Something Something Something Something Dark Side

I have a sweet tooth, I love chocolate, and biscuits. I like things that are full of malts and caramel. I drink far too much coffee. I like deep flavours and intensity. I used to be scared of dark beers. Their blackness intimidated me. That was until I realised that many of my favourite flavours can be packed into a stout. I can't say I prefer them over heavily hopped pale beers, because they aren't really comparable. But I certainly like to end an evening with a dark beer. Venturing into four dark beers in succession is a new experience for me, and an opportunity to compare and contrast some flavours.

166: Barista, Summer Wine Brewery, 4.8%
Not an especially strong abv for a dark beer, an espresso stout. Boy does it do what it says on the tin. Deeply flavoured with heavily roasted coffee, and hints of caramel. Absolutely delicious. I do enjoy when a beer is thicker than this (not sure if this is the right terminology), but I suppose that is down to the 4.8%.

166: Dark Arts, Magic Rock, 6%
Doesn't give off heavy aroma, slight burnt caramel. Tastes of hazlenut and buerre noisette. Ridiculously delicious. Not sure I agree with the tasting notes on the bottle of liquorice, blackberries and figs, but perhaps that is my taste buds.

167: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Company, 6%
My first milk stout. Brewed with lactose I believe. Chocolately smells. Sweeter tasting than the previous two beers, perhaps that is the lactose. Smooth, and not particularly bitter. Would have been nice to eat with icecream I think, the smoothness would have worked well.

168: Saint Petersburg, Thornbridge, 7.7%
A Russian Imperial Stout. Not sure what imperial infers... with IPAs it seems to lead to a stronger more complex beer. Seemingly the same is true for this stout, as has a whole additional dimension. It still is sweetish, with notes of coffee, but also has a slight tang to it, and it richness adds to the intensity. The more you drink, the better it gets.

I think comparisons between light and dark beers should not be drawn because they are two totally different entities. I also think think it is hard to pick a favourite dark beer, when they display such robust flavours, and great variation. Barista was all about the coffee, Dart Arts had totally different predominant flavours. I would buy all of these beers again and again and again.

Beer Drinking Diet Style

So, a brief return to beer with a vengeance. A long walk from our house all the way to The Sparrow justified a couple of beers (well three) and they certainly felt well deserved. As was out with friends, please excuse the brief descriptions!

162: Drink in the Sun, Mikkeller, 3.9%
Pale in colour. Bitter. Very bitter for low strength beer. Smells a bit fruity. Nicely and carbonated. Grapefruit bitterness. Lovely. Much better than yesterday's.

163: High Wire NZ, Magic Rock, 5.5%
Smells slightly floraly sweet. On cask not carbonated. Smooth. Slight bitterness. Can really smell the hops. Ever so slight farmyard hint.

164: Pearl Necklace, Flying Dog, 5.5%
Very dark colour. Slight smokey rich coffee bitterness. Delicious. My perfect kind of beer. Something I've been missing for ages!!


I have missed having beer, which just goes to show how much of a beer geek I've become. At approx 394 calories for three halfs... the walk into Bradford didn't even come close to burning that off, and meant an early morning trip to Bolton Abbey the next day! Am glad I managed to have a few beers, and that I managed to compensate for them so I didn't spoil my hard work... just wish beer was less sinful!

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.

North Bar Turns 15

Yesterday saw an impromptu visit to North Bar, Leeds, during their 15th Birthday Celebrations. I don't visit Leeds city centre as much as I'd like, living in suburbia in Bradford, for two of us to get to Leeds, it is £17.50 on public transport. Makes for an expensive night out. However, couldn't let the opportunity to try a huge array of fantastic beers, many of which would be hard to come across again. Despite sharing thirds with my lovely other half, I enjoyed myself a little too much. The day was like a beer festival on overdrive. Each of the beers a treat, even those that weren't for me, I was glad to try.

Had 14 of 16 beers (had tried Flying Dog Kujo before, and another appears to have passed me by). Tasting notes are somewhat lacking, and probably quite inaccurate. Needless to say, I got 14 ticks last night, for more details see North Bar's website.

94: S.C.C.A.N.S IIPA, The Kernel, 10.1%
Tropical fruit, as per many of Kernel's offerings. Incredibly bitter. A big treat to have this on draft.

95: Everything in Its Right Place, BrewDog, 6.5%

96: Beer Camp Solar Storm, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 5.8%

97: North Pale Ale, Rooster's, 4%

98: Pilsner, Lindeboom, 5%

99: General Sherman, Thornbridge/North Bar, 8.3%

100: Wildeman Farmhouse IPA, Flying Dog Brewery, 7.5%

Similar to Saison Dupont, but more punchy and vibrant. Banana, refreshing, sparkling, delicious.

101: Little Jim (aged), Marble, 6.9%

My first beer from Marble, a lovely smooth, toffee, really tasty yummy beer.

102: Bourbon Barrel Bearded Lady, Magic Rock, 10.5%
Really really yum.

103: Milk Stout, Odell, abv unknown

104: Beer Geek Breakfast, Mikkeller, 7.5%

105: Kolsch, Gaffel, 4.8%

A couple still for me to mull over:

106: Oak Aged Sunturnbrew, Nøgne Ø, 11%

An incredibly dark beer. Too intense for me. To my taste, it reminded me of burnt rubber, which I think was the oak. Definitely a thinker!

107: Gueuze, Cantillon, 5%

The sourest beer I've ever had. I'm not a big fan of sour, be it in drinks or sweets. Interesting to experience, but not for me.

All in all, a success, and as ever a treat to visit North. Certainly a learning curve for a newbie! Happy Birthday North Bar! When you turn 20, I might have to spread the joy over 2 days... 

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.

Pale Ale Night

As it was the topic for the session, and having already written my blogpost, when choosing what to drink last night, some more Pale Ales seemed suited to the occasion.

53: Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale, Flying Dog, 5.5%
Not particularly pale in appearance. A very hoppy smell. I thought I was smelling Citra hops, but was being a bit too much of an eagerbeaver in my endeavour to identify flavours as apparently Cascade is the hop variety used. Must remember to not get too big for my boots! Very fresh smelling beer. Taste was quite malty, but quickly disappears. Not particularly bitter. Not vastly unique, I would argue, but a good beer nonetheless.


54: Hermes, Summer Wine Brewery, 5%

Very pale in appearance. Smells of tinned peaches and mandarin. A really lovely aroma. Very bitter. Flavours similar, but not strong and meaty, and in conjunction with this the bitterness is pushing the boundary of too intense. It just manages to hold up against it though. Burnt orange peel bitterness. Drinking this pale ale made me realise that I might be missing out a bit when I share bottles, as this beer got better the more I drank, and the more accustomed to the bitterness I got. Another thought provoking beer from Summer Wine!

55: High Wire, Magic Rock, 5.5%
Massive amount of fruity aromas coming through. Mango maybe, a bit grassy. Amazing smell. Flavour-wise, was very different (something I am finding more and more often that the flavour isn't at all like what you'd expect from the smell). Malty, I was expecting more hops based on the 'west coast pale ale' discription. Popcorn and caramel flavours. In terms of appearance and bitterness, it struck the middle point between the Flying Dog and the Summer Wine.

All three beers smelt hoppier than they tasted, all were very enjoyable, and a learning curve, because they were all vastly different from each other and the beers from Thornbridge. It seems that not only are beer styles massively varied, but also that within styles, there are big variations.

The journey continues...

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