Beer of the Week (w/e 18th October 2015)

[ROBCamra]

Real Ale Ray: Mighty Oak Day Tripper
london calling: West Berks Maggs Magnificent Mild
Mobyduck: Wild Weather What A Horrible Night (For A Curse)
Aqualung: Banks's Central City Red Racer IPA
sheffield hatter: Hilltop Bitter
Bucking Fastard: Kelham Island Wild Rider
oldboots: Fernandes Black Voodoo
Wittenden: Poppyland Crab Saison
hondo: Uprising Treason
Thuck Phat: Oakham Bishops Farewell
ROBCamra: Brewsters Et Citra Et Citra

[Real Ale Ray]

Mighty Oak - Day Tripper 3.9%

A barrel only lasted a few hours in The Paul Pry (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/42488/) and no wonder, it was fab. A definite contender for Beer of the Year.

[london calling]

Any off these three could have won but in reverse order
3rd -Glastonbury -mighty chi
2nd-blackwater -voodoo
1st -west berks -maggs magnificent mild BOTW

[Mobyduck]

Darkstar Hophead 3.8%*
Darkstar Greenhopped IPA 6.5%*
Caveman Cave Dweller 5.8%*
Ballards Golden Bine 3.8%*
Brodies Kiwi 3.7%*
Wild Weather What A Horrible Night (For A Curse) 4.9%*
Hop Art Rose 4.4%
Surrey Hills Shere Drop 4.2%*
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale 3.8%*

Some enjoyable beers this week all were very good bar one which was a case of simply not to my taste, if I'm honest BOTW will probably be Green Hopped IPA for the next 3 or 4 weeks that its available to me , its a work of art IMO, but I shall discount it for now for the sake of variability, there are several others that could take the title this week but I am giving it to Wild Weather What A Horrible Night (For A Curse)a bit of a halloween special but a complex Stout involving Black Treacle,Chocolate,Pepper and Smokey Toffee, sounds quite a mix but worked for me, I find Wild Weather do very good dark beers, not convinced on their other stuff though.

[Aqualung]

I've not been anywhere but Spoons this week and apart from a trip to the frozen north it will be that way until November. This is because of the Spoons Autumn Festival :-

Bateman's Young Henry's Real Ale 4.0%
Butcombe Chinook APA 4.2%*
Hop Stuff Fusilier 4.3%*
Adnam's Extra 4.3%*
Everard's Stateside Rye 4.5%*
Wychwood Nordic Noir 4.5%*
Portobello Taylorson's Reserve Red 4.5%
Marston's Zululand Zulu Blonde 4.5%
Everard's Two Birds Sunset Ale 4.6%*
Portobello Market Porter 4.6%
Mordue Admiral 4.8%
Hawkshead Cumbrian Five Hop 5.0%*
Maxim John Bull Stout 5.0%
Woodforde's Tap & Go 5.0%
Dorset Brewing Co Jurassic Dark 5.9%
Arundel Smokehouse 6.0%
Wychwood King Goblin 6.0%
Adnam's Sixpoint Bengali 6.4%
Banks's Central City Red Racer IPA 6.5%*

I'm sure the Bengali would have been a contender but I think they had put it on too soon. This leaves a choice of the Red Racer or the Two Birds Sunset and they are literally neck and neck. When in doubt go for the stronger one, Banks's Central City Red Racer IPA as tried for a mere £1.99 festival price in the Surbiton Coronation Hall.

BOTW Banks's Central City Red Racer IPA

[sheffield hatter]

Black Iris Bleeding Heart 4.5% at The Beer House (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82637/)
Potbelly S.O.A.B. 5.0% at The Blake Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43068/)
Hilltop Bitter 3.9% at the Gardeners Rest (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43179/)

Although I had second helpings of both Bleeding Heart and the Potbelly 10th anniversary brew, the prize must go to a "test brew" from a new brewery: Hilltop Bitter is the sort of beer that I would happily drink every day for the rest of my life. It's from a new brewery at The Hilltop Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/69003/) near Conisbrough. If this is their test brew, what are their regulars going to be like?

