Great British Beer Festival 2008
Great British Beer Festival Tasting Notes....
Previous Years are here: 2000/2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009.
Not doing too bad again, this year. The festival hasn't even finished yet and here is my list for 2008. Many thanks to the co-conspirators this year: darthfi on the Tuesday and gmh, Bob, rjw1, aca, nou, gaspodog, David and sundry others on the Thursday. Much fun was had and much beer was drunk. Speaking of which…
Bateman Salem Porter (4.7%)
Fruit and roast nose with a rich, roasted warming taste. As more than one of us exclaimed - it's basically alcoholic bovril! But nice with it. ***
Bath Barnstomer (4.5%)
Spicy hop, chocolate and fruit nose with bitter and fruit taste. A lovely, lovely brew, dark honey aroma and taste, rich on the tongue. Heavy but smooth. *****
Black Isle Organic Wheat Beer (4.5%)
A Belgian style wheat beer with hints of orange and coriander in the aroma and taste. Lovely wheat beer, lemony citrus flavours without being overly sour. ****
Brown Cow Captain Oates Dark Mild (4.5%)
A well balanced dark mild, brewed with a complex mix of malts and oats, giving a wonderful depth of flavour, with undertones of coffee and chocolate and a full finish. Disappointing.
Coachhouse Gunpowder Mild (3.8%)
Molasses, liquorish and Vimto(!) nose and a sweet, smooth, liquorish flavour. Spicy nose with a well-rounded flavour, satisfying soft aftertaste. ***
Cotleigh Harrier (3.8%)
A light, golden low alcohol beer. A delicate floral and fruity aroma giving a refreshingly sweet and slightly hoppy finish. Pale and Crystal malt; Goldings, Challenger, Cascade and Saars hops. Good session beer, slight caramel taste and quite refreshing. ***
Cotswold Spring Old English Rose (4.0%)
Beautifully balanced quaffing ale with delicate floral aroma and hints of tropical fruit and a bittersweet finish. A lovely, slightly sparkling quaffable summer ale, perfect for summer afternoons, slightly chilled and in the garden. If one removes Grousebeater from the equation, this is probably my beer of the festival. *****
Dark Tribe Honey Mild (3.6%)
Dark mild with the flavour enhanced by adding some honey to the beer. I was rather disappointed with this, the colour was deceptive for the taste, it tasted more like a bitter and the honey flavour was nowhere near developed enough. *
Durham Bede's Chalice (9.0%)
Full and rich deep amber ale with cinder toffee and navel orange flavours. Not one I picked to drink, I tried a taste of this. It is utterly gorgeous, almost whisky tasting. You know it's strong though! ****
Felstar Crix Forest (4.0%)
Mild by name, but strong in individuality. Subtle undertones of fresh raspberries shows among the gentle toastiness of a characteristic aroma of Goldings to leave a long and satisfying finish. Nice, lovely raspberry flavours come through even though the beer is on the dark side in both looks and taste. Unfortunately the flavour is very volatile and will not last a pint. **
Hampshire Thunderbolt (4.5%)
Light amber beer with citrus and malt aroma, mellow malt, offee and hops in the taste with a dry nutty finish. Not a smoked ale, but with a slightly smoky flavour, but the lingering aftertaste spoils this beer. **
Hyde Owd Oak (??)
Very random - this isn't on the beer list. It's probably a Hyde thing. It is a very dry beer, a mid-tasting bitter, slightly spicy. **
Iceni Raspberry Wheat (5.0%)
Straw coloured American style ale, delicately flavoured with summer fruits, brewed using Hersbrucker hopes, wheat and lager malt. A perennial try-out, it's definitely getting better. A lot less sweet than 2004 and definitely more flavour than last year. The additional raspberry flavour is a little on the oily side, though. ***
Moor Ported Peat Porter (4.7%)
Port adds to the complex flavours of this dark brown/black beer which has a fruity taste leading to roast malt with a little bitterness and a slightly sweet, malty finish. Good porter, well-rounded, soft feel and with an inoffensive aftertaste. ***
Newby Black Squall (4.6%)
Traditional porter style beer with complex roast flavours and a smooth bitter aftertaste. We were hoping to try both Black and White Squall at the fest, but unfortunately only the Black Squall was on. It is a very dark and intense brew, almost burnt toast in flavour and with a mellow chocolate aftertaste. ***
North Cotswold Hung, Drawn and Portered (5.0%)
Rich, dark porter which tastes of treacle, rich fruit and hops, the finish malty. Well, with the name, I really had to try it, if only for dakfinv! This is an exceptionaly 'thick' porter, very heavy on the chocolate and sweet with it. ****
Pictish Alchemist (4.3%)
Yellow beer with generous hop and fruit on the nose and palate followed by a good bitter hop finish. Very hoppy and refreshing, slight banana aftertaste. ***
Potbelly Beijing Black (4.4%)
Strong dark red-brown award-winning mild with hints of sweet coffee and roast coffee in the aroma and aftertaste. A smoky porter, dry and subtly sweet. **
Purple Moose Ochr Tywyll y Mws (4.6%)
A delicious dark ale with a deep malt flavour and a fruity bitterness. Also known as "Dark Side of the Moose". This is a nice, dark ale, very little nose but with a well-rounded flavour. ****
Sierra Nevada Porter (??)
Thick chocolate and coffee flavour, a good example of the type, but not outstanding. ***
Theakston Grousebeater (4.2%)
A golden mid-gravity bitter with initial sweetness balanced with a moderate hop bitterness. Dry-hopped with Fuggles to give a delicate aroma complemented with a subtle hint of moorland berry, a favourite with grouse. How do I describe this without sounding like I want to marry this beer? I can't. It's gorgeous, fruity and creamy, both refreshing and satisfying. *****
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (5.9%)
Complex well-balance IPA with a fine blend of cirtus and other fruit flavours, mixed with a slight sweetness and ending with a lingering bitter finsh. Well-rounded and sweet, slightly sour aftertaste. ***
Vale Black Swan Dark Mild (3.9%)
Bark and smooth with an impressive full roast flavour that belies its strength. Impressively dark and rich with a lovely coffee flavour. ****
Ciders
Gregg's Pit Kingston Black SV (7.5%)
A lovely cider, packed with flavour, and on the dry side. ****
Gwathin Farmhouse Blend (7.0%)
This perry looks and tastes like lemon squash. Lemon squash with a hell of a kick, but still lemon squash. Incredibly sour, but not dry, actually very refreshing. ****
Dan y Graig Blend (7.0%)
Rough as the proverbial. Not to my taste at all, unfortunately. *
And that's it for this year. Hopefully my liver will have recovered by next year!!!
Previous Years are here: 2000/2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009.
Not doing too bad again, this year. The festival hasn't even finished yet and here is my list for 2008. Many thanks to the co-conspirators this year: darthfi on the Tuesday and gmh, Bob, rjw1, aca, nou, gaspodog, David and sundry others on the Thursday. Much fun was had and much beer was drunk. Speaking of which…
Bateman Salem Porter (4.7%)
Fruit and roast nose with a rich, roasted warming taste. As more than one of us exclaimed - it's basically alcoholic bovril! But nice with it. ***
Bath Barnstomer (4.5%)
Spicy hop, chocolate and fruit nose with bitter and fruit taste. A lovely, lovely brew, dark honey aroma and taste, rich on the tongue. Heavy but smooth. *****
Black Isle Organic Wheat Beer (4.5%)
A Belgian style wheat beer with hints of orange and coriander in the aroma and taste. Lovely wheat beer, lemony citrus flavours without being overly sour. ****
Brown Cow Captain Oates Dark Mild (4.5%)
A well balanced dark mild, brewed with a complex mix of malts and oats, giving a wonderful depth of flavour, with undertones of coffee and chocolate and a full finish. Disappointing.
Coachhouse Gunpowder Mild (3.8%)
Molasses, liquorish and Vimto(!) nose and a sweet, smooth, liquorish flavour. Spicy nose with a well-rounded flavour, satisfying soft aftertaste. ***
Cotleigh Harrier (3.8%)
A light, golden low alcohol beer. A delicate floral and fruity aroma giving a refreshingly sweet and slightly hoppy finish. Pale and Crystal malt; Goldings, Challenger, Cascade and Saars hops. Good session beer, slight caramel taste and quite refreshing. ***
Cotswold Spring Old English Rose (4.0%)
Beautifully balanced quaffing ale with delicate floral aroma and hints of tropical fruit and a bittersweet finish. A lovely, slightly sparkling quaffable summer ale, perfect for summer afternoons, slightly chilled and in the garden. If one removes Grousebeater from the equation, this is probably my beer of the festival. *****
Dark Tribe Honey Mild (3.6%)
Dark mild with the flavour enhanced by adding some honey to the beer. I was rather disappointed with this, the colour was deceptive for the taste, it tasted more like a bitter and the honey flavour was nowhere near developed enough. *
Durham Bede's Chalice (9.0%)
Full and rich deep amber ale with cinder toffee and navel orange flavours. Not one I picked to drink, I tried a taste of this. It is utterly gorgeous, almost whisky tasting. You know it's strong though! ****
Felstar Crix Forest (4.0%)
Mild by name, but strong in individuality. Subtle undertones of fresh raspberries shows among the gentle toastiness of a characteristic aroma of Goldings to leave a long and satisfying finish. Nice, lovely raspberry flavours come through even though the beer is on the dark side in both looks and taste. Unfortunately the flavour is very volatile and will not last a pint. **
Hampshire Thunderbolt (4.5%)
Light amber beer with citrus and malt aroma, mellow malt, offee and hops in the taste with a dry nutty finish. Not a smoked ale, but with a slightly smoky flavour, but the lingering aftertaste spoils this beer. **
Hyde Owd Oak (??)
Very random - this isn't on the beer list. It's probably a Hyde thing. It is a very dry beer, a mid-tasting bitter, slightly spicy. **
Iceni Raspberry Wheat (5.0%)
Straw coloured American style ale, delicately flavoured with summer fruits, brewed using Hersbrucker hopes, wheat and lager malt. A perennial try-out, it's definitely getting better. A lot less sweet than 2004 and definitely more flavour than last year. The additional raspberry flavour is a little on the oily side, though. ***
Moor Ported Peat Porter (4.7%)
Port adds to the complex flavours of this dark brown/black beer which has a fruity taste leading to roast malt with a little bitterness and a slightly sweet, malty finish. Good porter, well-rounded, soft feel and with an inoffensive aftertaste. ***
Newby Black Squall (4.6%)
Traditional porter style beer with complex roast flavours and a smooth bitter aftertaste. We were hoping to try both Black and White Squall at the fest, but unfortunately only the Black Squall was on. It is a very dark and intense brew, almost burnt toast in flavour and with a mellow chocolate aftertaste. ***
North Cotswold Hung, Drawn and Portered (5.0%)
Rich, dark porter which tastes of treacle, rich fruit and hops, the finish malty. Well, with the name, I really had to try it, if only for dakfinv! This is an exceptionaly 'thick' porter, very heavy on the chocolate and sweet with it. ****
Pictish Alchemist (4.3%)
Yellow beer with generous hop and fruit on the nose and palate followed by a good bitter hop finish. Very hoppy and refreshing, slight banana aftertaste. ***
Potbelly Beijing Black (4.4%)
Strong dark red-brown award-winning mild with hints of sweet coffee and roast coffee in the aroma and aftertaste. A smoky porter, dry and subtly sweet. **
Purple Moose Ochr Tywyll y Mws (4.6%)
A delicious dark ale with a deep malt flavour and a fruity bitterness. Also known as "Dark Side of the Moose". This is a nice, dark ale, very little nose but with a well-rounded flavour. ****
Sierra Nevada Porter (??)
Thick chocolate and coffee flavour, a good example of the type, but not outstanding. ***
Theakston Grousebeater (4.2%)
A golden mid-gravity bitter with initial sweetness balanced with a moderate hop bitterness. Dry-hopped with Fuggles to give a delicate aroma complemented with a subtle hint of moorland berry, a favourite with grouse. How do I describe this without sounding like I want to marry this beer? I can't. It's gorgeous, fruity and creamy, both refreshing and satisfying. *****
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (5.9%)
Complex well-balance IPA with a fine blend of cirtus and other fruit flavours, mixed with a slight sweetness and ending with a lingering bitter finsh. Well-rounded and sweet, slightly sour aftertaste. ***
Vale Black Swan Dark Mild (3.9%)
Bark and smooth with an impressive full roast flavour that belies its strength. Impressively dark and rich with a lovely coffee flavour. ****
Ciders
Gregg's Pit Kingston Black SV (7.5%)
A lovely cider, packed with flavour, and on the dry side. ****
Gwathin Farmhouse Blend (7.0%)
This perry looks and tastes like lemon squash. Lemon squash with a hell of a kick, but still lemon squash. Incredibly sour, but not dry, actually very refreshing. ****
Dan y Graig Blend (7.0%)
Rough as the proverbial. Not to my taste at all, unfortunately. *
And that's it for this year. Hopefully my liver will have recovered by next year!!!