Blog Tracker
25-07-2022, 09:14
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/07/keeping-faith.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbdTSQFJynLpPCFEOK6uG1_NzQNXBxu2qHgzzRBgX0 gU2CWU-NlKdXf-p4qnu5w2JRZKRk0Df9YdVpXoPIDTzjgVKRqTRdkpyNWakuLYQx tk-hghkX-Qi7jVggQgLwMuPtGI7sqYBZ9Exy2DMDEY7Vt64ZSYUonZnn2jc Li8naVKIwi4K7Q/w200-h166/fidelity_2022_ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbdTSQFJynLpPCFEOK6uG1_NzQNXBxu2qHgzzRBgX0 gU2CWU-NlKdXf-p4qnu5w2JRZKRk0Df9YdVpXoPIDTzjgVKRqTRdkpyNWakuLYQx tk-hghkX-Qi7jVggQgLwMuPtGI7sqYBZ9Exy2DMDEY7Vt64ZSYUonZnn2jc Li8naVKIwi4K7Q/s2736/fidelity_2022_ext.jpg)Three years after the inaugural event, Fidelity was back in the Round Room of the Mansion House a couple of weeks ago. It's the only festival of its kind in Ireland, where punters pay up front and have free run of forty producers' stands, each pouring two beers (with a handful of ciders and meads) per session. In a change to the previous iteration it was split across two days rather than having a daytime and evening session -- I guess they get more people going to both that way. One for me was plenty and I rocked up on the Friday.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvoyuuvN5_08WLz3AP5w4W0e5ZvAPrJ4T4owIGvc7Ts hpsfGdEcogISRwpitKgkNTLQQt0VP4gd5eIbMA2PcYzZPOwhZe 47y3bk5utxjZsFeFAjr9uhTCV76aHc_bdz08V6GkWmuQRpwDvm DdAGCotK-LhdH5bZR3Y6FY_VRM1ISJTyyl_Fg/w200-h147/third_barrel_funks_old_brother_brett_beer.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvoyuuvN5_08WLz3AP5w4W0e5ZvAPrJ4T4owIGvc7Ts hpsfGdEcogISRwpitKgkNTLQQt0VP4gd5eIbMA2PcYzZPOwhZe 47y3bk5utxjZsFeFAjr9uhTCV76aHc_bdz08V6GkWmuQRpwDvm DdAGCotK-LhdH5bZR3Y6FY_VRM1ISJTyyl_Fg/s1800/third_barrel_funks_old_brother_brett_beer.jpg)Havi ng done some light perusing of the advance beer lists, the first thing to catch my eye was from local outfit Third Barrel, specifically their 3-year Brettanomyces fermented Funk's Old Brother. It's a beaut too: golden coloured, 7.1% ABV and tasting like the stronger sort of geuze, with huge incense spicing and bitter herbal resins, backed by a softer white grape and honeydew melon softness. While there's a lot going on, it's perfectly smooth and mellow. The only downside was not being able to take time with it; it deserved some slow considered sipping. But is isn't that sort of gig.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsdorbi2MFbq0jE9b4bfaMzgyMH3qEathGMCccySHNh r1Fh4G_QrO5cckcwphmwV9dDeipejamqEC-LJUf9tOPI3HGY3mHkV4n_35BKwhw-2utkrMSsmhoP4i854AercrD2MWGabbzt1m_4uXQy9cRXXBMB-0q2o3QVWwQ_sAzNZS5E8bFMs/w200-h166/land_and_labour_finnberry.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsdorbi2MFbq0jE9b4bfaMzgyMH3qEathGMCccySHNh r1Fh4G_QrO5cckcwphmwV9dDeipejamqEC-LJUf9tOPI3HGY3mHkV4n_35BKwhw-2utkrMSsmhoP4i854AercrD2MWGabbzt1m_4uXQy9cRXXBMB-0q2o3QVWwQ_sAzNZS5E8bFMs/s2195/land_and_labour_finnberry.jpg)I kept it Irish for the next couple, and over to Land & Labour where they had a sequel to their previous stunner Lúnaberry -- Finnberry -- swapping the blueberries for blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, while still very much in the style of a fruit geuze. It goes very heavy on the fruit, though tasting real, not jammy or artificial. Then there's a waxy, oaky side from the base beer. The two don't quite integrate, at least not yet. I can taste that this will be excellent when it has time to age out and meld the flavours together. Right now it's enjoyable but not at Lúnaberry's very high standard.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YsJ7gmwGn23pUvGIh2jdXYN2l4kdeHQeu-l7Wu8IsScEmq-O8Vgq_WWITr83KrqH_DkvS2KLhHVNET2LzICWVNAKWO6KwDqA5 0iGB9ugdpP3LVhHcqdU1MbMCL_nYicBqpPXfK9Dv8RTQsssYKo OJ9Y4d3ZrlHavrTUsmeCwsTQxilZegLo/w200-h151/dot_brew_ba_mezcal_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YsJ7gmwGn23pUvGIh2jdXYN2l4kdeHQeu-l7Wu8IsScEmq-O8Vgq_WWITr83KrqH_DkvS2KLhHVNET2LzICWVNAKWO6KwDqA5 0iGB9ugdpP3LVhHcqdU1MbMCL_nYicBqpPXfK9Dv8RTQsssYKo OJ9Y4d3ZrlHavrTUsmeCwsTQxilZegLo/s2255/dot_brew_ba_mezcal_sour.jpg)As one might expect, DOT brought a number of barrel aged imperial stouts to the festival but I wasn't really in the mood for that, at least not this early in proceedings, so from there I went with the BA Mezcal Sour, another golden one and an innocent 4.2% ABV. It still managed to get excellent value out of the barrel, imparting a luscious Gewürztraminer sweetness which matched well with a full and greasy Mezcal-like texture. The sourness is little more than an appley tang, but that's all that's necessary to give it character. Complex yet refreshing is just what a summer event like this needs.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2fTOeWuwnabUrGfMcNWY8Hi0U4d45MZ5Bm0IUVGq38 UkBRJ8tUPacAB6gNtjx1YaIPEbkrApScNnXeZ70s-oUsc9i3zUz5g3Ldk5mt7_aEyTEi5QmnGyd12nsdg_0gaHEP3sE JqaN43hk6ag1MdloSqIxJIgBoMvqA39PIp8bWLDEoYPg9g/w200-h174/beerbliotek_random_brandon_grape_skin_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2fTOeWuwnabUrGfMcNWY8Hi0U4d45MZ5Bm0IUVGq38 UkBRJ8tUPacAB6gNtjx1YaIPEbkrApScNnXeZ70s-oUsc9i3zUz5g3Ldk5mt7_aEyTEi5QmnGyd12nsdg_0gaHEP3sE JqaN43hk6ag1MdloSqIxJIgBoMvqA39PIp8bWLDEoYPg9g/s2250/beerbliotek_random_brandon_grape_skin_sour.jpg)It was at this point I wondered if I could make it through the five hours without letting an IPA pass my lips. Surely every beer is basically an hazy double IPA these days? How far could I get? I pondered this over a grape ale from Swedish brewer Beerbliotek, called Random Brandon. No classy and vinous Italian job this, going big and sweet with estery Jolly Rancher candy (green ones) and a generous splash of pineapple juice. A kind of mineral sulphurous note adds an unwelcome rubbery twang to the finish. It's OK, and didn't take up too much of my time, despite the stonking ABV of 7.3%. Careful now.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAATptGEgtyLc44RSqOyYMf3sMU-k7UXWU5Xw46VpUJ5pGBdFGKTd4C7Uk1Dzzuuckkj5NL5tEPAY2 pPGyRbPML1PGC56_zWDivZTf6bbvEVoAbxBGgIdUMpfwbW0Knu ug_nnUEuFbNMb5gJea85o50DKOQ4qBek4gMso7lw28H3BAhXsg PAY/w200-h149/puhaste_albert.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAATptGEgtyLc44RSqOyYMf3sMU-k7UXWU5Xw46VpUJ5pGBdFGKTd4C7Uk1Dzzuuckkj5NL5tEPAY2 pPGyRbPML1PGC56_zWDivZTf6bbvEVoAbxBGgIdUMpfwbW0Knu ug_nnUEuFbNMb5gJea85o50DKOQ4qBek4gMso7lw28H3BAhXsg PAY/s2035/puhaste_albert.jpg)Estonians Pühaste fared better with something a little similar, using plums rather than grapes and keeping the ABV down(ish) at 7%. With Albert you can really taste the alcohol though not so much the fruit. Instead there's some very lambic-like vibes, intensely sour with plenty of wild-fermented funk and an intense gunpowder spicing. This is much less of a novelty than the above and I suspect has had a much longer maturation. The result is altogether more serious, and more enjoyable to me for that. It's not the sort of thing I associate with Pühaste, but it's wonderful to see they can do it. I'll be looking out for more of its ilk from them.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7WfQ1C-mwX_bIY2qH19g5yZVrPGK77566cnXcD8R2CDPzUF1xptH4H0tN oe0VjNVIslngUYAWa5UiBe9otNzjHr5QpIMn5gqKWe5rGM_lkj OQEytLl1HelgbAX9pTlb3yBMWCddwUmgapIwlcSP8FbvWYV8Yg nRkpZ-vx2wgxmrKzW1DU8Q/w200-h158/coolhead_passion_of_the_beets_nordic_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7WfQ1C-mwX_bIY2qH19g5yZVrPGK77566cnXcD8R2CDPzUF1xptH4H0tN oe0VjNVIslngUYAWa5UiBe9otNzjHr5QpIMn5gqKWe5rGM_lkj OQEytLl1HelgbAX9pTlb3yBMWCddwUmgapIwlcSP8FbvWYV8Yg nRkpZ-vx2wgxmrKzW1DU8Q/s2255/coolhead_passion_of_the_beets_nordic_sour.jpg)Seri ously sour was only going to hold out so long, and it was only a matter of time before the really silly fruit stuff came my way. The medal for silliest recipe goes to the Finns of CoolHead and their fully self-explanatory Passion of the Beets. Yes, passionfruit and beetroot, together at last. Neither are particularly shy as beer ingredients normally and they both sing in this: all the sweet and cooling tropical sorbet effect from the fruit and then a powerful earthiness from the vegetable, particularly in the aroma. It's a lot of fun in an electric pink package at 5% ABV.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIY9WHy952vR2u8WFhqDHFsJ8NGzbLYgNyig09oLUne u1aG8pMyJMU5-cZqdvJlVgfTou2miwdA1eTXNnN0cm7LNJbOtmaEOew_zESk1z8 FNW_iTVwx4c-5gGm7mvjXucDiaq8NARmIpG3Igw4q4-4VOoejtsPEx90TOYdB7U1Z1BGPTl_iA/w200-h183/freddo_fox_fuel_your_passion_lime_coconut_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIY9WHy952vR2u8WFhqDHFsJ8NGzbLYgNyig09oLUne u1aG8pMyJMU5-cZqdvJlVgfTou2miwdA1eTXNnN0cm7LNJbOtmaEOew_zESk1z8 FNW_iTVwx4c-5gGm7mvjXucDiaq8NARmIpG3Igw4q4-4VOoejtsPEx90TOYdB7U1Z1BGPTl_iA/s2160/freddo_fox_fuel_your_passion_lime_coconut_gose.jpg )I was expecting more passionfruit from Barcelona's Freddo Fox, with one called Fuel Your Passion, but this gose merely includes lime and coconut. The former dominates the aroma while neither really makes much of a contribution to the flavour; especially surprising since the base beer is only 4% ABV. The result is dry and wheaty with a mild thirst-quenching salinity. I guess they've stayed much closer to gose's roots than most of what gets churned out badged as such, but it's a lot less interesting than I thought it would be regardless. Still, it wasn't a drainpour and it was straight on to the next thing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiMdi7YDH27aBgDe8wm1laVH7HE_qvYxv8HFc4DPNAF NxKVW1IUzVYxHIqPcwdVnD9oVXS31HYs8UEyuIYDWq6D-HmllOLW-03Bi9-ugfdk7U5H8se12h5QengH9P5Wt9vY8eUVo8yPVIj7XgTDJVNsS Rqy3BOhI0sSDbyErKZ3FRljovQK4/w173-h200/lacada_up_the_dunes_sea_buckthorn_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiMdi7YDH27aBgDe8wm1laVH7HE_qvYxv8HFc4DPNAF NxKVW1IUzVYxHIqPcwdVnD9oVXS31HYs8UEyuIYDWq6D-HmllOLW-03Bi9-ugfdk7U5H8se12h5QengH9P5Wt9vY8eUVo8yPVIj7XgTDJVNsS Rqy3BOhI0sSDbyErKZ3FRljovQK4/s2620/lacada_up_the_dunes_sea_buckthorn_gose.jpg)Lacada wasn't there in any official capacity but guerrilla brand ambassador Simon (https://twitter.com/beinmysolo) was wandering around with a can of their Up the Dunes, a gose featuring foraged sea buckthorn. It's a sessionable 4.8% ABV, coloured like an orange emulsion and smelling very wild and funky with an intense acidity. While the flavour is mostly quite sharp, there's a rounded and sweeter tropical juice aspect as well. Again, this isn't a thrilling beer, nor an ill-advised facepalm novelty, but decent, balanced and pleasingly sour.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxQMWkEwL8bvCxFhMjzYVyFwdbpfNKbF2m9bcxbHe2r cxaxG-tiCOVvM1zN6u0jZU3T-8DOQ0pXYWYocEC9LeKSGZrvjnZrGNMQ28Z6bu8W3afvNr0AAn6 0vSCeuYZgOJdXhdu2CMisVyUxN8bNgGwJ4TVxGGqazEUYHgVBh u1HgdeavKdR8/w163-h200/brewski_omnipollo_raspberry_fluff_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxQMWkEwL8bvCxFhMjzYVyFwdbpfNKbF2m9bcxbHe2r cxaxG-tiCOVvM1zN6u0jZU3T-8DOQ0pXYWYocEC9LeKSGZrvjnZrGNMQ28Z6bu8W3afvNr0AAn6 0vSCeuYZgOJdXhdu2CMisVyUxN8bNgGwJ4TVxGGqazEUYHgVBh u1HgdeavKdR8/s2250/brewski_omnipollo_raspberry_fluff_gose.jpg)A perverse need for something very silly brought me to Brewski, and a substance called Raspberry Fluff Gose. Fluff by name and fluff by nature, this is bright pink and smells intensely candy-like. I expected it to be thick but my notes describe the texture as "manageable" so perhaps it wasn't as extreme as anticipated. The flavour, however, is pure raspberry bubblegum, with some darker forest fruits but nothing resembling balance or sourness. It's a prime example of how far the concept of "gose" has fallen from the clean and refreshing original. I blame collaborators Omnipollo.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62J2ZIXrQUJ1BxlRCN5Ljan3ixDOu-DLfangi2gWHhXQiyCz68wnNzYru-q2z0z8ufRSceAuQIThkONEQsclrKTDIKInpkv6r6yIP4UyQNAW tBKaiV7Vwqmq-UB9s-VCVJXvyO4LSLhAlej7a_bkISrGSBcPyYcSAUIvLaJm-_sv-sEPvW5o/w200-h169/stigbergets_shangri-lager.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62J2ZIXrQUJ1BxlRCN5Ljan3ixDOu-DLfangi2gWHhXQiyCz68wnNzYru-q2z0z8ufRSceAuQIThkONEQsclrKTDIKInpkv6r6yIP4UyQNAW tBKaiV7Vwqmq-UB9s-VCVJXvyO4LSLhAlej7a_bkISrGSBcPyYcSAUIvLaJm-_sv-sEPvW5o/s2260/stigbergets_shangri-lager.jpg)Desperately in need of some palate-washing I turned to the lager options. Stigbergets Shangri-Lager did the job. I don't know if this 5%-er was meant to be anything fancy but I found it a perfectly middle-of-the-road pilsner: clear and golden, with hop bitterness and malt wight held in perfect balance. It was a bit dull, if I'm honest, but was exactly what I needed at the time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3Nk538W1jIMBZa7526id94OxkV6AEeyd2psbsSiJQ7 JhP-ybL-yBeHt_5ZJVJd4MRT9OLEPm1KbQoHXTrTrDZu6jjA9kUpKR7UNh D1Ddu1_xFOxlq2jkwh-Og1KgeBSZAmX-xNL3aVlPhJ6apuUDpeRIRTzhEQJVml4tPToZqemWLShW4-I/w200-h146/fuerst_wiacek_raving_pils.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3Nk538W1jIMBZa7526id94OxkV6AEeyd2psbsSiJQ7 JhP-ybL-yBeHt_5ZJVJd4MRT9OLEPm1KbQoHXTrTrDZu6jjA9kUpKR7UNh D1Ddu1_xFOxlq2jkwh-Og1KgeBSZAmX-xNL3aVlPhJ6apuUDpeRIRTzhEQJVml4tPToZqemWLShW4-I/s1990/fuerst_wiacek_raving_pils.jpg)My first ever beer from Berlin's Fuerst Wiacek was also a lager, their Raving Pils. This is another 5% ABV job but they've used American hops and it works well, though they do seem to have hazed it up a little. On an achingly clean cracker base there's lots of zingy grapefruit and lemon peel, raising the refreshment quotient even as it departs from the norms of German pils. It's a nice example of a Craftonian brewery making good use of what local traditional brewing does well.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88x5PIVdBcF8246MF8SJcw1vMFeBWcw5FxHQfViWA7h O0gJIa8fy6l38Ooh82TGSJZrYTmIx97fJ_-8JFEkFRMW110r6caPHgJ61jIl71G5QOg4O04OSjvOg2LiN4L93 2yf0v1lJztI0CbrbBxoR2TaRfbnrCVh2RaB9hnsuMtyjK8YLUi Uo/w124-h200/stu_mostow_kokomo_dreamin_berliner_weisse.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88x5PIVdBcF8246MF8SJcw1vMFeBWcw5FxHQfViWA7h O0gJIa8fy6l38Ooh82TGSJZrYTmIx97fJ_-8JFEkFRMW110r6caPHgJ61jIl71G5QOg4O04OSjvOg2LiN4L93 2yf0v1lJztI0CbrbBxoR2TaRfbnrCVh2RaB9hnsuMtyjK8YLUi Uo/s2430/stu_mostow_kokomo_dreamin_berliner_weisse.jpg)For Berliner weisse I needed to go to Poland, and Kokomo Dreamin' from Stu Mostów. This was only 3.2% ABV and was as lightweight in taste as in alcohol. The novelty ingredients are peach and apricot but they're not identifiable. I found it clean and simple, with enough of a tart edge to make it refreshing and without the dry grain husk effect that too often plagues light kettle-soured beers. The fruit side came across more as berries than stonefruit, but blink and you'll miss it. Another drain-the-glass-and-move-on job.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BtJY6JEzlQ/YtW2e572A4I/AAAAAAAAWCA/CLrepcL2AKkVezWbhkJF3RKlb7GCYvAFgCNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h185/deya_brett_pils.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BtJY6JEzlQ/YtW2e572A4I/AAAAAAAAWCA/CLrepcL2AKkVezWbhkJF3RKlb7GCYvAFgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2025/deya_brett_pils.jpg)Finally for this circuit of the hall, Deya's Brett Pils. I'm not sure I've ever had a lager fermented on Brettanomyces before and I wasn't confident it would work. It absolutely does, however. At 5.1% ABV it's a little overclocked for the style but still manages to retain the proper level of easy-going drinkability. It does that while also introducing a luscious canteloupe softness. This is Brett in its tropical candy form, rather than hard and funky. The tap badge tells me this is version four of the recipe so they may have taken a few goes to get it right but they've absolutely nailed it here.
We're half way along and so far no IPAs and no big and sticky double-digit stonkers. The probability of encountering such narrowed as the evening wore on, however. For the gory details, see the next post.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBnbG9aTt2VyVSL_ZHFFUGpA67JtZCwHsv-J4dheqXG0HMPWD6hBUQUsL9JFycUbaysEjzOKCfYg2pEKfjfoh anXedvt7ogfeAIc2jPOwJVTPvPBWABnSsfHgOWUVdK1hmCHzeK nTiydyHFYS2s499hu9iUR3-Y-pfepfEQLC85PBShICUIc/w640-h256/fidelity_2022_int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBnbG9aTt2VyVSL_ZHFFUGpA67JtZCwHsv-J4dheqXG0HMPWD6hBUQUsL9JFycUbaysEjzOKCfYg2pEKfjfoh anXedvt7ogfeAIc2jPOwJVTPvPBWABnSsfHgOWUVdK1hmCHzeK nTiydyHFYS2s499hu9iUR3-Y-pfepfEQLC85PBShICUIc/s4029/fidelity_2022_int.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/07/keeping-faith.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbdTSQFJynLpPCFEOK6uG1_NzQNXBxu2qHgzzRBgX0 gU2CWU-NlKdXf-p4qnu5w2JRZKRk0Df9YdVpXoPIDTzjgVKRqTRdkpyNWakuLYQx tk-hghkX-Qi7jVggQgLwMuPtGI7sqYBZ9Exy2DMDEY7Vt64ZSYUonZnn2jc Li8naVKIwi4K7Q/w200-h166/fidelity_2022_ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzbdTSQFJynLpPCFEOK6uG1_NzQNXBxu2qHgzzRBgX0 gU2CWU-NlKdXf-p4qnu5w2JRZKRk0Df9YdVpXoPIDTzjgVKRqTRdkpyNWakuLYQx tk-hghkX-Qi7jVggQgLwMuPtGI7sqYBZ9Exy2DMDEY7Vt64ZSYUonZnn2jc Li8naVKIwi4K7Q/s2736/fidelity_2022_ext.jpg)Three years after the inaugural event, Fidelity was back in the Round Room of the Mansion House a couple of weeks ago. It's the only festival of its kind in Ireland, where punters pay up front and have free run of forty producers' stands, each pouring two beers (with a handful of ciders and meads) per session. In a change to the previous iteration it was split across two days rather than having a daytime and evening session -- I guess they get more people going to both that way. One for me was plenty and I rocked up on the Friday.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvoyuuvN5_08WLz3AP5w4W0e5ZvAPrJ4T4owIGvc7Ts hpsfGdEcogISRwpitKgkNTLQQt0VP4gd5eIbMA2PcYzZPOwhZe 47y3bk5utxjZsFeFAjr9uhTCV76aHc_bdz08V6GkWmuQRpwDvm DdAGCotK-LhdH5bZR3Y6FY_VRM1ISJTyyl_Fg/w200-h147/third_barrel_funks_old_brother_brett_beer.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvoyuuvN5_08WLz3AP5w4W0e5ZvAPrJ4T4owIGvc7Ts hpsfGdEcogISRwpitKgkNTLQQt0VP4gd5eIbMA2PcYzZPOwhZe 47y3bk5utxjZsFeFAjr9uhTCV76aHc_bdz08V6GkWmuQRpwDvm DdAGCotK-LhdH5bZR3Y6FY_VRM1ISJTyyl_Fg/s1800/third_barrel_funks_old_brother_brett_beer.jpg)Havi ng done some light perusing of the advance beer lists, the first thing to catch my eye was from local outfit Third Barrel, specifically their 3-year Brettanomyces fermented Funk's Old Brother. It's a beaut too: golden coloured, 7.1% ABV and tasting like the stronger sort of geuze, with huge incense spicing and bitter herbal resins, backed by a softer white grape and honeydew melon softness. While there's a lot going on, it's perfectly smooth and mellow. The only downside was not being able to take time with it; it deserved some slow considered sipping. But is isn't that sort of gig.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsdorbi2MFbq0jE9b4bfaMzgyMH3qEathGMCccySHNh r1Fh4G_QrO5cckcwphmwV9dDeipejamqEC-LJUf9tOPI3HGY3mHkV4n_35BKwhw-2utkrMSsmhoP4i854AercrD2MWGabbzt1m_4uXQy9cRXXBMB-0q2o3QVWwQ_sAzNZS5E8bFMs/w200-h166/land_and_labour_finnberry.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsdorbi2MFbq0jE9b4bfaMzgyMH3qEathGMCccySHNh r1Fh4G_QrO5cckcwphmwV9dDeipejamqEC-LJUf9tOPI3HGY3mHkV4n_35BKwhw-2utkrMSsmhoP4i854AercrD2MWGabbzt1m_4uXQy9cRXXBMB-0q2o3QVWwQ_sAzNZS5E8bFMs/s2195/land_and_labour_finnberry.jpg)I kept it Irish for the next couple, and over to Land & Labour where they had a sequel to their previous stunner Lúnaberry -- Finnberry -- swapping the blueberries for blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, while still very much in the style of a fruit geuze. It goes very heavy on the fruit, though tasting real, not jammy or artificial. Then there's a waxy, oaky side from the base beer. The two don't quite integrate, at least not yet. I can taste that this will be excellent when it has time to age out and meld the flavours together. Right now it's enjoyable but not at Lúnaberry's very high standard.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YsJ7gmwGn23pUvGIh2jdXYN2l4kdeHQeu-l7Wu8IsScEmq-O8Vgq_WWITr83KrqH_DkvS2KLhHVNET2LzICWVNAKWO6KwDqA5 0iGB9ugdpP3LVhHcqdU1MbMCL_nYicBqpPXfK9Dv8RTQsssYKo OJ9Y4d3ZrlHavrTUsmeCwsTQxilZegLo/w200-h151/dot_brew_ba_mezcal_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YsJ7gmwGn23pUvGIh2jdXYN2l4kdeHQeu-l7Wu8IsScEmq-O8Vgq_WWITr83KrqH_DkvS2KLhHVNET2LzICWVNAKWO6KwDqA5 0iGB9ugdpP3LVhHcqdU1MbMCL_nYicBqpPXfK9Dv8RTQsssYKo OJ9Y4d3ZrlHavrTUsmeCwsTQxilZegLo/s2255/dot_brew_ba_mezcal_sour.jpg)As one might expect, DOT brought a number of barrel aged imperial stouts to the festival but I wasn't really in the mood for that, at least not this early in proceedings, so from there I went with the BA Mezcal Sour, another golden one and an innocent 4.2% ABV. It still managed to get excellent value out of the barrel, imparting a luscious Gewürztraminer sweetness which matched well with a full and greasy Mezcal-like texture. The sourness is little more than an appley tang, but that's all that's necessary to give it character. Complex yet refreshing is just what a summer event like this needs.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2fTOeWuwnabUrGfMcNWY8Hi0U4d45MZ5Bm0IUVGq38 UkBRJ8tUPacAB6gNtjx1YaIPEbkrApScNnXeZ70s-oUsc9i3zUz5g3Ldk5mt7_aEyTEi5QmnGyd12nsdg_0gaHEP3sE JqaN43hk6ag1MdloSqIxJIgBoMvqA39PIp8bWLDEoYPg9g/w200-h174/beerbliotek_random_brandon_grape_skin_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2fTOeWuwnabUrGfMcNWY8Hi0U4d45MZ5Bm0IUVGq38 UkBRJ8tUPacAB6gNtjx1YaIPEbkrApScNnXeZ70s-oUsc9i3zUz5g3Ldk5mt7_aEyTEi5QmnGyd12nsdg_0gaHEP3sE JqaN43hk6ag1MdloSqIxJIgBoMvqA39PIp8bWLDEoYPg9g/s2250/beerbliotek_random_brandon_grape_skin_sour.jpg)It was at this point I wondered if I could make it through the five hours without letting an IPA pass my lips. Surely every beer is basically an hazy double IPA these days? How far could I get? I pondered this over a grape ale from Swedish brewer Beerbliotek, called Random Brandon. No classy and vinous Italian job this, going big and sweet with estery Jolly Rancher candy (green ones) and a generous splash of pineapple juice. A kind of mineral sulphurous note adds an unwelcome rubbery twang to the finish. It's OK, and didn't take up too much of my time, despite the stonking ABV of 7.3%. Careful now.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAATptGEgtyLc44RSqOyYMf3sMU-k7UXWU5Xw46VpUJ5pGBdFGKTd4C7Uk1Dzzuuckkj5NL5tEPAY2 pPGyRbPML1PGC56_zWDivZTf6bbvEVoAbxBGgIdUMpfwbW0Knu ug_nnUEuFbNMb5gJea85o50DKOQ4qBek4gMso7lw28H3BAhXsg PAY/w200-h149/puhaste_albert.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAATptGEgtyLc44RSqOyYMf3sMU-k7UXWU5Xw46VpUJ5pGBdFGKTd4C7Uk1Dzzuuckkj5NL5tEPAY2 pPGyRbPML1PGC56_zWDivZTf6bbvEVoAbxBGgIdUMpfwbW0Knu ug_nnUEuFbNMb5gJea85o50DKOQ4qBek4gMso7lw28H3BAhXsg PAY/s2035/puhaste_albert.jpg)Estonians Pühaste fared better with something a little similar, using plums rather than grapes and keeping the ABV down(ish) at 7%. With Albert you can really taste the alcohol though not so much the fruit. Instead there's some very lambic-like vibes, intensely sour with plenty of wild-fermented funk and an intense gunpowder spicing. This is much less of a novelty than the above and I suspect has had a much longer maturation. The result is altogether more serious, and more enjoyable to me for that. It's not the sort of thing I associate with Pühaste, but it's wonderful to see they can do it. I'll be looking out for more of its ilk from them.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7WfQ1C-mwX_bIY2qH19g5yZVrPGK77566cnXcD8R2CDPzUF1xptH4H0tN oe0VjNVIslngUYAWa5UiBe9otNzjHr5QpIMn5gqKWe5rGM_lkj OQEytLl1HelgbAX9pTlb3yBMWCddwUmgapIwlcSP8FbvWYV8Yg nRkpZ-vx2wgxmrKzW1DU8Q/w200-h158/coolhead_passion_of_the_beets_nordic_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7WfQ1C-mwX_bIY2qH19g5yZVrPGK77566cnXcD8R2CDPzUF1xptH4H0tN oe0VjNVIslngUYAWa5UiBe9otNzjHr5QpIMn5gqKWe5rGM_lkj OQEytLl1HelgbAX9pTlb3yBMWCddwUmgapIwlcSP8FbvWYV8Yg nRkpZ-vx2wgxmrKzW1DU8Q/s2255/coolhead_passion_of_the_beets_nordic_sour.jpg)Seri ously sour was only going to hold out so long, and it was only a matter of time before the really silly fruit stuff came my way. The medal for silliest recipe goes to the Finns of CoolHead and their fully self-explanatory Passion of the Beets. Yes, passionfruit and beetroot, together at last. Neither are particularly shy as beer ingredients normally and they both sing in this: all the sweet and cooling tropical sorbet effect from the fruit and then a powerful earthiness from the vegetable, particularly in the aroma. It's a lot of fun in an electric pink package at 5% ABV.