Category: Beer

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Updated: Brewdog will be coming to Cardiff in 2014?

Update 27 Dec 2013 : Welcome to The Craft Beer Quarter in Cardiff!

The site of doom – occupied by Double Super Happy – Tabu and twenty others over the years! – but I’m sure brewdog can keep it open.


View Larger Map

After the great welcome that Tiny rebel had to Cardiff the other month with their Urban Tap House- us drinkers were looking forward to scottish craft brewer opening at a premises in Cardiff before Christmas – but looks like they are still looking – The Great BrewDog Bar Hunt is Back!

Here are the criteria:
For all premises:
It needs to be currently on the market
We would consider properties available to buy or lease
A valid licence is a bonus, but not essential
A location with good footfall but not necessarily completely central. Anything slightly edgy and off pitch is cool with us!
Additional specific criteria for BrewDog Bars:
The venue will ideally have previously been a bar and have both a cellar and a valid licence
A reasonably small venue – 80-130 capacity
Corner units are preferable but we will take all applications into consideration.
Ideally 150-200 square meters in size
Target Locations:
South London
Central London
Brighton
Cardiff
Cambridge
Oxford
Dundee
Norwich

Plus they are giving a £1000 away to anyone that gets them in a place – so you should be able to get at least 2 rounds in with that 😉

Various places in Cardiff have been mooted from us who know nothing- Ten Feet Tall – Buffalo Bar promised land – and about 4 places on St Mary Street.

at least the good news is that Brewdog have not given up the ghost of opening in the Welsh Capital – as i know us shareholders and drinkers alike would love to see them here.

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Are you a fan of craft beer? Well Cardiff is the place to be

This autumn craft beer finally makes it’s fully fledged mark on the beer drinkers of Cardiff – with Tiny Rebel Urban Tap House raising from the ashes of Fire Island, Scottish naughty boys brewdog potentially throwing their shareholders money about and Waen Brewery opening what could be a revival of the off-sales trend – it’s a great time to be a beer drinker in the City.

I managed to have  a quick look at Urban Tap House – there are a lot of familiar faces behind the bar and a large  number of beards – but this is not your typical Camra member pub- they have all Tiny Rebels beers on cask/keg & bottle – a great selection of Cask and some interesting Keg beers but what stands out is the sheer number of bottle beers – One Hundred, the champion beard wearer & manager Chris reports , which I think is a first for a Cardiff pub.

Chris Rowlands

Some very amazing beers from Craft American Brewers Odell, Rogue Ales – old school Belgium and some great German/Dutch/Scandinavian and of course British modern classics like Thornbridge, Kernel and those brewdogs – plus a great selection of ciders – mostly bottled at the moment but more to come.

When the City arms opened a few years a go – I posted “Is the best Real Ale pub in Cardiff now the City Arms?” well time will tell but I think these two neighbours can complement each other instead of be in competition.

Here a selection of quick snaps

 

Sign & Friendly Drinkers: Urban Tap House Cardiff

IPA Menu: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Cask Ale List: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Friendly Staff: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Bar: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Half: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Mega Bootled Beer Fridges: Urban Tap House Cardiff

Urban Tap House

You can follow the bar on social media – Twitter/Facebook to see what’s on tap.

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Beer Cakes – cakes made from beer or cakes made to look like beer

I love cakes and I love beer – so these two are great posted today – from the amazing Thornbridge and DarkStar

Post by Thornbridge Brewery.
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Cardiff brewery Brains pigs out with a Bacon Beer for GBBF

When I heard that Cardiff brewery Brains are making a Bacon flavoured beer I Was interested and now they have given some more info then more so

Shame Iam not going to GBBF this year -now I wonder if they used smoked bacon but I do hope they have it in a few of their local bars here on it’s release – not 100% sure on the name – but will give it a go as Bacon and Beer are normally top of my list of things I love (next to sheds)

Brains returns to the GBBF with a double chocolate and bacon porter

Wales’ leading brewer is preparing to make its seventh visit to Britain’s biggest beer festival with their biggest ever range of beers including a brand new double chocolate and bacon porter inspired by a trip to the States.

A-Pork-Alypse was brewed by Brains’ Head Brewer, Bill Dobson, after a trip to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Bill Dobson said: ‘‘The range of beer styles, flavours and ingredients used in the beers at the GABF was incredible and the one that really stood out used bacon in the brew. I came back from The States wanting to brew my own, and after a few trial and errors with the quantity of bacon I brewed A-Pork-Alypse, a double-chocolate and bacon porter. A grist of roast and smoked malts with freshly grilled bacon added to the boil along with cacao nibs gives the beer a smoky flavour alongside the chocolate.”

