Lagerboy hasn’t had a run-out for a while, but as the days are starting to lengthen and the rain that plunges from the grey Scottish clouds becomes a tad warmer – it’s time to stop chewing those noble hop pellets and get with the liquid. The first tempter to pass his cage hails from the Derbyshire peak district – Thornbridge’s Kill Your Darlings Vienna Lager. Not many UK brewers bother with this style – which is a pity, as they can be lovely. They also provide Lagerboy with something slightly darker, and therefore, variation.
A quick check on RateBeer reveals Thornbridge’s KYD sits at number 9 on the Vienna chart (there’s a New Romantic joke in there somewhere). Underlying their “We might make one, we might not” status, those ten beers hail from six different countries (I’ll let you guess how many are from Austria). Unusually, the UK has two, both produced by Thornbridge. Equinox sits in tenth place.
Anyway, that’s enough tick-bollocks. Kill Your Darlings puffs out of the bottle like a watery stew, with a sweet, slightly spicy nose. Honey as well – bready too, like inhaling a Turkish dessert trolley. If Lagerboy knew what an American Brown Ale was (too many words for him), he might think it had a similar taste – brown sugar, bready malt and some sweet caramel. However, the cutting finish brings it back into his ballpark. It shuts the door in your face – a fantastic crisp end to a really rather lovely beer.
We’re back with another BeerCast heralding the majesty of British beer (as we’ll be doing throughout all of our podcasts in 2012). This time, we turn our attention to four highly promising IPA’s. The style we gave to the world has developed in every possible way since it soothed the palates of thirsty ex-pats – but today we concentrate on the ‘modern British IPA’. These days more than a few brewers are piling in the hops, which is something we tend to agree with. On the podcast today – Ilkley Lotus IPA (5.7%), Bristol Beer Factory Southville Hop (6.5%), Roosters Serlo de Burgh (6.0%) and Buxton Axe Edge Double IPA (6.8%). Three of these originate in famous English spa towns, conveniently giving us a podcast title. On the panel this time – Richard, Shovels, Grooben and Stu.
The first working production facility in the town for almost a hundred years, the Ilkley Brewery began in 2009 on an industrial estate in the Yorkshire spa town. It’s precursor had become one of the largest in the county, supplying their trademark ‘Olicana’ brand beer (named after the old Roman name for Ilkley). It was taken over by Hammond’s in 1923 – but the modern-day version has restored a beery presence to the town, which is famed for the folk song “On Ikla Moor Baht ‘at”. Native Yorkshireman Shovels conveniently has forgotten how this song goes.
What They Say - “A gold coloured genuine India Pale Ale with hoppy, lemon and citrus aromas. This ale is complex, but well balanced and full of flavour.” [Official Website]
What We Say…
Richard – Lemon and lots of apricot, biscuit at the end 8
Shovels – Peachy on the nose, it’s an absolute cracker 8
Grooben – Not as bitterly hopped as some but none the worse for it 7½
Stu – A nice fruity session IPA 7½
Another historic tradition revived, the Bristol Beer Factory operate inside the city’s Ashton Gate Brewery – which had closed in 1933 following nearly two hundred years of production. The labour of love of George Ferguson, the BBF emerged in 2005 and were getting their beer onto local markets within six month of opening (trading then as the Bristol Brewing Co). With a ten-barrel plant, they own an old grain barge in Bristol dock which has been converted to a brewery tap (we paid it a visit back in 2009). Bristol may not be a spa town, but is a short train journey from arguably the UK’s most famous example – Bath.
What They Say - “Inspired by the amazing hoppy beers being brewed by American craft brewers this beer is heavily hopped, packing it with tropical fruit flavours and aromas.” [Official Website]
What We Say…
Richard – Smells like a Kernel beer, classic grapefruit bitterness 7
Shovels – The citrusy hops really come though 7
Grooben – Aggressive bitterness, needs sweetness to balance it 7
Stu – It’s a good beer but a bit too harsh for my liking 7
3. Serlo de Burgh (6.0%abv) Roosters Brewery, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle
There can’t be too many breweries named after characters from Westerns. Sean Franklin once said he named his new Knaresborough business (in part) after Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. Sean – who has since retired – was one of the vanguards of Yorkshire brewing, having established Franklin’s Brewery in the 1960′s – delivering the beer himself in a taxi he drove as a second job. In April 2011 he sold up to Knaresborough businessman Ian Fozard – and Rooster’s is currently run by Ian’s sons Oliver and Tom. Serlo de Burgh was the first Lord (or ‘Honour’) of Knaresborough, and commissioned the building of the [spa] town’s castle. The beer brewed in his name is amazingly rare, as only 57 bottles were ever produced (would that I had known that when I placed my order).
What They Say - “A big presence with a cornucopia of fruit flavoursharnessed from a blend of American, Australian, New Zealand and Slovenian hops. Serlo de Burgh is sure to conquer your tastebuds and leave a long lasting impression.” [Official Website]
What We Say…
Shovels – Awesomely balanced, light hoppy beer. I think it’s amazing 9½
Richard – We talk about balance – this has it, it’s lovely 9
Stu – That’s a grand cup 8½
Grooben – Classic tropical fruit smell and flavour 8
Our final spa town is Buxton in Derbyshire – which boasts a geothermal spring bubbling up at a constant 28°C. In the summer of 2009, Buxton brewery began, using the equipment of Derby’s Wild Walker. They then moved the equipment to their new home, and began putting out their own range of Buxton beer. Their head brewer is former Thornbridge man James Kemp (Bakewell being only a dozen miles away) – and recently their beers have become much more prominent, with (and this must only be a co-incidence) a series of strong hoppy numbers and a mighty 9.5% imperial stout – the very highly rated Buxton Tsar. Today we taste their double IPA Axe Edge…
What They Say - “Hopped with Amarillo, Citra and Nelson Sauvin, this beer has a pale straw-amber body, and pours with a full creamy head. Its complex flavours include mandarin orange, schnapps, pineapple, and juicy tropical fruits. It is warmingly alcoholic with a dry finish.” [Official Website]
What We Say…
Richard – Passion fruit, mango and orange – a great DIPA 8½
Shovels – It would maybe sit on you a bit after a while 8
Grooben – Very nice, although the flavour doesn’t back up the smell 8
Stu – Again, I like it but it’s maybe a bit sweet and a tad heavy 7½
Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Richard, Shovels, Stuart, Grooben
Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back in a couple of weeks for our next podcast. BeerCaster MrB returns from several weeks working in New England, and if he manages to bring something back we may stray – just slightly – from our British theme for the next episode. Otherwise, I’ve got a cupboard brimming with homegrown Black IPA’s to get through…
Why would you not drink beer? I mean, seriously, it’s pretty much the best thing there is. Fair enough, if religious or health reasons preclude you from taking alcohol, but if not – why don’t you drink beer? How can you be satisfied with cheap lager or wine? What does Smirnoff have that decent beer doesn’t? Other than alcohol content, obviously. But if that’s your thing – there are so many ways of fulfilling that urge through beer. British ale might traditionally be lower in strength, but not anymore. Get your buzz from beer. Numb those fingertips with something other than spirits. I’m not being a hypocrite here – I love gin, wine etc etc but I also drink a shedload of Britain’s most revered non tea-based drink – the bitter, malty stuff you get in pints. Or half pints. Or three/eighths of a pint. Drink it from a test tube if you like – but just drink it. Try it. Even if you don’t really like what you’re tasting, there are plenty of other styles of beer to try. And here’s a little truth – nobody really likes their first taste of beer. Bitter, astringent – it takes some getting used to. But then, so does every food or drink that is ultimately rewarding. It’s not a chocolate milkshake – you’ve got to put the work in. I’ve put in plenty of work over the years, trust me – in pubs all over the country. Take last night in Edinburgh’s Bow Bar. Sat in the best seat in the best pub in the best city in Britain – does it get any better? Yes – when the bar sports about a dozen beers on cask and keg from the UK’s best new breweries. Sitting there, in that window seat looking in at the pub (not out at the canyonlike Victoria Street), you realise why pub seats have their backs to the windows. In coffee shops you sit down and look out at the view – in public houses, everything worth watching happens inside. At that moment there was literally nowhere else I would rather have been. Not a rooftop bar in Sydney. Not a hip dive bar in New York. Even typing that sounds faintly daft, but at that time I truly believed it. And that is what makes Britain’s pubs, and British beer, the very best thing about this country. The sense that the outside doesn’t exist when you’re there. Nothing else matters. People passing by the Bow on the way to somewhere else are making a huge mistake – this has everything you will ever need. Take the beer – it’s as good tonight as it’s ever been. From Hardknott Katalyst – a zingy grapefruit bitter – to the sweet, pineapple flavours of Tempest Citra. If you’re not a fan of fruit, then drink the stunning Cresta Black – also by Tempest. Rich, smooth, with a nutty chocolate aftertaste – I defy anyone not to like it. Put down your pints of Fosters and just bloody try it. These guys are the best brewery in Scotland at the moment. They really are. Hardknott are also doing astonishing things. As for Dark Star – it’s hard for me to express in words what it’s like (to non beer drinkers) to appreciate their Imperial Stout. A 10% cask ale that slides down as easy as anything. Sweet, oaky marzipan. Anybody who enjoys sherry or port should be made to drink this. People who like the fortified stuff but don’t like beer. You do like beer – you just don’t know it. Or rather, you don’t like the wrong kind of beer. Try the right kind. Try it in somewhere like the Bow Bar. Believe in what British breweries are producing, and how British pubs are serving. Now, more than ever, both need your support. They already have mine. Give them yours – I promise they won’t let you down.
For 2012 we’re plunging into an Olympics-frenzied maelstrom of patriotism, and for the whole year only featuring British brewers in our podcasts (well, until we get to Christmas – you can’t have a Christmas BeerCast without the Anchors). First up in our year of best of British is a showcase of one of the most promising producers in the whole United Kingdom – Yorkshire’s Summer Wine Brewery. Having started a handful of years ago, the two guys behind the project (James and Andy) have come incredibly far, and are putting out a range of styles in a variety of different methods of dispense. That is surely something to celebrate. On the panel today – Richard, Shovels, and a BeerCast debut for our 22nd panelist – Calum.
What They Say… “Continental speciality malts provide the slightly sweet backdrop. A rich, reddish amber hue is the canvas for the best US hops to paint their picture; one of citrus, tropical and piney hop impressionism. An easy drinking, lowly bittered, high aroma delight of a beer.”
What We Say…
Calum – Brewed for a wedding, I can see why – everyone would like it 7
Shovels – Nice peachy smell, nothing wrong with it at all 7
Richard – Doesn’t taste too strong, nice hoppy profile to it 6½
What They Say… “A Rich dark porter brewed with 10 different malts giving a sweet roast richness that is balanced with just enough fruity hop character. Smooth fruity notes lead you into a dreamy malt body, where notes of cocoa, caramel and vanilla melt into a moreish finish.”
What We Say…
Richard – I could smell that all day, rich, creamy chocolate 9
Calum – Strong mouthfeel and a lovely milky sweetness 8½
Shovels – Fruity at the end, it’s very nice 8
What They Say… “Dark malt bitterness leads to roast coffee set against a sumptuous creamy mouthfeel. Ground Arabica coffee is added to this beer at the end of the boil and allowed to steep, giving you a real coffee hit throughout. The beer finishes with a touch of forgiving sweetness.”
What We Say…
Shovels – Initial disappointment, but I actually quite like it 7
Richard – Lower abv coffee beers have more drinkability but you have to trade off some of the body 7
Calum – Roasty coffee aroma – the Teleporter is more rounded 6½
What They Say… “A light & fresh fruity Saison, the fresh zesty estery yeast plays beautifully with the slightly peppery coriander followed by a refreshing blast of zesty citrus lime. A light fruity & hugely drinkable farmhouse ale that conjures thoughts of spring & summer.”
What We Say…
Richard – The herbal edge wraps into the wheaty part, limey aftertaste 8
Shovels – Get both coriander and lime, sparkly and refreshing 7½
Calum – Not a style I’m fond of but it’s floral and easy going 7
What They Say… “You may have had Black IPA, but you’ve never had a Double Black Rye PA.
Cohort is a double IPA brewed with Pale, Rye, Carafa and other speciality malts that marry together with a plethora of New World hops and a Belgian Yeast to create something entirely unique.”
What We Say…
Calum – Perfectly balanced, really smooth, this has got everything 9½
Richard – I like the malty flavour and the rye spiciness 8
Shovels – Rye adds great body, it’s the best beer of the night 8
Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Shovels, Calum, Richard
Magic Rock Brewing are one of the new kids on the block, having been operating for about eight months from their Huddersfield base (which I hope is an enormous circus big top). It says something about the state of the modern British beer scene that even given that short space of time, the Magic Rock boys could take over a pub 230 miles away and pack it to the rafters on a random Wednesday night. Co-founder Richard Burhouse stood on the bar of the Stockbridge Tap and admitted his astonishment that such a thing could be possible.
For something like that to happen, you need several things to align together. Firstly, the brewery needs to be active, garnering support for their products and building that following. Magic Rock are highly proficient on social media, and regularly put on launches and takeovers. You also need the encouragement of your customers – the Yorkshire area is a hotbed of beer bloggers, and they regularly sing the praises of their output. Finally – and of course, most crucially, you need to walk the walk. Having recently been voted second best new brewer for 2012, they are clearly off to the races.
The finishing line for the latest beer run was the Stockbridge Tap, and we arrived at 5pm to watch Archie frantically dashing from bar to cellar, vanishing like a bearded mole to make sure the beers were ready to go. Magic Rock Curious was first up – a zappy blonde ale that only clocks in at 3.9%, but runs away with a Fyne Ales Avalanche-like flavour (or even Jarl, as was suggested to us on Twitter the other night). Next, we compared cask and keg versions of Dark Arts – for a 6% stout, the cask version was wonderful – roasty, rich and slightly smoky. The keg version paled by comparison, being cool and bitter, and almost sharp.
From then on, the evening consisted of a series of stunning beers, one after the other – like going over Niagara Falls into a vast lake of drink. Cannonball on keg looked like a strange, creamy orange soup – but tasted wonderful. Magic 8 Ball (also on keg) was sublime, a fruity, hop forward assault. Following that, there was a special one-off dry hopped cask Human Cannonball – why not cask a 9% DIPA? On this evidence, it should be done more often – warm, rich caramel and toffee. I can’t even remember the Bearded Lady to be honest, but if drinking an imperial stout in five minutes is any clue, it must have been just as good.
Forgive the hyperbole in that last paragraph, but to get to this stage in less than a year is quite something. We sampled two of their beers in BeerCast #63 back in August, and stated that the beers showed potential but needed a bit more. Clearly, they had only just begun bottling then, and now they have found that bit extra and then some. RateBeer named Anchorage Brewing as the best new brewer for 2012 – they must be seriously good to outpoint Magic Rock.
