Beer E-News Archive 2007

This page is an archive of items culled from our Beer Newsletter.   For earlier issues click on 2006 or  2005
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From Issue 40 (December 07)

Just a few things for you to mull over as you sit by the fireside sipping your strong winter warmer ale.  We hope that you'll find a diary in your Christmas stocking - there's a few events for you to enter into it right away.  And what better way to pass a winter evening than planning all those beerscursions you're going to make in 2008!
 
1) Trappist Westvleteren
 
Those who came along to the recent Heavenly Beers course, and anyone else who likes a top Belgian beer, might like to check out the following link:
The story, from the Wall Street Journal, tells how St Sixtus Abbey (Westvleteren) are getting tough with those who try to profit from the limited availability of their beers.  Politics aside, there's a very nice photo gallery and short film on the same page which gives you some glimpses of Westvleteren.
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • It's good to report things are still moving along for Adur's very own brewery.  The artwork for the company has now appeared on the blog - the jester's cap relates to their excellent first beer 'Merry Andrew'.  Keep an eye on http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/?m=200712
  • You will no doubt have heard of that rare but useful circular device called a 'tuit'.  They are extremely valuable because there is so much you can get done when you get a round tuit.  I'm hoping to get one for Christmas, and that it will enable me to put together some web pages on Mechelen, Ghent, and the great Kerstbierfestival which we recently attended at Essen.  William Roelens, webmaster for HOP, clearly has one of these gadgets, as he already has an excellent photo-report on his blog.  Bear in mind that all the beers you see here are strong (6-12%) winter ales!  Surf to http://foto.telenet.be/9703844141
Finally, we'd like to wish you all the compliments of the season, but feel it should be done in the proper spirit of beer fans.  We're interested in hearing any other versions, but the best we've come up with so far is . . .
Many Crystal malts and a Hoppy New Beer!

From Issue 39 (November 07supplement)

1) Ageing Beers - continued
 
Following the last issue, I received a very interesting report from a reader (Thanks Mike) who had done a controlled tasting on a couple of Orvals.
[A] bottled 5 April 2006
[B] bottled 13 September 2007
 
Test was performed at 15 degrees using identical glasses [Orval, of course]
(Suggested serving temperature is 12-14)
 
[A] had a more persistent head than [B], still largely present after 30 minutes.
Aroma of [B] was more pungent, with a sharp, acidic quality.  Aroma of [A] was more fruity.
Taste of the two mirrored the aroma.  [B] had a sharper, more sour taste.  [A] was smoother and more fruity.
 
The differences were quite subtle and I would recommend a comparison of a 3-year sample with a new one.
Mike chose a particularly good beer for his test.  I spent a lot of visits to Belgium thinking alternately that I liked Orval, then wondering whatever I'd seen in it!  The penny only dropped after I'd seen a comment in an early edition of Tim Webb's Good Beer Guide to Belgium and I started looking at the bottle necks for the 'Bottled on' date.  The ones which were not good were the youngest, and the decent ones were older.  My rule of thumb survival technique for Orval became to look for a date AT LEAST 6 months previous, and preferably a year.
 
In Tim Webb's latest edition he has got more of the story from the brewery.  In order to meet demand and reduce pressure on space they now ship the bottles with precious little time for maturation.  The brettanomycis fermentation which adds character (and is necessary for the classic 5-star Orval flavour) now happens only in the bottle so Tim reckons you need a year in the cellar at home.  Clearly many bars in Belgium are going to sell it as soon as it arrives.  Unless they're one of the top beer bars they won't have the space (or the interest) for maturing it.
 
Mike's suggestion of testing even older Orvals is interesting.  It would be nice to be able to produce a graph showing how long a particular beer goes on improving, where it peaks, and at what point it starts to go downhill.  The difficulty is that all us have different perceptions and likes and dislikes, so it would be necessary to get quite a number of opinions to produce meaningful recommendations.  One of our friends who moves in the highest circles of wine tasting has introduced us to some rare vintages which were excellent.  However he has also told us that some of the 'top' wines he has tasted, costing hundreds of pounds per bottle, are very much an acquired taste and you have to learn to like them - too expensive a hobby for most of us!  So in the beer world we need to create a bigger pool of people with interest in aged beers who are willing to share their experiences and provide pointers for the rest of us.  If you haven't already done so, allocate the space for your vintage beer cellar!
 
After writing this item, I met up with Mike on the 'Heavenly Beers' course.  That was a great session, and the beers were splendid.  Most people liked all the beers (several of which were aged) with the exception of Orval.  Even though it was a nicely aged specimen, with the classic Orval taste, reaction was roughly 50:50 for:against.  That's probably because Orval is totally unique, with an unusual sweet-sour, orange-peel flavour.  You may not find it palatable unless you've put in some previous practice on the lambics or sour Flemish ales.  So we concluded that it's like the reaction to Marmite - you love it or hate it!   
 
2) Men and women are different!
 
Before expressing your surprise that it's taken me a long time to find this out let me explain that we're talking about the realm of beer tasting here.  This subject came up when we were having a discussion on the difficulties of trying to describe taste.  First of all, we each have our own understanding of what words mean.  If I say that a beer is vinous, does that correctly describe what you perceive when you taste the same beer?  And how many times have you been aware of notes of various flavours in a beer, some of which seem vaguely familiar, yet you struggle to find the word which accurately fits your perception.  Over many years, I have noticed that women seem to be better than men at finding the mot juste.  (Forget the extravagances of the Jilly Gooldens of the world, who delight in outdoing everyone else with the extravagance of their descriptions.  You know the sort of thing -  'Wet horseblanket, with a bit of composted runner bean, notes of paraffin and overtones of sweaty dog'!) 

And yet, with the exception of people like Jancis Robinson in the wine world, women seem less prominent in the world of tasting than men.  I suspect that this may be the result of a mixture of sterotyping and career choices rather than ability.  And in the beer world, we are only recently marketing beer as a sophisticated drink which is suitable for ladies and moving away from the image of rugby players or lager louts swilling pints.  However, take note of the recently increasing numbers of lady-brewers in the UK (and elsewhere - see below), and remember that for hundreds of years beers outside the monasteries were brewed by the local 'ale-wife'.  In the interests of honesty, and this particular thesis, I'm prepared to give away a trade secret and admit that Jeannette and I always taste together, because she can usually find the right word for a flavour far more quickly than I can.  And an old friend of ours, the top wine-tasting tutor mentioned above, always defers to his wife's opinions on specific tastes.

So what's the reason for this innate ability?  After some thought we have come up with a  possible explanation.  Although we like to think of ourselves as modern, technological beings, in so many ways we are still constrained by our evolution, and the nuclear scientist has more in common with the hairy caveman than he usually wants to admit.  For thousands of years of prehistory roles were fairly sharply defined.  While us chaps were out clubbing the odd mammoth for the Sunday roast, the women were doing the 'gathering' part of the hunter-gatherer culture.  They would have become expert in distinguishing between which nuts, berries and fungi were likely to add nutrition and flavour to the cooking pot, and which were likely to bring about a painful death.  And it would have been far more subtle than just picking things which taste 'nice'.  There was also the development of herbal medicines (some of which the scientific world has only latched on to in recent years!) where a bitter or unpleasant taste can mask something which could do you good.  And who first realised that various spices, although unpleasant in large quantities, could work wonders when a pinch was applied to a dish?  For all these tasks it would have been necessary to develop an ability to recognise fine distinctions between tastes, and even more importantly, to develop a sophisticated taste memory.
 
That's not to say that every woman still has this gift, or that all men are devoid of it - so called civilisation and progress has blunted a lot of our innate survival skills.  But it makes for a working hypothesis, and a good topic for conversation down at the pub - provided that there are a few ladies present to help guide the discussion and help out with vocabulary . . .
 
3) Beery Briefs
  • In the last issue we were delighted to report the advent of the Adur Brewery   Although the partners considered changing the name to the Brick Barn Brewery it has now been incorporated under the name Adur Brewery Ltd.  Having successfully trialled the dark beer, Merry Andrew, work is now underway to test and refine recipes for a session bitter, and it seems there is also a stout in the offing.  Keep an eye on progress (or volunteer your services) at http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/
     
  • Funny how things keep turning up!  Having reported the arrival of the first Palestinian beer, Taybeh, I came across it at Beers of Europe http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/ and was disappointed to find that supplies there were brewed under licence in Belgium.  Now I've just come across the rest of the story on a Belgian TV News website.  It appears that Taybeh is brewed for Europe by Browerij Strubbe of Ichtegem.  Some years ago Marc Strubbe met the Palestinian brewer in Germany, and the latter explained to him the problems he had over exporting to Europe, since he would have to ship through ports in Israel.  Four years on, Marc has solved the difficulty by brewing Taybeh in Belgium under licence for him.
     
  • Another new brewery - this time in Belgium.  Two prominent members of HOP (the Kortrijk branch of Zythos) are Veerle Bal and Jan Vandenberghe, with Veerle being the current president.  They describe themselves as a 'beercouple with a great passion for beer and a great dream'.  They got the taste for brewing when they were students and, having spent years as amateur brewers,  have now realised their ambition to start their own commercial brewery.   Brouwerij Lupiline www.lupiline.be is based in Kuurne, on the outskirts of Kortrijk.  The name is derived from lupuline, the yellow powder from the flower of the noble hop which provides the bitterness, and is also homage to the local beer group.  On 28 November they launched their first beer, Primula - as well as links with the flowers that bloom in the spring (tra la!) they associate the name with the Latin primus (first), as it is their first commercial beer.  It's a 7% bottle conditioned blonde beer which 'has citrus and banana in the aroma, a pleasant citrus fruit taste, a gentle bitterness which lingers and a dry mouthfeel.  In short a tasty thirst quencher.' (My translation of the brewers description) Unless you take a trip to the brewery, you'll need to wait until the Zythos beer festival (see below) to get a chance to try it.   If you want to see something of the brewery there's an online TV news article - click on the link below, don't worry about the Flemish dialogue, look at the brew kit and the beer, and note that there's a lady brewer involved . . .
     http://cm.roularta.be/Streaming/asx_wtv.asp?siteID=33&ArticleID=30918&ParID=8

 

From Issue 38 (November 07)

 
1) Ageing Beers
 
Most people are familiar with the concept of good wines being laid down and left to mature for a period of years, but less familar is idea of ageing beers.  We have been brainwashed by the idea of 'sell-by dates' into thinking that anything past its due date will harm us.  While this is true for certain types of perishable food stuffs, it certainly does NOT apply to bottled beers.  Most European brewers tried to resist the blanket 'sell by' legislation, and you'll find that, having been forced to comply, some of them use sell-by dates of 20 years hence!  It sounds as if they are cocking a snook at authority, but in fact their recommendation is perfectly reasonable for their beer types. 
 
When a suitable beer is aged it goes through a chemical process which results in amazingly complex flavours developing, which can be rich, fruity, nutty, or port-like - the development of such flavours is called by the wine world 'madeirisation'.  This is a good description as we can confirm from experience.  We recently had a Het Anker Cuvee van de Keizer which had aged about a year, and found it had a remarkable resemblance to a top-quality Madeira we had enjoyed a few days before.
 
There's a great article by Joris Pattyn on the Ratebeer website http://www.ratebeer.com/Story.asp?StoryID=466 which will give you more of the technical details but a brief summary is as follows:
  • While no aged beer which has been kept properly sealed will develop harmful elements, some may not be very pleasant.  Most beers will throw sediments, just as aged wines do, but in both cases there is nothing harmful about them - it's just that you don't normally want your beverage looking cloudy (unless it's a wheatbeer) or having 'bits' in it.
  • If you bought a bottle of the cheapest 'plonk' wine and aged it for a year or two it certainly wouldn't improve, and may become decidedly unpleasant.  The same applies to beers - cheaper, quaffing beers are not suitable candidates for ageing. 
  • The most reliable beers for ageing are those which have been designed for it - some of the top lambics (the Cantillon brewery is a good example) and the more powerful of the classic Trappists (Rochefort, Westvleteren in particular).  What these have in common is the amount of alcohol, which acts as a preservative while still allowing these subtle chemical changes to occur.   Looking at the UK market, beers with similar characteristics are the big, bold barley wines or Imperial stouts.  Examples are:
    Thomas Hardys ale, brewed by Eldridge Pope until 1999, then by revived by OHanlons, who point out that it is best after 10 years and goes on improving for at least 26 years!
    Fullers Vintage Ale, brewed annually since 1997
    Harveys Imperial Extra Double stout, which the brewers recommend keeping for at least 6-12 months
  • Having chosen your beer style, buy at least half a dozen bottles of the type.  This will allow you to open one from time to time to check progress - this means one per year, not daily!
  • Find a suitable place for storage - out of the light, dry and not too hot or cold.  While a cellar is ideal, cupboards under stairs, sheds, garages and even old air-raid shelters have been used successfully.
  • If the bottles have a crown cap, they should be stored upright.  Make sure that the location is not too humid or you'll see the cap starting to rust.  If you have beers which are sealed with a cork . . . opinion varies!  Some say that they should be laid on their side, as in a wine rack, though never with the cork downward.  The argument here is that the cork is prevented from drying out, while others say that the liquid in the bottle would prevent that happening even if the bottle is vertical.  Our own approach is a compromise, keeping the smaller UK size corked bottles vertical, but laying down Belgian 75cl bottles.  Only time will tell which is best!
So why should you bother laying down beers?  If you want to glug down a can of supermarket lager, don't bother!  But if you enjoy the interesting range of flavours of more complex beers, ones which have to be sipped and savoured (preferably by the fireside on a winter evening), and have got the space for storage, and the willpower to leave them alone for a year or so, then you are in for a great beer experience.  If you want to get an idea of what's in store for you, see if you can get a place on of our Heavenly Beers tastings which will give you a chance to try a couple of aged Trappists.  (No, we're not talking about geriatric monks - pay attention, you boys at the back!)
 
We had the opportunity to try a well-matured bottle of Ballards Alchemist 9.2% www.ballardsbrewery.org.uk/ (Thanks Stephen).  It had a very dark, red-brown body with a lasting cream head, and there was a strong aroma of sweet caramel.  The mouthfeel was thick and rich, with a slight prickle from the conditioning.  The sweet caramel came through in the taste, along with hints of liquorice, although it's difficult to describe the complexity of flavours which seemed to change in the mouth, fading to a warm, dry, smoky aftertaste which lingers for a long time.   The original brewer's notes said "Ideal as a nightcap or served with game or British cheeses with spices or used in sauces, gravies or Christmas pudding!"  and we're sure it would perform well in all those situations.  Interestingly, when we looked it up on Ratebeer.com, reviewers there seemed less enthusiastic.  Then we noticed that the negative reviews, which stressed bitterness and harsh alcohol, were dated some 4 years ago, which seems to prove the point that this beer definitely improves with age, as none of those criticisms could be levelled at the sample we enjoyed.  In its current condition it definitely deserves our award of 4 ticks.
 
Next we had an even more interesting tasting of Harveys Imperial Extra Double stout (9%), in the knowledgeable company of Andy Dwelly of the Adur Brewery.  We had a bottle of the 2000 brew (Thanks Stephen) and also had a bottle of the 2001.  Both displayed the classic thick engine-oil look and texture, with very little head, and both had the liquorice/roast/coffee flavours but the 6 year old also displayed a strong aroma which Andy identified as autolysed yeast - which you normally encounter as Marmite - and explained that the temperature of the vat was critical in this respect.  The Marmite was also very obvious in the flavour.  As the advertising says, you either love or hate Marmite - but would you want it in your beer?  The 7 year old did not have this flavour, which raises the question whether the 2001 stock will lose it with another year's ageing, or whether it is a characteristic of the batch from 2001.   To be fair to Harveys, the brewer only suggests ageing this beer for 6-12 months and it would have been useful to have compared these vintages with a younger version.  However, the 2000 version emerged as the clear winner, to which we awarded 4 ticks, while the 2001 earned just 3 ticks.  More research is clearly needed, and hopefully this article on the appeal of aged beers may inspire some of you to try.  Let us know if you have any interesting or unusual results.
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • If you want something beery - and seriously weird - to display on your desktop have a look at this page
     http://www.braugasthoefe.de
    It's the homepage (in English) of a group of German hotel-breweries - you might like to use it to find some interesting accommodation for your next trip to Deutschland.  But also note the link to the Bier Timer.  This puts a clock on your desktop - except that it uses a series of different sized and partially filled beer glasses to tell the time!  Instructions are in English, so if you want a good talking point . . .
     
  • A new brewery on our doorstep?  Andy Dwelly is planning to launch the Adur Brewery in the New Year.  Currently he's refining the recipes and looking for volunteers to taste and comment - details are on his blog http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog The first beer under test is a strong dark ale called Merry Andrew (6%)  and the name is an old word for a clown, based on the Tudor medic Dr Andrew Borde (a local worthy, of Borde Hill near Cuckfield) who had a reputation as being a bit of a comedian.  See the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Borde  We are delighted by this initiative and wish Andy every success.  We'll let you know when Adur beers are likely to be appearing in a pub near you.
     
  • We wasted no time in trying the Merry Andrew.  It has a clear, dark brown body, with hints of red against the light, and a light brown head. The aroma is of roasted malt and caramel, and although the hops are not obvious they add a clean fresh quality.  When tasting, the initial impression of sweetness is quickly replaced by complex flavours of roasted malt, caramel and a slight bitterness, which then moves on to a long, lingering, gradually drying aftertaste.  The very smooth mouthfeel makes for very easy drinking, so you need to keep in mind the 6% strength.  We're always interested in beer/food combinations so tried matching this with classic pub grub - bangers, mash and onion gravy.  The dark ale made a good complement to the strong flavours of the food while refreshing the mouth.  Andy is interested in getting his beers into restaurants and has plans for a spiced wheat beer next summer, which should be an interesting companion for a curry.  A session bitter is also planned.  
     
  • Our latest beerscursion to Belgium was based mainly in Mechelen but also took in the Karakterbierweekend at the Palace Hotel, Poperinge.  We were impressed with Mechelen as a town, and even more so by the products of Het Anker brewery, and the hotel on its premises where we stayed.  Details of the hotel (and brewery) are at http://www.hetanker.be  We aim to put together a web page on Mechelen when time allows but in the short term have put up a temporary page to show friends what we got up to.  There's no link to it from the main website, so you'll need to use the link below:
    http://www.simpson.uk.com/temp/Mechelen.htm 
    In the best tradition of political correctness we should give the following cautions - contains nudity and scenes of an alcoholic nature; however no horses or cats were harmed in the making of this web page.
     

 

From Issue 37 (October 07)

1) Ales et alia in (East) Anglia
 
Those of you who are already convinced that we are crazy will not be surprised to learn that we went to East Anglia recently to attend a one-day seminar on bamboo.  Fittingly it was entitled 'Bamboo Nutters Day' (and if anyone out there is similarly afflicted - or simply doesn't believe it - you'll find full details on

But, as with all our travels, we managed to turn it into a beer pilgrimage.  We started with a visit to the Suffolk village of Freckenham, not far from Mildenhall, where we had found the Golden Boar listed in the latest Good Beer Guide.  It's a pleasant pub, nicely refurbished in country style, and has the curiosity value of being able to watch the US service-persons coming in from the nearby base.  The main object of the exercise was to taste Adnams Bitter and Woodford's Wherry on their home ground - both were excellent and well kept.  We couldn't decide which we liked best and declared it a draw.  The pub serves very good food, though the restaurant meals are on the pricey side - bar snacks seemed better value. 

On our way back from the seminar (in Norfolk) to our hotel we spotted the very thing you'd expect to find on the banks of the Thet in Norfolk  - a whisky distillery!!!  Of course we had to go in - it comes within our mandate since whisky is only beer with a touch of distilling added to the process.  The St George's Distillery aka the English Whisky Co. www.englishwhisky.co.uk is a very bold venture by a family firm who have invested vast amounts in a beautiful modern building housing a gleaming new distillery and a superb visitor centre.  They have a shop which sells a mind-blowing range of superb vintage single malts - if you can afford them! - but none of their home-produced whisky . . . yet.  At the moment they only have liqueurs available because the first batch of spirit which they produced in December 06  has to mature for 3 years.  We chatted with David, the current manager, who used to be a brewer for Greene King in Bury St Edmunds (told you, beer and whisky are related) before moving up country to make something a bit stronger!  Their Norfolk Nog cream liqueur is quite something, so we're looking forward to their first whisky in November 09 - supposed to be in a peaty Islay style. 

Apart from bamboo, the ulterior motive for going to Norfolk was to visit a village near Kings Lynn and see at first hand the company from which I source more than a few beers for tastings.  Although they are called Beers of Europe, their scope is much, much wider.  We've only dealt with them online until now www.beersofeurope.co.uk but a trip to their warehouse, an Aladdin's Cave of beers, was too good to miss.  We had allocated two hours of our schedule but that quickly turned into three, as we ended up chatting to the owner, Derek, and his wife.  It was interesting to hear how the enterprise had started as a hobby, then a sideline to their main business.  Also that the restaurant and retail trade had shown little interest initially, and it was by appealing directly to individual enthusiasts that the business had taken off. 
We brought back a huge range of products of UK breweries but also got a fantastic haul of world beers including some from Tahiti, Vietnam, Ethiopia and a German Eisbock - if you're intrigued by this list sign up for the World Beers tasting next March when some of these are likely to put in an appearance.  Having mentioned Taybeh beer from Palestine in the last newsletter, we were amazed to see it on the shelves in this Norfolk warehouse.  However we didn't add it to our trolley because the small print on the back label said it was brewed for them by a Belgian company, so not the genuine Palestinian article.  No doubt that is to help them get into the Euro market, but it rather takes away the exotic edge!  It also raises the question of when is a national beer not a national beer.  When sourcing world beers for tastings in the past we've had problems with many 'Japanese' beers all being made under licence in Europe.  But then there's the ecological question about the transporting of large amounts of (largely) water across the planet - ain't life complicated! 

We were running a bit late to make for the pub we'd selected from the Good Beer Guide as our lunch stop, so on the recommendation of Derek, the manager of BoE, we headed for the Hare Arms in the village of Stow Bardolph, just a few miles (and a few decades) from the A10.  The village is dominated by Stow Hall, home of the Hare family from whom the pub gets its name.  Lots of cars were parked in the roadway outside the pub and we thought we might not get a table, it being late into Sunday lunch time.  However, the pub's interior is much bigger than it appears from outside, and we found a place with no problem.  The beers were from Greene King so we went for the IPA, which is competent though not exciting - at least it was well kept.  It reminded us of why their erst-while brewer had moved into distilling.  At Greene King his job had been to oversee a vast production line and ensure that the quality did not deviate one iota from the  norms laid-down by the accountants and marketeers; in the distillery he was encouraged to be adventurous and innovative which satisfied his creativity. 
The service at the Hare Arms was incredibly efficient, and the first course arrived very quickly - an excellent home-made soup with a huge hunk of rustic bread.  We followed that with a hot sausage sandwich which we thought might be special as the contents were proclaimed to be Jeff Sargeants - presumably a local hero of the sausage world.  Anyway, they were very good, and accompanied by so many chips that we had to admit defeat.  We had chosen that as the lighter alternative over the steak pie, for which the pub had won the 'Best in England' award last year - perhaps on another visit . . .  So if you find yourself in that part of the world, between Kings Lynn and Downham Market, do head for Stow Bardolph and try the Hare Arms http://www.theharearms.co.uk/  - the website has an interesting page on local history as well as the menus.
We got an added bonus in our visit to the village as we spotted a notice in the pub announcing an apple fair at Stow Hall that afternoon.  This gave us a chance to walk off our lunch in the beautiful gardens of the Hall, and to visit the marquees set up in the walled garden where rare species of apples which have largely disappeared from the countryside - and certainly never appear in supermarkets - were on display for tasting and purchasing at incredibly low prices.  It was great to get a bargain and feel at the same time that you were helping to save our apple heritage.
  

2) Some New Tastes

 
We were surprised when the postman handed over a parcel marked 'fragile' containing a bottle of beer sent from Liverpool.  It was a clever marketing idea by Robert Cains Brewery of Liverpool to get themselves, and some of their seasonal beers, better known in the south - it certainly got our attention, so we got down to business right away.  The sample was Cains Organic Wheat Beer 4% which invited comparison with Belgian or German versions, but this was their own distinctive take on the style.  The body was a clear amber with a shortlived white head and the aroma included spice, malt, and bananas.  We had mixed feelings about the mouthfeel, which seemed rather light and frothy - no doubt this would appeal to some people but we felt it let the beer down a little.  The flavours were spicy, floral, with a hint of grapefruit lingering in the aftertaste.  This is a beer which would go well with many types of food, and I would be very pleased to find a restaurant offering this as an accompaniment to its dishes rather than the ubiquitous range of bland lagers.  In our scoring system 3 ticks indicates a competent version of a style, but we felt this deserved 3.5 as being just that little bit different. 
 
The website www.cainsbeers.com  gives the history of the brewery, from its founding by Robert Cain, an Irish immigrant, in the 1850's, through several changes of ownership until the Dusanj brothers acquired it in 2002.  I recall stories in various trade papers describing their determination to make a go of the business, and a glance at the webcam pictures of the brewery showing the gleaming modern installation suggests that there has been a lot of investment.  Now that our interest has been awakened we are keen to try some of the other special beers listed on the website. 
 
3) Beery Briefs
  • We've often raved about the Oakleaf Brewing Co of Gosport so we were delighted to see that in the SIBA South East Region Beer Competition 2007 last month their 'I can't believe it's not Bitter' took Gold in the Speciality class, and their 'Hole Hearted' took Gold in the Premium Bitter class, as well as taking the award for Overall Champion.  Other good news is that the Meantime Brewery, which we have often tipped, took Gold in the Porters, Strong Ales and Stouts class for their London Porter.  Check out the websites
     http://www.oakleafbrewing.co.uk    and    http://www.london-porter.com/
  • An article in the Argus reports that a thousand years of cider making in Sussex could be brought to an end by new European Union regulations. The future of a tax exemption which has allowed small producers to flourish in the county is in jeopardy.  See more (and comment) at
    http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1766502.0.cider_tradition_in_sussex_under_threat.php
    but then rush to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CiderExemption/ and add your name!  And while looking at that website, we also found another petition, requiring that we are given the chance to vote in a referendum on the EU 'Reform Treaty' (yet another attempt to destroy this country) so perhaps you would also add your names to that one too - it's at
    http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/EU-reform/  [Thanks to Pam for this report]
4) Secrets of Hampshire
 
It's always a moral dilemma when you get to know about a really great pub which has been a well-kept secret - should you share this joy with others, or keep the secret?  Here's the compromise - we'll tell you but don't you tell anybody else! 
The pub in question is the Hawkely Inn http://www.hawkleyinn.co.uk/ but we now think of it as the 'Moose Hoose' which you'll understand when you see the inn sign and view the bar!  It's in the little village of Hawkley, Hampshire - no, we'd never heard of it either, until friends Julie and Gordon took us there on a beautiful sunny day.  The lanes leading to it are reminiscent of the narrow winding lanes of Devon, most roofed over with a canopy of spreading branches, which were still green in mid-October.  It's a hilly area, known locally as 'Little Switzerland', and every so often a splendid view is revealed by breaks in the trees.  In case you're wondering why this review is quite so ecstatic, imagine going in to a pub and finding a splendid range of well kept real ales on handpump.  Start with the excellent Bowman Brewery, with two beers from their range: Swift One 3.8% and the more recent, also prize-winning, Eldorado 3.5% - see http://www.bowman-ales.com/our_beers.html
Those two alone would have made me happy but now add three beers from the great Dark Star brewery: October's special, Golden Gate 4.5%, the regular Festival 5.0% and the old favourite, Hophead 3.8%  - see http://www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/evidence.htm Then to tickle your curiosity add, from the Triple fff brewery, Pressed Rat & Warthog 3.8%  This last is a hoppy mild, an unusual but very pleasant blend of flavours which won Champion mild of Britain 2002 - see http://www.triplefff.com/Brewery/beers.htm 
The bar is full of character - stone flagged floors, scrubbed farmhouse-style tables, lots of interesting items on the walls - check out the website for a glimpse of that moose!  For the summer, there's a large pleasant garden, and they have recently added purpose-built accommodation, so you could indulge in all the ales and then sleep it off on the premises.
There's a really good menu of traditional pub food, with daily specials on the blackboard.  We made our choice very quickly - the moment we saw faggots with mash and onion gravy the decision was taken, and it was as excellent as we anticipated.  How to follow that?  There's a choice of traditional treats on the dessert menu too, but we can say from experience that the apple & blackberry crumble was state-of-the-art, and the ice cream topping it was some of the best we have tasted.
So, any negative points?  Just one - it's too far away to make it your local without moving house, so perhaps the pub's accommodation is the solution for future visits.

 

From Issue 36 (September 07)

Don't forget to check the festivals in the diary section at the end.  And in case you think Belgium is 'too far' to go to attend a top beer festival have a look at the following website and be ashamed!  Even if your Japanese isn't up to reading all the text at http://www.kenmochi.com/beer/tourism.html and http://www.kenmochi.com/beer/tasting.html   you'll see that the website owner thought it worth coming half way round the globe to get to all the best beer sites and try the best beers - he even found our favourite wholesaler!   And while on the Japanese theme, check out this delightful website which features haiku (in English) on the subject of beer  http://www.beerhaikudaily.com/

1) Some New Tastes
 
The first part of this article is courtesy of friends Nigel & Pam, who returned from one of their Kentish excursions with a couple of bottles from the Nelson Brewing Company, which is based in the Historic Dockyard at Chatham.  The brewery website www.nelsonbrewingcompany.co.uk starts with a back view of an admiral reviewing the fleet (I guess it's supposed to be Nelson, but the guy on the website is clearly in possession of two arms) and the exhortation "England Expects every Man to Drink our Beer" - however, I suggest the ladies should try it too!
 
All their beers have suitably nautical titles.  The first we tried was one of their seasonal brews,  'Powder Monkey'  (the nickname for the lads who carried the gunpowder from the magazine to the gunners).  This is a 4.4% summer ale which is quite refreshing, shows some vinous notes, and a sweetness on the palate.   Next was one of their regular productions 'Friggin in the Riggin' 4.7% - I'm not even going to try to suggest what aspect of nautical life that might derive from!   This was my favourite - a premium bitter with good malt flavour and a bitter-sweet aftertaste.  It would be easy to put away quite a lot of this one.

The next beer was discovered at Sainsbury's in Hove.  My attention was drawn by the name Belhaven, the Scottish brewery, on a label in close proximity to the words 'Fruit Beer'.  (Website, flashy but short on hard information, at www.belhaven.co.uk )  Belhaven Classic Choice Fruit Beer 4.6% has a write up which seems to be making excuses along the lines of 'Well the Belgians and Germans do it' but it really has no need to apologise.  Far from being a feeble copy of Belgian classics this is their own re-invention of the style, with the emphasis on the beer rather than the fruit, which comes across as a subtle hint of raspberries in the taste.  (The label shows five fruits, but the raspberries are well to the fore, and as there is no list of ingredients it is difficult to say whether the strawberries, blackberries, etc pictured have actually been used in brewing.)  Even if you are not a fan of the Belgian fruit beers it's worth giving this one a try.  Approach it with an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised by the experience.
 
Thanks also to Stephen, for including on the Adur & Arun CAMRA website www.aaa-camra.org.uk a pointer to a BBC news item http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6988020.stm which introduces us to Taybeh, the beer of the West Bank, the only beer brewed in the Palestinian territories and which its makers claim is "the Finest in the Middle East".  If anyone happens to be taking a holiday out that way in the near future I'd really appreciate a few bottles to include on my next World Beers course . . .
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • Had some doubts about the title for this section comprising short news items - anyone suggest a better???
  • The Leatherbritches micro-brewery, formerly based in the hamlet of Fenny Bentley, and featured in this newsletter www.simpson.uk.com/beers/2006.htm is now moving to Albourne in Derbyshire as it needs more room to expand.  You see what a mention here can do for the success of a brewery . . .
  • Can't recall seeing it in the major media, but CAMRA's What's Brewing has picked up one of the most important stories of the year.  It seems the Eurocrats have finally given up trying to foist litres on us, and agreed that we can carry on getting our beer (and milk) in pints - indefinitely.  The Industry Commissioner said "This is a pointless battle.  I could not see that that this issue affects the European single market, or cross border trade, but it does affect British tradition, culture and lifestyle, which I, for one, highly value."  Which do you think is the highest point of the story - the result?  Or finding a Eurocrat displaying common sense?
  • Confession of failure: with all the touring around we've been doing this summer we neglected the requirements of the CAMRA & South Downs Ale Trail and won't be picking up the coveted T-shirts this year.
  • I have previously mentioned the free-to-join Fullers Fine Ale Club - sign up at www.fullers.co.uk  As one who practises what I preach I have been a member for a while, and always do their competitions.  There's none of this brain-wrenching puzzling, or providing them with a brilliant slogan which would have cost thousands if produced by an ad agency.  No, their competitions are more along the lines of 'Tick here if you'd like to win a crate of free beer' - I can manage that!  And it works too - I recently had a letter informing me that I'd won a crate of ESB.  Now that's not a bad beer in its own right - but it tastes so much better when you know it's free!  So what are you waiting for?  Sign up and tax your brain cells with these challenging competitions!
3) Ale at Amberley
 
We got to Amberley just as the museum opened on Saturday 1st September, taking with us our relatives from Newfoundland who were over for a visit.  We were able to see most of the museums attractions, including getting a ride on the train, before it got too busy.  Then we turned our full attention to the  'Taste of Sussex' Food Festival which was on that weekend, washed down by ales from the 'Ale at Amberley' festival which officially was on in the evening.  If you missed it this year, be sure to bookmark www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ and look out for the next.  Our relatives greatly enjoyed the location, the displays, the food and the morris dancers - somehow we always manage to find them morris dancers when they visit.

There were some great beers on offer.  We worked through Whitstable East India Pale 4.1% before being tempted by the Dark Side, starting with the same brewery's Oyster Stout 4.5%.  Then on to Custom Beers Limeburners Special 5.5%, produced for the occasion, and Gothenburg Porter 4.4% from Fowlers of Prestonpan.  They really were excellent beers, so it wasn't just the euphoria of a great day out in pleasant surroundings which made us award them all 4 ticks.  However, as has often happened before, our personal beer of the festival came from the Oakleaf Brewing Company of Gosport, an old favourite Blakes Gosport Bitter 5.2% which crept ahead with 4.5 ticks out of a maximum 5.  In spite of all these magnificent offerings, we still haven't managed to cure cousin Gord of his North American bad habit of drinking tasteless fizz served at sub-zero temperatures.  But we never give up - there's always next time . . .
 
4) Michael Jackson
 
We are sad to report that the world's best known beer writer, Michael Jackson, died on 30 August, aged 65.   During the 30 years when he was known as the 'Beer Hunter' he published thousands of articles and his books sold millions of copies.  Although his first bestseller in 1977 was the 'World Guide to Beer'  he was mainly revered as the authority on Belgian Beers and his book 'The Great Beers of Belgium' sold over 100,000 copies.  It is no exaggeration to say that the respect which Belgian beers enjoy today is due largely to his writings.
 
Our own special memory is October 1998 when Michael Jackson came to speak at our former Sussex Japan Society on the topic of Japanese Beers.  Having agreed to come, he subsequently was engaged to give some talks in the USA.  Rather than cancelling our little event, he flew back from Chicago, then was driven from London to Sussex and back in one evening in order to keep his promise.  And all this for the token fee of a bottle of champagne, which was all he asked - a real gentleman.  

He signed our copy of his World Guide to Beer with the advice "Try the Moku Moku" and although it was a few more years before we managed it, we eventually had a fantastic visit to Moku Moku farm, which has its own brewery, deep in the countryside near Iga Ueno - see http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Japan/GoToJapan.htm.
 
During the evening I was foolish enough to ask the question "If you could only choose one Belgian beer, which would it be?"  He came straight back with "If I could only choose one Belgian beer I'd shoot myself!" 
 
His wit, wisdom and comprehensive knowledge will be sorely missed.  

There's a blog to his memory at http://michaeljacksonthebeerhunter.blogspot.com/ and it's suggested that on 30 September all beer lovers should raise a glass in his memory.

 

From Issue 35 (August 07)

1) IT came from darkest Exmoor . . . 
 
IT has mostly been spotted lurking around the borders of the moor, but there have been sightings elsewhere.
IT is big, strong, dark, and stealthy - it can creep up on the unwary and savage them.
IT has been named by locals the EXMOOR BEAST.
IT is thought by some to be an escaped panther or suchlike . . .
Those of us who are more enlightened know it as a splendid strong, dark porter from Exmoor Ales of Wiveliscombe.  We spotted it lurking on the shelves of the village shop in North Molton, and having tried it once, made sure we took several specimens captive for our collection.
At 6.6% it is strong, and as it is so easy to drink, the unwary can suffer!  I can't disagree with the brewery's description:
"Complex strong porter making liberal use of chocolate and crystal malts. On the nose espresso, currants and raisins, cocoa and a fiery hint of brandy or rum. More fruit cake, alcohol, coffee beans, chocolate on the palate, all kept in line with a spicy hoppiness, before the complex long aftertaste. Surprisingly thirst quenching with a spicy curry or a traditional steak and also add to rich fruit cake."
I haven't tried it with a curry, but it goes very well with a wide range of food, and it would make a great addition to fruit cake - but it's far better to drink it.
Exmoor Beast is a seasonal (winter) brew.
 
Exmoor Ales started in 1980, during the first wave of small independent breweries. It was originally called Golden Hill, after its hill-top location in Wiveliscombe, and its creation brought brewing back to the town for the first time since the closure of Arnold & Hancock’s in 1959. The brewery is a small concern (initially only employing ten staff). Almost immediately, Golden Hill made its mark on the beer world when its 13th brew of Exmoor Ale was voted Best Bitter at CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival in 1980, and since then, many other brewing awards have come their way. They are also famous as the originators of the ‘Golden Ale’ style, with their popular Exmoor Gold, of which we enjoyed the cask version in more than one pub in the area.  The website address comes with a caveat - at the moment it comes up with the rather splendid logo featuring a stag, but nothing more!  The brewery tells me it is being refurbished and will be available for viewing in 'a couple of weeks' (ie late August).  So wait before you surf to www.exmoorales.co.uk  
There is a second brewery based in Wiveliscombe, and while Exmoor Ales name many of their products after the furry versions of the local wildlife (Stag, Hart, Fox, Hound Dog, Stallion, Wildcat) the other brewery in that town looks to our feathered friends for inspiration.  The Cotleigh Brewery produces Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Buzzard, Golden Sea Hawk etc. and not surprisingly sponsors the Hawk and Owl Trust.  As keen amateur birdwatchers we dutifully kept a lookout for sightings in the local pubs and enjoyed the Tawny bitter (3.8%0 and the Barn Owl premium bitter (4.5%).  Their website, www.cotleighbrewery.com, is currently operational and includes details of a great event for anyone lucky enough to be in Somerset at the end of the month:
William Hancock began brewing in Wiveliscombe in 1807, and the breweries are joining forces to celebrate the 200th anniversary.  The event, called BREWFEST, takes place on 25th and 26th August, open from Noon to Midnight on both days.  Live music and 20 different beers supplied by Cotleigh and Exmoor will be on offer. Local food will also be on supply.  The event will be staged at the Wiveliscombe Rugby Ground and proceeds will be distributed to local charities and groups.
 
Footnote about a strange coincidence:  those of you who get the 'Sussex Drinker' magazine - and if not, you can see it online at http://www.brightoncamra.org.uk/Sussex%20Drinker.pdf
- may be tempted to try the crossword.  If you get stuck with 2 Down  Wiveliscombe’s wild animal – Texas Boomer? That can’t be right (6, 5)  then you may just get a clue from the subject of this article!  And for any who are not into crosswords, there are some very interesting articles on local beers and breweries - and modesty forbids me to mention that the editor has also given a very kind mention to our website on the following page.
  
2) No pottle, but what a great place!
 
As mentioned in the last Beer E-News we went with our friends Trevor & Tessa to the 17th century village at Rowner near Gosport.  It's a journey worth making if only for the pleasure of being in unspoiled ancient woodland, but as you enter you meet a gent in costume and in character who welcomes you to the year 1642.  Around each corner you come across another reconstructed building whose inhabitants tell you about their life and demonstrate their crafts.    We really liked the way the inhabitants delivered their material in a way that sounded authentic but natural, and not hammed up.  The sad part is that this delightful educational venture has been the target of mindless vandals who burned down what was the village inn.  They are currently raising funds to rebuild it, and also talking to the Oakleaf brewery.  So at present you can see a building which shows what the interior of a 17th century inn was like, and you can dream about sitting at that long table by the wood fire pouring Hole Hearted (or even better, Blakes Gosport Bitter) from a leather jug into a pewter tankard while nibbling on a crust of the superb looking bread. 
Now you may wonder why this article is here, as there's (currently) no beer involved.  Well, if you go down there, you'll have a great day out, and you'll be helping to raise funds to bring that dream closer.  Have a look at the website and be tempted by a trip to the past.
 
 
3) CAMRA's 30th Great British Beer Festival
 
We were disconcerted to hear a report from CAMRA on 5/8/07 that a lorry load of beer intended for the Great British Beer Festival had been stolen - some 15,000 pints went missing!  However they pointed out that 335,000 pints had already arrived safely, and they expected to replace the missing pints well before the start of the Festival, so there was plenty there when we arrived on the Friday!  You may be surprised to learn that this was our first trip to the GBBF.  Having lived in London back in prehistoric times we now tend to avoid the capital whenever possible, and have been more than satisfied with smaller, local beer festivals, which still manage to bring in a bigger range of interesting beers than you can tackle in the time available.  However, in the interests of science we felt we should give the national show a whirl - especially as we were tempted by a tasting of Belgian beers by Tim Webb, author of the Good Beer Guide to Belgium.
 
The first impression was of the sheer size of the event.  There were long queues to get in when it opened at 12.00, even though we had advance tickets.  Fortunately the weather was kind - although queuing in the hot sun was good for promoting a thirst!  Inside, we felt that most of the beer festivals we had attended before could have been dropped into a corner of Earls Court without being noticed.  There was an interesting range of food available - we managed to take in Cornish pasties, Devon sausages, Greek olives and Japanese tempura (not all at once!) - and the size of the venue meant that you almost walked far enough between the concessions to work off the calories from the food.  The distance probably helped moderate consumption - by the time you had looked at the map to find where the beer you wanted to try was on sale, walked to the appropriate bar, made your way through the crowds in front of it you had consumed many more minutes than ABV.  However the size also meant that if you didn't want to be up close to the live music you could move to where it was drowned by distance and the buzz of the crowd.
 
We were pleased to see the new 1/3 pint glasses available - we've always felt you don't need a whole half pint if you're trying to do some serious tasting of a range of beers.  It was significant that, while the take up of this size was not great, the majority of those seekers after knowledge who attended the tutored tastings were clutching these smaller glasses.  The tastings were held in a large quiet upstairs room.  Arriving to see the long tables set out with six glasses per place (plus an extra one for water) made you feel this was serious stuff.  And so it was, but very enjoyable too.  The morning session featured six UK brewers explaining features of their beers, and why they were passionate about their work.  It was nice to see that the brewer from Moor Beer was one of the six.  We 'discovered' this relatively new brewery earlier this year - see Beer E-News 30 March 07- and think it has great potential.  In the afternoon Tim Webb spoke in his usual entertaining way while introducing some brand new Belgian breweries. 
 
So would we go again to the GBBF?  It all depends on what tutored tastings are on offer.  If the sole aim is to try a range of different real ales, you can do that more comfortably at local festivals.  But the opportunity to try new beers while hearing the brewer or a specialist talking about them makes the journey worth while.
  
4) Yet another religious interlude
 
Our relatives from Newfoundland are due to visit us shortly, and have expressed a wish to see us 'working', so we thought we'd take them for some serious study in the bars and breweries of West Flanders.  We shall be staying at our favourite hotel 'De Oude Abdij', whose name translates as the Old Abbey.  Which is why the owner, the inimitable Anny, is now known as the 'Abdis' or 'Moeder Overste' (abbess or mother superior - both of which also happen to be names of local beers by Liefmans and Brasserie Lefebvre respectively).  We shall no doubt spend some time in the company of Anny's good friend the Abt (abbott - otherwise known as a 12% beer from the St Bernardus brewery) and will be making a trip to the Van Eecke brewery in Watou where we find Het Kapittel (the chapter house) populated with the Pater, Prior and another Abt.  And of course no trip to the area would be complete without a pilgrimage to the Abbey of St Sixtus at Westvleteren, home of the world's best beer (allegedly).  If you are persuaded by our example to make your own pilgrimage see the website starting with http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/GoToBelgium.htm
 
Following the ecclesiastical tour of Belgium we revert to the secular by taking them to the wonderful Amberley Museum - coincidentally on the day when the Sussex Food and Drink Festival is on, and the 'Ales at Amberley' are available - we're martyrs to our studies . . .

 

From Issue 34 (July 07)

1) Good News - Two for One! 
 
In the past we enthused over the delights of the Cheriton Brewery at the Flowerpots Inn, Cheriton, Hampshire.  Then we mourned its passing when the Brewhouse closed down.  Recently we heard that it had reopened at the pub site as the Flowerpots Brewery but have not had a chance to try the products of the new management.  [STOP PRESS: Since writing the above, we managed to detour via the Flowerpots Inn on a recent trip to Devon, and, as far as a brief tasting could establish, the beers there are as good as before.]  We also heard that the former brewers from Cheriton had set up on their own so there was some consolation that out of the ashes of Cheriton TWO new breweries were rising.
Fast forward to June 07 when friends Julie and Gordon took us as far west as you can go in West Sussex without being in Hampshire and introduced us to one of their favourite watering holes, the Queen Victoria in West Marden.  On the bar, recommended by the barman and a couple of the regulars sitting nearby, was a new one on me - Bowman Quiver 4.5% - so in the interests of research, we had to try it.  What a delightful discovery! 
The official description says:  "Gloriously rich golden in colour and with a wonderful mown grass aroma, this premium bitter is full of complex flavours including a tiny amount of caramel. The addition of American hops gives it a full hop flavour with a dry finish."  And that doesn't even begin to do it justice!  The complex flavours are almost too subtle to register individually on the palate, and you are just left saying rather inanely "Wow, this is good!"  My only proviso is that you need to watch your consumption - it is SO easy-drinking that large quantities may have disappeared down your throat before you know it, and the ABV starts to mount up.  We were entertained to a splendid meal - the pub offers excellent food - and later enjoyed our afternoon tea in the beautiful gardens of Stansted House, but I had to keep apologising for being lost in euphoria over the discovery of this superb ale.
As soon as we were back home I got on to the Internet and quickly turned up the website for Bowman - it's at http://www.bowman-ales.com By now you'll have guessed where the plot line is leading - Bowman was set up in Droxford (just north of Southampton) by Martin Roberts and Ray Page, the former brewers from the Cheriton Brewhouse, who have been brewing award winning ale for 13 years.   Although this new venture has only been in operation for 6 months they have already won Hampshire Beer of the Year, and at the Southampton Beer Festival they won Beer of the Festival twice, since two of their beers tied for the top spot!  The web site lists 3 other beers besides Quiver, and I can't wait to try them.  Check the brewers' website for locations of pubs which are likely to offer Bowman Ales, but if you can't get to Hampshire or Far-West Sussex I confidently predict that these beers will soon be winning prizes at a festival near you.  Perhaps the most succinct description comes from the brewers themselves: " This is a bloody good beer!"
  
2) Still trailing those ales!
 
As part of our quest for this year's Ale Trail t-shirts we visited some of the pubs of Lewes.  (We were joined by Debi, our friend from Brighton, and continued our evangelising, attempting to convince her of the delights of real ale and its superiority over bottles of Becks.  From time to time we feel we are making progress, but in between educational sessions there is some serious back-sliding.  We suspect she must get into bad company when we are not there to guide her consumption.  But we're very persistent!)
We started off at old favourite, the 'Gardeners Arms', a small pub with great character, and an interesting new line in pots of flavoured olives.  They can always be relied on to have several interesting real ales on tap.  Next port of call was another old favourite, the 'John Harvey Tavern', the brewery tap for Harveys.  A pint of Harveys Bitter in excellent condition is one of the summits of the real ale experience, but so many Sussex pubs manage to turn it into second rate vinegar through poor cellar management.  So it's worth making a pilgrimage to the 'John Harvey' to find out what it's supposed to taste like - and you might want to indulge in the excellent regular menu or better still, try the specials from the blackboard in the main bar.
The next on our list was new to us - the 'Brewers Arms' just opposite the entrance to the castle.  It's a free house, included (as are all the pubs mentioned here) in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide, and also stocks interesting ales in good condition.  We were pleased to find that they also have a really good menu, but distressed that we were unable to research it thoroughly having already stocked up with lunch at the 'John Harvey'.  We can however inform you that sharing a bowl of cheese-coated chips is a pleasant accompaniment to a pint!
Returning via Brighton meant a compulsory stop-over at the 'Evening Star' - are their beers the best in the UK?  One of the stress factors associated with living in Sussex is having so many excellent pubs and breweries in the area, meaning that we are constantly faced with agonising decisions - it's a tough life!
 
3) Belgian Beer Festival at the Duke of Wellington, Shoreham, 28-29 July
 
Not being too keen on the decibels usually involved in live music at beer fests in the evening we agreed to meet friends Nigel & Pam at noon on Sunday 29th.  As usual, we allowed more time than necessary to stroll down there and arrived before opening time.  We saw landlord Roy Chuter down the side alley sorting empties from the night before, went down to chat to him, and ended up doing some of the sorting.  This was a great advantage, as it gave us a sneak preview of what was in store.  When we got in, I couldn't resist trying Banks and Taylor Black Dragon Mild 4.3% - a good dense black body, with a short-lived head, and an excellent liquorice taste - all in all a very nice satisfying mild.  I cast wistful glances at the Dark Star APA and Oatmeal Stout, then sternly dragged myself back to the proper business of the day.  Having done our research among the crates of empties we were able to concentrate on beers we had not encountered before.
First was Kasteel Rouge 8%, a strong fruit beer from Van Honsebrouck, makers of the famous 11% Kasteel Blond and Bruin beers.  This is a kriek style beer, but with cherry flavours more reminiscent of morello than the Belgian sour cherries normally used in kriek.  The body is a rich deep red, with a short-lived head.  The aroma is powerfully morello cherry, initially a bit off-putting as it could seem artificial, but this probably relates to the type of cherry used.  The flavour is full and fruity, but not too sweet, a good compromise between the more traditional, sour krieks (which many find daunting) and the syrupy commercial offerings.  We were glad of the chance to try this relatively new beer, and think it will appeal to a wide range of fruit beer fans.
Next another fruit beer Bon Secours Framboise 7% named for the village of Bonsecours in which Caulier brewery originated.  The name Bon Secours was applied to their range of abbey style beers, and has now been used as a brandname for this, apparently recent, offering.  However, being of a suspicious bent, I checked out their history and found they used to produce a seasonal beer called L'Ampouinette de Redu which was (surprise!) a 7% framboise (raspberry).  Having found some reviews of the latter, which concurred closely with our own views on the former, we conclude that this is the same beer brought into the Bon Secours fold.  The body is a hazy pale pink and it has a great raspberry aroma, but the disappointment comes in the taste - very dry, with very little of the fruit promised by the aroma.  For a tart drink of this nature it would be better to look to some of the traditional gueuze brewers.
I know I've tried several from the Floreffe range (brewed by Lefebvre) but couldn't be sure whether I'd had Floreffe Prima Melior 8% so checked it out.  It is an abbey style strong ale, dark bodied, with a spicy, fruity aroma, and a sweetish taste.  It's a comptetent abbey ale, but among the strong competition you find in Belgium, I wouldn't make an effort to seek it out. During the rest of the session we were revisiting favourites such as Westmalle Tripel, with Jeannette and Pam trying the St Louis Kriek (also by van Honsbrouck) which is often available on draught in the 'Duke', and I was pleased to have the opportunity to introduce Nigel to Gouden Carolus, a classic from the Mecheln brewery.  (I won't review that here as  we'll be touring, and staying in the brewery in October, and we'll put a report on the full range in a future newsletter.)  It was the least I could do to return a favour, since Nigel and Pam had just come back from Ieper, bringing back some of the last bottles of Passendale.  Nigel has discovered a retailer who has the last few cases  of this is delightful, easy drinking, everyday amber ale, which was produced, test marketed in West Flanders where it was very successful, but it was not promoted, and subsequently dropped by the brewers, Duvel-Moortgat.  I shall convey my displeasure when we visit them in October!
 
4) A religious interlude
 
 An unknown medieval monk is said to have composed the following:
He who drinks beer sleeps well.  He who sleeps well cannot sin.  He who does not sin goes to Heaven.
Any of you in need of salvation could do worse than to sign up for our new tasting course "Heavenly Beers" on 24 November - details in Diary Notes
 
5) "Ho there, mine host, a pottle of your finest ale!"
 
As you may know (or certainly will know if you've looked at our website page www.simpson.uk.com/beers/UK/Measures.htm ) a pottle is an old measure equal to 4 pints.  I've always wanted to try this line in a pub (although it would probably be met by a) a blank stare or b) "D'you mean a bottle?")  I may have the opportunity to us the phrase next month when our friends Trevor and Tessa are taking us to see the 17th century village at Rowner near Gosport.  It features reconstructed buildings and staff in period costume to transport you back to 1642.  They offer demonstrations of sawing timber, lace-making, and wool carding and spinning.  I was particularly interested to read on the website that those visitors with "good and lawful money of England" may enter Little Woodham's ale-house, there to join in conversation with whomever they may find within.  This sounds like the ideal opportunity for some extensive research (both theoretical and practical) into 17th century drinking.  I'll report back in the next issue, all being well - after all 1642 was the start of the English Civil War, and we don't know if their idea of historical verisimilitude extends as far as conscription!

From Issue 33 (June 07)

2) Start trailing those ales!
 
The 2007 CAMRA Brighton & South Downs Ale Trail is now open (28 May to 30 September).    All you need to do to win a fine commemorative T-shirt is to enjoy a pint of real ale in 20 of the 40 participating pubs - no hardship, as there are some excellent pubs with excellent beers on the list.  (3 of them are Dark Star pubs, and many of the others do a good pint of Harveys - that should be enough of an attraction to get you started!)  You need to have a passport, which you get stamped as confirmation of required imbibing - these can be picked up at many of the pubs or by post.  Full details are on the  website at http://www.brightoncamra.org.uk/AleTrail.html    We've found the Trail a rewarding experience, not just because it extends our wardrobe, but because it gets us to pubs we might not otherwise visit.  A first for us this year was a visit to the Cock Inn at Ringmer http://www.cockpub.co.uk/ which serves an excellent range of food as well as good beer.  We're looking forward to working through the necessary 20 - and perhaps qualifying for sweatshirts and or glasses if we score 30 or 40!
 
3) A Taste of Belgium - A
 
At the beginning of June we travelled to Kortrijk, a leisurely journey using Eurostar to Brussels and a regional direct train to Kortrijk.  The latter journey was free, because a Eurostar ticket gives you free onward travel from Brussels to any other Belgian station - worth factoring in to your travel plans.  We had chosen Kortrijk (Courtrai for French speakers) simply because it made a handy base for the HOP festival which is held in the village of Vichte just a few kilometres away.  We were very pleasantly surprised by Kortrijk, which doesn't normally rate highly on any list of Belgian tourist sites.  However it has an imposing square, Grote Markt, which our hotel (the Belfort - very comfortable and we got a good deal via www.expedia.co.uk )overlooked.  Just off the square is the Beguinage, a sort of walled town within a town, which up to the mid 1950's was still inhabited by nuns.  There is a nice old river bridge, guarded by a couple of imposing towers, and a pedestrianised shopping area with some very pleasant cafés.  Definitely a town worth visiting, or spending a relaxing long weekend in.  One oddity, is that there seems to be a local passion for Italian food - most of the café-bars on the square major on pizza, spaghetti or both.  We managed to find something a bit more local by visiting Chez Nous in Graanmarkt who do a nice line in food, and the Ename beers are excellent.  www.cheznous-online.be gives an idea but the photography on their website doesn't really do it justice. 
The members of HOP operate a very efficient taxi service from Kortrijk to Vichte, which means you don't have to worry about Belgium's very strict drink-drive laws.  The Karakterbierweekend was better than ever, and bigger too, with more breweries (27) and more beers (90+) than before.  The nice thing is that nearly all the breweries send a senior manager, or even the head brewer, so you get to talk to the people who really know their stuff.  One of the HOP organisers, William Roelens, is a dab hand with a camera and is a very active webmaster and blogger.  You'll find the blog at http://blog.seniorennet.be/bierblog/archief.php?ID=272  and more pictures of the Karakterbierweekend at http://foto.zita.be/6990744137  - among the latter you may see faces that you recognise about 12 rows down. 
 
4) A Taste of Belgium - B
 
 Among the breweries represented at Vichte were a significant number of new ones.  We won't say too much about them here, but you'll have the chance to try some of them if you sign up for the course we're running in the autumn: 'Master Brewers - Taste the Beers of Belgium'.  The course is on Saturday 10 November at Rydon Community College, Rock Road, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 3AA  and you can book through West Sussex AE on 01903 814880.  Even if you've been on one of our previous Belgian courses we can guarantee that this one will introduce you to a lot of new beers, including, perhaps, the new Belgian classics.    More info at http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/BelgianCourse.htm 
We're also trying out a new course at a new venue.  On Saturday 24 November 'Heavenly Beers - Abbey & Trappist Ales' will be held at Kings Manor Community College, Kingston Lane, Shoreham By Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6YT.  This course will concentrate on monastic brewing, and the imitators of it.  While the prime focus will be on Belgium, and we'll endeavour to include all the famous Trappist breweries, there will be some surprise visitors in the same style from other countries. Details on  http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/BelgianAbbeyCourse.htm  and bookings via West Sussex as above.
For armchair (bar-stool?) travellers we're holding another 'Wide World of Beers' course on Saturday 15 March next year at Steyning Grammar School, Shooting Field, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RX.  Our virtual world tour will follow a different route, taking in a lot more new locations, so even if you've been on one of these courses before there will be new insights into brewing around the globe.  Booking via West Sussex AE and details on http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/RestOfWorld/WorldCourse.htm
 
5) A Taste of Belgium - C
 
Closer to home, and closer to the present, you can catch the taste of Belgium at Shoreham's own 'Duke of Wellington' on Saturday/Sunday 28/29 July - the pub opens at noon each day.  As well as being a Dark Star brewery tap, they always have a good selection of Belgian beers,  so a Belgian Festival there should be something special.  http://www.eveningstarbrighton.co.uk/duke.php
 

6) Glastonwick

We managed to make a flying visit (well, bus actually) to the Glastonwick Festival at Church Farm Coombes, just up the Adur valley.   We were glad to have had the chance to see it but left with somewhat mixed feelings.  It was great to have a free shuttle bus from Shoreham included in the price of the entry ticket but were horrified to see the bus having to squeeze along the narrow road to Coombes.  It was only just wider than the bus, so drivers coming the opposite way were equally shocked!  The awkward manoeuvering to get past disrupted the schedule, but it was encouraging to hear that the bus driver had experience of Cornwall, and that by comparison the Coombes road was 'like a motorway'!  After a showery day the weather was kind, giving us a lovely sunny evening.  As the Festival is spread over several barns, and there are also seats in the orchard, some sort of re-entry pass was required, so we were branded with a rubber stamp on the arm, which looked like a large tattoo.  To protect the farm animals plastic 'glasses' were issued, so there's no addition to the collection of Festival commemorative glasses. The list of 66 beers was excellent, with some less commonly encountered brews from all corners of the UK included.  The down side for us was the music. 
Now I know that there is a big debate about having live music at beer festivals, with strong feelings on both sides, and a lot of people who go to Glastonwick do so for the music.  The problem was that the beer stillage was set up along one wall of the same barn in which the bands performed.  The beers were arranged on an A-Z basis, which meant that for any products of brewers starting with M upwards you were very close to the stage.  This made it difficult to push through the crowd standing by the stage but it also meant that the only way to order beer was to point to the relevant item on the programme, as there was no way you could make yourself heard above the number of decibels being pumped out.  We found a retreat in the next barn, where there was a van selling very tempting egg and bacon baps, and plenty of seats where you could taste the beers and still have a conversation. 
Of the beers, we tried Clark's Black Buck 4.0%, an easy drinking mild from Wakefield to which we awarded 3 ticks.  Jeannette supported Cornwall by trying the Organic Brewhouse Lizard Point 4.0% from Helston.  This was a pleasant light golden ale, which had the dry malt finish promised by the notes, but we were not aware of the 'hints of fruit' - still, it was worth 3 ticks.  Next we braved the decibels to collect two beers supplied by the Red Squirrel Brewery of Hertford.  These were Red Squirrel Weiss Bier 5.0% which was pleasant enough, but we doubt whether many Germans would have recognised it as a Weiss - 3 ticks.  Red Squirrel Sweet Stout 6.6% was definitely a stout, and definitely sweet, and rated a score of 3.5 ticks.  In spite of all the interesting brews from further afield we couldn't resist a few of the 'locals'.  First was Custom Beers Tomahawk Strong Ale 5.5% from Haywards Heath, a golden, distinctly hoppy brew rating 3.5 ticks.  Then came two beers from Dark Star of Ansty, also just up the road, and surely a hot contender for the 'Best UK Brewery' title.  Dark Star Brewers Reserve 4.5% was a limited edition amber beer, quite complex, hints of with vanilla - 3.5 ticks.  And yes, we've had it many times before, but who could resist the chance to try the first cask of this year's brew of Dark Star Imperial Stout 10.5% - dark, rich, complex, and still deserving of its high score of 4 ticks. 
Overall, Glastonwick was an interesting experience, but we still prefer peaceful daytime sessions like those at the Worthing Beer Festival (next one due 26-27 October) where you can concentrate on the beers - perhaps it's our age???

 

From Issue 32 (May 07)

1) E-mail address change
 
You'll notice a subtle change in the email address from which this email is coming to you - if you have the old one in your address book, or in a 'friends' list in anti-spam software, would you please make the appropriate change.  You may be interested to learn the background.  Our ISP PlusNet was the target of a hacking attack, apparently from the Russian mafia, and the database of email addresses was 'harvested' and sold to Spammers.  As a result we've got a huge amount of work to do, removing old mailboxes and setting up new ones, in order to avoid the mountains of spam which followed this situation.  The case made the BBC website
and you can read the full story from PlusNet at
Our own systems are well-protected, so we didn't suffer the Trojan attack which some of PlusNet's customers experienced, but it's a good reminder to everyone to make sure that you're up to date with anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware and firewall software on your computer, and that you install all the Windows updates which Microsoft tells you about.  It's a pain that we all need to spend so much time and money on computer security, but it's a sign of the times we live in.
 
