The BeerCast

Following the announcement that Highland Orkney Blast was awarded the 2010 Champion Beer of Scotland, it was time to pay a visit to the festival as a punter and sample some of the new and unusual beers on offer this year. Nobody attends the SRAF to drink Deuchars IPA, after all. As ever, the larger ballroom was opened up to escape the warm atmosphere of the main hall - providing a rather ornate backdrop to the business of drinking beer. I got there to find the rest of the guys drinking the aforementioned CBoS from Orkney - the third time in four years Rob Hill’s brewery has won the title - and with three different beers.

Obviously, I’d had a sample of Orkney Blast already that day - check back later for my thoughts on judging the Champion Beer - so I set off to find something I’d never seen before. First to fit the bill was Fyne Ales Jarl (4.0%), which was so new it wasn’t in the official programme. We’re tremendous fans of Argyll’s finest at the BeerCast, having visited them a couple of times - and their Cairndow brewery recently hosted their own beer festival, at which they launched their latest beer - Jarl. It features a relatively new high alpha hop - Citra. First presented at the 2008 World Brewing Congress, the Sierra Nevada-backed hop gives a fabulous tropical fruit flavour to Jarl. It’s extremely sessionable, golden and with a lovely bitter grapefruity aftertaste to compliment the pineapple up front.

Next I went for a hometown tipple, and Caledonian’s Surf Sup (4.0%). Deuchars IPA may be ubiquitous, but their seasonals can sometimes slip between the cracks. Surf Sup is their ale for June, and is also citric and sessionable. At exactly the same abv as Jarl it was ripe for comparison. The hops give less of a ripe fruit taste, it’s more lemon zesty than mango. It’s also pretty good, but the addition of the Citra hops elevates Jarl over Surf Sup on points. My third beer was Linger (5.0%) from the newly-reborn Fowlers who brew out of the Prestongrange Gothenburg in Prestonpans. It certainly does linger - very hazy with a ginger aftertaste, it was pretty empty after the ginger hit. It may need a touch more refining.

The next round was the traditional ‘buy something for the BeerCaster to the left’ round - which results in an even mix of nutty bitters and 9% barleywines. For MrB I selected Broughton’s Champion Double Ale (5.0%) - the only blend on offer at the festival (strong ale mixed with porter), it was a bit rough around the edges, but drinkable. It was Shovels buying for me, and I ended up with a Traditional Scottish Ales Bannockburn (4.2%). Described as a pale, golden beer with a ‘thick, tight head’ it was almost totally flat and pretty insipid. TSA had brought eleven beers to the SRAF, but this one wasn’t one to savour.

Seeking a high note, I then went onto Raj IPA (5.5%), from the Tryst Brewery in Larbert. It scored very highly in BeerCast #49 (from the bottle), on cask at the festival it was just as good. A classic strong IPA with corresponding piney resinous hop flavours, it was really outstanding. It was interesting to see how the flavour differed between a chilled bottle and a warmer cask pint - either way it’s currently one of the best British IPA’s out there.

The final beer I sampled was a dark one - Islay Dun Hogs Head Ale (4.4%). The Islay brewery were founded on the whisky-loving island of the same name in 2003, and have seven ales in their range. They are pretty tough to find over here on the eastern side of Scotland, so I was keen to try at least one. The Dun Hogs is a dark, roasty stout with a really nice bitter finish complimented by some initial sweetness. It’s always good to end on a dark note, and Dun Hogs Head was a great way to end the festival.

Thanks to all at CAMRA for hosting the festival, we’ll be back next year to sample more local treats. Whilst the overall winner of the 2010 SRAF was Highland Orkney Blast (with Black Isle Hibernator second and Cairngorm’s Black Gold third), the beers that really stood out for me were Tryst Raj IPA and Fyne Ales Jarl. Thanks to everybody for checking the BeerCast during the festival, we’ll see you again for another beer festival in the near future.

The Scottish Real Ale Festival began at midday today here in Edinburgh - doors opening slightly earlier than normal in anticipation of the crowds predicted. We’ll be attending over the course of the festival - stay tuned for our updates and follow us @thebeercast for live updates. However, we were also asked to attend the first event of the festival - judging for the Champion Beer of Scotland. So it was I found myself in a quiet side room at 1pm sampling the nine winners in the style categories for this year’s CBoS.

After two hours of deliberations, and a couple of re-samples, the panel selected the winner. Highland Brewery Orkney Blast (6.0%) came top of the order - in the opinion of the panel it balanced the stronger %abv with a long-lasting hop finish and a malt backbone. Congratulations to Rob Hill and the team at Highland - with Dark Munro (4.0%) having won in 2007 and Scapa Special (4.2%) in 2008 - three times in four years, and with different beers - a great achievement. With Sinclair’s Raven Ale winning last year - the Champion Beer of Scotland for the last four years has come from Orkney. Something in the water?

Thanks to Bob, Lyndsay and Iain at CAMRA - and stay tuned for more updates as the week progresses.

We’re now less than two weeks away from the 2010 Scottish Real Ale Festival at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. As ever, it’s time for a sneak peak at the entry list to get the tastebuds going. Being our hometown festival we feel a responsibility to turn up and report on what’s available - our reviews of the 2009 festival (here and here), the 2008 festival and the 2007 festival show what kind of treats can be found if you search hard enough. Or get there early enough, as inevitably the best ales make the most fleeting of visits. As ever, plenty of Scottish classics will be in abundance, with the likes of Cairngorm’s Trade Winds (4.3%), Harviestoun’s Bitter & Twisted (3.8%), and Sinclair Orkney’s Dark Island (4.8%) on show. They will be competing with the “new classics” – more recently established beers that are just as outstanding – Williams Brothers Joker IPA (5.0%), Fyne Ales Avalanche (4.5%), and Stewart’s Edinburgh Gold (4.8).

This year, breweries from the islands are strongly in evidence – which we’re all in favour of here at the BeerCast. The festival judges seem to agree with us, as the last three Champion beers of Scotland have all hailed from Orkney - 2007’s Dark Munro (4.0%), 2008’s Scapa Special (4.2%) – both from the Highland Brewery – and last year’s winner, Sinclair Orkney Raven Ale (3.8%). They all return, and are joined by breweries making the long trips from the islands of Arran, Lewis (the Hebridean Brewery), Islay, Skye, and Shetland (Valhalla), together with Munlochy’s Black Isle Brewery (not technically an island, but close enough). There are some great beers coming with them – such as Arran’s 4.5% porter Clyde Puffer, Skye’s Skyelight (3.8%), and Hebridean’s Berserker barleywine (7.5%). The newcomers for me are the Islay brewery – even though they were established in 2003, I’ve yet to try any of their beers.

This is what beer festivals are all about – trying new things – and there are individual ales and entire producers that have yet to appear on our collective radar. For example, Glasgow’s newest brewpub WEST are bringing two of their German-themed specials, WEST Dunkel and Munich Red, both 4.9%. Thirty miles down the M77 – and still in their first year of production – the Ayr Brewing Company put out some imaginatively-named beers such as Towzie Tyke (4.6%) and Leezie Lundie (3.8%). Scotland’s small micros are clearly well represented, as also at the festival will be Plockton, providing one of their three beers, the 4.3% Crags Ale, and the fledgling Angus Ales who were only established in October. Based in Carnoustie, as one would expect their offerings have a golf theme – Gowfer’s Gold (3.8%), Mashie Niblick (4.2%) and Driver Dark (4.4%) will all be there.

Some other new (or rare) beers on offer this year include Williams Brothers recently launched Ginger (3.6%), Caledonian’s summer seasonal Surf Sup (4.0%), and three beers from the newly re-opened Prestoungrange Gothenburg. Their resident microbrewery Fowler’s are bringing Prestonpans 80/- (4.2%), Linger (5.0%), and Gothenburg Porter (4.4%) – which last time I tried it at ‘the Goth’ was outstanding – hopefully the MarkII version is just as good. Speaking of darker things, also new is Tryst Brewery’s Sherpa Porter (4.1%) – we recently sampled their excellent Raj IPA (5.5%) on BeerCast #49. Steve and Jo Stewart are also bringing one of their latest beers Light Edinburgh Draught (3.5%), released in May for CAMRA’s Mild in May campaign. Unusually for the style, it’s a light-coloured mild rather than a dark one, and is highly drinkable. In all, there are 32 Scottish breweries attending the 2010 SRAF – proof that the scene here is flourishing.

The festival is at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on George Street, and opens Thursday 24th June (12pm-11pm), Friday 25th (12pm-11pm), and Saturday 26th (12pm-9pm). Entry is £5, or £3 for CAMRA members. If you see us there, come and say hello. If you can’t make it along, look for our review after the fact - along with live Twitter updates on the beers we’re sampling. Follow us @thebeercast.

Scottish Real Ale Festival Official Site

Back for more at the GBBF, after yesterday with a better idea of what to expect and what to go for. One major change was the number of people, apparently 19,000 visitors in a single day - far, far more busy than the previous day. Great news for CAMRA, less good for us thirsty punters, but the queues weren’t really that bad. Joining me for this session was Mark, BeerCast deputy for the day and committed hater of anything with a bitter aftertaste. Anyway, on with the sampling…

1. Pictish Brewer’s Gold (3.8%) Lancashire

As yesterday the first beer to start with should be something lightly hoppy to get the palate adjusted - perfect time to try Rochdale brewery Pictish’s Brewer’s Gold - a classic British summer ale, with slight nuances of hops, malt, and bitterness. So it proved, it was fantastically well-balanced with that fruity hoppiness up front and a delicate backbone of malt. I could have drunk this all night, to be honest.

2. Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest (6.7%) California

As with the previous day the number of American cask ales on offer was pretty disappointing (but to be expected given the logistics, I guess) - but seeing one I’d been waiting to try for a while, I went straight for it. Chico’s Sierra Nevada have been featured several times on the BeerCast, but not the newest addition to their seasonal harvest range - Southern Hemisphere Harvest. Made with Pacific Hallertau, Motueka and Southern Cross hops all sourced from New Zealand, this is a fresh hop ale for the spring (as hops are normally harvested in Autumn). But the Southern Hemisphere has just been through Autumn, so the hops are at their freshest. You pick this up in the flavour, after a mild hop start they increase wonderfully in the aftertaste. The beer is a lovely dark caramel colour, and it doesn’t really taste 6.7%, so this great beer could sneak up on you.

3. Welton’s Pride ‘n’ Joy (2.8%) West Sussex

The next beer was slightly different - but it had also intrigued me in the pre-festival beer list. Welton’s Pride ‘n’ Joy is deliberately brewed at only 2.8% but according to the brewer is ‘consistently thought to be 4.0%abv in tastings’. It’s a great idea, but on tasting I’m not sure if they have pulled it off, as it tasted very weak and insipid, with no aftertaste at all. However, this could have been down to the Sierra Nevada previously, but I’m not sure if it could have been mistaken for 4% as there was no taste upfront or afterwards. It was refreshing though, and would be nice outside during summer.

4. Jersey Mary Ann Christmas Ale (4.8%) Channel Islands

As I keep banging on, beer festivals are about trying new things - although it can backfire as Mark discovered trying a beer he judged to have an aroma like “a stagnant canal”. That wasn’t a Jersey beer though, but as I’d never sampled anything from the Channel Islands before I decided to go for their Christmas beer. Somewhat incongruous for a rainy August night, but the promised ‘Christmas pudding taste’ sounded interesting. Apparently it features currants, spices, raisins, orange zest and sultanas - which maybe explains the mixed tastes going on. It tasted a bit confused, slightly roasty, a bit malty, some fruityness - but sadly I couldn’t detect any of the special added ingredients. It was nice though, just not very Christmassy.

5. Backyard Brewhouse Nipin (4.6%) Staffordshire

Walsall’s Backyard Brewhouse had only one beer at the festival - Nipin, their flagship 4.6% American-style Pale Ale. That description sold me on the spot, even without the suggested crisp citrus tastes. Mark had already tried arguably the greatest American Pale Ale in the world - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (his first time ever, too), so I was keen to have a go at a British attempt. It was slightly hazy and very dry, with a nice hoppy zing coming through. Not much citrus though, but it was a very good beer indeed.

