Beer of the Week (w/e 3rd May 2015)

[ROBCamra]

sheffield hatter: Red Willow Fathomless
Real Ale Ray: Peerless Crazy Maze
Bucking Fastard: Fullers Olivers Island
Mobyduck: Siren Craft Life is a Peach
Aqualung: Oakham Citra
aleandhearty: Mallinsons Ella
ROBCamra: Vocation Chop & Change Centennial

[sheffield hatter]

Red Willow Fathomless. A Russian stout of 9.4% abv. I only had a half!

[Real Ale Ray]

Peerless - Crazy Maze

[Bucking Fastard]

Low consumption week

Dorset Brewing -- Portland Porter
Cottage Brewing -- Dragon Slayer
Fullers -- Olivers Island *
Fullers -- Wild River * (3PT)

BOTW goes to Fullers Olivers Island ,a very drinkable low ABV golden ale and just the perfect pint when walking into a pub with a thirst to slake from The White Horse,Hertford.

Next week going to sample output from Howling Hops.

[Mobyduck]

Half decent this week,

Darkstar Hophead* 3.8%
Darkstar American Pale Ale* 4.7%
Goffs Lancer 3.8%
Fullers Olivers Island*3.8%
Bradfield Farmers Blonde 4.0%
Dorset Fool Hardy* 4.4%
Greyhawk Skipton Blonde*4.0%
Green Jack Albion Mild 3.8%
Ilkley Mary Jane * 3.5%
Jarrow Shipwright Blonde* 4.3%
Otley American Pale Ale * 4.3%
Little Beer Little Haka * 3.5%
Bridestone Galaxy 4.2%
Bristol Beer Factory Bitter Kiwi * 5.0%
Elland Brambling Cross* 3.9%
Wild Weather Mudslinger (Jack Daniels Barrel Aged)* 5.5%
Siren Craft Life is a Peach*6.2% (keg)
Binghams Vanilla Stout* 5.0%

A lot of very good cask beers there but the final beer of the week (Life Is A Peach) took the prize, enjoyed in the Nags Head (http://nagsheadreading.com/beer.php), nearly everything about it was good,name, temperature, carbonation and taste,just the price was the only fly in the ointment,£2.30 a half, but that's Craft Beer, it was worth it.

[Aqualung]

A small but varied selection :-

Goacher's Real Mild Ale 3.4%*
Arundel Black Stallion 3.7%
Portobello Spring Ale 4.2%
Oakham Citra 4.2%*
Shepherd Neame Early Bird 4.3%
Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack 4.4%*
Hook Norton Old Hooky 4.6%*
Dark Star American Pale Ale 4.7%
Titanic Nautical Mild 4.8%*
Wold Top Wold Gold 4.8%
Beartown Blackbear 5.0%
Adnams / Sixpoint Meke It Rain 5.0%*
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9%*
Maxim Maximus 6.0%
Saltaire Stateside IPA 6.0%


It's between the Jaipur and the Oakham Citra but as I've never tried the Oakham beer in anything like top condition before (and not in Spoons either) the Citra gets it. It was discounted 10p to £3.15 in the excellent Maidstone Flowerpot.

BOTW Oakham Citra

[aleandhearty]

Not a bad week, veering more towards the pint drinking, rather than the half sampling end of the spectrum.

Gadds - No3.
Kelham Island - Gentlemen Death.*
Salamander - My Muse.
Loddon - Gorgeous George.
Ilkley - Ruby Jane.*
Mallinsons - Ella.*
Fernandes - Octohop.*
Fernandes - Jackdaw Mild.*
Ilkley - Lotus IPA.*
Fernandes - Morse.

A very close call between the Octohop and the Ella, with the latter just shading it. With it being Mallinsons, you won't be surprised to hear it's pale and hoppy with a hint of spice.

[ROBCamra]

Vocation Chop & Change Centennial 4.6% tried all night on Tuesday in the Baum.

This one is going to be a changing beer, hence the name. The next version will have different hops & ABV.

Vocation is a new brewery set up by the guy who used to own Blue Monkey.

You can tell as well as the beer is excellent.

He sold Blue Monkey last year and moved North. But soon set up another brewery after deciding that it was his vocation. (See what he did there) :p

He claims that the brewery is in Hebden Bridge, but as it's in Cragg Vale, just across from Little Valley brewery it's really in Mytholmroyd. :cheers: