The BeerCast

We’re rightly proud of our home city when it comes to decent real ale opportunities, and the other night a select band of BeerCast panellists headed out to a new local. Well, not exactly new – the Stockbridge Tap was renamed after Bert’s was sold, and it became a freehouse. There’s another Bert’s in the city, over in the West End (see our second Edinburgh pub guide). So maybe Edinburgh wasn’t big enough for two of them, after all. The Bert’s that went was pretty plain but always had a varying selection of beers on – and it seems the Stockbridge Tap has picked up the baton, with seven pumps proudly on display. Also, they are currently offering a mini beer festival, so that was even more reason for us to pop in on a chilly Thursday night.

First on the list was Valhalla Brewery’s Simmer Dim (4.0%). We featured Britain’s Northernmost producer on our Northern Isles special back in January last year, and commented that they certainly impart an unusual flavour into their beers. Simmer Dim – although it was almost totally flat – was a pretty decent malty bitter, even if it did smell like a football stadium toilets, according to an un-named BeerCaster. Fireside (4.7%) is one of the lesser-known of Arran’s ales, one of the few that missed our Arran Special. As it happens, that was probably a good thing as it weighed uncomfortably towards the 80 shilling end of the spectrum.

After that, we sampled Homecoming Ale (4.2%) from the Perth-based Inveralmond Brewery. Begun in 1997, they bottle classics such as Ossian and Lia Fail, and cask Thrappledouser that the Hopmeister is so fond of. However, Homecoming was a new one to us, and after a bit of Googling (it’s not referred to at all on their website) we discover that it is practically brand new, having been released to co-incide with Homecoming Scotland 2009, an events programme of Scottishness. Given the brewing history in this country, it makes sense to have an offical beer – an Homecoming Ale is fantastic. All were in total agreement, it was dry and biscuity with an almost raw oat taste. Similar to the nuttiness of Ossian, it got nicer the more it went down – whoever decided to get Inverlamond to brew the celebration beer for Homecoming 2009 should be congratulated.

Next up we moved on to Derventio’s Cupid (4.1%), a beer for the romantics in time for Valentine’s Day perhaps – although nothing says romance quite like portly men in pubs. Derventio began in 2005 in Trusley Brook Farm in Derbyshire, midway between Derby and Burton on Trent. I can’t say we know too much about them, but Cupid was also biscuity, but a bit too watery and with less body than the Homecoming. After checking online, apparently it’s a honey ale – although we were hard-pressed to find any. Finally we plumped for a bottle of something imported – Denver’s Flying Dog Old Scratch (5.3%), a strong amber lager that reminded me of Old Peculier without the dark body, almost like tree sap. Nice, though.

And with that we staggered out into the Edinburgh night – having not even tried some of the beers on offer. We’re all massive fans of the Stewart Brewery, but not particularly their 80/-, and likewise the Black Isle Brewery and their Organic Wheatbeer. I attempted a pint of Little Valley’s Stoodley Stout, but it tasted badly of vinegar (I’ve had it before and was looking forward to it). Full marks to the Stockbridge Tap’s staff though, they took it back without protest and gave me a refund, plus a free pint of something else (Homecoming Ale), and then immediately changed the barrel. Later on when our last round drained Inveralmond’s final cask we had a pint that was a finger short given free, with a free pint to make up for the missing centimetre of ale. If they keep this level of customer service up, they might need more than seven pumps, but we’ll keep coming back…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

London Drinker Beer Festival