Three new Sheffield brews

 Evening readers,

         last month Beer Central and Neepsend Brew Co along with Roscoe Road Liqour store brewed a West Coast IPA called High Summer, at an acceptable opening strength of what I recall was 6.8%. It was brewed in relation to the Indy Beer Shop day, if I recall, and was stuffed full of fabulous hops. Sean at Beer Central is a fan of traditionally bitter beers and this was certainly on show here - Citra, Chinook,. Idaho 7, Cascade and Falconers Flight gave this an impressive hop and bitterness back drop which I really took to. This was the first of my beers from Sean which I tried this month and I have to say it didn't disappoint. Very well done to all involved!

Meanwehile it was the Bar Stewards 4th Birthday - and they held do's on Friday Saturday and Sunday to celebrate. In respect of this they had brewed two stunning 4.5% beers to celebrate - Rocket Surgery and Brain Science. Of the two, am not sure where they were brewed but the lovely Helen did quickly point out that Rocket Surgery was the most hoppy of the two - I therefore only had a single pint of Brain Science. This alone was a fabulous concoction of brewing flavours. On the other hand I had several pints of the Rocket Surgery - served in excellent Turning Point glasses, cloudy, as all beer should be, and streaming with hoppiness.

Sat in the sunshine on Saturday, this was equally well hopped and bitter, as well as sumptuously enjoyed - it ran out around tea time, and I enjoyed every single pint. If we clearly skip over the nonsense that I brought upon these fabsters on Friday (we will never speak of this), am happy to say that Saturday was a truly fabulous day and night of supping with Gavin Keiron and Dave Unpro and other folks from th world of beers and brewing. Apparently, I got the bus back. So my pockets tell me......

Finally - and not necessarily a new brew so to speak - but I have to mention what I had in the same Bar Stewards last night. Abbeydale Heathen has long been a popular Sheffield brewed beer, along of course with almost all of their output, but I started on and continued with a Dry Hopped version of Heathen - and it was stunning! I had initially said to Nate that I fancied a pint of the Turning Point and he said it was very nice, but also pointed out the Dry Hopped Heathen. It did not disappoint - very clearly hopped with a good bitterness in the aftertaste. Its in some ways a disappointment - since Heathen for all its qualities cannot usually reach those hoppy heights. That said however, points to the fabsters at Abbeydale for pulling this cracker out of the brewery - not sure they will brew it again but this was simply stunning!

I may have sadly missed out on Indie Beer Shop day if am honest - so many apologies if I have to all my fabulous Sheffield freinds whom stumble lovingly through the never ending horrors placed upon their fabulous trade over the last two years - am looking at you Hop Hideout, Archer Road beer Stop especially - your hard work remains very much appreciated!

With warmest regards

Wee Beefy

Drinkcember

Hullabalall,

     luckily the title does not represent an avoidable non drinking pub destruction plan for the madness of this month, instead it rather aptly describes my drinking and related agendas for the same period. I was inspired to write this after a lunchtime wander to the pharmacy where I observed an alarming epitome of excessive methylated misuse in such a small space. I did not set out to espouse my dissatisfaction, instead to dress you with some of the related baubles of nonsense encountered on one of only a small number of sober days thus far in December, and to also highlight some of the hugely enjoyable crapulence therein.

Arriving at Wicker Chemists after 13.00 I immediately spotted two outdoor Spice enthusiasts, maudlin and emaciated, raging at every evolving happenstance with delirious (on his part at least) mumbled rage, as if every aspect of mans existence was sent to try them. Luckily I was served quite quickly as this internal inferno of garbage prevailed but having escaped, I walked down Stanley lane out onto Nursery street. I used to work on nearby Joiner street and despite the excess of litter and unreadable graffiti I thought about popping my phone out to snap the sun reflecting off the Waverley windows - until I spotted two further outdoor mentalists pressing themselves against some otherwise forbidden garage doors and "enjoying" the partaking of some subcutaneous matter. Wanting to avoid a listenation, or worse still, losing my legal meds or phone, I did not remove the same from my pocket, and walked by thinking "Christmas, ambling aimlessly through our streets with your disparate and exacerbated cousin, what have you brought upon us?"

In my own case the answer is simple - luffly bose. And although I admit to an occasional nodding, and indeed three separate incidences of falling, I would like to point out that at the very least, my unwise enjoyments do not make their way into my blood stream via syringe. And to somehow support this fact, here are a few recent examples.....

On pay weekend I collected my take away cans and a bottle from Beer Central. What with a direct request from the dark lord himself I have to admit that I have already finished these, but a number stuck in my memory.  Wylam Greenbutt Skunk was a September or so brewed green hopped masterpiece at about 8.3% and blew me away - I had a can in Bar Stewards and then one at home with Matty and we both loved its complex but unrestrained mix of flavours.

Matty himself bought me a 9% Cloudwater New Zealand DIPA with, strangely I thought, Southern Cross and Amarillo as its hops. Luckily this likewise blew my mind, and finished off a whole evening of other classics including the Triangle referenced 8.3% Garage speciality with fabulous malt and other flavours, and the Pressure Drop Domino Topple IPA at 7.1%. I have to say that I have loved almost every Pressure Drop can I have had recently and this was no exception.

A trip to Bar Stewards not only provided a range of bottled wines for the first time in...ever? but also some excellent Loca Polly - their Rosa at 8.5% was fantastic, as was the Deya and another False coloured eyes (this, along with all my memories, maybe mildly inaccurate) but as well as this joy there were three fabulous pints at my second home Shakespeares - I had over three pints of Wylam Jakehead on cask from the past, a pint of 6.5% Cloudwater pale on keg from the future and a few nights ago my last visit of the year provided three pints of the excellent Pentrich IPA at 5. something% which was cloudy as a small bag of soup and as well as being on cask from the past, tasted amazing!

Final highlights included a catch up with chums at the St Mars of the Dessert Tap where I had a pint of their excellent Levy Greve which I am certain I have mis-spelled, as well as other classics, before catching a bus into town and up to Walkley to meet WK in the Walkley Beer Co for their fifth birthday. I then finished in the Raven on Palm Street, now a much improved version of the Palm!

As I return to the unending horse gin of despair tomorrow to lug sacks of garbage up out of the depths of the earth to pleasure the otherwise disaffected, I can safely say that my every libational undertaking in this fine month has ended up making me a very happy chap indeed.

Cheers!

And a very happy new year

Wee Beefy
        

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  

Cloudwater DDH Simcoe Vic Secret pale

Hello,
   
     I have tonight had a second can from my haul from Beer Central. I tried to resist but its been a tiring day of work in the garden (luckily all standing on soft grass and slowly moving as am not well enough to stand on step ladders yet) and although the sun and temperature lessened as the day went on I fancied some liquid reward for my efforts.

What I have discovered is more about Cloudwater, specifically their ingredients, and I have reached some possible conclusions about their distinctive Manchester sweetness aroma. Of course, I am not a brewer. So apologies to the Cloudwater's if I muddy them with guesswork.

The first thing to say about this 440 ml can is that the distinct (to me) Cloudwater nose was missing when I opened it. They have used WLP001 yeast which means nothing to me, other than its not the one which they use from J W Lees, which a quick scan of some cans from Cloudwater shows is either known simply as that, or is used with WLP4000. Am starting to cluelessly grab hold of the idea that the JW Lees and or WLP4000 yeast is the singular characteristic in the nose of other Cloudwater beers....

The can also states that they have increased the carapils and dextrin (malts?) and brewed with WLP001 for a "neutral yeast profile". This may be more egg to my omelette.

So, what of the bose itself?

The beer looks London opaque, and is a pale yellow hued colour. Crucially, the primary  characteristic of this beer is its bitterness. Chuff me. Even before reading it was double dry hopped with Simcoe, Vic secret and Chinook I was agog at how wonderfully bitter the initial and aftertaste was. I know I like Simcoe and Chinook but that combination with Vic secret and dry hopping with each takes this beer to another level. Its 5.5% but is considerably more bitter than their DIPA's. That, is a triumph of dry hopping.

I discovered some small clumps of yeast in the bottom of the glass so mixed them in just now - this makes the beer smoother, but also increases the bitterness. The key feature is the balance of those two competing flavours. Its difficult to pull off with very bitter dry hopped ales, and Cloudwater have managed to do so without that niggling sweetness. I really hope they use the neutral strain again as it sets this beer apart from its predecessors.

Its taken me thirty minutes, slowed down only by writing this and searching for an empty can of DIPA13, to drink this beer and I enjoyed every mouthful. The hoppiness is lingering and in some ways a little too much perhaps, but that is the only minor fault I can find in this exemplary modern pale ale.  

I look forward to drinking many more ales of this caliber in the future. A very enjoyable and accomplished, and very bitter, pale ale.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

BBNo 0520 and Hop City collaboration IPA.

Good evening,

         its the Friday night before the Bank holiday. Today the temperature has nudged 30 degrees and its still warm now, looking like 16 or 17 overnight. The room has a lovely orange glow from the last embers of the hot sunshine. I am crying out for a cold beverage.

