Beer of the Week (w/e 9th December 2012)

[Aqualung]

A fair list this week mostly in the King William IV in Leyton :-

Magic Rock Curious 3.8%
London Field's Love Not War 4.2%
Burton Bridge Santi Freeze 4.5%
JW Lees Plum Pudding 4.8%
Growler Essex Border 4.8%
Exmoor Exmas 5.0%
Brodie's Jamaican Stout 5.3%
Magic Rock Great Alphonso 5.6%
Freeminer Deep Shaft 6.0%
Magic Rock Dark Arts 6.0%
Brodie's Mentol Brown 6.5%
Magic Rock Human Cannonball 9.2% (keykeg)
Brodie's Big Mofo Stout 10.5% (keykeg)
Magic Rock Bearded Lady 10.5% (keykeg)
Brodie's Romanov Stout 12.1% (keykeg)

As instructed by AleandHearty I did try the Magic Rock Curious and agree that it's an excellent well hopped pale cooking beer, very similar to a few of the Brodie's regulars. The Great Alphonso was the biggest disappointment as I couldn't detect any Mango flavour at all, and I have brewed my own Mango wine in the past.

Despite the appearance of three of my previous BOTW winners, this week has a very clear winner, due mainly to the high price of the keykeg Magic Rock offerings which gave me the chance to apply the three pint test to Magic Rock Dark Arts. This is a very well hopped black beer, possibly best described as a strong stout. It was in cracking form at the Magic Rock takeover. I have tried it before but don't recall it being as impressive as this.

BOTW Magic Rock Dark Arts

[Thuck Phat]

Very quiet week with just Wood Farm Rucking Santa, a brewery whose beers I normally like and Oakham Bishops Farewell.
The Rucking Santa was a touch malty for my taste and managed the 1 pint test but not the 3 and had to be followed immediately by BOTW Oakham Bishops Farewell.

[Wittenden]

'absolution, and remission for our sins...'
Marstons-Pedigree:OK , if nothing special.
Abbeydale:Moonshine-Pale 'n' hoppy some citrus, Yorkshire stuff.
Bradfield-Farmers Blonde: pale,maltier and less passionate than before.
Bradfield-Farmers Bitter-hebaceous malt led session bitter.Mid brown, English,hits the spot.
Peak Ales-Bakewell Best Bitter-excellent best bitter.New mown hay,comforting.
Ringwood 4X Porter-Too cold,nothing really special.
Peak Ales-Nogging Filler 5%abvark winter warmer,roasty, earthy.Good.
Abbeydale -Brimstone 3.9%abv:dark roasty bitter with Amarillo hops.Full of flavour for the aBV.
Abbeydale-Absolution 5.1abv. Very pale, but sweeter than the usual Pennine pales.Not cloying. A good bruiser.
Abbeydale-Black Lurcher.7%abv. Wonderful jet black old ale-chocolate,coffee and soul.
Oakwell-Barnsley Bitter.3.8%abv. Good blackberry session brown bitter.
Abbeydale Black Lurcher, my BOTW

[Pubsignman]

Barely made it down the pub this week, but I did manage to enjoy a nice bottle of JW Lees Manchester Star - a hefty but warming 7%+ porter.

[aleandhearty]

Unbelievably, another dry week. That's the second in three weeks.

[trainman]

Unbelievably, another dry week. That's the second in three weeks.

Yep, unbelievable...

[ROBCamra]

Kelham Island One Step Beyond this week.

[aleandhearty]

The Partners Tabatha was intresting , brewed similar to a Belgium Triple , easy to drink at a dangerous 6%

It's a little unusual isn't it? Having said that, I quite liked it once my palate had adjusted.

Geeky factoid: Its continental taste is probably helped by the fact it's brewed by a Dutchman - Paul Klos. He was one of the founders of Anglo-Dutch Brewery, along with Mike Field (the man responsible for the renovation of the West Riding Refreshment Rooms, in Dewsbury). Anglo-Dutch were bought out and re-named Partners in 2011.