get to go once and last night was that visit. Here are some details of my latest pub beer festival.
I got there a little later than planned having popped in the Rutland Arms for a beer or two and Dada, details to follow later. I think the walk from The Rutland to the Gardeners probably did me a bit of good, but mainly made me really hungry. Luckily there was food at the festival - always a good sign, nothing worse than grumpy hungry punters.
The beer list was long, being day 3 some had run out and one or two weren't on. The list included Andrews Ales, Ashover, Eden, Alechemy, Front Row, Truefitt, Tryst and TSA to name but a few. I decided to start mild and keep the gravity low in the first few beers, so that I could "save myself" for some of the stronger ones later, and if needs be, go for a late one in town.
A slightly unpromising start was the first beer - not that it wasn't nice, but I asked for a mild, a half of Front Row Touch was suggested, and given that I hadn't looked at the list or pumpclips yet I agreed. A pale bitter arrived (although I tried to pretend it was a light mild), just after paying for which I spotted a Wild Mild pumpclip. Still eh.
I settled down in the conservatory and set about finding a handy list that I could refer to instead of squinting at the one on the wall next to the bar. Although of course that was up to date, so you kind of needed both. One thing I noticed were the prices, with some guests being between £2.30 - £2.40 a pint. And as you know, the Sheffield Brewing Company beers are always good value in here.
My next two halves were better, the Truefitt Ironopolis porter and TSA Wild Mild. I tasted the mild, which was nicely balanced, and it complemented the Front Row quite well. I left the Ironopolis for a bit, since I knew it was quite strong. Milds finished I sought info about food and got a friend for the Ironopolis. The Alechemy Cairnpapple was my second favourite beer of the night, along with the Ironopolis.The contrast of the grassy light malt and dry bitterness in the Cairnpapple nicely enhanced the glorious roasted malt bitterness in the porter. Truefitt are clearly a brewery to watch.
I got a sausage sandwich from outside which filled a hole perfectly before trying the other Alechemy offering, the Five Sisters. I didn't rate this as much as the Cairn but it was still a tasty and quaffable Scottish ale and, I erroneously thought, named after the spectacular Five Sisters of Kintail - the brewery helpfully explain what its really named after here.
Next it was time for a couple of finishers and to move into the main room to catch some of the music. This was more like a folk session with many guitarists and other instrumentalists, and plenty of people willing to stand up and sing. I had the Bottlebrook Rapture, a 5.9% beer which I remember as being blonde rather than pale (I think some notes would have helped) and the Andrew Ales Tinfast, which was described as a porter, and was, sort of.
Both of these finished my festival trip off nicely, and I think of the last two the Tinfast probably edged it, but my beer of the festival was the Ironopolis. The only beer downside was that the Brodies Old Street, which would have been an ideal starter, hadn't cleared by last night, and I can't see me getting down in the next week to try it.
Hopefully I will have plenty of chances to visit during the next couple of months before Eddie and Pat move on to waters new, but for now, that is my last taste of one of their beer festivals.
An early "all the best" to them both.
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Hop Studio Launch
Evening all,
despite having to fanny around "at work" I did find time to visit the Sheffield Tap and to sample some new beers from a new brewery.
Hop Studio brewery, I am assured by my most reliable barkeep at the Sheffield Tap, are based in York, very near to the Pivovar warehouse. No surprise then that they chose the Pivovar family to showcase the first of their new beers.
Hop Studio brewery have just started production and launched at the York Tap, with the head brewer there I understand, and simultaneously the Euston and Sheffield Taps. I found many links to their launch, alas no brewery site, but have chosen to send you to the Trembling Madness link, a place I like, without ever having been there! Link.
Today I tried three of their beers, the Gold, XS and Pilsner, the three of which in halves came to £4.65. The barkeep insisted that the irony was that they weren't hoppy - on my ponderous wobbly amble to a seat I thought gleefully about a malty Hop Studio beer and all the pedantic, supercilious furore this would cause(probably from me I concede), but when I tried them, it was clear that this was not the whole story.
The keg Pilsner started well, like a Czech pilsner, but soon wained in the glass and ended up lame, failing to match the follow through of the better Czech offerings. The Gold, the weakest of the 3, was admittedly not that hoppy, more noticeably dry. I wasn't taken by this initially but it grew on me through the drink and had a strange if intriguing malt flavour at the forefront, which showed bitter-dry in the aftertaste.
By far the best offering was the XS, which really did have some hops at the front, carrying off the characteristics of a slightly astringent (and admirable for being really well rounded) dry premium bitter, bursting with hops, malt and a balance and depth which belied its beer infancy.
Its either amusing or misleading that they are called Hop Studio, yet aren't a predominantly hop forward producer, but that's irrelevant really. You should try the beers based on their merits as individual brands (and I'm sure you will) and let the name of the brewery perform its tacitly unidentifiable semantic role without worrying about the prevalence, or not, of Simcoe.
All in all this is an assured start. Lets hope to see more!
Wee Beefy
despite having to fanny around "at work" I did find time to visit the Sheffield Tap and to sample some new beers from a new brewery.
Hop Studio brewery, I am assured by my most reliable barkeep at the Sheffield Tap, are based in York, very near to the Pivovar warehouse. No surprise then that they chose the Pivovar family to showcase the first of their new beers.
Hop Studio brewery have just started production and launched at the York Tap, with the head brewer there I understand, and simultaneously the Euston and Sheffield Taps. I found many links to their launch, alas no brewery site, but have chosen to send you to the Trembling Madness link, a place I like, without ever having been there! Link.
Today I tried three of their beers, the Gold, XS and Pilsner, the three of which in halves came to £4.65. The barkeep insisted that the irony was that they weren't hoppy - on my ponderous wobbly amble to a seat I thought gleefully about a malty Hop Studio beer and all the pedantic, supercilious furore this would cause(probably from me I concede), but when I tried them, it was clear that this was not the whole story.
The keg Pilsner started well, like a Czech pilsner, but soon wained in the glass and ended up lame, failing to match the follow through of the better Czech offerings. The Gold, the weakest of the 3, was admittedly not that hoppy, more noticeably dry. I wasn't taken by this initially but it grew on me through the drink and had a strange if intriguing malt flavour at the forefront, which showed bitter-dry in the aftertaste.
By far the best offering was the XS, which really did have some hops at the front, carrying off the characteristics of a slightly astringent (and admirable for being really well rounded) dry premium bitter, bursting with hops, malt and a balance and depth which belied its beer infancy.
Its either amusing or misleading that they are called Hop Studio, yet aren't a predominantly hop forward producer, but that's irrelevant really. You should try the beers based on their merits as individual brands (and I'm sure you will) and let the name of the brewery perform its tacitly unidentifiable semantic role without worrying about the prevalence, or not, of Simcoe.
All in all this is an assured start. Lets hope to see more!
Wee Beefy
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