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Mobyduck: Dark Star Hophead Simcoe
london calling: J.W. Lees Manchester Star
Aqualung: Brodie's Hoxton Special IPA
Bucking Fastard: London Fields Shoreditch Triangle IPA
Real Ale Ray: Cross Bay Halo
Thuck Phat: Elland Nettle Thrasher
hondo: Williams Brothers New Beginnings
aleandhearty: Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale
Wittenden: Old Dairy Black Bull Porter
oldboots: Orkney IPA
ROBCamra: Holden's Into The Dragon
My choice is already made up, only three different beers this week
Triple fff Pressed Rat And Warthog
Triple fff Altons Pride
Darkstar Hophead Simcoe
The first two were decent enough ,but the Hophead variation was and still is excellent, will be drinking more of this tomorrow .
BOTW Darkstar Hophead Simcoe
Had some great beers this week
jw lees -Manchester star (bottle)
meantime -black ipa(bottle)
millis -Gravesend guzzler (great use of English hops)
adnams -righteous ale (great use of malt and American hops)
arbor-Tasmanian devil (wow aussie/newzealand hops)
it was going to be Arbor but the W J Lees (not a brewery I rate highly ) absolutely nailed it with this beer
There are plenty of contenders this week marked * :-
Brodie's Mild 3.6%*
The Cronx Standard 3.8%
Conwy Infusion 3.9%*
Truman's Runner 4.0%
Moorhouse Pride of Pendle 4.1%
London Fields Black Path Porter 4.2%*
Long Man Sussex Pride 4.4%*
Clarence & Frederick's Special 4.6%
Laine's Porter 4.6%
Truman's Attaboy 4.6%*
Belleville Battersea Brownstone 4.8%
Tap East Sixpence Stout 5.0%*
By The Horns The Captain 5.0%
Hopcraft Citra Plus 5.4%*
Brodie's Chinook Black Coffee 6.0%
Brodie's Kentish Town Brown 6.2%*
Adnam's / Sixpoint Righteous Ale 6.3%
Brodie's Hoxton Special IPA 6.6%*
Portobello Apache IPA 7.0%*
Titanic Wreckage 7.2%
To be fair ALL of the above were good but the two really outstanding ones were the Hoxton Special and Hopcraft Citra Plus. The Hoxton Special making a rare appearance on cask wins it (£2.50 in the Leyton King William IV). The best value pint was the Portobello Apache which was on sale for £1.99 in the Brockley Barge!
BOTW Brodie's Hoxton Special IPA
Not much drinking this week :(
Adnams -- Southwold Bitter
London Fields -- Shoreditch Triangle IPA
Dark Star -- Hophead.
BOTW goes to London Fields Shoreditch Triangle IPA,a wonderful 6% rich and complex IPA,subtle and not overhopped .It just disappeared despite the poke in The George,Croydon at the tail end of the 'spoons London brewery festival.Thanks Aqualung for the steer towards this brewery,plans now underway for a visit to their Tap Room.:drinkup:
Next week looks just as quiet:(
Cross Bay - Halo
Williams Brothers - New Beginnings
Just two contenders:
Elland Nettle Thrasher
Oakham Bishops Farewell
The Bishops was on spectacular form but it will get its chance in 2014 so BOTW was Elland Nettle Thrasher. At 4.4% this looks like boring brown beer. It isn't. It's a complex number brewed using 6 different malts and various English hops apparently. I don't know about that but it does have a delightfully bitter finish which demands a second.
This week's entire consumption was in the pleasurable company of 'trainman' and his South London posse, on Saturday. A peripatetic day saw us drinking in Dewsbury, Mirfield, Wakefield and particularly Huddersfield, where the beers were especially good.
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman.
Great Heck - 20 Year Pale Ale.
Summer Wine Brewery - Teleporter.
Magic Rock - Ringmaster. ('Curious' as was)
Pictish - Wakatu.
Buxton - SPA.
Magic Rock - Dark Arts.
Burton Bridge - Thomas Sykes Old Ale. 10%
Saltaire - Elderflower Blonde.
Buntingford - Twitchell.
Rat - White Rat.
Mallinsons - Topaz.
Salamander - Black Eyed Weasel.
Thwaites - Nutty Black.
Jarrow - Rivet Catcher.
Golcar - Ruddy Duck.
Alchemy - Citra Burst.
Fernandes - Bullet IPA.
Elland Karma Citra.
Oakleaf - Stokers Stout.
Rat - King Rat.
Some great beers in there, but the Thomas Sykes blew me away. Admittedly, it's a real Marmite beer, two of our group absolutely hated it. However, I really loved that raisiny, sherry tartness. It went brilliantly with the home made olive breadsticks I was eating in The Grove (Huddersfield) at the time. Almost like being in a tapas bar!
First pub visit of the year, and beer in so-so condition.
Old Dairy Gold Top 4.3% Not at its best. Pinched.
Greene King Abbot Ale 5% Really for old time's sake. I like a malt forward beer, but really.
Best of the bottles and by default BOTW: Old Dairy Black Bull Porter, a stonking dark roast at 4.9%.
oops late on parade, lots to sort out after two visits to Scotland this week and an 'orrible cold caused by a sneezing Kilmarnock barman :moremad:.
Strathaven - Clydesdale
McEwans - 60/-
Deuchars - IPA
Belhaven - IPA
Belhaven - Best
Tennants - Lager
Stella Artois - Lager
Exmoor - Gold
Oakham - Scarlett Macaw
Rudgate - Brew 1 Vanilla Mild
Thornbridge - Black Harry
Dark Star - APA
Kelburn - Dark Moor
Scottish Borders - Gold Dust IPA
Caledonian - Flying Scotsman
Alchemy - Rapsody Extra Pale Ale
Highland Brewing Co - Rock Allryse
Stewart - 80/-
Wold Top - Anglers Revenge
Arbor - Blue Sky Drinking
Fyne Ales - Hurricane Jack
Kelburn - Red Smiddy
Allendale - Golden Plover
Orkney - IPA
Stewart - Advent
Magic Rock - Curious
Belhaven - Stout
Kelburn - Unco Hoppy
Cairncorm - Trade Winds
Huston - Killeen
Out There Brewing Co - Sofia
Unknown (Belhaven 80/- ?) - The Mile Ale
Orkney - Dark Island
Broughton - Dark Dunter
Alchemy - 10 Storey Malt Bomb
Belhaven - 80/-
Taylors - Landlord
Toss up between Arbor and Orkney but BOTW Orkney IPA
Holden's Into The Dragon tried in The Baum of course.
The best of a not particularly enthralling week although Kelham Island Blondie Beer deserves a mention.