Beer of the Week (w/e 8th January 2017)

[ROBCamra]

Bucking Fastard: Red Willow Shameless IPA
Mobyduck: Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter
london calling: Siren Broken Dream
Aqualung: Burton Bridge Stairway To Heaven
Thuck Phat: Hop Back Winter Lightening
oldboots: Harrogate Vanilla Porter
aleandhearty: Mallinsons Simcoe XL
Komakino: Tongerlo Christmas
Real Ale Ray: Tower Brewery Imperial IPA
sheffield hatter: Bombardier
ROBCamra: Wild Beer Co Bibble

[Bucking Fastard]

A decent week.

Burning Sky -- Aurora * (3PT)
Mc Mullens -- Country
Mc Mullens -- AK
Purity -- Mad Goose
Great Heck -- Dave
Theakstons -- Old Peculier
Westerham -- 1760 Special Pale Ale
Red Willow -- Shameless IPA*
Saltaire -- Long Day IPA *


I often nominate Aurora ,so to ring the changes BOTW was Red Willow Shameless IPA,in top nick in The Old Cross Tavern and a very fine IPA ,a lingering sweetness balanced by great hops.Yum .

Next week looking ropey.

[Mobyduck]

As expected not too much happening on the pub or beer front
Dark Star Hophead
Red Cat Scratch
Hogs Back Tea
Triple fff Pressed Rat & Warthog
Binghams Brickworks Bitter
Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter
The Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter was pretty good and BOTW, it's the only good beer I've ever had from this brewery.

[Wittenden]

Unfortunately no pub this week.I am NOT doing Dry January!

[london calling]

Last year I saw a beer event that matched beer to music.Tosh. But. I thought of Sinead O,Connor singing Nothing Compares 2 U while drinking
Botw
Siren -broken dream 6.9

[Aqualung]

A fairly quiet week with nothing really outstanding tried :-

Green Duck Duck Blonde 4.2%
XT 10 Stout 4.5%
Burton Bridge Joyous Bliss 4.7%
Everard's Red Ale 5.0%
Lymestone Ein Stein 5.0%
Burton Bridge Stairway To Heaven 5.0%
Milestone Fletcher's Ale 5.2%
Castle Rock Screech Owl 5.5%
Newby Wyke Dragon 5.5%
Theakston's Old Peculier 5.6%
Black Horse Thanks PA 6.0%
Greene King Abbot Reserve 6.5%


I'm going for the Burton Bridge Stairway To Heaven (another music link?) as tried in the Buron Devonshire Arms at £3.10.


BOTW Burton Bridge Stairway To Heaven

[Thuck Phat]

BOTW Hop Back Winter Lightening

[oldboots]

Wainstones Buck Inn North Yorkshire Bitter
HB Dunkle
Camerons Strongarm
Tapped Mojo
Binghams Vanilla Stout
Greene King Mighty Moose IPA
Saltaire Blonde
Harrogate Vanilla Porter
Brass Castle Sacred Lake
Vocation Life & Death
Taylors Landlord
Tetley Tetley Gold
Salamander Shadow Boxer
York Centurions Ghost

Best beers this week were the dark ones from Binghams, Harrogate and Salamander very little to choose between them but the Harrogate just has it,
Harrogate Vanilla Porter

[aleandhearty]

Managed just one session, on the bank holiday Monday, before the flu wiped out the rest of the week.

Slaters - Haku.
Neepsend - Chocolate Milk Stout.
Titanic - Plum Porter.
Magic Rock - Punchline.*
Mallinsons - Simcoe XL.*
Rat - Regal Rodent.*
Great Newsome - Jem's Stout.
North Riding - Cascade Pale.*
Fernandes - Malt Shovel Mild.
Fernandes - Great Northern.
Kirkstall - Prototype Extra.
Elland - 1872 Porter.

With an honorable mention for the Punchline (Chipotle infused chocolate porter), the winner was another pale beauty from Tara and Elaine, on fine form at The Hop (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/66330/), Wakefield.

[Komakino]

Ickenham and Antwerp:

Young’s Light Ale (3.2%) (bottle)
GK London Glory (4.1%)
St Austell Tribute (4.2%) (bottle)
Salopian Darwin’s Origin (4.3%)*
Wychwood Bah Humbug (4.3%)
Cotleigh Old Buzzard (4.8%)
Tring Santa’s Little Helper (4.8%)
Nethergate Old Growler (5.0%)
Jupiler (keg) (5.2%)
Chimay Red (7.0%) (bottle)*
Tongerlo Christmas (7.0%) (keg)*
Chimay Blue (9.0%) (bottle)*

The Salopian was the best beer encountered on an Ickenham / Ruislip crawl on 2nd Jan to bring the New Year in, at the The Tichenham Inn (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55947/), and although I spent a weekend in Belgium, beer hunting was unfortunately not really on the agenda. However, I did manage to squeeze some sampling in where I could and happenstanced on the Tongerlo at Wolffaertshof in Aartselaar - a Trappist Winter Ale which came with "gratis portie kaas".

BOTW: Tongerlo Christmas

[rpadam]

BOTW: Tongerlo Christmas
Now that's a fine seasonal beer!

[Komakino]

Now that's a fine seasonal beer!

It certainly made a change to some of the dross I encountered over here in the run-up to Christmas!

[Real Ale Ray]

Tower Brewery - Imperial IPA in their excellent Brewery Tap in Burton on Trent - only open on a Friday 4pm-midnight, but well worth a visit.

[sheffield hatter]

We stayed in a cottage in Staithes (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/staithes/north-yorkshire/) at the weekend. The three remaining pubs in the village didn't really float our boat, but the Fox & Hounds (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/4224/) in nearby Dalehouse was a lovely pub. The big surprise was the excellent Bombardier, in really fantastic condition, served with a tight, creamy head and an absolute steal at £1.60 per pint. Yes, per pint!

[ROBCamra]

Wild Beer Bibble. A very pleasant 4.2% hoppy unfined pale ale brewed using Amarillo & Mosaic hops.

Very moreish until it went away. In The Baum of course. :cheers: