The BeerCast

Beer is one of the oldest creations of mankind, stretching back thousands of years to when the properties (if not the exact science) of fermentation were discovered. Whether a happy accident or not, crude recipes were devised to create drinks that made people feel bolder, more relaxed, or just forget about themselves for a few hours (or days). Fast forward to current times and some of these ancient styles are enjoying a renaissance at the hands of creative modern brewers. In our latest BeerCast, we sample four of these Beers of Yesteryear (title inspired by this article written by Mark Dredge on the subject).

We begin this podcast with Daleside Morocco Ale (5.5%), which dates back to Elizabethan times. We then move back 2,700 years to a tomb in Turkey, where the recipe for Dogfish Head Midas Touch (9.0%) was discovered. The Vikings are up next, as we sample the pine and spruce ale Alba (7.5%), resurrected by Heather Ales – the traditional arm of Alloa’s Williams Brothers. We finish on the mighty Thornbridge Bracia, a 10% old ale loosely based on an indigenous British beer from Celtic times. Buckling up on this Bill and Ted style adventure are Richard, Shovels and BeerCast debutant Blair…

1. Daleside Morocco Ale (5.5%abv)
Daleside Brewery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Back in the mid-19th Century feasts were all the rage amongst British landowners and the wealthy elite. Levens Hall in Cumbria hosted a shindig in May of every year – at which they served a beer that had been brewed and left to mature for 21 years. At the time, Charles II had married Catherine of Breganza – who brought with her as part of her dowry the city state of Tangiers. Things Moorish became popular, so this dark, spicy ale was named Morocco Ale. When originally served at Leven’s Hall guests were required to stand on one leg, drain a large glass and then recite “Luck to Levens whilst t’Kent flows”. With this version, recreated by Harrogate’s Daleside Brewery, our panellists merely have to score it out of ten…

What They Say -
“This is a very dark, rich and mysterious ale brewed to an ancient recipe dating back to Elizabethan times. Full bodied, malty with spicy overtones this complex beer is only brewed occasionally.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Slightly spicy, like a milder Old Peculier 7
Richard – Fruity but missing alcohol oomph 6½
Blair – Watery and sessionable, I’m looking for more 6

2. Midas Touch Golden Elixir (9.0%abv)
Dogfish Head, Milton, Delaware.
355ml glass bottle

One of the kings of the American Craft Beer movement, Dogfish Head pride themselves on their pioneering spirit. With that (and ignoring the oxymoron) they have turned to the past for inspiration. With the collaboration of molecular archaeologist Dr Patrick McGovern (a world expert on ancient beverages) they established a line of historical beers. One of these is Midas Touch, based on an ancient Turkish recipe developed from the residue found on drinking vessels recovered from the tomb of King Midas. Will it turn to gold in the hands of our panel?

What They Say -
“Our recipe highlights the known ingredients of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. Somewhere between a beer, wine and mead, this smooth, dry ale will please Chardonnay or I.P.A. drinker alike.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Blair – To hit as many home runs as them you take a couple misses 6½
Richard – Tastes like Battenberg cake, sweet and flat 5
Shovels – Well-balanced but I’d not want a lot of it 4

3. Heather Ales Alba (7.5%abv)
Williams Brothers, Alloa, Scotland.
330ml glass bottle

Our third ancient ale predates the arrival of the mighty hop on British shores. Back in the day, people who wanted to make beer flavoured it with the natural ingredients they could find around them – herbs, spices, plant extracts. The Vikings (who liked to work up a thirst) added spruce and pine to their alcohol, and as these ingredients are endemic to Scotland that type of beer was soon copied here. Shetland spruce ale was said to “stimulate animal instincts”, and if women drank it they would give birth to twins. With the podcasters on board today, anything could happen…

What They Say -
“Alba is a triple style ale brewed to a traditional Highland recipe from Scots pine and spruce shoots pickled during early spring. A tawny brown strong ale with spruce aroma, it has a rich malt texture, complex wood flavour and lingering finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Resinous sappy flavour, I quite like it 7
Blair – I get a lot of raspberry jam from this 7
Shovels – Sweet, caramelly, quite interesting, bit too sweet 5

4. Bracia (10.0%abv)
Thornbridge Brewery, Bakewell, Derbyshire.
750ml glass bottle

The first Thornbridge beer to make it onto one of our BeerCasts (although we have featured them on the website before), Bracia is a powerhouse of flavour containing six malts, four hops, roasted barley and Italian Chestnut honey. The original recipe vanished into the mists of time with the ancient Iron Age Celts (reference to Bracia was found in name only, inscribed by Romans at a Derbyshire fort). A honey beer high in alcohol, Thornbridge have recreated it pretty much from scratch, head brewer Stefano Cossi sourcing the honey from the Alps himself (possibly using elephants, we aren’t sure)

What They Say -
“Aromas are of chestnut, honey, cappuccino, white chocolate, dark fruits, vibrant fresh peel. The mouthfeel is velvety and rich, with notes of coffee, chocolate, liquorice and hazelnuts with warming alcohol, cocoa and a little peat in the finish Bracia can be cellared for up to one year, maybe longer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Blair – Big bodied, the alcohol comes out well, really good 8
Richard – Every sip gives something different, just lovely 8
Shovels – Quite medicinal, really complex aftertaste 7½

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Shovels, Blair, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Thornbridge Bracia 23½/30
Daleside Morocco Ale 19½/30
Heather Ales Alba 19/30
Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir 15½/30

Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back in a couple of weeks for our next podcast. We have two brewery showcases lined up – our Northern panel sample four beers produced by the Hardknott microbrewery in Cumbria, and our London crew tackle the beers of Robert Knops…

The concept of seasonality is now one of the hallmarks of modern cooking, pushed to the general public by the ranks of TV chefs and foodie magazines. Everything has a ‘time of year’, whether it’s the British asparagus, salty samphire, or humble mackerel (as one BeerCaster asked for in a fancy Edinburgh fishmonger’s, only to be embarrassed in front of a queue of shoppers when told there were none in the sea at that time of year). But can this approach be transferred to beer? Hops are seasonal, certainly, but after the harvest they can be dried and used at any time. It’s down to the styles and types of beer that can be varied depending on what the calendar says.

Now that Autumn is on us, it’s time to change the attitude and go for something different. The long summer (or in our case, short summer) is over, so the time for light hoppy pale ales is over. No need for urgent, tingling refreshment on a hot day now the clocks have gone back (or forward, as I put mine by mistake). Autumn brings crunchy leaves, darker nights, cool windy afternoons – and should be celebrated by the glorious British bitter. There can’t be another brewing nation on earth that can put out a finer nutty, foaming brown ale than us Brits – and now’s the time to partake.

So until the winter arrives and we all move on to warming stouts and porters, and then Christmas beers with alcohol and spice (before celebrating the return of Spring with zesty golden ales), take time out for a fruity, toffee-ish best bitter. Let the rich mouthfeel and malt characteristics reward you after that long Autumnal walk, or spot of Christmas Shopping (it’s never to early – and most breweries have online stores). Here are five choice Scottish beers for the season – Bitters, Ruby Ales, ESB’s, Amber Ales – all styles are well suited to this time of year. As we head towards November – have a seasonal beer on us.

1. Maverick (4.2%abv)
Fyne Ales, Cairndow, Argyll.
Classic fruity mahogany ale from BeerCast favourites Fyne Ales.

2. Red Kite (4.2%abv)
Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy, Black Isle.
Technically an amber ale, organically brewed north of Inverness.

3. Red Squirrel (3.9%abv)
Arran Brewery, Brodick, Isle of Arran.
Nutty, malty beer that donates to Red Squirrel charities on Arran.

4. St Magnus Ale (4.5%abv)
Highland Brewing Company, Swannay, Orkney.
Another nutty one, but with more roast than the Red Squirrel.

5. Red MacGregor (4.0%abv)
Sinclair Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Orkney.
Fruity ruby ale, current silver medal Champion Beer of Scotland.

(looking slightly further afield, five English beers that would go down very well on an Autumn evening are Bath Ales Barnstormer, York’s Yorkshire Terrier, Bristol Beer Factory No.7, Fuller’s ESB, and Daleside Old Leg Over).

The BeerCast reaches the 20th podcast landmark today, and to celebrate we sample four beers from the county of the White Rose. Very different tipples from the last episode, as we move North away from the flowery golden ales and enter the realm of darker stuff. Firstly we begin with a classic session bitter from the region – the York Brewery’s Yorkshire Terrier. We follow that up with one of their maltier offerings, Centurion Ghost Ale, complete with suitably scary label. We then move a few dozen miles up the road to Harrogate and the Daleside Brewery. Their excellent IPA made it to our Beer of the Year show last January, so we had high hopes for their Daleside Porter and then Daleside Chocolate Stout, which we end the show with. On the panel this week with Richard and Shovels are welcome returns from MrB and John (neither of whom had ever tried a chocolate beer). Thanks again to Faye at the Daleside Brewery for their beers.

1. Yorkshire Terrier (4.2%abv)
The York Brewery, York.
500ml glass bottle

Both a working brewery and a guided tour attraction for visitors, the York Brewery was founded in 1996. It’s the only one within the city’s famous walls, and when opened in a converted motorbike showroom it became the first beer producer in York for more than forty years. They have a 20 barrel brewplant and an onsite bar for eighty people, giving guided tours for £6 a time, which includes a free half of one of their finest at the beginning and one at the end. They also own three pubs in the city – the Three Legged Mare, the Last Drop and the Yorkshire Terrier, named after their flagship beer.

What They Say – “A premium bitter with a rich, creamy malt and full hop palate finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – Damn it’s good 8
Richard – It’s a very nice, drinkable, Northern bitter 7½
Shovels – A tasty session beer, although nicer on cask 7½
John – Refreshing without being too strong, very moreish 7

2. Centurion Ghost Ale (5.4%abv)
The York Brewery, York.
500ml glass bottle

What They Say – “A warming, dark bitter ale, with a roasted malt taste. Very easy to drink for it’s strength.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Dark roasty taste yet it’s easy to drink 6½
MrB – Could be a session ale – but you’d hurt in the morning 6
John – Smells great but tastes a bit iffy, not that impressed 5
Shovels – Burnt malty taste that lingers at the top of the mouth 5

3. Daleside Porter (4.4%abv)
Daleside Brewery, Harrogate.
500ml glass bottle

The Daleside Brewery were founded in the mid-1980′s in the genteel North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate. They moved to their current location in 1992, and produce three cask and seven bottled beers, using over 18 different types of hops in their varying brews. Their IPA featured in BeerCast #3, waaaay back in August 2007, and did rather well.

What They Say – “Brewed exclusively for export, Daleside Porter is distinctively dark in colour, full of body with a smooth velvet finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – It brings a little sparkle to the eyes 7
MrB – A bit less smoky than the Centurion maybe 6½
Richard – Carbonation spoils the smooth velvet finish 6½
John – Slightly better than the last one, but not remarkable 6

4. Daleside Chocolate Stout (4.0%abv)
Daleside Brewery, Harrogate.
500ml glass bottle

What They Say – “Aroma of cocoa and coffee, hints of tar, wood and leather. Creamy mouthfeel. The flavour is dominated by cocoa/chocolate, also notes of coffee, brown bread and burnt caramel, a little fruit too.” [Oxford Bottled Beer Database]

What We Say…
John – Would be a good after dinner beer, it’s nice and warming 7
Shovels – Tastes more coffee than chocolate but I quite like it 7
MrB – It’s particularly good, the nicest dark beer tonight 7
Richard – The three malts mix detract from the chocolate taste 5

BeerCast panel verdict

Yorkshire Terrier – 30/40
Daleside Porter – 26/40
Daleside Chocolate Stout – 26/40
Centurion Ghost Ale – 22½/40

Panellists – (from top left) MrB, John, Richard, Shovels

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #20 – White Rose Beers
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with episode 21, the BeerCast’s first foray into the world of American beer! Stay tuned for details on our USA craft beer special…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

What better way to brighten up a cold March Monday than the thump of free beer on the BeerCast’s dormat? Three cheers to Faye at the Daleside Brewery in Harrogate, who has supplied us with four of their staples to sample. If you remember, they produce the excellent Daleside IPA, which very nearly became our Beer of the Year for 2007. But will these new beers be as well received as the IPA?

Look out for some (or all) of these Dalesiders on the BeerCast very soon – as the intrepid panel embark on a field trip to Yorkshire, as we redress the balance of last episode’s Red Rose Beers with some from the White Rose county. Also keep an eye out for our next podcast episode on Organic Beers, which should be up sometime early next week (once I’ve finished editing the Hopmeister’s comments about Prince Charles)…

edit – by which I mean splicing them all together into one spectacularly hate-filled rant…

Daleside Brewery

And then there were four. After starting up the whole reviewing/podcasting thing in June 2007 we sampled our way through thirty-four beers from half a dozen countries. On the way we’ve drunk our way through numerous others in various guises – but it was down to those 34 when we decided to re-taste the top scorers and find out what would be crowned our first annual BeerCast Beer of the Year. Using our standard scoring system throughout, we had one beer out on top with three others tied for second place – so it was only fair to take all four away and revisit their many pleasures.

On new year’s day our extended BeerCast panel of seven sat down in a windy house in the border village of St Abbs, and let the battle commence. The beers we had with us were the Anchor Brewey Our Special Ale 2006, Daleside IPA, Erdinger’s Weissbier Dunkel, and Coniston’s Bluebird Bitter. All four are tremendous – and very different – so it would be tough to pick a winner. As scoring had been done in each individual BeerCast, for the final we re-sampled each one and gave our general thoughts, before going round the panel and simply picking a winner. For this BotY edition, the panel consisted of Richard, Shovels, MrB, Andy, Jess, Grooben, and BeerCast newcomer Gillian. First up, was Coniston’s Bluebird Bitter…

1. Bluebird Bitter (4.2%abv) 500ml glass bottle
The Coniston Brewery, Cumbria.
BeerCast #3 scored 16/20 (80%) 9th Aug 2007
Originally tasted by Shovels 8; Richard 8

Grooben – I like it a lot, and on tap it might be even nicer
Andy – It’s quite thin and tastes like it has something else in it
Jess – I don’t like it, I find it too bitter, especially the aftertaste
Richard – I think it’s really nice and I stand by my 8/10 score
MrB – Pleasant but not astounding – on tap I’d drink it all night
Shovels – I still think this is a really good beer
Gillian – I agree, this is perfectly drinkable

2. Daleside IPA (4.5%abv) 500ml glass bottle
The Daleside Brewery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
BeerCast #3 scored 16/20 (80%) 9th Aug 2007
Originally tasted by Shovels 8; Richard 8

Jess – This is much nicer, it reminds me of honeysuckle
Andy – Much more pleasant, with more substance to it
Grooben – One of the nicest of IPA’s I’ve tasted on the BeerCast
MrB – Very very nice, this is my kind of hoppy session ale
Gillian – Smoother and nicer than the Bluebird
Richard – More flowery than the Coniston
Shovels – All round the mouth taste, it’s good stuff

3. Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel (5.6%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu, Erding.
BeerCast#8 scored 32/40 (80%) 1st Dec 2007
Originally tasted by MrB 9; Richard 8; Grooben 8; Shovels 7

Gillian – I could drink more of the previous beers but I prefer this
Richard – Wheatbeer flavour gives way to nice dark malts
Shovels – First few mouthfuls are tasty but it then loses flavour
Jess – This is lovely, full of bubbles, and it smells really nice too
Andy – Looks dark but it tastes light, there’s an iron taste in there
Grooben – I thought I wasn’t going to like this again, but I do
MrB – I may have overmarked it, but as a wheatbeer it’s ahead of the pack