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIY9WHy952vR2u8WFhqDHFsJ8NGzbLYgNyig09oLUne u1aG8pMyJMU5-cZqdvJlVgfTou2miwdA1eTXNnN0cm7LNJbOtmaEOew_zESk1z8 FNW_iTVwx4c-5gGm7mvjXucDiaq8NARmIpG3Igw4q4-4VOoejtsPEx90TOYdB7U1Z1BGPTl_iA/w200-h183/freddo_fox_fuel_your_passion_lime_coconut_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIY9WHy952vR2u8WFhqDHFsJ8NGzbLYgNyig09oLUne u1aG8pMyJMU5-cZqdvJlVgfTou2miwdA1eTXNnN0cm7LNJbOtmaEOew_zESk1z8 FNW_iTVwx4c-5gGm7mvjXucDiaq8NARmIpG3Igw4q4-4VOoejtsPEx90TOYdB7U1Z1BGPTl_iA/s2160/freddo_fox_fuel_your_passion_lime_coconut_gose.jpg )I was expecting more passionfruit from Barcelona's Freddo Fox, with one called Fuel Your Passion, but this gose merely includes lime and coconut. The former dominates the aroma while neither really makes much of a contribution to the flavour; especially surprising since the base beer is only 4% ABV. The result is dry and wheaty with a mild thirst-quenching salinity. I guess they've stayed much closer to gose's roots than most of what gets churned out badged as such, but it's a lot less interesting than I thought it would be regardless. Still, it wasn't a drainpour and it was straight on to the next thing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiMdi7YDH27aBgDe8wm1laVH7HE_qvYxv8HFc4DPNAF NxKVW1IUzVYxHIqPcwdVnD9oVXS31HYs8UEyuIYDWq6D-HmllOLW-03Bi9-ugfdk7U5H8se12h5QengH9P5Wt9vY8eUVo8yPVIj7XgTDJVNsS Rqy3BOhI0sSDbyErKZ3FRljovQK4/w173-h200/lacada_up_the_dunes_sea_buckthorn_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiMdi7YDH27aBgDe8wm1laVH7HE_qvYxv8HFc4DPNAF NxKVW1IUzVYxHIqPcwdVnD9oVXS31HYs8UEyuIYDWq6D-HmllOLW-03Bi9-ugfdk7U5H8se12h5QengH9P5Wt9vY8eUVo8yPVIj7XgTDJVNsS Rqy3BOhI0sSDbyErKZ3FRljovQK4/s2620/lacada_up_the_dunes_sea_buckthorn_gose.jpg)Lacada wasn't there in any official capacity but guerrilla brand ambassador Simon (https://twitter.com/beinmysolo) was wandering around with a can of their Up the Dunes, a gose featuring foraged sea buckthorn. It's a sessionable 4.8% ABV, coloured like an orange emulsion and smelling very wild and funky with an intense acidity. While the flavour is mostly quite sharp, there's a rounded and sweeter tropical juice aspect as well. Again, this isn't a thrilling beer, nor an ill-advised facepalm novelty, but decent, balanced and pleasingly sour.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxQMWkEwL8bvCxFhMjzYVyFwdbpfNKbF2m9bcxbHe2r cxaxG-tiCOVvM1zN6u0jZU3T-8DOQ0pXYWYocEC9LeKSGZrvjnZrGNMQ28Z6bu8W3afvNr0AAn6 0vSCeuYZgOJdXhdu2CMisVyUxN8bNgGwJ4TVxGGqazEUYHgVBh u1HgdeavKdR8/w163-h200/brewski_omnipollo_raspberry_fluff_gose.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxQMWkEwL8bvCxFhMjzYVyFwdbpfNKbF2m9bcxbHe2r cxaxG-tiCOVvM1zN6u0jZU3T-8DOQ0pXYWYocEC9LeKSGZrvjnZrGNMQ28Z6bu8W3afvNr0AAn6 0vSCeuYZgOJdXhdu2CMisVyUxN8bNgGwJ4TVxGGqazEUYHgVBh u1HgdeavKdR8/s2250/brewski_omnipollo_raspberry_fluff_gose.jpg)A perverse need for something very silly brought me to Brewski, and a substance called Raspberry Fluff Gose. Fluff by name and fluff by nature, this is bright pink and smells intensely candy-like. I expected it to be thick but my notes describe the texture as "manageable" so perhaps it wasn't as extreme as anticipated. The flavour, however, is pure raspberry bubblegum, with some darker forest fruits but nothing resembling balance or sourness. It's a prime example of how far the concept of "gose" has fallen from the clean and refreshing original. I blame collaborators Omnipollo.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62J2ZIXrQUJ1BxlRCN5Ljan3ixDOu-DLfangi2gWHhXQiyCz68wnNzYru-q2z0z8ufRSceAuQIThkONEQsclrKTDIKInpkv6r6yIP4UyQNAW tBKaiV7Vwqmq-UB9s-VCVJXvyO4LSLhAlej7a_bkISrGSBcPyYcSAUIvLaJm-_sv-sEPvW5o/w200-h169/stigbergets_shangri-lager.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62J2ZIXrQUJ1BxlRCN5Ljan3ixDOu-DLfangi2gWHhXQiyCz68wnNzYru-q2z0z8ufRSceAuQIThkONEQsclrKTDIKInpkv6r6yIP4UyQNAW tBKaiV7Vwqmq-UB9s-VCVJXvyO4LSLhAlej7a_bkISrGSBcPyYcSAUIvLaJm-_sv-sEPvW5o/s2260/stigbergets_shangri-lager.jpg)Desperately in need of some palate-washing I turned to the lager options. Stigbergets Shangri-Lager did the job. I don't know if this 5%-er was meant to be anything fancy but I found it a perfectly middle-of-the-road pilsner: clear and golden, with hop bitterness and malt wight held in perfect balance. It was a bit dull, if I'm honest, but was exactly what I needed at the time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3Nk538W1jIMBZa7526id94OxkV6AEeyd2psbsSiJQ7 JhP-ybL-yBeHt_5ZJVJd4MRT9OLEPm1KbQoHXTrTrDZu6jjA9kUpKR7UNh D1Ddu1_xFOxlq2jkwh-Og1KgeBSZAmX-xNL3aVlPhJ6apuUDpeRIRTzhEQJVml4tPToZqemWLShW4-I/w200-h146/fuerst_wiacek_raving_pils.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3Nk538W1jIMBZa7526id94OxkV6AEeyd2psbsSiJQ7 JhP-ybL-yBeHt_5ZJVJd4MRT9OLEPm1KbQoHXTrTrDZu6jjA9kUpKR7UNh D1Ddu1_xFOxlq2jkwh-Og1KgeBSZAmX-xNL3aVlPhJ6apuUDpeRIRTzhEQJVml4tPToZqemWLShW4-I/s1990/fuerst_wiacek_raving_pils.jpg)My first ever beer from Berlin's Fuerst Wiacek was also a lager, their Raving Pils. This is another 5% ABV job but they've used American hops and it works well, though they do seem to have hazed it up a little. On an achingly clean cracker base there's lots of zingy grapefruit and lemon peel, raising the refreshment quotient even as it departs from the norms of German pils. It's a nice example of a Craftonian brewery making good use of what local traditional brewing does well.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88x5PIVdBcF8246MF8SJcw1vMFeBWcw5FxHQfViWA7h O0gJIa8fy6l38Ooh82TGSJZrYTmIx97fJ_-8JFEkFRMW110r6caPHgJ61jIl71G5QOg4O04OSjvOg2LiN4L93 2yf0v1lJztI0CbrbBxoR2TaRfbnrCVh2RaB9hnsuMtyjK8YLUi Uo/w124-h200/stu_mostow_kokomo_dreamin_berliner_weisse.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88x5PIVdBcF8246MF8SJcw1vMFeBWcw5FxHQfViWA7h O0gJIa8fy6l38Ooh82TGSJZrYTmIx97fJ_-8JFEkFRMW110r6caPHgJ61jIl71G5QOg4O04OSjvOg2LiN4L93 2yf0v1lJztI0CbrbBxoR2TaRfbnrCVh2RaB9hnsuMtyjK8YLUi Uo/s2430/stu_mostow_kokomo_dreamin_berliner_weisse.jpg)For Berliner weisse I needed to go to Poland, and Kokomo Dreamin' from Stu Mostów. This was only 3.2% ABV and was as lightweight in taste as in alcohol. The novelty ingredients are peach and apricot but they're not identifiable. I found it clean and simple, with enough of a tart edge to make it refreshing and without the dry grain husk effect that too often plagues light kettle-soured beers. The fruit side came across more as berries than stonefruit, but blink and you'll miss it. Another drain-the-glass-and-move-on job.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BtJY6JEzlQ/YtW2e572A4I/AAAAAAAAWCA/CLrepcL2AKkVezWbhkJF3RKlb7GCYvAFgCNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h185/deya_brett_pils.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BtJY6JEzlQ/YtW2e572A4I/AAAAAAAAWCA/CLrepcL2AKkVezWbhkJF3RKlb7GCYvAFgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2025/deya_brett_pils.jpg)Finally for this circuit of the hall, Deya's Brett Pils. I'm not sure I've ever had a lager fermented on Brettanomyces before and I wasn't confident it would work. It absolutely does, however. At 5.1% ABV it's a little overclocked for the style but still manages to retain the proper level of easy-going drinkability. It does that while also introducing a luscious canteloupe softness. This is Brett in its tropical candy form, rather than hard and funky. The tap badge tells me this is version four of the recipe so they may have taken a few goes to get it right but they've absolutely nailed it here.
We're half way along and so far no IPAs and no big and sticky double-digit stonkers. The probability of encountering such narrowed as the evening wore on, however. For the gory details, see the next post.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBnbG9aTt2VyVSL_ZHFFUGpA67JtZCwHsv-J4dheqXG0HMPWD6hBUQUsL9JFycUbaysEjzOKCfYg2pEKfjfoh anXedvt7ogfeAIc2jPOwJVTPvPBWABnSsfHgOWUVdK1hmCHzeK nTiydyHFYS2s499hu9iUR3-Y-pfepfEQLC85PBShICUIc/w640-h256/fidelity_2022_int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBnbG9aTt2VyVSL_ZHFFUGpA67JtZCwHsv-J4dheqXG0HMPWD6hBUQUsL9JFycUbaysEjzOKCfYg2pEKfjfoh anXedvt7ogfeAIc2jPOwJVTPvPBWABnSsfHgOWUVdK1hmCHzeK nTiydyHFYS2s499hu9iUR3-Y-pfepfEQLC85PBShICUIc/s4029/fidelity_2022_int.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/07/keeping-faith.html)