Beer E-News Archive 2008

This page is an archive of items culled from our Beer Newsletter.   For earlier issues click on 2007, 2006 or  2005
If you'd like to get the news hot off the press, join our mail-list.

From Issue 55 (31 December 08)

1) How to cook healthy food
 
It's official!  Marinating your steak or chicken in beer before you fry or grill it substantially reduces the carcinogenic compounds created by the cooking process.  Although marinating in wine can help, beer is far more effective.  So order a few extra crates for your kitchen!  The full article is here:
 
You may start worrying that consuming all this extra beer will make you put on weight, but the scientists have an answer for that too.  They reckon that it's too much thinking which makes you fat!  And working at the computer is worst of all!  See the full text at:
 
So once you've finished reading this newsletter, switch off the computer, put your brain into neutral and head for the pub.  Make sure you choose the first beer you see at the bar, because trying to decide between several excellent real ales could undo all your good work!
 
2) Your New Year Resolutions

You've got a couple of suggestions in the previous article - drink more beer, and use it in your cooking too.  But you might like to make a resolution to be more adventurous in exploring beers.  Thinking of the traditional greeting, when you wish someone a 'Hoppy New Beer', the following might be a good start to your exploration.  Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor is a recent addition to the Het Anker (Mechelen) stable. 
 
The name is a pun, including Hop and 'Opsinjoor'.  The latter is a figure from Mechelen's folk history, best explained by this delightful quote from a Belgian website: "opsinjoor is an old folkloric person, who beated up his wife when he was drunk. So his neighbours were so angy at him that they woke him up by trowing him on a blanket high and let him fall".  [Only those who are capable of translating that back into the original Flemish are allowed to laugh!]
 
The new beer uses 4 types of hops: Golding, Spalt, Hallertau and Saaz. The hops are added gradually during the boil in order to keep a maximum of aroma. It is said that the beer has a gentle, but nevertheless bitter aftertaste. It is a golden-yellow colour with a distinctly hoppy aroma.  The beer is 8% ABV and can be laid down when it is said to last for at least 3 years.  We are looking forward to trying this one at the brewery in February (see Diary Dates).
 
One way you could keep this resolution to try more new beers would be to come along to the tasting on 28 March (see Diary Dates).  There you will try a range of beers from around the world, in a variety of styles, but you won't know what they are until you've tasted them and expressed your opinion - a great way to approach many new beers with an open mind, and a chance to learn more about your own tastes.
 
Meanwhile, have a great evening tonight, drink wisely but well, and may we wish you all the best for 2009.

 

From Issue 54 (December 08)

1) Blast from the Past 
While sorting out what we grandly call our library (and everyone else would call a junk room) we excavated a slim booklet called 'The Guide to Real Ale in Sussex'.  It had a price of 60p on the cover and was published by the Sussex branches of CAMRA in 1979.  As we only moved to Sussex in 1978 we must have acquired it shortly after our arrival.  It's a fascinating glimpse of history, listing King and Barnes of Horsham as "The only remaining independent brewer in West Sussex".  The Guide still featured a listing for Beards of Lewes with the explanation "Although a separate company, all their beers are obtained from HARVEY and are identical to those listed under that Brewery." 

Several intriguing references under East Sussex sent me looking into my copy of "Century of British Brewers" to find out the fate of the establishments mentioned.  The Martlet Brewery of Eastbourne offering Brighton Bitter and Regency Bitter was described as "The most recent of the two new Sussex Breweries.  About to commence deliveries as we go to print."  CoBB told me that the Martlet did indeed open in 1979 - but closed in 1983. 
 
It was clearly a time for ornithological names for breweries, because the other 'new brewery', featured in a half page ad, was the Raven Brewery, of Vine Street Brighton.  They offered Raven Bitter and Brighton Best Bitter, and rather than quoting ABV % as now, the beers were listed with their Original Gravity measurement - 1040 for Raven, and 1048.9 for Brighton Best - a "stronger brew".  The Raven Brewery also opened in 1979 - and closed in 1982.  It re-opened in 1983 - and closed again in 1986.  It then operated for a year (1986-7) as the Brighton Brewery, before closing for good.
 
So in 1979 there were four independent breweries in Sussex.  The two newest lasted just a few years, and King and Barnes (dating from 1906, and as GH Barnes from 1800)was taken over by Hall & Woodhouse in 2000, leaving only Harveys of those listed in that CAMRA Guide.  But the good news is that thirty years later we have around twenty breweries in Sussex which a) shows how successful CAMRA has been and b) tells us that in a world full of gloom and doom we in Sussex have something to be thankful for!
 
2) Christmas Cheer from Harveys
 If you're in the Shoreham area, the good news is that Harveys Christmas Ale has been sighted.  We came across it first in the Buckingham Arms - slightly sweet, with drier undertones, full of spice, fruit and memories of all the best Christmas puddings you've ever tasted.  At 8.1% it brings on the wish for a pleasant nap afterwards, but it is a truly great beer experience, up there with the world classics.  Today we encountered it in the Red Lion, costing a few pence more than in the Buck, but well worth it for the experience of drinking it next to the Christmas tree in front of a roaring log fire.  We understand it's in fairly short supply, so make it a priority to get to one of these establishments in the very near future and make it a really memorable Christmas!

 

From Issue 53 (November 08)

1) Beer Tastings
We have now held two of the new-format beer tastings and they have proved to be very successful.  Because we now work with the Red Lion rather than through colleges we can provide far better value - more beers to try, lunch and mid-afternoon snack included, and far more congenial surroundings.  Although the next one in the series (Heavenly Beers - Abbey and Trappist ales) is not until 14th March, the initial ticket supply sold out long ago, and the extra places which we subsequently made available are also fully booked.  If you want to join the tasting fun, your last opportunity in the current programme will be the Beer Mystery Tasting on 28th March.  This is where you try each beer and only find out what it is afterwards!  
You can treat it as a challenge to see whether you can identify the style and origin, but it also provides an excellent chance to taste a very wide range of beers from all over the world without being influenced by preconceptions.  Someone may say 'I don't like that beer style' when they can see its name and assume a mindset where they won't like it; however if they blind taste a good specimen of the type it is surprising how often they find it's much better than they remembered - and even quite enjoyable!
 
2) News from Belgium
 [Translation from Flemish newsletter with my additions in italics]
The Father of Hoegaarden stops brewing
Pierre Celis, the father of Hoegaarden beer [he single-handedly revived the witbier style in Belgium] has stopped brewing.  Celis is struggling with health problems and so is shelving his new beer projects.  Celis started in 1996 with his brewery in Stoopkensstraat in Hoegaarden.  In 1989 he lost this brewery [after a disastrous fire] which then fell into the hands of [the hated] Interbrew [now the hated InBev, which has 'dumbed down' the beers Celis created] and he moved to Texas where he set up the Celis Brewery. [Fortunately Celis's 1996 initiative has resulted in many other brewers taking up the witbier style - we especially like St Bernardus Witbier - so his legacy is not solely in the destructive hands of InBev!]

3a) Local News
 
In the last issue we reported on the excellent Worthing beer festival as follows:
" Each year it seems better than ever, and this year we have statistical proof that such is the case.   We tried a dozen beers and not one of them scored Average (3 ticks out of 5 on our scale)!  There was a single 'Above Average' (3.5) and a single 4.5 (verging on world classic) and all the other ten each rated 4 ticks (excellent).  We can't recall any other UK Festival where we have rated the beers this highly . . ." 
So it's particularly pleasing to report that in such exalted company local Adur Brewery's Velocity 4.4% bitter was declared runner up (first place being taken by a Welsh stout). 
Perhaps next time the Welsh won't get it all their own way because they will face stiff competition from Adur Brewery's own stout,  Black William 5%, which has just become available  - see    http://www.adurbrewery.com/2008/11/19/the-face-of-black-william
 
3b) Local News
 
Those of you in the Worthing area may have heard that the Beerbox, one of the few places where you can buy real ale from the cask to take home, was having problems and had temporarily closed.  The good news is that it reopens today (26 November) and the even better news is that you can get Adur's Merry Andrew 6.2% from the cask or in bottles, and they also have a supply of bottled Velocity 4.4%.  More details from http://beerboxonline.com/
 
4) Men Brewing Badly
 
We had to watch the TV programme about Neil Morrisey setting up a brewery purely because of the subject matter.  However, we were appalled by Morrisey and his partner, who showed themselves as arrogant, foul-mouthed and utterly childish.  We're not bothered by strong language on TV when it's used for comedic or dramatic effect, but this was just giving free rein to a couple of immature louts whose 'humour' seems to have been arrested at the 5 year-old's potty-joke stage.

We pride ourselves on being open-minded about beers, so we bought a bottle of their Morrisey Fox Blonde Ale 4.2% and worked hard to be objective as we tasted it.  It pours pale gold, with a white, relatively short-lived head and a gassy look which is borne out by the prickly mouthfeel.  The aroma was slight, floral, wheaty, but far from the 'amazing nose' they claim on the label.  The initial flavour was moderate, without a great deal of taste, but the aftertaste was distinctly unpleasant, very like that of a cheap lager.  No doubt this qualifies as an ale by virtue of being top-fermented but in most other respects it's like a poor mass-produced lager.  No doubt they plan to serve it chilled down to zero degrees, at which point it would probably become tasteless enough to be drinkable.

 
We couldn't finish the bottle - life's too short to waste on beers like this when there are so many better brews out there.  We need a different scoring system for this one - 2/10 for effort, 0/10 for quality and taste, and we would suggest they go out and get a lot more real experience before they dare to call themselves brewers.
 
The sickening thing about it is that the 'celebrity' effect will be enough to get them widespread initial distribution, which must be galling for the high-quality micro-brewers who are struggling to get their beers accepted in the trade.  (Although we gave four cheers to Waitrose, who wouldn't accept it on the Morrisey name alone but put it into a blind tasting, where it failed to meet their standards - of course the arrogant 'experts' dismissed this as nonsemse!)  Our hope for the future is that people who have tried one bottle of this stuff will be unlikely to go back for another bottle at a premium price - if they want this sort of drink they can buy gallons of Stella for £5 or whatever the latest supermarket offer is.  And supermarkets won't hesitate to discontinue a line that doesn't sell.  The most shocking thing about the whole experience was that having tried the 'celebrity brew' we started thinking that by comparison B*dw**s*r wasn't so bad after all . . .!!!  (Note for Stephen - stick to Mongolian Baadog, it tastes better.)

From Issue 52 (October 08)

The new round of beer tastings got off to a great start on 11 October.  As expected, the Red Lion proved to be an ideal venue and a good time was had by all.  We mentioned in the last issue that there would be several bonus beers to try on top of the basic 15 promised for each sessions - in the event the total number of Belgian beers available was 25, and it's looking as though there will be a similar number for the UK beers session on 22 November.  If you want to join the fun at one of the tastings you'll need to move fast to get tickets - see item 1. 
And talking of tickets, the Ropetackle Centre now has on sale those for Friday 7th November 7.30pm when Miles Jenner (of Harveys) and Andy Dwelly (of our local Adur Brewery) will be talking about brewing in this area - and there's a good chance of samples . . .  An evening not to be missed!  See Diary Dates below.
 
1) Beer Tastings - Tickets Almost gone

Tickets for the new programme of beer tastings have gone very fast - so fast that we have not had to do the press publicity we intended because there are few tickets left to offer! 
The UK beers tasting on 22 November is now full.  The Heavenly Beers tasting on 14 March 2009 is already fully subscribed but we are looking at the possibility of making a few extra places available for that very popular session, so email us quickly if you're interested in joining that one.  And about half the places on the Beer Mystery tasting (28 March 2009) are already taken.  While it is still possible to purchase tickets for the Beer Mystery tasting over the bar at the Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea - be sure to leave your contact details - they have no tickets for any other sessions.
   
Tickets cost £30 for each session (or book by post from ourselves at MCCW, 56 Greenacres, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5WY.)  Bookings by post must state clearly the names or references of the session you want tickets for, how many tickets per session, and give your name and full postal address, together with a telephone number and/or email address.  Please enclose your cheque made out to J SIMPSON and a SAE. 

If you would like a leaflet with details and a booking form, you can download and print a Word document from http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/Programme.doc  Alternatively just email us with your full postal address, and we will send you one by post. For full details on all the tastings see http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm 
 
2) News from Belgium

While it's not an infallible rule, we find that the more people get to know about beers, the more their taste inclines towards the darker stronger beers.  It's not so surprising, because these tend to have more flavour and complexity.  Broadly speaking the more ingredients used in the brewing process, the more flavour and also the more alcohol generated.  This message is starting to get through to the huge commercial brewers and has even reached Jupiler.  (You know, the one which is so widely advertised in Belgium that non-Flemish speakers often think Jupiler is Dutch for 'bar'!)
 
The 'classic' (advertising speak for 'boring'?) Jupiler pils is 5.2% ABV.  In 1990 they launched alcohol-free Jupiler NA, and in 2006 there was Jupiler Blue at 3.3% - perhaps an admission that NA (No Alcohol) = NT (No Taste)?  This month however they are launching Jupiler Tauro with an ABV of 8.3%.  It is supposed to show a 'mild bitterness with pronounced hop aroma and a slightly fruity sulphurous taste'.  (I'm sure the translation is correct, but that description doesn't sound very inviting to me!)  It displays a thick foam head and answers the demand for 'een pils met temperament' - a pils with attitude.  (Yes, well there's good attitude and bad attitude . . .) 

They are also trying to be 'different' by having no main label, just a small neck label.  (If they are trying to emulate Westvleteren Trappist I suspect they have some way to go!  Perhaps I shouldn't be too cynical and should really welcome the fact that a big brewer is discovering the idea of flavour.  One of my pet hates, Leffe, brought out a 9% version which, I have to admit, is actually quite drinkable!  Those of you with a classical education will have noticed the new Jupiler name, Tauro, and won't be surprised that the logo is a bull.  We just hope it doesn't turn out to be a load of . . .) The new beer was launched on 10 & 11 October in Antwerp and is available in 33cl bottles for a mere 5.29 Euros (We buy Westvleteren cheaper than that!) 
 
Staying with the Belgium theme, there is a new Belgian Breweries Blog online.  If you want pictures and details of Belgium's finest surf http://bloggen.be/belgische_brouwerijen/ 
The site's in Flemish, but it's mainly self-explanatory - you only need to click on the name of a brewery on the right.
 
3) Local News
 
The Adur Brewery is now in full swing, with a regular output of Velocity and Merry Andrew.  For a fun Saturday morning head for Steyning or Pulborough Farmers Markets.  As well as a chance to buy excellent local produce ranging from pumpkins to partridge you can also stock up with Adur Brewery beers from their stall.  Check out their website and blog at http://www.adurbrewery.com/ for news on where to find the beers and also to learn what are the new beers being planned - those who attended the Belgian Beer tasting will have had a foretaste of one of them.  
 
The ever reliable Worthing Beer Festival (on 24th & 25th October) is now just a happy memory.  Each year it seems better than ever, and this year we have statistical proof that such is the case.   We tried a dozen beers and not one of them scored Average (3 ticks out of 5 on our scale)!  There was a single 'Above Average' (3.5) and a single 4.5 (verging on world classic) and all the other ten each rated 4 ticks (excellent).  We can't recall any other UK Festival where we have rated the beers this highly, so full marks have to go to the team who chose the beers and presented them in such excellent condition.  A special mention should also be made of the tasty range of rolls available - perfect to complement and soak up the beers, helping us to keep tasting without falling over!  (I was thinking of including here apologies to Stephen for beating him to the Corned Beef and Pickle roll he wanted but it's my favourite too, so you'd better be quicker off the mark next year!) 
 

From Issue 51 (September 08)

Well, this newsletter just qualifies to be called the September issue.  Things have been rather hectic with preparations for the new round of beer tastings starting 11 October - it takes quite a while to research the facts and write the notes for all the beers (and you'll find there are several bonus beers to try on top of the basic 15 promised for each sessions!)  
If you want to join the fun at one of the tastings at the Red Lion you'll need to move fast to get tickets - see item 1.   
1) Beer Tastings - Tickets Going Fast
 
Tickets for the new programme of beer tastings are going fast.  If you're hoping to come to one (or more) don't delay or you'll miss the boat!  In particular, availability is now very limited for the the Belgian, UK and Heavenly tastings, so email us to check that the tickets for those sessions are still available.  And although the Mystery beers tasting is not until next March, half the places on that are already taken.  As yet we haven't done any major publicity, so once we circulate details more widely we expect the remaining places will go very quickly. 
Tickets for the Mystery Beers tasting can still be purchased over the bar at the Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea - be sure to leave your contact details - but they have run out of tickets for all the other sessions.   
Tickets cost £30 for each session (or £25 if you book all 4 sessions - please note that to obtain the series discount you must book by post from ourselves at MCCW, 56 Greenacres, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5WY.  Bookings by post must state clearly the names or references of the session you want tickets for, how many tickets per session, and give your name and full postal address, together with a telephone number and/or email address.  Please enclose your cheque made out to J SIMPSON and a SAE. 
If you would like a leaflet with details and a booking form, you can download and print a Word document from http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/Programme.doc  Alternatively just email us with your full postal address, and we will send you one by post. For full details on all the tastings see http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm 
 
2) And now for some history

I recently came across the website for the Inn Sign Society http://www.innsignsociety.com/index.html - definitely worth a look, and if you sign up for membership you get a beautifully illustrated quarterly magazine.  The website has this to say about the name 'Red Lion':
 

Why Is The Lion Red?
 It's a good question, but The Red Lion is such a common name for a pub - indeed there is none more common, with around 630 at the last count - that most people don't give it a second thought. In fact, most Red Lions originate from the reign of James I. Already James VI of Scotland when he ascended to the English throne in 1603*, on arrival in London the new king ordered that the heraldic red lion of Scotland be displayed on all buildings of public importance - including taverns, of course. 
[*This date sounds about right for our local in Old Shoreham, which is usually described as a '17th century coaching inn' - but there could have been an even earlier reference - see next.]
Even then the sign of the red lion was already known as the personal badge of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III.  By the time of his death in 1399, John of Gaunt had become the most powerful man in the land. Meanwhile, Richard II, the nominal ruler, introduced a law compelling London innkeepers to hang out his own sign, "otherwise he shall forfeit his ale." Richard's sign was the White Hart.

And then I picked up a leaflet in the Ropetackle Centre (while booking for the talk on 7 November - DON'T MISS IT! - see Diary for details).  The leaflet described the Pub History Society which I shall definitely be following up.  See http://www.pubhistorysociety.co.uk/  Watch this space for more details

 

From Issue 50 (August 08)
Our 50th issue - doesn't time fly!  Something to mark the occasion?  Well, how about the news that tickets for our new style beer tastings are now available - see the first item.  Here's to the next 50 issues!
 
1) Beer Tastings - Booking Now Open
 
Tickets are now available for the new programme of beer tastings.  (See http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm for full details).  Tickets for individual tastings can be purchased over the bar at the Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea - be sure to leave your contact details - or by post from ourselves at MCCW, 56 Greenacres, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5WY. 
Tickets cost £30 for each session (or £25 if you book all 4 sessions - please note that to obtain the series discount you must book by post).  Bookings by post must state clearly the names or references of the session you want tickets for, how many tickets per session, and give your name and full postal address, together with a telephone number and/or email address.  Please enclose your cheque made out to J SIMPSON and a SAE.  If you would like a leaflet with details and a booking form, you can download a Word document which you can print out from http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/Programme.doc  - alternatively just email us with your postal address, and we will send you one by post.
 
