Beer of the Week (w/e 13th April 2015)

ROBCamra: Alhambra
Mobyduck: Arbor Hop Apocolypse
Aqualung: Flipside Empress Rupee IPA
Wittenden: Goacher's Fine Light Ale
Thuck Phat: Northern Monk Peated Soul
Bucking Fastard: Great Heck Chopper

Darkstar- Hophead*
Darkstar- American Pale Ale
Plain Ales- Arty Farty
Andwells- Spring Magic
White Horse- Stone Blower
Truemans- Runner
Fyne Ales/Siren Craft- Wee Milky Way*
Anarchy- Smoke Bomb*
Hopcraft- Session Ale
Five Towns- Crisis What Crisis*
Arbour- Hop Apocalypse*
Darkstar- Critical Mass*

A few ordinary and a few very good beers this week, the best was the not so easy to say after a couple Arbour- Hop Apocolypse BOTW.

A pretty good week for me starting with a visit to the Wild Card beer festival and ending with my continuing efforts to drink the Black Country dry.

Batham's Mild 3.5%
Olde Swan Original 3.5%
Holden's Black Country Mild 3.7%*
Holden's Black Country Bitter 3.8%*
Brick Sir Thomas Gardener 3.8%
Nottingham Rock Mild 3.8%*
Milestone Classic Dark Mild 4.0%*
Olde Swan Dark Swan 4.2%*
Long Man Copper Hop 4.2%*
ELB Spring Fling 4.2%
Batham's Best 4.3%
Otter Bright 4.3%
Olde Swan Entire 4.4%
Ramsbury Gold 4.5%
JW Lees Victory 4.5%
Moorhouse Farm House 4.6%
Upstairs Aussie Breakfast 4.7%*
Elgood's Cambridge IPA 4.7%
Five Points Railway Porter 4.8%*
Lancaster Red 4.8%
Vale Gravitas 4.8%
Black Paw Dark Seam 5.0%*
Canopy Full Moon Porter 5.0%
Grainstore 1050 5.0%
Holden's Special 5.1%*
Olde Swan Bumblehole Bitter 5.2%*
Dancing Duck Abduction 5.5%
Flipside Empress Rupee IPA 5.8%*

The Long Man Copper Hop was outstanding in the E4 King's Ford at just £2.05 but it gets squeezed out bv Flipside Empress Rupee IPA at £3.30 in the Wolverhampton Great Western. I don't recall seeing this brewery before but will now be looking out for it.


BOTW Flipside Empress Rupee IPA

Kent again!
Goacher's Fine Light Ale-3.7%abv: Peppery, earthy:unimpeacheable. My BOTW

A gentle stroll down North Parade, Bradford, was the basis of this week's sampling. It seems to be the current heart and soul of the local beer scene and the recent opening of yet another venue - The Beerhouse, would seem to confirm that.

Black Jack - New Deck.*
Marble - Pint.
First Chop - Cha.
First Chop - Syl.*
Saltaire - Stateside IPA.*
Slightly Foxed- Howlin' Fox.
Totally Brewed - Papa Jangles Voodoo Stout.*
Revolutions - Power, Corruption, Lies.
Celt Experience - Bleddyn 1075.
Baildon - Plum Porter.*
Here be Monsters - Red Fury.
Roosters - Franklin.

With honorable mentions for the Syl and the 1075, BOTW goes to Papa Jangles, a very drinkable stout. Undoubtedly, my name of the year, so far.

A decent week for a change:

Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Wild Beer Fresh*
Wild Beer Madness IPA*
Anarchy Anti-venom (IPA)
Northern Monk Peated Soul*
Thwaites Spring Sprung
Hook Norton Old Hooky - yuk!
Hook Norton Half Orr Pint
Everards Tiger
Courage Best
North Cotswold Shag Weaver*
GK Old Speckled Hen
Great Heck Chopper*
Dowbridge DB Dark
Brewshed American Blonde - yuk!
Hart No. 9*

BOTW Northern Monk Peated Soul. Described as a peated Scotch ale, whatever that is, it weighs in at 8.4%. My powers of description aren't good enough to go beyond extraordinary although Mrs P tried it and said it was like smoking a good cigar!

A very decent week,some of it boating.

Vale -- Gravitas*(3PT)
Dark Star -- American Pale Ale *
Portobello -- Market Porter
Harviestoun -- Bitter and Twisted *
Newark -- Norwegian Blue
Thwaites -- Spring Sprung
Hook Norton -- Half Orr Pint
Hook Norton -- MILD
Everards -- Tiger
Charles Wells -- Courage Best
North Cotswold -- Shagweaver * (>3PT)
Greene King -- Old Speckled Hen
Great Heck -- Chopper *
Phipps -- Diamond Ale
Oakham -- Citra *
Brewshed -- American Blonde
Oakham -- Bishops Farewell *
Exmoor -- Gold


BOTW goes to Great Heck Chopper,only 3.8% but packed with hop flavours in their house style from the reliable Seven Stars in Rugby.

Next week,scratching around.
Brew