Beer of the Week (w/e 9 January 2011)

[Conrad]

Millay: Alehouse Fudgey Porter
Oggwyn Trench: Saltaire Triple Chocoholic
Alesonly: Workie Ticket
RogerB: Hornbeam Scarlet Ribbon
Bucking Fastard: Oakham Citra
Thuck Phat: Whim Flower Power
aleandhearty: Great Heck Heck's Angel
ROBCamra: Timothy Taylors Ram Tam
Al 10000: Blue Monkey BG
Brakslover: Young's Winter Warmer

[Millay]

This week it is without doubt the wonderful Alehouse Fudgey Porter. An excellent drinkable porter at only 3.8%, quite sweet so I accompanied each pint with a half of the Oakham Citra which made an excellent combination. This may unfortunately be the last we see of the Fudgey Porter as the Alehouse Brewery stopped brewing (at the Farmers Boy) in mid 2010 after the brewer took over the running of the Mermaid pub. He tells me however that due to it's popularity, and some of the other Alehouse beers, he has retained the recipe and may well make some one-off brews as a guest brewer if some of his contacts in the ytrade have a bit of spare capacity now and again. So if you see the Fudgey Porter, perhaps from the Cuckoo Brewery, then grab some quick.

NB - this was brewed as a tribute beer to Chris Fudge, long time organiser of the Tamworth Beer Festival who died in 2010. No surprise that it won best beer at the festival that year.

[Oggwyn Trench]

Decent nights drinking on Saturday

Milestone - Normanton
White Rose - Ice Maiden
Ossett - South Pacific
Box Steam - Blonde Box
Potbelly - Pigs Do Fly
Saltaire - Triple Chocoholic

Not a bad pint among them the Ice Maiden and South Pacific were standouts but BOTW is going to be Saltaire - Triple Chocoholic , i am really getting a taste for these chocolate stouts

[Alesonly]

Only managed too get out once this week for a few Pints as I was working most days Except Wednesday Night. I Had a few Pints Workie Ticket By Mordue Brewery and a few Pints of Roasted Nuts By Rebellion Brewery Both Beers were excellent but the best has too be Workie Ticket for Beer of the week.

[RogerB]

A pretty good first week of the year with visits to the Royal Oak, Market Porter & Lord Clyde in Borough, a few old haunts in Islington, a Zero Degrees Blackheath session as well as all my regular locals. Strong competition but top of the pile this week was without doubt the Hornbeam Scarlet Ribbon in the Market Porter.

[Bucking Fastard]

After a festive period dominated by wines of various kind and plenty of port,this week was a gentle reintroduction to the world of beer.Like Millay ,I really enjoyed Oakham Citra another great brew from that Peterborough based brewery supped in The Half Moon,Hitchin.A very good BOTW to kick off 2011.

Planning this years boating and drinking schedule at present with a probable trip up the Erewash canal to take in both Derby and Ilkeston,then across to Birmingham and the Black Country before a trip down the Severn to Worcester,Tewkesbury and Gloucester.Should find some very decent ale this year.

[Thuck Phat]

A relatively quiet week on the ale front but even were this not the case then Whim Flower Power would still be a very worthy BOTW. At 5.3% this has to be one of the best Summery type ales and is frighteningly drinkable and consistently excellent.

[gillhalfpint]

Planning a boating trip sounds a bit like our planning our caravan trips to take in various festivals. I haven't been out for a beer since New Year's Day so can't enter anything for this week. Only alcohol has been the hot rum toddies I've been consoling myself with at bedtime.

Caravan at Bury for NWAF, at Poulton for Fleetwood, at Sileby for Leicester, at Old Windsor for Egham, at Oxford for Reading, at Banbury for Banbury. That will do for starters.

Need to sort dates out for Tamworth, Minehead and York as we managed all three 2010 but there is sometimes an overlap. If I cannot enjoy a drink this week I will enjoy plotting and planning the summer.

[aleandhearty]

Like many, I've eased off a bit this week, but tried a few on Friday:

Mauldons - Silver Adder.
Riverhead - Black Moss Stout.
Great Heck - Heck's Angel.
Bird Brain - (Red and) Yellow Barbet.
Great Heck - Auld Lang Syne.
Milestone - Black Pearl.
Elland - Greland.
Saltaire - Triple Chocoholic Stout.

The Black Moss came very close, but the Heck's Angel was in great nick and just the job for a jaded post-Christmas palate. A worthy BOTW.

[ROBCamra]

I'm going to vote for an old favourite this week.

I hadn't had Timothy Taylors Ram Tam for a couple of years but it was on in the Baum this week and it was just as good as I remember, so that's the winner.

Acorn Gorlovka Stout came close again though.