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