Beer of the Week (w/e 10th November 2019)

[ROBCamra]

:cheers:

[london calling]

Localish
turning point -project zeus
franklins -kaleidehop
brass castle -session mini ipa
nottinghill -cinnamon oatmeal stout
kent -Halloween scream
ansbach +hobday -theordinary bitter
Whitstable -green glory
Whitstable -slightly anchored
vocation -breakfast club
howling hops -last post
and BOTW
again
vocation -love and hate (though very good beers again this week)

[Mobyduck]

Generally localish as well

Long Man Long Blonde
Flowerpots Perridge Pale
Marstons Saddle Tank
Milton Sparta
Great Heck Dave
Stockport South Island Pale
Nethergate Old Growler
Revolutions Slippery When Wet
Pennine IPA

BOTW is a dark beer for the second week in a row, Great Heck Dave in great condition in The Alfred.
(https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35750/)

[Aqualung]

A final visit to the local Rose and Crown beer fest and a visit to the new JDW in Rainham Kent gave this :-

Wild Beer Bibble 4.2%
Westerham Family Stout 4.5%
Summerskills Menacing Dennis 4.5%
Purity UBU 4.5%
Mad Squirrel De La Creme 4.5%
Elland Ell And Back 4.6%
Leeds Midnight Bell 4.8%
Thornbridge Hacksaw 5.0%
Pomoma Island APA 5.3%
Five Points Brickfield Brown 5.4%
Brewdog Punk IPA (keg) 5.4%
Westerham Audit Ale 6.0%
Oakham Alpha Inception IPA (cans) 6.0%
ELB Imperial Stout 9.0%


I'm going for something different this week, the new JDW craft cans of Oakham Alpha Inception IPA which was £3.98 for two cans making it £3.43 a pint by my reckoning. I loved it and according to the Spiel on the can it has five American hops. If you're in a JDW with a rubbish cask choice then this is a good option.

Next week may be a quiet week as I've got to have some tests done to see if I've any blood in my veins rather than just alcohol.

BOTW Oakham Alpha Inception

[Aqualung]

BOTW is a dark beer for the second week in a row, Great Heck Dave in great condition in The Alfred.
(https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35750/)

What did you make of the Saddle Tank? I'd put it on a par with Doom Bore. Marston's seem to have completely lost the plot. I also have severe doubts about Purity. Their UBU in the local Rose & Crown was a classic example of a boring brown beer to avoid. The only one of their beers I've liked is a strong dark one of which I've forgotten the name.

[Wittenden]

Kent:very local.

Adnams-Ghost Ship 4.5%abv:Hops 'n' sea breezes.
Goachers-Special House Ale 3.9%abv:Earthy,in great nick.
Rother Valley-Ruby Wheat Beer 4.4%abv:Dark and grainy,:no cloves as I'd half expected, but background fruit.

My BOTW-Goachers Special House Beer,taken at The Three Chimneys (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/58977/) .I'd given up on the beer in this pub for over a year,but on Tuesday,it was fine.

[Spinko]

Brew York - Empress Tonkoko imperial stout. Two halves of this in Stockton's Top of the Hops.

[hondo]

Fourpure - Juicebox keg

[aleandhearty]

A very quiet week, but at least I actually made it to the bar, unlike last week.

North Riding - Mosaic.*
Stancill - Treason.

The Treason sounded great from the description on the pump clip - 'Spiced Yorkshire Parkin Porter'. Unfortunately, all I got was a vague ginger taste on the palate. Disappointing.

[Bucking Fastard]

Just a gentle stroll from Chancery Lane to Covent Garden.


Toast Ale -- Session IPA (bottle)
Tiny Rebel -- Stay Puft *
Navigation -- Rebel
Higson's -- NZIPA
Oakham -- JHB
Sadlers -- Peaky Blinders Black IPA

BOTW goes to Tiny Rebel Stay Puft in near perfect condition (NBSS 4.5) in Ye Olde Mitre (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23381/) ,on a revisit to an old haunt which impressed.I really enjoy this marshmallow porter,especially now the nights are drawing in.

Engine troubles are curtailing my cruising,next week looks barren.

[Aqualung]

BOTW goes to Tiny Rebel Stay Puft in near perfect condition (NBSS 4.5) in Ye Olde Mitre (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23381/)

I was introduced to Ye Olde Mitre by a Geordie bloke when I first started working in Holborn in 1975. The attraction then was that it was hard to find not the fact it was Ind Coope. My first introduction to Tiny Rebel was in Forest Hill when the Cwtch was fantastic. It was nowhere near as hoppy on the last day of the local Rose & Crown beer festival but I may have caught the end of the cask. I've a stay in Cardiff lined up so look forward to visiting their outlet there and Newport on the way back.

[Mobyduck]

What did you make of the Saddle Tank? I'd put it on a par with Doom Bore. Marston's seem to have completely lost the plot. I also have severe doubts about Purity. Their UBU in the local Rose & Crown was a classic example of a boring brown beer to avoid. The only one of their beers I've liked is a strong dark one of which I've forgotten the name.

The Saddle Tank was at best less than average in the interest stakes,finding myself in a Marstons pub I had the other choice of Pedigree(which I have never liked) or the two Hobgoblins (normal and Gold), What did surprise me was I was charged £3.75 for the pint and a packet of crisps,It turns out all cask was £2.75 on Mondays ,albeit only Marstons beers available.Don't know the dark Purity beer, unless its the keg only 5.8% Saddle Black.

[Thuck Phat]

What did you make of the Saddle Tank? I'd put it on a par with Doom Bore. Marston's seem to have completely lost the plot. I also have severe doubts about Purity. Their UBU in the local Rose & Crown was a classic example of a boring brown beer to avoid. The only one of their beers I've liked is a strong dark one of which I've forgotten the name.

Agree on UBU. The dark one is Saddle Black (https://puritybrewing.com/our-beers/saddle-black/?v=79cba1185463) which was very good on cask when I found it some years ago. Mad Goose is never a bad fall back but Gold has been taken off in my local due to inconsistent quality despite being on there for many years, having a dedicated following and a personal visit from the brewer.

[Thuck Phat]

BOTW Parkway Brewing Black Widow. Dark and 4.9% but fairly unmemorable aside from being the only cask beer of the week.

[aleandhearty]

BOTW Parkway Brewing Black Widow. Dark and 4.9% but fairly unmemorable...

I've tried three of their beers so far this year (Mad Dog, Norwegian Blue, Resolution) and found them all a bit functional. Just one of those breweries, I suspect.

[Mobyduck]

Agree on UBU. Gold has been taken off in my local due to inconsistent quality
Interesting , Gold was a regular at my local a year or so ago , and was dispensed with for the same quality inconsistency issues.

[Aqualung]

Don't know the dark Purity beer, unless its the keg only 5.8% Saddle Black.

It was Saddle Black but I noted the abv as 5.1%. It was probably in a Midlands JDW possibly during the October festival. I can't think why Purity would do any keg as apart from that one I've found their beers quite dull.

Edit: Thanks to TP for confirming it isn't just me!!

[Wittenden]

I've tried three of their beers so far this year (Mad Dog, Norwegian Blue, Resolution) and found them all a bit functional. Just one of those breweries, I suspect.

Likewise,I was underwhelmed by Big Ben's APA. I quite often see their beers in Kent micros.

[Thuck Phat]

I've tried three of their beers so far this year (Mad Dog, Norwegian Blue, Resolution) and found them all a bit functional. Just one of those breweries, I suspect.

Useful to know. It was the first time I've seen them but would't be making an effort to seek them out.

[Thuck Phat]

It was Saddle Black but I noted the abv as 5.1%. It was probably in a Midlands JDW possibly during the October festival. I can't think why Purity would do any keg as apart from that one I've found their beers quite dull.

Edit: Thanks to TP for confirming it isn't just me!!

The cask version I had was 5.1% at the Coal Hole (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22063/) but as mentioned some years ago.

I've had the Longhorn IPA (https://puritybrewing.com/our-beers/longhorn/?v=79cba1185463) on keg in the summer when there was little else going and it was cold and wet and reasonably drinkable. Not sure if they do it on cask even.

[Aqualung]

[QUOTE=Thuck Phat;103834
I've had the Longhorn IPA (https://puritybrewing.com/our-beers/longhorn/?v=79cba1185463) on keg in the summer when there was little else going and it was cold and wet and reasonably drinkable. Not sure if they do it on cask even.[/QUOTE]

The E17 Rose & Crown does it, but I've never bothered with it. I really don't rate the brewery, although there are worse!