When I left the Gasmen, I fancied a look in to Micro Bar. I was in luck. Apart from the two Boggart offerings, my first Steel City Beer awaited me. Well come on down! Worcestershire Sourced was 4.6%, pale and exceedingly hoppy, as you'd expect from the serious hop heads that produce it. A good solid Marris Otter body with a touch of wheat and a lot of big C hops (Worcester grown Cascades and Magnum) would about describe it, but sadly, it just tripped over into a slight soapiness for this imbiber. Still, nothing to put me off trying them again and if the beer had been a touch colder, it might not even have been noticeable. A great big hoppy effort, well worth seeking out.
Then to the Marble Arch where I spotted Ginger 6 on the bar. Not one to start with, so I had the superb Chocolate Porter ( or is it Chocolate Marble?) and a half of the stout. They were both really well made beers, with the Chocolate being in much better condition and therefore edging it. So, Ginger 6 to finish with? Alas no. It was, like a thief in the night, gone. He who hesitates is usually lost, but maybe not, as in this case there will be other days.
I reckon Marble must be up there as the current best cask ale brewer in the UK currently. There. I've said it.
11 comments:
Agree with you there about Marble! Had a couple of pints of Marble Pint a few weeks back at the Sheaf View in Heeley, Sheffield, was absolutely brilliant. They know how to use hops better than we do! Condition was spot on also.
Their bottled beers are pretty awesome as well, had their Tawny a few weeks back, was stunning!
I haven't had their bottled beers, but I'm betting they are good too.
Someday - not now - I will reveal my Thornbridge connection. It is a bit tenuous - well maybe not - but it is most certainly there.
Have a great holiday period Kelly and thanks for commenting.
I have to agree, that (along with Thornbridge of course!) Marble produce some of the best beers around at the moment. I can't get enough of their Ginger, which is easily the best ginger beer available, would love to try the Ginger 6 from the cask, I've only ever managed it in bottles from the Crown in Stockport, which has sadly stopped stocking it now.
Marble, Outstanding, Thornbridge, Phoenix... it's close-run thing, I reckon, the whole 'best cask brewer' lark. I'm just delighted to find anything by any of them on draught.
Have they not put the St Petersberg on in the Marble Arch yet, then? Tempted to head down there tomorrow, except half of Manchester will be out on their Xmas Do, so it could be a bit hairy. Saturday afternoon might be more likely...
Was the beer bright??
Are you related to Barrett Homes by any chance?
No relation.
So, was Prescotti's ale bright??
Yup, totally agree on Marble. They have a couple of strong beers in the bottle that I really want to try.
I really want to try some Steel City stuff too.
Would you believe I've not tried it yet?!? But that's the second comment we've had about unusual flavours (the other said cheesy) so maybe it was the rare Worcestershire cascades that weren't quite right? Hopefully I'll see on Saturday when we try the two dry-hopped versions in Sheffield.
But, for our second brew, apparently it's not bad!
Lots planned new year, hopefully we'll be brewing better beer in a few months, still lots to learn...
I'll second (or fifth) what everyone's saying about Marble (in general, not the Ginger, obviously, it's an abomination) - the 3 versions of 1425 were simply stunning
as for Sourced, as Gazza says, we were working with an unknown factor i.e. no-one had used these hops before! we'll try all 3 versions tomorrow - Worcestershire Sourced is in the Hillsborough Hotel, and the two dry-hopped versions (one with UK cascades, one with US cascades) are in the Harlequin
next couple of beers lined up are a stout and a real IPA
evilempire said...
"no-one had used these hops before"
I've brewed a couple of batches & drunk another beer from Roosters with UK grown Cascades* (Kent I think) - what's different about these?
Was it that they were Worcs grown?
*They were quite nice, but tasted nothing like the fruity intensity of US Cascades
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