Beer of the Week (w/e 16th December 2018)

[ROBCamra]

:cheers:

[Tris39]

Wimbledon Brewery's XXK in The Prince Alfred (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22729/). Notes of red berries, spice and caramel were sufficiently muted so as not to be detected without the prompt. Not a bad drop, but so it should be at £5.10 a pint!

[Mobyduck]

Dark Star Hophead
Timothy Taylor Landlord
Wantsum Heart Of Darkness
Lytham Blonde
Lytham IPA
Purity Bunny Hop
Flowerpots Perridge Pale
Hop Back Entire Stout

First place easily goes to the Entire Stout, Its always been a good beer and on this evidence remains so.

[Bucking Fastard]

Harlow,Croydon,Daventry and Borough Market.

Burning Sky -- Aurora *
Mc Mullens -- Bootwarmer
Mc Mullens -- AK
Adnams -- Ghost Ship
Titanic -- Plum Porter * (3PT)
Bedlam -- Golden Ale
Leyden -- Rammy Rocket *
Hop Stuff /Barbarian -- Jolly Cooperation Sour IPA *(keg)

BOTW goes to Hop Stuff/Barbarian Jolly Cooperation taken in The Rake. (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55175/)It certainly was sharp but not overpowering and the IPA complexity came through.Drinkable at 6% as long as you can cope with sour .Just glad it wasn't my round.;)

Next week a major session in The Cask and an annual Hertford Pub Crawl,should be large.

[trainman]

So often mentioned on these pages, but I have to go for Titanic Plum Porter, in Croydon's George (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35541/) yesterday and again later in recently improved Claret & Ale (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35524/). A whoosh of juicy loveliness, distilled plum!

Very pleasant to briefly bump into BF and son, and Palace pal, in the George, also my ex-next-door neighbour Brian and son, all taking some anaesthetic before going to Selhurst Park - well done for breaking the 'without Zaha' curse chaps..!

[london calling]

Some great beers up London midweek
London brewing-never mind the kent hops
gan yam -pal citra
cloudwater -extra special bitter(like Doombar on steroids hated this .bought a pint as well.fool
watneys -ravens beer
ilkley -holy raspberry stout
grey trees -afghan
st peters -plum porter
botw
gypsy hill -inspecter 4.5 (a Christmas mild)

[Bucking Fastard]

So often mentioned on these pages, but I have to go for Titanic Plum Porter, in Croydon's George (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35541/) yesterday and again later in recently improved Claret & Ale (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35524/). A whoosh of juicy loveliness, distilled plum!

Very pleasant to briefly bump into BF and son, and Palace pal, in the George, also my ex-next-door neighbour Brian and son, all taking some anaesthetic before going to Selhurst Park - well done for breaking the 'without Zaha' curse chaps..!

Good to see you Jim,hope the darts went well.Ending the curse resulted in an impromtu visit to The Rake and BOTW,but the Plum Porter was also very good and necessary.

[oldboots]

1734

[aleandhearty]

Good week for me, largely based on an annual Christmas wander round Skipton, despite the best efforts of Northern Rail.


Wishbone - Tiller Pin. *
Bingley - 1848.
Wilde Child - Enfant Terrible.*
Turning Point - Sleeping Giant.*
North Riding - APA.
Roosters - Baby Faced Assassin.*
Bingley - Rhubarb Saison.
Beer Monkey - Blond.
Timothy Taylor - Golden Best.
Wilde Child - California Love.
Ilkley - Mary Christmas.
Five Towns - Sweet Thing.
Imperial - Stout Wi' Nowt Tekken' Out.

Firstly, an honourable mention for the Enfant Terrible - great flavour for a 3.1% beer. However, the crown goes to Sleeping Giant, a porter with hints of spice. Sampled in The Narrow Boat (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55461/).

[Thuck Phat]

Quiet:

Marstons Bass*
Adnams Ghost Ship
Oakham Bishops Farewell*

BOTW goes to a particularly well kept Bass.

[Wittenden]

Kent:quiet

Shepherd Neame.Master Brew Bitter 3.7%abv. Sole pint this week:I didn't think I'd bother with BOTW this time, as I've long fallen out of love with Master Brew. However, this was exquisite, mellow, with non of the harshness I'd grown to dislike.

[Aqualung]

More time in the West Midlands but no Batham's XXX and more surprisingly no Holden's Old Ale :-

Olde Swan Ma Pardoes Original 3.5%
Teignworthy Neap Tide 3.8%
Holden's Black Country Bitter 3.9%
Milestone Comet 4.2%
Olde Swan Dark Swan 4.2%
Batham's Best 4.3%
Flying Monk Jackdaw 4.3%
Mantle Moho 4.3%
Olde Swan Entire 4.4%
Elland Elland Back 4.6%
Froth Blowers Cloudburst 4.6%
Salopian Golden Thread 5.0%
Millstone True Grit 5.0%
Elland Winter Wonderland 5.0%
Holden's Special 5.1%
Finney's DunkelSeite 5.2%
Gorgeous Ruby Red Porter 5.5%
Hook Norton Twelve Days 5.5%
Kelham Island Drinking In The Air 5.5%
Holden's Dragons Blood 5.6%
Woods Christmas Cracker 6.0%
Titanic Plum Porter Reserve 6.5%
Elland 1872 Porter 6.5%
Salopian Limerence 6.6%
Sarah Hughes Snowflake 8.0%

I'm going for the Salopian Limerence as tried for £3.30 in the shy Segley Mount Pleasant. I found it impossible to tell if it was a fruit beer as it was packed with flavour and aroma. I did get the start of the cask.

BOTW Salopian Limerence

[Real Ale Ray]

Wily Fox - Skylark in the Corner Post, Crosby. Easily passed the three pint test...

[Millay]

Had a few last week, including some 'crafty' stuff. The Christmas beers are certainly now out in force.

Oakham - Mk. VII
Windsor & Eton - Silent Night of the Garter
Tring - Citra Session
Salopian - Lemon Dream
Pope's Yard - Frogmore Bitter
Windsor & Eton - Roast Chestnut Ale
Exmoor - Exmas
Butcombe - Chris Moose
Binghams - V Old Ale
Trumans - Zephyr
New Wharf - DIPA Simcoe, Mosaic & Centennial
New Wharf - Vanilla Sky
Brasserie de la Senne - Zinnebir
New Wharf - Breakfast Stout Bourbon Barrel
Ringwood - Old Thumper
Banks & Taylor - Santa Slayer
Titanic - Plum Porter Grand Reserve Port Infused
Adnams - Sloe Storm

The Titanic was interesting. I've had the Plum Porter Grand Reserve before, but this was bottled and marked 'Port Infused'. A mate brought a 2 litre bottle to my local and a few of us shared it. But my BotW goes to Binghams V Old Ale, dark and warmingly fruity.