4. Anchor Our Special Ale 2006 (5.5%abv) 350ml glass bottle
Anchor Brewery, San Francisco.
BeerCast#9 scored 34½/40 (86%) 15th Dec 2007
Originally tasted by MrB 9½; Shovels 9; Grooben 8; Richard 8

MrB – That you can put these flavours into a beer is amazing
Jess – I don’t like it, it’s totally overpowering and not very subtle
Grooben – They’ve crafted this, I have lots of time for it
Andy – Smells of so much yet is forgiving on the tongue
Shovels – It’s really got that spicy Christmas taste to it
Gillian – A gorgeous colour, it’s drinkable but very, very seasonal
Richard – All the other beer smells tonight combined wouldn’t come close to this

So the beers had been re-tried and thoughts given – but only one thought counted, the overall winner of the four. The final step of the Beer of the Year show was to go round the table and pick the one that stood out the most…

Jess
“I had a really tough time between Daleside IPA and the Erdinger. I really like the Erdinger, but it had too many bubbles and I wouldn’t actually drink that much of it, so I chose the Daleside because it’s a nice beer and very pleasant.”

Andy
“I had real difficulty choosing between Daleside IPA and the Anchor, but of the four beers presented to me this evening, I liked the taste of the Anchor the best. So I have to vote for that.”

Grooben
“Again it was between two, the Daleside IPA and the Anchor, and I’ve gone for the Daleside. It’s a beer I would enjoy more on a more consistant basis. I’ve got nothing bad to say about the Anchor – I think it’s brilliant and will drink it every Christmas, but Daleside hit more buttons for me.”

Gillian
“It came down to either the Daleside or the Erdinger, and although I could drink more of the Daleside, I picked the Erdinger. It was a more complex taste and I quite liked all the bubbles.”

MrB
“Daleside IPA was fantastic but there’s at least half a dozen beers – some of which we haven’t reviewed this year – that were better than that, so my vote goes to the Anchor. It was extraordinary, and I’ll be drinking it at every Christmas from now on.”

Richard
“I have to give it to Bluebird as it’s one of my favourite beers and I love it. It’s everything I want from a beer and I’ve enjoyed drinking it this year even before we were sent some. Anchor is truly special, but Bluebird is my BotY so I vote for that.”

Shovels
“Anchor has so much taste and so much going on, but it’s only available for two months of the year. The Daleside IPA is amazing, but there are lots of other good IPA’s out there. I have to say – purely based on all the flavours going on – my BotY is the Anchor.”

So there you have it – the BeerCast Beer of the Year for 2007 is, rather strangely, Anchor’s Special Ale 2006. UK beer drinkers can often be at the back of the queue when it comes to finding the American seasonals, but the Californian brewer lists their Special Ale as having a two year shelflife. We did manage to source some of the 2007 Special Ale, and tried that in the same session. It was also extremely good, albeit very different – but the 2006 vintage was the one we tested during our first year, and it was that beer which came out on top – both in overall scoring and our BotY special. Congratulations to the Anchor brewery, as well as Coniston, Daleside and Erdinger, and we’ll be back on the BeerCasting front very soon with episode 11. In the meantime, here are the panel’s honourable mentions for 2007…

BeerCaster’s 2007 personal favourites

Shovels – Williams Bros Joker
Grooben – Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted
Jess – Wynchwood Hobgoblin; Shepherd Neame Bishop’s Finger
Richard – Stewart’s Edinburgh Gold
Andy – Fruli; Minoh Seasonal Beer; Belgian Peach Lambic
MrB – Fyne Ales Avalanche
Gillian – Didn’t have a favourite, but did try a beer in 2007 she thought was truly awful – so we gave her the honour of naming it as the worst beer of the year – Desperados, the French 12%abv tequila beer. If we ever do a French episode….

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #10 – Beer of the Year 2007
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back soon with episode 11. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!