From Issue 14 (December 05)
1)
Website report
Having said there wouldn't be
another newsletter this side of Christmas I just had to let you know of a
few updates to the website. You might like to sit in front of your PC,
reading about beer, while nibbling a mince pie (try a strong dark beer
with it - sweetish or spiced ales would work very well!)
We went to WJ Kings' Open Day at
the beginning of the month and there's a two-page report with pictures at
If, like me, you have an urge to
call out "Ho there, mine host, a pottle of your best ale!" when
you're in the local, but would like to know what it means first, have a
look at our new page about pints, barrels, firkins and more
Bookmark the page about the trip to
Belgium scheduled for Friday 24th - Monday 27th February 2006 and
check it regularly for updates.
We've also provided more
information about the hotel we shall use as our base for the tour
as well as the secret history of
the hotel
and some tips on West Flanders
From Issue 13 (November 05)
1)
From Virtual to Real-world Travels
The course 'Around the World in 18 Beers'
proved to be very successful and was made very enjoyable for us by the
great group of people who attended. They clearly enjoyed their beer, and
were able to discuss it seriously but also enjoyed a good laugh in the
process - just the way we like it! It also emerged that there was strong
interest in a field trip to Belgium to taste Belgian beers on their home
territory. We have been able to start making arrangements and the trip
has been scheduled for Friday 24th - Monday 27th February 2006. Be
sure to book those dates in your diary and then look at our website where
you'll find up to date information on
http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/BeerTastingInBelgium.htm
2) Preparing for Christmas? Pop into
your Co-op shop . . .
We happened to look into our local branch
of the Co-op in Shoreham High Street and (of course) checked out their
stock of beers. The first we noticed was Thwaites Strong Ale (5.0%
ABV) http://www.thwaites.co.uk and
felt duty bound to try it. It's brewed specially for the Co-op but we
suspect it has a family resemblance to
Thwaites cask beer
Daniel's Hammer (5.0% ABV) . Hammer is a
seasonal brew with an initial smooth slightly sweet taste finished off
with a subtle dry malty finish although it is a light amber colour. The
Co-op Strong Ale shows a similar taste but also has caramel flavouring,
which has the effect of darkening the colour. It's very easy to drink,
and good for this time of year as it brings to mind Christmas pudding.
Worth a try!
Also on the shelves we found Shepherd Neame's Christmas Ale 2005
vintage 6% ABV. http://www.shepherd-neame.co.uk/
From Issue 12 (November 05)
1) Historical Journey
Without moving out of your armchair you can undertake a short
journey through the history of beer, courtesy of Harveys, our great local
brewery which doesn't get as much publicity as it deserves for its work in
re-creating traditional beers.
Start with a bottle of their Bicentenary Stout 8% (brewed to
celebrate the Trafalgar anniversary). Pour it out and appreciate its dense
black colour, with a short-lived head. Now sniff the aroma and see if you
get molasses. Take a good mouthful. The first thing you notice is the
fulness of body, with a rich, almost oily mouthfeel, then the flavours start
to hit you. The intense dryness is prominent, then you spot the taste of
molasses with a hint of tar, and finally the dryness lingers in the
aftertaste. If Nelson's sailors enjoyed such brews it's no wonder the
French didn't stand a chance!
Back to the Jacobeans with the taste of Harveys Quatercentenary
8% (to celebrate the Gunpowder Plot). This is a clear chestnut brown with a
rich fruity aroma. It copies the October ales brewed on the great estates
in the 17th century when they used strong malts, with heavy hopping to
produce a high alcohol content that would keep well. The flavour is rich,
with bittersweet burnt toffee tastes and it imparts a satisfying warmth.
Now let's move forward again to the early 1900's when Britain was
famous for exporting a powerful stout to the court of the Czar. This is
commemorated in Harveys Imperial Extra Double Stout 9% of which we
tried the 2001 vintage, but the strength means that you could lay it down
for a few more years to let the flavours develop even further. You know
you're in for something special when we remove the foil and see that you
need a corkscrew to open this. Pouring it out with due reverence, enjoy the
dark colour and head, on a full, almost oily body. Sniff the vinous aroma
with hints of liquorice, both of which come through in your first sip, along
with other extremely complex flavours. Take your time with this one - it
needs sipping and savouring - but while you're lost in the joys of this very
special brew just make sure that somebody doesn't start a revolution . . .
These, and many other excellent bottled beers, can be obtained from
Harveys' shop, just by the river bridge in Lewes and next to the brewery, or
see their website at
2) Virtual Travels
We have been working hard on the research
for 'Around the World in 18 Beers' which will take place on the morning of
Saturday 26 November 10.00-13.00 at Steyning Grammar School - full details
on
We think we have managed to put together a
varied and interesting syllabus of beers which most people will have not
previously met. The list includes what are alleged to be 'the world's
strongest beer' and also 'the world's best beer'. You'd think that would
be a hard act to follow, but we have several others which score almost as
highly! There are 18 as promised to make up the 'world tour' but as usual
we shall be taking along half a dozen extra 'optional excursions' for
those who are not suffering from jetlag (?) by that stage!
3) It's in the genes
When Jeannette and I first met, as
students, Jeannette's parents had an off-licence in Wimbledon, and,
since we helped out in the shop, it was a standing joke that we had to
become familiar with the stock in order to advise customers correctly.
Imagine the merriment when our initial family history research turned up
the fact that Jeannette's paternal (Cousens) ancestors had kept a pub in
a Cornish village from 1845-1906. Some further work on the maternal
(Harris) side quickly established that they had been cider-makers in
Hereford and led to more jokes about alcohol in the blood. But the best
was still to come, when we unearthed the records of the Stokenham manor
courts in Tudor times, where on several occasions it was recorded that
members of the Cousens family had been fined for illegal ale brewing!
So our beer tastings are firmly rooted in ancestral tradition - although
we endeavour to keep them on the right side of the law!
In more recent years, resources which have
become available on the Internet enabled us to make a break-through in
my own Simpson research - and have given Jeannette the last laugh!
First we found new information showing that the Simpsons had been hotel
keepers in both Birmingham (The Kings Head - swept away in the
re-building around New Street station) and Yorkshire (The Golden Lion in
Duke Street, Settle - still going strong - and the Ashfield Hotel in
Duke Street. The latter, no longer operating, was a temperance hotel!
But this was clearly just a temporary aberration, the exception which
proves the rule!)
Our genealogical trip to Yorkshire this
October took us up to Ingleton, where my paternal grandmother's family
(Gill) originated. We found that their first farm in that area had been
an old coaching inn (though not by the time they owned it) but members
of the family had at different times run the Bridge Inn, Ingleton
(still in business) and also the Wheatsheaf, High Street Ingleton.
Strangely, we had booked accommodation in the latter, enjoyed their
excellent menu and ales (Black Sheep Special recommended) before we
found out about the family connection! Then a living relative in the
area showed us an old newspaper article which told how the Gills had run
the Golden Fleece Inn at Kendal (still functioning) in the 1890's. A
recent TV programme explained a new theory whereby we inherit much more
than DNA - they now think that the experiences of our ancestors can also
be locked into the genes and affect the way we develop. We hope that
none of those boffins get a copy of this newsletter or we're likely to
find ourselves under the microscope as perfect cases to prove their
theories!
From Supplement 2 to Issue 11 (October 05)
WORTHING BEER FESTIVAL REPORT
Once again your reporters have been working tirelessly on your
behalf, getting up to attend the 9th Worthing Beer Festival at the crack of
11.30 a.m. We were impressed by the relaxed atmosphere and superb selection
of beers. Although we did our best, we only managed 11 out of the 46 on
offer, but they were so good that they merit a trip to Worthing if you can
possibly get there tonight (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday).
Being somewhat prejudiced by our excellent experience of the
products of the Oakleaf brewery, we had already decided that Oakleaf's
Blakes Gosport Bitter (5.2% ABV) would win 'Best of Show' and we
weren't disappointed. We awarded this 5 stars and used it as a
yardstick to measure the other beers by, on a scale of 1-5. The lowest
score we awarded was 3.5, which represents a beer well worth seeking out, so
you will get an idea of the high standard from that.
Here are the others we tried:
O'Hanlon's - Double Champion Wheat (4.0%) A deliciously
citrus-tinted beer with a hint of spice. It has received wide acclaim
(hence Double Champion) and is slightly cloudy. Freshness and fragrance
come first to the palate, followed by the distinctive citrus crackle that
stays crisp and tangy down to the last drop. Even that write-up doesn't do
it full justice - it is a competent wheat beer, but with added character.
Well deserves 4 stars.
Titanic - Stout (4.5%) Jet black hue with a light brown
head. Strong pronounced coffee nose with toasted malts. Fantastic complex
tastes with coffee roasted malts and caramel hints. A Great stout. In
bottled form a winner at GBBF 2004 and runner up 2005. To which we can only
add - 4 stars.
Summerskills - Tamar (4.3%) A mid brown bitter with a fine
crystal malt and hops character, a full malt flavour in the mouth and
aromas of rich malts, nuts and hops. A secondary hopped version of their
Best Bitter, giving it a more pronounced hop taste and aroma - and raising
it to a higher plane which merited 4 stars
Arundel - Old Knucker (5.5%) A dark old ale with a malt
and fruit aroma. Malt dominates the taste with a bitter-sweet coffee and
some slightly lemony hops to finish. This was so good we agonised over
whether to rate it jointly with Oakleaf, but in the end gave it 4.5 stars
In less stellar company this would have been a winner.
Cheriton - Village Elder (3.8%) A wonderful ale from Cheriton
with the elderflowers underpinning the hops in a ways that is quite
remarkable. Great spice and aroma. A multi-award winning beer - with good
reason. We discovered the Cheriton brew pub recently and were impressed by
their offerings. This one maintains their excellent reputation and we had
no difficulty in awarding it 4 stars.
Enville - Old Porter (4.5%) A traditional style porter, dark
in appearance, and offering a complex mix of roast malt and fruit flavours
with a degree of sweetness giving way to a dry finish. 4 stars
Harvey's - Old (4.3%) Reminiscent of the mild ales produced
during the early part of last century it is brewed to an original gravity of
1040-1044 using a high percentage of crystal malt and black sugars. The
result is a soft full beer with a nutty palate. We consider ourselves very
lucky to be within reach of Harvey's brewery tap and shop in Lewes as we
think this brewery has something very special to offer with their
willingness to experiment and re-create old styles. (Try their Trafalgar
and Gunpowder Plot, for examples of superb Georgian and Jacobean styles.)
Once again they have produced a brew full of character which easily merits
4 stars
Hammerpot - Red Hunter (4.3%) A deep mahogany to ruby red
bitter. A full bodied rich and slightly vinous malt character soundly
balanced with finest English hops. This brewery, quite close to
Worthing, was only commissioned in August 2005 and this is its second beer
making its debut at the Festival. If Hammerpot can continue to produce
beers of this quality they will be a force to be reckoned with. 3.5
stars
Ryburn - Best Mild (3.3%) This very dark if not black beer
has a lovely roasty chocolate aroma and a pronounced roastiness to the taste
too. An excellent beer which packs such flavour for its low ABV. This one
produced murmurs of astonishment all round - 'It's more like a stout!' - and
it faintly reminded us of some of the smoked beers we recently met in
Bavaria. Regardless of what the brewers call it, it is a beer of great
character and worth trying. We gave it 3.5 stars at the time and
have been wondering whether we should have awarded the extra half.
Cairngorm - Black Gold (4.4%) provided an ideal finish. Champion
Beer of Scotland 2005, a Scottish stout with a rich dark colour, traditional
smooth sweetness (ideal as a digestif) with underlying roast barley
hints. We had to give this 4.5 stars
In any such gathering of beers we would have expected to have rated
beers all along the scale from 1 (OK but wouldn't bother to try it again)
through 3 (worth travelling to try it) to 5 (superb specimen of the brewer's
art). The fact that all our choices rated so highly speaks volumes for the
members of the Festival Committee who selected the beers. It is also
interesting to note that the majority of those present, like ourselves, were
opting mainly for the darker beers. This partly reflects seizing the
opportunity to try styles which are not commonly seen in local pubs but also
the sheer quality and character of these offerings. In conclusion we felt
it was time well spent, and if you're within reach of Worthing we would urge
you to go and try for yourself.
From Issue 10 (September 05)
A brief reminder of our our favourite
beer from the recent Buckingham Arms Beer Festival - the front runner from a
very good field!
"Our top choice - which wouldn't be everyone's favourite - was
Oakleaf Brewing's Eichenblatt Bitte 5.4%. This is a smoked wheat beer,
which beats many of the German wheat beers and is up there with the best
German smoked beers. However most of the other customers were giving us
very strange looks as we tried it! The reason is that it looks just like a
glass of pineapple juice - very cloudy, with a brown/yellow colour. It has
a very clean slightly sharp taste, and the smokey flavour appears in the
aftertaste and builds up gradually. We saw the landlord give a taster to a
customer at the bar, who immediately shook his head - but then he was
drinking Carling lager when 30 real ales were available so what could you
expect! We congratulated the landlord for trying something that unusual,
and promised to take the rest of the barrel off his hands if the regulars
wouldn't touch it! If you've tried any Belgian or German wheat beers, it
shouldn't come as too much of a shock, and if you like wheat beers, I'm sure
you'll enjoy this one. "
It so happened that just after writing this report, and e-mailing
Oakleaf to congratulate them, we were due to visit Gosport. To our great
surprise and delight our Gosport friend Trevor had contacted Oakleaf to
arrange a tour for Jeannette and myself, Trevor and his wife Tessa. Oakleaf
had agreed to fit us in on what was otherwise a busy day but then generously
allowed us far more than our allotted tour time.
The brewery is housed in a small unit on an industrial estate and
they have to take some of their gear out into the car park in order to have
room to work, then take it all back when they close up at the end of the
day. They are planning some building work to provide extra working space;
nevertheless, out of this little acorn of a building come some mighty
Oakleaf beers!
As some of the beers are seasonal we could not try every beer they
produce but all the ones we tried were without exception fine specimens of
their type and most would rate as outstanding. For a brewery which only
started in March 2000 they have an impressive wall display of awards, and
our experience showed they were well deserved.
Our tour was conducted by Dave Pickersgill, the Managing Director,
after we had been welcomed at Reception by Dave's daughter, Sarah. Apart
from the thorough explanation of the brewing techniques, what came through
very clearly was pride in having built up such a thriving concern. Later we
met Ed Anderson, Dave's son-in-law, Director, and head brewer, and were
again impressed by his enthusiasm for his work. He joined us in an
Eichenblatt Bitte, which confirmed our previous top rating for this beer.
We had previously enjoyed a Nuptu'Ale, a very refreshing 4.2% pale ale, and
then topped that with Blakes Gosport Bitter, a dark malty 5.2% brew, which
was something special.
In the interests of research we took away several bottled beers, and
worked through them over the weekend. Hole Hearted, 4.7%, the champion beer
of several festivals, is brewed with 100% Cascade hops. In the brewery we
had been given handfuls of this hop to roll in our palms to release the oils
and allow us to sniff its intense aroma. When you try the beer that is
exactly the aroma and taste you get - I've never known a beer to be so true
to its hops! Definitely one to try. The boxed set of 4 bottles also
includes Oakleaf Bitter (at 3.8% a very easy drinking ale), Heart of Oak
4.5%, (brewed to commemorate Trafalgar, a traditional ale with chocolate
overtones) and the excellent Blakes Gosport Bitter mentioned above.
Any brewery would be proud to have a line-up of such excellent
beers, and for a brewery only four years old it is an amazing achievement.
I can't wait to try some of their seasonal ales and I'm sure that with Dave
and Ed's enthusiasm being given free rein we shall see some more classics
coming from the Oakleaf Brewing Company Ltd.
This report has been added to the UK section of the World of
Beers website, where you can also see some photographs of
the brewery and staff - click on the link below
From Issue 9 (August 05)
STOP PRESS Report on Buckingham Arms Beer Festival Shoreham Friday
26th - Monday 29th August
There are some 30 beers available for
the Festival but even with the help of a couple of jacket potatoes we only
managed to try 10! However we were very impressed with what we found. The
Buck's landlord is normally good at picking interesting items but this time
he's excelled himself.
Our top choice - which wouldn't be everyone's favourite - was
Oakleaf Brewery's Eichenblatte Bitte 5.4%. This is a smoked wheat beer,
which beats many of the German wheat beers and is up there with the best
German smoked beers. However most of the other customers were giving us very
strange looks as we tried it! The reason is that it looks just like a glass
of pineapple juice - very cloudy, with a brown/yellow colour. It has a very
clean slightly sharp taste, and the smokey flavour appears in the aftertaste
and builds up gradually. We saw the landlord give a taster to a customer at
the bar, who immediately shook his head - but then he was drinking Carlings
lager when 30 real ales were available so what could you expect! We
congratulated the landlord for trying something that unusual, and promised to
take the rest of the barrel off his hands if the regulars wouldn't touch it!
If you've tried any Belgian or German wheat beers, it shouldn't come as too
much of a shock, and if you like wheat beers, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
At least one of our readers will be proud to learn that the Oakleaf Brewery is
in his home town of Gosport - for more details of this and other prizewinning
beers see their website www.oakleafbrewing.co.uk
Other delights included a chance to try the Orkney brewery's Dark
Island 4.6% The tasting notes describe it as 'rich and well-balanced,
generally a sweetish roast malt taste'. We agreed with the comment, finding
not quite as much body as we expected, but this made it refreshing. Is there
a hint of peat in the taste?
www.orkneybrewery.co.uk is supposed to be their website but the link
wasn't working when I tried it.
We both liked Captain Smiths 5.2% by Titanic
www.titanicbrewery.co.uk/ from
Stoke on Trent. Described as 'A full-bodied dark red/brown beer, hoppy and
bitter with malt and roast malt flavours'. We'd agree with that and just add
that we were more aware of the bitterness when trying it with food.
Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild 6.0% The Sarah Hughes is a pub and
brewery in Dudley, named after a lady who owned it in the mid 20th century and
now run by her grandson. This is also a prizewinning beer described as 'A
famous rich dark strong mild' and has good body with a sweetish taste.
The Hogs Back Brewery's contribution is Legend 4.0% of
which the tasting notes say 'Complex and drinkable, golden coloured and has a
dry, malty and bitter taste that lingers.' We found it to be a nice summer
refresher whose creamy mouthfeel takes the edge off the bitterness.
www.hogsback.co.uk/ is their website
where you'll learn that they are also producers of T.E.A (Traditional English
Ale 4.2%). If you can't get to the Buck to try Legend, you might well find
T.E.A. in bottle-conditioned form at your supermarket. (But don't go up to an
assistant and ask if they sell TEA - you may end up with a considerably less
alcoholic beverage!)
The five beers above all received our top score. The other five we
tried were all beers that we would be pleased to drink at any time, but the
top-scorers were ones which we felt were worth searching out.
From Issue 8 (August
05)
Interesting Scottish beers
While we were touring the UK last month we were favourably impressed
by several Scottish beers we encountered. We had already met Fraoch, Heather
Ale, (5%) which you can sometimes get in supermarkets, and enjoyed it as a
light, refreshing drink with a taste that's a bit different. The background
is that, prior to the introduction of hops into the brewing process, all sorts
of things were used to help clear and preserve the ale. In Scotland they used
heather, and this brewer has recreated the ancient recipe. They have also
experimented with other historical ingredients - including seaweed in their
Kelpie (4.4%) Read the whole story at
http://www.fraoch.com/
Westvleteren Beer Story
A lot of newspapers in many countries picked up the story that beer
from St. Sixtus Abbey at Westvleteren, Belgium, had been rated the top beer in
the world. As a result, there was a run on it and all supplies were sold
out. The monks said they brewed beer as part of their monastic life, solely
to help support the abbey, and would not turn it into a commercial
undertaking, so were not going to increase production - hence media hysteria!
You will rarely get sensible beer stories in the mainstream press (or
on any other subject, come to think of it!) The Belgian beer discussion
group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belgianbeer/
contains more down to earth information on the topic. Contributors point out
that the ratings come from a website (www.ratebeer.com)
which, though useful, has no control over the voting - anyone can go to it and
click to rate beers they've never even seen. It's likely to be a 5 minute
wonder in the press, and St Sixtus often runs out of beer for sale but there's
always enough produced later to resume supply, and existing supplies are
diverted to their onsite beer cafe 'In De Vrede', which doesn't run dry. With
the proviso 'one of the top beers' I would agree that St Sixtus is a
top world beer and Tim Web's book (mentioned in May issue, details on
www.booksaboutbeer.com ) which is
sparing with its ratings gives all St Sixtus products top marks. Officially,
you can only buy it at the abbey, but it's certainly worth making a pilgrimage
while you're in Flanders. See their websites at
www.sintsixtus.be
for info on the abbey and www.indevrede.be
for details of the
cafe, which also has a retail shop where you can buy small quantities of the
beer, abbey cheese and pate, and other souvenir items. Best value for the
beer is at the drive-in shop opposite, where you can only buy by the crate BUT
- (i) this shop regularly sells out (ii) it only stocks the version (blonde
5.8%, Extra 8 strong dark dubbel - 8% and Abt 12 barley wine - 10.8%) which
has just been brewed (iii) the narrow road to the shop is often clogged with
a tail back of eager locals! SO phone them on 057 40 10 57 while you're in
Belgium to find out when they're open and what's available. And don't worry
about having to buy a whole crate - the 8 and 10 beers can be laid down like
fine wines for 10 years or more and improve with age.
In the coming academic year (starting September) we're offering a
Saturday (10.00-13.00) Belgian beer tasting on 15 October 2005. It will show
the main styles of Belgian beer but will contain different representatives of
each type, so even those who have been on both previous Belgian courses will
get a new range to experience.
There will be another Saturday course, on 20 May 2006, this time on
German beers. We hope to introduce you to those areas of the German brewing
industry which have not been taken over by the large bland fizz producers and
show where quality and character still survives.
We are also trying a new format with a new theme. Called 'Around the
World in 18 Beers' this will be on one evening per week over six weeks. On
each evening we shall taste 3 beers from a different area of the world, and
look at how locally available ingredients, environment and history have shaped
brewing in that region. It will run from 7.30-9.00 pm on Wednesday evenings,
starting on 25 January 2006, with the last session on 8 March 2006 as there
will be a half-term break in the middle.
From Issue 7 (July 05)
We recently made a short trip to Somerset
and came across the products of the Butcombe brewery in several locations.
Butcombe Bitter (4.0%) is very pleasant but I was particularly taken with
Butcombe Gold (4.7% abv). I found it in bottled form (and brought a few home)
but it is also available on draught. Apparently Wetherspoons take a load
every week but I don't know how well it would be presented there, and am
concerned they might not do it justice. The brewers notes are as follows:
"NOSE: Citrus hops and fruit. PALATE: Rounded malt in the mouth, with a fresh
vitality, balanced by the full bittersweet finish of English Fuggle hops.
COMMENTS: Yellow gold in colour…hence the name! Made with 100% English malt
and only English Fuggles hops. HISTORY: Launched in 1999, becoming instantly
popular." Try it if you find it.
On the way home we were passing through
Hampshire just as lunch time was looming, so we consulted the Good Beer Guide
and found that the map of Hampshire is very thickly covered with recommended
pubs - ideas for a beer tour holiday in the future? - and that we were very
close to Cheriton (just north of the A272 between Winchester and Petersfield), where
you can find 'Flower Pots', which seems to bring together everything a
traditional pub should be. This is the home of the Cheriton Brewhouse, and
you can smell the malt from the day's brew as you park your car. The pub is a
Victorian building, privately owned by the same family for the last 37 years.
