Hokkaido the Noo

Perhaps living in Manchester (well nearly) I should be aware of Hydes Brewery's seasonal range under the "Provenance Brewing from Hydes" banner, but sadly I wasn't.  That was corrected last night, in emphatic manner, in our temporary Wednesday night HQ, the Flying Horse in Rochdale.  I arrived just after nine to a fairly busy pub, still adorned with its full Christmas decorations, lights gleaming cheerily and incongruously. On the way I had passed and noted the merrily twinkling Official Borough Christmas tree, shining out in the pissing rain.  Enquiries revealed that this delay is to include and celebrate Ukrainian Orthodox Epiphany, which apparently is a big thing in Rochdale and will delay official end of  shenanigans until the 19th of January.  I may of course be having my plonker pulled, but there you go - that's what I was told. Don't say I never tell you anything useful.

Recommended to me by the landlord, Hokkaido is a pale, hoppy, citric little number, containing that most difficult of hops Sorachi Ace.  In my experience Sorachi Ace is a hop that you love or hate and it displays itself to me as either revolting - or bloody brilliant when it is done right.  Variously described as "having intense lemony flavors, Sorachi Ace also runs the gamut from white flowers, dust, and tea, to bubble gum, dill, and coriander. This hop is ideal for IPAs, saisons and wheat beers."  As it happens, Hydes had used it for a pretty straightforward hoppy golden ale and boy did it work.  I always feel that Hyde's beers can be relied on for their wonderful full body and so it proved here. Nothing wishy washy at all, but a backbone of malt that stood up to the hops particularly well.  Lemony, slightly herbal (coriander) and very moreish, most of us switched to it. I stuck with it until chucking out time.  It was a great decision and also, to the delight of some, on offer - I know not why - at a mere £2 a pint.

On this performance, Hydes is well overlooked. I must correct that with more frequent visits to Manchester.

The full Hydes range for 2016 is here. Worth a look I say.  The Regal Moon, our usual haunt, is still closed after the flooding. I'll keep you informed of progress in due course.

The title of this post is a nod to the Beer Nut and one of an occasional series.

Tasty and Cornish

I've had some bad experiences with Cornish beer, so perhaps unfairly, I tend to regard them with more than a bit of suspicion. I have a mental vision of them as mostly brown, with lots of odd tastes. Still, I do try them when I see them, as deep down I believe it can't really always be so, even if unfamiliar beer is sometimes enjoyed more in the journey than the arrival.

Last night at our CAMRA committee meeting in the Good Beer Guide listed  Flying Horse in Rochdale, there was a reasonable choice, though it turned out later that TT Landlord was really rather poor.  Bland, lacklustre and a big disappointment, which I'll come back to.  I felt adventurous, so no taster, no halves, straight in with a pint from a brewery I'd never heard of.  Based near Bodmin Moor, Penpont Pale Ale from the brewery of the same name was golden, 4.2%, clear as a bell and had a good malt base, some light fruitiness and lots of leafy and resinous hops.  The brewery notes say "subtle oak and vanilla" - but (thankfully) not in the samples I had.  Instead it was a lovely drinkable beer, with enough hops to keep me going without becoming overwhelming.  Most of us switched to it.

Looking at their website, Penpont brew an interesting enough range and I'll certainly try them again if I come across them. 

Inevitably the beer ran out, so I had a pint of Taylor's Landlord.  Looked great, had great condition, but just seemed green and dull.  I reckon that's one you need to keep in the cellar for quite a while before serving no matter how bright it is.