Another "Required" Tick

Tickers, when they have a beer in mind for their collection of ticks, say it is "required". I am not a ticker, but of course, like most beer people not averse to listing in my mind the odd beer I'd like to try. So yesterday, after being dragged round the local woods by E for the good of my health, a beer seemed a good idea. So, to Rochdale and the JDW Regal Moon for the beer festival. My required beer for this visit was Baron's Black Wattle Original Ale, Australian in origin, but brewed by the brewer in Banks' in Wolverhampton and there it was on the bar. It was delicious. A full malty body with touches of dark toffee, some fruitiness and an earthy character which I assume is the black wattle. It had a pleasing East Kent Goldings finish and was much more bitter than I'd anticipated. Great stuff which I was fortunate to savour in the peak of condition.

My good luck continued. I found the Everard's Equinox, pale and not as sweet as the JDW tasting notes would suggest. I wouldn't have brewed it with Goldings as the single hop variety myself, but it was decent enough. Way up the scale though was Bateman's Eastern Promise. The tasting notes have it spot on " a mix of spicy and citrus hop flavours blending with the lemon grass to impart an impressive taste experience, while its initial spicy aroma leads to a citrus finish." Couldn't say it better myself, so I won't. The Liberty hop finish really lifted this beer to new heights. Stunningly good stuff - they ought to make it permanent.

I finished less well. I had to try the Gouden Carolus having toured the brewery a few years ago. Despite only having a third, it was just too strong in alcohol (8%) with a dodgy wet dog finish. I left most of it. You can't win 'em all.

I'm still after a few more beers, particularly St Austell Proper Job, which was a beer I used in a tutored tasting at GBBF. It was fantastic in the bottle, so I'm looking forward to the cask version. So far so good with the JDW fest, Beer quality has been excellent, but my horizon looks cloudier. My next JDW visit will be in London where I fear a severe quality decline! Let's hope I'm proved wrong.

The Baum Rochdale

Now that I am more or less over my bout of flu or whatever it was, I felt the need to get out. Where to? Rochdale seemed like a plan, it being on a direct bus route, so Rochdale it was.
The Baum is in the 2009 Good Beer Guide and rightly so. The beer is well looked after and the place is terrific, with a sort of wine bar meets beer bar feel. It is in Toad Lane, the heart of the preservation area and one door up from the shop where the Rochdale Pioneers kicked off the co-operative movement in 1844. There's a bit of history for you! Now I am usually unlucky here. Whenever I go in I find the beers not to my liking, while looking wistfully at the pumpclip collection showing what I have missed and the notice board showing what is to come, all more appealing than the current offering. Yesterday was a little different. Greenfield Black Five was dark, malty with a distinct finishing hop bite and Hornbeam Hard Rock IPA while by no stretch of the imagination an IPA, was bitter, full bodied and very drinkable despite being 4,6%. A complete shock was that there was a drinkable Boggart beer on. I wasn't daft enough to stump up for it of course, but the barmaid gave me a decent enough sample. Stand up and be counted, Boggart - at last! Pixie Pale is hoppy, aromatic, tasty and only 3.4%. Nice! Do visit the Baum if you can, the beers were at the peak of cask conditioning and it is a very nice place indeed.

I couldn't leave Rochdale without trying another couple of GBG pubs. The Flying Horse had excellent Phoenix Arizona and a new one for me. Although Green Mill Brewery is in my branch area, I have never got my hands on any. Thus the chance to try Cobra Crystal Wheat Beer was welcome. It didn't disappoint, being spicy nosed and fairly bitter. In the JDW Regal Moon my choice was Bateman's Gold which had the usual Bateman's "house" taste lifted by excellent biscuity malt and a distinct hoppy finish. I finished with a fantastic strong mild. It was sensational, with a deep chocolate malt body and a vanilla finish. Pity I can't remember for the life of me who brews it!

Did I get a bad pint? Well I did, but congratulations first. Both the Baum and the Regal Moon served beers in absolutely perfect condition, at the right temperature and correctly through a tight sparkler. It is such a delight when you come across that. And the bad? Two actually. Both from Hornbeam Brewery whose Hard Rock IPA I had enjoyed in the Baum. Top Hop was at best OK if you were feeling really, really generous and Lemon Blossom was probably as bad a beer as I have had this year. Think of a cross between packet lemon meringue pie and citrus toilet cleaner and you'll be near. Drink for curiosity purposes only!

As always click on the photo for a better view!