Beer of the Week (w/e 29th November 2015)

[ROBCamra]

Thuck Phat: Salopian Hollybush
Bucking Fastard: Blue Monkey Infinity +1
Wittenden: Whitstable Native Bitter
Mobyduck: Vibrant Forest Cydonia
Aqualung: Dark Star American Pale Ale
london calling: Dark Star Hophead
oldboots: Rudgate Ruby Mild
aleandhearty: Rat/Deva E-RAT-ification
ROBCamra: Geeves Rococo Chocolate Mild

[Thuck Phat]

BOTW Salopian Hollybush
A seasonal ale worth seeking out. Deep ruby and 5.5% sounds like a typical winter warmer where one is enough. Not this one, a lightness of touch and a bitter finish make it very moreish. Clever and deeply drinkable.

[Bucking Fastard]

A very good week on the ale front.

Surrey Hills -- Shere Drop *
Surrey Hills -- Greensand IPA *
Church End -- Arthur's Wit *
Adnams -- Old Ale
Tring -- Cat's Tail
Blue Monkey -- Infinity +1 *
Blue Monkey -- 99 Red Baboons *
Anarchy -- Crime Scene
Anarchy -- Blonde Star
Blue Monkey -- Right Turn Clyde
Blue Monkey -- Guerilla *
Oakham -- Citra *
Oakham -- Tranquility IPA *
Wychwood -- Hobgoblin

Both Oakham's were great but BOTW goes to Blue Monkey Infinity +1 ,outstanding brew on top form in Craft Beer Co.,Angel. There was some weaving down the Pentonville Road afterwards.:nishelypished:

Quiet week ahead before the pre Christmas onslaught.

[Wittenden]

"Brewed up the road..."
Whitstable Native Bitter 3.7%abv :Earthy, spicy, toffee, brown;what I look for in bitter. Taken here:The Rose and Crown (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/27398/)

[Mobyduck]

A restrained week, staying in mid week rather than straight down the boozer after work, so for comfort have tried a couple or three "craft bottles at home, I'm not normally a home or bottle drinker to any great extent , but what I had were excellent, did have a couple of trips down the pub though.
Brewdog Punk IPA*(bottle)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale* (bottle)
Laguanitas IPA*(bottle)
Darkstar Hophead*(handpull)
Firebird Pacific Gem* (handpull)
Vibrant Forest Simcoe* (Gravity)
Vibrant Forest Flying Saucer* (Gravity)
Vibrant Forest Cydonia* (Gravity)

Any of the bottles were easily BOTW material but I try to keep it to pub brought beers where possible and this week all beers were very good and for the second week in a row its a Vibrant Forest beer that wins the day ,this time its Cydonia
A trip up to London Town next Saturday should up the ante further.

[Aqualung]

A quiet week compared to last with the only excursion being a highly disappointing flying visit to Henley, a place that was Mecca way back :-

Brakspear's Bitter 3.4%
Dark Star Hophead 3.8%*
Milestone Comet 4.2%
Brakspear's Special 4.3%
Sambrook's Junction 4.5%
Titanic Eight Bells 4.5%
Adnam's Ghost Ship 4.5%*
Bingham's Old Ale 4.5%
Bingham's Minstrel 4.5%
Dark Star American Pale Ale 4.7%*
Adnam's Wild Hop 4.8%*
Bingham's Space Hoppy IPA 5.0%*
Itchen Valley Russian Winter 5.3%*

Unsurprisingly the front runners are the two Dark Star beers both in Spoons. The Hophead was on offer for the very first time in my local one for £2.25 and the APA was in great nick in the N8 Tollgate for £2.40. The beer quality in here has been very variable over the last few years but on Saturday on the way back from the new one at Muswell Hill it was superb.
It's the "Quest For The Black Country Winter Ales" next Saturday with just one single new pub on the list. Do I care? No, I can't wait!


BOTW Dark Star American Pale Ale

[london calling]

Lots of wishy washy beers this week and only two worth a mention
fullers -London porter (bottled) was as usual very good but I don't go to pubs to drink bottled beer.£4.20
BOTW
darkstar -hophead was superb and only £2.45 a pint in Mcspoons

[oldboots]

Another quiet week, only enlivened by a trip to York,

Rudgate Ruby Mild

[aleandhearty]

Bit late on parade, this week. A decent number tried, but not too many to set the heart racing, for one reason, or another.

Acorn - Freebird.
Rudgate - Vanilla Mild.*
Tiny Rebel - One Inch Punch.*
Fernandes - Rum for Cover.
Riverhead - Wessenden Wheat.
Rat/Deva - E-RAT-ification.*
Great Heck - Chopper.
First Chop - Cha.
Great Heck - Simcoe.
Grey Hawk - Dark Desert Highway.
Geeves - Topaz.
Empire - Indiana.
Bridestones - Dark Ginger.*
Small World - Thunderbridge Stout.
Small World - Twin Falls.
Great Heck - Treason Stout.
Fernandes - Hophead Pixie.

Once again, another Rat beer is BOTW, albeit a collaboration. E-RAT-ification was a very moreish, hoppy red ale and four pints slid down like mothers' milk.

[ROBCamra]

BOTW is Geeves Rococo Chocolate Mild 3.6%.

Just like milds used to be. Dark, creamy and with just a hint of chocolate.

Tried in The Baum of course.

An honourary mention must go to Scarborough Transmission Pale. A 3.9% light, hoppy session ale.
Also from The Baum, both ordered by yours truly. :cheers: