Eight Dark Beers Imbibed During October, Plus One!

First I must apologise for the quality of a few of these photographs, the lighting wasn't perfect, that's the reason, not an excuse. I should have used more lighting, so my fault, but the time of the day some were taken was when I was winding down, so this is what you get. 😉

I'm starting with the Hercule as I want that image to head this blog, then I'm going from the weakest to the strongest of the others, then... Anyway, brewed by Brasserie des Legendes (originally Brasserie des Ellezelleloise, changing its name when it merged with Brasserie des Geants in 2006, when they became one Brasserie des Legendes) in Irchonwelz in Belgium (website), their 9.0% Hercule Stout, named after the fictional detective Hercule Poirot. Hercule is brewed with locally grown barley in the grist, the brewery gives no hint of the hops used, unless the name of the beer provides a clue, and the beer came out of the bottle incredibly lively, hence the large head. It is a very deep dark reddish brown in colour, with hints of liquorice, coffee and chocolate in the aroma. To taste, slightly sweet at first, I got more dark fruits in the taste than others I have spoken to, but with a dry slightly bitter, maybe tart, finish, nice one! 

The next ale was brewed in Southwold, East Suffolk, for Marks & Spencer, by Adnams Brewery (website), their 4.2% Winter Ale, and I believe this is brewed specifically for M&S, so an original beer and not a re-badge. Brewed with First Gold hops (hopslist); I saw someone suggest orange and lemon peel in the recipe, but the fruitiness is more likely from the malt and hops. Indeed, a very fruity beer, deep dark red, they suggest on the label "fruit cake and prunes" in the taste, and tasty indeed. Not bad at all, I may just get a couple of bottles for over the Christmas hols.

Now I come to an interesting collaboration between Yorkshire breweries Northern Monk (website) and Timothy Taylor's (website), Northern Rising, a 4.4% 'Draught Unity Stout' brewed to compete with nitro keg beers like Guinness, but also brewed for cask at Timothy Taylor's. The hops used are traditional English hops Fuggle (hopslist) and East Kent Golding (hopslist). From the can, very smooth and creamy, sweet to start off with, very dark chocolate dominating the taste, but with a dry finish, and another not bad at all beer.

Another brewed for M&S, from Siren Craft Brew of Wokingham near Reading (website), comes a 5.1% Chocolate Porter, brewed with cacao nibs and vanilla pods added; no sharing of the hops used by the brewery though. This is a bit more subtle, aroma and taste, than many of these chocolate stouts and porters, very dark colour and subtle chocolate taste, sweet at first (lactose added methinks), but dries out with a gentle bitter finish, pretty good!

Next, from Buxton in Derbyshire, comes Silent Brew (facebook) Game's Gone, and a draught beer this time! I've seen this described as a "pastry stout" and as a "chocolate brownie stout" 😕 and another brewery not divulging the hops used. Whatever, it is a very good 'stout' tasting of chocolate with a hint of vanilla and a dry finish, my notes say "lovely!" 👍

More local for me, from East Sussex, the Long Man (website) Panettone Chocolate Stout (6.4%), which does what it says on the can, it is "rich and indulgent" indeed. 👍 Another that adds cacao nibs and vanilla pods to the brew, and that the brewer doesn't divulge hope used. I've already said what it's like, it does what it says on the can, very drinkable indeed!

From outside Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire comes Vocation Brewery (website) and their 8.0% Caramel Cookie Chocolate Stout, "naughty and nice" they say. Well, another brewer apparently unhappy to share which hops are used, but that's OK, as the main ingredients for flavour in these beers described today are the malts used, and the odd added ingredients. Similarly, does what it says on the tin, big chocolate aroma, and in the taste definitely chocolate aplenty, a hint of caramel and biscuit, rich and luxurious, another nice one.

My penultimate beer reviewed in this blog is from London, the capital city of England (and Britain) and Gravity Well Brewing (website) and their 11.0% Makkuro Imperial Stout. Well, the brewers emphasise the flavours coming purely from the malts used, with no added ingredients, other than the usual malt, water, yeast and hops (don't ask!), although the brewery apparently owns up to usually adding stuff to their brews, cacao nibs or whatever, but NOT for this brew, so the 4 beer ingredients only. And why would anyone expect anymore needed to be added? Chocolate is big in the taste, not so much in the aroma, and I wrote "very easy to drink and luxurious!!" Indeed, I added two exclamation marks to my notes, I was that impressed, cheers! 😁

 

Finally, had with my lunch today, and this is the "plus" 😁 a 6.2% "stellar stout" brewed in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, by Vault City Brewing (website), MINI M*RS, "paying homage to the mighty m*rs bar." And my, with a hint of caramel, this is packed full of chocolate coming from the malts used and the "mountains of cacao nibs" added to the brew! Very dark brown colour, virtually black, almost too sweet, but not quite, rich and plenty of body. No idea of the hops used (not shared by the brewer), but a luxurious beer indeed. 👍

Plus plus, together with Neon Raptor of Nottingham (website) they have brewed a stronger version in the past, a 15.5% DDF M*RS BAR Imperial Stout (Vault City), one for the future if it ever makes a return, maybe!?! 😲 Cheers m'dears!!

Ey 'up! Back in Sheffield, Again...

As I always do, whenever I visit Sheffield I eat at Mama's and Leonies (website), 111/115 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JE (0114 272 0490), just along the road from the famous, for snooker fans particularly, Crucible Theatre, and around the corner from the Winter Gardens. I've been eating at Mama's since the 1990s, and still many familiar friendly faces working there and pleasant discourse too. It's so good to be remembered, and my favourite Warm Chick & Bacon Salad, without the croutons, and a half carafe of red wine, or a bottle of Budweiser Budvar (website) in this instance, because I was soon meeting up with friends for a few. Always excellent with plenty of healthy stuff on the plate, a great plateful of salad (see below), many thanks folks!

My new regular (mostly) abode for Sheffield visits is The Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street S3 7BS (website), which reopened 5 years ago after quite a few years closure, and has 7 en suite bedrooms. Sadly, no breakfast provided, but there are some very interesting bar snacks. Importantly, it also sells quite a few interesting ales and crafty keg beers! Open Mon-Wednesday 3pm to 12 midnight; Thurs-Saturday 12 noon to 1am; Sunday 12 noon to 11pm.

This is where I met up with Lindsay and Jeff, sadly, Peter and Will couldn't make it this time, and where I started with, as I tend to now, a pint from Sheffield based Abbeydale Brewery (website) Heathen (4.1%). This is an APA style ale, brewed with Mosaic hops, and dry hopped with Mosaic to make sure you appreciate the taste and aroma! As you'd expect from the hops, notably forest fruits and citrus, providing a bitter dry finish. Another clear pale vegan friendly ale, and on regularly at The Crow, so virtually its 'house ale' and deservedly so, nice one! 

We then moved on to Shakespeare's (facebook), 146-148 Gibraltar Street S3 8UB. This Georgian pub was closed for 18 months from early 2010 and reopened in July 2011, and since winning not a few CAMRA awards. They sell up to 9 real ales, many from local brewers, over 50 bottled beers, and a fair few crafty keg beers. I drank an extra special Abbeydale Brewery (website) Deception (4.1%) at £3.90 a pint. This 'New Zealand Pale Ale' is primarily hopped with Nelson Sauvin, but Amarillo, Chinook, Galaxy and Columbus hops are added too. An excellent pale ale, with citrus, grape and gooseberry in the flavour, refreshing, with a dry bitter finish. Indeed, even more flavour with this beer, as they had dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin this version to celebrate the pub's 10,000th ale, since 2011, I presume!

We then wandered around to the Kelham Island area to the Kelham Island Tavern, or KIT, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website). Built in the 1830s, it was a derelict building when Trevor and Lewis took it over, refurbished it, and reopening in 2002, when it soon it became the best real ale pub in the country, indeed, they won the National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and have won many other awards before and since! Although now retired, I believe Trevor still owns the property, but the licencee is Josh now, and still winning awards. I drank the excellent Blue Bee Brewery (website) American 5 Hop Version 72 (4.3%), each version using different combinations of hops. 

The 72nd version uses Loral, Columbus, Citra, Cascade and Chinook hops from the USA! What can I say? 😁 Very hoppy, big citrus aroma and taste, pale golden, with a dry bitter finish, just as I like my session bitters, very good indeed! 👌

Jeff and I continued on to Shalesmoor, Lindsay having other business, and just after the tram stop is The Wellington (facebook), 1 Henry Street S3 7EQ. Originally built in the 1830s, it became run down during the 20th century, and was refurbished and reopened as a free house in 1993 renamed the Cask & Cutler (as I first remember it, although also called the "Bottom Welly" - the "Top Welly" being at the other end of Infirmary Road). Anyway, it changed hands in 2006 and returned its name to The Wellington, or Cask & Welly as we used to call it. In 2016, the pub was bought by the friendly Canadian, James B (another ex-brewer at the Kelham Island Brewery from quite a few years ago!), who has his own brewery now, Neepsend Brew Co (website). 

So I drank a couple of pints of their rather excellent 'New Zealand Pale Ale' Plancius (4.3%), brewed with 2 varieties of Antipodean hop, Southern Cross and Motueka. Basically, it does what it says, pale dry and bitter, just like me, and I should apologise, unless there was an obvious need to make notes, and I was pretty bad at it by now... Oh yes, and I included a cheese and red onion sandwich in a bread cake, as empty Calories had been entering my system for a few hours, with the first pint, also very tasty, and £4.80 the lot, thank you very much!👍

I then returned to my temporary home (The Crow Inn) after parting company with Jeff, and had a couple more drinks as it was still reasonably early, starting off with the 3.8% session blonde ale Jarl, from Scottish brewery Fyne Ales (website). It's a session ale brewed with Citra hops. what's there not to enjoy? I hadn't had it for quite a while, but still pretty damn good!

I also had a pint of the 4.5% Chop & Change brewed with Centennial hops in West Yorkshire by Vocation Brewery (website). Another pale ale heavy on the citrus, my brief note was "very flavoursome." Good enough for me! 😉

The next day, before going to football, I first had a rather good Hot Breakfast Ciabatta at Mama's and Leonies, I'd tried one on my last visit for breakfast, and it was still superb with bacon and mushrooms filling, great start before drinking ale!👌I had a pint at The Bath Hotel, 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, thankfully back in the warm custodianship of the great man himself, Brian. Indeed, one of my favourite regular haunts when I lived in Sheffield, and I was greeted by the smiling face of Brian as always, and warm handshakes galore, great that he's back!

I had a pint of Derbyshire brewery Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%), typically brewed with Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanium, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade hops. I was a wee bit disappointed, wasn't the usual hops in your face, maybe I was unlucky with a bad batch, it wasn't off, so not Brian's problem, it was whatever was in the barrel, anyway, I drank it, a person's gotta do! 😉 I met Noel and Jake at the Beehive in West Street, they wanted to watch the Premiership match on tv there, but no ale, just fizzy stuff! Had to cope with Guinness, oh well...😞

After the match we got split up, but we met up back at the Bath Hotel, where ale was available, of course, and I drank a few pints of an ale from, close by in Derbyshire, Collyfobble Brewery (facebook), their 3.6% T'inna Code Owt brewed with Amarillo hops and called by a Derbyshire colloquialism,  It was a very easy to drink 'Summer Blonde Ale' packed full of tropical and citrus flavours, I stayed on it until we left the pub. 😁

I caught the tram back to Shalesmoor and had another pint at the Wellington, another of their own ales Chupacabra (6.2%), brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo and Lupomax Citra hops; 'Lupomax'?!? I'd never heard of them, but it appears they are a concentrated Citra hop pellet, you learn something new every day. 😏 Billed as a 'West Coast IPA' style, and certainly packed full of fruit and spicy flavours, not bad at all.

I headed back to The Crow Inn and no surprise at all to see a dinosaur enter the pub not long after I got there (above), and this wasn't the result of my drinking too much, honest, but there was a young woman in this costume, all very jolly. I had a pint or two of something before I went to bed of course, and booked a room for my next visit, cheers folks!🍻

For excellent information on hops mentioned please go to hopslist.

South East Sussex Pub of the Year.

OK, this may seem a wee bit parochial, but it's where I live, so very important for me, many thanks... Congratulations must go to Louisa and her colleagues up at The Tower, 251 London Road, for, yet again, winning the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) South East Sussex Pub of the Year, and who was presented with her award on Tuesday evening. Indeed, in Hastings we are blessed with a great number of public houses and bars that sell good quality real ales, and yet Lou's pub has managed to stand out with CAMRA assessors for three years in a row now! There is available a great range of well-conditioned, good value, real ales (most usually from local brewers), six in all, and a similar number of ciders and perry support this award too.

I have visited the Tower very recently, though sadly couldn't make it on Tuesday, but on my most recent visit I noted the price of ales still starts at £2.90 for the regular session ale, East Sussex brewer Dark Star's Hophead (3.8%) at £2.90 a pint, an excellent pale hoppy bitter with hints of grapefruit from the Cascade hops used in the brew. Also from Dark Star (website) is another excellent regular ale, the stronger American Pale Ale (APA 4.7%) at £3.00 a pint, and brewed with Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops, providing a more complex full bodied pale bitter.

Other ales were from up and coming East Sussex brewers, Three Legs (website) Columbus Pale Ale (4.9% and the most expensive at £3.20 a pint), a more traditional pale ale presumably brewed using Columbus hops; West Yorkshire brewer Vocation (website) Bread & Butter (3.9%), another fruity pale bitter using American hops; VOG Brewery, (website) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Dark Matters (4.4%), a blackcurrant porter; and the excellent Peterborough brewer Oakham Ales (website), whose 4.2% Citra, another single hopped ale, I couldn't resist drinking, a dry and bitter pale golden ale with grapefruit big in the nose and taste, excellent!

Nice one Lou, and cheers, yet again!