The Festive Period. An exciting 'round up"

The onset of January, and indeed the onslaught of 2013, recently began in earnest.  Before that becomes a grinding inevitability, let's just take a minute to look back over an exciting December, which turned out to be a month.

As Birmingham residents will be only too gratefully aware, our branch of Brewdog finally opened it's doors on 11th December.  It's opening was met with a wave of people going in and buying beer and then tweeting about how nice it was[is].

I managed to hold back for a full half a day before peeking inside and buying my first ever {Birmingham-based} kegged Brewdog.  It was Movember, a Black IPA and it tasted, like, victory.

Since then I have popped in as often as my wife/wallet/boss/child/slim-fit jeans will allow and even during this short timescale, have already sampled some incredible draft beers, including Cocoa Psycho, Punk IPA, Jackhammer, Hoppy Xmas, Tokyo, Imperial Red Wheat and guest offerings from the likes of Mikkeller, Brodies and Rogue.  Fabulous.  A range which is blatantly of a different order to any other draft offering in the city.

Coincidentally, the opening of Brewdog Brum came just a few days after I visited their Nottingham sister, during a short, punchy crawl of that city.  Nottingham is somewhere that conjures fond memories of Selectadisc, Rock City and massive LCFC victories (cough).  I was pleased to see that its boozers are up to scratch, with King William IV, Kean's Head and BD all brilliant venues.  I supped Whim, Navigation, Brewdog, Castle Rock and Rodenbach; and almost missed my train.

<The second half of this post drags rather.  Thus, to brighten/spice things up, I have changed the text colour. Does this work as a technique?>

In other Brum news, the Christmas period offered the yearly chance to visit boozers whose doors I don't usually darken**:  

Sometimes this is because I am frightened to venture in - like i) the Crown, which I was delighted to find was a beautiful old pub, in great nick.  Terrible beer choice mind, but space to sit down and kegged Brew XI were a compromise worth taking.

Sometimes I assume a place doesn't serve beer and/or I'm not trendy enough to go in - like ii) the Island Bar, which I was delighted to find was a buzzing place, offering bottled Marstons Oyster Stout.

Aside from Brewdog, another regular stop-off during the party season was the Victoria, which boasted 3x handpulls of Thornbridge on the visit I can remember, including delicious (ever-delicious) Kipling.

I also popped into the Old Joint Stock and enjoyed a Fullers Past Masters Old Burton Extra, which was mellifluous malt indeed.

My final note is of brief stop-offs at two of the Shakespeares* in the centre: I quaffed Pilsner Urquell on Summer Row and succulent Jaipur at Lower Temple.  Both were delicious.
 
***

Happy NY.

* There is a third one in New Street station.  You have to have a train ticket to get to it and I certainly would not advise buying one for that specific purpose - it's not a good enough place.
** Because all of my usual haunts are rammed.
*** I also went to Leicester over the holiday.  Lots of Everards Tiger - yum yum.

Brum Beer Fest 2012 + other stuff

Hello yes.

The 2012 version of the Birmingham Beer Festival 2012 took place last week (24th-26th October).  I attended on Friday and here are a few 'observations' (which is a posh way of saying that I'm going to tell you things about it).

First off, it was a massively good chance to catch up with fellow beer lovers from Birmingham and the surrounding sectors; people one regularly converses with on Twitter.  In fact, the Thursday and Friday evening sessions were designated #Twissups, allowing me to check in with a selection of friendly faces.  This was obviously a massive pleasure.



Second, the Foreign Beer Bar being run by Krishan and the Stirchley Wines team was a big plus, offering access to treats such as Emelisse Triple IPA and Duvel Tripel Hop, as well as £5 shots of 32% Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

From a very personal point of view, the foreign beer options made up for the rather pedestrian cask beer list, which offered up a series of so-so beers during my foray.  Now, I'm not not trying to be sniffy, but having been denied some promised Summer Wine beers, and with a hugely in-demand barrel of Magic Rock High Wire refusing to clear sufficiently to be sold, I was left slightly disappointed at a lack of cutting edge/well-hopped beers.  Indeed, it was tricky to move beyond standard Bitters or Golden ales, but I did enjoy a Revolutions Paranoid Porter and a Tyne Bank Southern Star.  Sadlers also came up with the goods (as they usually do), with a very nice double IPA entitled Sweet Leaf.  But sadly, there were not many other cask beers sampled by me, which put their bubbly heads above the parapet.

Lastly: music at beer festivals.  What's that about?  By about 9.00 on this Friday evening, the upper floor of the festival venue was 'rocking' to a heavily metal band.  This band may have been brilliant for all I know, but the volume, and my consequent inability to have a conversation with fellow beer geeks, meant that effectively the national beer floor became off limits.  Which was a shame.

Still for all the mixedness of the above bag, the experience was undoubtedly positive.  As a member of the BrumBeerTwitterati pointed out - it was good to feel 'part of something [a community]".  The organisation of the fest was exemplary and the queues outside the venue on Friday evening were clear testimony to the popularity of the event.  It has to be said that I don't really enjoy beer festivals (I prefer pub crawls) but I did enjoy my visit to the Birmingham Beer Festival.

**

The following day, I had another lovely beer experience.  Following an exciting LCFC loss against Crystal Palace, I managed a mini-crawl of Leicester which took in the Swan and Rushes, Criterion, The Pub and the Ale Waggon.


I'm happy to say that the Swan came out on top, by retaining a dynamic selection of foreign bottled beers and by offering bar staff with the wit and knowledge to coherently discuss your potential choices.  Because of the staff intervention on Saturday, I managed to add a DELICIOUS De la Senne Jambe de Bois, to the Kneitinger Bock and Forsting Festbier which I had already necked.  When I was starting my beer journey in the early noughties, it was this pub that grabbed my tackle and got me excited.  10 years on and I still relish every visit.

The Criterion no longer has a bottled range to rival the Swan, but I did pick up a nice bottle of Krusovice Imperial.  The Pub meanwhile had St Feuillien Brune on tap, which was a deliciously smooth Belgian treat.



Finally, after nipping into the Ale Waggon, I managed to grab 3 off licenced treats: Slovakian Saris, UAE Barbican (pineapple flavoured, alcohol free) and Ukranian Obolon.  Cheering indeed.



***

Thirdly.

On the day previous to the Beer Festival (Thursday) I had a super, smashing, great sightseeing trip to London.  Having visited all the 'hot' spots and scoffed a delicious falafel sandwich, I managed a lightning visit to the Euston Tap, which never disappoints, and which didn't disappoint.  3 x halves of Bristol Beer Factory Acer, De Molen Blikken and Blozen and Red Willow Soulless were all extremely well tasty and sent me on my way happily.

More soon.

September Round Up

A. There are a few bits and bobs I can update you on, and a few photographs you can drool over.

Q. What is the point of this post?

First up, some sad news.  Apparently the Brown Lion has closed.  This is really sad, for not only was this a friendly venue, but they were also Birmingham's only genuine brewery tap, offering Two Towers' beers, such as Jewellery Porter and Complete Muppetry, both of which were very drinkable indeed.

Way back in April I reported on quiz night at the Brown Lion and (I hope) conveyed my enjoyment.  Fingers crossed that the Brown Lion will return in some form, but perhaps by then, Birmingham's sights will have moved to John Bright Street and the impending Brewdog Brum.  Speaking of which...

Brewdog Birmingham is now scheduled to open in errrrr, not sure.  It was originally due in August, but the last official word was that it'll be mid-November.  I don't suppose it matters when it gets here, as BD's fans are so rabid, that they'll lap it up come what may.  I probably will too.

Last week I had a lovely super quick tour of Leicester, which mixed Richard III tourism, with visits to some of the City's lesser known boozers/hidden 'treats'.



I hit the Salmon, the Ship and the Longstop, of which the first one was the best.  All were interesting though.   



In Twitterati news, this week I, along with Carl Durose and Tania Nexust hosted national beer legends Jezza, Martin Ridge and the enigmatic Black Haddock.  This was a good opportunity to sample excellent Thai food and Oakham Carioca at the Bartons Arms, some Saltaire at the Anchor and bottled UK 'Craft' beer at the Victoria.



Speaking of which, did I tell you that a Birmingham pub has finally taken the plunge and started stocking bottles from the UK's best new breweries, i.e. the ones who have invigorated and/or reinvigorated our national scene?  Kernel, Bristol Beer Factory, Arbor and Summer Wine are all (or certainly have all been) available, with highlights such as Amarillo Pale Ale and Cohort.  It is worth saying again, simply to highlight how gobsmacked I am that it has taken this long, but let me emphasise that the Victoria are still the ONLY pub in Birmingham stocking bottles from our top breweries.  Well done to the Victoria, I hope that their adventure is rewarded by people buying the new range by the truckload and that therefore the experiment widens and becomes a permanent feature.

But honestly, all other Brum pubs need to look hard in the mirror and ask themselves why no one else has been prepared to have a stab at stocking UK bottled craft.

In happier, or rather equally happy news, here are some of the best beers I've sampled in the last fortnight:

Raw Citra Black Ale - a magnificent Black IPA sampled at the Anchor,

Flying Dog In De Wildeman Farmhouse IPA - a deliciously funky Saison, which utilises New World hops.

Raw Dark Peak Stout - sampled at the Salmon in Leicester, this is the second delicious Raw beer I've tried recently; with this one being a super smooth and tasty Stout.

Great Heck Powerhouse - as recommended by @ckdsaddlers, this was a well balanced UK Golden Ale, replete with many hops and sampled at the Anchor.

Ksiazece - a lovely Polish Hefe Weizen, picked up in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton



Finally, as previously mentioned,

Oakham Carioca - a wonderful tropical fruit salad of hops and that. Smelt like an Avon saleswoman's basket.

Oh, one final thing - here are a photo of bottled "treats" which have latterly been placed in my beer cellar [cupboard] for future consumption.



Lager is for life, not just for Michaelmas.

It is the Season for Saison

Lots of people are brewing Saisons these days, which presumably means lots of people are drinking them.  This is both of these things are good news. Is.

When I started rating beer around 03/04, there were about 20 Saisons in the whole World, but a look at the stats the other day revealed 1953 examples of the style on their database.  Wow!  What an explosion.

Over the Jubilee weekend, I was lucky enough to be back in my home city of Leicester, which even more luckily, allowed me to get to the Swan and Rushes for a brief, concentrated burst of Belgian beer indulgence.

It was also the chance to try 2 Saisons back to back, which is a beautifully rare occurrence.  I even managed to take some photos, to remember the occasion by.

First up was the daddy of all Saisons (IMO), aka the blueprint by which others of the style are judged etc.  Saison Dupont blew me away when I first tried it a long time ago, and it was just as good on Sunday: smooth, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and rather dry.  Fresh, refreshing, bright gold/white topping and a lively personality - enough to satisfy all the senses.

Next up was a first sample of De Ranke Saison de Dottignies, which, against all the odds, and hard to believe though it is, was arguably as good as the Dupont.  More of a pronounced dryness in this one, but all the same satisfying occurrences of sweet, wheat, restrained hop and malt, mit accentuated straw.  Blisteringly drinkable.  Electrictrifyingly engaging.  Another beautiful treat on eye, nose, tongue and brain.

My brother Martin meanwhile was quaffing and enjoying a Saison Cazeau with added elderflower.

For the next conquest however, I switched to Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, mainly because it had 'hops' in the title.  Not a Saison this, but not a million miles away.  But before I go on and on about beer styles and all that jazz, I need to state quite clearly that this was a delicious beer.  Just as good as both the Dupont and the Dottignies.  It had everything.  Well, it certainly had a lot: dryness, perfectly subtle fruit hops, a nudge of alcoholic strength (it was 8%) and all bound together in perfect golden unity.  A Belgian masterclass was this.

Last of the night was not a Saison either, but maintaining the theme of the evening, it was Belgian, it was dry and it was an intellectual tongue party.  Mart and I both had a Lindemans Cuvee Rene Gueuze.  We literally could not resist the lure of Gueuze.  It. Never. Disappoints.

It didn't disappoint.  Handpicking all the pleasure of champagne, cider, and best Belgian beer, you end up with something that is uniquely tasty, and that is called Gueuze.  This example is not the sourest or the most unrelenting; it has a little sweetness and is comparatively easy drinking.  I love it.

I also love the Swan and Rushes, and have done since my first visit it about 2001.  I love the shape of the pub, the furniture, the helpful, knowledgeable staff and the beer choice.  Whether real ale or continental bottles are your bag, you can always fill your boots at the Swan.

Here's to my next visit.  Soon may it come.

Post St. Patrick's Party

Having neither the energy, nor desire to spend Saturday evening supping Guinness on Broad Street, I instead resolved to stay in my house, visualising Leicester beating Chelsea in the FA Cup Quarter Final the following day.

By 4.00 Sunday, having watched Leicester narrowly get thrashed lose to Chelsea, I then headed over to Digbeth, belatedly keen to grab whatever Irish cheer was still remaining.

Once settled at the trusty Anchor, I sampled three Irish microbrewed ales, which were by turns pleasant, very nice and then nice.  They were Or, a Golden ale from Trouble Brewery, White Gypsy's Red Oak and 8 Degrees' Sunburnt Irish Red.  It's unusual to sample a single tasty Irish Red ale, let alone 2 in one pub, in 15 minutes. Very nice.  The Anchor was totally empty during my visit - I guess everyone was partied out.

However, following a spirit crushing football loss, during which I was accompanied by only Tetley's Extra Cold, I wasn't in the mood to go home yet.

So I popped into the very plush Hennesseys, where I sampled a quick half of Camerons Hurleys Irish Ale (yep, another one, also nice), then scuttled on, around the back streets of Digbeth.  Wherein I saw two lovely looking, but sadly closed pubs (Spotted Dog and the Old Wharf), then a Casper Polish supermarket, where I picked up a can of Perla Niepasteryzowana, which will be consumed in due course.

Finally, before heading home, I had a very productive (and quick) visit to the Post Office Vaults, where I sampled the marvellous Oakham Tranquility, which was perilously smooth, hoppy and drinkable; and a bottle of De Molen Amerikaans.  The big, bouncy bouquet of the latter, dripping with hops, will live with me for a long, long time.  Buoyed by the De Molen I got a bottle of their Bed and Breakfast, to be gulped at another later date.

A good miniature crawl. Short, but sweet, but a happy [day after] St. Patricks Day to me.

A Tale of Two Midland Cities

I live in Birmingham.  I have done for some considerable time.  But I'm FROM Leicester.  And nothing can change that.

So then, how do these two places match up for beer?  Strangely enough, they are very similar indeed.

Let's do this in the style of the final day of the Ryder Cup - you know that head to head, 1 UP, 3&4 type affair.

Pubs

Birmingham's top pubs are discussed here.  Leicester's are shown here.

For beer breadth and quality, Leicester's top spot is The Pub - which showcases great cask and a selection of continental keg and bottles.  It also has the Criterion and its older sister the Swan and Rushes, which is my personal favourite in the City.  Why?  Well, I love the set-up of the 2 rooms, I love the tables, I love the beermat holders and the beer selection.  In fact, the Swan and Rushes holds particularly fond memories, as it was almost the first place in the UK, where I encountered an exciting range of German and Belgian bottles.  Leicester also now has the Salmon.  But I haven't been there yet.  However, the Leicester Mercury informs me that this very weekend, they are holding a beer festival showcasing the work of female brewsters.  It sounds good.

Using the same indicators of quality, Birmingham has the Post Office Vaults, The Wellington and The Anchor, along with the Bartons Arms and the Black Eagle.  Additionally, these offer stunning pub architecture and/or charm, character and warmth.  For touchy feeliness or aesthetic stimulation, Leicester has the fin de siecle Cafe Bruxelles and the homespun Ale Wagon, which is also an outlet for the local Hoskins Bros brewery....

For number of pubs and general quality: LEICESTER 1-UP.

Local Breweries

For local beer generally, [in addition to Hoskins Bros] Leicester also has Steamin' Billy, Everards, Dow Bridge, Wicked Hathern, Parish, Shardlow, Langton; whilst Birmingham has ABC, Two Towers and [soon] Beer Geek.

For numbers alone: LEICESTER 1-UP.
(2-UP OVERALL)

Beer Shops/Off Licences

Birmingham has Stirchley Wines and Spirits, Leicester has The Offie.  The Offie is a splendid shop, carrying a beer range which is remarkably similar to SWS.  SWS has a brilliant, friendly owner, so does The Offie.  If we are escaping from the city centre, then Birmingham (Solihull actually) has Bernies, but Leicester (Market Harborough actually) has Duncan Murray Wines.

No winner here.  Two winners here: HALVED.    
(LEICESTER 2.5 / BIRMINGHAM 0.5)

This post ended up being much shorter than I anticipated, which is probably a blessing for you all.  Leicester seems to have won this beer battle, which is still a bit sad for a second city which is 4 times bigger.  As a general (and slightly bland) final comment, I'll just add that for a city centre pub crawl, I'll take Leicester over Brum.  Why?  Well in Brum, a central crawl would take in number of pubs which MAY or may NOT have good beers on, on a given day.  In Leicester, visits to comparable pubs would yield a much better shooting percentage for pubs with attractive, delicious, desirable brews.

Adieu.