Despite stiff competition from various Humpty Dumpty beers, this week's champion is Ilkley Black.
Despite stiff competition from various Humpty Dumpty beers, this week's champion is Ilkley Black.
And you can really taste the hops!
Hmm... Perhaps I should have a re-think!
I sampled it in the Beehive Wetherspoon (Brixton). The place was heaving, uncomfortable, and I felt rushed. Perhaps If I had savoured it a little more I may have been more appreciative! Also, I had the foulest pint for a long time in the shape of Tetley's Bitter (cask version). - is it supposed to smell eggy and have a fizzy aftertaste?
The couple of Nelson bottles I had were slightly disappointing, also. I like the idea of bottle-conditioned beers, but there was way too much sediment floating about.
Materbrew may be a little dull and an unimaginative 'beer-of-the-week', but it's at least it's consistent in bottle-form!
Can't say I go wild about bottled MB, though I do admit a liking for it from the cask when it is on top form. I agree about Nelson's ales: I had a bottle of Spinnaker yesterday-the first for a long time, and found it odd, with a sort of burnt homebrew flavour. I'lll probably continue to steer clear again. I've never seem 'em on draught.
I had a dull pint of Harvey's Sussex Best-too cold, really. My BOTW must be (bottled) Gold Top from Old Dairy: a pretty good Golden. I'm fairly critical of this style-it can be either excellent or dull,me too.This was pretty damn fine, with a decent hop bite-I think they use, amongst others, A& H's beloved Cascades. I'm yet to try it on pump, but should imagine it would make a good beer for a summer day.
A recce around Sheffield threw up some wonderful pale /golden ales which were very hoppy and bitter some with citrus and many relatively strong.Kelham Island Pale Rider and Durham's Hopping Mad were fantastic but my BOTW goes to The Little Cart Brewery Alcazar which was bitter ,crisp ,5% and slipped down a treat and one of the house brews in The Wellington,another great pub.
Having most of this week off the beer before a return trip to Sheffield this Friday before a weeks voyage around the pubs (and waterways) of Yorkshire.Will post next BOTW when sober.
Are you sure you weren't drinking advocaat and lemonade? Seriously, eggs suggest sulphur, which in turn makes me think it was off. It's nowhere near the beer it was, but it's not that bad.
Agreed it can be a very dull style, but when they get it right...Still love my Cascade hops, but the variety that's got me really excited at the moment is Nelson Sauvin. There's a real nettle-y verdancy to the flavours, rather like the Sauvignon Blanc grape the name hints at. Fabulous.
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
I very much liked Pictish Sauvin Blanc, but all their beers are great. Looking for it, I found the att'd...
http://www.aswiftone.com/2009/08/nelson-sauvin.html
Thanks for the thought, but I've read it before, shortly after trying the Fernandes Nelson IPA mentioned in the article. At the time I couldn't work out the significance of the 'Nelson'. A tribute to Mr Mandela? Some bizarre tribute to the Lancashire town of the same name? Look forward to trying the Pictish version. Acorn Brewery also had / have a brew in their single hop series. It was on at The Market Porter when I went to Borough Market a few weeks ago. Having popped our head round the door to see what was on, we decided to eat first. Fifteen minutes later it had gone!
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
Been looking out for Pictish beers,also any using Nelson sauvin-I did have a bottle of Thornbridge Hall Kipling, which I liked, but didn't realise it used NS. I probably hadn't heard of NS then!Westerham Brewery, which can do wonders with Wye Tartgets(don't tell Gazza Prescott!) is doing a single varietal Cascade, which I haven't seen yet, unfortunately.