2) A tasting and a linguistic experience

  We received a bottle of Zywiec Porter 9.5%  (Thanks Adrian) and No, we didn't know how to pronounce it either!  Thanks to the write-up at  http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/zywiec-porter/6561/ we learned that it's pronounced "je-vi-ets" - which we would never have guessed! - although we could figure out "por-ter".  More importantly ratebeer gives it a most enthusiastic write-up and a very high score.  The bottle label contains the words 'Receptura z 1881' which we presume means it is made to a recipe over 120 years old.  
We tried it alongside one of our favourite Belgian dishes, in which we use Kasteelbier, one of our regulars, and it proved to be a very happy pairing, as there are some similarities between the beers, but the Polish version was far more complex.  It has a black body, short-live light brown head and a powerful, malty aroma which is slightly sweet.  The first taste shows it is full-bodied, with definite warmth from the alcohol coming through, with a mix of sweet/roast/malty flavours and a very long-lasting dry finish.  This description doesn't do it justice - you need to try it, and then you'll realise why we gave this 4.5 ticks, nearly the highest score in our sytem and rarely awarded. 
The brewery website is www.zywiec.com.pl but it defeats the Google translator because it's all programmed with Flash Player!  Ignore the initial movie of a pop group and look for the small logo at the bottom of the screen - click on 'produkty' to the right of it.  When you start to get pictures of beer bottles move  your mouse over the movie screen and thumbnail pictures will appear, from which you can select the Porter.  But can you make sense of the description given there?  Would any Polish speakers please write in!   
Now here's another interesting fact.  Step forward all those who live in or near Shoreham-by-Sea (the rest of you are excused).  Good citizens of Shoreham, please write down the names of the European towns with which Shoreham is twinned.  If you know one, award yourself a whole lot of Brownie points; if you can name two, amazing! - you're much too knowledgeable to be reading this and you should apply to go on Mastermind!  (I admit it, my personal score was 0). 
The answer is one French town, Riom, and one Polish town . . . yes, you've guessed it, Zwyiec!  Those of us Shorehamites who failed the test should present ourselves at St. Peter's Hall, West Street, Shoreham at 7.30pm on Friday 19th September, when the Shoreham Society will enlighten us about our European twins (admission: members £2, others £3).  And although the urge to improve your knowledge should be more than enough to get you along, there is the added incentive of a chance of samples of French wine and Polish beer - see you there?
 
3)  Porter, Porter everywhere!

Just like the legendary buses, you try one porter and along comes another!  We normally think of strong dark beers as a winter drink - perhaps our awful summer weather is bringing them out early? 
Venturing into Tesco's to see what they were offering, we came across Midnight Sun 5.6% advertising itself as a 'Rich, Dark and Spicy porter.  It comes from Williams Bros Brewing Co (the brothers Scott and Bruce).  
Their website http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com reminded us that they were the producers of the famous Fraoch Heather Ale, although they are now operating out of Alloa. The label says that this is a "Black porter style beer, created from malted barley, oats, roast barley and chocolate malt, balanced with a generous handful of hops and a bit of root ginger."  It has a good roast malt aroma in which you can detect the ginger.  The flavour is good with the roasted malt coming through clearly, not too bitter, with hints of ginger.  The finish is dry and we gave it 4 ticks.  The ginger was pleasant but we wonder if it was really necessary.  So although Tesco have named it their 2008 winner in the porters and stouts category we gave it second place, after the Polish porter, which we felt was truer to tradition.

From Issue 49 (August 08)

This issue will be short, as we've only just got back from Atlantic Canada, but we wanted to get something out quickly to remind you of imminent events, especially the Buck beer fest this coming weekend.  So check the Diary Dates below and make sure you don't miss anything.
 
Our tour in the first half of August took us off to explore the Maritimes (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) and also Newfoundland.  We know where to find some decent beer in Newfoundland (as well as some great folk music) but the other locations were new to us.  We did in fact find some great beer and some great pubs.  We are just starting some web pages on Canada at http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/RestOfWorld/Canada.htm  However there's a lot still to do, so either give it a couple of days before checking that link or, if you can't wait, bookmark the page and go back to it a few times.

The detailed write-ups for the programme of beer tastings can be seen at http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm    The competition in those pages has already been won by one knowledgeable reader whose identity we cannot reveal (we're sure he would have ticked the 'No Publicity' box if we had provided one) but you might get a clue if you check out http://www.aaa-camra.org.uk/sneak.html  
 
1) Beery Briefs
  • The Buckingham Arms Beer Fest this weekend and the 'Ale at Amberley' (see Diary Dates for details) are the only places where you may still be able to taste some of the original batch of the Adur Brewery's Merry Andrew.  It was brewed back in March, so brewer Andy Dwelly is erring on the side of caution and making no promises, as he doesn't yet know how far it will age.  Andy is concerned to maintain quality and so the beer will be pulled out if it is not up to standard.  However our experience to date has shown that it ages well, and I for one am betting on it being tastier than ever.  Read more about it in the brewery blog http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/?p=167 - or just get down to the Buck - or book your day at Amberley! 

  • A great beery discovery!  Building work at the Evening Star pub revealed a blocked off attic containing old Tamplins cask fronts and documents from the period 1938-40.  Get a glimpse of history at http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t14/beerymatt/Evening%20Star%20attic/.

  • Following the item in the last issue about the Good Beer Guide being avialable on TomTom satnav devices we are reliably informed (by no less a person than our competition winner) that a version is being developed by CAMRA for Garmin systems.  And he knows this because he's involved with the development team.  To think we have such important folk in our midst!

 

From Issue 48 (July-August 08)

This issue is a bit earlier than usual as we're off to explore the Maritimes - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.  We know where to find some decent beer in Newfoundland (as well as some great folk music) but the other locations are an unknown quantity - watch this space for reports!

We have now posted the detailed write-ups for all the beer tastings and they can be seen at http://www.simpson.uk.com/courses/courses.htm
Look through them carefully because one contains a competition, which should be particularly easy for those of our readers familiar with the local beer scene!  Tickets will be on sale towards the end of August but you can make sure of a place by emailing us to say which tastings you are interested in and how many places you want.  This will mean you're on the priority booking list.  Don't delay, as places at each session are limited, and quite a few have already been allocated.  The webpage above also tells you how to take advantage of the series discount, so you can plan yourself a fun autumn and spring at a very reasonable price.
 
1) A must-have gadget!
 
For some time we've been using a Tom Tom satnav device.  We call it Jane, after the friendly female voice which tells us where to go.  Although it must be used sensibly (e.g. don't blindly follow Jane's instructions if she blithely tells you to turn right on to a foot path!) it has been incredibly useful to us.  We have the Western Europe map installed which enables us to find tiny Belgian breweries even when they are cunningly concealed down country lanes and to get through the maze of roundabouts and sliproads which plague many continental towns and cities.  But now there's an even better reason to have such a gadget.  CAMRA has made the Good Beer Guide available as a POI (points of interest) file for the gadget so wherever you are in the UK all the best pubs will show up on your screen.  We tested it by using the Find option around the Shoreham area and it picked out all the pubs we would have selected for ourselves, which makes us feel confident about using it when on our travels.  And the best news of all is that you can download it from the CAMRA website for a mere £5!  At the moment it's only available for the Tom Tom system but files for other satnavs are being planned so keep an eye on the webpage.

 

2) Beery Briefs
  • The Adur Brewery is functioning in its own premises.  Read all about it in the blog where Andy gives us a very kind mention.  http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/?p=137
    We're only too pleased to have been of some small help in getting this venture started.  A great new brewery, right here in the Adur Valley - there must be a Father Christmas after all!
     

  • If you were in the pub and someone offered to buy you gill or a pottle, which would you choose and why?  If you're not sure, check out our web page at http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/UK/Measures.htm  It will provide some useful summer reading and good groundwork for all the festivals coming up in the autumn.

 

From Issue 47 (July 08)

It's an ill wind that blows no good!  Having been forced to cease offering beer tastings through Adult Education centres by the disproportionate amount of red tape which now applies to them we have found a far more pleasant venue where we can run them privately and offer even better value.  We have made arrangements with the Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea to hold four tastings there from this autumn.  Watch out for the special supplement to the newsletter which will contain full details - I hope to get it out over the weekend.
 
1) Normandy Surprise
 
At the end of June we spent a week in Normandy, primarily for genealogy and historical research, but of course we always try to check out the beers wherever we go.    We started with the usual preconceptions.  French beer? - Lager clones!  Normandy? - Cider!  So the last thing we expected was a brewery producing UK-style real ale which they are successfully selling to the French! 
In the beautiful rural setting of Joué du Bois, 5km from La Ferté Macé, we came across 'Le Brewery', a venture run by Steve and Jane Skews, an English couple who originally ran a cider farm.  When the orchards were devastated in the winter of 1999 they conceived the idea of setting up a brewery on the farm and it was operational by Spring 2001.  They now have a range of beers based on the theme of the Norman Conquest, with the twist that the strongest beer is called 'Harold's Revenge'! 
At this stage I'll just say that we were very impressed by what they are doing - and you may just see one or two of these beers popping in as a surprise bonus on a future beer tasting near you . . .  If you take a trip to Normandy - and it's a delightful destination for a short break for those of us on the South Coast of the UK - it's definitely worth putting Le Brewery on your itinerary.  It's open from 14.00-18.00 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and you can find full details on the website:   www.le-brewery.com 

 

2) Beery Briefs

  • A shock for beer fans visiting Ieper/Ypres  is that the well-known 'De Posterie' pub and shop has closed - apparently since last September.  It is recommended in Tim Webb's Good Beer Guide to Belgium - see http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Books.htm#BELGIUM - in many other guides, and even in recent magazine articles, so be sure to update your books before you set out.  If you are looking for somewhere in Flanders selling a good range of Belgian beers to bring home try the places on our web page http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/BeerShops.htm

  • More news from Belgium - the dust is settling on the legal wrangles involved in the disposal of Liefmans brewery, who went bust at the end of last year.  It has been announced that the firm, with all its equipment, brands and recipes, has been bought by Duvel-Moortgat for 4.5 million Euros.  Duvel intend to continue production of the major Liefmans brands, including the excellent Kriek (cherry) and Framboze (raspberry) beers.  These were always easy to spot, because of the distinctive red or purple paper wrapping on the bottles.  However, during the hiatus, some competition has crept in! 
    Among Sainsbury's speciality beers you will find bottles of Kriek and Framboze in distinctive red and purple paper wrappings.  You would be forgiven for thinking Liefmans beers were back in stock.  But closer inspection reveals that these beers are brewed by van Honsebrouck of Ingelmunster, makers of the famous Kasteelbier, under the brand name 'Bacchus'.  Jeannette's mother, Wynne, who enjoys sitting out in the garden on sunny afternoons with a nice glass of Belgian fruit beer, has pronounced them excellent, so it looks as though Duvel might have a fight for market share on their hands when they recommence production. 

  • And yet another fruity Belgian item.  Brouwerij Strubbe of Ichtegem have just announced a new fruit beer 'Leireken Wilde Vruchten' said to contain 6 different wild fruits.  The website recommends serving it at 4°C (which should mean that you can't taste too much!)  But the brewers proudly proclaim that it's the first 'Bio' fruit beer.  Apparently that means that it's made with 'biological' hops and malts.  Confused?  Yes, that also made me wonder what other beers were supposed to be made from!  But it seems that 'biological' in Belgium and Germany tends to be used rather like 'organic' in the UK to make us think it's bursting with natural goodness.  But since I've found that I'm allergic to 'Bio' washing powders I think I'll give this one a miss!

  • No sooner had I written the above than I got another message saying that Brasserie Dupont from Tourpes had in fact beaten Strubbe to the fruity bio record (does the Guinness Book concern themselves with such things?) because they have been producing a beer called 'Bio-fruits' since 2007.  But Strubbe replied that the Dupont beer was only available on draught, whereas theirs was also bottled.  Does anyone else share my lack of excitement over this???

  • Check out the updates to the blog on the Adur Brewery website to see progress with the building work and find out why a garden is relevant to a brewery http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/

  • A new way of discovering regional beers is being offered by Real Ale Heaven www.realaleheaven.com (Thanks for the info, Adrian) The idea is that subscribers get a quarterly magazine focusing on a region, accompanied by a bottle of beer from a microbrewery in that region.  Nice idea, but with subscriptions running at £10 (one issue), £20 (two issues) or £38 for four issues I don't think I shall be subscribing just yet.  To put things in perspective, for £30 our tasting called 'Regional Brewers of the UK' will let you try 15 different regional ales  - and lunch is included! 

From Issue 46 (June 08)

1) Local Festivals
 
We've just (Friday) had a most enjoyable session at the South Downs Beer Festival at Lewes.  It's still on tomorrow (Saturday 21 June) but if you haven't already bought your ticket you'd better check whether there are any still available before setting out. 
Check the website http://www.brightoncamra.org.uk/EventsList.html 
Today's excursion rectified a long-standing omission - for one reason or another we've always failed to make it to Lewes.  And now we know what we've been missing, we'll make sure we keep the date clear in the future.  It felt quite relaxed (very much like our other favourite, the Worthing festival - see Diary Dates for October below) in a nice airy hall which was busy but not over-crowded.  No music (at least in the 11.00-15.00 session) so you could hear yourself talking about the beer.  A good range of food was available and an excellent range of beers. 
We couldn't resist Thomas Sykes from Burton Bridge Brewery.  The notes said "Here is a true barley wine to be handled with caution" and at 10% they're not kidding!  The emphasis is on the wine in terms of texture, strength and port-like character.  We gave it 4 ticks and considered it was on a par with some top Belgians and close to UK specials such as Thomas Hardy's Ale. 
Elland Brewery's 1872 Porter (6.5%) also scored 4 ticks, as did Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby (6.0%)  You're probably detecting a pattern here - yes, we do like dark, strong, flavoursome beers!  
There were more than a few interesting milds, and some refreshing summer beers.  Red Squirrel offered a proper IPA - strong (5.4%) and hoppy, tasting just as it should, and also deserving 4 ticks. 
But for its virtues of combining the dark, strong, flavoursome appeal with dangerously easy-drinking qualities we could with a clear conscience vote for the home team as beer of the festival - our own Adur Brewery's Merry Andrew (6.2%) was there in fine condition and maintaining its growing reputation.

Our previous festival trip was perhaps not quite so local (unless you happen to live in Belgium).  We stayed in Kortrijk and attended the HOP festival at Vichte on 7 June, along with our friend Anny from Lo who we have now thoroughly converted to a bierliefhebber (beer fan, but it sounds better in Flemish!)
There were lots of new beers and the festival was as friendly as ever, though the weather on the Saturday was less so.  In spite of the rather wintry weather we were astonished to see that a municipal event went ahead in the main square of Kortrijk. 
Now what would you expect to see in a medieval square in a city in central Belgium?  Jousting?  A traditional market?  Folk dancing? 
What we least expected were teams of scantily clad young ladies playing beach volley ball on courts made with hundreds of tons of specially imported sand!  And in case you think that was an illusion produced by too much Belgian beer we have the pictures to prove it!  However you'll have to wait until I've set up a webpage.  In the meantime, you can see William Roelens' excellent pictures on http://blog.seniorennet.be/bierblog/archief.php?ID=33700  (festival only on that website, no bikinis!)

 

2) Beery Briefs

  • Probably the best bookshop in the world?  There's an online bookstore which has books on every aspect of beer, brewing, pub guides, brewery histories etc that you could ever wish to find.  It also has postcards CDs and DVDs.  Surf over to http://www.beerinnprint.co.uk/index.php and be astounded at what's available.  (Thanks to Stephen for this tip.)

  • Travelling by Eurostar from St Pancras?  Ever wondered why people would want to sit in that daft 'Longest Champagne Bar', quaffing vastly over-priced fizz in a draughty station when you could get on a train to Paris and in a couple of hours drink the stuff where they make it and sell it at more realistic prices?  (Or better still, take the Brussels train and drink beer instead!)  Ever wondered why Britain doesn't showcase her proud tradition of brewing by making it the 'Longest Real Ale Bar'? 
    There's some good news in a tiny footnote to an article in CAMRA's 'Beer' magazine (June issue).  While they're not replacing the 'Mile of Fizz' just yet they have opened 'The Betjeman Arms' where you can get Adnam's Bitter, Fuller's London Pride and Sharp's Doom Bar.  Now we just need to know if they employ staff who can keep and serve beer properly.  Musn't carp, at least it's a step in the right direction.  Perhaps if we all have a pint there on our way to the Brussels train the management may get the message and extend the range of beers - and the size of the bar.

  • The Brighton and South Downs Ale Trail is now on.  It started on 28 May - how could I have missed that?  Many apologies for the late notification.  However, the good news is that you still have until 30 September to complete the trail and gain your t-shirt.  See the website to find out where you can collect your Passport http://www.brightoncamra.org.uk/AleTrail.html

  • Latest news from the Adur Brewery is that things are currently on track for installation during July and brewing commencing in August.  Until then, you'll have to keep an eye open for the occasional cask of Merry Andrew appearing at festivals such as Lewes, or a few bottles on sale at Threshers in Steyning (last heard of begging for more supplies).  Check out http://www.adurbrewery.com/where.html

  • Things are progressing well with our plans to run beer tastings privately without the dead hand of college bureaucracy.  By next month's issue we should be able to report specific details - watch this space.

  • And now a stop press item from the Land of the Rising Yen, featuring a different kind of brewing - sake.  In 2007 we were saddened to find that the former Sake Centre, just off Tokyo's Ginza, where you could taste many different kinds of top quality rice wine, had disappeared without trace.  Now we hear that there is a Sake Plaza open on weekdays from 10.00-18.00 at:
    1st Floor, Sake Plaza, 1-1-21 Nishi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 105-0003
    It's handily located near underground stations on the Ginza, Chiyoda, and Mita lines. 
    If you're planning a trip to Tokyo, be sure to add this to your itinerary.  You will be able to taste up to 5 different brands during your visit - in our experience, more than enough to add a rosy glow to your day!  General information about sake is at http://www.japansake.or.jp/sake/english/index.html 
    but if you are planning a visit you may wish to contact the Sake Plaza by email: info-sake@japansake.or.jp

 

From Issue 45b (May 08)

During our recent travels in the West Country we tasted one or two beers, and also brought home some souvenirs to try later.  The last beer reviewed is something quite unusual and special, and dates from a trip to Gosport in February.

DEVON

 

Bays Brewery, Paignton  www.baysbrewery.co.uk

 

Bays Gold 4.5%  

Clear rich gold, pouring with a minimal head.  The aroma is malty with hints of candy, though there is no sweetness in the taste, which is the classic golden-ale flavour with a lingering, gradually drying finish.  It is complex enough to be interesting but not too taxing, making for an easy drinking light golden ale.  3.5 ticks

 

Ringmore Craft Brewery, Shaldon    ringmorecraftbrewery.co.uk

Their website needs some work done on it!!!

 

Oarsome Ale 4.6%  Clear amber, with loose short-lived head.  The aroma is delicate, slightly hoppy and the flavour is malty with hints of the Saaz hops used.  3 ticks

 

Ringmore Bells 5% You would normally expect a Christmas ale to be dark but this is a pale gold, with a vigorous white head.  The aroma is floral, with hints of candy.  The flavour is sweetish, with candy, fruits and a hint of ginger.  There is a warmth from the alcohol which would make you think it was rated much higher than the ABV which appears on the label.  The brewery calls it ‘a Belgian style golden Christmas ale’ which is fair enough.  We thought it rated 3.5 ticks.

 

Red Rock Brewery, Bishopsteignton  www.redrockbrewery.co.uk

 

Break Water 4.6%  Deep gold under a vigorous cream head.  The aroma is of a grainstore with some notes of compost – slightly off-putting!  There is a dry maltiness in the flavour and a distinct hop bitterness, leaving a long-lasting hoppy aftertaste.  Competent but not outstanding so just 3 ticks.

 

Teignworthy Brewery, Newton Abbot

 

Christmas Cracker 6.0%  A clear rich mahogany colour, with a cream-coloured head. The aroma is full and plummy, flavour is initially sweet, like Christmas cake or pudding, and fades to a dry finish, leaving warmth from the alcohol. 3.5 ticks

 

Old Moggie 4.4% Hands up anyone who thought the name had anything to do with cats!  This beer was brewed to commemorate the 50 golden years of the Morris Minor, and the era when the British car industry was thriving (can anyone remember that?)  As such, it is a clear golden ale, pouring with a white head.  The aroma gives away the fact that one of the ingredients is torrified wheat (not tErrified, pay attention at the back!)  The flavours include citrus, and a drying slightly harsh bitterness.  Not the best of the brewery’s products – perhaps it does have something to do with cats . . . 2.5 ticks only.

 

Maltster’s Ale 5.0% Clear amber colour, abundant off-white head, with a slightly strange aroma of decaying vegetation.  This bottled version is a bit too gassy making the mouth-feel rather prickly, but the taste is interesting – malty, bitter and dry, you could almost think you were drinking a stout were it not for the colour.  3 ticks

 

Martha’s Mild 5.3% Dark red brown, light brown short-lived head, biscuity malty aroma.   Full-bodied, initially sweet with a toasty malt taste, fading to a liquorice, dry finish.  Ingredients include malted cereals and torrified wheat.  Brewed and named for the brewer’s third child, we imagine that the word ‘Mild’ was chosen to alliterate with ‘Martha’, because it certainly doesn’t describe the style!  At 5.3% and with a pleasant full taste it is approaching a strong ale.  Definitely worth 4 ticks (as long as you’re not misled by the name.)

  

SOMERSET

 

Cotleigh Brewery, Wiveliscombe www.cotleighbrewery.com

The ones who name most of the beers after birds of prey – except this first one!

 

Red Nose Reinbeer Xmas Ale 5.0% (Groan! - they really should have stuck to names of birds!)

Clear red-brown, with a dense beige head and a complex aroma which has vinous, biscuity and  malty notes.  The flavour is also complex including chocolate, fruit, spice and a caramel sweetness fading to a dry lingering aftertaste.  The warmth and complexity might well make you think the ABV was higher than it actually is – they’ve done well to get this much complexity in a beer of this strength.  We have had some so-called Xmas ales which have disappointed but this is an excellent beer in its own right.  We had no hesitation in awarding 4 ticks (even with that name!)

 

Buzzard Dark Ale 4.8%  At last we’re back to the birds!  This is a mid-brown colour with a huge beige head, and was very lively from the bottle – do not open on the best tablecloth!  The aroma was of a grainstore.  It had dry, nutty flavours, being a lot less complex than the Xmas ale, and the aftertaste was much shorter.  It is still a pleasant drink which deserves 3.5 ticks.

 

Peregrine Porter 5.0%  This is a dark red-brown with a creamy, abundant head.  It also has the grainstore aroma, but with biscuity, malty notes.  The initial mouthfeel is prickly on the tongue, but it then becomes full-bodied and satisfying.  The flavour is nutty with hints of liquorice and it has a lingering aftertaste which fades to bitterness.  This we also gave 3.5 ticks.  The score reflects a level above merely competent, so we are always happy to find a Cotleigh pub when travelling in Somerset.

 

RCH Brewery, West Hewish, Weston-super-Mare www.rchbrewery.com 

The brewers are rail enthusiasts and give some of their beers names using locomotive-related terms such as ‘Firebox’ and ‘Double Header’.  Being ignorant of such matters we assumed that RCH was some such technical term and were surprised to find out recently that it stands for ‘Royal Clarence Hotel’ where the brewery started in the 1980’s.  Given the quality of their beers, it’s not surprising they became popular and their plant soon reached it’s maximum capacity of 15 barrels per week.  Good news for the brewery – bad news for the hotel guests, because the brewery was using all the cold water supply in the afternoons, so guests couldn’t wash !  Hence the move to the West Hewish site.  This is another brewery whose products we are always glad to find on our travels.

 

East Street Cream Premium Bitter 5.0%  The body is deep gold  under a vigorous cream head.  The aroma is of digestive biscuits and the mouthfeel is full and smooth.  There are well balanced malt and hop flavours with both sweet and bitter fruity notes, and a long lasting dry finish.  Definitely a premium bitter, definitely worth 4 ticks.

 

 CORNWALL

 

St Austell Brewery in St Austell of course!  www.staustellbrewery.co.uk

 

Proper Job 5.5%  This is an IPA “Powerfully hopped and 100% Cornish Malt” – the latter being from Maris Otter barley.  The beer is dedicated to the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment who stoutly defended their garrison during the Indian Mutiny in 1857-8.  Queen Victoria awarded the 32nd the honour of becoming a Light Infantry Regiment in recognition of their ‘Proper Job’ – though I suspect she didn’t use that phrase! It pours clear gold, with an abundant white head, and has a lovely floral, hoppy aroma.  It’s a ‘Proper IPA’ in the true original style with the correct IPA flavour, a full, oily, mouthfeel and a dry finish.  We had no hesitation in awarding this 4 ticks.

 

HAMPSHIRE

 

Oakleaf Brewery, Gosport   www.oakleafbrewing.co.uk

Regular readers will know we are fans of this brewery, but when we called in recently to check out their shop we found something truly stunning – probably in the literal sense if you had too much!  It’s expensive, around 3-4 times the normal price for a 500ml bottle but you’ll see from the score that it’s verging on world classic status.

 Raise a Glass – Mary Rose Anniversary Ale 9.5%  Brewed in 2007 to commemorate 25 years since the raising of Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose.  “This is a limited edition, strong rich beer that bursts with autumnal flavours and has a hint of warming spice.  Its production is based on original Tudor brewing techniques.”  It poured slightly cloudy (probably my hand was shaking as I poured!) with a red brown colour and very little head.  The aroma is of Christmas cake and the mouthfeel is full, smooth and oily.  The taste is very complex, starting with fruit cake, and moving through vanilla and as the warmth of the alcohol builds up it seems to take on flavours of brandy.  If you’re looking for a quaffing bitter this ain’t it!  And it’s not like many of the beers you will normally encounter.  If you’re not keen on brandy or liqueurs you may not like it at all but it deserves a place up with the great beers which age and mature like port wines.  If you enjoy a post-prandial cognac, this could take its place.  4.5 ticks, going on 5.

 

From Issue 45a (May 08)

This is an issue devoted to just one major topic.  Please read right through it - after the bad news some positive ideas emerge!  And do let me know your feelings on the suggestion for the future of beer courses.  Another issue containing a lot of tasting notes will follow shortly.
 
1) Beer courses - first the bad news!
 
In the last issue we gave advance notice of a programme of beer tastings which we were planning to hold at local colleges.   I now have to tell you that we won't be running any more courses through Adult Education Centres.
 
Over the years we have complained about the increasing bureaucracy and waste of money in the AE service, while at the same time we were constantly told that the service was short of money.  To be fair, most of this has been brought about by insane government policies and increasing interference, which totally takes the focus away from the core aim of putting teachers who want to teach in a room with students who want to learn.
 
Last (academic) year we had the idiocy over Criminal Records checks.  I quite agree that precautions should be taken about teachers who have contact with children or vulnerable adults.  However, it seemed a bit of a nonsense to apply the rules to us, just teaching beer courses for which I would hope that the college wouldn't sign up any children or vulnerable adults!  But it was OK because we had both had all the CRB checks through another college and could show them current certificates of clearance.  Not good enough!  They would only accept CRB checks done through West Sussex, so we had to go through the whole process again, and they wasted the fees of £25-30 per tutor on this pointless exercise!  (Oh yes - the result of the checks, which proved us innocent again, didn't come through until we'd already taught most of the courses scheduled for them!)
 
This year the final straw was the government's latest daft idea.  Every tutor must be registered with the 'Institute for Learning' which they have just dreamed up, and unless you register, you won't be allowed to teach (even if you have already been teaching AE for 20 years!)  Of course a £30 fee is involved which for this year (but no promises for the future!) will be paid for by the AE service - you know, the same service which is too short of money to run courses! 
 
We handed in our resignations because we felt that to register under this scheme would be to condone the latest piece of idiocy.  We were already sick and tired of the amount of form filling required, mainly by tutors but also by students.  When you pay good money for a course surely the time should be spent on the subject you came to study, and not filling in forms with almost unanswerable questions about 'your previous learning experiences' and 'your learning goals'! 
 
2)  Beer courses - and now the good news!
 
But every cloud has a silver lining!  The first positive effect was the enormous feeling of relief from having got out from under the crushing weight of bureaucracy!  And then we started to think about how we could avoid letting down those people who had expressed interest in future beer courses.  So here's the suggestion.
 
Some of you may have been along to the 'Church Ale' event which launched the Adur Brewery last week.  We had a great time at the Red Lion and in the short time we were there raised nearly £200 for local charities.  But the experience also showed us what a good venue the Red Lion is.  The upper Toll Bar is comfortable and self contained, ideal for running a tasting; the pub is just a short walk from Shoreham station; there is a bus stop right outside (and other buses run to/from Shoreham High Street); the courses could be held in the afternoon rather than the morning (which I know some of you have found disconcertingly early!); the Red Lion serves excellent food, so lunch could be an option; no bureaucracy to waste time and divert course fees away from the real business of the day.  To us, that sounds like a win/win situation!  We're going to talk over the details in the near future but meanwhile we'd like to hear your views on the approach we should adopt.
 
