Beer of the Week (w/e 17th June 2012)

A week of shocks. BF & TP in not voting for Oakham Bishops Farewell scandal. :eek:;)

Bucking Fastard: Great Heck Voodoo Mild
Mobyduck: Dark Star American Pale Ale
Spinko: Brewdog Punk IPA
Oggwyn Trench: Wood Street Golden Larch
gillhalfpint: Blue Anchor Spingo Middle
Millay: Tring Brewery Riser Bitter
Old Blue: Oakham Water of Forgetfulness
hondo: Butcombe Rare Breed
Wittenden: Shepherd Neame Kent's Best
oldboots: Loddon Summer Snowflake
Thuck Phat: Ridgeside Southern Cross
Real Ale Ray: Wibblers Apprentice
Quinno: Waen Summer Ale
Pubsignman: Red Willow Heartless
Alesonly: Redemption Fellowship Porter
aleandhearty: Magic Rock Curious
ROBCamra: Highland Scapa Special

A bit of a session in The Baum on Tuesday where Highland Scapa Special was new on the bar.

This was excellent and I ended up having 4 pints of it, unusual for me with 6 others to choose, although I had tried them all before.

A trip to Hull this weekend should throw up lots more choices, but this one going to be hard to beat. :cheers:

Dark Star American Pale Ale comes out the winner this week followed by Skinners Betty Stogs .:drinkup:

Had some good ale on the trip from Lincoln to Leeds,so this is a tricky call.The Kirkstall Black Band was very good,but BOTW goes to Great Heck's Voodoo Mild.At 4.3% it had a lot more going on than some weaker milds,a rich chocolate/coffee initial hit and then a lingering dryness tempting you into another.Any MILD pump clip with an image of Jimi Hendrix is worth a pint,surely ? Supped along with some other fine beers in The Eight Jolly Brewers,Gainsborough.

Brewdog - Punk IPA, had in Brewdog Manchester.

I kept telling myself I needed to see a few different pubs in Manchester to learn the area, I kept going back to this. Lovely smell and even better taste. Several of Marble's came close.

Another good weekend

Woodlands - Old Willow
Grafton - Silhouette
Grafton - Ironman
Wood Street - Golden Larch
Partners - Ghost
Kelham Island - Pale Rider
M&B - Mild
Morton - Essington Ale
Titanic - Slipway
Burton Bridge - Two Brewers
Six Bells - Cloud Nine
Allgates - Citra

BOTW Wood Street - Golden Larch

Butcombe Mendip Spring
Exeter 'Fraid Not
Exmoor Stag (contender)
Keltek Magik
Sharps Zennor Mermaid
Frys Blonde Chough
Frys Ruby Chough
Cornish Crown St Michaels Bitter
Blue Anchor Spingo Middle (contender)
Hogswood Stoked
Frys Smoked
Bays Devon Dumpling (contender)

BOTW Blue Anchor Spingo Middle. Gets better every year.

This week the Titanic Anchor gets close but my BotW is going to Tring Brewery Riser Bitter, brewed specially for the Rising Sun in Berkhamsted. Had a few pints on Saturday sitting outside in the sun on the canal path.

Oakham's Water of Forgetfulness.

Bloody lovely, and if you drink enough of it, it does exactly what it says on the pump clip.

Adam Henson's Rare Breed brewed by Butcombe

Unusually a beer from a large family brewer:Shepherd Neame's Kent's Best.More rounded, not as harsh as Master Brew,perfectly fine for a wet midweek family lunch.

Not the quantity of last week but amazing quality, therefore it's a very difficult choice but the Loddon was excellent

Roosters YPA
Saltaire Stateside IPA
Loddon Summer Snowflake
Rat Desert Rat
Saltaire Blonde
Taylors Landlord
Nethergate for Nicholsons Three Mills PA
Ilkley Mary Jane
Salamander Slam Dunk
Lancaster Blonde
Roosters Yankee

A few decent beers this week.
Oakham Bishops Farewell
Titanic Rule Britannia
Ossett Citra
Rudgate Battle Axe
Wentworth WPA
Great Heck Voodoo Mild
Old Mill Bitter
Daleside Blonde
Ridgeside Southern Cross

All of these were good and slipped down very easily. BOTW was Ridgeside Southern Cross, a brewery new to me but recommended by the Grove in Leeds. Southern Cross is a 5.7% IPA brewed with NZ hops. It's dry, bitter, complex and immensely drinkable. My Beer of the Year so far by a stretch.

A good week for me with the Braintree Fest and a trip around Chelmsford.

Colchester Red Diesel
Crouch Vale Blackwater Mild
Crouch Vale Essex Boys
Old Dairy Copper Top
Wibblers Apprentice
Howard Town Bleaklow
Bank Top Old Slapper
Farmers Ales Captain Ann

The above were thoroughly enjoyed plus many more, but the winner this week is Wibblers Apprentice, an excellent session beer that I could happily drink gallons of!

Quiet this week. Simple pick between Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Golden Ale at The Barrels and Waen Summer ale at Kilverts Hotel (yes, I did meet Ed :) )

I'll go for the Waen Summer Ale. I've had a couple of theirs at the Nags and been impressed.

I only managed to get down the pub twice this week and both times were prior to England games, which, thanks to Croydon Council, meant that I had to drink out of plastic glasses, thus ruining potentially excellent pints of Dark Star Revelation and Dorking Black among others.

Therefore BOTW goes to the bottle of Red Willow Heartless I enjoyed last night - a moreish Chocolate Stout from an excellent brewery.

Had some good Ales over my long weekend off. Had far too many to list Over 40 Pints over the six days.:eek: That makes up for over two dry weeks :D. Now ive got go 8 days at work without a drink again that will give me chance to recover.

Five of my favorite listed below.
Duncans IPA Inveralmond Brewery
Mulberry Dark Conwy Brewery
Rudgate Ruby Mild
Redemption Fellowship Porter
Black Tom Springhead Brewery

For Ale of the week I will go for Redemption Fellowship Porter

Quietish week for me. This week's contenders:

Magic Rock - Curious.
Kirkstall - Pale Ale.
Durham - John Duck.
Kirkstall - Black Band Porter.
Roosters - Longshot.
York - Ghost Ale.
Off Beat - Kooky Gold.
Dark Star - Revelation.
Ilkley - Mary Jane.

Some good beers there, but the Curious was the first one of the day and fresh as a daisy, to boot. Delicious.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ROBCamra

A bit of a session in The Baum on Tuesday where Highland Scapa Special was new on the bar.

This was excellent and I ended up having 4 pints of it, unusual for me with 6 others to choose, although I had tried them all before.

A trip to Hull this weekend should throw up lots more choices, but this one going to be hard to beat. :cheers:

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Nothing beat it, or even came close. BOTW Highland Scapa Special. :cheers:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ROBCamra

A week of shocks. BF & TP in not voting for Oakham Bishops Farewell scandal. :eek:;)

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:D

I thought I might get some cred for voting for a MILD,clearly to no avail :(.And Mr Phat did have to admit that his Ridgeside Southern Cross was his beer of the year,there is life after Bishop's ;)

Je ne regrette rien!