2) A Taste of Belgium
 
Our relentless schedule led us to 'The Greys' (Southover Road, Brighton) last Saturday, for their Belgian beer festival.  The entrance fee of £6 advance, £7 on the door, gave you an elegant souvenir glass, which is much more suitable for quaffing Belgian ales than your average CAMRA festival pint glass,  and your first beer.  That first beer was a Poperinge Hommelbier, a great hoppy beer in its own right but it also evokes happy memories for us as it is the local brew and our aperitif of choice when we're staying in our favourite part of West Flanders. 
And if you're not familiar with that area see
The festival menu included very tasty and reasonably priced Belgian style bangers and mash - we had to sample that twice during the course of the day just to make sure we got our critical evaluation right. 
Oh yes, it also included well over 40 very interesting Belgian beers.  We regretfully turned aside from old favourites such as St Bernardus 12 (10%), Kwak (8%), Cuvee de Trolls (7%) and Piraat (9.5%), as well as a good range of Trappist and abbey ales, for the sake of researching those which were new to us.
We were pleased to see two beers representing the delightful Alvinne brewery http://www.alvinne.be/  As well as enjoying their beers, we enjoy the cheek of this tiny brewery -  they call themselves a picobrewery rather than a micro, and operate out of an overgrown garden shed in the town of Ingelmunster, which happens also to be the home of the mighty van Honsebrouck brewery, makers of Kasteelbier, Brigand, the St Louis range etc etc.  So quite truthfully Alvinne call themselves 'the second largest brewery in Ingelmunster'!  On this occasion we tried Alvinne Blonde (6%) and Bruin (6.5%), both of which were competent productions, well deserving of 3 ticks, but not quite reaching the heights attained by some of their other beers such as their Extra and Tripel.
Perhaps the most successful newcomer was Gouyasse Tradition  http://www.brasseriedeslegendes.be/  (6%) - described as a 'perfect balance of a dry but not overpowering bitterness and a maltiness which softens the hoppiness'.  We concurred, just adding that it drinks very smoothly and goes down with dangerous ease, and awarded it 4 ticks.
We were also very pleased to have the chance to try Caracole Saxo Blonde (7.2% - 3 ticks) and the same brewery's Troublette Witbier (5.5% - 3 ticks), as well as Graal Speciale (8% - brown and malty, earning 3.5 ticks), Felix Brune (5% - 3 ticks), and Silenrieux Pave d'Ours (8.5% - a rare honey beer which very subtly blended the sweetness of the honey with the beer and gained 3.5 ticks).
The final high scorer was Scotch Silly  http://www.silly-beer.com/  Don't giggle at the name of the brewery, it's actually the town name, and you'd also be well advised to take this beer very seriously.  It's a dark stouty Scotch ale which weighs in at a hefty 8% and has tones of burnt coffee, toffee, chocolate etc.  An instant 4 ticks.
Scanning through those percentages, you'll see why it was a fairly major challenge to navigate back to Brighton station afterwards, but it was a very pleasant way to widen our research horizons, and get in training for our next Belgian beer festival (this time in Belgium) this coming weekend.  (Details below, but you'll have to move fast if you haven't already booked your train tickets!)
 
3) Japanese Taste
We have seen a recent survey conducted to establish what kind of alcoholic drink Japanese people would prefer when they are in a 'luxurious mood'.  The top scorer, at 30.3% was premium beer, beating champagne (with 26.8%) into second place. 
Japan's native brews of sake and shochu ranked 3rd and 5th respectively (20.8% and 12.4%) with still wine intervening at 4th position (17.2%).  Next in the rankings were 'home-made cocktails' (6th with 10.0%) and 'beer served with a beer server for home use' (7th with 9.3%). 
The main spirits, whisky and brandy, formerly so popular with the Japanese for special occasions, have only scraped 7.4% and 7.2% to give them the 8th and 9th places.  At 10th place with 2.9% is that well-known beverage 'Other'. 
So, let's all raise a glass and toast beer's resounding success in the Japanese popularity stakes, not forgetting to convey our thanks to those who carried out this objective and unbiased survey . . . Kirin Brewery Co Ltd . . . ???

From Issue 31 (April 07

1) World Beers
 
It seems ages since our last beer course but in fact it was only on 10 March at Rydon College.  Here's a note of our itinerary:

Canada-Sleeman Porter;  USA-Pumpkin Ale;  USA-Black Chocolate Stout;  USA-Goose Island IPA;  Australia-Little Creatures APA;  Australia-Coopers Extra Stout;  India-King Cobra;  VietNam-Hanoi Beer;  Japan-Orion Premium;  Morocco-Flag Special;  Portugal Abadia ;  Madeira-Coral Tonica;  Russia-Ochakovo Black;  Germany-Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel;  Germany-Rauchweizen;  Belgium-St Sixtus

The dedicated group of students kept careful notes (though we suspect the handwriting may have deteriorated somewhere over Russia!) and seemed to have enjoyed it as much as we did.

We're currently sorting out plans for tastings in the next academic year (September onwards)  but we'll put details in the newsletter as soon as we have anything organised.

 
2) Tasting notes
 
Talking about tastings reminds me that I have been intending to include a reference to the process of tasting.  It can be helpful if you keep notes on any unusual beers you've tried, especially if you subsequently want to get a beer to suit a particular occasion.  So here's a few pointers:
You'll find how to go about it on the Rate-Beer website at
- that article also includes a link to a very comprehensive tasting form, which can provide some useful ideas when you're trying to find the mot juste to describe an elusive taste.  Please note that even though the Rate Beer website comes from the land of the frozen B*dw**s*r they suggest it's rather difficult to taste properly when your tongue is suffering from frost-bite!
From a Belgian site comes another tasting form (pdf format) which you can print or download - it's in English.
CAMRA has a suggested procedure at
If you find the idea of filling in two sides of A4 a bit daunting CAMRA uses a much simpler system to rate the beers in your local.  Find the details of the National Beer Scoring System at
Thre's a link from that page to a downloadable card (provided you're a CAMRA member - you are, aren't you?)
That system in facts matches quite closely our own informal 1-5 tick system (including half ticks) which is quite easy to use even when you're well into the menu at a beer festival.
And of course there's always the scientific system devised by the Shoreham-based International Institute of Zythology*.

1 – Yeukh – take it away!       

4 – I like it! Ish very nishe . . .

2 – Badly flavoured dishwater. 

5 – MORE! MORE! MORE!

3 – Bearable – I could quaff this with my chips, if forced to.

6 – (No verbal comment – this score is awarded by a gentle slide to the floor with a beatific smile on one’s face . . .)

 

 

 

 

 

 

*From the Greek Zythos = fermentation/beer plus Logos = study.

 
3) Japan
Since the last issue we have had a wonderful 3 weeks in the Land of the Raising Glass, Japan.  For many years Japan suffered under legislation which effectively gave a brewing monopoly to a handful of big companies who produced some competent beers, but ultimately the choice when you wanted a drink was lager - or lager.  Recently the laws were changed and a host of micro-breweries were set up.  With the normal Japanese enthusiasm companies bought in equipment and expertise from abroad, and fans can now attend beer festivals at which a large range of offerings from small breweries is available.  Don't expect too much too soon - it's going to take time for Japan's brewers to acquire the skills they would need to compete at a major CAMRA festival. 
Many breweries have sought help from Germany where the fixation with 'purity' has led to the production of many bland and boring beers (but doubtless very pure!)  Some have bought in complete computerised brewery kits:  'Insert mash here, connect water supply there, press red button, then collect beer here'.  Some have tried to imitate foreign styles: 'German Weizen beers have overtones of banana - let's add banana milk-shake syrup to the mash'.  But we must remember that craft brewing is a very young industry in Japan, and give thanks that it is now taking off, as well as giving credit to those brewers who are already succeeding in producing some very acceptable beers.  You'll find notes on some places to try Japanese beers on the website at
 http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Japan/GoToJapan.htm 

I plan to add to that page some information on the Kumamoto Craft Brewery and Izumo-ji beers.  We were tipped off about both of those by Rob Beer.  He's the Beer (Can) Hunter, and you'll find the Japan portion of his website at
 http://beercannews.com/COUNTRIES/Japan/japan.html
No doubt his recent travels will result in some additions to those pages.

As Rob was going to be in Japan at the same time as us, we compared itineraries and arranged to meet up where our paths crossed.  As we were planning to visit the Grand Shrine at Izumo we agreed to seek out some Izumo-ji beer cans for Rob.  This led to an interesting day, when we found that there was only one place where you could get the beers (from the beer restaurant/brewery) which was at Nishi Izumo, a couple of stops down the line.  We got there, only to find that the place didn't open until the evening.  Then we spotted movement inside, and after a bit of jumping up and down and generally looking pathetic, the manager kindly opened up for us, let us buy the beers, and even gave us a guided tour of the brewery.  Subsequently we met Rob by arrangement on Tsuwano station, passed on the cans, and he rewarded us with an impromptu tasting of some of his discoveries in the station waiting room!  We met up again by arrangement in Nagasaki, where we were privileged to watch the maestro racing in and out of all the local beer shops, summing up their stock of cans in the blink of an eye, and racing on to the next.  Rob's route also led us past some antique shops where we found some amazing bargains on antique kimono material and obis to supply our other interest - see
http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/talks.htm
for an explanation! 
We also met up - twice! - in Kumamoto by a most amazing series of coincidences, which is how Rob came to suggest we tried the Kumamoto Craft brewery.  He wasn't sure it was operating, as he'd never found it open.  It was right by the station, and as luck would have it, just 5 minutes from our hotel.  Which is how we were able to discover that it only opens in the evenings (after 5pm), that they serve a good range of food, and a passable range of beers.

We couldn't concentrate solely on beers, as we had a mission to study all aspects of Japanese culture.  This meant that in Tsuwano we visited their famous sake breweries, which are very conveniently located next door to each other in the main street of old samurai houses.  This does mean that you enter the first establishment, are pressed to try several from their range, stagger to the next establishment, where they insist you try their top products too - and eventually you have the challenge of trying to find your way back to your lodgings!  (Fortunately it's a single straight road!)
In the island of Kyushu their product is shochu, a spirit distilled from a range of different ingredients, but the famous speciality is that made from imo - sweet potato.  We had heard of a bar at Kagoshima station which stocked over 100 varieties of shochu, but although we did our best, we only managed to try 5 of them before our train left.  On Shikoku, the town of Tokushima has its own take on shochu, making it from the sudachi, a local fruit rather like a lime.  This produced a slightly tart drink, which Jeannette assured me would be perfect for the summer time, and could even tempt her away from gin and tonic.

Well that's enough about our arduous research work for now.  I'll let you know via the newsletter when I manage to add more to the Japan pages of our website.

 

From Issue 30 (March 07)

2) Going Dutch
 
While working over in Aldwick, near Bognor Regis, a place we don't get to very often, we were delighted to come across the Little Holland Dutch Pancake House at  49 Aldwick Road, Bognor Regis PO21 2NJ Tel: 01243 865907    The owners, Rob and Marielle van Renssen, are from Delft, but fell in love with England after a holiday in Cornwall in 1999.  They moved to England in 2003 and at the beginning of 2004 opened the Little Holland restaurant.
It's worth going there just to try the range of 65 authentic, freshly made savoury and sweet pancakes but the culinary talents don't stop there - the soups are excellent, and there is a variety of typical Dutch main meals on offer too. 
However, from the point of view of the beer fans reading this newsletter the real bonus is that Rob and Marielle also brought with them a love of beers, and you'll find a good selection of Dutch and Belgian brews on the menu.  When we were there Rob had several varieties of La Trappe (the Dutch Trappist brewery, and the only Trappist outside Belgium).  You can sometimes find La Trappe Dubbel in supermarkets but at Little Holland I was able to try the La Trappe Blond, and thought that was superior.  As we were working that day I couldn't carry out further research into the La Trappe Tripel or Quadrupel, but we shall certainly make another trip to Aldwick to check out the rest of the beer menu.  Until we do, we'll just have to tantalise our tastebuds by looking at Rob's website, and drooling over the menus.  You can find it at
 
3) West Country delights
On a recent trip to the West for some genealogical research we took the opportunity to try out some local hostelries and beers from some of the many microbreweries in the area.  We picked up Somerset CAMRA's magazine, and found we could tick off several of the oustanding pubs mentioned in it.  First was the Hatch Inn, at Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton Somerset, which brought back happy memories of a weekend where we dropped in for lunch, found an outstanding beer festival in progress, so took advantage of their B&B to stay over so as to fully explore the festival!  Website www.thehatchinn.co.uk/

On the next page was the Half Moon at Mudford, near Yeovil.  We used that as a base for attending a family history conference last year, using their handy motel-style accommodation.  It's difficult to say whether the greatest appeal was their first class restaurant or the excellent RCH beers they have on tap.  My favourite was Firebox 6% described as 'A reddish deep brown coloured beer which is a deceptively drinkable strong bitter with a fine combination of citrus hops and cherry fruit bittersweet flavours which gives a strong dry bitter finish.'  I would definitely agree with the 'deceptively drinkable' description but when you've got excellent food to soak it up and you know that your bed is only a short stagger across the courtyard, no problem!   The inn's website is www.thehalfmooninn.co.uk/ and RCH Brewery is at www.rchbrewery.com

The magazine carried details of Tuckers Maltings (see Diary below) and an intriguing ad for the Old Stagecoach Inn at Crewkerne - described as 'The House of Belgian Beers and food run by a Belgian'.  A quick look at the website www.stagecoach-inn.co.uk reveals a beer list of nearly 40 Belgian brews.  Even when you deduct the run-of-the mill Leffe etc there's more than enough to keep an enthusiast interested.  And the restaurant menu promises moules (of course!), rabbit cooked in Kwak, and waterzooi among other authentic dishes.  There's accommodation to sleep it off too.

Reading that ad might have made me distressed that Crewkerne wasn't on our itinerary this trip, were it not that at the time we were sitting in a pub which is also listed in that magazine and which is a strong contender for the pride of Somerset, if not the whole South West - the Ring O' Bells at Ashcott.  This seems to embody everything a pub ought to be. 

It's in a pleasant rural setting in the village High Street (but check your navigation carefully - there's another pub of the same name nearby, and our satnav, aimed at the postcode which apparently covers a wide area, initially took us to the wrong side of the main road).  The decor is attractively traditional without straying into 'theme park Olde Englande'.  The landlord, whose family has been running the pub for 20 years, is relaxed, friendly, happy to chat, and makes you feel thoroughly at home - even when, like ourselves, you're a first-time visitor.  The beer list always features 3 real ales, mainly from microbreweries, usually but not exclusively from the West Country but one of them is always a local beer.  The local beer comes either from Glastonbury Ales or from Moor Beers, (slogan 'Drink Moor beer'!!!) whose brewery is on a farm just up the road, and you can't get more local than that.   www.moorbeer.co.uk

The menu on the website  www.ringobells.com  only gives you a hint of what to expect from the restaurant - you need to check out the specials of the day.  When we were there the soups of the day were Tomato and Orange, and Duck and Vegetable - either of which would have made your journey worthwhile.  Also on the blackboard was the fresh fish of the day from Plymouth - superb plaice.  The attention to detail was second to none - the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and plentiful, the bread which came with the soup was a rustic-style delight and the coffee was excellent.  We cast regretful glances at the splendid dessert menu which we just couldn't manage - perhaps another time.

If you've read right through this section, you will now be faced with only two options - sell up and move to Somerset, or plan your next holiday touring the county!

 

From Issue 29 (January 07)

1) Big Freeze
 
So the world thinks that we Brits drink warm beer?  Not true!  Brewers recommend a serving temperature around 11-12 degrees, as from a good traditional cellar, so that your beverage is cool, but you can still appreciate the subtle flavours in it.  For some reason, our cousins across the Pond, many of whom live in far colder climes than in the UK, have to have their beer chilled to the extent that your taste buds freeze and you don't know what you're drinking.  This suggests that they have been brainwashed by their brewers, who are then able to serve up any kind of slightly alcoholic fizz-water without anyone noticing.  I was pleased to find I wasn't alone in decrying this practice when I found the following article by Roger Protz
But it seems that it's going to be an uphill struggle.  Beer iced-lollies anyone?
 
2) Palace Hotel, Poperinge
 
While we were at the Poperinge beer festival in October we heard that the present owners (and renowned beer promoters) Bea and Guy were thinking of giving up.  But it was still a surprise to see their email to the local Belgian beer group saying that they would be handing over the Palace Hotel at the end this month.  They had expected it would take some considerable time to find a buyer, but in the event it all happened much more quickly than they anticipated.  We hope that the new owners will provide the same facilities to the local beer group for holding festivals in the future. 
 
3) New beer discussion group for Brighton & Hove areas
Here's a Press Release regarding a new discussion group - just send an email to the address below to join:

How does a real ale fan sniff out the latest seasonal beer from their local brewery? Or find out who’s currently selling the finest pint – and the worst – in Brighton and Hove?  Real ale fan Melita Dennett has set up BrightonBeer, a special email group for all other ale lovers to share the latest news on what’s brewing in and around the city.  Frustrated at missing out on seasonal beers which often only appear in pubs for a week or two, and keen to share the latest news on the city’s thriving real ale circuit, Melita hopes that BrightonBeer will attract other beer fans to share their thoughts and tips, and maybe even campaign for more pubs to serve a great pint of traditional British ale. 

“Interest in real ales and small independent local breweries is on the increase,” she said. “I hope this group will play a part in promoting the great British pint, supporting Sussex’s brewers and letting us all in on where to find short-lived seasonal ales,” she added.  The move was welcomed by members of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.   

I hope all beer drinkers will use this facility to exchange their views and news about the real ale scene in Sussex" said Peter Mitchell, Membership Secretary for Brighton & Southdowns CAMRA.  Membership of the group is free and open to anyone. To join, simply send an email to brightonbeer-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

4) Meantime does it again!

 
We've often been impressed by the innovative work done by the young (founded 1999) Meantime brewery www.meantimebrewing.com and they have recently produced a couple of premium beers in corked and wired champagne bottles.  They are available from Sainsburys at £3.69,  which is not as expensive as it sounds, given that you're getting a quality 75cl bottle of top-class beer.  They do bottle-conditioned India Pale Ale and London Porter.  We tried the 1820 style IPA (7.5%) and were most impressed with the bitterness which although powerful is not overwhelming.  Meantime say they use vast amounts of Fuggles and Goldings (2 lbs per barrel), and use slow brewing techniques for small batches coupled with at least two months maturing.  It's got to be one of the best IPA's we've ever tried.  See their website for reviews by big names, including Michael Jackson who recommends it as a pre-prandial appetite sharpener.  That's how we tried it and we agree with his verdict.  We can't wait to try the 1750s-style London Porter (6.5%). 
 
5) High finance anyone?
 
Some years ago we thought we'd put a bit of spare cash into the CAMRA investment club, thinking only that we were doing our bit for the campaign - the idea is that as shareholders CAMRA can thump the table when individual brewers' policy goes against the interests of real ale.  To our surprise, it's turned out to be an amazingly good investment.  The latest report shows that 98p invested with the club last March had turned into £1.33 by the end of December - an increase of nearly 36% in 9 months!  So if you're a CAMRA member and you've got some cash earning 5% in the Building Society you might want to think again about your investment policy. 
(This is probably where we should include the statutory warning that investments can go down as well as up, alcohol in excess can damage your health, bank managers can damage your wealth, your home is at risk if you don't pay your mortgage, running with sharp objects like scissors can be dangerous, diving into an empty swimming pool is inadvisable and Nanny says wear your scarf when you go out in the cold)
 
6) Japanese flavours
 
We enjoyed a great visit to Tokyo at New Year, and although beer hunting was not our first priority on this trip we found some nice Ebisu black, renewed our acquaintance with Okinawan beer, and found a Sapporo brew listed on a menu as 'Half and Half'.  We suspect the latter was mixed by that particular bar, as we haven't been able to trace it in any lists of Sapporo products.  It could have been a mix of the Ebisu black along with the normal draught, as it was a nice mid-brown colour andf refreshing flavour.  The most memorable moment was when visiting the house of a couple we know, when the young Japanese lady told us about the Japanese beers being brewed from rice, as these are taxed less heavily and are currently gaining popularity as they sell for half the price of conventional beers.  She then announced that a lot of her friends said they couldn't tell the difference between the rice and malt beers, but as I was supposed to be a beer taster she was setting up an immediate blind tasting and she would tear up my credentials if I got it wrong!  Although I was initially anxious about risking my reputation, I needn't have worried.  Just looking at the two glasses told the story.  The rice beer was a very wishy-washy watery colour, while the malt was a nice gold.  The latter had a firm tight head, whereas the rice beer had big flabby bubbles.  Having been told that my verdict was correct, I did taste them as well - again no contest!  The rice beer, from Sapporo, was slightly less interesting than soda water, though perhaps a good substitute for B*dw*s*r which it seemed to be trying to imitate (Why????) and the other was a competent Asahi.  I have not changed my view that rice is not required as part of the brewing process but is best cooked as part of a meal or made into a creamy rice pudding.
 
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