Merry Christmas Eve

Mr Ticker was working Christmas Day, so we had a treat night together o Christmas Eve. Home made chicken liver pâté, a couple of steaks and Christmas pudding... Hohoho! Of course, such celebrating could not take place without a couple of beers to accompany the evening... So...

171: White Stout, Durham Brewery, 7.2%
Surprisingly sweet although Mr Ticker says stouts are supposed to be but are usually counteracted by a bitterness. Not much of a bitterness... More of a tang. A not sure if this is a different kind of bitterness or if it is from the carbonation. Mr Ticker wonders if this is because its an older bottle we have had in the cupboard for about six months.

172: Merry Xmoose, Purple Moose, 5%
Dark colour but not stoutish. Expected colour from a Christmas beer, that of a Christmas pudding, but not opaque. Smells slightly sweet, portesque. Tastes full of flavour, sweet yet bitter, but not hoppy bitter... Really nice. I usually prefer my dark beers thick and cloyey, and this is not that, but having said that, it is a really good bottle!

Accompanied by Stilton and port flavour crisps!

173: Hoppy Lovin' Christmas, Mikkeller, 7.8%

Smells sweet and spicy. Light in colour. Thick. So so thick. Despite the pale(ish) colour. Hint of spice. Orange. Just a hint mind. Heavy bitterness. As usual gorgeous beer from Mikkeller.

174: Viven Ale, Brouwerij van Viven, 5%
Smells delicate. Pale. Tastes more malty and less hoppy by a long shot from the Mikkeller although its meant to be hoppy for the tourists, or so we were told. Nice. Spicy. Belgian. Still unsold on Belgian on the whole.

175: Viven Blonde, Brouwerij van Viven, 6.8%
Not a Wheat beer. Tastes it and smells it however... Maybe the choice of yeast. Nice enough but not my fave.

176: Taras Boulba, Brasserie de la Senne, 4.5%
So I've had a starter. And I'm full up. And there's still two courses of Christmas Eve spectacular food to go. And I'm a bit sloshed. As is the usual for me on Christmas Eve. But with that ever familiar voice over my shoulder reminding me not to overdo it and spoil the day tomorrow...
So this smells exactly like the Viven blonde. And tastes almost identical. Except perhaps a tidge more bitter. Please, those of you who have infinite more beery expertise than me, bear in mind my inebriated state... But that's it really. Almost identical.

Happy (über belated) Christmas!

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!

I Hardcore You

During my ticking challenge, I've had some beautiful beers from both Mikkeller and BrewDog. Their collaboration is no exception.

115: I Hardcore You, Mikkeller and BrewDog, 9.5%
An Imperial IPA, and my (growing but still relatively small) experience tells me this will be an intense hoppy number, bitter and with some malt shining through. It smells like Kernel's Citra and Stella, sweet ripe mango and lychee. Lots of mellow tropical flavours. Totally delicious. It is hardcore. It is strong, and it is very bitter and thick and heavy, and I'd struggle to drink very much. But I'd drink it again. And again. And again. In fact I did. I've now gone through three bottles. This is failing on the ticking side of things, but it is totally worth it.

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... 

Olympic Torch

Last Sunday, the Olympic Torch passed through Bradford. Not being one to miss an opportunity to drink beer, it was the perfect excuse for an afternoon visit to The Sparrow, where as usual, there was loads of beers available, all new to me.

88: Feckless, Redwillow, 4.1%
An English Bitter. Lots of hazelnut flavours, and very drinkable.

89: A Face With No Name, Tempest Brewing Co., 6%
Smells and tastes like an orange calypso lolly, with a hint of breadiness. Packed full with intense flavours... so intense, it was verging on too much. Only verging mind, was really scrummy.









90: Summit Single Hop IPA, Mikkeller, 6.9%
One of several of this range that I've tried from Mikkeller, and not my favourite. They are all made to the same abv, but using different hops. I find this particularly interesting, as clearly this shows that I prefer other hop varieties. Saying this, it wasn't unpleasant, still a very drinkable IPA.

91: Hop Wallop, Victory Brewing Company, 8.5%
This beer is offered as an "homage" to the fresh hop harvest... not quite sure what that is meant to mean. Was nice enough, not overtly remarkable.

92: Alice Porter, BrewDog, 6.2%
Now, I love a porter. I have tried this beer before, and will again. Burnt sugar, molasses flavours... yummy.


93: Saison Dupont, Brasserie Dupont, 6.5%
I've tried this beer in the past, but from a bottle. I was slightly underwhelmed On keg, however, it was much nicer. All banana-y, champagne. Lovely. A refreshing celebratory beer.

We snuck out of The Sparrow for 10 minutes and saw the flame... a perfect way to enjoy the event! I'm sure everyone has seen pictures up to the eyeballs, but whilst I was going to refrain from posting any, I had to share this picture of some poor bloke getting taken out by security when he chose to cross the road at the wrong time!

Hops, Hops, and more Hops

Jubilee weekend. A long bank holiday. Perfect excuse for celebrating and cracking open some exciting bottles of beer that have been sat in the cupboard, gently whispering "open me!" every time I venture into the kitchen. Myself, Mr. T and Mr T. Snr., spent en evening with Kernel and Mikkeller, and some lovely matured cheddar for palate cleansing (yes, was trying to be a bit sophisticated!). What an evening!

59: Export India Porter Columbus, The Kernel, 6.3%
Lost quite a lot of the beer as it bubbled over the top of the bottle on opening. First impressions were confusion. In my experience (vastly limited as it may be) porters are not usually hoppy, and yet the aroma coming off this beer was very hoppy, with just a touch of caramel. To taste, it is caramel, malty and bitter orange chocolate. Hints of coffee and a dark depth of flavour. Did something strange to my teeth... made them a bit fuzzy and squeaky. Odd. This beer was more what I would would expect from a porter, and done very well. This is what I imagined a Black IPA would taste like, and a whole new type of beer for me.

60: Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale, The Kernel, 5.5%
Lovely lovely smells. Peachy passion fruit. A little motor oily weirdly. Just before you take a sip you breathe in the smell again and it's yum yum yum. Flat, not fizzy. A very dry bitterness. Tastes just as it smells with a little bit of pine. My favourite part of the beer was that moment, just before taking a sip where you breathe in the aromas. Beautiful.

61: S.C.C.A.NS, The Kernel, 6.9%
Brewed with five types of hop, including Nelson Sauvin again. A stronger abv than the Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale, but a familiar similar smell. A bit fresher and less oily perhaps, but definitely similar. Peachy, fruits and tang. Tasted of peach and was crisp and bitter, and definitely there was tangyness. Slight malty sweet finish. I felt that the extra hops added flavour, and complimented each other.

62: Green Gold, Mikkeller, 7.0%
Smells a bit boozey, port or sherry, and slightly unnatural. Some red apples, a bit sweet and sharp. Tastes biscuity, and sweet followed by bitter. An IPA, and the most unique IPA I've had. Not sure about it to be entirely honest.

63: 10, Mikkeller, 6.9%
An IPA brewed with 10 different hop varieties. To date, my record is 5 I think. A complex tangy smell, but well balanced and pleasant. Very difficult to pick out flavours though because there are so many there that they meld together, the most stand out was of light orange. Crisp taste. Very bitter initially. Clearly it's very skilful to successfully mix 10 hops into one beer, and make them work. Very difficult to pull out any flavours, but maybe that isn't the point, maybe it ought to be celebrated as a whole and not to be picked apart and analysed. For my amateur palate, I think single hop IPAs still are leading my preferences of taste, despite enjoying this bottle. I'd rather have the simplicity at the moment. Maybe more distinguished palates will feel differently.

64: 19, Mikkeller, 6.8%
Just to be sure, the 19 hop IPA next. Concerned that this will really be too much. A really fruity smell. Fresh crisp, light smell. Again, aroma blends together really well. The taste, lovely. Really really lovely. Can't pick apart flavours, just know that it is beautiful. I take it back. 19 hops are certainly better than 10.

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!