25 Today, and a new Daleside seasonal release!

In the last few weeks I have been given the privilege of milling the grains, monitoring the fermentation and transferring the new Daleside summer seasonal beer Summer Blonde, which arrived in pub cellars only a few days ago. The very pale hoppy summer seasonal at 4.7%abv retains the soft rounded house character of Daleside’s beers whilst integrating well balanced bouncy tropical fruit and citrus notes from the hops. By my rating an excellent quality golden ale for drinkers of the north east to look out for.




I can also mention that today is my birthday and I have the day off to get ready for my trip up to Scotland to climb Ben Nevis. This has also given me the time to prepare the formidable quantities of strawberries for the maturation of my pending strawberry beer and to get tucked into my new presents, which include a really nice watch, beer books by Randy Mosher, Pete Brown and a new one by various authors in Tribute to the late Michael Jackson called Beer Hunter, Whisky chaser.

Because of the big climb, I also decided to make last night the time to open a bottle of my highly reserved 2008 Vintage ale (less than 30 bottles left now). It seems to have taken on a slightly drier character since its early bottling in January. The body has changed and the alcoholic notes have mellowed. Still fine stuff, but I sometimes wish I’d made a bit more than two gallons.