Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2019)

[aleandhearty]

Quiet week for me, but I came across a couple of new beers which were very good.


Titanic - Cherry Dark.*
Great Yorkshire - Pale.
Rat - King Rat.
Northern Monk - Eternal.*
North Riding - US Session (Eldorado, Mosaic, Zythos).*
Chin Chin - Cow Whisperer.*
Chin Chin - Early Bird.
Electric Bear - Whirly Bird.
Stancill - Black.

Quite a close call, this week. Loved both the Cow Whisperer (Milk Stout) and the Cherry Dark, but the latter just scrapes it. I find a lot of cherry flavoured beers medicinal in character, but this one had a lovely balance. Took me right back to childhood Christmases, when my mother enjoyed the odd glass of De Kuyper Cherry Brandy! I suspect it's a bit of a Marmite beer, like Plum Porter, but fans should love this one.

[Thuck Phat]

Just the two this week: Oakham Bishops Farewell* and BOTW Hop Back Thunderstorm.

Apparently the Thunderstorm used to be a wheat beer but this wasn't and at 4.7% was very similar to Summer Lightening being gently malty and tropical initially with a moreish, dry and bitter finish. Very good.

[Aqualung]

Apparently the Thunderstorm used to be a wheat beer but this wasn't and at 4.7% was very similar to Summer Lightening being gently malty and tropical initially with a moreish, dry and bitter finish. Very good.

My recollection of it was a 5% abv clear wheat beer so it may have been a hybrid to avoid the cloudiness.

[Aqualung]

I find a lot of cherry flavoured beers medicinal in character, but this one had a lovely balance. Took me right back to childhood Christmases, when my mother enjoyed the odd glass of De Kuyper Cherry Brandy! I suspect it's a bit of a Marmite beer, like Plum Porter, but fans should love this one.

I prefer the Cherry Dark to the Standard Plum as the fruit flavour is not overpowering. I prefer the Turbo Plum as the extra body makes the plum flavour less pronounced.
I'm sure I read somewhere that the Plum Porter takes up 60% or their brewing which must be a unique situation. It came about when they realised they hadn't made a special beer as promised so they took a porter they had already brewed and added the plum juice to make it different.

[Wittenden]

Kent,West Sussex.

Wantsum-Black Prince 3.9%abv. Oddly my first experience of this excellent dry dark MILD.Smokey and roasty.Strawberries on the aroma.Hope it's not the only MILD tried this season.
Arundel-Uptown NEIPA 6.2%abv from evil keg.Murky, fruity hops.Tasty,but too much carbonation to be excellent. Eyewateringly expensive at £3.30 for a half.All part of my education.

My BOTW-Wantsum Black Prince taken at The Black Dog

[Real Ale Ray]

Kirkstall - Dissolution in Tapped and The Cardigan Arms fantastic beer in two great pubs

[Mobyduck]

I suspect it's a bit of a Marmite beer, like Plum Porter, but fans should love this one.

Yes, really can't get on with Plum Porter, but would try the Cherry Dark as and when I see it.

[Wittenden]

Quiet week for me, but I came across a couple of new beers which were very good.




and the Cherry Dark, I suspect it's a bit of a Marmite beer, like Plum Porter, but fans should love this one.

I'm not a fan of fruit infused beers-I remember not really enjoying Kissingate's Black Cherry MILD. It didn't seem to work for me,although I love Cherries, and enjoy Mild.

[aleandhearty]

I prefer the Cherry Dark to the Standard Plum as the fruit flavour is not overpowering. I prefer the Turbo Plum as the extra body makes the plum flavour less pronounced.

I take your point about the Cherry Dark. Must admit I found the Turbo Plum () a bit of an anticlimax, probably a bit over-hyped.

Kent,West Sussex.

Wantsum-Black Prince 3.9%abv. Oddly my first experience of this excellent dry dark MILD.Smokey and roasty.

A previous BOTW of mine, also. At the time I commented it had a lovely richness for its strength. Mind you, I thought it was a few months ago and was rather alarmed to find it was Nov '17!

Yes, really can't get on with Plum Porter, but would try the Cherry Dark as and when I see it.

My gut feeling is if you don't like the Plum Porter, you'll struggle with it, but who knows?