Beer of the Week (w/e 15th March 2015)

[ROBCamra]

Bucking Fastard: Colchester Cream Stout
Mobyduck: Dark Star American Pale Ale
Aqualung: Titanic Wit Stout
hondo: Williams Bros Joker IPA
aleandhearty: Roosters Baby Faced Assassin
Thuck Phat: Purity Mad Goose
london calling: Twickenham Winter Cheer
Real Ale Ray: Peerless Pale
ROBCamra: Ringwood Razor Back

[Bucking Fastard]

Got involved with some strong 'spoons festival ales.


Ilkley -- Ruby Jane
Oakham -- Citra*
Colchester -- Cream Stout*
Bateman's -- Lincolnshire Red
Titanic -- Wit Stout*
Shongweni -- Durban Pale Ale* ( Brewed at Batemans)
Lighthouse -- Shipwreck IPA ( Brewed at Wychwood)
Barley Brown's -- ESA * (Brewed at Marstons)

BOTW was between the two stouts but by a short head Colchester Cream Stout wins out.Very smooth and flavoursome ,well kept in The Bricklayers,Hitchin.

Next week mini crawl around Borough Market,boating constrained by necessary repairs.

[Mobyduck]

Unfortunately not involved in much at all this week,
Darkstar- Hophead
Darkstar - American Pale Ale
Badger - Leaping Legend
Brains - The Awakening
Rudgate - Odins Secret
Timothy Taylors - Landlord
Triple fff - Moondance

Whilst all beers were acceptable only the APA stood out head and shoulders above ,
So BOTW is (not for the first time) Dark Star American Pale Ale

A better choice of variety expected next week with a visit to the Winchester Beer Festival next Friday.

[Aqualung]

The Spoons Spring fest started early in my local Spoons and a trip round some Holden's pubs on Saturday gave this :-


Holden's Black Country Mild 3.7%
Holden's Black Country Bitter 3.8%
Black Sheep Monty Python's Holy Grail 4.0%
Holden's Golden Glow 4.3%
Black Country Pig On The Wall* 4.3%
Adnam's Oyster Stout 4.3%
Bateman's Hooker 4.5%
Lancaster Albion Connection 4.5%
Burton Bridge Damson Porter 4.5%
Daleside New Dawn 4.6%
Flack Manor Hedge Hop 4.9%
Titanic Wit Stout* 5.0%
Holden's Special 5.1%
Adnam's Nils Oscar India Ale 5.3%
Everard's Townshend's JCIPA * 5.5%
Derby Quintessentials 5.8%
Shepherd Neame Cervceria Fort English Style IPA 5.8%
Caledonian Bodebrown Wee Heavy 6.0%
Welton's Wassail 6.1%

There's a clear winner this week and it's the Titanic Wit Stout which came up brilliantly in the Chingford King's Ford on three occasions and also sailed through the three pint test. Nothing else came close.


BOTW Titanic Wit Stout

[hondo]

Williams Bros - Joker Ipa keg

[aleandhearty]

Yet another quiet week, but it did include my beer of the year, so far.

Salamander - Scary Mary.
Titanic - Chocolate & Vanilla Stout.*
Roosters - Baby Faced Assassin.*
Bob's - Lone Wolf.
Five Towns - Outside Edge.
Salamander - Solar Echo.*
Ilkley - Olicana Pale.
Five Towns - One at T' End.

Absolutely no contest. The BFA blew me away. A smooth and powerful IPA (6.1%). Hoppy and aromatic, but with good balance. Utterly delicious.

[Thuck Phat]

This week:

Dow Bridge Praetorian Porter*
Towcester Mill Crooked Hooker
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Dr Morton's Firkin Aerosol
Purity Mad Goose*

I enjoyed the Praetorian Porter but BOTW was Purity Mad Goose sailing through the three pint test.

[london calling]

Familiarity does not breed contempt.Out twice with my family this weekend and although I didn't get any new beers I had some cracking pints of the usual.Twickenham brewery had a famous brewer (locally) who was a great brewer.You know what, I think the beers are better since he left.
Twickenham -winter cheer defo BOTW

[Real Ale Ray]

Peerless -Pale

[ROBCamra]

Ringwood Razor Back, the best thing that Ringwood have brewed in years.

It was on in The Baum in aid of Comic Relief, so I had to have a pint really.

I was so surprised at how good it was that I had to have another 2 just to make sure.

I had another 2 on the Saturday as well.

A 3.9% session beer, full of gently hoppy loveliness. :cheers: