Beer of the Week (w/e 1st January 2017)

[ROBCamra]

Aqualung: Dark Star Imperial Stout
Wittenden: Goachers Crown Imperial Stout
Bucking Fastard: Thornbridge Otters Tears
Mobyduck: Brains Cafe Phoenix
Thuck Phat: Titanic Plum Porter
london calling: Brewdog Self Assembly Pope
Real Ale Ray: Peerless Frost Nip
ROBCamra: Great Heck Resolution

[Aqualung]

A fairly short list :-

Burning Sky Plateau 3.5%
Ramsgate Gadd's No 7 3.8%
York Snowflake 3.8%
Salopian Oracle 4.0%
Malt Icknield 4.5%
Goody's Good Shepherd 4.5%
Truman's Pucker Up Mistletoe Mild 4.5%
Sambrook's Brown Dog Riot 4.5%
Sambrook's Four Chimneys Chocolate Stout 4.7%
ELB Quadrant Oatmeal Stout 5.8%
Welton's Persian Princess 6.0%
Adnam's Tally Ho 7.0%
Dark Star Imperial Stout 10.5%


None of these were poor but the best were at either end of the ABV ladder. The Plateau at the Bouncing Barrel micropub in Herne Bay was excellent but the Xmas Dark Star Imperial Stout at the local Rose & Crown has become an institution. It was five quid a pint this year.


BOTW Dark Star Imperial Stout

[Wittenden]

Kent:Old Year, New Year.

Adnams Southwold Bitter 3.7%abv. Reviewing my beer accounts I found that I hadn't tried this old favourite in 2016. An excellent pint:flinty East Coast Malt and discrete pepperiness.Me and Adnams go back a long way...
Goachers Crown Imperial Stout 4.5%abv.Pretty well perfect,gentle roast chocolate.Bible black.My BOTW.

[Bucking Fastard]

A modest ale week.

Mc Mullens -- Country Bitter
Sambrooks -- Four Chimneys Stout.
Wishbone -- Gumption
Titanic -- Plum Porter Grand Reserve *
Thornbridge -- Otters Tears *

BOTW goes to Thornbridge Otters Tears,an outstanding 6% IPA on top form in Craft Beer Co.,Pentonville.The finish lasted all the way down the hill to Kings Cross station.

[Mobyduck]

A much better week with a couple of trips into London enhancing the list.
Hammerpot Mosaic
Hammerpot Bottlewreck Porter
Hop Art Ginny Porter
Wild Weather Black Night
Red Squirrel Hopfest
Twickenham Naked Ladies
Fullers Olivers Island
Fullers Jack Frost
Brains Craft Brewery Cafe Phoenix *
Bedlam Pilgrim
Youngs Bitter
Gypsy Hill Hepcat*
Bristol Beer Factory Independence*
Thwaites Wainwright
Bexley Golden Acre
Weird Beard Cranberry Christmas Stout*
Oakham JHB*
Oakham Citra*
Thornbridge Jaipur*
White Horse Crazy Horse IPA
Wild Beer Millionaire
Dark Star Revelation*
Hackney American Pale Ale
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale

All starred beers were very good, right up there was Gypsy Hill Hepcat ,tried in the interesting Pigs Ear Craft Cellar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/76833/) ,but BOTW is Brains Craft Brewery Cafe Phoenix a dark rich Coffee Porter at a quaffable 4.4% enjoyed in The Railway Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/61332/).
I'm not expecting a lot of action in the following month.

[Thuck Phat]

This week:

Thornbridge Lord Marples
Towcester Mill Santa's Tipple*
Island Wight Knight
Pheonix Christmas Kiss
Oakham Bishop's Farewell*
Milestone Rich Ruby
Titanic Plum Porter*

Just the three contenders with one easy winner: BOTW Titanic Plum Porter.

[london calling]

Some great beers
joules -no6 old
kernel -mosaic ***
maragade -vanilla milk stout
clouded minds -99 steps *
gorgeous -american pale ale ** (new brewery beneath the Bull Highgate)
gorgeous -vanilla milk stout ***
dancing man -bone dry *
Camden -liva la vida mocha ***
frothblowers -el original
vocation -naughty but nice **
brewdog -elvis juice **
schefferhofer -grapefruit mix ***
but supreme champion and one of the best beers this year
brewdog -self assembly pope 7.4 coconut porter/stout

[Real Ale Ray]

Peerless - Frost Nip

in https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84264/

won't let me put in name of pub above

[ROBCamra]

Great Heck Resolution. A pleasant, hoppy 4% er. Tried several times in The Baum on NYE. :cheers: