Golden Pints 2018
I thought I'd get back into blogging with a nice 'short' piece detailing my top beery things of the year. While far from a triumphant return to social media (albeit under a new guise), I just felt I'd share what I loved about beer this year. Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to read this.
Cask Beer
Best
Cask:
Thornbridge
– Lucaria
I will admit, Cask has
probably been the most lean category to pick through in 2018, partly
due to a shift in drinking habits, as well as seemingly fewer
interesting options available locally. However the year's standout cask beer
was Thornbridge Lucaria served in Helter Skelter in Frodsham. Silky
smooth, the right side of sweet and hugged your mouth like a freshly
toasted marshmallow. The cask was fresh on and expertly conditioned,
I even stayed for a second tasting; rare praise indeed...
Highly Commended:
Brass Castle - Misfit
(Amarillo & Summit), Wander
Beyond - Allure
Keg Beer
Best Keg - Pale:
North
Brewing Co / Track / Wylam - LDS MCR NCL
On a bitterly cold
February evening, we decided to grab a 'Sensible starter beer' at the
Mother Kelly's in Bethnel Green where a launch party was happening
for one of my beers of the year, LDS, MCR, NCL. This collaboration
with Wylam, Track and North Brewing absolutely blew me away; hop
forward, fruity and dangerously drinkable, especially considering its
strength. Exactly what I look for in a DIPA. More please!
Highly Commended:
Northern
Monk - Once twice, three times a whale,
Founders –
reDANKulous, Brew By Numbers
- 42¦02, Verdant -
Planets don't twinkle (Galaxy). Glen
Affric - Coffee O'Clock
Best Keg - Dark:
Brus
– Best when moist
Sampled in the North
Bar, Leeds during Leeds Beer Week. This beer is carrot cake in stout
form. Moist, slightly fruity and earthy with the booziness balanced
by the vanilla and spicing. Improved while it warmed. Thick and
delicious but cannot hide it's strength.
Highly commended:
Left
Handed Giant - Woodlands Creatures v2, Perennial
– Prodigal (2018), Burning
Sky – Imperial Stout (2018), Amundsen
Bryggeri – Cookie Monster Bourbon BA, Goose
Island – Bourbon County (2018)
Best Keg – Misc:
North
Brewing Co. - Triple Fruited Gose (Guava & Mandarin)
Originally
recommended by Tom Bacon (Brew York) while sharing some beer (including the aforementioned Brus) in the
North Bar, Leeds, sadly this was not available when visiting their
tap and I thought I'd missed out, except for a fortuitous tap
takeover at The Box Social Tap in Newcastle. Zingy, fruity, dry
and sherberty. Clean and delicious. Even picked up a can for a
friend!
Highly Commended:
Cascade
– Framblanc, Wylam/Black Lodge
- Northern Powerhouse 003, The
Bruery – White Chocolate, Wild
Beer Co. - The Blend Summer 2018, Marble
– Barley Wine (2018)
Bottles
Best Bottle –
Pale:
Chapter - Steadfast
Companions
With the mainstream
move to canning, comparably fewer pale bottles were tried this year.
The only memorable standout being Chapter – Steadfast Companions. A
New England IPA that embodied the best bits of the style. Chewy body,
lingering dryness and citrus/caramel forward hops, all without being
gloopy. The Simcoe hops shined through. Tasty.
Best Bottle –
Dark:
Lervig
/ Hopping Frog - Sippin' into Darkness Bourbon Barrel Aged
Previously
a top beer from 2016, this bourbon-barrel aged version of Sippin'
into Darkness was everything I want an Imperial Stout to be. Smooth,
sweet, chocolate, bourbon and oh so perfectly balanced. Greatly
enjoyed while introducing some people to this beer in Ghost Whale,
Brixton earlier in 2018. Looking forward to bottle to myself on New
Years Eve!
Highly commended:
Omnipollo
– Gideon's Pancake Stack, Brewdog
– Dog G, Beavertown
– Heavy Lord
Best Bottle –
Misc: Tie!
Mad
Hatter / Neptune / Top Rope / Chapter / Gibberish –
Scouse Sour
The
Ale Apothecary – Be
Still
Manchester
beer week brought Scouse Sour, a gem from a collaboration of
Merseyside brewers. Blending beetroot & citrus to give a fruity,
earthy, pleasantly soured beer. On a sad note, this was one of the
last great beers from the now defunct Mad Hatter Brewery, but what a
swansong to leave us with.
Be
Still from the Oregon based brewery The Ale Apothecary was one of my
highlights of the year. Insanely fruity, while deep and with tannin's, we could not ignore how interesting this beer was; however we're
still not sure we'd call it a beer. With more akin to a really good
Pinot Noir than anything beer related, this lead to discussion, smiles and happy memories;
everything beer is to me.
Highly commended:
Top
Rope – Tripel H: DX Edition, Siren
– Limoncello IPA (5th Anniversary), Bellwoods
Brewery – Jelly King
Cans
Best Can – Pale:
Wylam
– All Formats
The
first citra beer I've had that gives the full citra aroma and
telltale flavour, but with none of the harsh, bitterness synonymous
with this hop. Smooth, fruity and all without being gloopy. Hazy,
clever and extremely tasty.
Highly commended:
Verdant
– Neal Gets Things Done, Mobberley
- Gyle 1000, Marble
– Berimbolo, Gypsy Hill
– Hepcat Hepcat
Best Can – Dark:
Northern
Monk – Dark City (2018)
Northern
Monk Dark City was a delicious chocolate monster of a beer. Sweet,
but not overly so and just the right side of boozy. Lingered and
encouraged you to take another sip. However, I'm still not convinced with cans being the best dispense for darker beers...
Highly Commended:
Loka
Polly – Citra
Columbus Stout, Mikkeller
(San Fransico) – Beer Geek Brunch, Northern
Monk – Patron Project 1.01 (Coffee Porter)
Best Can – Misc:
Neptune
- Namaka
A
purple sour jelly sweet of a beer. The adjuncts sang through and
complemented each other. The hibiscus gave a richness to the beer,
but without dominating the others as is often the case. Fresh and clever. Nice.
Highly Commended:
Donzoko -
Northern Helles
Beer of the year:
Lervig
/ Hopping Frog - Sippin' into Darkness Bourbon
Barrel Aged.
Breweries
Brewery
of the year:
Wylam - Newcastle
Quite
simply Wylam have been the most consistent brewery of the year.
Strong release after strong release and a team of people passionate
about their product, I'd be hard pressed to give this to anyone else.
Being set in what is probably one of the pretties breweries anywhere
in the world must certainly help. Cheers.
Highly Commended:
Verdant - Falmouth, Loka Polly - Mold.
One to watch in
2019:
Glen
Affric,
Birkenhead.
Comparatively new to
the beer scene, Glen Affric sprang into life late in 2016. Their rise
has been cautious, tending to stick locally and primarily focusing on
selling beer direct through their on-site taproom; one of only two
Merseyside breweries to host a taproom with regular hours. Now with
significantly larger capacity, a strong team of seasoned veterans, a
new on-site canning line, barrel-ageing program and their own range
of soft drinks, I expect this brewery to appear everywhere over the
coming months. I've certainly enjoyed the small batch coffee beers
released so far.
Beery Days Out
Best Beer
Destination:
Newcastle
With a mixture of
fantastic pubs and tap rooms of varying sizes. There is literally
something for every beer drinker, unless you're not a fan of hills.
More 'head of steams', micro-pubs and small taprooms than you can
shake your fist at and ran by people who understand their beer. Expect a great time, wonderful people and terrific views. Don't forget to pick up some Train Beer from the station beer shop as well!
Highly Commended:
Leeds, Chester.
Beer Festivals
Best Beer Festival:
Indyman,
Manchester
Literally everything
about this festival. The food, the beer, the queues, the
anticipation, the tokens and the regret about beers missed. Fab
people, fab choice, just plain fab. Please don't change!
Highly Commended:
Craft Beer Calling
- Newcastle, Independent Salford Beer Festival - Manchester
