Sneak Preview

Well not that sneaky really.  The Regal Moon in Rochdale is one of JDW's flagship ale houses.  It is shutting for some refurbishment soon and was granted permission to start the October JDW Fest a bit early.  Chris, the manager, had promised  us that the most sought after beers, those brewed by foreign (in this case American) brewers would be there in force.  And so it came to pass.

Now I often go to JDW on Wednesday nights, but it was a surprise to see Tyson and his retinue of attendants already there and ticking for all they were worth. Think thirds.  The jungle drums could be heard in deepest Bury it seems and they'd charged over the hill (very appropriate) just to steal a march.  Incidentally while the Regal Moon was fairly busy, I noted that the nearby and almost as big Yates had not a soul in it as I passed.  Funny that, but then again, maybe not if you own the place.

Tyson has already named and shamed and as I often do, I mostly agree with his assessments. I'll add a couple of my own thoughts though. To my palate the Ninkasi Cream Ale was a bit like souped up Deuchars IPA, but not really in a good way, being a touch on the cloying side.  The Ballast Point presumably used Marston's yeast and water.  It certainly was a dead ringer for most Marston's beers and unless sulphur is a joy to you, that isn't a good thing.  Brewing these foreign beers in breweries with a particularly distinctive yeast is probably not a world beating idea.

Mind you, the exception was Stone Supremely Self Conscious Black Ale which is possibly the most stunning beer that Wetherspoons have ever had brewed for them.  Adnams yeast was drowned (a good thing in this case)  in a massive hop attack.  Dark as the ace of spades and with a great body, it drank superbly.

I could still taste it on the bus on the way home.  And that too was a good thing.   Seek it out.  

The Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA was at 6.3% a bit of an aquired taste, but my advice is to give it a chance. The jasmine is quite pronounced

Good Things Coming

Now that the two main traumas of January (NWAF and GBG Selection Meeting) are behind me and my nerves are returning to a more settled state, it is time to turn to more simple pleasures. (No, not that.) First up this week is a CAMRA Branch Meeting, which I intend to make as brief as I can in order to combine it with a side visit to the Regal Moon for their Stout and Porter Festival. This is a bit of an ad hoc festival, as Chris the manager decided just last week it would be an interesting start to February. And why not?

Later in the week I must gird my loins for that most taxing of events, a day out with the legendary Tyson. We will be testing to destruction, the newly opened Port St Beer House. Is it the Euston Tap or Rake of Manchester? We shall see. Tyson being much more on the ball trend wise, has of course already given it the once over, but how will it be once it has settled down a bit and paint has been turpsed from first night glad rags? I will let you know.

Another deadly run in with the Bury Bachant will occur on Saturday, when along with the lovely E and a bunch of other lushes, there will be a close encounter of the third kind with the Sheffield Tap - my first visit there and eagerly awaited - and then a side order of the Hillsborough Hotel and the Wellington.

I'll have an abrupt change of scene the following week, with a (more or less) alcohol free trip to see my dear old Mum in Scotland. I do intend though to squeeze in a visit to at least a couple of Glasgow's finest boozers, so any "mustn't miss" tips for that are welcome, as I'm well behind the curve on Glasgow these days. (Barm?) After that I intend to have a very quiet week before a longish trip to London, where I'll be casting a critical eye over the Kernel Brewery Saturday gig, Cask, the Jolly Butchers and no doubt others. So do make sure that beer temperature and condition is correct chaps. (I will be free to dispense my impeccable beer opinions on Thursday 24th Feb if anyone is around.) My final plan for the time being is too see if we can fit in a little trip to Vienna before the end of March. If the price is right.

That lot should provide the blog with a bit of juicy material and hopefully will be pretty enjoyable too. At least for me.

A Hour Out with Tyson

The Hare and Hounds Beer Festival at Holcombe Brook is the biggest pub beer festival in the country and despite needing two buses and a team of native bearers to get me there, I met Tyson for a review of proceedings.  I'll tell you about the beers later, but most were excellent and all served by handpump, with sparklers as God intended.

After we left the festival we went to Bury to drink some more. Two pubs later, I left slightly the worse for wear, for the 163 bus and home. Tyson was last seen striding to the Metrolink for a tram into town and a pub opening. He is made of much sterner stuff.  I fell asleep on the bus, waking with a start in the middle of nowhere. I didn't recognise a thing, so in my befuddled state jumped off at the next stop, only to discover I was on a dodgy council estate and on the right bus route after all, but nearly three miles from home. The buses are one an hour, so I walked.  Despite it being bandit country I didn't see a soul.

You have to be on blob when drinking with the Beer Hound.  Clearly I wasn't man enough for the task.