Wisely they have resisted the temptation to 'age' the building by adding fake
'Tudor' beams - as a result the pub shows it's real age proudly and its
interesting bar layout, with a well visible in the floor, needs no further
embellishment. The food is excellent at very good prices - lamb hotpot with
home-made crusty bread, jacket potato with mushrooms and quarter-inch thick
slices of local bacon, plus 'Judes' local ice-creams to start your mouth
watering - but the star is the beer. You know you're in for something good
when you realise that the frames covering one wall are all CAMRA 'Best in
Festival' certificates going back to 1993 and you're not disappointed.
Jeannette enjoyed the Cheriton Best Bitter at 4.2% but I reserved the main
accolade for Diggers Gold 4.6%. With the pub offering accommodation it's
tempting to make an extended session of it!
German beers
The continuing saga of our efforts to find out where
the great beers of Germany are hiding took an unexpected twist this month.
Our trip to Somerset took in the village of Corton Denham (another location
with family history connections - it's near Sherborne but you'll need a large
map to find it!) and we checked out the 'Queens Arms there. To our surprise
they stocked quite a range of Belgian beers - Wynne immediately selected her
favourite Rodenbach and we were pleased to see the Grand Cru version, not that
common even in Belgium. But best of all they had a famous German beer from
the Heller brewery in Bamberg - 'Aecht Schenkerla Rauchbier'. This is a
smoked beer and if you've ever tried German smoked cheese or sausage, that's
just what it smells like. It's a dark Maerzen beer (5.1%) and once you get
used to the strange smokiness which comes through in the taste you'll find
it's very pleasant and leaves a wonderful aftertaste. At last a German beer
with real character! I can't wait to try it with a good smoked wurst. And
coincidentally it comes from one of the traditional brewing heartlands -
around Nuremberg and Bamberg - where we're heading in a couple of day's time.
All at once I'm filled with hope that we can find some distinctive beers which
can help repair Germany's reputation - in recent years it seems to have become
the home of bland fizzy lagers brewed by accountants and marketing men! Watch
this space . . .
An essential item for your bookshelf
The Good Beer Guide to Belgium - 5th edition was due out on Friday
27th May. You can order it from Tim Webb on
www.booksaboutbeer.com -
Individual sales are available at cover price (UKP 12.99) signed by the author
and delivered direct to your home. Previous editions, which included
Holland, were a must-have, but this new edition concentrates on Belgium only.
This means it can pack more in - this is what the write-up promises:
"It gives details of all 120 breweries, over 800 beers and more than
500 specialist beer cafés. And just in case you think that sells you short,
it tells you all the ways to get to Belgium, how to get around and gives tips
on where to stay and what to look out for on the menu. This edition for the
first time lists all the regular beer festivals, all the beer-related tourist
attractions, which breweries allow you to visit and where you can buy beer to
take home. The section on Belgian beer in the UK is also expanded to include
nearly fifty top outlets. Written with attitude, researched with care. A
serious annoyance to those companies that thought they could take the world of
beer for their own. Like the craft breweries whose products it extols, this is
a book that has survived against all the odds, to make life just a little bit
more fun. Don’t bother to compare. You will not find another guide like it."
Essential websites to visit
Tthe Belgian Beer forum which you can find/join
(free) at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belgianbeer/ When
you get to that page, be sure to click on the small link to the Belgian Beer
Anthem - or use this one
http://users.pandora.be/filip.geerts/potverdekke.mp3
and make sure that your PC's speakers are on. It's a
catchy tune and the words are obviously written by someone very familiar with
Belgium and fond of its people (and beer!). The title 'Potverdekke' is a
polite version of the Flemish for God damn, rather like our 'Gordon Bennet' or
exclaiming 'sugar' instead of sh . . . omething else. The group is run by
Filip Geerts whose own - very idiosyncratic! - website is at
http://users.pandora.be/filip.geerts/index6.htm It
has lots of useful info, even if the music isn't always great! He has also
started the Belgian Beer Card scheme (also free) to help cafe owners in
Belgium to encourage people to try the more interesting beers by money-off or
two-for-one promotions - get the card at http://www.belgianbeercard.com/
Another essential site linked to Filip's is the Belgian Beer Pub map at
http://www.beerpubmap.be/
German beers
Continuing our efforts to find out where the great beers of Germany
are hiding we went to Barcelona last month! That's not as daft as it sounds -
the Spanish have become more beer-oriented recently and we found a surprising
number of German beers. Sadly they mainly conformed to the fizzy, bland
formula which seems to be trying to turn all German beers into B@#!w~*ser
(sorry, we don't mention that word in discerning company!) Here's what we
tried:
Franziskaner Hefeweizen - rather like Hoegaarden without the spices.
Came across rather watery, and not what I would have expected from an ancient
and well-known brewery.
Warburger - very clear golden colour, not too fizzy, rounded after
taste, better than the above - is it significant that it's a smaller brewer?
Bitburger Premium - 4.8% clear golden colour, more bite to the taste,
not much head.
Erdinger Weissbier - wheat beer 5.3%, frothy white head, fairly watery
taste.
Frankenheim Alt (Privat Brauerei) - 4.8%, initially raised
expectations as it is a dark beer, tasted sweetish and rounded but not a very
strong flavour.
Spatenbräu
(draft) - clear, gold, fizzy, not much flavour, fits the marketing man or
accountants formula.
All in all, very disappointing.
Spanish beers
I confess, I started with the prejudice that Spanish beers wouldn't be
up to much but felt we should try them while we were in Barcelona. The
following comments may have been influenced by comparison with the
disappointing German beers above, or the fact that Spanish beers seem right
for the climate and situation while you're there, but I have to say I was
pleasantly surprised overall. Here's what we found:
San Miguel - I would turn my nose up at this as served in English
pubs, but on draft in Catalonia (ask for a canya) it's a very good thirst
quencher.
Mahou - 5.5% bottled, good flavour with bitter aftertaste and very
refreshing.
Estrella Damm - found both draft and canned, this is another good thirst
quencher with more flavour than the German beers listed above.
Voll Damm Doble Malta - bottled 7.2%. Although this is labelled Das
originale Märzenbier it is a product of the Spanish Damm brewery, trying to
give it a foreign cachet. This was fairly bitter, dark beer, with more
body. The strength came through in the taste which appealed to me though
Jeannette wasn't so keen.
Coronita - bottled 4.6% - very light with a pleasant flavour but you have to
wonder why they should import this from Mexico as a speciality when the
home-grown products are just as good.
Innis & Gunn
We found that Waitrose were doing a promotion of 3
bottles of Innis and Gunn for £4. As the bottles are just 330ml it's a bit
pricey at full RRP, so here's a good chance to stock up. It's an Edinburgh
ale, of golden brown hue, aged in old malt whiskycasks, and has a rich,
slightly sweetish taste - a bit like whisky flavoured liqueur chocolates. It
comes across as stronger than its 6.6% and is warming and soothing. We
sometimes share one of these bottles late at night - it serves a good two wine
glasses - and it's much better than cocoa for helping you sleep!
Gales
Recently some kind friends gave us a selection pack
from their local brewery, Gales of Horndean. As I've only had limited
experience of Gales in local pubs, where I suspect it may not be too well
kept, I was delighted to be able to try the products direct from the
brewery, and it was quite a revelation. I'd heard that the
bottle-conditioned versions of the beers were better than the drafts which
are often poorly served (although the drafts may fare better in Gales own
pubs) and this certainly proved to be the case.
GB - Gales Bitter 4.5% (which in a local pub was
undrinkable fizz) turned out to be an excellent, refreshing bitter.
HSB - 4.8% usually survives better in non-Gales pubs,
but the bottle-conditioned version was several orders of magnitude better.
Festival - 4.8% was a rare treat, as it's not easy to
find a bottle-conditioned mild, and this was a delicious specimen.
All the above are in 500ml bottles, but the fourth in
the pack, Prize Old Ale 9%, comes in a 275ml bottle, stoppered with a cork
and sealed like a wine. And that's exactly how you should approach this
fine specimen of the brewer's art - sip it slowly and marvel at the range of
subtle flavours which are too complex for my feeble powers of description -
you'll just have to try it!
If you can get down to Horndean you can do the
brewery tour and/or visit the shop - see
http://www.galesales.co.uk/ - but
if you want to make your trip into a short break in a very pleasant area the
website suggests accommodation (in Gales inns, naturally!)
From Issue 5 (Mar 05)
A couple from Sainsburys
Sainsburys have added a couple of interesting new beers
to their range:Meantime Brewing do
some flavoured beers and Jeannette persuaded me to try their 'Coffee Meantime
Beer' (4.0% ABV) - "Fairtrade Rwandan coffee and British dark malts are brewed
in unison to bring you a rich combination of coffee freshness and balancing
malt sweetness". The coffee aroma is very clear and the coffee flavours are
reminiscent of some stouts, although it lacks the body and head of a stout.
It won't become one of my regular tipples but it might be something to wean a
non-beer drinker towards the proper stuff, and it could work as an
after-dinner drink. (Although they are supposed to have a website at
www.meantimebrewing.co.uk it wasn't
working when I tried it but a Google search produced information on the
brewery).
As a complete contrast to the above try Batemans "Spring Breeze" pale ale
(ABV 4.2%)
"Brewed & dry hopped with floral and citrus style
hops, combined with prime Maris Otter malt, producing a golden,malty, crisp
pale ale with a delightful flowery aroma" says the brewer's tasting notes, and
I wouldn't disagree with any of it. BUT it's only produced in March and April
so look out for it now! See their website
http://www.bateman.co.uk/ for more information - and beer recipes too!
From Issue 4 (Mar 05)
1) Festival 1
The Red Lion in Shoreham-by-Sea is holding its 10th
annual Beer Festival on 25-28 March (Easter weekend). They open each day at
11.30 (except Sunday 12.00). They promise wines and ciders as well as real
ales - of which there will be over 60! Souvenir glasses, T-shirts, and live
music are also on offer. More details on 01273 453171.
(We selflessly researched these details on your behalf
by calling in at the Red Lion and can report that they always have several
interesting real ales on tap, which change frequently - I was quite taken with
the 'Iron Horse' while Jeannette preferred a 'Love Bite' - it's a beer,
honestly!)
3) Karakterbierweekend
A reminder that if you can get over to Belgium in early
June you could attend the weekend of speciality beers, which takes place in
Vichte, just east of Kortrijk, on the weekend of Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th
June 2005 from 14.00 - 23.00 each day. Full information was given in the last
newsletter and the relevant website is
http://www.karakterbierweekend.be/ but contact me if you're thinking of
going over there and would like any tips.
4) Glastonwick reminder
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June 2005 - check out the
website for Glastonwick, which takes place at Shoreham airport and promises 50
cask ales, plus cider and perry, food and entertainment.
http://www.cask-ale.co.uk/beerfestival.html
Keep checking the website which is steadily growing.
Following our recent trip to Brussels I am creating a section which will be an
insider's guide to all the wonderful beer-related locations just a few steps
from the main square - the Grande Place or Grote Markt. Brussels is a great
location for a beer tasting holiday where you don't have to worry about
drinking and driving. That part of the website will continue to grow, but if
you're likely to be heading to Brussels in the near future contact me, and
I'll e-mail you the tips which haven't reached the website yet. (If you would
prefer some more personal guidance and some company on your beer pilgrimage
see section 8 below.)
6) Tim Webb's New Guide
I had a very nice message from Tim Webb, respected beer
guru and author of that most essential 'Good Beer Guide
to Belgium & Holland'. After I
had convinced him I was not the BBC's senior foreign correspondent (nor any
relation of OJ nor the cartoon characters) he told me that a new 356-page
edition of his book will be coming out in May but this time it will be limited
to Belgium only. That's bad news for the Dutch, but good news for us
Belgophiles as the whole space will be devoted to info on the beers of
Belgium, where to drink them and where to buy them, and this time there will
be colour to brighten the pages! Tim's website is
www.booksaboutbeer.com -
you will eventually be able to order the Guide through it but the website
doesn't yet display info on the new edition.
7) College beer tastings
The course we ran for Northbrook college on Saturday
26th February was great fun. The programme promised up to 15 beers, we
officially included 17 but decided that the students needed a drink while
filling in the college assessment forms, so the final tally was 20 beers
tasted. On the tutor's paperwork I expressed my opinion fairly forcefully
about an administration which expects you to fill in a form for a 3-hour
beer-tasting course, so the following information about courses planned for
next year must be prefaced with the proviso 'if they haven't sacked me by
then'!
In the next academic year (starting September) we're
aiming to offer another Saturday (10.00-13.00) Belgian beer tasting on 15
October 2005. It will also show the main styles of Belgian beer but will
contain different representatives of each type, so even those who have been on
both previous Belgian courses will get a new range to experience.
There will be another Saturday course, on 20 May 2006,
this time on German beers. We hope to discover those areas of the German
brewing industry which have not been taken over by the large bland fizz
producers and show where quality and character still survives. If there is
enough demand, either or both of these courses will be repeated.
We are also trying a new format with a new theme.
Called 'Around the World in 18 Beers' this will be on one evening per week
over six weeks. On each evening we shall taste 3 beers from a different area
of the world, and look at how locally available ingredients, environment and
history have shaped brewing in that region. It will run from 7.30-9.00 pm on
Wednesday evenings, starting on 25 January 2006, with the last session on 8
March 2006 as there will be a half-term break in the middle.
This is advance information for your diary - as yet no
details will be available from the college - they don't produce their
programme until June/July - but we'll shortly have details on our website at
http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm
8) Ideas for the future
We're still working around the idea of a beer tasting
club meeting occasionally in Shoreham, but it's unlikely that anything will
happen before the autumn. Our preferred venue, the Buckingham Arms, will be
undergoing a refurbishment during the summer - hope they don't spoil its
comfortably old-fashioned character.
Having had several requests for field trips to Belgium,
we're still looking at ways to achieve this - possibilities are:
a) Everyone making their own way by Eurostar or car to
our favourite hotel in Flanders, where we would all stay and be taken by
minibus to local breweries, bars, beer museums, cafes and beer supermarkets
over a few days, probably in October.
b) A trip to Brussels by Eurostar, staying close to the
Grande Place and seeing all the (beer-related) sites in the vicinity
c) A trip to Poperinge for the Hop Festival in
September
If you're interested in any of the above, please let us
have your feedback - it would be helpful to know your preferences to help our
planning.
From Issue 3 (February 05)
1) Rodenbach
Rodenbach, the Roeselaar-based brewer of
the famous Flemish red ale, now owned by Palm, have just announced that they
have been awarded the status of 'traditioneel
Vlaams streekproduct' (traditional Flemish local product). This
enables them to add STREEKPRODUCT.BE to their labels, which is the equivalent
of the 'appelation d’origine’ on French wines. Hopefully this will give their
product a further boost and make Rodenbach more widely available so that more
people can try this unique beer. If you haven't already had the Rodenbach
experience be warned that the first taste may come as a shock. Think of it as
a wine, because the initial impression is of its tartness, but stick with it,
and you'll come to enjoy its refreshing taste.
2) On the HOP!
I have recently joined HOP, the Heerlijk Objectief
Proeven - the name means 'Splendid Objective Tastings' and is a bit tortuous
but makes for a good abbreviation! They are part of Zythos, the Belgian
equivalent of CAMRA, based around Kortrijk (Courtrai), but cover West
Flanders, our favourite area, as well. They are a very active group, with a
brilliant website at http://www.hop.be.tf/
Although it's mainly in Flemish, there's a lot which is easy to understand -
in particular look for the link to 'Belgische Browerijen' which is an A-Z
index of all the major Belgian breweries with contact details, small pictures,
and links to their websites (where available). When you're planning your next
trip to Belgium, find out what breweries are in the area, then use the links
here to find out more about them and whether they're open for visits.
3) Karakterbierweekend
One of the activities organised by HOP is the weekend
of speciality beers, which takes place in Vichte, just east of Kortrijk, on
the weekend of Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th June 2005 from 14.00 - 23.00 each
day. Entry is free, at the last count there were 70 beers for tasting on the
schedule, and there will be food and a 'prize every time' lottery! They have
a special website giving details of the weekend and have thoughtfully included
details of hotels in the area. If you stay in Kortrijk, and go there by
train, (take an off-peak Eurostar London-Brussels for about £29 each way,
which gives you free onward travel to/from any station in Belgium) HOP have a
shuttle bus from Kortrijk to the festival site in Vichte although you must
notify them in advance that you want to take advantage of the service. We're
having a short trip over there to take in the weekend and are looking forward
to exploring the villages in that area - perhaps we'll see you there? Full
details at
http://www.karakterbierweekend.be/
4) Local (Shoreham) event - Glastonwick
If you can't get over to Belgium but are at a loose end
that same weekend - Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June 2005 - and would like to try
some UK real ales, check out the website for Glastonwick, which takes place at
Shoreham airport and promises 50 cask ales, plus cider and perry, food and
entertainment.
I have expanded the 'World of Beers' section of the
website. Under the UK area the section on tasting British beers gives details
of the excellent Foundation course run by the Beer Academy - educational and a
fun day out! The main World of Beers page now contains a link to a mail list
page where you can also unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive this
newsletter.
6) More Local Festivals
MAR 10-12 (Thursday-Saturday): 15th SUSSEX
BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL, Hove Town Hall, Hove - details on the CAMRA website
There's a bonus for card-carrying CAMRA
members. We got our tickets from one of our favourite locals, the Buckingham
Arms in Shoreham, currently stocking 11 real ales (try the King & Barnes
Mallard or the latest offering from the Arundel brewery - and feel good that
you're supporting small local brewers!) The Buckingham themselves will be
having their own small festival on 18-19 February, and another favourite
Shoreham hostelry, The Red Lion, will be organising a festival at Easter.
7) College beer tastings
A researcher from Splash FM local (Worthing) radio came
across one of our handouts for the February 26 course and asked us to do an
interview for their afternoon programme on 4 Feb. While we don't expect a
stampede to result we have asked the college to open a waiting list for the
overspill (as the course is almost full already), with the idea of running
another tasting sometime in the summer term. So if you want to get in early
you could contact the college on 01903 606003 and ask them to
put your name down - it won't commit you, but it will keep you a place at the
head of the queue for whatever comes next.
8) Ideas for the future
We had a discussion with the landlord of the Buckingham
Arms in Shoreham with a view to running some tastings on their premises and he
seems very open to the idea. We're thinking along the lines of calling it the
BBBC - Buckingham Belgian Beer Club (although that wouldn't rule out exploring
some German or beers of other nationalities) - and meeting every couple of
months for an evening/afternoon/morning? on a weekday/weekend? to taste half a
dozen beers jointly as a group, with appropriate food samples, then people
could purchase extra glasses of their favourites from the bar or try the
Buck's current selection of UK ales. If you've got any thoughts on how we
should organise this please let us have your feedback.
From Issue 2 (Jan 05)
A Hoppy New Beer
to you all!
1) Sorry!
Apologies for the introduction - I was too weak to
resist the (h)opportunity!
2) 14 new beers in next college course
We did some serious zymurgical research in Belgium over
Christmas and came back with plenty of new study materials. So much so, that
for the session we're running for the college at the end of February we've
been able to produce a tasting list which is very different from the October
course. The course write-up mentions tasting up to 15 beers but we've
usually got at least 18 on hand. For the February 26 course at least 14 of
those will be different from those in the October list. So for any of you who
attended that one, the February course offers a chance to broaden your
horizons still further; for anyone who hasn't been to one of these courses the
full write-up can be found here:
http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/Beernews.htm
Belgian
Beer
a Refined Drink for Ladies & Gentlemen of Taste
Course No DCLW 349 fee £15
Saturday 26th February 2005
10.00 – 13.00
The course will be held at the Adult Education Centre,
Elm Lawn House, Union Place*, Worthing
*(between Waitrose and the Connaught Theatre)
To book please telephone 01903 606003 or 01903 606100
3) Watch this space
As you may have guessed from the above we're intending
to add a beers section to our website. We'll keep you informed of
developments via this newsletter.
From the first issue - it
was then called Belgian Beer Events & News
and went out on 15 November 2004 to a few people who had attended some beer
tastings.
It didn't have an issue number as we didn't suspect it was going to continue for
years!
Greetings to all students of Zymurgy!
EVENT 1)
The first Saturday morning beer tasting course
which we held at Northbrook College, Worthing, on 9 October seemed to go down
very well with those who attended, and we have been asked to run another for
the college. This will be on Saturday 26 February 2005
10.00-13.00 at the AE centre, Elm Lawn House, Union Place (just
opposite the Connaught Theatre), cost £15. Once I see who has signed up for
it I'll produce a programme of beers for it, trying to ensure that anyone who
was on the October course as well will meet some different beers. By the time
this course runs we'll have been to Belgium twice more so will incorporate
anything special we discovered into the course - let me know if you have any
special requests. Two things are certain - there will be at least 15
beers to taste and the total amount of alcohol will be such that you musn't
even think of driving afterwards. To book on this course
contact the college on 01903 606003 or 01903 606100
EVENT 2)
There seemed to be enough support to try an
Informal beer tasting group besides the college courses,
and we're thinking of trying one this side of Christmas. The groups would be
4 people per session and would take place at our house in Shoreham - up two
flights of stairs! (You would get a chance to see the collection of Belgian
beer glasses at the same time!) We're quite close to the Amsterdam and Red
Lion pubs, or St Nicholas church, or the old Tollbridge over the Adur -
depending whether you work out your routes from pubs, churches or geographical
features! Bearing in mind the anticipated volume of alcohol you would need to
take a taxi or use public transport to get you to Shoreham and back.
The format would be similar to the tasting at
the AE centre, with at least 15 beers supported by appropriate nibbles but
would be over 4 hours which would make things a bit more relaxed. Cost would
be £16 per head, since there wouldn't be the same economies of scale with a
smaller group, and some of the beers would be ones I've sourced from a UK
importer, which is a bit dearer than bulk-buying in Belgium. However the
nibbles would be more substantial - bread/cheese/pate etc - so there'd be more
to soak up the beer. I've got hold of some more Barbar, a Barbar Winter Bock
for comparison, and a couple more honey beers, so that could be one of the
themes for the session, but I am always open to requests. The session is
planned for Saturday 11 December 2004 10.00-14.00
- if you would definitely like to join that
session please reply to this e-mail as soon as possible and then
I'll contact you with details of location and payment details.
If you're interested in this type of session
but can't make that date let me know, as there may be enough support to
organise an additional session on one of the following dates - Saturday 4
December 14.00-18.00, Sunday 5 December 10.00-14.00, or Sunday 12 December
10.00-14.00. Please state which date(s) you prefer.
EVENT 3)
Interest has been expressed in the idea of a
field trip to Belgium, to taste the local products in situ and visit one or
two of the more interesting breweries. I am looking into various ways this
could be done, and will talk over the options with those who attend the
informal sessions. However if you have any ideas or special requests for such
a trip please let me know.
NEWS 1)
Those of you who were at the tasting on 9
October had a chance to try Passendale, an amber ale from Moortgat brewery and
I think most, like me, found it very pleasant. If that was your first taste
of it, the bad news is that it's also likely to be your last, as Moortgat are
going to cease production. Their excuse is probably that it wasn't successful
- but that's hardly surprising as they never advertised it or even admitted
its existence on their website! I derived some consolation from the fact that
I found a very nice bottle-fermented 7% amber ale produced under the name
Lauka (the ancient name for Lo, the West Flanders village we use as our centre
for R & R and our base for the study of local breweries) which has a lot of
the characteristics of Passendale, albeit from a different brewery.
NEWS 2)
On a recent trip to Germany I tried really
hard, searching out all the recommended beers of the area (Nord-Rhein
Westfalen) but after some strenuous tasting felt disappointed. (It's a tough
job, but someone has to do it!) The 'average' Belgian beer I had on Brussels
station during the return journey was so much better than the 'top' German
beers I had been trying! It may be down to the fact that Germany has had very
strict brewing regulations for such a long time that the brewers have been
bludgeoned into churning out very pure and clear fizzy lagers of little
character, whereas the small Belgian brewers still have enough independence to
produce more exciting products. I would dearly love to be proved wrong on
this point, so if you have any nominations for world-class German beers please
let me know.