[Bucking Fastard]

Decent week including a few spoons festival ales

Dr Mortons (Abbeydale) -- Transfers for China *
Oakham -- Bishops Farewell *
B&T -- DragonSlayer
Ringwood -- Boondoggle
Marstons -- Pedigree
Merrimen -- Admiral Ale
Exmoor -- Ale
Titanic -- 7 C's *
Kelham Island -- Wild Rider *
Arundel -- Smoked Porter
Siren Craft -- Broken Dream
Ilkley -- Crossroads IPA
Siren Craft -- Dinner for Eight
ELB -- Red Ale

The last four should have been contenders but they were consumed in The Southampton Arms where there were quality control problems,hazy pints etc so BOTW goes to Kelham Island Wild Rider
from the spoons festival in The George,Croydon.A very fine pint.

Next week whisky tasting in the West End,so a few pints to wash all that down.

[london calling]

Darkstar Hophead 3.8%*
Darkstar Greenhopped IPA 6.5%*
Caveman Cave Dweller 5.8%*
Ballards Golden Bine 3.8%*
Brodies Kiwi 3.7%*
Wild Weather What A Horrible Night (For A Curse) 4.9%*
Hop Art Rose 4.4%
Surrey Hills Shere Drop 4.2%*
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale 3.8%*

Some enjoyable beers this week all were very good bar one which was a case of simply not to my taste, if I'm honest BOTW will probably be Green Hopped IPA for the next 3 or 4 weeks that its available to me , its a work of art IMO, but I shall discount it for now for the sake of variability, there are several others that could take the title this week but I am giving it to Wild Weather What A Horrible Night (For A Curse)a bit of a halloween special but a complex Stout involving Black Treacle,Chocolate,Pepper and Smokey Toffee, sounds quite a mix but worked for me, I find Wild Weather do very good dark beers, not convinced on their other stuff though.

Not sure if they have a new brewer but the last 3 beers from them have been a lot better than their earlier beers.

[oldboots]

far too many to list as I spent a day at the 'spoons festival but BOTW is not from there it's Fernandes Black Voodoo drunk in the Hop in York.

[Wittenden]

No pub for me, after the comparative excess of last week. Of interest was Poppyland Crab Saison in bottle.Didn't know what to expect, but enjoyable if pricey. Couldn't get hold of any of his pale ales though.My BOTW

[hondo]

Uprising - Treason

[Thuck Phat]

No pub for me, after the comparative excess of last week. Of interest was Poppyland Crab Saison in bottle.Didn't know what to expect, but enjoyable if pricey. Couldn't get hold of any of his pale ales though.My BOTW

Glad you found some and enjoyed it. I haven't seen the Crab Saison but have a few Alexander's Saison and Rhino Rye IPA in stock. Both very good.

[Thuck Phat]

Not a great week for quality.

Dr Mortons Transfers to China
B & T Dragon Slayer
Ringwood Boondoggle*
Marstons Pedigree
Merrimen Admirals Ale
Exmoor Ale
Oakham Bishops Farewell*

BOTW Oakham Bishops Farewell on very good form in The Merchants (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57333/), Rugby and even better at The White Horse (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/29953/), Welton as a fresh barrel had just gone on.

[aleandhearty]

No beer this week, as another dental abscess meant a course of the dreaded Metronidazole (reacts with alcohol). Not only did I miss the Wakey Beer Festival in its entirety, but I had to watch all the rugby quarter finals with nothing stronger than mugs of Yorkshire Tea! :eek:

[ROBCamra]

A JDW festival beer for me this week Brewsters Et Citra Et Citra.

A really nice, easy drinking 4% er. Tried in The Regal Moon (JD Wetherspoon) (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55906/) :cheers: