An unexciting week, only Nethergate Umble Ale stands out.
Greene King St Edmonds was a surprisingly good beer though.
An unexciting week, only Nethergate Umble Ale stands out.
Greene King St Edmonds was a surprisingly good beer though.
I'm going to stick with Idle Brewery Idle Eyes. It was a good beer and I love the name!
A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Not often I'll go Mon-Fri without a beer but such was the case last week. Finally got to visit a few pubs yesterday but, although I'm sure most of the ales were in fine fettle, my cold was such that my tastebuds were severely diminished. I feel I have no choice but to 'pass' on this week's botw selection.
And, no, it didn't drown the cold as planned, I feel even worse today & have just wasted 3 bottles (Loddons Ferryman's Gold, Potton Village Bike & Shambles) all new to me (Asda 3 for £4) and will still be new to me when I sample them again in the week!
Best cold cure is a few hot toddies, double whisky, half a lemon squeezed, spoon of honey, squirt of boiled water ( enough to dissolve honey, no more), repeat until sleepy. Then if that doesn't work, a right hot curry. Right as rain in two days tops.
Mercifully free of colds this week, but not many trips to the pub.On consideration Hog's Back TEA was my beer of the week, and on the bottled front-Sierra Nevada Torpedo, my entry into the world of American IPAs.
I'm going to have to pass this week as well. Actually had quite a few beers but none really qualifies as a beer of the week, wishing I had snuck a Doom Bar in then I could at least have nominated that.
Well it's been a busy old week and I've had a few beers. Nothing has really stood out although some of the bottled stuff yesterday was interesting. I'm going with tradition though and nominating a cask beer, and it's going to be Bank Top Leprechaun Stout, drunk in the Mark Addy with the ROBCamras.
I've spent the week clearing out the 'brewery yard', which in turn meant clearing out most of the garden sheds and having a right old sort out. Amazing what you find in the back of the shed. Anyway, the reason for me telling you all this is, obviously after 12-14hrs of shifting heavy wood/barrels/scrap metal, I fancied a pint or two before heading home to the mrs and food.
Winner for me: Hobson's Mild. Only 3.2%, so 2 pints quenched my thirst without getting me rat-a$$ed but with no compromise on flavour whatsoever. It's so bloody good I've ordered another firkin for next week!
Close second is Old Empire 5.7% - dangerously drinkable.
Quite a strong selection for me this week. Had my first beer from the Redemption brewery which I hoped would be a contender but it was a little disappointing. Maybe the Gael Rua should be BotW since it has been the most heavily debated! The Harp in Covent Garden had Dark Star Hophead that under any other circumstance would probably win my accolade any week and the Ship & Shovells Hoppng Hare also a good shout. The green coloured Stonehenge Sign Of Spring at the Swan, Hammersmith was quite a refreshing if gimmicky pint but the shing star of the week (and probably the year so far) has been Clark's Classic Blonde at the Flying Boat, Dartford. Top stuff.
Until I hit Wakefield last month I knew little of Clarks or their beers but whilst undertaking a bit of research I was a bit taken back to find out that their origins were down the road from me. Next to the brewery in Wakefield is a pub called the Henry Boon and after a bit of Googling to find out who the hell he was I discovered that these was Clark's christian names. In the late 19th century he was brewing at a couple of premises in Gravesend, the company eventually falling under the banner Northfleet Brewing Co that was later acquired by the Dartford Brewery Company. Clark resurfaced in Wakefield in the 1900's and started the brewery that we see today. If all their beers are as good as Classic Blonde, I wouldn't mind if they could move it back!
Despite last week being quite a beer-fuelled 7 days, I'm saddened to admit that I sampled little of real interest.
To my knowledge, I consumed the following:
Everards Tiger x 2
Batemans Hooker x 2
Bombardier x 3
Nethergate Sweeny Todd x 1
Brains SA X1
Spitfire x 1
Banks Bitter x 1
Sharps Doom Bar x 1
London Pride x 3
Chang Lager (Bottled) x1
Newcastle Brown Ale x 3
Vodka and Coke (single measure) x 2
I sampled further 2 beers in the Willow Walk Wetherspoon (Victoria) and a bitter in the Wat Tyler (Dartford), but cannot recall names of breweries!
Beer-of-the-week? Brains SA