A-Pork-Alypse will be available on the bar along with three other beers from the Brains Craft Brewery. Bragging Rights, brewed to an ancient Welsh style called ‘bragawd’; Atlantic White, a white IPA and Dissolution, a Belgian dubbel brewed with Pete Brown as part of the Continental Beer Challenge.

Another experimental brew will also be available on an extremely limited basis of one firkin a day. Low-Hanging Fruit pays reverence to one of Brains most loved beers – an easy-drinking dark mild with a wild twist of being soured with Morello cherries.

Brand Manager, Ian Beattie, said: “The ale market is changing and one of the drivers is consumers demanding choice, so again this year we have extended our range of beers that we take to the GBBF. While we still have a great demand for our national favourites from our long-standing core range of beers, we also use the festival as a showcase for the Brains Craft Brewery and our brewing credentials as well as use it as a platform to gain feedback from the ale consumer. A-Pork-Alypse is a beer that we couldn’t have brewed before having the Brains Craft Brewery, which enables us to trial and experiment with new recipes and push the boundaries to challenge some of the pre-conceptions of a traditional brewer. I am sure it will divide opinion at the show.”

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How I made some rhubarb gin and other concoctions

The last few months I have like the rest of the UK got a taste for gin – be it Edinburgh Gin, sloe gin or good old London Gin.

I have mixed it with soda water, added Lime or Lemon – different types of Tonic Water – and plain water.

but looking online it seemed like everyone one was making their own gin addons- using the spirit and adding nice stuff.

So we had lots of Rhubarb growing in the garden – so thought would give it go.

Recipe for Rhubarb Gin.

Ingredients

Rhubarb (enough to make a large crumble with_
Sugar (Brown cane)
Apple Juice
Vanilla extract (not any old rubbish mind)
Gin
A bottle with a cork or flip top thing.

trim the Rhubarb cut up into small chunks

Boil in a pan with a bit of Apple juice – add a nice bit of brown cane sugar to remove enough of the bitter taste and a cap of Vanilla extract – simmer for 15 mins.

Right now you have two choices

Sieve the Rhubarb and eat it with some Vanilla Ice cream – add the left over sugar syrup to the bottle of gin.

or just add the whole concoction into the bottle – leave for a few weeks (with weekly sips just to check)

Just made a cherry version of it as well and my measurements are as useful

Cherries
Sugar (brown cane)
Red Wine
Vanilla extract
Gin

Don’t cook as much as the rhubarb just get it so they are soft and sweet – cool then put in a bottle and top up with Gin – Wait – Drink

my next attempt is to makes some coffee flavored Rum like the Ibiza fisherman drink.

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Brains Boilermaker named Brains’ ultimate IPA

Last week Boilermaker which was brewed as part of the Brains Craft Brewery IPA range, won the top award in their “Brains Craft Brewery IPA” awards – all I have to say about the beer is that the 6.5% IPA is very deceptive and great to drink – oh and my limit was 2.5 pints btw – it’s a heady drink but I hope they bottle it as it would be a great one to lay down to let that Penderyn taste permeate.

‘Thinking Drinkers’ Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham are the first winners of Brains ‘Ultimate Collaboration Beer Challenge’, after a judging panel deemed Boilermaker – a Welsh whisky infused beer – to be the best of seven IPAs.

Earlier in the year the Welsh brewer invited beer writers and bloggers to collaborate with them to develop and brew their ultimate IPA in Brains’ craft brewery. Alongside Ben and Tom, guest brewers were Simon Martin, Martyn Cornell, Tim Hampson, Melissa Cole and Marverine Cole.

While Brains handed guest brewers an IPA brief, they were free to come up with their own interpretation, and beers ranged from traditional, to American-style, to tropical.

Seven beers, including one from Brains’ head brewer, were independently blind judged at an event last week. Boilermaker, a 6.5% ABV IPA, came top with the judges, who identified a balanced but complex beer with an appetising bitter finish.

Ben and Tom said: “We wanted to brew something that reflected the Welsh surroundings of our brew, so we decided to create a whisky IPA. This saw us combine the Brains brewing expertise with whisky barrels selected from the Penderyn Whisky Distillery.

“Blending beer with spirits also doubled up as a reflection of the Thinking Drinkers expertise in beer, cocktail and spirits. Indeed the name comes from the serve of whisky with your ale. Judges loved the balance so if you’re not sure about whisky in your beer, rest assured it has a very delicate influence.”

Bill Dobson, Head Brewer at Brains, said: “The craft brewery has given us the opportunity to bring in guest brewers – which we have never before been able to do. It’s great to be able to draw on their knowledge and creativity to come up with a one-off beer.

“The collaboration beer challenge has been such a success that we’ll be making it an annual event. Next up, the ‘Ultimate Continental Beer Challenge’”.

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Busy Week: Winter beer Festival at Wheatsheaf LLantrisant and Stout Porter Festival City Arms Cardiff

Sad to hear The Wheatsheaf LLantrisant is up for Sale I’am told – and their Winter Beer festival will be their last under the current owners who also brew under Pixie String moniker. so do pop along and support them.

My favourite Cardiff Pub The City Arms is also having a Stout and Porter Festival this week – some good beers on the list but of course Bullmastiff Welsh Black is the winner with me 🙂

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Pub News: Landlord of the City Arms Cardiff is now looking after the Park in Barry

Cardiff Camra Pub of the year City Arms Landord Chris Partridge has headed to the wilds of Barry to look after the Park (http://www.sabrain.com/park) , which Brains is hoping to turn into a Real Ale mecca in the home of Gavin & Stacy.

I have only been to the park twice – and only once saw a massive fight – so hopefully the pub has mellowed over the years and the beer drinkers of Barry will appreciate quality Ale.

So good luck to Chris and the team there – but we hope to see him back at the City Arms very soon.

My mate Wakey was on the ground on opening night which looked busy and said there was a good atmosphere and great to see some proper ale at his local for a change.

will any of the City Arms regulars be making the trip down?

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Wetherspoon Real Ale Festival 24th October – 11th November 2012 Beer List

It’s that time of the year again (again) The Spoons ale Festival

The ones Iam going to chase

LIBERATION ROUGE 4.5% ABV
MORDUE LUBELSKI 4.5% ABV
BATH HEFEWEIZEN HARE 4.7% ABV
TITANIC GOLDEN PORTER 4.7% AB
WADWORTH BLUNDERBUSS 5.0% ABV
FERAL AUSTRALIAN IPA 5.5% AB
STEENBRUGGE BLOND 6.0% ABV
JW LEES MOONRAKER 6.5% ABV

Visit their for more info – but here is the beer list

1. AVERY 3 POINT 5 SESSION ALE 3.5% ABV
Avery Brewery, Colorado, USA. Est. 1993
Adam Avery and Steve Breezley have travelled to Adnams Brewery, in Suffolk, which is hosting an international
brewer for us for the first time, to collaborate in brewing this beer specially for this Wetherspoon real-ale
festival. Although brewed at a session-beer strength, this beer is hopped like a true IPA, including dry-hopping
in the cask, creating a pine-like and citrus aroma and a full-on hop character throughout the flavour and finish.
Hops used: Amarillo, Centennial, Simcoe
Beer style: bitter

2. BANKS’S HOWLING WOLF 3.8% ABV
Banks’s Brewery, West Midlands. Est. 1890
This deliciously dark mild is brewed with a blend of pale, crystal and black malts and roasted barley,
resulting in rich smoky aromas and complex malt flavours, balanced with a pleasing citrus bite
in the finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northdown, Progress
Beer style: mild

3. COACH HOUSE GUNPOWDER MILD 3.8% ABV
Coach House Brewery, Cheshire. Est. 1991
This very dark beer, the winner of an impressive number of awards, has a full, rich flavour,
with plenty of dark malt character and a pleasing, slightly bitter finish.
Hops used: Pilgrim
Beer style: mild

4. SHEPHERD NEAME RED SAILS 3.9% ABV
Shepherd Neame Brewery, Kent. Est. 1698
This new beer, brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is named after the sailing
barges which were used in the Swale, Medway and Thames estuaries. It is a full-bodied, fruity ale with a
moderate bitterness, hopped at three stages of its brewing process to deliver a thirst-quenching flavour
and a stunning aroma and palate.
Hops used: Cascade, Styrian G 3 oldings, Tettnang
Beer style: bitter

5. CAMBRIDGE BREWING HEATHER ALE 4.0% ABV
Cambridge Brewery, Massachusetts, USA. Est. 1989
Will Meyers has travelled to Wadworth Brewery, in Wiltshire, to collaborate in brewing this unusual beer specially for
this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This deep-golden-coloured ale, inspired by the ancient gruit beers of the British Isles
and northern Europe, contains Scottish heather fl owers and other traditional brewing herbs, offering subtle notes of
fruity spiciness and wildfl ower honey, complemented by the interplay of the hops and the toasty-sweet British malt.
Hops used: Fuggles
Beer style: speciality

6. HARVIESTOUN WILD HOP GOLD 4.0% ABV
Harviestoun Brewery, Clackmannanshire. Est. 1985
This wildly aromatic and refreshing golden ale has citrus and spicy aromas from the Citra and Simcoe
hops, perfectly balancing the underlying background of earthy English hop flavours.
Hops used: Challenger, Citra, Simcoe
Beer style: golden ale

7. HOOK NORTON COTSWOLD LION 4.0% ABV
Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire. Est. 1850
This mid-coloured beer is brewed with a blend of four malt and four hop varieties,
resulting in a wonderful aroma of dark fruit and a perfectly balanced, fresh and fruity flavour.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, Cascade, Fuggles, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter

8. TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH ALES SILVER MIST 4.0% ABV
Traditional Scottish Ales, Stirlingshire. Est. 2005
This light and smooth ale has an enticing golden appearance and creamy head, with a rich, fruity aroma,
resulting in a well-rounded finish and refreshing full hop aftertaste.
Hops used: Centennial, Nugget, Pilgrim, Willamette
Beer style: best bitter

9. TRING SQUADRON SCRAMBLE 4.0% ABV
Tring Brewery, Hertfordshire. Est. 1992
Brewed to commemorate the Battle of Britain, this ale is characterised by a debonair
medium-light colour and daredevil maltiness, complementing a courageous hop aroma
imparted by the Mount Hood hops.
Hops used: Mount Hood, Progress
Beer style: best bitter

10. BIRRA DEL BORGO TUTTO FA BRODO 4.2% ABV
Birra del Borgo Brewery, Italy. Est. 2005
Leonardo de Vincenzo brewed at Everards Brewery, in Leicestershire. This pale ale is brewed with
bergamot peel, orange peel, dried pineapple, dried rose and dried raisin. The fruity character and
balance of spice, hops and bitterness give an intense and rich flavour.
Hops used: Cascade, Simcoe
Beer style: speciality

11. BUTCOMBE RARE BREED 4.2% ABV
Butcombe Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1978
This beer is pale amber in colour and brewed with the fi nest West Country ingredients,
creating a refreshing and clean-tasting ale, packed full of delicious hoppy and citrus characteristics.
Hops used: Challenger, Chinook, First Gold
Beer style: best bitter

12. CALEDONIAN DEVIL’S ADVOCATE 4.2% ABV
Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh. Est. 1869
This deep, dark cask lager has a soft, elegant hop aroma, with subtle fruit in the initial flavour, leading
to clean, bittersweet notes of dark malt, chocolate, coffee and vanilla, along with a pleasing, dry finish.
Hops used: Hallertau Hersbrücker, Tettnang
Beer style: speciality

13. EXMOOR FOX 4.2% ABV
Exmoor Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1980
This cunningly crafted beer contains a slight, initial maltiness, followed by a burst of hops,
leading to a lingering bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Goldings, Progress
Beer style: best bitter

14. THEAKSTON DOUBLE CROSS IPA 4.2% ABV
Theakston Brewery, North Yorkshire. Est. 1827
This full-bodied, satisfying golden pale beer is brewed in the style of the original export ale,
using English hops married to traditional malts, giving a clean and fresh-tasting flavour.
Hops used: Goldings
Beer style: golden ale

15. EVAN EVANS FULL CRY 4.3% ABV
Evan Evans Brewery, Carmarthenshire. Est. 2004
This rich amber-coloured seasonal brew has a distinctive full-bodied and rich flavour,
with both malt and fruit emerging on the palate, complemented by a spicy hop aroma.
Hops used: Progress, Styrian Goldings
Beer style: best bitter

16. ISHII BREWING MINAGOF PALE ALE 4.3% ABV
Ishii Brewery, Guam. Est. 2010
Toshi Ishii is probably our most popular visiting international brewer, originally from Japan and now based
in Guam. This is his fourth visit to brew for us since 2008, this time returning to Marston’s Brewery, in
Staffordshire, to collaborate on a version of his fl agship ale. This beer is copper in colour, with a moderate
maltiness and residual sweetness, counterbalanced by the citrus and floral character of the hops.
Hops used: Ahtanum, Warrior
Beer style: best bitter

17. ROOSTER’S FRANKLIN 4.3% ABV
Rooster’s Brewery, North Yorkshire. Est. 1993
This beer, specially brewed for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is a celebration of the modernstyle
pale ale, pioneered by Rooster’s founding brewer, Sean Franklin, with aromas of citrus fruits and
grapefruit giving way to a quaffable level of bitterness.
Hops used: Cascade, Chinook
Beer style: golden ale

18. THWAITES CRAFTY DEVIL 4.3% ABV
Thwaites Brewery, Lancashire. Est. 1807
This seasonal ale has a reddish hue in its colour and aromas of spice, coffee and malt,
leading to a delicious, rich malty flavour, balanced by the devilish late-hop character.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, 4 Challenger, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter

19. VALE HOPOCALYPSE VALE 4.3% ABV
Vale Brewery, Buckinghamshire. Est. 1996
This is an epic ale, brewed by those who love the smell of the mash in the morning! It is a goldencoloured
best bitter, with a crisp citrus and grapefruit aroma, leading to a full-bodied bitterness and
clean, crisp finish.
Hops used: Chinook, Northdown
Beer style: best bitter

20. WOODFORDE’S NORFOLK HAWKER 4.3% ABV
Woodforde’s Brewery, Norfolk. Est. 1980
This new copper-coloured beer has been brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival
and is a well-balanced bitter, with an inviting aroma of tropical fruit and a complex palate of rich fruit,
malt and spice.
Hops used: Goldings, Kohatu, Savinjski Goldings
Beer style: best bitter

21. BATEMANS COMBINED HARVEST 4.4% ABV
Batemans Brewery, Lincolnshire. Est. 1874
This beer contains a unique, multigrain blend of malted barley, oats, wheat and rye,
creating a light-coloured, refreshing beer with a dry-sweet character, plus hints of citrus.
Hops used: Challenger
Beer style: best bitter

22. COTLEIGH KOOKABURRA 4.4% ABV
Cotleigh Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1979
For this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, this is a special brew of this occasional seasonal beer.
It is an amber-coloured bitter with a characteristic bitterness from the Australian hops used,
imparting a delicate, lemony aroma and a full flavour, with hints of spice.
Hops used: Pride of Ringwood
Beer style: best bitter

23. WELTONS AUTUMN SHADES 4.4% ABV
Weltons Brewery, West Sussex. Est. 1995
This distinctive seasonal beer is a beautiful burnished gold colour, with an impressive, full aroma,
followed by a flavour dominated by a citrus hop character and a peppery background.
Hops used: Magnum, Zeus
Beer style: best bitter

24. ADNAMS FISHERMAN 4.5% ABV
Adnams Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1872
This beer has been brewed again, after a few years’ break, especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale
festival. It is a deep coppery red colour, with a flavour which, although clean and refreshing, conjures up
roasted nuts and dark chocolate, with a lingering taste of liquorice and dark fruits.
Hops used: Boadicea
Beer style: best bitter

25. EVERARDS TERRA FIRMA 4.5% ABV
Everards Brewery, Leicestershire. Est. 1849
This occasionally brewed beer has been brought back especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival
and is dark amber in colour, with ruby tones, a subtle, roasted character and distinctive toffee notes,
balanced by a fresh, floral bitterness.
Hops used: Tettnang
Beer style: best bitter

26. LIBERATION ROUGE 4.5% ABV
Liberation Brewery, Channel Islands. Est. 1871
This refreshing autumn ale is a deep ruby colour with a slightly citric aroma, leading to a nutty,
bitter flavour and resulting in a unique, robust and well-balanced beer.
Hops used: Nelson Sauvin, Summit
Beer style: best bitter

27. MORDUE LUBELSKI 4.5% ABV
Mordue Brewery, Tyne and Wear. Est. 1995
This blond ale has been brewed exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival and showcases
perfectly the characteristics of the Lubelski hops used, giving a floral aroma and a spicy, peppery flavour,
leading to a long, dry finish.
Hops used: Hersbrücker, Lubelski, Marynka
Beer style: best bitter

28. RHYMNEY IRON BREW 4.5% ABV
Rhymney Brewery, Merthyr Tydfi l. Est. 2004
This full-bodied, premium bitter is a deep brown colour, with its pleasing, fruity aroma and rich,
malty flavour excellently balanced by a smooth citrus character in the finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter

29. MOORHOUSE’S RUBY WITCH 4.6% ABV
Moorhouse’s Brewery, Lancashire. Est. 1865
This dark ruby-coloured beer has an inviting hop aroma which leads to a full-bodied flavour,
with subtle roast notes and hints of spice and tangerine.
Hops used: Cascade
Beer style: strong ale

