Beer of the Week (w/e 13th July 2014)

[ROBCamra]

Real Ale Ray: Magpie Thieving Rogue
Aqualung: East London Brewing Cowcatcher
Mobyduck: Dark Star Hophead
Bucking Fastard: Marble Lagonda IPA
Wittenden: Canterbury The Wife of Bath's Ale
london calling: Hammertons APA
oldboots: Brass Castle Burnout
hondo: Stewart Summer Backbeat
Thuck Phat: Marble Lagonda IPA
aleandhearty: Five Towns Strange Brew
ROBCamra: Black Wolf Gold Digger

[Real Ale Ray]

Magpie - Thieving Rogue 4,5

[Aqualung]

A modest list due to seeing off a third of the Spoons ciders on the first day :-

Everard's Tiger 4.2%
Hopcraft Santa Muerte 4.3%
Adnam's Ghost Ship 4.5%
East London Brewing Cowcatcher 4.8%
Hopcraft Simcoe Plus 5.4%

The Sanra Muerte is another great beer from Hopcraft but the ELB Cowcatcher wins the day. This is a first class APA served in perfect nick at the Chingford King's Ford for £2.35. If you've only ever tried their Pale Ale don't be put off as their other beers are miles better than that rather ordinary offering.

On the Spoons cider front I really liked the Hog Father and the Pear Shaped.

[Mobyduck]

Tiny list this week,
Darkstar Hophead 3.8%
Wells & Youngs Hummingdird 4.2%
Dorking Red India Ale 5%
West Berks Isis Pilsner 4.9%
All were good and I don't want to keep nominating the same beer but the Hophead was by far the best. BOTW.

[Bucking Fastard]

The concluding week to the northern booze cruise.

Goose Eye --Maillot Jeune
Ilkley -- Lotus IPA
Magic Rock -- Ringmaster
Acorn -- Sur Votre Velo
Saltaire -- Elderflower Blonde
Timothy Taylor -- Dark Mild
Goose Eye -- Chinook
Bradfield -- Farmers Pale Ale
Copper Dragon -- Golden Pippin
Saltaire -- Blonde
Green Mill -- Stellar (3PT)
Phoenix -- White Tornado
Phoenix -- Navvy
Silver Street Brewing -- Wild Flower
Green Mill -- Delta Star IPA
Elland -- 1872 Porter
Lees -- Golden Peddler
Marble -- Lagonda IPA
Marble -- Ginger 5.1
Marble -- Earl Grey IPA
Marble -- Primus London Porter
Marble -- Dobber
Blackjack -- The OC (West Coast Cream Ale)
Mallinsons -- Extreme Amerillo
Marble -- Now Then
Marble -- Manchester Bitter
Marble -- Summer
Marble -- Chocolate


I doubt if I will get a better week this year,and most of the above were real contenders. However over two night in the Marble Arch,BOTW goes to Marble Lagonda IPA unbelievably good and I suspect another nomination will be on it's way shortly.

[Mobyduck]

The concluding week to the northern booze cruise.

Goose Eye --Maillot Jeune
Ilkley -- Lotus IPA
Magic Rock -- Ringmaster
Acorn -- Sur Votre Velo
Saltaire -- Elderflower Blonde
Timothy Taylor -- Dark Mild
Goose Eye -- Chinook
Bradfield -- Farmers Pale Ale
Copper Dragon -- Golden Pippin
Saltaire -- Blonde
Green Mill -- Stellar (3PT)
Phoenix -- White Tornado
Phoenix -- Navvy
Silver Street Brewing -- Wild Flower
Green Mill -- Delta Star IPA
Elland -- 1872 Porter
Lees -- Golden Peddler
Marble -- Lagonda IPA
Marble -- Ginger 5.1
Marble -- Earl Grey IPA
Marble -- Primus London Porter
Marble -- Dobber
Blackjack -- The OC (West Coast Cream Ale)
Mallinsons -- Extreme Amerillo
Marble -- Now Then
Marble -- Manchester Bitter
Marble -- Summer
Marble -- Chocolate


I doubt if I will get a better week this year,and most of the above were real contenders. However over two night in the Marble Arch,BOTW goes to Marble Lagonda IPA unbelievably good and I suspect another nomination will be on it's way shortly.

Envious would be an understatment.

[oldboots]

Fewer than last week but much better quality and so a hard choice

Ilkley - Mary Jane
Brass Castle - Burnout
Williams Bros - Joker IPA
Northern Monk / Hopcraft - Red IPA
Moorhouses - Pendle Witches Brew
Kronenberg - 1664
Wensleydale - Semer Water
Taylors - Boltmaker
Partners - Triple Hop
Saltaire - Amarillo Gold
Partners - Mungo Mild
Village - White Boar
Taylors - Le Champion
Leeds - Pale

BOTW Brass Castle - Burnout a bit like a de-tuned Bad Kitty

[hondo]

Stewart Brewing - Summer Backbeat

[Thuck Phat]

Boating in the Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester threw up a fine selection:

Goose Eye - Maillot Jaune
Ilkley - Lotus IPA*
Five Points - Railway Porter
Acorn - Sur Votre Velo
TT - Landlord
Bradfield - Farmers Pale Ale
Saltaire - Blonde
Green Mill - Stellar*
Silver Street - Wild Flower
Green Mill - Delta Star IPA*
Elland - 1872 Porter*
Dowton - Apple Blossom
Oakham - Bishops Farewell*
Magic Rock - Ringmaster
Blackjack - The OC*
Marble - Now Then*
Marble - Lagonda IPA*
Marble - Summer*
Marble - Ginger*
Marble - Earl Grey IPA*
Marble - Dobber*

A fine range and it was all good. The Marble beers were all superb with the Summer being described as "a staggering achievement" by one of the crew.
As Mr. Fastard has noted but nothing else was as good BOTW Marble Lagonda IPA. It's also BOTY so far and beer of the decade, as it was last decade which I suppose makes it my Beer of the Century to date.

[aleandhearty]

Reasonable week for me.

Coastal - Hop Monster.
Thornbridge - Kipling.
Jarrow - Rivet Catcher.
Orkney - Dragonhead Stout.*
Leeds - Pale.
Castle Rock - Harvest Pale.
Bosuns Brewing Co - Horbury Blonde.
Bosuns Brewing Co - Maiden Voyage.*
Two Roses - T'Yellow Jersey.
Roosters - Wild Mule.
Acorn - Old Moor Porter.
Five Towns - Strange Brew.*
Rudgate - Ruby Mild.
Blakemere - Freshly Squeezed.

Easy winner was the Strange Brew, a 7% IPA, brewed as one of a range of beers to celebrate the BBC filming of Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell in the city, earlier in the year. Three pints on top of some other beers proved rather lethal!