Beer of the Week (w/e 20th May 2018)

[ROBCamra]

Mobyduck: Roosters Baby Faced Assassin
Aqualung: Salopian 1000 Yard Stare
Bucking Fastard: Fool Hardy Russian Roulette
Thuck Phat: Fool Hardy Russian Roulette
aleandhearty: Ilkley Crossroads IPA
rpadam: Gadds' Old School Mild
Wittenden: Old Dairy Spring Top
Real Ale Ray: Conwy Beachcomber Blonde
ROBCamra: Hogshead Hoppy Valley

[Mobyduck]

Purity UBU
Hop Back GFB
Flowerpots Perridge Pale
Wantsum 1381
Adnams Oyster Stout
Adnams Cucumelon Sour
Twisted Oak Spun Gold
Windswept APA
Triple fff Dazed and Confused
Andwells Spring Magic
Saltaire Galaxy Pale
Roosters Cream
Roosters Baby Faced Assasin
Dervinito Barbarian Stout
ELB Quadrant Oatmeal Stout
Firebird Citra Single Hop
Kelham Island Easy Rider
Three Brothers ThaIPA
Twickenham Rye Smile
Weltons Buckland Shag

A good beer week aided by the Kingston beer festival, some honorable mentions are the Easy Rider, ThaIPA , Adnams Oyster Stout and Cucumelon Sour, but the easy winner by a stretch is,
Roosters Baby Faced Assasin ,excellent.

[Aqualung]

A fair week :-


Dogbreath Owd Wick 3.7%
Holden's Black Country Bitter 3.8%
Black Sheep Baa Baa Pale 4.0%
Nene Valley Manhattan Project 4.0%
Sarah Hughes SPA 4.2%
Burton Bridge Bridge Strike (Bridge Bitter) 4.2%
Buffys Mucky Duck 4.2%
Purity UBU 4.5%
Brinkburn St Byker Brown 4.8%
Dogbreath Smoke On The Water 5.0%
Pheasantry Vulcan Blue Steel 5.0%
Arkell's Kingsdown 5.0%
Holden's Special 5.1%
Hop Shed Phoenix Porter 5.2%
Salopian 1000 Yard Stare 5.2%
Dancing Duck Abduction 5.5%
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9%
Black Country Ales Millennial Pale Ale 6.0%
Greene King Abbot Reserve 6.5%


The winner is the Salopian 1000 Yard Stare as tried for £3.30 in the Wolverhampton Great Western. None of these were complete duds but Salopian seem to have created another winner by just varying the hops a lot and the ABV slightly. I've no idea what the name is all about.
Anyone planning a visit to the Great Western should note that the old route via the subway and footpath closed today but they have built a new car park to the immediate left of the Rail Station that you can walk through and find the cobbled street to the left leading down to it. There are no steps to negotiate. Apparently they are building a new station and extending the tram to it.


BOTW Salopian 1000 Yard Stare

[Bucking Fastard]

Dorset and Oxfordshire.

Otter -- Ale
Salopian -- Shropshire Gold
Revolutions -- Grip
Blue Bee -- Ginger Beer
Titanic -- Plum Porter *
Bakehouse -- Liquid Bread
Windsor & Eton -- Windsor Knot , and.....

Fool Hardy -- Russian Roulette * (>3PT),easily BOTW on superb form in The Bailiff's Tap (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/85595/) on a great evening of pub gossip,banter and beer.Always some interesting coves in this true micropub.

Next week looking de minimis .

[Thuck Phat]

This week:

Salopian Shropshire Gold
Revolutions Grip
Downton Chocolate Orangey Delight
Titanic Plum Porter*
Windsor and Eton Windsor Knot*
Animal London Porter*
Fool Hardy Russian Roulette*
Oakham Bishops Farewell*

Another vote for BOTW Fool Hardy Russian Roulette. A crisp, hoppy, bitter, 5% IPA which flew through the 3 pint test becoming ever more drinkable on a warm evening.

[aleandhearty]

A total mixed bag of a week, based on a flying visit to Sowerby Bridge. On the up side, I managed to try five new beers and visit four new pubs. However, on the down side, four of the seven venues had problems with beer quality. I suspect the problem in most cases was the lack of turnover in the hot weather, with beer sitting in the lines far longer than it should.

Don Valley - Gongoozler.
Goose Eye - Spring Wells.
Bingley - Bantam Gold.
Leeds / Tetley's - No.3 Pale.
Timothy Taylor - Cook Lane IPA.*
Salopian - Golden Thread.
Mallinsons - Cascade.
Abbeydale - Deception.*
Madness - Absolutely.
Hogshead Brewhouse - Old Schnozzler.
Hogshead Brewhouse - Happy Valley.
Ilkley - Crossroads IPA.*

Was really looking forward to trying the much heralded No.3, but unfortunately it was one of those definitely below par, so it would be unfair to pass judgement. Very little between the three highlighted beers, but the Crossroads IPA just stole it. Tried at The Shepherds Rest (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/41206/)

[rpadam]

Gadds' Old School Mild, partaken of in the village club. Yum...

[Wittenden]

Kent.Nothing outstanding.

Shepherd Neame-Master Brew Bitter.3.7%abv. First time sampled in ages.Not really as I remember it.
Shepherd Neame-Whitstable Bay Pale Ale.3.9%abv. Probably my default Shep's beer now, not that I often frequent Shep's houses.
Tonbridge-Traditional 3.6%abv. Unfortunately going off-tincture of Sarsons.A pity, as when good this is a favourite of mine.
Old Dairy-Copper Top 4.1%abv. Dependable dark best bitter.
Old Dairy-Spring Top 4%abv. Zesty, nettley hops.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds)- No 7 3.8%abv.Dependable earthy and herbaceous.

My BOTW is a close run thing between the Spring Top and No 7.The Old Dairy just takes it, if only because it's pretty damn local for me.

[Real Ale Ray]

Conwy - Beachcomber Blonde in Corner Post (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/83480/)

[ROBCamra]

Hogs Head Hoppy Valley. A 4.3% session ale tried in the rather excellent Hogs Head Brew House (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/83750/) in Sowerby Bridge.

I also bumped into a&h in here.

One of us will no doubt get round to reviewing it soon. :cheers: