tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316691691163490382024-03-14T09:28:57.101+00:00Rob's Beer QuestOne man's quest into the diversity and wonder of beer and the brewing industry.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-18579309156825159672020-09-06T20:03:00.000+01:002020-09-06T20:03:22.748+01:00Week Up North<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SRLTrhb_WU/X0tDLHONXYI/AAAAAAAAEXk/G0YLRS4i9lgksegk3OFPAqg25_Yg716IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200826_121456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SRLTrhb_WU/X0tDLHONXYI/AAAAAAAAEXk/G0YLRS4i9lgksegk3OFPAqg25_Yg716IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20200826_121456.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>So the other week myself and the family had the most splendid adventure away to the county of our former residence, Northumberland. We ventured the delights of Alnwick, Alnmouth, Seahouses and Holy Island. It seems sort of odd thinking of Northumberland as a holiday destination again. For a long time it was home but before and after that it was a place for holidays. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IKAAi38aR-Q/X1E83cylAsI/AAAAAAAAEYE/AdJisZB9mJgeY_vfpy7tKYcnaHEUyIH4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200827_190734.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IKAAi38aR-Q/X1E83cylAsI/AAAAAAAAEYE/AdJisZB9mJgeY_vfpy7tKYcnaHEUyIH4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200827_190734.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p> I managed to visit some pubs including the old favourite The John Bull, as well as newer venues like The Ale Gate and The Pig In Muck. It was a great night and it is still obvious the North East beer scene is still formidable although has moved on alittle with new beers and new breweries of the region. A few of these I managed to get hold of from Turnbull's Butchers new farm shop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdzePabb7lE/X1E9HLW5GrI/AAAAAAAAEYI/oeOukLCk2KkcMpiSvvtq9zRvSMq-OFwcACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200828_172339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdzePabb7lE/X1E9HLW5GrI/AAAAAAAAEYI/oeOukLCk2KkcMpiSvvtq9zRvSMq-OFwcACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200828_172339.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Prior to leaving the North East beer scene the Farmhouse brewery <b>Rigg & Furrow</b> were a fairly new outfit. <b>Agriculture</b> is a saison cross lager hybrid. Both hoppy and dry it balances the line between refreshing yet sophisticated. Moving on <b>Full Circle Brew Co</b> are a new Newcastle based brewery, <b>Looper i</b>s a full on Hazy 6.4% IPA featuring opal fruits, tropical and stone fruit. Minimal bitterness, soft mouthfeel, very modern. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ayvPR-HkH3c/X1E9Zq9cWlI/AAAAAAAAEYU/yeWOEuBmwcUDu1e1rNKMQMV9_3abUR09ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200828_181750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ayvPR-HkH3c/X1E9Zq9cWlI/AAAAAAAAEYU/yeWOEuBmwcUDu1e1rNKMQMV9_3abUR09ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200828_181750.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><b>First and Last Damson Porter</b> was recommended. The term juicy comes to mind, like biting into a plumb. Loads of damson flavour and liquorice with a nice balance between richness and drinkability. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVbvuZqaMOw/X1E9loLhi-I/AAAAAAAAEYY/lHZvrJfC1CQSMujOk7XshmTmWZZqmFZhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200828_193511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVbvuZqaMOw/X1E9loLhi-I/AAAAAAAAEYY/lHZvrJfC1CQSMujOk7XshmTmWZZqmFZhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200828_193511.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>None the less the holiday wasn't entirely about beer. It was great to see the old haunts again plus old friends. Next time I will remember to bring a jumper. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRr2gcCwwqU/X1UJL8B5NjI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/RVx3ZvoyMQYKtwdOcJA4ALnbuEM_OPIIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200824_094746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRr2gcCwwqU/X1UJL8B5NjI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/RVx3ZvoyMQYKtwdOcJA4ALnbuEM_OPIIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200824_094746.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-69390758514207960352020-08-21T16:29:00.002+01:002020-08-22T05:36:54.628+01:00Back In The Game <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmN6-7E-FaA/Xy744wMsWcI/AAAAAAAAEU0/5mqrI9oqIfsHPbozckGvNF1jJG7xUo6kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/FB_IMG_1596551830342.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmN6-7E-FaA/Xy744wMsWcI/AAAAAAAAEU0/5mqrI9oqIfsHPbozckGvNF1jJG7xUo6kwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/FB_IMG_1596551830342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>And we are back. It's certainly good to be brewing again. Not just that but racking, transferring, selling and delivering beer. Admittadly July was a bumpy ride of fluctuating trade. Pubs reopened after a big surge in trade then tentaively approcahed re-ordering. Notably a lot of independent trade has done better than expected. Certain pub companies have not. Yet on the whole the situation is improving. </p><p>Given that our expanded bottle range helped boost bottle trade during lockdown we have decided to maintain it. This means re-brewing the <a href="http://robsbeerquest.blogspot.com/2020/04/journeys-end-and-lockdown.html">ill fated Journeys End</a> which will also be available in cask. Our full core range is also now back up and running. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcvpmAxirUc/XzgRvS9bPvI/AAAAAAAAEV0/6j5bDbono2EHl-xdHOr8tGxzjg9_kJs3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200814_071448.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Journeys end sparge to copper" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcvpmAxirUc/XzgRvS9bPvI/AAAAAAAAEV0/6j5bDbono2EHl-xdHOr8tGxzjg9_kJs3QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/20200814_071448.jpg" title="Journeys end sparge to copper" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journey's End run off to copper</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Recently we also secured two local SIBA digital beer awards, an exclusive can/bottle only replacement for the usual SIBA regional events. Both beers have a history of awards and it was great to get Morocco Ale some silverware given all it's history and being one of my first epiphanic bottle beer experiences as a beer drinker. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp9fr11j_Og/XzgivLL73DI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/-NF4oY0WV7gPDJAYrxr_n-uO5dHepZXnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200815_185849.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="2048" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp9fr11j_Og/XzgivLL73DI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/-NF4oY0WV7gPDJAYrxr_n-uO5dHepZXnwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h269/20200815_185849.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So as more customers get back in the game, the volumes being brewed get closer to those pre-lockdown. We havn't officially got a full staff back yet and one thing that has been thrown off is the plan of 2020 new seasonals. Meaning Grapefruit IPA and many of the crazy new stuff I was going to come out with is effectively on hold. Hopefully they will be re-implemented at some point. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmN6-7E-FaA/Xy744wMsWcI/AAAAAAAAEU0/5mqrI9oqIfsHPbozckGvNF1jJG7xUo6kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/FB_IMG_1596551830342.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><br /></a></div><p></p>Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-40137529452559283372020-06-28T20:24:00.002+01:002020-06-28T20:24:28.149+01:00Birthdays and new bottle beers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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So as it stands, after three months of furlough I am likely soon to be doing my warm ups and getting ready to come off the bench for the grand reopening of pubs on July 4th. As mentioned on the last post the Daleside bottle beer range has now been greatly expanded. Journeys End (4.5%), Pace Setter (3.9%), Old Lubrication (4.2%) and the SIBA award winning Monkey Wrench (5.3%) are all now available in 500ml bottle. <br />
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We also have more cask stock brewed and ready to hit the trade. However much of the trade comes back, if it comes back immedietly, eventually or just in a short burst is very much unknown. The other question is if the take home trade remains strong, could it fill in the gaps? Most seem to agree that re-opening on a Monday would be a more sensible option.<br />
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Admittedly 2020 hasn't dealt out many good cards. Aside from global crisis, and the fully media inflated, non-sensical orgy of mass scale squabbling whilst being stuck in a sort of groundhog day it's not been all bad. Life must go on so it seems and birthday 2020, the big three six was certainly a good one.<br />
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Creeping ever closer to middle age is the perfect excuse for beer, undiscovered whisky, cheese and cigars. Luckily the forecast thunderstom was fairly brief and cleared up allowing for us to enjoy a seafood platter with a Firebrick Giuseppe Hells lager in the garden, a top class North East lager.<br />
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Afterwards an array of cheeses was accompanied by some Monkey Wrench and Port City Porter followed by some Taketsura Pure malt Japanese whisky and Mackmyra Gront Te Swedish single malt Whisky. Having never tried whisky from Sweden before I would say it was remarkably good. Ex olorose cask matured before finishing in casks conditioned with Japanese green tea, it opens very plump, sweet and approachable with very clean refined meadow fruit flavours. Approachable and fun, sort of like the Michael McIntyre of malt whisky but with the green tea aspect that throws in an extra dimention.<br />
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So despite not managing to properly re-install the old DVD player to watch the Scum collectors edition DVD that was planned to end the night the whole event went rather splendidly. Many thanks go to the wife Helen for all the presents and efforts helping make it so great.<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-25065857127242750012020-05-23T08:59:00.004+01:002020-05-23T10:14:48.013+01:00In the midst of may<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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It's been long and odd couple of months. Whilst following the guidance of Hancock, BoJo, and the baked potato my current role of parent/teacher/kids butler and bloke loafing around the house doing the odd spell of chores was never going to be as exciting as the brewing adventure that was originally written out for 2020.<br />
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Nonetheless it's been great to hear the new Daleside Brewery delivery service is up and running and has been well received. Our team of un-furloughed elite have been answering the call selling and delivering beer far and wide. We have an official web store on the way and you can also get Daleside beers on the <a href="https://camra.org.uk/event-type/pulling-together/">CAMRA webstore</a> or <a href="https://www.craftbeerdrop.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwqpP2BRBTEiwAfpiD-1Z8Myk0MXTCUyHio2o0OrslqPkTb3ZP10aFdQ4yxDJbwBSwIq_fYRoCOkUQAvD_BwE">Craft Beer Drop</a>.<br />
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Additionally an extension of the bottled beer range is pending. Journey's End (mentioned in the last blog post) is to be re-born as a bottled beer and also available in bag in box. I highly recommend pairing it with chicken curry. Monkey Wrench is also to be be re-released in bottle, a development that's been in the pipeline a long time but thanks to the current Covid-19 crisis it makes a welcome return.<br />
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So far the situation seems more optimistic than originally thought. It seemed apparent the world never stopped enjoying beer or even slowing down the rate of consumption. Although as good as drinking through stock with Gary and Steve (pictured above) gets it will never be as good as visiting the local boozer with actual friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trusty nerf blaster ensures everyone in the house stays alert in line with government guidance </td></tr>
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On reflection the surrealness of the situation of 2020 speaks volumes. Every so often these things happen, after all disease is a natural part of life. Ether that or this is the endgame of a huge incomprehensibly elaborate master plan led by a coalition of world leaders, the UN, Bill Gates, leading scientists, the world bank, George Soros and the WHO, that are all secretly shape-shifting reptilian-humanoid, satanic Illuminati who engineered and developed the virus, which may or may not exist and may or may not be caused by 5G towers to crash the world economy and subversively drive humanity towards satanic ideology via mass mandatory vaccinations that sterilize the masses in line with agenda 31 to cull populations resulting in lab born asexual AI augmented births by 2030, whilst at the same time implanting mind reading nano chips that relay mind reading data to the 5G towers which relay to Chinese satellites allowing for mass mind-control enforced by the weaponisation of the 5G towers at 60gHz, causing hypoxia towards any establishment opposition. The prolonged transmittance of the negative frequency resonance energies from fear and despair from the entire human race during lockdown transmits to the huge hollow alien designed secret satellite, the moon will bringeth great jubilation and rejoicing on the planet Drako, home world of the satanic Illuminati lizard people as their end game of mass mind-control and total totalitarian control of the human race, bringing forth the new dystopian world order, the incomprehensible evils of the shape-shifting Illuminati lizard people so sinister, dark, harrowing and subversive their plans so shrouded in darkness and secrecy hidden to all except those watching the You Tube video. They eat babies...<br />
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I feel myself slowly descend back down towards the kitchen my body enveloped by the metaphysical transition towards my original space time dimensional representation to continue the blog post...<br />
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Always the old ones...<br />
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But in other good news my youngest Harvey is on an impressive streak of dry nights at the moment. Encouraging stuff. The kids think the place is some sort of hotel and home schooling has often more resemblance to that scene from Rocky 1 where he's chasing chickens around the courtyard. Normally they are easily entertained but understandably have episodes of missing friends. It was certainly a shame to miss Henshaws beer fest this year also. The wife Helen has also been working quite a lot recently in home care, so it's allowed me to do a bit of cooking and (for the first time this century) some baking.<br />
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As I'm aware the next upcoming phase for the brewing industry is centered around opening pubs and the balance between doing it safely and doing it profitably. How that will play out is uncertain and I do hope one meter social distancing is adopted over two as it just seems more feasible. Until then we have virtual pubs, virtual beer festivals and drinking sessions. Although I have never bought into the 'virtual' concept, admittedly its done in good spirit. Who knows where it will all end. Stay safe everyone.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-50653355352828982062020-04-10T16:36:00.001+01:002020-04-10T16:36:43.486+01:00Journeys End and the lockdown <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Admittedly this has been a difficult blog post to write. Never have I brewed a beer to be released into the unusual circumstances of a global pandemic. Without a web store or home deliveries post march this was more like writing an epitaph.<br />
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Anyhow, Journeys End is a 4.5% modern English IPA brewed with Admiral and Endeavour hops. Its story started in the mid march. A busy period of increasing momentum involving a flurry of brew days that ground to a sudden halt. The pub trade suddenly started slowing and slowing till only the most resilient publicans persevered. When the lockdown came the last lights went out.<br />
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And so we have the completely bizarre unforeseeable script of spring 2020. Like the ultimate WTF moment of Monty Python's Holy Grail where the animator suffers a sudden fatal heart attack. As surreal as it was the entire industry and nation had ground to a halt from the Covid-19 crisis.<br />
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Amid the chaos and confusion the mid golden British IPA was born. With its dominant candied orange, pine and woody citrus character the beer was shifted to its secondary tank, its current resting place.<br />
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Thankfully in some shape or form a contingency plan is in place for Journeys End. A web store or drive through is in the making and the beer may be brought back at a later date. Through will and determination this beer will reach customers in some shape or form.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing our bit to save the nation </td></tr>
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But aside from pushing for contingency plans what does one do in this current situation of lockdown and not brewing? Drinking the stock is an obvious option when facing the long void of gardening, home schooling and jobs around the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clapping for key workers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Virus"; drink 1 finger.<br />
"Stop the spread"; drink 2 fingers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This batch of pickled eggs is gonna be the bomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mucking about around the house </td></tr>
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Although having three different cask beers in the house is sort of like being in your own personal pub. In the wider world the uncertainties facing the brewing sector, the fate of the stock, pub companies facing rent payment and the rest of it all puts a dampener on the enforced holiday experience.<br />
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For almost my entire life I have never taken it for granted that I always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Now however I'm basically in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the upside is still being alive.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-49919357131166296692020-03-18T16:04:00.002+00:002020-03-18T17:03:32.995+00:00SIBA Beer X 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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SIBA beer X is an event I have never had the experience of venturing into. In the city of Liverpool it hosts a wide range of suppliers and influential bodies from across the brewing industry. It also features various seminars, and a range of beers from Independent brewers across the nation.<br />
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Entering as brewers at SIBA beer X you find no shortage of folk trying to sell you stuff. We spotted lots of familiar faces from the likes of Murphy's, Crisp Malt, Charles Faram, Holdens and more. We also got to witness the Charles Faram Wellhopped World Series awards. Featuring the highest rated newly developed hops. You can sample the hops and beers brewed with hops on the Charles Farams stand. I also happened to bump into the bloke who developed and grows both First Gold and Sovereign hops. I do like First Gold hops. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farams Will presents the Wellhopped awards</td></tr>
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Daya Brewing's Something Good 2 was a good display of Harlequin hops. Punchy tropical and resiny with some underlying British spiceyness. Ledbury Golden Ale, brewed with the new Euro variety Most was subtle with nuanced summer fruit a little reminiscent of a Styrian Golding.</div>
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I also managed to catch some of the Seminar from Carl Heron from Crisp Malt but overall it was the awards that were the star of the show. Daleside Lager winning bronze in the Bottle/can session lager. Sadly our other entrant and previous awards winner Monkey Wrench didn't claim any silverware this time but was on good form. Fellow Harrogate brewers Roosters won Bronze in Bottle/can 5.5-6.4% category and other names from the North East/Yorkshire cropped up from the likes of Acorn and Hadrian and Border. All in all it was a great day and night enjoyed by all including myself and general manager Adam. Hopefully next year we will achieve nomination again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey Wrench sits by abandoned single use glassware. A anti-Covid19 measure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers! From the Weyermann stall</td></tr>
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Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-78140226529018923202020-03-09T20:41:00.001+00:002020-03-09T20:41:07.404+00:00Harrogate Beer Festival 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Harrogate Charity Beer festival is one of the biggest events of the calendar year at Daleside. Organised and run by Harrogate Round Table, the 30th Harrogate Beer festival featured live music, food and breweries from across the region at the town's Crown Hotel.<br />
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Sponsored by both Daleside and Theakstons both breweries were well represented. Keg beers were also available from Cold Bath Brewing, Theakstons and Daleside separate to the cask bar. My initial venture into the trade session involved much exploration. Memories of Harrogate Beer Festival from 2010 were a little sketchy. Everything was easy to find but my initial question was where was Emily? I know she got in late in the game and was nearly forgotten. Eventually she was spotted with her makeshift pumpclip...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the two casks in existence of Emily </td></tr>
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Gravity fed from cask and conditioned nicely. Emily was very drinkable for the 5.5% abv. Fleshy fruit and tropical flavours dominate. Underneath there's some banana, apple and spice underpinning the dry finish. Emily is approachable but complicated and arguably better aged a bit longer.<br />
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Moving on it was good to try Daleside Stout again. I don't manage to try every seasonal we brew from on trade. Turning Point Disco king was a very pleasant IPA with lots of perfumed sweet citrus and pine from the use of Mosaic and Chinook hops. An all round quality West Coast style IPA. <br />
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Rudgate Brew 28 Cry Wolf was also citrus, hop forward with lemongrass late on whereas Roosters Little Changes came across savory and quite traditional tasting for a new English hop variety beer. Theakstons Old Peculiar is a classic as always that's rarely encountered on cask. <br />
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Another to mention was Theakstons Peculier IPA. An all round good beer that doesn't really tick the boxes of contemporary keg IPA. It's more of an ESB. On the whole I didn't manage to try everything on the list and given I was getting served a few accidental pints instead of halves managed to get through a fair volume of beer. The all round impression was of a classy, well presented beer festival and a great night. <br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-78075462597955933292020-02-28T20:58:00.002+00:002020-02-28T20:58:46.363+00:00Emily<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The 80-litre trial brew plant is a relatively new addition to the Daleside kit, invented by former brewer Matt Bloomer. Although quite basic it's still more impressive and easier to use than my former 20-litre home brew kit.<br />
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This time round I would be brewing an experimental brew that might make the upscale or might be just for the hell of it. It will be featured at Harrogate Beer Festival 2020 March 6th - 7th.<br />
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Emily is a dry-hopped apricot Saison at 5.5% brewed with Galaxy and Cascade hops and an apricot puree. The abv would have been a bit lower if it weren't for underestimation of the aggressive nature of saison yeasts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late hops going in </td></tr>
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The fermentation temperature on this was let go a little as with many traditional Belgian ales though didn't go past 26 °C.<br />
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The name Emily bears no specific reference to anything although I did know someone called Emily at Uni and she was from Yorkshire but the name was more to do with it being one my favourite girls names.<br />
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On tasting Emily is dry and boozy with up front tropical banana and fleshy apricot going on. There's some spicy phenolics and hot alcohols underpinning it that the fruit partly masks but I'm hoping they age out. Overall I was quite pleased with Emily, she had some rough edges but I do look forward to trying her from the cask at Harrogate Beer festival.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-48339487066238614542020-01-29T20:53:00.002+00:002020-01-29T20:53:41.313+00:00On the Dray<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenic views en route to Danby</td></tr>
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In recent times due to the absence of certain staff it has fallen upon me to play the honorable roll of dray man. This has involved ventures out to far away lands such as Cramlington, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Darlington, Richmond, Boroughbridge, Whixley, Knaresborough and even the Toon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the drop zone</td></tr>
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With it being about eight years since I was let loose in a van it was good to re-visit the basics. So after the sat nav's landed you within a 50 yard radius of the pub its time to exit the vehicle to find the actual pub then work out where to actually put the beer. Planning a dray run seems easy, until you factor in certain venues opening/closing at certain times. Then rush hour traffic and the van's weight limits.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye: the cellar is the beers' final destination</td></tr>
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The dray man can be the eyes and ears of the brewery concerning direct customer relations. You also get to develop skills at manoeuvreing casks around tight cellars whilst routing out empties. I've often thought the roll would be great portrayed in a video game in the style of Grand Theft Auto (North Yorkshire). Virtual Dray Man 3: 'Drop Zone 2020' would feature variable Dray men first character options (as well as unlockable bonus dray men past and present). It would cover various theatres of distribution including South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Tyneside, Darlington, Ripon and many more where you can gain points for collecting empties and not getting caught in the bus lane. The idea might need more work before before going to major game producers.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-61231440326900115952020-01-09T20:40:00.001+00:002020-01-09T20:40:22.192+00:00Key Lime Wheat <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Key Lime Wheat is key lime pie influenced wheat beer featuring lime zest, oats and lactose. The first Daleside new release of 2020 it's a soft, sessionable, American style wheat with citric notes at 3.8%.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lime zest </td></tr>
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As it happens Key Lime Wheat started its life in the 80 litre trial kit as I has never brewed one before. The inspiration came from desserts. Key Lime Pie is one of the greatest desserts on Earth alongside Sticky Toffee Pudding, Banoffee Pie, Baklava and obviously the cheese board.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hops going in. Took some concentration to get this pic holding the phone in the other hand.</td></tr>
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An entertaining brew day. Some judgement was required in the upscaling of ingredients. Often it's found X grams of ingredient Y for a 20 to 80 litre trial brew, when it's then multiplied up by so many thousand litres (for the commercial kit) gives an over the top number. Nonetheless I'm pleased with this one. Having ventured into brewing territory I don't usually enter I found this to have a better drinkability than I originally thought for a speciality beer.<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-67839224706900870192019-12-30T21:05:00.002+00:002019-12-30T21:05:37.818+00:00Yorkshire Christmas <br />
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Morocco Ale is a beautiful way to sink into Christmas eve. Like liquid ginger cake in a glass it is a 5.5%, rich russet amber and arguably one of the most festive beers in the world, that isn't a seasonally released beer. Aside from timeless classics, Christmas eve in this household is traditionally the night for cheese. This year it would be mostly Yorkshire cheeses and the headline beer for the cheeseboard job was Sam Smith's Yorkshire Stingo. A big boozy 8% heavy weight with lots of dried fruit and subtle oak, it did a fair job as an all round cheese board complement.<br />
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A bigger highlight was the pairing of Daleside Blonde with traditional Wensleydale. Floral citrus top notes and subtle carbonation lift into it beautifully whilst the smooth malt backbone finds an intricate union with Wensleydale's mild creaminess. By far the best beer match for Wensleydale I have ever come across in its cask-conditioned form. Another local offering, Harrogate Blue, is a bold creamy rich blue cheese and a great pairing for Daleside Monkey Wrench with its big boozy caramel malts that just wrap around it. Doesn't that sound beautiful? Actually I'll answer that question, it would be very beautiful.<br />
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That aside Christmas day as usual was wrapping paper carnage everywhere. Again this year we had some good presents. Susie got her keyboard and Harvey got his Bat-bot and Black Panther costume. Thus meaning he now has virtually every super hero costume in the book. Except maybe Ant Man, Burnt Face Man and Ben Stokes. I got a gun that fires bottle caps.<br />
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Durham Etienne Brut IPA is a great pre-Christmas dinner appetiser. It's dry and quaffable for its 6% abv and all peaches and pears. A really lovely beer with some Belgian influence though not as aggressively hoppy as some takes on the style. Admittedly I did vow to drink Santa's Progress with Christmas dinner this year but went with Daleside Greengrass Old Rogue Ale instead. In my recollection of beer blogging, the subject of pairing beer with Christmas dinner has never really been pinned down. It's not worth overthinking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Panther, in pajamas</td></tr>
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Overall our first Christmas in Harrogate went rather well. Unlike the old days when Christmas was more an extended celebration of Belgian strong ales served in elaborate glassware followed by passing out in front of Wallace and Gromit. This year was a great family experience, which also featured beer.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-48555141205415309052019-12-15T16:49:00.001+00:002019-12-15T16:49:24.599+00:00Santa's Progress<br />
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Alas the winter season is upon us once again. Here at Daleside we've been brewing our long-running Christmas seasonal Santa's Progress in significant volumes for departure across the nation. Like the name suggests Santa's Progress is brewed with Progress hops- an English variety that come across like a fuggles but with more roundness. It's a rich, golden, 4.2% ale featuring herbal blackcurrant over fruity malt. It's an old school Christmas seasonal demonstrating beauty in simplicity so to speak, and is a joy to brew.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple stainless steel bundles of joy departing for the customer</td></tr>
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I have reviewed and discussed Christmas beers multiple times before on Rob's Beer Quest. There doesn't seem to be any rules on what counts as a Christmas beer. Santa's Progress was the first I had the privilege of brewing at a commercial level. At 4.2% it was quite different from the 7-8% Belgian style spiced seasonals I used to brew on the old home brew kit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress hops</td></tr>
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I always found Daleside brewery has a different ambiance in the winter. For a start its a trifle bit cold. But our friends the yeast still ferment away lovingly nurtured by added heating. Then on the upside the cooling works that tad bit quicker.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yeast head blossoms like a beautiful flower at day one in the fermenter. </td></tr>
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But overall there's been a lot to think about this Christmas. Our January seasonal Key-lime Wheat has been brewed on the trial kit and made a pre-debut at the Disappearing Chin in Harrogate. It's also the time to get out and party hard (or just go out drinking). Then there's all the present to sort then wrap. With the bairns getting older the expectations are higher. They know Santa pays up so the pressure is on... On Santa that is. I'm sure it'll be a blast. But to revive tradition this year I will be hoping to get hold of a mini-cask of sort of the old Santa's Progress to pound pints throughout Christmas day festivities. <br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-7201286882457552512019-12-05T18:43:00.003+00:002019-12-05T18:43:56.905+00:00Visit to Alnwick <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas lights switch on </td></tr>
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Just the other week we managed to make it back to Alnwick to visit old friends. It wasn't a bad venture with plenty going on at the time. First in line was the Christmas lights switch on where we managed to bump into lots of old parent friends, and recognised lots of old faces. We didn't sit it out for the annual steady arrival of Santa into the market square though.<br />
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Alnwick, as always is Alnwick. There's no other way to describe it. It hasn't changed much apart from a big shopping centre development featuring Starbucks on the way in.<br />
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Anyhow I brought along some plastic sample bottles of Vermont Black IPA and the January seasonal (brewed on trial brew kit) for our mates Tony and Fiona to try. They went down well. We also visited the John Bull which is now changing hands again as the previous owner Gus is taking it back from Hadrian and Border Brewery. So we popped in to have some Porter from Hadrian and Border and Titanic Plum Porter Grand Reserve at 6.5%. Quite clean, boozy and better than the original, though I was never a fan of the original.<br />
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All in all it was great to see everyone and the venture ended at Alnwick working men's club drinking Sam Smith's Sovereign bitter on keg. Sort of like an upgraded Boddingtons though cheap as chips. A splendid weekend.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-40975046928077032822019-11-27T21:22:00.000+00:002019-11-27T21:22:04.570+00:00Meet the brewer; Unicorn Hotel Ripon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HELLO RIPON!!!</td></tr>
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The meet the brewer event is something I have been more involved with of recent times. This is where the brewer (and sales person in this case) get to venture out of the confines of the brewery and into the wider world to meet customers. A pleasant alternative to brewing and processing beer behind the scenes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sales master Vince working the samples tray.</td></tr>
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Ripon is a splendid place situated just down the road from Harrogate. A market town as it were, and The Unicorn is the friendly local Wetherspoons. This would be my third Daleside meet the brewer and last of the 2019 tour.The Christmas lights were up and the stage was set for showcasing core beers Blonde, Bitter, Old Legover, Monkey Wrench and our current seasonal Vermont Black IPA.<br />
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For a Wednesday night the place was reasonably busy and on this occasion we faced a diverse range of clientele many of whom were contract workers from far and wide.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Display table</td></tr>
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Unlike my previous experiences with meet the brewer the Daleside event is more involved with much more handing out samples and actually engaging customers instead of just hanging out by a big banner looking like the man. The idea is to get around the place and hand out some samples whilst also following some rules. Sales frontman Vince has been a great guide on this, from the organisation to handing out samples to holding back crowd-surfers. I might be a beginner but I've still picked out the common re-occuring features of most meet the brewer events, for example;<br />
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- There's always at least one table of lads drinking generic lager who act like they've never tried cask ale before.<br />
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- They'll be at least one wine drinker who gives our beer credit.<br />
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- Someone will ask Vince what part of Ireland he's from.<br />
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- The bar manager is always Vince's best friend... for the duration of the event.<br />
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- There's normally one bloke, who's obviously been in since the afternoon who talks at you for prolonged length of time in a partially drunken state.<br />
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Overall the night went pretty well with lots of good feedback. Vermont black IPA managed to convert a couple of wine drinkers and lots of discussions were had on coloured malts, hops, exogenous CO2 and football managers. Vince worked the sample tray like a pro as always (this being his 14563rd meet the brewer as sales bloke wing man) and many thanks were given to the bar manager, team and audience for great hospitality.<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-42075899910180311482019-11-12T17:52:00.001+00:002019-11-12T17:52:56.339+00:00Local Rivals <br />
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Rivalry is a natural occurrence in the brewing industry. Sometimes it's between the upstart and the long-established and sometimes it's a history that goes way back. Like the school playground, the brewing world segregates itself out into different social groups that generally all get along, although occasionally that isn't so.<br />
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Here at Daleside we don't really do rivalries so much. Or at least not in the same sense as the ones in the North East brewing scene. That was more equivalent to say The Hunger Games or underground dog fighting by comparison. I am aware the friendly folk of Roosters Brewery have a long history with Daleside that goes way back and we have great respect for them.<br />
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Anyhow, I thought it would make a good blog post to taste off these two rival beers from rival brewers. A majority of people in brewing know about the history between the Theakston brothers and thus the long history between Black Sheep and Theakstons, both Masham based. Both big family brewers. But both beers happen to be bottled, filtered pale ales at 4.5%.<br />
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First up, in the red corner we have Theakstons Pale ale using Summit, Cascade and El Dorado hops over a base of lager and Munich malts. Nice classy label. In the blue corner we have Black Sheep Venus and Mars brewed with Pale and Caramalt hopped with First Gold, Summit and Chinook. The Theakstons Pale ale is poured first and this pale golden beer opens with orange and stone fruit at the fore. There is a little sweetness but a dry feel to it, a little bit old school, a tad flinty but overall well composed.<br />
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Next up, Black Sheep Venus and Mars pours a shade darker. There is a more upfront citrus aroma and flavour about this beer, but it's not the sort you would get from using a shed load of resinous C hops. It's more perfumed and catty and the beer has that signature Black Sheep rounded fullness to it with stone fruit and some orange notes.<br />
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On the whole my impressions are Black Sheep have dressed things up more, the aroma is more obvious and they've put more effort into making things more contemporary. On the other hand Theastons Pale ale is more down to earth. Where it scores in being a tad more complex it loses out in approachability compared to its rival. A close match but for me Theakstons win this one, however the problem here is neither beer ranks in the top tier stuff that either brewer has done -Imperial Russian Stout, Riggwelter, 54 degrees North, Old Peculiar and XB. But all in all an interesting brew battle.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-60228249501444429182019-10-25T19:26:00.001+01:002019-10-25T19:26:17.843+01:00Incoming new beer: Vermont Black IPA <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Introducing the newest addition to the Daleside range, a dark Vermont-style IPA - aptly named Vermont Black IPA.<br />
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The original name for this beer was New Zealand Hopped Vermont Session black IPA. But it seemed a bit long winded.<br />
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A very much experimental concept that not only goes into territory unknown to Daleside, but territory unknown to nearly everyone else. I am aware Brewdog have done a 7.3% Vermont Black IPA recently. It's not just a Vermont/NE IPA neither is it just a Black IPA, it's a Vermont Black IPA featuring Nelson Sauvin hops.<br />
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The basic concept for this was put together from past experience brewing both styles individually. But all in all this was to be the most abstract, non-traditional beer ever produced in the 27-year history of Daleside Brewery.<br />
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The term 'the most' and not 'one of the most' really indicates to how monumentally serious I was about this brew day. I was deadly serious, look this is my serious face.<br />
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This could be huge, this could change everything or amount to nothing. Anyone can understand the theory that if one of your mates starts break-dancing at the private function he's going to get more attention. But by comparison if your 85-year-old gran in the zimmer frame started break-dancing at the function that's going to get significantly more attention.<br />
To me it makes more sense than brewing just another pale ale with Citra hops in. So in the words of the wise Lego Batman; "you wanna get nuts? C'mon lets get nuts!".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">mashing in</td></tr>
