A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Gentle week:
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Kelham Island Pale Rider
Blue Monkey Guerilla Plum Stout*
I'd forgotten how bitter the Pale Rider is but BOTW was Blue Monkey Guerilla Plum Stout. Not dissimilar to Titanic Plum Porter and same strength at 4.9% so ideal for this time of year.
"Beer is food." Morse, Colin Dexter
Helped by two excellent brewery tap visits:
Keg
Red Stripe - Lager
Kona - Big Wave
Goose Island - Goose IPA
Samuel Smiths - Four Pure
Birra Moretti - Lager
Turning Point - Demons Eye
Turning Point - Sunshine Indoors
Turning Point - Thousands of Evils
Turning Point - Powerful Sense of Dread
Omnipollo - Fatamorgana
Meantime - Lager
Wild Beer - Millionaire
Cask
Brass Castle - Bad Kitty
Harrogate - Crowd Sauce
Harrogate - Jumping the Shark
Harrogate - Plum Porter
North Riding - Porter
Taylor - Landlord
Marstons - 61 Deep
Leeds - Pale
Rudgate - Ruby Mild
BOTW Turning Point - Thousands of Evils 8.5% barrel aged stout
After a publess week, last week, I certainly enjoyed my annual pre-Christmas wander round Skipton, on Saturday. Lots of new beers and a couple of new micros,as well.
Manchester Brewing Co. - Elephant Juice.*
Red Willow - Breakfast Stout.*
Ashover - Butts.
Saltaire - Harbor Lights.
Kirkby Lonsdale - Jubilee.
Wishbone - Tiller Pin.*
Daleside - Black IPA.
Roosters - London Thunder.
Bridgehouse - Damien.*
Naylors - Mashed
Worsthorne - Chestnut Mare.
Ilkley - Mary Christmas.
Ilkley - Westwood.
Roosters - Sawtooth.
Mobberley - Bunji.
Like 'old boots' a couple of weeks ago, I was impressed by the Damien (Black IPA), but the Elephant Juice (unfined APA) really hit the spot, as the first one of the day.
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
Kent,East Sussex
Whitstable-Native Bitter 3.7%abv:Earthy toffee Bitter.
Three Legs-Pale #2 3.7%abv:Brambly hops.Pale,hazy.
Cellar Head-Autumn Pale 4.5%abv:Chestnut,brown,mellow.
Long Man-Old Man 4.3%abv:Gentle Old Ale.
Our visit to The Ram Inn didn't afford any Burning Sky ale unfortunately,though the Cellar Head and Long Man beers were more than adequate. However,my BOTW was Three Legs Pale#2,taken at Larkins' Alehouse
"At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.
Sandstone Steam Dragon
Muirhouse True Gent
Three Castles Winter Gold Ale
Hop Kettle Space Cowboy
BrewDog Elvis Juice
Brew Buddies US Hop Pale
Slaters Haka
Triple fff Jabberwocky
Flowerpots Perridge Pale
Standout this past week is Hop Kettle Space Cowboy a fine example of a Milk Stout and BOTW.
"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
-W.C.Fields
A short stay in Stourbridge gave this:-
Batham's Mild 3.5%
Titanic Iceberg 4.1%
Oakham Citra 4.2%
Batham's Best 4.3%
Hobson's Town Crier 4.5%
Northern Monk Rapscallion (keg) 5.1%
Blue Bee Citra Enigma 5.7%
Batham's XXX 6.3%
For the fourth consecutive year the Quest For Batham's XXX was successful with it being available in the Stourbridge & Hagley outlets. This years brew is the paler less sweet version. Given that it seems to be different each year you have to wonder how accurate the abv is! It was £3.70 this year. While this has to be the BOTW, honourable mention must go to the Blue Bee Citra Enigma which was a hazy strong hop bomb and the Titanic Iceberg which on the day was better than the Oakham Citra.
BOTW Batham's XXX
A modest week in Croydon,Harlow and Hertford .
Burning Sky -- Aurora * (>3PT)
Mc Mullen -- AK
Mc Mullen -- Bootwarmer
Stonehenge -- Rudolph
Easy choice for BOTW with Burning Sky Aurora winning yet again ,on top form in The George.
Next week looks modest unless the boat engine gets reassembled.
"Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson