The BeerCast

BeerCast panellist MrB was lucky enough to visit southern Belgium and Alsace in July, and returned to the UK with almost fifty beers (not to mention a case of wine). He also managed to squeeze a few podcast-worthy beers in, before inching his groaning car onto the ferry back to Blighty. All of his chosen beers hail from Brasseries – the first being a duo from the Brasserie la Saint-Pierre in the Alsace town of the same name:- La Blonde de l’Oncle Hansi (5.6%), and La Saint Pierre Brune (5.6%). Following those we go to Belgium for La Médiévale Ambrée (6.0%) from the eponymous Brasserie in the Wallonian town of Bouillon. Our third beer this episode is the Queen of trappist ales - Orval (6.2%) – from the brasserie inside the Cisctercian monastery near the French border. Our final beer is the hop-smacking Houblon Chouffe (9.0%) from Brasserie d’Achouffe. We end the show with a bonus – the traditional northern French aperitif Picon (18.0%), the orange-based syrup traditionally added to local lager – which means an unexpected debut BeerCast appearance for Kronenbourg 1664 (5.0%).

1. La Blonde de l’Oncle Hansi (5.6%abv)
2. La Saint Pierre Brune (5.6%abv)
Brasserie la Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre, 67140, Alsace, France.
330ml glass bottles

Jean-Jacques Waltz was born in German-occupied Alsace in February 1873, where he eventually became an artist and then satirical cartoonist under the pseudonym ’Hansi’. Charged with treason in 1914 he escaped to France and joined the army as a translator – by this point he had become a national hero. When war again broke in 1939 he fled again, this time to Vichy France where he was attacked and badly wounded by the occupying Germans, eventually dying from his injuries in Switzerland in 1951. Thirty miles from Hansi’s birthplace of Colmar is Saint-Pierre, home to the Brasserie la Saint-Pierre who produce a range of local beers named in honour of this famous Alsace artist. MrB and Grooben sampled their blonde, while Richard and Shovels got to try their brune.

What They Say -
“Une bière franche et typée au nez épicé, ronde et persistante en bouche, à la mousse veloutée, abondante et fine. Une amertume agréable et une belle couleur d’or soutenu.” (Blonde) [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - Some cloudy business, more fruity than I thought 6½
MrB - Very tasty, close to a wheat beer, refreshing 6
Richard – Hints of bitter choc and liquorice, not too sweet 8
Shovels - Not bad but I wouldn’t drink it again 4½

3. La Médiévale Ambrée (6.0%abv)
Brasserie de Bouillon, Grand Rue 22 Bouillon, Belgium 6830.
330ml glass bottle

In October 1994 a foodie couple called Nathalie Louis and Jacques Pougin decided to open a local foods market in their hometown of Bouillon, in the far south of Belgium. ‘Marketplace Nathalie’ initially focused on fruit and veg, but then added a healthy number of Belgian trappist ales – targeted to the nearby French. These sold so well that Jacques decided to learn how to brew, with an eye on stocking his own beers. This is pretty much what happened – in February 1998 they installed brewing equipment into the market, establishing the Brasserie de Bouillon. By 2004 demand had soared to maximum capacity of 620hl, and the company had to secure extra backing from Luxembourg to move to larger premises.

What They Say -
“La Médiévale Ambrée is the second brand marketed by Brasserie de Bouillon. With its rustic character and brassy, it bears its name perfectly. The character on the label is actually a caricature of Jacques’ father, long gone too soon. This is a very nice way to perpetuate his memory. La Médiévale Ambrée is 6% alc vol, and is a pure malt beer, unfiltered and fermented in the bottle.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - On holiday in France in the sun you’d drink it 5
Grooben - Close to a lager, but with a slightly sour undertone 5
MrB - Mine’s very fizzy, smack bang in the middle 5
Richard – Tastes 3%, not 6% - how can it have so little flavour? 5

4. Orval Trappist Ale (6.2%abv)
Brasserie d’Orval, Villiers-devant-Orval, Belgium 6823.
330ml glass bottle

The Gaume region of southern Belgium borders France and Luxembourg, and is about as far south as you can get in Wallonia. Nestling amidst the Belgian Ardennes is the small town of Villiers-devant-Orval – home to a Cistercian Abbey founded in 1132, and Belgium’s most distinctive trappist ale. Orval (6.2%) has been produced inside the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval since 1931, alongside the lesser Petite Orval (3.5%) for the monks. The distinctive skittle-shaped bottles are found in beer shops all over the world, with the fish symbol depicting the legend of the abbey’s founding – a helpful trout plucking the lost wedding ring of Mathilda of Tuscany from a frothing spring (the grateful Lady exclaiming “truly this place is a Val d’Or!” before supplying sufficient funds for a monastery). Orval ale is dry hopped with Hallertau, Styrian Golding and Strisselspalt., and then at bottling wild Brettanomyces yeasts are added to give a tarter flavour than other trappist ales.

What They Say -
“Young Orval is characterised by a bouquet of fresh hops, with a fruity note and pronounced bitterness, light on the palate and a less firm collar than a beer of six months. The latter will feature a bouquet consisting of a blend of fragrances of yeast and old-fashioned hop. The bitterness is more diffuse and the taste has moved to a slight touch of acidity accompanying yeast and caramel flavours.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - Outstanding, I love everything about this beer 9
Richard – Very different from other Trappists with the tart sourness – the most sessionable 6.2% beer you will ever find 8½
Grooben – Sour lambic thing but not too overpowering 8
Shovels – I just can’t get with Belgian beers 5½

5. La Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel (9.0%abv)
Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Houffalize, Wallonia, Belgium.
750ml glass bottle

This podcast sees our second La Chouffe beer in a row, following the appearance of their mighty magnum Big Chouffe (8.0%) in BeerCast #50. For this podcast, we have their IPA tripel Houblon Chouffe (9.0%) – which is only found in 750ml bottles and 20litre kegs. Houblon is French for Hops, and as you’d expect the Brasserie d’Achouffe have packed plenty inside their creation, giving a very different taste to their flagship blonde ale. The first is Tomahawk, then Saaz hops are added late for aroma, before the whole thing is dry-hopped with Amarillo.

What They Say -
“The Houblon Chouffe was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an ‘Indian Pale ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness (three types of hops are used to make it) and a pleasant fruitiness.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – I love highly hopped things but this doesn’t compete, as it’s almost a different style 8½
Richard – So floral, like drinking shampoo – doesn’t taste 9% 7½
Grooben – With the extra addition of hops this is really good 7½
Shovels - A nice beer until one point when it goes “I’m Belgian” 6

6. Sirop de Picon (18.0%abv)
Distributed by Diageo Ltd.
Drunk as an addition to Kronenbourg 1664 (5.0%)

Picon was invented in 1839 by Frenchman Gaétan Picon – who had served with the French army in Algeria. Prior to joining up he had completed an apprenticeship at a distillery in Aix-en-Provence, and the north African flavours he had experienced prompted Gaétan to invent his sirop – which he first called ’African Bitters’. In 1872 he returned to his homeland and established the first Picon distillery in Marseilles (which is still operational today). At that time it had a healthy 39%abv kick, but these days it reaches only 18%. Designed to be added to local beer as an aperitif, the dark, orangey syrup is most popular in northern France, which accounts for 70% of sales.

What They Say -
“Picon is made from a base of fresh oranges which are dried and mixed with a solution of alcohol which is distilled. Picon also contains gentian and quinquina in equal measures. Sugar, syrup and caramel are added last.” [Wikipedia]

What We Say…
Richard - There’s a dark blood orange taste to it
Shovels – Alternates between orange and burnt orange
Grooben - Later on the burnt orange really lingers
MrB - One of the best things about going to Alsace was discovering Picon

Panellists - (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Brasserie d’Orval Orval Trappist Ale (31/40)
Brasserie d’Achouffe Houblon Chouffe (29½/40)
Brasserie la Saint-Pierre Brune (12½/20)
Brasserie la Saint-Pierre Blonde de l’Oncle Hansi (12½/20)
Brasserie Bouillon La Médiévale Ambrée (20/40)

Our next BeerCast podcast will be episode #52 – involving a selection of dark beers Grooben managed to source from the excellent Utobeer stall at London’s Borough Market…

We never thought that we’d make it all the way to fifty podcasts – and if you’ve listened to our first few then probably you didn’t either – but here we are. Three years and 181 beers later and we’re having a mini celebration in honour of our half century. We thought long and hard about what to do for a 50th show, eventually deciding on the popular ‘bring a beer’ theme, only with a more explosive feel to it. Podcast regulars Richard, MrB, Shovels and Grooben were tasked with sourcing an unusual, rare or liver-trembling beer to put to the panel, and the results were pretty spectacular.

We ended up with (literally) some real corkers, as we begin with Grooben’s offering – Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%) from Germany, containing specific ingredients to actually make you younger. Apparently. Next up was Richard’s choice – the limited edition BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (10.2%), a vanilla bean-infused Belgian-style quad from Fraserburgh’s finest. Third on the podcast was Sierra Nevada Estate 2009 (6.7%). Provided by Shovels, this wet-hopped ale is pretty rare this side of the Atlantic. Finally MrB rounds things off in enormous fashion, unveiling Brasserie d’Achouffe’s Big Chouffe Anno 2010 (8.0%), a magnum of their famed La Chouffe blond ale. Thanks to all for providing, and special thanks to everybody who has downloaded, listened to, or commented on one of our podcasts over the years. Here’s to fifty more!

1. Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%abv)
Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH, Neuzelle, Brandenburg, Germany. 500ml glass bottle

There are well-established health benefits of drinking good beer – the high levels of Vitamin B6 can protect against heart disease, for example – but the claims on a bottle of Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%) take things even further. Several bizarre-sounding adjuncts have been added, resulting in an elixir of youth – this beer actually claims to make you younger (although this may be as a result of the beer acting on the antioxidant Vitamin E in the body). Flavonoids are naturally found in hops, but by adding more in their beer Klosterbrauerei are really pushing the anti-carcinogen properties of the nation’s favourite drink. But just when you’re sold on the idea, discovering the beer has algae added as well sounds very strange, and when a quick check of their website reveals Klosterbrauerei also make a Badebier – ‘bath beer’ – ”for outside application as bath salts and for internal application as a beverage”, then the mind really boggles.

What They Say -
“We have now formulated an “anti-aging” beer. Having consulted with several universities and health institutes, our beer contains: Water from hotsprings, rich in minerals, flavonoids, beer (malt, water, hop, yeast), and spirulina (Algae).” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - I quite like that, it reminds me of Erdinger Dunkel 8
Grooben - I wanted to find something completely different! 7
Richard - Smells a bit portery but with that extra vegetable hint that must be the algae 6½
MrB - Presumably all other beer is pro-aging? 6

2. BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (10.2%abv)
BrewDog Ltd, Fraserburgh, Scotland. 750ml glass bottle

BrewDog are without doubt the most talked-about brewery in Scotland, with their charismatic press releases and wacky ideas. Not afraid to experiment, at times they produce some fantastic beers – and at others some pretty duff ones. But there’s no denying they always elicit strong opinions. What is often overlooked amidst all the hoo-hah over 41% beers and Portman Group-baiting is that they have only been going for just over three years. The first BrewDog brew rolled off the Kessock plant lines in April 2007 – which by a rather neat co-incidence was the exact month the BeerCast began as well. So with that in mind, and given the numerous BrewDog beers featured over the years on these pages and podcasts, it would be remiss of us not top try their newest (at time of press) offering – the limited edition Abstrakt AB:01, the first of a new concept brand from the Aberdeenshire duo.

What They Say -
“Abstrakt will only ever brew and release a beer once. BrewDog’s Abstrakt is about exciting, progressive and conceptual beers, beers which not only push the boundaries but smash them up completely.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - The first taste was lovely, it’s like a Belgian tripel 8½
Richard - Sweet full mouthfeel but the alcohol balances it out 8½
Shovels - Subtle for BrewDog, not much aftertaste apart from alcohol 8½
Grooben - It’s got sweetness but I wouldn’t have guessed vanilla 7

3. Sierra Nevada Estate (2009) (6.7%abv)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, California, USA.
710ml glass bottle (24oz US)

Sierra Nevada are one of the cornerstones of American craft brewing, and as a result have almost unrivalled access to types and strains of hops. Hailing from California, their mighty reach spreads all the way to the hopgrounds of Washington State, where they conduct research into new strains and varieties. They also like to experiment, and a few years ago came up with the idea of brewing a seasonal ale using only freshly-picked hops, rather than waiting for dried or using a combination of dried and fresh. This ‘wet hop’ ale is produced every Autumn, and as you’d expect has a pretty hefty hop whack about it. We sampled the 2009 Estate vintage, purchased from the excellent UtoBeer stall in London’s Borough Market, which only contains ingredients sourced from the Sierra Nevada estate in Chico.

What They Say -
“This Estate Ale is rich with the flavors of the valley—featuring hops with earthy, grapefruit-like flavors and layered spicy aromas and barley with mild sweetness and smooth, toasted flavors. Together, these crops grow alongside the brewery to make a truly unique brew.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - It’s wonderful, there’s a little bit of a spicy edge to it 9
Shovels - More IPA than double IPA, really hoppy but not overpowering 9
MrB - Has extra bitterness compared to sweeter Torpedo IPA 9
Grooben - There’s no way I’m not going to like this 9

4. La Chouffe Big Chouffe (8.0%abv)
Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Houffalize, Wallonia, Belgium.
1500ml glass bottle (magnum)

Grape lovers will possibly know the fact that a magnum is 2 standard bottles of wine, or 1½ litres for the metric types amongst us. In Belgium – as pretty much every grain lover knows – they do things just a little bit bigger and better, so why not have a magnum of beer? Brasserie d’Achouffe’s bending gnome (‘Chouffe’ in Walloon dialect) grins out from beer fridges and bottle-shop shelves throughout the beery world. Their flagship 8% blond ale La Chouffe is released every year in a hefty magnum, which is branded Big Chouffe, and has a customised alternate label drawn by a famous comic artist. The 2010 vintage collected by MrB (from the Brasserie itself, in person, no less) was illustrated by Johan de Moor, son of legendary Belgian cartoonist Bob de Moor.

What They Say -
“La Chouffe is an unfiltered blonde beer, which is refermented in the bottle as well as the keg. It is pleasantly fruity, spiced with coriander, and with a light hop taste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - Had it on draught and liked it, it’s just as good in the bottle 8
Richard - I can taste the coriander and cloves in there 7½
Grooben - Doesn’t taste 8%, I give it an extra point for the bottle 7
Shovels - I usually have a problem with Belgian beers because of the alcohol strength, but it’s drinkable for a wheat beer 7

Panellists - (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Sierra Nevada Estate 2009 (36/40)
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (32½/40)
Brasserie d’Achouffe Big Chouffe (29½/40)
Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (27½/40)

Stay tuned for our next podcast, as we get back into the more regular swing of things with BeerCast #51, an episode revolving around some of the other things MrB brought back from his trip to Alsace and Belgium ….

As we rapidly approach our 50th podcast, we’ve decided to throw number 49 over to that homebrewing raconteur MrB – he was briefed to find four or five (he found five) beers that would get us talking. He’s certainly come back with an interesting selection, and we begin the MrBCast with a small-scale Scottish producer and end with an American giant. Our first beer is Ale of Atholl (4.5%) from the Moulin Inn Brewery in Pitlochry, one of the first microbreweries in Scotland. We then sample another from our home country, Larbert’s Tryst Brewery Raj IPA (5.5%), located a couple of miles from MrB’s birthplace. Our third beer is the start of the American ales – Odell’s Cutthroat Porter (4.8%), named after the state fish of Colorado. Next it’s the first canned beer to be sampled on the BeerCast - Caldera IPA (6.1%) from Ashland, Oregon. We end the podcast with a bang; Dogfish Head’s wood-aged brown ale Palo Santo Marron (12.0%). Joining MrB are Richard, Shovels and Grooben, and as Grooben says - expect “the most hoptastic, hoppiest hopcast that ever hopped”.

1. Ale of Atholl (4.5%abv)
Moulin Inn Brewery, Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross. 500ml glass bottle

The Moulin Inn dates from 1695 and was originally a coach house for services between Pitlochry and Kirkmichael. The brewery was established in 1995 and were therefore one of the first microbreweries in Scotland. Their first beers were called simply A and B, and were priced at 50p a pint in the pub. Holding a competition for more inspiring names, a local won a bottle of whisky for suggesting Ale of Atholl, a Geographic pun on the Inn’s location.

** Unfortunately the Moulin Inn’s offering may have been off – there were strange aromas and tastes coming from the bottle that didn’t really seem intentional. We carried on reviewing and scoring it, but may have to get another bottle of Ale of Atholl to get a true reflection on it’s taste. **

What They Say -
“The name of this full-bodied, mellow, red-coloured ale is a pun on the Vale of Atholl, which lies close to Moulin Village.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - It doesn’t taste quite right to me 4
Richard – May be a good beer under there, too much tartness 3
MrB - This isn’t their best beer by a long shot 3
Shovels - There’s a hint of raspberries and vinegar about it 2

2. Raj IPA (5.5%abv)
Tryst Brewery, Larbert, Stirlingshire. 500ml glass bottle

Falkirk’s Tryst Brewery grew from the ashes of another producer, as the closure of Manchester’s Berkley Brewery saw their gear bought by enthusiastic homebrewer John McGarva and relocated to Scotland. He’d taken a chance when the twin co-incidences of prospective downsizing at work and part-time work in a brewpub gave him serious thoughts of a career change. Tryst began life on an industrial estate in Larbert in 2004, initially concentrating on cask ales, they now put out a range of bottle-conditioned beers.

What They Say -
“This India Pale Ale marks a slight change in direction of Tryst Ales, away from low alcohol session ales to rather more substantial and serious Real Ale. This IPA is hopped with three popular British hops to produce a deep lingering taste, complementing the underlying malts for a memorable pint.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Got a fantastic tropical fruit/mango aroma 8½
Grooben - Fruity but it packs a real bitterness though 8
MrB - It’s fruity rather than floral for an IPA 8
Shovels - Smells golden, tastes really very good indeed 8

3. Cutthroat Porter (4.8%abv)
Odell Brewing Co, Fort Collins, Colorado. 355ml glass bottle

In 1989 Doug Odell decided to take his passion for home brewing into something more commercial (like John McGarva a few years later). Together with his wife Wynne they left Seattle (where Doug had been brewing in his kitchen) and moved to Colorado to be nearer to his sister Corkie and start a brewery together. This they did in that same year, producing beer for the thirsty college town. In 1996 they acquired the facility to bottle their output, and shipped across the United States. They have a large range of English-style classics and seasonals, with a special oak-aged series running from 2007 thanks to the arrival of some Kentucky oak barrels.

What They Say -
“Not quite a stout but definitely no lightweight, Cutthroat Porter is smooth and robust. Inspired by the classic London porters, we use dark roasted malts to create a deep, rich color and flavor [sic] that hint at chocolate and coffee.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - A little bit roasty, not much coffee, it’s good to see an American brewery showing some restraint 7½
MrB - A great session porter with no Lactose sweetness 7½
Shovels - In a porter podcast this would be right up there 7
Grooben - I’m not sold on it, it doesn’t punish the mouth, it doesn’t excite me enough 6

4. Caldera IPA (6.1%abv)
Caldera Brewing, Ashland, Oregon. 355ml aluminium can

Caldera produced their first brew on the 4th of July 1997, after having been incorporated as a company in March the previous year. For their first eight years they concentrated on draught beers until June 2005 when the question of distribution arose. Unlike Odell, Tryst and Moulin they decided to go for cans – reasons why include portability, cost, refrigeration, and the elimination of oxidation. Caldera like to use plenty of hops in their products (which is presumably what attracted MrB), taking advantage of the ideal growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

What They Say - “An American-style India Pale Ale brewed with plenty of body and an assertive hop profile. Malts: Premium Two Row, Munich, Crystal. Hops: Crystal, Galena, Centennial.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - One of the primary reasons this is so good for me is it’s 6% and almost sessiony, you could really drink a few of these 10
Shovels - On taste I prefer Ruination IPA, on drinkability I prefer this 9
Grooben - Really good, it’s got expertly balanced IPA flavours 9
Richard - Flowery and smooth with a pine aftertaste, any way you cut it this is a great beer 9

5. Pablo Santo Marron (12.0%abv)
Dogfish Head, Milton, Delaware. 355ml glass bottle

One of the pillars of the American craft brewing scene, Dogfish Head were founded by Sam Calagione in 1995 in the Delaware town of Milton. They revel in the unpredictable, producing beers with unusual ingredients – one of which was a green beer called Verdi Verdi Good - naturally coloured by blue-green algae Spirulina. Their signature line are their IPA’s – 60, 90 and 120 minute IPA, referring to the length of time hops are added to the wort. They also have a rare 75 minute IPA, which is a mix of 60 and 90 with maple syrup. We reviewed their astonishing 90min IPA here – today we’re sampling their wood-aged monster brown ale Pablo Santo Marron.

What They Say - “Big Brown Ale aged on palo santo wood from Paraguay. This beer is a 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the wood of the Palo Santo tree from Paraguay. Palo Santo means “holy tree” and it’s wood has been used in South American wine-making communities. We were lucky enough to get our hands on 20 blocks of the super-dense wood and the wood was added to the ageing tank after fermentation.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - It’s like a fortified beer for sipping and appreciating 7
Richard - Sweetness is more confectionary than caramel 6½
Grooben - Got a sherry thing going on, I got a slam of alcohol at the end, but it’s just too sweet for my personal tastes 5
Shovels - I have a sweet tooth and that’s too sweet for me 4

Panellists - (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Caldera IPA (37/40)
Tryst Raj IPA (32½/40)
Odell Cutthroat Porter (28/40)
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (22½/40)
Moulin Ale of Atholl (12/40)

Next up is a true milestone as we reach BeerCast #50. Not many of us expected to still be recording beer podcasts three years after we started, but we have reached our half century. We’ll be doing something special, with some one-off celebration beers. Stay tuned, and thanks to everyone who has downloaded or followed us over the years…

Our latest podcast revolves around a theme which at first glance may seem tenuous, but actually has a pretty strong connection with British brewing – the railways. The rapid expansions of brewing centres such as Burton-on-Trent were aided by the arrival of the railway to transport barrels to the major population centres of the UK. London’s St Pancras station, for example, had raised tracks to negotiate the Regent’s Canal – creating a huge pillared cellar for storing beer transported from Staffordshire by the Midland Railway. These days, there are heritage railway pub crawls, and many stations have real ale opportunities for the discerning drinker. So our homage to the British railways begins with Wylam Locomotion No1 (5.0%), a pilsner lager named after one of George Stephenson’s Rocket precursors. We then move on to Richmond Station Ale (4.0%) from the Richmond Brewing Company in North Yorkshire, before sampling Wold Top’s train-related A4 Amber (4.4%). Our final beer is a nod to that most famous railway style, as we taste Dent Porter (3.8%) from Dent in Cumbria. Catching a ride on this podcast are driver MrB, ticket collector Grooben, and manning the buffet car, Richard.

1. Locomotion No1 (5.0%abv)
Wylam Brewery, Heddon on the Wall, Tyne and Wear. 500ml glass bottle

Heddon on the Wall is a Northumberland village located nine miles from the centre of Newcastle (the wall being Hadrian’s). Nearby is Wylam - the birthplace of the father of the railways George Stephenson, who built the first public steam railway in the world, the Stockton and Darlington. On this route travelled Locomotion No1, an early prototype of his more famous Rocket steam engine. A few hundred years later, John Boyle and Robin Leighton set up a brewery in Wylam on an old dairy farm in May 2000. They outgrew the original plant in 2006 and expanded to a new facility three times the size in a bespoke barn conversion. They decided to name their pilsner after Stephenson’s Rocket precursor, the ideas for which were formed only a few miles from the brewery site.

What They Say -
“Made with lager and Vienna malts, a lager yeast and with the famous Saaz hop. This continental style beer is traditionally lagered for 3 weeks at1oC to give that distinctive lager style and the flavour of a classic hop.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Low carbonation with a little dryness at the end 7½
Grooben - Smells quite nice, but I think it lacks a little body 6
MrB - I don’t know where it fits with that low carbonation, to me lager is barbecues or holidays 6

2. Richmond Station Ale (4.0%abv)
Richmond Brewing Co, Richmond, North Yorkshire. 500ml glass bottle

Another railway-related brewery opened by two established brewers, the Richmond Brewing Company are much smaller than Wylam, operating from a six barrel microbrewery in a restored station. On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, the market town of Richmond (Britain’s Great Town of the Year 2009) recently renovated their old station buildings into a tourist centre, with art galleries, cinemas and restaurants. Also on site is a resident microbrewery run by Andy Hamilton and Richard Bowerman, who have a combined 44yrs experience from such notables as Theakstons, John Smiths, Websters and Tennants.

What They Say -
“Richmond Station Ale is a light golden coloured bitter brewed using ale and crystal malts with English hedgerow hops.” [Official Website]

** On opening this one we immediately found strong indications that the beer had gone bad, despite being ‘in date’. We carried on to score it, but we may have to re-sample to get a better indication of Richmond Station Ale. **

What We Say…
Grooben - No body to this at all, it’s such an underpowered beer 4
Richard - You get bitter oakiness then off-tasting flatness 3
MrB - I don’t like this, it tastes like corked Chardonnay 2

3. A4 Amber Ale (4.4%abv)
Wold Top Brewery, Wold Newton, Driffield, East Yorkshire. 500ml glass bottle

The Wold Top Brewery at Wold Newton near Driffield in East Yorkshire was set up by two farming families, the Mellors and the Grays, in 2003. Both families have been growing malting barley for some time, and eventually decided to cut out the middle man and use the barley to make their own beer, sourcing the water from local chalk-filtered reservoirs. They not only set up this micro brewery but also bought a local pub, The Falling Stone in Thwing, as an outlet for their beers. Driffield is the ‘capital of the Wolds’ – the distinctive low rising hills that undulate around East Yorkshire. A4 Amber Ale was launched in 2007 to celebrate the A4 train festival on the North Yorks Moors Railway.

What They Say -
“Tasting Fruity and light with a dry finish, it is made from a combination of Maris Otter malt with Goldings, Styrian and Cascade hops.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Genuinely interesting - elderflower, fruit, hedgerows 7½
MrB - Fruity, refreshing, nice and hoppy, it’s good 7½
Grooben - They’re all juicy tonight, got a lovely apricot aroma 7

4. Dent Porter (3.8%abv)
Dent Brewery, Dent, Cumbria. 500ml glass bottle

Nestling in picturesque Dentdale, in that corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park that is actually in Cumbria, is one of the most remote breweries in the Country. Originally, the intention was to sell Dent beer only at the Sun Inn, but such was its popularity that other landlords in the Dales and Lakes asked for supplies and the brewery was soon operating at capacity. Most of their beers have a sheep theme – their Golden Ale is called Golden Fleece, they do a German-style lager called Rambrau, and past seasonals include Ewe Wants to be a Millionaire, Ewe Let the Dogs Out, and Ali Baabaa. On our last BeerCast podcast, we sampled their best bitter Kamikaze, which ended up with the higest score on the night. Will Dent’s classic British porter do as well?

What They Say -
“A dark classic traditional English porter, with delicate tones of five different malts, a rich smooth head and lingering light bitter after-taste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Very well balanced for limited leeway at 3.8% 8
MrB - I prefer my porters to be bitter like this rather than sweet 8
Grooben - Coffee hit at first but it mellows out, although maybe it needs that sweetness in the background 6

Panellists - (clockwise from top left) Richard, MrB, Grooben

BeerCast panel verdict
Wold Top A4 Amber (22/30)
Dent Porter (22/30)
Wylam Locomotion No1 (19½/30)
Richmond Station Ale (9/30)

Stay tuned for our next podcast, as we unleash MrB with the BeerCast kitty as he takes the reigns for BeerCast #49 – the MrBCast. Expect hops ahoy….

Our 47th podcast sees the joining up of the two studios, as Andy and Jess travel north from London to sample four beers with Richard and Grant in Edinburgh. We try four beers from very different stables, beginning with a coriander and vanilla-infused wheat beer from Cornwall - St Austell Clouded Yellow (4.8%), before something more classically British (despite the name) - Kamikaze Bitter (5.0%) from Dent in Cumbria. Next is a strong IPA from the North East of England - St Cuthbert (6.5%) from the Durham Brewery, before we finish on a darker note with the 5.0% Burton Bramble Stout. This podcast features not one but two exploding beers, questions to keep you interested during the breaks, and numerous butterfly and moth facts…

1. Clouded Yellow (4.8%abv)
St Austell Brewery, St Austell, Cornwall. 500ml glass bottle

St Austell are no strangers to the BeerCast, with their flagship Tribute featuring in the most recent Beer of the Year show, having scored 81% in our South West Special, BeerCast #33. It finished tied for second behind the eventual winner - the awesome Stone Ruination IPA. Of course, the Cornish concern are far from being a one-trick pony - so we got hold of their vanilla infused wheat beer Clouded Yellow (4.8%), named after a migrant butterfly often found in southern parts of Britain during the summer. Bottle-conditioned, unfortunately it erupted out of the bottle on opening, losing about a third over the table.

What They Say -
“Pale yellow in colour and naturally bottle conditioned, ideally served cool in a long glass to experience the true citrus overtones which have been delicately flavoured with whole spices and vanilla.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - One of the nicest wheatbeers I’ve had, shame it exploded 7
Jess - Refreshing light nature, an 8 if not for the kerfuffle 7
Richard - Potpourri aroma, taste is heavy vanilla, it’s interesting 6½
Andy - Looks like Appletiser and is pretty refreshing 5

2. Kamikaze (5.0%abv)
Dent Brewery, Dent, Cumbria. 500ml glass bottle

Dent is something of a Geographical oddity, being within the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales National Park yet not actually in Yorkshire. Located in a corner of south-eastern Cumbria, the small village is home to a thriving brewery, one of the remotest in the UK. Originally established to provide cask ale for the local pub, the Sun Inn, demand quickly outgrew their facilities and landlords from the Dales to the Lake District were asking for supply. All of their beers have a sheep theme, reflecting the traditional local industry, many having tongue-in-cheek names such as Golden Fleece (a Golden Ale) and Rambrau (a German-style lager). Kamikaze - maybe that should be Ramikaze - is a 5% bitter.

What They Say -
“Hops and fruit dominate this full-bodied, gold coloured strong bitter with a pleasant dryness. A hint of citrus and honey in the finish lead to a bitter aftertaste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - More hop than malt, but it’s dry like a golden ale 7
Jess - I don’t get any sweetness from the honey but it’s nice 7
Andy - Hoppiness cancels out the mustiness of some bitters 6
Grooben - Nice quaffable bitter, would be even better on cask 6

3. St Cuthbert (6.5%abv)
Durham Brewery, Bowburn, County Durham. 500ml glass bottle

We’ve talked about IPA’s many many times - and particularly about their history and the very Britishness of the style (even though others have since made them much livelier). But putting together a style show without an IPA wouldn’t be right - so we got hold of St Cuthbert (6.5%) from the Durham Brewery. This one is unusual as it has a totally different identity and branding depending on your method of purchasing. In the bottle, it’s badged with a celtic-style label and named after the patron saint of Northumberland. However, in a pub if you saw Durham Magnificat on cask and decided to order it, you’d get exactly the same beer. But would you get a nice beer? Names don’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things, after all.

What They Say -
“Fresh and clean tasting with citrus notes, this beer is dangerously drinkable. Our interpretation of an India Pale Ale featuring Challenger, Target, Columbus, Golding and Saaz hops.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Dead-on strong IPA - citrus, hops, alcohol backing 7½
Jess - Just a bit muddy for me, I like refreshing beers 4
Andy - Some orange citrus but it’s hidden by other flavours 4
Grooben - Doesn’t sit right, there’s an unpleasant metallic taste 4

4. Burton Bramble Stout (5.0%abv)
Burton Bridge Brewery, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. 500ml glass bottle

Burton is where it all began in many respects, being the symbolic heartland of British brewing. The soft hills surrounding the River Trent made the perfect water for brewing, and an industry was born. Burton beer was transported around the country on the railways, and around the globe on ships. Today there are still a few producers in the Staffordshire town, one of which being Burton Bridge. Begun by two brewery fitters who realised they could do a better job than many of their clients, they renovated the derelict Fox and Goose pub before starting down the path that would lead to numerous awards. Their Bramble Stout won SIBA’s national bottled beer of the year in 2005.

What They Say - “Brewed as Top Dog Stout with the addition of blackberry juice to add a faint sweetness. Challenger hops and Pale and Chocolate Malts, Burton Bridge Bramble Stout has a strong chocolatey aroma with a hint of fruit, full bodied with a smooth bitterness.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andy - Has the potential to be nicer but I think they need to smooth out the rough edges a bit 6
Grooben - Light and bitter on the palate, it needs more brambles 6
Richard - A blackberry tartness at the end, but maybe not enough 6
Jess - It’s too medicinal for me, nothing like I expected 5

Panellists - (clockwise from top left) Richard, Andy, Jess, Grooben

BeerCast panel verdict
Dent Kamikaze (26/40)
St Austell Clouded Yellow (25½/40)
Burton Bramble Stout (23/40)
Durham St Cuthbert (19½/40)

Stay tuned for our next podcast, as BeerCast #48 features four beers around the theme of the railways - our LocoCast is up next, boarding in a couple of weeks…