I met up with my Deputy Chairman last night for a quick talk about the future of our CAMRA publication "More Beer" which I edit. Like all publications it needs a review now and then to keep it fresh. You can have a look at it in our website here if you are so inclined.
The venue was the Baum, our 2012 Pub of the Year, quiet on a Tuesday and with mostly stronger beers on. We chose the mild, on sale (and brewed) to support CAMRA's Mild in May month. This offering, Green Mill's Cat's Whiskers, was a little stronger than usual (these days) at 4% and was jet black with a tight creamy head. It was full flavoured, with a touch of roast, luscious dark malts, a hint of chocolate and just the merest smidgen of hopping to hold it together. In perfect cask condition, it was good. Very good. We had a second, so much did we enjoy it and texted the brewer to tell him. He texted back, pleased.
Credit where credit is due and all that and credit too for CAMRA for campaigning for this neglected beer style.
Green Mill Brewery is one of eleven breweries in my CAMRA branch are and is brewing some good stuff currently.
Robbo will be pleased.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. Who's Robbo?
ReplyDeleteMr Robinson. Who is the deputy chair?
ReplyDeleteOh sorry. I never call him that. Get it now.
ReplyDeleteI really should plan a UK trip in May, given how well I've grown to like mild.
ReplyDeleteeven Steel City are brewing a mild ;-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/76263031@N02/7175518670/
DaveU: Collaboration in this case is you're going to them to brew it or they're coming to you?
ReplyDeleteAnd that pump clip reveals a beardie in the royal family--who'd have thought?
Serious question though: Are there really more milds brewed for May to make a May visit to seek them out worthwhile?
it's the return collab, Jon is coming up here
ReplyDeletewas gonna say there should be a law against beards in the royal family, but actually there should be a law against beards, and a law against royalty...
finally, there's no way I'd make a trip to seek mild, but yes, in MAy the bloody stuff is everywhere! a lot of breweries do get involved with brewing a mild that month, and many pubs have more milds on at a time...
May isn't really convenient for a UK beer trip. Mostly because as a CAMRA member, I need to take part in the AGM which falls in April, making a return trip a month later just a bit soon.
ReplyDelete(And by "take part in", I mean "point and laugh".)
Now Nick. You know that you don't even show your face at the AGM and in any event, you are much more likely to be the laugh-ee than the laugh-er.
ReplyDeleteI peeked my head in the door at the Sheffield AGM! But the beer wasn't pouring yet, so I wandered up the hill to a pub or several. Never made it back.
ReplyDeletealways said i'd go to an AGM if it were local... but the Sheffield one clashed with brewing so I didn't! assume it won't be back here for 50 years or so.
ReplyDeleteeven thought about submitting a motion or two, but didn't get round to it... perhaps that's why nowt changes!