A Complete Beernewbie: The Experiment

Beernewbie, aka my lovely sister, willingly (unwittingly perhaps) signed up to a challenge. She's never drunk beer, except for a couple of times about four years ago in Thailand, but that's a story for another day. Vodka & coke, or Archer's & lemonade are her usual tipple's of choice. I'm a newbie, but at least had drunk and enjoyed beer before, albeit in the past being as weak and pale as possible. I wanted to see if we could open her mind up about beer, maybe get her to like it, or at least realise that there is a great variety of beers available.

Knowing her well, I chose a couple of fruit beers to get started.

118: Fruitesse, Brouwerij Liefmans, 4.2%
"Fine" I believe was the response... later this developed to "niceish". Another comment was "not too beery". She was right, it's fruit character gave so much flavour it didn't hide the malt tastes, but didn't force you to concentrate on them. Personally I quite liked it, it wasn't over sweet, and it did what it said on the tin.

119: Hoegaarden Rosee, Brouwerij van Hoegaarden, 3%
A raspberry flavoured witbier. Beernewbie thought this was easy to drink, but was less keen than Fruitesse. To me it was too sweet, and tasted not of beer but more like fizzy raspberry pop, and the alcohol content was invisible. It surprised me that Beernewbie's preference was for the one that actually tasted like a beer, and that she wasn't touting for the almost alcopop taste of the Hoegaarden.

Next up. Error. I'm not counting this for me as have tried it before. Windermere Pale, Hawkshead, 6%. My recollection of this was tropical fruity peachy hops. The idea was to introduce a non-fruit beer into the mix with one that had fruity hop edge. Beernewbie said that it smelt nice, but that she wasn't expecting the taste that ensued. A face was pulled that was worth of Juffage's blog, unfortunately I didn't have the camera handy! A bad choice, far too bitter so early on in the evening for Beernewbie. She did concede that it improved after a few mouthfuls, but she still didn't like it.

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask, Innis & Gunn, 7.4% A pretty strong beer for a beginner, but the toffee caramel, sweet but not too sweet flavours, and the lack of bitterness meant that Beernewbie quite liked this. She still preferred the first fruit beer, but said she would willingly drink this again if provided with it!

Next were a couple of beers as recommended by Filrd and Matt Curtis. India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., 5.9%. Beernewbie didn't like this as much as the Innis & Gunn, but she didn't dislike it like she did Windermere Pale. Orange, citrusy aromas and tastes and a pithy orange bitterness. The verdict was "this is ok". Now, I know that isn't overjoyed praise, but coming from Beernewbie, that is pretty impressive I think.

120: Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada, 5.6%
She didn't like this as much, even though it was slightly less bitter than the Goose Island. It was drunk though!

Chocolate Porter, Meantime, 6.5%. Again, another beer I've tried before. This time around I got more hints of coffee and hazelnut than I did chocolate, but still a really yummy porter. Beernewbie liked this beer. Still, didn't surpass the favourite first beer, but she liked it.

There were a couple of other beers sampled during the evening which Beernewbie tried, including a pretty pricey bottle from Marble. This, she quite liked (again, a pretty decent compliment really!). Will post about these later.

Clearly, for a non-beer drinker, the off putting flavour was heavy bitterness, and this was what Beernewbie kept describing as "beery". The less bitter, the more she liked it. Beernewbie did say, that she would be up for sampling again, although maybe that was the beer talking! She is still not a beer lover, but there is a smidgen of hope! Thanks Beernewbie for keeping an open mind and putting up with this beer geek!

The Sparrow's Birthday

When we realised it was The Sparrow's birthday, the ensuing visit was inevitable. Not only to show support and help celebrate their success, but also because they were marking the occasion with two new keg lines and some very special beers indeed.

39: Endless, Redwillow, 3.8%
Thought I would start the evening off with a not too strong pale ale. So far, the pale ales that I've sampled since beginning this blog have, at best, fallen into the category of "nice". None of them have been outstanding. Rather, beers that would work well as a session ale, or an accompaniment to food. Endless, however, broke the mould. Lots of hoppy fruity aromas, hints of peach and papaya (just my kind of thing), a touch of bitter, but not too much. A lovely lovely beer, and made even more so by my surprise that a beer with less strength and bitterness could make such an impact. For me, it has seriously raised the bar on pale ales.

40: Hell's Lager, Camden Town, 4.6%
A very crisp and refreshing lager. A good lager. Struggled to pick out flavours in this, but this is probably due to the style. Definitely would be good on a hot summer day.

41: Two Captains, Nøgne Ø, 8.5%
A double IPA, a type of beer I seem to be developing a bit of a penchant for. Not brash and in your face, but still packed with floral fruity flavours.

42: Imperial India Pale Ale, Struise/ Mikkeller Elliot Brew, 9.0%
Very different IPA, biscuity, darker malt. Again, fruit smells and flavours, but more berries, darker fruits. The side of the bottle had a lot of gumpf, in what presumably is Flemish. After some feeble attempts using google's interpreter, and some stab in the dark guessing, we concluded that as the brewers developed this beer, they increased the IBU (bitterness) levels from 130 to 216. This seemed to make sense. It was very bitter, appropriately so, the flavours stood up well to it. The bitterness slowly worked in waves down your tongue, starting at the tip and spreading down into your throat. Intense and interesting.

43: Nelson Sauvin Single Hop IPA, Mikkeller, 6.9%
Another single hop IPA. Definitely think IPAs are becoming a favourite, but especially the single hop varieties. IPAs like Elliot Brew's offering have so many flavours and sensations going on when you drink them, and whilst this is wonderful, my preference for now is the more manageable chunks of single hops, easier to get your head around. And this one was lovely, all cherry and peach. A new hop for me I think.

44: Citra Single Hop IPA, Mikkeller, 6.9%
Following a trip to Hawkshead Brewery last week, and discovering that Windermere Pale is made with Citra hops, and having the opportunity to smell some raw (if raw is the word...) Citra, seeing Citra Single Hop IPA on the bottle menu was a no brainer. It is bizarre how familiar it was, despite never having had this beer before. I'm not saying it didn't have unique qualities, I'm sure that drinking it directly next to Windermere Pale or other beers containing Citra would have highlighted how different brewers use the same ingredient to different effects. One particular type of hop adding such a specific flavour, was very interesting. Again, a lovely IPA

Struggled to pick my favourite today, as tried such a variety of beers and all of them were a bit special. I missed out on Dunnock, one of two collaboration beers that The Sparrow brewed with Saltaire Brewery, although Mr T had some and recommended it. In the end, I have settled with the first. Endless, from Red Willow. Having such a distinctive beer, bursting with flavour, but suitable for a session and with a lower abv.... Surprised me and made me think twice about pale ales.

Thanks Sparrow for another lovely evening, and Happy Birthday! Here's to another year!

Hawkshead Brewery

Last Saturday was a big day for Mr T. It was his 26th birthday. As the birthday boy he got to choose the activity for the day and being the beery inspiration behind my ticking challenge he chose to visit a brewery (and taste a few samples). A few weeks ago we tried the well hopped range from Hawkshead Brewery, and really enjoyed them. Completely by chance (or an inspired bit of forward thinking) their brewery was only about a half hour drive away from the cottage we were staying in on our jollys. So, after lunch we drove down the windey Cumbrian roads heading for Staveley, where Hawkshead Brewery is now based. We found it snuggled away at the back of a bizarre industrial estate/artisan shop complex.

The brewery itself is an impressive building with  modern designed glass frontage, and inside was a long bar full of Hawkshead's range of beer, as well as an offering from Brooklyn. Lucky me, I was designated driver... only fair on Birthday Boy's special day, or so I was informed! Mr T was like a child in a sweetie shop and excitedly chose a pint of USPA a 6% American hopped beer served on cask. I had a sneaky sip, and it reminded me very much of the well hopped range. Lovely.

The start of the tour was postponed, apparently some of another party booked on the tour had travelled to the other Staveley in the Lake District, and were rushing around Lake Windermere to get to the right one, providing Mr T with a chance to try the much acclaimed Windermere Pale. A 3.5% cask version of the 6% well hopped beer (my favourite of the three) and it went down a treat in the Cumbrian sunshine.

When the other tour participants arrived, we began in the hop loft. Mr T was in his element and his eyes lit up when he saw box after box of hops. The smell was impressive. I have seen hops before, and smelt them, but never on this scale. We got an opportunity to get a good whiff of different types. This was really interesting as you could pick out the flavours in the raw hops that you can smell and taste in the beer. In particular, Citra stood out, as it was very reminiscent of Windermere Pale.

Next was the malt loft, where again we got chance to have a good sniff and even a taste of some of the malts. The stand out was the chocolate malt, which had a lovely dark, rich almost coffee like taste.

We were then taken downstairs into the main part of the brewery and shown all the different components. The cold and hot liquor tanks, the mash tun and the huge copper. The beer making process was explained, which definitely helped my understanding, although a little still went over my head... apparently a home brewing lesson is in the pipeline to help me out!

The conditioning room was fit to burst with full casks and we were lucky to lay our eyes on a couple of secret experiments in whiskey casks that presumably will be available later in the year. Keeping fingers crossed that we'll be able to get hold of some when they're out!

After the tour had finished Mr T made the most of the visit, trying Cumbrian 5 Hop on cask and Lakeland Lager, that was beautifully refreshing. After making a few purchases at the bottle shop (which stocked bottles from a range of breweries) we headed home.

My first brewery tour that I can remember, and an informative and interesting experience, even without getting to sample to wares! Am surprised and glad that I am enjoying this education malarkey so much... Back to ticking soon though I hope!

Hawkshead Night

Bottles having sat in the fridge for a couple of weeks, the eagerly awaited night of Hawkshead took place yesterday. A question has arisen time and time again during the last couple of weeks: which is better, traditional English style beer vs. American style heavily hopped offerings? In pursuit of an answer, Hawkshead night was an opportunity to try beers from the same brewer that fit into both categories. The evening began with the more traditional beers, and were drunk in order of increasing darkness and strength.

25: Lakeland Gold, Hawkshead, 4.4%

Aromas of caramel and malt, and a slightly metallic smell came through too. Quite carbonated. The beer got progressively more and more bitter as more was drunk. Pleasant drink.

26: Red, Hawkshead, 4.4%

Again, a metallic smell somewhere in the background, but this beer was slightly sweeter and had hints of syryp and chocolate. It tasted sweeter too, with some raisin flavours and a touch of coffee. Also a bitter beer. Enjoyable, certainly, but not a beer that slipped down easily.

27: Brodie’s Prime, Hawkshead, 4.9%

Far less to smell here, but ever so slight cinnamon. Still though a bit metallic like the first two, although none of them have tasted metallic. Darkest in colour, a thick head. Flavours were smokey with a bit of chocolate. I expected coffee, but couldn’t taste it. Reminded me very much of Flying Dog’s Dog Schwartz, although not as intense. But at nearly a quarter the price, worth your money.

So, three traditional English style beers down. Thoughts so far are good, but have not been bowled over. Am concerned that I am struggling to detect delicate flavours, and am missing out on what the more subtle beers have to offer. Next up, the well hopped trio, recently written about by a number of beer bloggers.

28: Windermere Pale, Hawkshead, 6%

Sweet smell, hops really shining through. Another very distinctive smell and flavour for me, just like a mango, papaya and passion fruit yoghurt that’s a regular favourite in my fridge. Perhaps a hint of peach iced tea too, still quite bitter. Really lovely, packed with flavour, both subtle and flagrant.

29: Cumbrian 5 Hop, Hawkshead, 6%

Far more understated aromas than Windermere Pale, peach and marmalade. To taste, bitter and a bit malty. Bitterness building throughout the bottle. Almost so much that for me it dominated over the understated flavours.

30: NZPA, Hawkshead, 6%

Mr T used to say of Timothy Taylor's Landlord that it was like “a Solero in a glass”. On a more recent try of Landlord, he changed his mind. For NZPA,however,  the description fit perfectly for the aroma. Some of the aroma translated into taste, but a herby and peppery flavour came through more strongly. Still very bitter, but here the flavours seemed to stand up to it better.

My winner was Windermere Pale. I can see why NZPA is a favourite for others, it is complex and striking. But Windermere Pale fit the bill for me. A hint of sweetness, tropical fruits and easier to get to grips with. 

I preferred the American style beer over the more traditional English style, but enjoyed all. This is still a question I want to delve into further.

Next weekend, a visit to the Lake District. All being well, hope to visit the brewery, find out more and sample some of the beers on cask!

321 days to go.
305 beers to go.

Hello Sparrow

Last night the challenge extended to The Sparrow Bier Cafe in Bradford. In the past my visits to The Sparrow often involved taxiing a slightly inebriated Mr Ticker, but he was always kind enough to let me stay for a coffee! On starting the beer ticking challenge, I was determined that The Sparrow would become one of my first destinations. As expected a lovely evening ensued and I was able to tick many interesting beers.

When The Sparrow opened in Bradford, myself, Mr T and our friends were delighted. I have lived in the suburbs of Bradford for nearly three years, and have become passionate about the city and feel it has a lot to offer, despite popular opinion. What's important to me is the diversity, culture, architecture, heritage and history, countryside and city living, tradition combining with modernity, and above all the friendly open folk. What winds me up is the stigma attached to the city following the riots, the 1970's architectural monstrosities (which are thankfully slowly disappearing), the big hole at Westfield and the £24,500,000 that was spent on the City Park (a fountain... pretty yes, but that's all, a blooming fountain!).

Bradford's reputation has a lot to be desired, especially the night-life, which I myself am guilty of avoiding. The Sparrow's opening has been a welcome ray of light, with it's friendly atmosphere and passion for what it delivers. It is drawing on the positives of Bradford, and filling an empty gap. With an ever changing variety of uncommon beers, (keg, bottle and cask) ongoing promotion of local artists and photographers, eclectic music playing, it makes the city centre a place I no longer wish to avoid after dark.

Yesterday's jaunt to The Sparrow led to ticking a plethora of beers:

18: Hophead, Dark Star, 3.8%
Light, I felt not overly hoppy in flavour, despite the name (though I had consumed an extremely garlicky potato salad for tea that stayed with me for several hours!). Went down very nicely, despite this.

19: Dissolution IPA, Kirkstall Brewery Company, 5%
Aromas reminiscent of Edam cheese (remember I'm new to this...), but not in a bad way, actually really tasty. The alcohol content tasted stronger that its 5%. It had a very smooth velvety feel, disappearing as quickly as the first beer.

20: Golden Salamander, Salamander, 4.4%
This beer was voted Silver at the 2011 Great British Beer Festival. Straw like in colour. A bit malty. Enough said. Silver? Seriously? Is my inexperience showing?

21: Lakeland Lager, Hawkshead Brewery, 5%
Nothing to smell but very very refreshing. Crisp, clean and fresh, not packed with flavour but very enjoyable, would order again and again.

22: Camden Pale Ale, Camden Town, 4.5%
This beer was served on keg. I like how you can try a beer and be bowled over with surprise. This doesn't happen very often with other drinks. I thought it smelled of pineapple, not fresh pineapple, but like a sweetie, a gumdrop maybe. I tasted tinned mandarin and a tropical fruit that I couldn't put my finger on, maybe papaya or guava- not your typical lychee or passion fruit. I enjoyed this a lot.

23: Dark Ruby Mild, Sarah Hughes, 6%
Chocolate, black cherry and almond (although I may have been sold this flavour by Mr T) personally I thought it was a little bit 'manufactured' in taste, but enjoyed it non the less. It seemed a bit thinner in mouth feel (still makes me laugh...) than the darker beers I have tried so far.

24: Dog Schwarz Smoked Double Lager, Flying Dog, 7.8%
Smelt strongly of alcohol, maybe wine or sherry with a big hit of smoke and maybe smokey bacon crisps. It tasted less smokey than I was anticipating. In the past I have chastised Mr T for ending the evening with an expensive, strong tasting beer but last night, it seemed the perfect finish.