30. B & T SHEFFORD ARAGON 4.7% ABV
B & T Brewery, Bedfordshire. Est. 1981
This distinctive, golden-coloured seasonal brew has a strong, floral hop aroma and a well-balanced
flavour, imparting a delightful fruitiness on the tongue and leading to a long, lingering, bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Fuggles, Goldings
Beer style: strong ale

31. BATH HEFEWEIZEN HARE 4.7% ABV
Bath Ales, Bristol. Est. 1995
This beer was first brewed exclusively for the autumn 2009 Wetherspoon real-ale festival.
Through customers’ feedback, it makes its return in the more authentic, naturally hazy form.
Brewed with an imported yeast strain, this is a citrusy beer, with malted wheat flavours
and hints of banana and spice.
Hops used: Saaz
Beer style: speciality

32. MAXIM DOUBLE MAXIM 4.7% ABV
Maxim Brewery, County Durham. Est. 2007
This beer was first brewed in 1901 and is the oldest-surviving example of a traditional northeastern
brown ale. The full, welcoming aroma leads to a good balance of ripe grain and spicy hops in the flavour,
resulting in a long, bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Goldings
Beer style: strong ale

33. ST PETER’S FRUIT BEER 4.7% ABV
St Peter’s Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1996
This golden-coloured wheat beer is brewed using zesty-pithy grapefruit which works
in perfect harmony with the hops and malt used, resulting in a floral nose, refreshing flavour
and a fruity character emerging in the finish.
Hops used: Challenger, Goldings
Beer style: speciality

34. TITANIC GOLDEN PORTER 4.7% ABV
Titanic Brewery, Staffordshire. Est. 1985
This special brew, for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is something a little different: a beer using
the ingredients designed to create the characteristics of a traditional porter, yet light in colour.
The result is a golden beer, with a robust sweetness balanced by swathes of American hops,
giving a smooth and powerful flavour, with a crisp finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northdown, Yakima Galena
Beer style: strong ale

35. BOX STEAM GHOST TRAIN 4.8% ABV
Box Steam Brewery, Wiltshire. Est. 2004
This full-bodied premium bitter is deep brown in colour, with an inviting fruity aroma
and plenty of malt characteristics in the flavour, fi nely balanced by a smooth citrus finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Goldings
Beer style: strong ale

36. BREWSTER’S ANDROMEDA 4.8% ABV
Brewster’s Brewery, Lincolnshire. Est. 1998
This beer, golden in colour, has been brewed exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival.
It has tropical fruit floral aromas, leading to a light malt flavour, with balancing hop notes and a rich,
zesty finish.
Hops used: Galaxy, Stellar
Beer style: strong ale

37. MANSFIELD OLD BAILY 4.8% ABV
Marston’s Brewery, Staffordshire. Est. 1834
This beer’s production ceased in April 2000, but was brought back especially for our autumn real-ale festival in 2008,
at which it enjoyed great success, so we thought it about time that it was brewed for us again. Re-created to the original
recipe, at Marston’s Brewery, exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, this rich brown beer has a robust,
yet highly drinkable, character with a gentle bitterness which interweaves with a biscuity malt flavour and fruit notes.
Hops used: Admiral, Challenger, Fuggles
Beer style: strong ale

38. WHITE HORSE WAR HORSE 4.9% ABV
White Horse Brewery, Oxfordshire. Est. 2004
This special brew of this beer, for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, commemorates these noble
animals. It is a strong, robust, dark beer, with full, malty, caramel flavours and a toffee aftertaste,
giving a sweet finish on the palate.
Hops used: Jade, Pacific
Beer style: strong bitter

39. OAKLEAF LIBERTY BOAT 5.0% ABV
Oakleaf Brewery, Hampshire. Est. 2000
This smooth, golden-coloured ale, brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival,
has hints of berry on the nose, leading to a spicy berry flavour which culminates in a lingering bitterness.
Hops used: Marynka, Pilgrim
Beer style: strong bitter

40. OKELLS STEAM BEER 5.0% ABV
Okells Brewery, Isle of Man. Est. 1850
This deep golden beer has an aroma with hints of citrus, herbs and resin, leading to an initial taste of
spice, sherbet and lemon and resulting in a full-bodied flavour, with an initial sweetness and a spicy,
bitter finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northern Brewer
Beer style: strong bitter

41. TREE BREWING THIRSTY BEAVER 5.0% ABV
Tree Brewery, British Columbia, Canada. Est. 1996
Dave Goekiert has travelled to Caledonian Brewery, in Edinburgh, to collaborate in re-creating this beer especially
for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. We consider this very apt, as beavers have recently been reintroduced
to Scotland. This amber-coloured beer has a slightly sweet malt aroma, leading to a distinct malt character,
with caramel and nut undertones in the flavour, resulting in a beer with a clean finish and bursting with flavour.
Hops used: Cascade, Palisade, Perle
Beer style: strong bitter

42. WADWORTH BLUNDERBUSS 5.0% ABV
Wadworth Brewery, Wiltshire. Est. 1885
This rich, ruby autumn ale is bursting with red berries and spices from the rye crystal and elderberries
used, resulting in a full body which rolls gently to a crisp, decisive finish from the late addition of
Cascade hops.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, Cascade, Fuggles
Beer style: strong bitter

43. GREENE KING IPA RESERVE 5.4% ABV
Greene King Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1799
This warming, full-bodied ale has a reassuringly rich appearance, with grapefruit and citrus notes
combining with the floral and herbal hop characteristics to deliver a dry, bitter finish.
Hops used: Styrian Goldings
Beer style: strong bitter

44. FERAL AUSTRALIAN IPA 5.5% ABV
Feral Brewery, Perth, Australia. Est. 2002
After his impressive début at our 2011 spring real-ale festival, Brendan Varis, from Feral (Australia’s reigning
champion brewery), has returned to brew another beer for us, this time collaborating with Banks’s Brewery,
in the West Midlands. This impressive IPA is brimming with recently released Australian-grown-and-bred hop
varieties, providing an intense tropical fruit aroma and flavours of pineapple, mango and passion fruit.
Hops used: Galaxy, Stella, Topaz
Beer style: strong bitter

45. ŠVYTURYS BALTIJOS RED ALE 5.5% ABV
Švyturys Brewery, Lithuania. Est. 1784
Dzuljeta Armoniene has travelled to Shepherd Neame Brewery, in Kent, to collaborate in re-creating
this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This red-coloured beer has an aroma which
strikes a good balance of caramel, malt and hops, while the flavour is full bodied, with notes of toast,
malt and sweetness, balanced by a subtle, low-hop bitterness.
Hops used: Magnum
Beer style: porter

46. BROUWERIJ’T IJ IJBOK 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij’t IJ, Holland. Est. 1985
Patrick Hendrikse and Bart Obertop have travelled to Batemans Brewery, in Lincolnshire, to
collaborate in brewing this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This ruby-coloured
‘bock bier’ contains highlights of maltiness and a touch of roast in the flavour, while the German hops
combine to provide a smooth bitterness.
Hops used: Hallertauer Tradition, 4 Northern Brewer
Beer style: bock

47. STEENBRUGGE BLOND 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij Palm, Belgium. Est. 1747
This is an imported, lower-strength, cask version of the authentic Belgian abbey ale, brewed on behalf
of St Peter’s Abbey, in memory of its founder St Arnold, the patron saint of brewers. The beer’s full
and slightly smoky yeast aroma leads to a highly distinctive, spicy flavour, created by the use of ‘gruut’
– a mixture of spices typical of the nearby city of Bruges.
Hops used: Magnum
Beer style: speciality

48. STEENBRUGGE DUBBEL BRUIN 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij Palm, Belgium. Est. 1747
This beer, the second from this brewery to feature in this Wetherspoon real-ale festival,
is also a cask version of an authentic Belgian abbey ale. Also brewed using ‘gruut’, providing
the subtle, spicy accent, this beer has a fruity, yeasty aroma and a pronounced, malty flavour,
with hints of cinnamon.
Hops used: Goldings, Target
Beer style: speciality

49. FREEMINER DEEP SHAFT 6.2% ABV
Freeminer Brewery, Gloucestershire. Est. 1992
Owing to rave reviews, after being featured in the spring 2011 Wetherspoon real-ale festival, we have
commissioned another special brew of this classic stout. This is as big as a stout can be, brewed with
more black malt than is sensible and huge amounts of hops, resulting in a dry, roast malt flavour and
full-on oats, finishing with burnt toast and floral hop notes.
Hops used: Fuggles
Beer style: stout

50. JW LEES MOONRAKER 6.5% ABV
JW Lees Brewery, Manchester. Est. 1828
This classic, strong bitter was first brewed in 1950 and has recently had its strength decreased
to a more drinkable, yet still potent, level. This is a reddish-dark-brown beer with a strong,
fruity aroma and powerful, rich, sweet flavour.
Hops used: Goldings, Styrian
Beer style: strong bitter

Ciders:

51. SANDFORD ORCHARDS STRAWBERRY LANE 4.0% ABV
Ripe red strawberries are juiced and blended with aged cask cider and a healthy squeeze of fresh lime.
Delicate, sweet and naturally pink in colour, this cider is blessed with all of the charms of summer
and a pleasing citrus kick.

