Fathomlessday

Last weekend Mr Ticker and I ventured out for #FathomlessDay, at the lovely Coopers. We had a great day, sampling lots of new (to me) beers by some fantastic breweries, and meeting a few beery-folk. Was perhaps a tad (erm... if I'm honest, monstrously) over enthusiastic, and have to apologise because this post is set to be a terrible reflection due to struggling to remember what I'd drunk, let alone what the beers were like!

Needless to say, the following beers were definitely ticked, although I think a couple have been missed!
131: Cannonball, Magic Rock, 7.4%
132: Fathomless, Red Willow, 5.2% (The beer of the day, an Oyster stout, and lovely)
133: Glaslyn Ale, Purple Moose Brewery, 4.2%
134: Accomplice, Roosters, 5.7%
135: Katalyst, Hardknott, 3.8%
136: Wild Swan, Thornbridge, 3.5%
137: Curious, Magic Rock, 3.9%
138: Independence, Bristol Beer Factory, 4.6%
Looking forward to some other events Coopers has up their sleeves (though will be more restrained next time)!
Coopers has it's own new blog, check it out here.

Baildon Beer Festival and Beyond

Spent last night at Baildon Beer Festival at the Cricket Club. Between myself, Mr T and Mr T Sr, we sampled the whole menu. There were a couple that genuinely smelt of pig muck, one that had a hint of cigarette ash. But on the whole they had a selection of really really good beers. Came home and drank some bottles afterwards. Consequently, inebriation ensued and a haze has clouded the night, so what follows is a pictureless concise post.

74: Bitter Californian, Bristol Beer Factory, 4.5%
Not as bitter as expected, but a nice beer, especially to start.

75: Revelation, Dark Star, 5.7%
Possibly best of the festival. Hoppy, light, tasty, delicious.

76: Black Rye, Saltaire Brewery, 4.4%
Never had a rye beer, dark, but without being heavy. Hints of typical dark beer flavours, but also a bit hoppy.

77: 1872 Porter, Elland Brewery, 6.5%
Porters are my favourite. For today. Yum.

78: Stouterspace, Foxfield, 5%
Forgotten... not particularly special.

79: Jaipur, Thornbridge, 5.9%
Expected this to be good, it was. Hoppy, full of flavour. Delicious.

80: High Wire, Magic Rock, 5.5%
Have already had this beer in my ticking challenge, but had it in a bottle not on keg. Bottle may have been better due to this being served without carbonation as beer festival style, but still really good.

Got a taxi home.

81: Bohemia Regent, Regent Brewery, 4.4%
Dark lager, new style for me. Was drinkable. Don't feel passionate about it.

82: Vitesse Noir, Hardknott, 11%
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.........

83: India Pale Ale Citra, The Kernel, 7.3%
Love IPA. Love Citra. Perfect.

84: India Pale Ale Stella, The Kernel, 7.5%
Perfecter.

Bottles from The Kernel were replacement bottles, sent free of charge. Thanks Kernel.

Double IPA Day

Last week I ventured into single hopped IPAs and feel like I learnt something, vast differences in aroma and flavour due to one ingredient variation. This week was the turn of the doubles.

13: Axe Edge, Buxton Brewery, 6.8%
To kick things off, the lowest strength Double IPA of the evening, with the most amazing smell, light and floral. Taste-wise, a bit tart, pine flavours. Just on the cusp of becoming too bitter for my taste. I've heard of beers being described as oily before, and struggled to understand why, but I think this may be an example. The liquid seemed to linger a little, seemed thick.

14: Ageless, Redwillow, 7.2%
Poured with a massive head... tilt the glass, I know, I know... I did! Still massive. Contrasting IPA, different from all those tried so far in the challenge. Caramel, malty, biscuit flavours. A bit smoky perhaps. And not oily!

15: Queboid, Hardknott, 8.0%
A Belgian style double IPA, no head like Ageless. A very boozy aroma, smelt like rum. Sweet, malty caramel. Similar to Ageless in that it was more malty than fruity, but the rum flavours distinguished it as being very different.

16: Hardcore IPA, BrewDog, 9.2%
Another BrewDog offering. A very hoppy smell, delicate, like sweeties, not at all boozy despite the strength. The taste though, completely different to the smell. Malty and bitter. Was surprised to find out that it is double the bitterness of the IPA is Dead range. There was also an additional flavour lurking in the background... cucumber... couldn't quite decide if this was a welcome addition or a slightly dodgy intruder.

17: Human Cannonball, Magic Rock Brewery, 9.2%
Another double IPA at high strength, and absolutely beautiful. Butterscotch aromas and flavours, rich and malt with a hint of oranges. The best beer of the challenge. So far...

Awoke feeling a bit worse for wear, despite having shared all the bottles. Yummy though, would do it again in a heartbeat.

Next stop: Hawkshead.

328 Days
318 Beers