I have had a bottle of beer in my fridge since late March or early April, and recently spent a sum of money on some other rather excellent ales from Sean at Beer Central. The bottle in question is the BBNos and came from Shakesepares and is the first I will use to try and cool me down. I wouldn't normally drink it straight from the fridge but am warm and alas a little sweaty and the instructions on the bottle of the unfiltered and unpasteurised ale say to do that. It also says drink fresh - it was bottled 30 January so should be drunk by 30 May. I have therefore also followed that instruction. The Hop City is chilling in the fridge whilst I write about this one...

The BBNo 05/20 is an Azacca and Amarillo IPA at 6.5%, so a perfect starting strength. The label mentions that the resinous tropical fruit flavours of the Azacca are enveloped in the soft citrus of the Amarillo - this is probably why the veer has such a piney, fruity hoppiness, although it packs a very bitter after taste.

Its colour is darker than I had imagined and I wonder if I had drunk it in February instead of May it might have been paler? Not that it matters, its still a wonderfully easy drinking punchily hopped IPA. The aroma is also beautiful , its possibly pine or hop resin that I can detect. Its definitely a characteristic of the hops used that gives it that distinctive moreish luponic tang. And now its warmed a little, there are subtle flavours of blood orange coming through. And the bitterness does not dissipate. Brilliant.

The Hop City IPA is a beer Sean raved about. I understand there was a festival in Leeds, maybe at the Northern Monk brewery, of the same name, and this collaboration was born out of or for, that. The IPA is a collaboration between Northern Monk, Cloudwater and YCH Hops. I had never heard of the latter, but a quick Google search leads you to their website which is here and information about Cyro Hops. I have heard of them, if nothing else because Cloudwater and Magic Rock I think used them, or maybe the Lupulin Powder, in some recent canned ales. Alas at present I can't recall which beers, but one of the DIPA's had Lupulin powder in it so am guessing its the same product.

The Hop City is lighter than the BBNo and has a distinctive Cloudwater nose - maybe its that J W Lees yeast they use? For a hoppy 6.2% pale its incredibly easy drinking and the hoppy bitterness is subtle but ever present. The can proclaims they used HBC 344, which is a new or maybe experimental hop, along with Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic. The result is a lovely blend of tropical fruit, spice and bitterness.

These are two fantastic beers that showcase the hops used perfectly, and both have tropical fruit notes with lingering bitterness, so are right up my street.

Lets hope that now I know about it, I will be able to try similar and other hoppy ales at Hop City 2018.

Cheers!


Wee Beefy

Can conditioned

        You might like this one Beefy - its can conditioned....

So were the words, or similar sounds, uttered by Sean Clarke at Beer Central. I had been into collect a can of Big Dipper and decided I wanted something else - to be honest, its apparent conditioning didn't attract me as much as the fact that it was Moor Brewing Entanglement Red IPA at 9.something percent. It was only when I got home that I thought - what the chuff is can-conditioning when its at home?

In an inescapably poor situation of no research whatsoever (stick with what you (don't) know after all) I don't actually know what can conditioning is. I can hazard a guess, having drunk cask conditioned, and bottle conditioned (and ruined) beers over the years with yeast sediment present. The beer in question was excellent, and poured cloudy, but that doesn't mean there was any yeast in it. What I can say is, for a strong over 9% beer, it drank very easily. It was smooth, but not widget artificially smooth, rather pleasant and refreshing.

Bottling with yeast is meant, in perfect conditions at least, to make the beer fresher, and more carbonated and to continue to "brew" in the bottle using live yeast. Bottle conditioning is not, in my experience, a guaranteed art. Its fraught with potential hazards, probably more so than cask, where at least a decent proportion of those handling it have some idea about what to do with it. So far, by way of absurd comparison I have tried two cans of can conditioned beer, both from Moor, and liked them both.

The other was their Illusion session Black IPA, and this was more casky, if that's a word, than the stronger one. I understand Marble also condition their or most of their cans, and another well known brewery that aren't well known enough for me to recall have also taken the practice on board. There is promise therefore that the practice may take off, at which point a more accurate comparison can be made.

Meanwhile I am still not sure about the likelihood of exploding can conditioned cans, probably down to discombobulation about brewing processes, and a general lack of relevant knowledge re yeast. I know there is no point putting live yeast in a keg (so said Stuart from Magic Rock, probably) because it makes it too fizzy, but that hasn't been my experience of the two Moor beers.

The best thing that I can see coming pit of this is the fact that the CAMRA may now start taking canned beer seriously, now its no longer Worthington Creamflow and Skol. Obviously one can never tell in such areas, but to me there are now four excellent ways of serving perfectly brewed beer and at least three should meet one or other definitions of real ale.

Which means more choice for the consumer. Which is, after all, what we all want.

Huzzaah!

We Beefy

A beer tasting and a meet the brewer - Sheffield Beer Week

Hello,

           given that it was the end party yesterday I think I am quite certain that Sheffield Beer Week is now finished. Due to a lack of funds at times, I haven't actually been to many events, but before I forget (any more) I thought I'd write about two events I went to on Monday and Tuesday at Shakespeares.

Arriving late, I was given a "posh glass" from the bar and went to find the organisers and a handful of guests enjoying their first beer, which was an IPA called 11/08 from Brew By Numbers. I like their saisons, and I recall this was a session IPA at low gravity. It packed plenty of punch hops wise, but in comparison to other beers lacked the requisite clout - which to be fair, as a session IPA, its entitled to. Looking at my terrible photos I can see this featured Mosaic and Centennial hops - being two of my favourites that explains why I loved the hoppiness.

We were joined by Ed and there was Mr Cullen, John, Steve who I found out I'd met before, a man who left early, Nicci Peet who photographs breweries, Jules from Sheffield Beer Week, Sean from Beer Central and a Chinese media student. Although she didn't pay, she was kindly offered a taster of all the beers, as well as interviews with Chris and Clare and Jules. I don't think she liked any of the beers though.....

Next up was probably a canned beer - and the overuse of the word controversial. Frankly, I've not drunk beer out of a can since I was 19 and have no intention of doing so again, however, the canned beer, much like the kegged beer, you get now, is a whole different kettle of fish. This was Baby Faced Assassin from Roosters brewery. it was significantly stronger than the BBN and had  a much more rounded flavour. It relied heavily on Citra and it was noticeable on the nose and not as much as I'd expect in the initial or after flavour. It was, crucially, an excellent canned beer.

WE also had a beer from far away Without the notes I was promised (clears throat) I can't possibly be expected to remember what it was, although I do have some photos to look at......

So, as I wasn't saying, next up was Port Brew Wipeout IPA, a 7.5% American IPA - straight away I noticed the aroma, very much Belgian style but with that bite of American Hops. A much more impressive beer in terms of style, but actually quite heavy to drink. Sean gave us a detailed history of the brewer and brewery and this was something that he and Chris both did throughout. I think this beer was Ed's favourite.

Next up was further Camtroversy - an India Hells lager in a can, from Camden Town Brewery. They have probably tried to claim ownership of the word Camtroversey. Even though I only just made it up. Anyway, despite hype and background issues this was a very tasty and commendable beer style. Refreshing as it used lager malts, but with a punchy hop bite at the end. Just what we needed, in fact, to wash out our palates after the enjoyable but heavy Wipeout.

Next we tried Dugges HopBlack, an unusual Black IPA from the Belgium. Or Netherlands. Or neither. This was a lot of peoples' favourite, although no-one could agree on how to pronounce the brewery name. I am told there is no point searching it either as the beer does not even feature on the beer list on their website! So I haven't. Cho welcome.

The final beer was a fantastic treat - Siren Craft Brew Liquid Monstrous. Essential a stronger version of their Liquid Mistress IPA, this was a hefty but hugely complex brew. A monstrous black in colour (controversial?) the beer was delicious, but had far too many flavours for me to remember. In short, I can't, I was a little refreshed by this stage. For interest, the brewery have a website and the following description . To be fair it lists four amazing hops so I'm bound to have loved it. Its just the haze of alcohol that is shielding my memory from accessing the details of the beer....hic.

I realise this leaves me little space t tell you about the meet the brewer event the next night with the Siren Craft Brew. Well, judging from the number of photographs of me drunk, its hardly surprising that I can't remember much. In effect the event was to launch the only cask (or only one of 2 , can't remember) of Maiden 2014, a whopping 12% blended and different barrel aged beer of incredible flavours. We also tried a small tasting of Fortunata, their Christmas beer, and their unusual sour smoked wheat beer which I can't even describe - not because of alcohol, but because it tastes like no beer, and no thing, I have ever had before.

The guys from the brewery arrived to have one of them give a brief introduction and talk, before members of the team sat among us and told us more details about the brewery, their roles, previous experience and plans, and of course about each beer. The Maiden 2014 was still on yesterday, and despite its strength, I would highly recommend you go and try and try it. The overwhelming flavour for me was wine, with port and whisky and also red ale, for some reason. Its an incredibly complex and powerful beer, yes, but its easy to drink for its strength.

The event was a £10.00 entry fee but were given at least that much to drink ( I think I am forgetting the broken dreams, which I bought a bottle of for a fiver) and the level of detail provided into the blending process was fascinating, even though I have "mislaid" most of it in my memory...

Overall these two events were very much in keeping in terms of quality, with others that took place last week. They mean I will have many fond, and indeed blurred, memories of it for a long time to come. Congrats to Jules, Clare Chris Bamford and Sean, and many many others, for all their hard work on Sheffield Beer Week.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy