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.

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!

Guiseley Beer Festival

Spent Friday night at Guiseley Beer Festival, a charity Beer Festival run by Guiseley & Distric Lions at Coopers, one of my favourite haunts.

Arrived in plenty of time for doors opening. Early in fact, so got to try a beer at the bar first.

45: Siberia, Ilkley, 5.9%
A Rhubarb Saison style beer, brewed in collaboration with Melissa Cole. A beer I noticed being written about when I first began blogging, and wanted to try. I actually was a little disappointed because the rhubarb to me was so subtle that I missed it. It was perfectly palatable and actually pretty yum, just not quite as I'd anticipated it. Possibly my first Saison...

7 o'clock hit, and the doors upstairs opened, where 24 beers were available. Not sure whether to be proud or mortified, but I actually managed to sample all 24 (through thieving mouthfuls from other people I hasten to add), although true to the challenge sips won't count as a tick.

46: Smokeless, Redwillow, 5.7%

Foolishly, I started the night on a dark beer. I panicked. I knew I wanted to try this beer, and faced with a choice of 24 beers, and an overwhelming concern that if it was popular it might run out, I caved under the pressure! It was really good, not at all Smokeless though (bizarre choice of name really). An excellent choice for a few drinks down the line...

47: Overkill, The Revolution Brewing Company, 4.5%
Wanting to cleanse the palate a bit, and having just had the Rhubarb Saison downstairs, I chose this offering as it also had rhubarb in the description. A rhubarbed wheat beer. Not at all bitter. In comparison with Siberia, the flavours of rhubarb were unmissable and delicious. Wheat beer, still not sure about them. I enjoyed this beer a lot, but there was just something about it that I would have preferred to not be there.

There was then had a bit of an incident. Beer festival school boy error style. Mr T went up to the bar, and got two different beers. And he forgot which was which. One was incredible, the other, was good but just paled in comparison. After feeling a bit silly and using up some more beer tokens, we got to the bottom of the identities.

48: Some Like It Blonde, Worsthorne Brewing Co., 3.9%
This was the good one. At 3.9% it was good. I picked it because of the description of New Zealand hops.

49: Diablo IPA, Summer Wine Brewery, 6.1%
This was the incredible one. I wrote on the tasting notes "super yum". A wonderful smell, tropical fruits, bitter. Another fantastic IPA. My first Summer Wine, was looking forward to this and was not disappointed.

50: Teleporter, Summer Wine Brewery, 5%
Started on a dark beer, finished on one. The tasting notes said this was brewed with 10 different malts. Was just beautiful. Have become a massive fan of Summer Wine after just two drinks. For me, the stand out beer of the festival.

I've been to lots of beer festivals before, but this is the first since I started blogging, started the challenge, and started to actually learn about beer. It was the first festival in which I've made choices based on the brewery, not on the funny name of the beer. And it showed, I had better beers than ever before, and consequently am feeling slightly smug. Although still learnt a lesson about planning the evenings drinks more carefully, starting at lower strengths and pale, and working up (not as strong a lesson as those few drinking 10.5% pints of Ampleforth Abbey cider all night... am guessing a few sore heads around Guiseley on Saturday morning!). A good range of beers, with some proper gems.


Looking forward to next year!

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!

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