Beer of the Week (w/e 19th February 2017)

[ROBCamra]

Thuck Phat: Oakham Dr Phobia
Spinko: Fernandes Swift One
Bucking Fastard: BrewDog Elvis Juice
Mobyduck: Dark Star Hophead Mosaic
london calling: Dan's Porter
Aqualung: Little Critters C Monster
oldboots: Rudgate Ruby Mild
aleandhearty: North Riding Mosaic Pale
Wittenden: Dark Star Hophead
Real Ale Ray: Dark Star Hophead Mosaic
Komakino: Brakspear Jerusalem
ROBCamra: Dark Star Hophead Mosaic

[Thuck Phat]

A little variety this week:

Morgan's For Ruck's Sake
Brunswick Railway Porter
Oakham Dr. Phobia*
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Abbeydale Moonshine

BOTW Oakham Dr. Phobia A nicely balanced, amber 5.2% number with Oakham's trademark bitterness. Delicious.

[Spinko]

Fernandes - Swift One. In the Phoenix, St Helens. A good town for a crawl around the outskirts

[Bucking Fastard]

Mainly Hitchin and London.

XT -- XT13 *
Adnams -- Mosaic Pale (keg)
Greene King -- Grubber Pale
Greene King -- St Edmunds
St Austell -- Tribute
Haresfoot -- Old Tiney Plum Porter
Tap East -- Coffee in the Morning *
London Fields -- Love not War *
BrewDog -- Elvis Juice *(keg)
Magic Rock -- Dark Arts *
VOG -- Dark Matter

BOTW goes to a keg beer :eek:,BrewDog Elvis Juice,in their bar on the Bethnal Green Road. Neither too cold ,nor overcarbonated this 6.5% was very drinkable and full of citrus flavours but balanced by a pleasant sweetness.Dont ask how much a schooner cost ,however:o

[Mobyduck]

A little more action than expected.
Red Cat Scratch
Red Cat Mr M's Porter*
Long Man Long Blonde
Kronenbourg (Lager)
Guinness ( Keg Stout)
Greene King Yardbird
Dark Star Hophead Mosaic*
Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay
Kew Botanic
Adnams Mosaic*
XT 1 (Blonde)
Wild Weather NW3
Purity UBU
Gales Seafarers
Robinsons Dizzy Blonde
Ballards Golden Bine
Flowerpots Goodens Gold*

The BOTW is the excellent Dark Star Mosaic, I had all but given up on finding this January seasonal variation, but then mid feb I find it in both Cobbets Micropub, (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82200/) and later in the week in the Antelope (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/53206/),both excellent but a little better in the latter pub, but about 80p more expensive, the Adnams version ran it close,also taken in The Antelope, on a different day.

[london calling]

Stayed local this week and drank pints
marco Paulo-bitter v2 (horrible)
marco Paulo -apa v2 (tasted infected)
siren -proteus
kew-join the kew ipa
Wimbledon -phoenix
harveys -sussex (couldn't finish my pint got bored halfway through it)
BOTW was
dan,s -porter 5.2 in as usual superb condition at the Magpie and Crown Brentford.

[Aqualung]

This week saw a visit to "awkward" Brigg in N Lincs and a rampage around all the S Yorks JDWs not yet visited :-

Ossett Yorkshire Blonde 3.9%
Thornbridge Brother Rabbit 4.0%
Elland Beyond The Pale 4.2%
Acorn Old Moor Porter 4.4%
Bradfield Farmers Stout 4.5%
Tom Wood's Bomber County 4.8%
Milestone French Cockerels 4.8%
Kelham Island Black Lightning 4.8%
Half Moon Robustus Lunam 5.0%
Acorn Pekko IPA 5.0%
Ossett Snake Mocha Stout 5.0%
Dukeries Farmers Branch 5.0%
Sharp's Sea Spray 5.0%
Fuggle Bunny Russian Rare-Bit 5.0%
Kelham Island Pale Rider 5.2%
Daleside Monkey Wrench 5.3%
Milestone Dark Galleon 5.4%
Little Critters Chameleon Simcoe 5.5%
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9%
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (keg) 5.9%
Blue Bee Born In The USA 6.0%
Elland 1872 Porter 6.5%
Little Critters C Monster 6.5%
Little Critters Imperial Coffee Stout 7.2%


It was interesting to try Jaipur on both keg and cask on the same day. I marginally preferred the keg at a Spoons but may feel different if I had stayed for more than one. It was 5p cheaper than the cask in the Sheffield Tap. However, I'm going for Little Critters C Monster as tried for £2.65 in the not aptly named Sheffield Woodseats Palace (£2.65) which went down a treat with a large breakfast.


BOTW Little Critters C Monster

[oldboots]

An interesting week,

Bad Co - Comfortably Numb
Thornbridge - Kipling
Harrogate - ?
North Riding - Cascade pale
Kingfisher - Lager
Bosuns Brewing Co - Bermuda Triangle
Issac Poad - No 84
Elland - 1872 Porter
Rudgate - Jeruselem
Brew York - Maris the Otter
Brew York - Little Eagle
Rudgate - Ruby Mild
Portobello - Market Porter
Cobra - Lager
Saltaire - Blonde
Bad Co - Wild Gravity
Marstons - Wainwright
Moorhouses - Blonde Witch
Trinity - Belle Vue Blonde
Taylors - Boltmaker
Credence - White Session IPA
North Riding - Rum n Raisin Dark Mild


BOTW probably should have been the Harrogate beer but it was a one off and I didn't get the name, anyway there's only a fag paper between it and the Rudgate Ruby Mild sampled in the Blue Bell in York so it'll be the Rudgate. The Rum N Raisin was good if you like rum N raisin chocolates but don't drink more than a half at once.

[aleandhearty]

The annual Wakefield Food, Drink & Rhubarb Festival provided a good excuse to wander round the city's finest, over the weekend, whilst sampling some of the inevitable rhubarb themed beers.

Vocation - Chop & Change.
Shiny - Happy People.*
Otter - Amber.
Seven Brothers - Ruby.*
North Riding - Mosaic Pale.*
Thornbridge - Jaipur.
Yorkshire Heart - Rhu-Bar.*
Slaters - Rye IPA.
Rudgate - York Chocolate Stout.*
Neepsend - Blonde.
Ridgeside - Black Night.
Beer Ink - Double IPA.
Fernandes - Half Nelson.
Riverhead - Rhubarb & Rosehip.

The Rhu-Bar was actually very good. Naturally, it was rather tart, but with a richness that belied its strength at 3.7%. However, a pint was definitely enough! By contrast, the Rhubarb & Rosehip was a step too far. Definitely too much for my palate. BOTW was the very impressive Mosaic Pale, fresh as a daisy, at Harry's Bar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60167/). North Riding are rapidly becoming one of my 'go to' breweries.

[Wittenden]

Kent
Dark Star Hophead 3.8%. Pure and simple. Back on form.

[Mobyduck]

The annual Wakefield Food, Drink & Rhubarb Festival provided a good excuse to wander round the city's finest, over the weekend, whilst sampling some of the inevitable rhubarb themed beers.

Vocation - Chop & Change.
Shiny - Happy People.*
Otter - Amber.
Seven Brothers - Ruby.*
North Riding - Mosaic Pale.*
Thornbridge - Jaipur.
Yorkshire Heart - Rhu-Bar.*
Slaters - Rye IPA.
Rudgate - York Chocolate Stout.*
Neepsend - Blonde.
Ridgeside - Black Night.
Beer Ink - Double IPA.
Fernandes - Half Nelson.
Riverhead - Rhubarb & Rosehip.

The Rhu-Bar was actually very good. Naturally, it was rather tart, but with a richness that belied its strength at 3.7%. However, a pint was definitely enough! By contrast, the Rhubarb & Rosehip was a step too far. Definitely too much for my palate. BOTW was the very impressive Mosaic Pale, fresh as a daisy, at Harry's Bar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60167/). North Riding are rapidly becoming one of my 'go to' breweries.

I have to say if mosaic is present in a beer its a winner, if you like hops that is.

[aleandhearty]

I have to say if mosaic is present in a beer its a winner, if you like hops that is.

Couldn't agree more, Moby.

[Wittenden]

I have to say if mosaic is present in a beer its a winner, if you like hops that is.

Only knowingly tried it once-Adnams Mosaic Pale- a couple of years back, but I'm afraid it wasn't in tiptop condition. Looking back, it was probably a bit edgy for the house in which I took it, and hadn't sold well. I'm still looking for the Dark Star Hophead version.

[Mobyduck]

Kent
Dark Star Hophead 3.8%. Pure and simple. Back on form.
I'm glad it appears to be back on form, I had become disillusioned with it over the last 18 months or so. Unfortunately its no longer available in my local since Dark Star quite rightly told Enterprise and SIBA to sod off.
This year's special, Mosaic variation is particularly good.

[Real Ale Ray]

Dark Star Mosaic in perfect condition in the Wildcat micropub Bournville

[Komakino]

A trip to Leighton Buzzard and some local stop-offs:

Rebellion IPA (3.7%)
Brakspear Jerusalem (3.8%)*
BrewDog Dead Pony Club (3.8%) (can)
Haresfoot Lock Keeper's (3.9%)
Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge (3.9%)
Wadworth Dirty Rucker (3.9%)
Joule's Penny Pincher (4.0%)
GK Grubber (4.2%)
Rebellion Reformer (4.2%)
Rebellion Smuggler (4.2%)
Tring Moongazing (4.2%)
Salopian Darwin's Origin (4.3%)
Southwark Bermondsey Best (4.4%)
Adnams Ghost Ship (4.5%)
Mad Goose Purity UBU (4.5%)*
St Austell Proper Job (4.5%)
Wychwood Hobgoblin (4.5%)
XT 15 (4.5%) (bottle)
CW / Courage Directors (4.8%)
Fuller's HSB (4.8%)
Dark Star The Original (5.0%)

Again, a lack of fancy names and exotic hop combinations and an introduction to the yawn-worthy punnage of Six Nations brews, so it's with a touch of irony / schadenfreude that BOTW of the week was one of them - Brakspear's Jerusalem - sampled at leafy Fingest's Chequers (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/58025/). The Purity ran it a close second...

BOTW: Brakspear Jerusalem

[ROBCamra]

I'm going to have to hop on to the Dark Star Hophead Mosaic bandwagon.

Tried in The Harlequin (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43206/) in Sheffield whilst chatting to Pete the brewer from Exit 33.:cheers: