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04-12-2014, 07:02
Visit the a swift one site (http://www.aswiftone.com/2014/12/star-winter-festival-review.html)
Last night the doors opened on the 13th Star Winter Beer Festival, obviously 'A Swift One' was there, and this is a quick resume of what we found.
I won't bore you with the technicalities, the system is the tried and tested one, with 46 beers on offer in the marquee. But what of the beers available ? There were beers from all over the country with plenty of unusual Yorkshire breweries represented, along with a few from the North East, and a couple from Scotland and Wales as well. It was just a problem where to start.
I did have a bit of help here actually, when Bad brewery's 'Comfortably Numb' was recommended to me. A very impressive beer, full of flavour, and very moreish at 3.8%. This is a new brewery to me and led me to try their second beer 'Love over Gold' which was equally as good. Whilst I was in new brewery mode I tried Twisted 'Conscript' - a fairly traditional tasting bitter and The Olde Potting Shed 'Swanee River' which was similar but stronger.
Time to take a look at some of the local specials, and they don't come more local than Mallinsons whose brewery is just over the road from the pub. Their 'Elved' was a dry hopped version of one of the beers and was excellent, I would have tried another had not research got in the way. But 'Super Calypso' was another good choice, with a massive fruity hop hit. Since I had tried them it would have been churlish to overlook the Briggs beers. 'Symphony no3' was a quad hopped (whatever that means!!) special, and 4.6%, and very pleasant. I must admit to have been less impressed with 'Christmas Carol', a 5.5% dark beer with hints of cherry. But it was not my style of beer unfortunately.
There were still plenty of beers to sample and I tried my best. Everything I tried was in good condition, and there were plenty of good beers available, but I still managed to save some of the interesting sounding ones for later in the week. Great Heck 'Mount Mosaic' sounds good, Pictish 'Away In A Mash Tun' is apparently a typical Pictish offering, and the Three Daggers beers sound interesting.But before you leave take a look at the main bar, and if you have the capacity have a try of the North Riding/Five Towns '281 DIPA'. Admittedly it is 8.5% but it is my beer of the festival so far packed with hop flavours (but is is only a 4.5 gallon barrel, so you will have to be quick !)
So if you fancy a weekend away from the Christmas shopping get down to the Star, and give it a go yourself. Thursday night is another of the festivals 'Bake Off's - this time Christmas themed, and on Saturday night the 'Monotones' play live.
More... (http://www.aswiftone.com/2014/12/star-winter-festival-review.html)
Last night the doors opened on the 13th Star Winter Beer Festival, obviously 'A Swift One' was there, and this is a quick resume of what we found.
I won't bore you with the technicalities, the system is the tried and tested one, with 46 beers on offer in the marquee. But what of the beers available ? There were beers from all over the country with plenty of unusual Yorkshire breweries represented, along with a few from the North East, and a couple from Scotland and Wales as well. It was just a problem where to start.
I did have a bit of help here actually, when Bad brewery's 'Comfortably Numb' was recommended to me. A very impressive beer, full of flavour, and very moreish at 3.8%. This is a new brewery to me and led me to try their second beer 'Love over Gold' which was equally as good. Whilst I was in new brewery mode I tried Twisted 'Conscript' - a fairly traditional tasting bitter and The Olde Potting Shed 'Swanee River' which was similar but stronger.
Time to take a look at some of the local specials, and they don't come more local than Mallinsons whose brewery is just over the road from the pub. Their 'Elved' was a dry hopped version of one of the beers and was excellent, I would have tried another had not research got in the way. But 'Super Calypso' was another good choice, with a massive fruity hop hit. Since I had tried them it would have been churlish to overlook the Briggs beers. 'Symphony no3' was a quad hopped (whatever that means!!) special, and 4.6%, and very pleasant. I must admit to have been less impressed with 'Christmas Carol', a 5.5% dark beer with hints of cherry. But it was not my style of beer unfortunately.
There were still plenty of beers to sample and I tried my best. Everything I tried was in good condition, and there were plenty of good beers available, but I still managed to save some of the interesting sounding ones for later in the week. Great Heck 'Mount Mosaic' sounds good, Pictish 'Away In A Mash Tun' is apparently a typical Pictish offering, and the Three Daggers beers sound interesting.But before you leave take a look at the main bar, and if you have the capacity have a try of the North Riding/Five Towns '281 DIPA'. Admittedly it is 8.5% but it is my beer of the festival so far packed with hop flavours (but is is only a 4.5 gallon barrel, so you will have to be quick !)
So if you fancy a weekend away from the Christmas shopping get down to the Star, and give it a go yourself. Thursday night is another of the festivals 'Bake Off's - this time Christmas themed, and on Saturday night the 'Monotones' play live.
More... (http://www.aswiftone.com/2014/12/star-winter-festival-review.html)