Beer of the Week (w/e 12th July 2015)

[ROBCamra]

Real Ale Ray: Peerless Triple Blond
Bucking Fastard: Oakham Inferno
Mobyduck: Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale
london calling: Elland 1872 Porter
Aqualung: Kent Black Gold
oldboots: Stancill No7
Wittenden: Ballard's 35th Anniversary
aleandhearty: Fernandes 10 Degrees
Thuck Phat: Oakham Bishops Farewell
ROBCamra: Derby Desperately Seeking Summer

[Real Ale Ray]

Peerless - Triple Blond

[Bucking Fastard]

After last weeks excess just one beer consumed so BOTW goes to

Oakham Inferno in fair condition in the Hamilton Hall .


Chance to visit Burslem then topped off by the St Albans crawl ,so lots of contenders next week no doubt.

[Mobyduck]

Darkstar Hophead
ELB Foundation Bitter*
Portobello Westway Pale
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale*
Dorking Gold
Fullers Olivers Island
Bowmans Swift One*
Thurstons Horsell Gold
St Austell Tribute

The East London Brewing - Foundation Bitter was excellent although not normally my beer style of choice, but it was pipped to the post by a very well presented pint of Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale enjoyed in the Compasses Inn. (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35823/)
I am expecting a larger list next week with St Albans Friday and my local Beer Festival Saturday, Sunday could be a day of semi rest.

[london calling]

Ealing beer fest provided excellent new breweries and beers and none I could fault.Great condition.
bude -neet
boss -black stout
burscough -black common stout
Yorkshire heart -hearty mild
Yorkshire heart-get pithed
gemstone -sapphire blond
rocking robin -rock a hula
rocking robin -really rocking
rch -blackberry stout
loch ness -wilder ness
mighty oak -tangerine trees
toolmakers -flange noir
stocklinch -rusty boiler
old scool -truant ipa
pig and porter-Ashburnham pale ale
but Botw was an old favourite
Elland -1872 porter (incredible complex flavour but so drinkable) a true GBBF award winner.

[Aqualung]

Elland 1872 porter (incredible complex flavour but so drinkable) a true GBBF award winner.

Agreed, especially compared to last year's winner. The ELB Foundation Bitter mentioned above is miles better!

I've only a short list as my local Spoons started the Cider Festival early!
Most of these were tried on a tour of SE London micropubs :-


Sambrook's Wandle 3.8%
Kent Black Gold 4.0%
Canterbury Ales Reeves Ale 4.1%
Truman's Lazarus 4.2%
RCH Pitchfork 4.3%
Old Dairy Gold Top 4.3%
Everard's International Indian Red Ale 4.4%
Bexley Howbury 3 Hopped Ale 4.5%
Old Dairy Silver Top 4.5%
Titanlic Plum Porter 4.9%
Canterbury Brewers Kobold 5.0%
Bateman's Barcelona Pale 5.0%
Brodie's Californian 5.0%
Cameron's 150 5.0%



The winner is the Kent brewery Black Gold tried at the Door Hinge in Welling. This is a dark beer brewed with New World hops so could be described as a weak porter with a twist or a low ABV Black IPA. The runner up is the Californian which Brodie's haven't brewed for four years. It's a different recipe from the old one and possibly not quite as good but it does have a huge hop flavour.

Spoons cider of the week is Barbourne Crimson King Cider (6.0%), a proper cloudy dryish cider and just £2.05 at the E4 King's Ford.
Next week I'm out to get The General.



BOTW Kent Black Gold

[oldboots]

Stancill No7

[Wittenden]

West Sussex
Ballard's-35th Anniversary 4% abv. Not one of the awesomely fashionable breweries,but I've always enjoyed them.Dark gold,arable malt,long dry peppery finish.

[aleandhearty]

Finally, after a poor run of form, managed a decent week, this week.

Mallinsons - Mount Pleasant Mild.
Ilkley - Lotus IPA.*
Exit33 - Golden Cascade.
Kelham Island - Tin Can Avenger.
Great Heck - Mosaic.*
GreatHeck - Voodoo Mild.*
Brightside - B-side.
Green Duck - Drunkun Duck.
Fernandes - American Red Rye Ale.*
Fernandes - 10 Degrees.*

The Voodoo Mild, Red Rye and !0 Degrees were all excellent, but the latter, a beefy (6%) black IPA, really hit the spot.

[aleandhearty]

Elland -1872 porter (incredible complex flavour but so drinkable) a true GBBF award winner.

Can't argue with that, definitely one of my favourites. Elland's dark beers, as a whole, tend to be very good. I find their pale beers much more variable.

[Thuck Phat]

Very quiet week:
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Abbeydale Moonshine

I enjoyed the Moonshine but BOTW was Oakham Bishops Farewell. An old favourite with refreshing citrussy notes really hitting the spot in warm weather. It flew down.

[london calling]

I through experience avoid Elland beers in general.I am fed up with drinking pale hoppy unbalanced beers and have recently been drinking more and more darker beers.I am even getting to like traditional milds. cheers

[london calling]

Very quiet week:
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Abbeydale Moonshine

I enjoyed the Moonshine but BOTW was Oakham Bishops Farewell. An old favourite with refreshing citrussy notes really hitting the spot in warm weather. It flew down.
Great brewery and seem to be a particular favourite of the St Albans pubs.

[ROBCamra]

For a change I'm nominating a beer not tried in The Baum. :o

A trip to Derby saw lots of decent beer drunk in the beer festival, but none were worthy of BOTW.

Revolutions Unknown Pleasures and Boss Brave both tried in The Alexandra Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/6999/) had a chance.

As did Brunswick Peaked Too Soon tried in The Brunswick Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/7022/)
which is no longer in the GBG, no doubt due to some local CAMRA madness.

BOTW was Derby Desperately Seeking Summer tried in Greyhound Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/7104/)
a very pleasant, easy drinking session ale, perfect when sitting outside in their beer garden. :cheers: