Beer from Bend…

Somewhere in Oregon, there’s a place called Bend.  Crazy as that is I’m sure we’re more interested in the fact that it’s home to Deschutes Brewery which dates back to errr…1988, we are in the US after all.  Mirror Pond is their “quintessential” American pale ale (Men’s Journal July 2004).  Surprisingly enough Men’s Journal have got it about right but being “quintessential” isn’t enough in a saturated market.  It’s a combination of dry hops and sweet malt and if I had a dime for every time I said that about an American Pale Ale I’d be a dollar millionaire.  Too much of a good thing?  Probably, but who really cares.  If, like me, you like all the other American Pale ales then you’ll also like this one…besides, you can always collect the bottles.

Long Haul Brew…

Another day, another IPA.  Amber Ales’ IPA is dubbed “Imperial” which would seem to imply that some India Pale Ales weren’t/aren’t imperial.  If they’re implying that this particular beer, unlike others, was actually brewed in the times of British global oppression then the alcohol content must be doing some serious preservational shit in there.  At 6.5% it is quite strong, necessarily in order to survive the long journey to the colonial outposts, but a little too strong to serve the modern thirst for quaffability.  Taste-wise, it’s slightly smokey to go with the standard hoppiness.  If you do find yourself venturing to India by long haul ferry, it probably isn’t worth taking a bottle of this with you…just drink that bastion of true Indian brewing tradition, cow piss.

“Cleopatra, comin’ atcha…”

“Eternity was in our lips and eyes, Bliss in our brows bent.” Anthony and Cleopatra 1.3

I don’t normally like fruit beers but this is quite simply mind-blowing.  I also don’t throw out such compliments without good reason.  Derventio’s Cleopatra is an apricot fruit beer that seemlessly blends the competing sweetness of apricots with a bitter, dryness derived from the first gold hops.  The initial scent would suggest that it’s flavour would be a little on the sweet side but the apricot is far from overpowering, its subtlety no doubt testament to the brewer’s skill as oppose to pure accident.  The weird thing is, I don’t really like apricots. 

It’s always a joy to find a small brewery producing a great beer but that joy is coupled with despair when you realise you may never see it again.  In a vague attempt to try and link this beer to the quote above… I could drink this for eternity and would never lose the blissful sensation delivered in that first sip! 

Summer Frightening…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hop Back Summer Lightning is widely recognised as one of the best summer beers around.  Unfortunately though it also gives you one of the worst hangovers whatever season you drink it in.  It is strong, but not strong enough to make you drink less of it than you would any other beer.  Surely though the strength isn’t enough to account for the extraordinarily fuzzy head it delivers the next morning.  Any thoughts?

Ealing Beer Festival

Yesterday some of our number headed to The White Horse’s American beer festival. A post detailing the assorted debauchery will follow. While waiting at the bar to be served very expensive beer an old guy with a beard told me he organised Ealing Beer Festival. I promised to give it a plug. It starts on the 8th of July, and I’m sure it’ll be ace. Maybe see you there.

Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough (Beer)

Ale Lover?

As soon as I heard the news that the king of pop had popped his clogs my mind naturally turned to beer. This could be because I was sitting in the exceptional Porterhouse in Covent Garden and had just finished my delectable pint of Oyster Stout when the text came through, it could be because of his “Beer Hunter” namesake. However this state of affairs emerged however, my friends and I soon started to wonder what Jacko’s favourite beer was. Here are some of our (admittedly shite) ideas:

• I Want You (Hop)Back
• Don’t Blame it on the Sunshine, Don’t Blame it on the Moonshine, Blame it on the Beer
• Beery Jean
• Smooth CriminALE

Any further suggestions gratefully received.

Over the Hill and Far Away…

Much debate over the history with tales of ambassadors, spanish brothers and Dick Turpin...it's most likely that none of them are true

Glorious weather yesterday, so what better to do than head up to the Heath and swim in the dirty, cold pond?  Lucky for me we passed a lovely boozer on the way home.  The Spaniards’ Inn is situated on a hill between Hampstead and Highgate and posesses one of the biggest beer gardens I’ve ever seen.  Obviously the sun was the main attraction but the brief time I spent inside the pub left a good impression.  Three guest ales seemed to have “just finished”, with the pump clips showing their backsides, but luckily Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is available on draught.  Perfect for a summer’s eve…if you find yourself out that way you shouls definitely drop in.

This is Just a Tribute…

Apologies for the lengthy hiatus; two of the Hip-Hops crew have been in Cornwall, where the internet is seemingly hard to come by.  Fortunately though, there is no shortage of good beer.  St Austell’s Tribute is a delight and a perfect accompaniment to the sun.  Having spent many an afternoon, and a few late mornings, supping this one I can personally vouch for its quality.  Served colder than most Tribute is fantastically refreshing and, despite its “sessionable” characteristics, it has a great flavour…crisp, bitter and unsurprisingly moist.

We also brought back a few bottles of Chalky’s Bite/Bark from Sharp’s brewery in Rock.  Keep an eye out for the review soon.

The Bricklayers Arms

The more eagle eyed among you will notice that this is not a review of The Ship as promised yesterday. Instead it is a review of The Bricklayers Arms, a pub I had been planning to visit for quite a while as it is a multiple CAMRA award winner (2007 Greater London Pub of the Year, 2008 South West London Pub of the Year), and an easy stroll from my flat.

I entered the pub clutching my stomach after having eaten too much creamy potato dauphinoise and roast chicken (it was for this reason that The Ship seemed like too much of a mission). The time was about 10pm Sunday night so it wasn’t overly busy, and those people who were there were mainly crammed into the small courtyard type garden out the back enjoying the last of the warmth from a lovely day. This included the pubs cricket team supping away, always a good sign.

Inside the pub, though reasonably small, looks fine with plaster and brick walls and some nice local artifacts. I’m afraid that the pub did not have a pool table but more than made up for this with a selection of traditional bar games including shove ha’penny and a skittle game with a ball on a string. I was rubbish at both of them. A large selection of beers included five different types of Timothy Taylor and the wonderful Wandle. We were far too full to think of food, but I’m sure it would have been lovely.

All in all I am glad I was too much of a fatty to bother walking the mile and a bit to Wandsworth. I think I may have discovered my new local. It’s criminal that I didn’t visit here sooner.

Summer Pubs…

The lovely people at the Gardian have in the last two days published a guide to Summer Pubs. They review 200 in total, I have been to just 5. Tonight I plan to increase this number by visiting a pub that I have planned to check out for a while. Check in soon for a review of “The Ship” in Wandsworth.