a swift one - Star, Huddersfield MMM Festival

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You know how it is ? You spend ages waiting for a festival then four turn up at once . After my day out in Mirfield, I spent yesterday sampling the wares at the Star, at Folly Hall at their 'MMM Festival'. What is MMM I hear you asking ? Well, its a Mixture of Milds (its is Camra mild month after all) and Mallinsons specials. Effectively a mini beer festival,(by The Star standards) in the pub.

There are 7 Mallinsons specials, 2 Mallinsons (special) Milds, and 8 other Milds available over the weekend. Most are on a pop up bar in the pub , and all are cellar cooled and handpulled, and at a price of £2.90 across the board makes it value for money.

The Mallinsons selection were an interesting combination, especially for the beer purist. There were 5 beers which were 'normal' beers (ie from their usual range) which had been late hopped with T90 hop pellets of different varieties - a bit like dry hopping. It was fascinating to sample them side by side and compare and contrast the different flavours that The T90 pellets imparted to the beer. One beer was dry hopped, and provided an interesting comparison. with the pellets, And if you really wanted to be complex,there was 'Hop Slap' on the bar, alongside its T90 counterpart, so you could sample the original and the altered, side by side. It was almost science. But they were all good beers whatever, and shows that Mallinsons beers are all different, despite what the odd cynic may say.

If milds are your thing then there is an interesting and varied selection on offer. Oddly only two - from Salamander and Sandstone fit the definition of a traditional mild. The others all have various additions to them; the two Mallinsons available are both 'Emley Moor Mild' but one has raspberry extract, the other fresh tangerine in it, again to let us check the difference between the two. Cryptic give us a strong mild with Earl Grey tea, Raw provide a chocolate mild, Green Duck,a fruity mild, and Mithril a bitter, chocolate mild. An eclectic collection if ever I have seen one. And with my distrust of fruity beers they were not bad either.

On the fruity subject there is also a one off beer from Huddersfield's newest brewery Beer Ink. This is their 'Flagship' with proper grapefruit and pineapple added, and it does give a twist to the beer. And if you want even more fruit Briggs Signature has provided a one off barrel of his latest brew - this time with fresh rhubarb.

It is twist on the traditional beer festival but one that works well, and satisfies everyone from the purist to the ticker, and the casual drinker. There is something to satisfy every taste.




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