Beer of the Week (w/e 8th February 2015)

[ROBCamra]

Bucking Fastard: Slaters Emperor IPA
Mobyduck: Vibrant Forest Summit
Aqualung: Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black
Wittenden: Musket Muzzleloader
hondo: Williams Bros. Harvest Sun
aleandhearty: Fernandes Half Nelson
Thuck Phat: Abbeydale Dr. Morton's Stamped Addressed Antelope
Real Ale Ray: Howling Hops Running Beer
london calling: Big Clock Sunny Boy
ROBCamra: Elland Padang Coffee Porter

[Bucking Fastard]

Started well but a change of plan limited consumption.

Red Squirrel -- Mister Squirrel
Slaters -- Emporer IPA *
Slaters -- Rye IPA *
GK -- XX Mild *
Marstons -- Pedigree New World Pale Ale
Oakham -- Citra *

BOTW goes to Slaters Emporer IPA, a 7% monster but there was a huge amount going on and it was very drinkable.So many tastes would have the rate beer boys foaming at the mouth,it was very complex.Taken in The Chequers,Stevenage quite close to the station and worth the detour.

[Mobyduck]

Lack of choice and quality in general this week,
Darkstar Hophead 3.8%
Gales HSB 4.8%
Vibrant Forest Summit 5.0%

The Summit was very good earlier in the week but lost its conditioning and taste fairly quickly but when it was good it was very good so BOTW.

[Aqualung]

Apart from a visit to a Harvey's pub I hadn't been to before and a return to the William in Leyton it's been all Spoons visits this week. but still a fair selection :-

Goldmark Hop Idol 3.7%
Redemption Pale Ale 3.8%
Cronx Kotchin 3.9%
Twickenham Grandstand 4.0%*
Sambrook's Red Ale 4.2%*
Southwark Bermondsey Best 4.4%
Harvey's Armada 4.5%*
Redemption Urban Dusk 4.6%*
Twickenham Gothick Dark 4.6%*
Sambrook's Four Chimneys Chocolate Stout 4.7%*
Hanlon's Port Stout 4.8%*
Long Man American Pale Ale 4.8%*
Adnam's Birra Armada 4.8%*
Arundel Black Beastie 4.9%
Brodie's Old Street Pale 5.0%
Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black 5.0%*
Phoenix Double Gold 5.0%
Cronx Mad-Ass Entire Chilli Porter 5.2%*
King Lost Heritage 5.2%
Dorking Northdown Bel 5.5%
Adnam's Rogue Brutal IPA 6.0%
Welton's Headless Horseman 6.0%
Brodie's Leytonstone Stout 6.0%*

It's nice to see Sambrook's doing some new beers that are a vast improvement on their Wandle and even more so Junction. Both Twickenham beers were excellent. Remarkably the choice comes down to Harvey's Armada and the C & F Cascadian Black. I had the Armada in their Hove pub the Poet's Corner and it was superb. I'm not all that familiar with this beer but I have tried it in the past and just cannot recall it ever having a big hop hit to it which makes me wonder if the recipe has changed,
Despite this the award must go to Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black which is my favourite style a Black IPA and was in superb nick at the Wanstead George for £2.40.


BOTW Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black

[Wittenden]

A quiet week in Kent:

Musket-Muzzleloader 5% abv.Reddish,berry fruits.Not as cloying as some beers at this abv.Good,though a bit out of my (daytime)comfort zone.
Old Dairy-Copper Top 4.1%abv.A good pint of this malty, nutty farmyard classic.

Both beers in equally good condition, but my BOTW is Musket-Muzzleloader,being the product of a smaller and newer firm.

[hondo]

Williams Bros. Brewing Co - Harvest Sun

[aleandhearty]

Reasonable week for me. No trips out, so back to my usual Sunday afternoon crawl.

Oldershaw - Blonde.
Salamander - Dynamite.
Salamander - Do me a Favour.
Stancill - No.7
Ilkley - Mayan Stout.*
Five Towns - Summat Else.
Offbeat / Bridestones - Sprocket Wort Orange.
Great Heck - Chopper.
Fat Cat - Mocha Moggy.*
Five Towns - Strange Brew.
Hemelsworde - Spanish Stout.
Roosters - Astro.*
Roosters - Blind Jack.
Fernandes - Black Cherry Porter.*
Fernandes - Half Nelson.*
Fernandes - American Red Rye Ale.*

Easy winner was the Half Nelson, which, as the name suggests, was full of grapey Nelson Sauvin hop flavour. A brilliant session beer, at 3.8%.

[Thuck Phat]

BOTW Dr. Morton's - Stamped Addressed Antelope.

Very pale and hoppier than Abbeydale's usual but more melon than lemon. An easy drinking session ale at 4.1%, perfect for a summer's day but beggars can't be choosers!

[Real Ale Ray]

Howling Hops Brewery - Running Beer

[Wittenden]

Apart from a visit to a Harvey's pub I hadn't been to before



Harvey's Armada 4.5%*


Remarkably the choice comes down to Harvey's Armada and the C & F Cascadian Black. I had the Armada in their Hove pub the Poet's Corner and it was superb. I'm not all that familiar with this beer but I have tried it in the past and just cannot recall it ever having a big hop hit to it which makes me wonder if the recipe has changed,
[/B]

I haven't had Armada that often, never seeing it in the free trade. my most recent iteration was at the wonderful http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60467/,where I described it as Sussex Best Bitter's suave elder brother.

[Aqualung]

I haven't had Armada that often, never seeing it in the free trade. my most recent iteration was at the wonderful http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60467/,where I described it as Sussex Best Bitter's suave elder brother.

I've always found Best to be generally but not entirely sweet. The Armada on Saturday had a huge hop flavour that dominated although there was malt as well. I thought it had little resemblance to Best and my expectation was just a stronger version of it.
I've not been to either of the London Harvey's pubs, maybe I should give them a go and try the Armada there. I will almost certainly be visiting Crowborough, Uckfield and Redhill some time this year so there's three I can try and one of them is new for me!

Unless there is a newer one that's better the Cricketers is their top pub for me.

[london calling]

Some decent beers but nothing outstanding
Essex st-antipodean
brewsters -el citra
sambrookes -jugged hare
palmers -best bitter
Phipps -Phipps diamond
so its nice when A new brewer starts off on the right note sorry Crystal brew you are the dud of the week but
BOTW was
big clock -sunny boy

[ROBCamra]

Elland Padang Coffee Porter in The Baum of course.

After the hoo hah about 1872 Porter on another thread this one proves yet again that Elland are masters of dark ales.

Smooth, with lots of coffee flavour and at 5% a bit easier on the head than 1872. :cheers: