2008 London Drinker Festival

Last week, the Camden Centre in Kings Cross hosted the 2008 London Drinker Beer Festival, and the BeerCast was there on consecutive nights (just to make sure we didn’t miss anything). Held in a converted theatre, the elbow to elbow crowds again demonstrate the increasing popularity of ‘real ale’ – which can only be a good thing. After negotiating the queue and forking over the reduced entry price of £1.50 (CAMRA membership has some advantages), and a further £2.50 for a tasting glass, it was time to charge into the fray and get sampling.

1. American Pale Ale (4.7%)
Dark Star Brewery, Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
First up, I tried Dark Star’s American Pale Ale. At only 4.7%, it was a very hoppy IPA, with a deceptively strong taste for such a low alcohol content (as opposed to other American pale ales). I actually ended up voting for this one as my beer of the festival, as the dry hop taste was really very good indeed.

2. Wherry Best Bitter (3.5%)
Woodfordes Brewery, Norwich, Norfolk.
The APA was a tough act to follow, and unfortunately Wherry Best didn’t live up to the expectations. Thin, and not really tasting of much, maybe this one had been opened for a while and had suffered as a result (the packed Camden Centre was incredibly hot).

3. Stoodley Stout (4.8%)
Little Valley Brewery, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Two session beers down, time for a darker one. Little Valley Stoodley Stout had a tremendous smell of rich chocolate, and delivered a very pleasant portery taste. I really liked it, but my brother Mark (deputised BeerCaster for the evening) wasn’t sure about the ‘exceedingly bitter aftertaste’.

4. Millenium Gold (4.2%)
Crouch Vale Brewery, Chelmsford, Essex.
Finally one of the UK’s most decorated breweries – Crouch Vale have lifted CAMRA’s champion beer of Britain two years running (2005 and 2006) for Brewer’s Gold. Millenium Gold is their rarer seasonal beer for the month of March, and is a tremendous hoppy session beer. Again, Mark was troubled by the aftertaste – but I thought it was superb.

5. Tawny Bitter (3.8%)
Cotleigh Brewery, Wiveliscombe, Somerset.
The Cotleigh brewery name most of their beers after birds of prey (I learned later), and have to date raised £16,000 for the Hawk and Owl Trust. This was the first beer I tried on the second day of the festival, accompanied by regular BeerCaster Andy (of Andy and Jess). Tawny Bitter had a mild, slightly hoppy taste, and would be the dictionary definition of a session beer.

6. Old Porter (4.5%)
Enville Brewery, Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Andy’s first tipple was Enville’s Old Porter, from the rural West Midlands. Despite it ‘tasting like flat Coke’, he described it as being ‘very pleasant, smooth and light’ (at least I think that’s what my scribbled notes say). He ended up voting for this one as his beer of the festival.

7. RCH Steam Spring (4.6%)
RCH Brewery, Weston Super Mare, Somerset.
I’d been quite lucky with the beers up until now, but a late addition to the festival was my undoing. Steam Spring from the RCH Brewery was almost undrinkable – it tasted flat and medicinal, like a pint left out unattended for 24hrs. I can only think this was due to the serving temperature and conditions rather than the beer itself, which was a shame.

8. Pullman 1st Class Ale (4.2%)
Hepworth Brewery, Horsham, West Sussex.
I didn’t realise at the time, but Hepworth produce Hakhamanesh Lager which we tried in our organic special BeerCast last week. This was thankfully much nicer, a nutty tasting bitter with a pleasant finish. And it wasn’t wrapped in paper.

9. Brewer’s Gold (4.0%)
Crouch Vale Brewery, Chelmsford, Essex.
I’ve never before tried the fabled Brewer’s Gold, aforementioned two-time champion beer of Britain – but managed to make it my last drink of the second night at the London Beer Festival. Having tried it, I can now see what all the fuss is about. Light, zesty, with a great hoppy bitterness, it’s a class act – and if Dark Star’s APA hadn’t been so good, would have certainly got my best in show vote.

So a good time was had at the festival, thanks to Mark and Andy for their comments, and keep checking back for the BeerCast’s next forays into the world of beer festivals. We’re due to attend the Kingdom of Fife Festival in April, tasting glasses primed and ready. Before then, look for our special beer guide to York – and associated Yorkshire-based podcasts.

London Drinker Beer Festival