1 - How do you feel about the location and accessibility by public transport?  If you don't know the pub, you can check the location from the Red Lion website http://www.theredlionshoreham.co.uk/location.htm
 
2 - How about timing?  Saturday afternoon starting at -  a) 2.00 pm - 5.00 p.m.   b) 2.30 pm - 5.30 p.m.   c) other?
 
3 - We still have to look in detail at the costings but we think should be able to keep the price down to the level of last year's Adult Education courses even allowing for rising costs and the inclusion of some of the more expensive beers.  However, there is now an additional option of starting in a more civilised way, having some lunch with the first beer or two, and then continuing the tasting into the afternoon.  There's a lot still to be sorted out so these are scenarios rather than actual course details, but it would be helpful if you would let us know your preferences.
 
3a - Starting at one of the times above and running in the same way as previous beer tastings at a cost around £25
 
3b - Starting an hour earlier than the above with lunch (included - choice from at least 3 options) and continuing with the tasting in the afternoon at a cost around £30

None of the above are set in stone, so please let us know of any alternatives you would prefer.

 

From Issue 44 (April 08)

A really exciting event - a new brewery in Adur district!  I'm sending this one out early to give you a chance to get a free ticket for the occasion to mark the launch of the Adur Brewery.  Tickets are limited, so read the Press Release below and get in touch with Andy Dwelly at the Brewery's Ropetackle Centre office (address below) as quickly as possible.  For those of you who patronise the Red Lion please note that Natalie will also have a small supply of tickets for issue to regulars.
 
1) Adur Brewery Launch at the Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea -  Saturday 10 May 10.00-11.30 a.m.
This is a copy of the Press Release which went out last night (Monday).  It's unlikely to get into local papers before Thursday, so you've got a couple of days to beat the rush!

To mark the launch of the new Adur Brewery we are reviving the custom of Church Ales, a charitable event designed to benefit local good causes.  The Adur Brewery are donating the beer, the Red Lion are providing free use of their premises, and it is all being run by volunteers.  A background of traditional music will be provided by The Rude Mechanicals who are also giving their services free of charge.

 

We shall offer those attending a half-pint of each of two new beers, together with a slice of locally-produced bread, or a bread roll, and fingers of local cheeses.  Tickets for the event are free and those attending will be invited to make contributions to local charities.  We are hoping that local MPs and councillors may be able to join us in celebrating the launch of a new local business.

 

To obtain Tickets

 

Members of the public who wish to attend may call to collect tickets during office hours from the Adur Brewery’s registered office in the Ropetackle Business Centre or may write (enclosing SAE) to The Adur Brewery Ltd, Adur Business Centre, Little High St. Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EG.  They can also find a reminder of these details on the brewery’s blog at www.adurbrewery.com  
 

 

The Tradition of Church Ales

 

The tradition of Church Ales goes back to medieval times and lasted for hundreds of years.  It was a local festival at which ale made and donated for the event was the chief drink.  The feast was usually held in a barn near the church or a special church house, used for meetings and social gatherings.  In Tudor times church-ales were gradually limited to the Whitsun season, until they were finally suppressed by the Puritans in the 17th century.

 

These parish festivals were of much ecclesiastical and social importance in medieval England.  All sorts of ‘-ales’ were held in support of local causes, including ones to benefit a young couple getting married – these were ‘bride-ales’ from which we get our word ‘bridal’.  ‘Bid-ales’ were for general charitable purposes and all the neighbours attending would make contributions to help the object of the benefit.  Another major purpose of church-ales was to help to keep the parish church in good repair.

 

The Adur Brewery, established in 2008, has its roots firmly in the Adur Valley and is linked with local traditions.  So what better way to launch its new beers than reviving the ancient custom of Church Ales?  The venue for the first of these events is the Red Lion Inn, the historic coaching inn in Old Shoreham, standing next to the church of St Nicolas which dates back to Saxon times.

 

The Brewery and the Beers

 

The Adur Brewery is reviving a centuries old tradition of brewing in the Adur Valley. The brewery ran a pilot plant for many months in 2007, and while the brewery itself is awaiting planning permission the beers are being brewed under contract.

Brewer, Andy Dwelly, says “This will be a great opportunity for beer lovers, offering the first chance to try our new bitter, Velocity, slightly stronger than many session bitters at 4.2% and full of flavour.

Our first commercial beer, Merry Andrew, a dark, strong ale at 6.2% ABV, received a very favourable reception from both pub landlords and selected tasters.”  Here are some of the comments:

“A dark, smooth beer with fruity flavours and a bitter finish”

“Punching above its weight.”

“Complex aroma. Very good balanced, rounded flavour. Initial sweetness nicely balanced by drier middle and end.”

 

The name Merry Andrew contains a story:  While it has obvious reference to the name of the head brewer, and to festive occasions, it also has local links.  The old word ‘merry-andrew’, meaning a clown, refers to Dr Andrew Borde, a Tudor physician to Henry VIII.  The merry medic is said to have given humorous talks on medicine at country fairs, and so people trying to imitate his witty delivery were named merry-andrews.  The local connection comes from the fact that his home was at Borde Hill House, near Haywards Heath.

 

The Bread and Cheese

 

These are being donated by local producers, some based in Shoreham itself, some who come from other parts of Sussex to attend the monthly Farmers’ Market in East Street, Shoreham. 

 

The Venue

 

The Red Lion Inn, by the old toll bridge across the Adur, is the ideal venue for an event with historical links.  It is a 16th century coaching Inn with low oak beams, log fire, cosy surroundings and friendly atmosphere.

The town and port of New Shoreham was established by the Norman Conquerors towards the end of the 11th century. Shoreham’s strategic location and proximity to Normandy made it a logical place to improve facilities for travel and trade. It continued to grow and thrive through the centuries and coaching inns came along to meet the needs of weary travellers and offer them nourishment and rest, while also serving the local inhabitants as a centre for refreshment and social events– much like today really.

 

The charities

 

In accordance with tradition, part of the proceeds will be given to the Friends of St Nicolas, the trustees tasked with maintaining the fabric of this historic church.  The building is an architectural jewel and a valuable piece of our national heritage, whose tower has been a landmark of Old Shoreham for more than a thousand years.  Let’s help ensure it is still there for our descendants in another thousand years.

 

While we are enjoying good company in a convivial location we should not forget those less fortunate than ourselves.  Worthing Churches Homeless Projects is a charity operating in the Worthing locality offering care, support and accommodation to the most vulnerable and excluded members of our community.  They have a very simple message.  “We are not here to judge people but we are here to reach out with human compassion and offer a loving hand of support”.  Let’s give generously to help in that work.

 

 

Adur Brewery Ltd
 Andy Dwelly

Director and Brewer

 

 

Registered office:
Adur Business Centre
 Little High Street
Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5EG

Tel: 01273-467527

 

Web: www.adurbrewery.com

 

2) Beery Briefs

  • Liefmans was last week declared bankrupt by the Ghent commercial court. Last year the brewer of fruit beers made a €5 million loss on sales of €7 million, leaving it with an overall deficit of €22 million. The company was the subject of a €4.5 million takeover offer from Duvel Moortgat, which was allowed by the company’s administrator to carry on Liefmans’ business for one year. The bankruptcy declaration, which was opposed by the owners, makes an eventual successful takeover by Duvel Moortgat more likely, although the administrator has said he wants to see new bids.

  • The item above is taken from 'Flanders Today', a free online English language newspaper which gives you all the news from the home of artisanal beers, and there's even a regular column with a Dutch lesson.  If, like us, you're fond of Flanders, sign up for a free subscription online, then you'll get regular emails telling you when the latest issue is available for download as a .pdf (Acrobat) file.  Just send an email to subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu saying that you'd like a free subscription to Flanders Today, and give your name, address (including post code and country) and telephone number.

 

From Issue 43 (March 08)

A fairly brief issue as the end of the month is creeping up on us.  It may just be in time to remind you that you've got a last chance to get to the Adur Beer Festival at the Red Lion Shoreham tomorrow, Easter Monday - see article below. 
 
1) Adur Beer Festival at the Red Lion -  also on Easter Monday
 
We can rarely manage to get to every day of a festival, so this is a first for us, having been to the Red Lion on Friday, Saturday, today - and we hope to be there tomorrow as well.  Apart from the fact that it's within easy walking distance, the big attraction is the outstanding beer list.  68 real ales, and a good selection of interesting real ciders.  Normally when we go to a festival we can cross off quite a few beers immediately, not because they're bad, but because we're already familiar with them from our travels or from other festivals.  Our main objective at a festival is to seize the opportunity to try some new beers or new breweries.  This time only 14 of the 68 were familiar, leaving us with some serious tasting work to do, and the problem of how to select the ones to try.  Hence the need to put in some overtime.
 
We were really impressed by the quality, with every beer we tried reaching at least the 3 ticks (competent) rating, but a far higher than average proportion getting into the 4 ticks (worth seeking out) category.  (For those of you who don't know our scoring system 5 ticks is very rarely awarded as it's reserved for classic world-class beers, so 4 ticks is something special).  We broke our rule of sticking to previously unknown beers when we saw Oakleaf's Blakes Heaven (7.0%) was available.  We've only managed to get that in bottle before, so just had to try the cask version.  Although we've got many more beers to try tomorrow it's likely that Blakes Heaven will be our Beer of the Festival as it scored 4.5 ticks.
 
Those of you who have been to previous fests at the Red Lion will know that a big marquee is put at the back of the pub.  The recent weather made things somewhat challenging.  On Friday we were wondering whether we should hang on to a tent pole to keep the marquee on the ground, and over the weekend the weather has been so cold that we've been drinking beers at a lower temperature than we would normally choose (which makes the high scores all the more remarkable).  However we can recommend the burgers from the barbecue - they're good in their own right, and you are supporting the heroic efforts of the staff who are out there grilling in extreme conditions.  Another good tip is to try the quaintly named 'Vegetale Soup' - be sure to ask for that by name and say you've heard it's much nicer than Vegetable Soup.  Seriously, it's a good creamy filling soup and if conditions are still cold tomorrow you'll be grateful for it.

The old adage about an ill wind (and we had lots of it!) is certainly true in this case.  Frequently turning up on the last day of a festival means that all the best beers have run out.  With reduced numbers attending because of the weather, there should still be a lot of interesting beers available tomorrow - and there are a lot of outstanding brews to choose from.  See you there?
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • In the event we never made it to the Sussex Beer Festival at Hove on 6-8 March.  Was it as good a show as usual?  If anyone can send me a report we'll put it in the next issue.
     
  • We very much enjoyed running the 'World Beers' tasting at Steyning last weekend, and hope the students enjoyed it as much.  We were lucky to have with us Andy Dwelly from the soon-to-be-launched Adur Brewery.  We were able to start our virtual world tour by enjoying one of his new brews, and it was particularly valuable to get the brewer's perspective in our discussions of the beers. 
     
  • Things are on target for a May launch for the Adur Brewery (did you see the ad in the CAMRA newspaper?) so keep watching for more details in this newsletter and/or the brewery website http://www.adurbrewery.com/
 

3) Supermarkets and mathematics

 
Marks and Spencer have boasted about the great job they are doing for the cause of Real Ale by stocking regional bottle-conditioned beers - specifically their own brand Norfolk Bitter, Buckinghamshire Ale, Yorkshire Bitter and organic Scottish Ale.  However, they are only helping themselves with the pricing.  £2.19 for a 500ml bottle?  Fine if they are selling some of the world's greatest beer, but is it?  We recently took advantage of a unique chance to find out - if you want to do so, you'll need to check that the offer still applies. 
Now, follow this carefully.  The shelves were marked with a special offer, 2 for £3 so £1.50 a bottle, and at that price we thought it worth the experiment.  But then we noticed signs hanging up saying 20% off all wines, beers etc. AND a further 10% if you bought 6 bottles.  So we bought 6 in all, meaning we could try all but the Scottish ale which wasn't in stock.  Now 6 bottles at £3 for 2 means a bill of £9, and 20% off that is £1.80.  But, the M&S tills work the % on the full retail price which meant £2.64 was deducted (and that is an over-generous rounding up).  And the 10% off 6 bottles?  Yes, also applied to the full price, giving a further £1.32 discount.  This meant that the beers ended up at 84p per bottle - quite a difference from the normal £2.19!
Were they worth it?  At 84p they were perfectly acceptable, but I would have been really annoyed if I'd paid the full premium price for what are very ordinary beers.  We felt that the Norfolk Bitter was probably best, but certainly not worth seeking out.
Meanwhile, just next door in Tesco, they had the last few bottles of Sierra Nevada's wonderful Christmas brew, Celebration, going at a very reasonable £1.40, so I snapped those up, together with Anchor Steam Beer at £1.35.  Two beers full of character from two excellent US breweries at very good prices - and when I got to the till there was 25% off for buying 6 bottles, so the prices were effectively reduced to £1.05 and £1.01 respectively!  Marks or Tesco for beer?  No contest!

From Issue 42 (February 08)

The first part of the year is usually a good time for beer fans and 2008 is no exception.  Having enjoyed the delights of the Selden Arms Winterfest in January, then the Buckingham Arms Festival this month, we still have lots to look forward to in March.  You'll have to get your skates on if you want to get to the Zythos Festival in Belgium, but there's also the CAMRA Sussex Festival in Hove, and the smaller yet always enjoyable Adur Festival at Shoreham's Red Lion, and yet another local one at the Stanley Arms.  And if you want a change from the ales of the UK, why not join us on a (virtual) world tour of beers at Steyning on 15 March - we have sought out beers from some quite surprising locations, not previously featured on our courses. 
 
1) News from Belgium
 
a) At first we thought it was good news: having heard that the failing Liefmans brewery had a queue of potential buyers, we then heard that the front runner was Duvel Moortgat.  Now we hear that the Liefmans owners are resisting the bid, claiming that Duvel Moortgat have a hidden agenda, that they just want the brand names and will move any brewing to their own site at Breendonk.  This is always something to fear when an established brewery is taken over, but to be fair to DM, they took over the quirky Achouffe brewery and have left it to its own devices, simply taking on the marketing and distribution.  Will DM succeed in their bid?  Will Liefmans brands be changed out of all recognition? Watch out for the next episode in this enthralling drama!
 
b) The Belgian brewery Alken-Maes spent its first century (from 1880 to 1988) in relative calm, two world wars notwithstanding.  Since then it has been through many changes of ownership, becoming the property of the French glassmaker BSN, then taken over by the yoghurt making Danone group, and in 2002 it fell into the hands of Scottish & Newcastle.  The latest title for the firm became Scottish Courage (Alken-Maes), making the unfortunate abbreviation SCAM (are these marketing guys really so far removed from reality???)  Now we hear that, to further confuse the ownership issue, SCAM has agreed a take-over by (Dutch) Heineken and (Danish) Carlsberg. 
Can't say I'm over-excited, as most products of the group are a l-o-n-g way down my tasting lists.  They include Grimbergen, Fosters (Belgian brewed Australian!), Kronenbourg, and the Maes Pils which is seen in most Belgian bars and loved by all the Belgians who haven't discovered the better products of their own brewing industry.  But I did enjoy the comment from one slow-talking son of toil from Limburg province: "Niemand lust dat bier hier. Heineken dat is suikerwater hè."  'Nobody wants that beer here.  Heineken, that's sugarwater, innit.'

c)  And now for something rather more constructive.  The Bockor brewery www.bockor.be has announced that they will be producing a new wheat beer, Bellegems Witbier, served up on draught in 30 litre casks or in 25cl bottles.  It's good to see a wider choice available in wheat beers, especially since Inbev's dumbing-down of the classic Hoegaarden.  My own favourite remains St Bernardus Witbier. 
A note on terminology - we call it wheat beer, as it's made with wheat, and the Dutch Witbier sounds much the same, but really means white beer, because it's meant to be cloudy.  If Dutch speakers want to specify wheat beer, they say Tarwebier - I hope that's clear?  Well, actually it's meant to be cloudy . . .
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • As progress is made towards the launch (likely to be in May), the Adur Brewery has updated its website  You can now access it via www.adurbrewery.com or www.merryandrew.co.uk and there is still a link to the Blog.  Be sure to have a look at the new website and sign up for their e-newsletter so you'll catch the breaking news.
  • To help with the planning of your summer holidays come along to World of Beers course at Steyning on 15 March.  For a lot less than the cost of a round-the-world plane ticket, brews from all over the planet will be presented for you to try.  Having chosen your favourite you can either book your next holiday close to the brewery or use the tips we give to get the beer delivered to you.  It's sure to be a fun day, and for those who have been on similar courses before, you'll be pleased to know we've discovered a whole new range of beers for this course.  Full details in Diary Dates below.
  • British newspapers carried a story that Daniel Radcliffe wanted to see a real miracle which surpasses the special effects in his Harry Potter films - the making of Westvleteren Trappist beer.  The reaction of the monks, who hadn't been approached before the story broke, was 'Daniel who?'
  • If you're into brewery visits and would like to ensure that you encounter a few on your next world tour, have a look at http://beermapping.com/  This website uses Google Maps to plot the location of breweries and brewpubs, for which it provides an address and basic details.  At present coverage of the UK has some notable holes - Sussex has markers for Harveys and Rectory Ales, but where is Dark Star, Hammerpot, FILO, Custom, 1648, Arundel, Ballards, Gribble, Hepworth, Weltons and WJ King to name but a few?  Obviously we need to do our bit for Sussex.  Surf to the page for submitting entries, and make sure that your favourite local brewer gets a mention http://beermapping.com/location-submission/
3) Tasting Notes
 
a) It was one of those days when I felt like a nice, comforting, mouth-filling dark ale, and I opened a bottle of Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (6% abv) - it was just the ticket.  The name was given by the brewer who thought that this beer's dark viscous appearance bore a strong resemblance to the contents of the sumps he had drained while working as a mechanic!  If you think that's a criticism, think again.  A lot of rich dark beers have an oily mouthfeel which can be delicious in a successful beer.  And this one is successful - smooth, with notes of chocolate but leaving a bittersweet aftertaste.  Quite simply, Satisfying with a capital 'S', and well worth 4 ticks.
STOP PRESS: I've just seen a news item which says that Harviestoun has produced a new small-batch ale called 'Ola Dubh' (which we all know is Gaelic for 'Black Oil' - don't we?).  It's based on the award winning Old Engine Oil reviewed above, but it has been aged in casks previously used to mature Highland Park whisky.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that it was launched in January 2008 - in the USA only!  'Thereafter it will be rolled out to other markets'.  For a beer produced in Scotland it's nice to know that the UK is considered 'other markets'!
 
b) Cains Dragon Heart (5%) www.cains.co.uk was next on the list.  A dark, red-brown body, under an abundant, long-lasting, cream head.  The aroma was of malt and caramel, and the taste also very malty.  The mouthfeel was much better than other Cains brews we have tried lately - the others tended to be over-gassy, giving an excessively prickly feel in the mouth.  The flavour develops slowly, full, rounded and fruity with a dry finish.  The only criticism is that it's style and strength led me to expect rather more body to it, but it was still more than competent, and so deserves 3.5 ticks.
 
c) Morocco Ale (5%) I'm a sucker for a beer with an unusual name and an interesting back label, which is how this bottle found its way into our trolley when we made our pilgrimage to the Beers of Europe warehouse.  The label tells us it is "A rich, dark, and mysterious ale brewed to the ancient recipe held secret at Levenas Hall www.levenshall.co.uk for over 300 years."  The recipe for Morocco Ale is believed to date from Elizabethan times.  It was named 'Morocco' by Colonel James Grahme of Levens when he was a courtier of Charles II, whose Queen (Catherine of Braganza) had brought Tangiers as part of her dowry.  Grahme may have associated the dark Moorish people of that land with the smooth, dark coloured ale of Levens.  Legend has it that the secret recipe was buried in the garden, under the evergreens, during the Civil War.  After all the hype you might be waiting for the let-down - but read on . . .
Today it's brewed for Levens Hall by the Daleside Brewery of Harrogate www.dalesidebrewery.co.uk and if you check their website, you'll see that as well as a recent SIBA award, this ale has taken Silver once at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival and Bronze twice - not a bad record!  So what's it like?  A red-brown body with a substantial cream head, giving off and intriguing aroma of wood shavings with a touch of ginger.  The taste is rich, with the ginger now more obvious though not overpowering, and lingering into a dryish finish.  It is very easy to spice a beer with ginger, but very difficult to get it right, and we have encountered some disasters in the past.  This is probably the most successful version we have tasted, so although it's not a beer I would want to drink every day, I have to give it 4 ticks as being an excellent specimen of its type.
 
4)  Notes from the Fests

The Selden Winterfest (25-27 January) was as busy as ever, with a good selection of beers.  However the regulars had been busy on the Friday, so that by Saturday lunchtime when we arrived 3 beers had already run out, and I just managed to get the last half of Dark Star Porter.  Among our favourites were Downton's Forest King (3.7%), Marstons Oyster Stout (4.5%), Red Squirrel's Dark Ruby Mild (3.7%) and Titanic's Full Steam Ahead (4.4%).  All of these scored 4 ticks, and there were others which would no doubt have scored as highly (such as Bowman's Wallops Wood 4.0%) but which we didn't get round to trying as we were concentrating on the less familiar ones first.  Our beer of the festival, at 4.5 ticks, was Dark Star's Six Hop Ale (6.5%) - brewed and dry hopped with six different hops which made it an outstanding olefactory and gustatory experience.  And with one of Michelle's famous sausage and onion sandwiches to follow - perfect!
 
The Buckingham Arms Beer Festival (22-24 February) also produced a good selection of beers.  Beers scoring 4 ticks included Harveys Porter (4.8%) and Phoenix Wobbly Bob (6.0%).  I was particularly pleased to see Firebox from RCH, which I have previously encountered only in Somerset, and it was as good as I remembered, scoring 4 ticks.  But the real treat was to find Robinson's Old Tom (8.5%) on draught.  I keep a few bottles of this in the house, and it's a most enjoyable nightcap, but the draught version takes it into a higher sphere, scoring 4.5 ticks.  This festival was also a special occasion for us.  As well as having the company of friends Nigel and Pam, who often join us at local fests, we also were joined by Anny, the famous proprietor of Belgian's best hotel.  (Well, we think it is!  See for yourself on http://www.simpson.uk.com/beers/Belgium/GoToBelgium.htm - or better still, go there!) 
When we first met Anny, she was serving delectable Belgian brews in her hotel bar - but never drank beer herself!  We took it upon ourselves to educate her in her own country's masterpieces, and now she enjoys a wide range of them, and can make useful recommendations to visiting beer fans.  On this occasion she was staying with us for a few days and expanding her professional knowledge to take in UK ales.  For the honour of the UK we are pleased to report that she found quite a few specimens that were more than palatable!

 

From Issue 41 (January 08)

 Happy New Year to you all.  May you discover and enjoy lots of exciting new brews in 2008.

It seems that wishing people a 'Hoppy New Beer' last issue was rather apt, given that there is a world shortage of hops.  Poor harvests, a fire at a major supplier and increasing demand have combined to put pressure on the available stock.  Some brewers who liked to squeeze their suppliers by waiting and then demanding a lower price when suppliers were left with a surplus have come unstuck.  Reports from Poperinge, the hop capital of Belgium, show that the whole harvest has sold out, and any surplus from the previous year has also been sold.  Previously it was a buyers' market, with many farmers having to sell at below cost.  This year they are able to negotiate ongoing contracts at more favourable prices. 
 
While this is good news for the farmers, it is not such good news for small craft brewers who may not be able to afford current prices or enter long term contracts - that is assuming they can get any supplies at all.  The position is very difficult for small brewers just starting up, who have not yet developed a relationship with hop suppliers.  The latter give preference to the larger breweries and long-established clients, leaving the small brewers out in the cold. 
 
The good news is that our own local brewery, the Adur Brewery, has managed to secure sufficient hops to meet this year's brewing plans, and so we are still on course to be tasting some new brews in 2008.  Those of us who have been privileged to try the test beers can tell you that you've got a treat in store . . .
 
1) Count Down to a new Brewery!
 
The latest news from our own Adur Brewery is that they may be starting production earlier than expected.  While they are still finalising arrangements for their own premises and plant they have reached agreement with a Portsmouth brewery, which uses equipment identical to that planned for the Adur Brewery, to use their kit for the initial production run.  The first fruits of the cooperation is likely to be a batch of Merry Andrew (about 6% abv) brewed in February, which, after conditioning, should be ready for release around the middle of March.  Watch this space, or check the brewery's blog http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/
 
2) Aged Beers
 
In the interests of science an arduous tasting session was conducted earlier this month to compare the merits of aged beers.  Our first task was the famous, and often hard to get, Thomas Hardy Ale.  The first bottle was a very rare 1993 version, one of the 'originals' brewed by Eldridge Pope to 12% ABV (Thanks Stephen).  We compared it with a 'youngster' dating from 2005 and brewed nowadays by O'Hanlon's, with a strength of 11.7%.  Although the label design has remained very similar, it is interesting that the 1993 label showed the capacity in metric form (180ml) while the more recent version quoted 8.5 Fl Oz!  However, that was because the bottle we obtained was designed for the American market and the back label told us it was exclusively imported by Phoenix Imports of Baltimore.  (We don't know whether this means it has actually travelled across the Atlantic and back, or whether a shipment was intercepted before it could leave our shores!)
 
The 2005 version was a delicious strong ale, with plenty of 'condition' giving a good head and a fresher mouth feel.  The 1993 brew was totally different, so much so that in a blind tasting you could imagine that you were not drinking a beer at all but a fine Madeira wine.  There was virtually no head, and the body was thick and oily, with the alcohol giving a distinct glow in the throat as it went down.  This was certainly not a beer to be quaffed by the pint!  In fact it needs to be given the status of a fine brandy which you might enjoy after a meal, or as a warming nightcap on a winter evening.  Reactions to it were mixed.  Two of our tasters preferred the younger version, which was still firmly in the category of beer, but this was not surprising as they were not keen on Madeira or Port.  Those of us who do enjoy the occasional glass of fortified wine preferred the older vintage, but recognise that ageing has taken it into a completely different category of drink.  All in all, a fascinating experience, but we were left with a slight worry as to whether we might have rushed things: the back label says that the beer 'will last for at least 25 years' - were we over-hasty after a mere 15 years???
 
Our other tests were conducted with beers which were 'only' 2-3 years old.  These included Samichlaus (dialect for Santa Claus), designed in Switzerland around a special yeast to stand high alcohol levels (14% abv) and now produced in Austria just once a year and sold the following Christmas; and Rochefort 10 11.3% produced by the Trappist monks from the eponymous abbey.  The conclusion was that the limited (2-3 year) ageing certainly made these special beers even more special, but opinions were divided on the effects of more extreme ageing.
 
2) Beery Briefs
  • Having finalised their recipes for the excellent Merry Andrew and a very tasty bitter, the Adur Brewery is now testing recipes for a wheat beer and looking for suggestions as to how it should be spiced - keep an eye on developments at http://blog.adurbrewery.com/blog/
  • Assuming I've translated correctly from the Dutch, the shock news is that the famous Belgian brewery, Liefmans (whose Kriek and Frambozen are found on the shelves of many UK supermarkets) is in receivership.  It seems that there are a goodly number of would-be purchasers lining up to buy it as a going concern, so hopefully the brand won't disappear.
  • The first Belgian whisky!  Het Anker brewery, famous for its Gouden Carolus beers, has launched Gouden Carolus Single Malt.  It uses the same malt as the Gouden Carolus Tripel beer, and the first batch of 2,500 bottles is selling for 28 Euros each.  Can't wait to try it!
3)  Formidable???
 
We tried a bottle of Cains FA  www.cainsbeers.com and assumed that the name was meant to have soccer connotations, but the small print on the bottle says that the initials stand for 'Formidable Ale'.   That immediately struck us as a grave marketing error, as it conjured up hopes of a powerful, full-bodied dark beer which were dashed when it turned out to be a golden, rather thin beer of 5%abv!  It also announced that it was the official beer for 2008, Liverpool, Capital of Culture . . . any comments on the appropriateness of any part of that statement should, in fairness, only be made by genuine Scousers!
It poured with a golden brown body, and was fairly gassy from the bottle.  This produced a copious, long-lasting white head, and added a prickle to the mouth feel.  The aroma was not pronounced but had malt, hops, and a hint of petrol.  The initial impression was that the flavour was not very obvious but came out more in the aftertaste, giving some citrus notes and fruitiness before a dry finish.  (With a name like FA, perhaps the finish should have been sweet???)  It is a competent beer, to which we gave 3 ticks, and felt it would work best as a summer drink as it was quite refreshing.  However, the priority should be to find a different name for this beer, as it currently promises far more than it delivers.
 
Return to World of Beers home page Return to John & Jeannette's home page

      Return to MCW home page   

Return to Sussex Japan Society home page