a swift one - Your last chance for Oktoberfest in Huddersfield this year
Visit the a swift one site
Today (Saturday) is your last chance to get along to Huddersfield CAMRA's Oktoberfest.
I paid a visit to the Apna Venue leisure centre on opening night and headed straight for new Meltham brewery Three Fiends.
I searched on the main bar and was surprised not to see either of their ales on the handpull bar.
There was a good selection from Rat, HDM, Nook, Empire, Half Moon, Milltown, Reedley Hallows, of Burnley, Briscoe's, of Otley, and Three Kings, of North Shields, among others on the front line.
Normally, I stick to handpull at festivals as I'm not a great fan of beer on gravity. I like my beer through a sparkler and with plenty of life.
But here there were quite a few beers which I wanted were on stillage. So I put aside my method of dispense snobbery and stuck to my mission. I first tried Three Fiends Two Faces, a 4 per cent bitter, which was fine.
I was drinking with a group of people, one of whom was new to beer festivals and was a lager man - let's call him Dr Boeuf to preserve his anonymity!
So we set about trying to find beers that might suit the good doctor. Milltown Platinum Blonde was suggested and duly tried, but this too was on gravity and so lacked the 'fizz' he was accustomed too. I had the Milltown Black Jack porter on handpull, which was good.
Next up, knowing Dr Boeuf's love of football and puns, was The Rat's Sepp Ratter. I think this found favour.
At this point I bumped into The Bloke From Hull who suggested a number of breweries, including Half Moon, whom he had brewed with.
I tried their Iceni, on handpull, which was my favourite beer of the night. a 4.3 per cent blonde beer. Afterwards we had a couple from Empire, Handsome Jack and I think Veteran's Ale, which Dr Boeuf really liked.
Next we tried Mallinsons Amazon Attack! which was another beer the BFH had a hand in brewing. This was on gravity, as I think were all the Mallinsons. Dr Boeuf seemed impressed by this special, as was I, which was a hike up the gravity stakes at 5.2 per cent.
But he was even more wowed by Magic Rock's Villainous at 6.5 per cent, which got his vote of beer of the night.
We rounded it off with Golden Years, a collaboration brew from North Riding Brewery and Five Towns at 5.6 per cent, which must me amongst the lowest ABVs beers these two have jointly created. OAP DIPA (9.6 per cent) and 300 (7.3 per cent) spring to mind.
A fine end to an enjoyable night. The beer festival runs from 11am to 11pm today (October 3). Don't miss out.
The Huddersfield Examiner has put together a nice montage of pictures from the event, including plenty of pumpclips. You can view it here
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