52. WESTONS TWIST MULLED CIDER 4.0% ABV
A festive, spicy blend of full-bodied Herefordshire cider, matured in oak vats and blended
with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and citrus.

53. WESTONS TWIST RASPBERRY 4.0% ABV
A delicious fusion of refreshing cider, with a twist of raspberry juice.
This light, fresh and fruity sensation will delight the taste buds and quench the thirst.

54. WESTONS COUNTRY PERRY 4.5% ABV
This Herefordshire perry is fermented and matured in oak vats to develop an exquisite,
delicate, light and fruity character. It’s softly floral, with a clear, natural pale straw colour.

55. MR WHITEHEAD’S FESTIVAL SPECIAL PERRY 6.0% ABV
This natural perry ‘pear cider’ is made with a blend of dessert and perry pears. It has a pleasant fruity
aroma, a subtle, but full-bodied, medium taste, a good strength and a light straw colour.

56. THATCHERS TRADITIONAL 6.0% ABV
This is a mellow, naturally hazy, smooth, refreshing, well-balanced medium cider,
produced from a blend of English bittersweet apples.

57. WESTONS TRADITIONAL SCRUMPY 6.0% ABV
A hearty and wholesome cloudy still cider, this is matured in old oak vats. Satisfyingly robust,
with a hint of sweetness, it enjoys the mature flavour of traditional bittersweet apples.

58. GWYNT Y DDRAIG DOG DANCER 6.5% ABV
Produced from bittersweet cider apples, blended with a true sharp cider apple, this is a light straw
colour, with medium, dry, smooth, crisp and slightly sharp characteristics.

59. GWYNT Y DDRAIG BLACK DRAGON 7.2% ABV
This award-winning Welsh medium-dry cider, from Glamorgan, is matured in oak barrels
to produce a rich colour, body and flavour – with a fresh, fruity aroma.

60. WESTONS OLD ROSIE 7.3% ABV
This still cider is allowed to settle out naturally, after fermentation, resulting in a truly old-fashioned,
full-flavoured, cloudy scrumpy cider, with a well-balanced, medium-dry character and hints of citrus
and spicy cloves.

Categories
Beer

First day at GWBCF 2012 it’s not about Otley odessa at all – shut up what a beer but not for normal beer drinkers

Otley Odessa

Ok it was the battle of the ABV I thought it was.

But Otley brewery have brought their milkshake to the yard as Kelis once said no not about milk stout – their silly Odessa – which has waited in quiet in the  Penderyn Whisky casks for the last 18months has stormed the Great Welsh beer and cider festival- Iam not saving it could be Welsh beer of the year but it could be Welsh beer of the year!

Otley Odessa
It;s his fault - Nick Otley

This year I hoped it was not just about strengh as there are so many new pretenders to the flavour throne – Tiny rebal, Pixie Spring and even Welsh beer stalwarts Brains with their craft beer collection.

But again the ponty brewery has shaken things up with their 9.7 ale which is full of flavour the chocolate and ginger afertaste brings you out of the alcoholic stupor,  but has the Welsh brewery gone into the level of overly strong beers to prove a point, maybe? but it does taste so good 🙂

My brewery of the festival is Tiny Rebal

They stood out not just because the take the brew dog approach to their adertising but can actually deliver on every beer even though they are from Newport! – they were pride of place at the entrance to the GWBCF – where as in the past it was the likes of Otley, Brains with the marketing money clout .

But Tiny rebel have definitely delivered – even if they use a gadget like their hop rocket that looks like it was build in their shed (ok that has not changed my view) but it did add something to their Fubar

Tiny rebel Hop rocket

Their other ales went down a storm with the chaps I was with – and I personally liked the Dirty Stop Out.

of course this is all ho ha – the main reason for my day in the CIA as it was (the Motor pint arena) – was to make up the numbers in the cider judging- you know it’s serious when beer writers writer and Cider convert Peter Brown is on the other team.

Cider

But I could lie to say the cider was up to their with the quality of the ale – but alas the batch we had to judge only had one stand out cider (and as of time of writing I no idea what it was) – maybe it’s an issue getting ale fans to judge the mighty apple.

the thing that made me smile was the gang from the Goat Major pub on their staff day trip – I left them just as they were getting on the strong beers – so Cardiff look out.

Goat major gang

so if you are going to the largest pub in Wales over the next 2 days – you will have a great time.