Beer of the Week (w/e 16th June 2013)

[ROBCamra]

london calling: London Fields Triangle IPA
Thuck Phat: Rat Red Rat
Oggwyn Trench: Salopian Oracle
Real Ale Ray: Bartrams Suffolk n Strong
Aqualung: Portobello American Pale Ale
Mobyduck: Oakham Citra
gillhalfpint: Bays Topsail
Bucking Fastard: BrewDog Punk IPA
Wittenden: Old Dairy Dark Side of the Moo
oldboots: Roosters The Accomplice
aleandhearty: Fernandes Octohop
ROBCamra: Dancing Duck: dcuk

[london calling]

lots of good beers this week
bellevile -brownstone
Oxfordshire -citrus gold hop
darkstar -genesis
Harwich -pilrim
honourable mention for
Lancaster -lemon grass
but the winner was
London fields -triangle ipa (dry hopped with nelson sauvin).

[Thuck Phat]

When I spotted Red Rat from the Rat brewery on at my local I thought 'if this brewery's beer is good enough for Aleandhearty's cultured palate, then it's more than good enough for me'. The swiftest of three pint tests proved the point beyond doubt and the Red Rat more than stood up to the Oakham Bishops Farewell thoughtfully poured for me before I ordered.
Red Rat looks like a foxily tinged boring brown beer. It isn't. Malty chocolate followed by a delicious bitter wallop, it punches above its 4.3% and reminds me of Blue Monkey's 99 Red Baboons in style. I hope that there's some left for today!

BOTW Rat - Red Rat

[Oggwyn Trench]

A few hours wandering around Shrewsbury provided some decent beer on Saturday

Everards - Original
Salamander - Baldanders
British Beer Factory - Independence
Castle Rock - Harvest Pale
Salopian - Oracle
Hancocks - HB
Oates - Liquid Equinox
Twickenham - Spring Ale

BOTW Salopian - Oracle

[Real Ale Ray]

Bartrams - Suffolk n Strong

[Aqualung]

Quite a good selection this week :-

Brodie's London Fields Pale 4.0%
Portobello Star 4.0%
Lee's Drayman's Promise 4.1%
Thwaite's Wainwright 4.1%
London Field's Black Path Porter 4.2%
White Horse Wayland Smithy 4.4%
Whitstable Winkle Picker 4.5%
Portobello Market Porter 4.6%
Hook Norton Old Hooky 4.6%
Adnam's Explorer 4.8%
Dark Star Summer Meltdown 4.8%
Brodie's Old Street Pale Ale 5.0%
Portobello American Pale Ale 5.0%
Kissingate Chennai IPA 5.0%
Brodie's APA (Keykeg) 5.2%
Franklin's Citra IPA 5.5%
Fuller's ESB 5.5%
Siren Liquid Mistress 5.8%
Brodie's Big Mofo Stout (Keykeg) 10.5%
Brodie's Romanov Stout (Keykeg) 12.1%

Ignoring the Brodie's offerings it's a straight fight between Dark Star Summer Meltdown in the George at Hailsham and Portobello American Pale Ale in the Grapes at Sutton. Both were superb and I could have drank either or both of them all day long. I feel I must show allegiance to the West London New Kid on the Block so the Portobello brewery gets it. This brewery also nearly got a BABOTW post for their Star bitter which didn't impress at all.

BOTW Portobello American Pale Ale

[Mobyduck]

Some very nice beers this week,
Darkstar Hophead
Darkstar American Pale Ale
Portabello Pale
Portabello Market Porter
Tiny Rebel Billabong
Brodies Shoreditch Sunshine
London Fields Black Path Porter
East London Brewery Pale Ale
Milton Brewery Pegasus
Howling Hops American Light Ale
Howling Hops Smoked Porter
Franklins Grumpy Governor
Oakham Citra

It came down to two very goods beers Howling Hops Smoked Porter and the winner this week Oakham Citra drank in the Old Fountain,sensationally good.

[oldboots]

An interesting bunch of beers, Blind Jack's American Beer Festival offered something different including a cask version of Torpedo which was excellent, as was the Myrcenary but The Accomplice (also Odells but in conjunction with Roosters) in the York Tap just gets it

Hambleton Bitter
Hambleton Hot to Trot
Marstons Jennings Bitter
T Taylors Boltmaker
Castle Rock Harvest Pale
Roosters Yankee
Kirkstall Three Swords
Triple fff Alton Pride
Skinners Betty Stoggs
Bath Summer's Hare
Durham White Gold
Roosters The Accomplice
Knaresborough Blind Faith
SKA Modus Hoperandi (keg)
Sierra Nevada Torpedo (cask)
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale (keg)
Sierra Nevada Blindfold (keg)
Odell Myrcenary (keg)