6. Lancaster Black (4.6%) Lancashire

Always finish on at least one stout, so the final beer I tried was Lancaster Black, from the brewery named after it’s home city on the River Lune. Like Backyard, this was the only one of their beers on offer at the GBBF, with a coffee smell and soft dark chocolate taste. This was pretty much exactly what I picked up, it fell firmly towards the chocolate end of the spectrum on the palate. Smooth and very well executed, an extremely drinkable stout - definitely one for the coming Autumn months.

That was it, the end to the BeerCast’s first GBBF adventure. Beer of the second day was Pictish Brewer’s Gold, with a very tough choice between it and yesterday’s Marble Lagonda IPA. I think on balance the IPA would come out on top, however. The CAMRA tasters voted for their beer of the festival on Wednesday, picking Yorkshire brewery Rudgate’s Ruby Mild as the 2009 Champion Beer of Britain. Congratulations to them, and to CAMRA for the success of the festival - and we hope to pay another visit next year.

The GBBF is Britain’s largest beer festival, and as soon as you step through into the main hall at Earl’s Court you can see why. As mentioned in our previews last week, it’s the sheer scale that makes this a step up from any other festival – hundreds of beers, dozens of bars, thousands of silly hats. It’s very tough to know where to start – so as with other beer festivals a random pick is always good, something to drink while concentrating on the epic programme to pick what to have next.

1. Funfair Dive Bomber (4.6%) Derbyshire

Always a good idea to start with a golden ale, to appreciate the delicate hop aromas and flavours before the stronger things take over. Dive Bomber is certainly golden and subtle – maybe too subtle for me, there’s not much zing there. It’s certainly refreshing for a hot day, which it was outside. A light one to start with.

2. Cains IPA (3.5%) Merseyside

Liverpool’s Cains Brewery were one of the many larger producers who had their own bar at the festival. I’m a fan of their other beers, but had not tried their IPA until I wandered past and decided to give it a go. For a start, it’s copper-coloured, and is very creamy. Very little – if any – hops come through at all. It tastes like a canned bitter rather than an IPA.

3. Salopian Shropshire Gold (3.8%) Shropshire

Salopian are a Shropshire brewery that are new to me, so I decided to go for another light golden ale when I passed the ‘Mid-West England’ bar. The printed tasting notes describe an ’unusual blend of body and dryness’ - and they are right. There was a very dry spicy elderflower taste to it, with a subtle but noticeable finish of ginger. Very nice, and very refreshing.

4. Cricket Hill Colonel Blides ESB (5.5%) New Jersey

After the excitement of writing the International beer list preview, the American bar was something of a disappointment. Only half a dozen beers on tap, with a big queue for a fridge of bottles. Not to worry, I went for one of the kegged ales in the form of an ESB from the Cricket Hill Brewery in Fairfield, New Jersey. It was totally flat, but tasted good – plenty of malt and a little hop to back it up, nothing really overpowering (to be expected at a restrained 5.5%), although having said that the mild flavours didn’t give away much alcohol. Could be dangerous on a session, this one.

5. Marble Lagonda IPA (5.0%) Manchester

Time for another IPA – and I managed to find one I had been looking for since the beer list was published on CAMRA’s website. Manchester’s Marble Brewery put a quadruple addition of hops into Lagonda IPA, and you can certainly tell. Dark, strong golden colours and a similarly strong taste, almost hints of Camembert cheeseyness at the end. Very good indeed, the hops really sing from this.

6. St Austell Black Prince (4.0%) Cornwall

To finish, a darker offering – Cornwall’s St Austell brewery put out some great beers indeed, so an unknown dark mahogany bitter sounded good. It was really well balanced, as you’d expect from St Austell, some molasses sweetness and roasty malt. It was pretty hoppy, too – and I was searching for ages what the aftertaste reminded me of, until I came up with it – sugared tea.

On that note, maybe it was time to finish. Beer of the day – Marble’s Lagonda IPA. T-Shirt of the day - Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder. We’ll be back at Earl’s Court for more GBBF fun tomorrow. Tune into our Twitter feed (@thebeercast) for live updates, and check back here later for a report.