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Like Luke Skywalker entering the Death Star in his X wing fighter with R2D2 on the roof, this brew day required a lot of attention. A fiddly sort of brew day involving some moves deviating from standard procedure and some effort required to hit the numbers. Controlling the boil with very few hops in the copper also required attention. If this was made into a film there would be a split screen featuring a group of very stern looking accountants overlooking disapprovingly at various stages.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">runoff to copper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taming the beast in the copper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks very dark doesn't it, almost.... almost...<br />
Black!</td></tr>
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After fermentation and a number of rounds of dry hopping, the beer was ready to rack to cask and the finished product sampled from hand pull. One day it may become a keg beer who knows, but giving out samples was much easier than trying to explain what a New Zealand hopped Vermont Black session IPA is. Being the abstract concept it was.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vermont IPA... but darker</td></tr>
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On the nose it is gooseberry pine and orange peel. The beer opens smooth on the palate with more gooseberry, lychee orange pith, opal fruit coffee and liquorice. There's a certain peculiarity about it I can identify with. At just over 30 IBU there's obviously more bitterness units than the text book would allow for this style. But I'm chuffed enough with it that I don't care. Chuffed with the beer, chuffed with the new found mastery of the kit. Next I will be hoping to find this one on trade.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kaiser Chiefs; a great bunch a lads</td></tr>
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-60717683125564750582019-10-13T16:58:00.000+01:002019-10-13T16:58:00.068+01:00Yorkshire lifeI must get this clear. I live in England now, a civilized part of Northern England. No longer am I part of the people's republic of Geordieland, home of Gazza, the Toon, Fog on the Tyne, Jimmy Nail and the Blaydon Races (which they don't sing in school assembly here). The transition wasn't too difficult as I part did it once before back in the 2008-10 era during my first time working at Daleside. Now it's a more permanent fixture we can explore the area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVNUrdmxwKs/XZhmSjWeEgI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/1mm5tLRWoEMZ_GjXjXghPl-OgZPXyXbLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20190622_142143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVNUrdmxwKs/XZhmSjWeEgI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/1mm5tLRWoEMZ_GjXjXghPl-OgZPXyXbLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20190622_142143.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knaresborough. Like Alnwick but with a big viaduct and more John Smith.</td></tr>
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Moving away from Northumberland and its castles, countryside, market towns, pubs and pleasantry we have moved to the middle of Yorkshire with its castles, countryside, market towns, pubs and pleasantry. But the vibe is different. Everyone is a bit more soft natured. I have fond memories of my last time living in Harrogate. Working at the Leyburn show with Yorkshire folk. Brewing with the Yorkshire folk. Hanging with Yorkshire folk at meet the brewer events. Going to the pub with Yorkshire folk. Everything about Yorkshire is awesome... If you exclude Savile, Sutcliffe and maybe the Kaiser Chiefs then this is almost true.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4COdxVSN5tE/XZzAk6wmSRI/AAAAAAAAD2w/uNh4UggXxXwSUHeZHfu8THYst3Vygky9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191008_175824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4COdxVSN5tE/XZzAk6wmSRI/AAAAAAAAD2w/uNh4UggXxXwSUHeZHfu8THYst3Vygky9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191008_175824.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reduced Wensleydale, exemplifying the wife's adoption to Yorkshire ways during shopping </td></tr>
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The accent is one of the finest in the world and Yorkshire has given great things to the world like Saxon, Bo Selecta, Wensleydale cheese, Def Leppard, Sean Bean and Yorkshire puddings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7UpiQ812BA0/XZzCVLGHFaI/AAAAAAAAD24/-JyxE3gph_QhGeVKlOwYmTOtocpm1mJcACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20190509_125408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7UpiQ812BA0/XZzCVLGHFaI/AAAAAAAAD24/-JyxE3gph_QhGeVKlOwYmTOtocpm1mJcACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20190509_125408.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bairns famous already from Bilton Gala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BEY8ft0jGtE/XZzCn6Nv_AI/AAAAAAAAD3A/OFjO7IBaBu8uSy3WwjtGetfgrefZklW3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20190718_105429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BEY8ft0jGtE/XZzCn6Nv_AI/AAAAAAAAD3A/OFjO7IBaBu8uSy3WwjtGetfgrefZklW3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20190718_105429.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Ripley Castle</td></tr>
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Yorkshire hosts a huge range of breweries from Magic Rock and Roosters to Theakstons, Ilkley, Saltaire, Northern Monk, Kirkstall, Black Sheep, Brew York and obviously Daleside and the list goes on. The water is soft and lovely to brew with. It has low sulfates and low residual alkalinity. The Yorkshire beer scene is arguably one of the finest in the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iv6LNs18SBM/XZhpZe_kOYI/AAAAAAAAD2k/i3R41zZnqTsH-HDO7ceSVyw1v_G09c0BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191005_105828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iv6LNs18SBM/XZhpZe_kOYI/AAAAAAAAD2k/i3R41zZnqTsH-HDO7ceSVyw1v_G09c0BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191005_105828.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't get much more Yorkshire than this</td></tr>
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The people of Yorkshire have the closest heritage nationwide to the Scandinavian/ Danish invaders of old. This probably means Vikings. They are often fiercely proud of the region and love saving money.<br />
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When I was growing up I was surrounded by Geordieland, everything about it was just the norm. So in turn it made everything about all the other cultures of the world more interesting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cI4cgCng1x4/XaM3AJV_DPI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/TTFDmgbvozw0jGmAfP4EQm8WUw0ionQnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191013_141749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cI4cgCng1x4/XaM3AJV_DPI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/TTFDmgbvozw0jGmAfP4EQm8WUw0ionQnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191013_141749.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Yorkshire stuff from around the house.</td></tr>
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I went to Lancaster University and was surrounded by a full spectrum. There was the Lancastrians, Brummies, Cockneys, non geordies from the North East (Durham people), Yorkshire folk, the Irish, Scousers and the Mancunians. At Heriot Watt Uni I met loads of international students, Indians, Canadians, French, Pakistani, Japanese and others. Yet I always went home to Geordieland.<br />
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Without doubt Yorkshire is a fine destination. The problem now is, for the first time in my life, I miss the Toon and Northumberland. For me it's sort of strange because I've never experienced that before. When it was the status quo it was never an issue, the Angel of the North, The Tyne bridge or seeing old mates from Northumberland. They never used to be lost treasures. So in regards to many of the great iconic figures who have shaped my life and perception of the North East I sincerely dedicate this clip.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-37969821502242888582019-10-05T11:00:00.000+01:002019-10-05T11:00:33.704+01:00The return of Rob's beer quest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
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I'm back. It's certainly been a long time. I would like to call this return to blogging, but more so a new chapter of the quest as opposed to a continuation of where I left off. Some may already know about the series of e<a href="https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mordue-brewery-ceases-trading-after-16446472">vents which unfolded </a>between my last blog post and now. I wasn't there at the end. During these events the very driving force behind Rob's Beer Quest was temporarily compromised. </div>
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A series of job interviews took place, some far afield some not. From the varied interested parties I chose my new path, new purpose. I chose my side and took off my Panda Frog t-shirt. Replacing it with what I sometimes refer to as my England top, for the greater purpose it represents.</div>
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The house was sold. We said goodbye to our old friends from school, work and Northumberland. We departed Alnwick, we left the republic of Geordie land. I became reinstated outside the matrix, reborn like Gandalf the White. Or Gandalf the red and blue in this case.</div>
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Reborn in Yorkshire.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks familiar </td></tr>
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So after all that I began my new job, in my old/new workplace as the head brewer of Daleside Brewery. Back where I was born and made as a brewer. Back where it began in the land of bed races, coffee shops, innumerable takeaways, really nice buses and Yorkshire folk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yorkshire beer</td></tr>
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Harrogate and Daleside have both changed in the 8 years I have been away. It's kind of like a box set where you miss series two and three and you've skipped to series four trying to piece together everything that happened. Most of what I knew from the old world of 2009/10 era is much the same but aged. Harrogate is still a very pleasant civilized place to visit with community spirit. New bars have sprung up. Harrogate Brewing Company and Cold Bath are both new to the brewing scene whereas Roosters are still a big local player regarding trade dominance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New beers will be brewed<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">The Daleside brewkit is lovely to work with. More like a Honda Jazz than an old Mustang. Armed with the very finest of '90s technology the stage is set for me to set forth again into the world of brewing and new beer development. </span><span style="text-align: center;">More importantly I would be continuing the legacy as the third head brewer of the Daleside saga taking over from the respected Craig Witty. With many years in the game Craig has trained many, including myself. As the now second brewer Craig has long been the face of Daleside at outside events, winning awards and he's even pictured on the back of a local bus. A long time back Craig was a butcher and football referee, but that was before the war.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daleside's second brewer Craig at the Daleside, Roosters, Cold Bath, Harrogate Brewing company collab brew. </td></tr>
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So far this year there's been plenty of action at Daleside. From outside events to shipping beer to Australia. And with the wife recently getting a job the situation is looking more settled. The coming year is set to be interesting as there's already lots on the agenda and lots to learn aside from new beer development. So lots to blog about.<br />
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Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-83456798690924516532018-03-18T18:10:00.001+00:002018-03-18T18:10:24.536+00:00What is your favourite beer?As a beer enthusiast I have been asked the question many times. What is my favourite beer? I always gauge that the person asking me the question think that I rate beer on a fixed set of parameters. This would be true if it was a different question like what are your favourite brand of crisps? The obvious answer is Kettle chips. The same with Sainsbury’s own tomato ketchup, in my opinion the best one going. Leeks are the best vegetable, but asparagus and mushrooms are close contenders. Samsung do better phones than Apple, Branston make better baked beans than Heinz but Shortbread are the finest form of biscuits without question.<br />
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Then again with beer a similar deduction process to select one all superior brew isn’t possible. It maybe could be if I only ever drank a narrow range of beers like say cask blonde ales or mega brand lagers but no. By this point in Rob’s Beer Quest I have turned more to rating a beer experience as a moment or experience as much as it is a beer.<br />
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Take for example the first time I tried Rochefort 10. For Rochefort 10 to be my favourite beer I have to compare it to other inspirational moments like discovering Pliny the Elder. But Rochefort and Pliny can’t really be compared. That’s like steak vs pizza, both are very different. What I also notice about these occasional perfect beer moments is that they are rarely the same second time round. Sometimes the beer has changed or you are just in a different moment but other times a beer can be better on second tasting. But inevitably the answer to the question ends with a no, there is no favourite beer or greatest beer in the world. Often I may attempt to brew the greatest beer in the world at work but I know it won’t be, it would just be a tribute. Like the greatest song in the world, a matter of opinion.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-81100534002034947632018-03-03T21:17:00.000+00:002018-03-03T21:17:06.001+00:00The Snow Interval<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6BQe3Zh7J6o/Wphqds82PxI/AAAAAAAADo4/QA4uThQrKZYPdx6UmaJ8ETHZlfBX_WnlQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6BQe3Zh7J6o/Wphqds82PxI/AAAAAAAADo4/QA4uThQrKZYPdx6UmaJ8ETHZlfBX_WnlQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0828.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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As many of you are probably aware, it’s been snowing a lot lately. With Northumberland being one of the worse hit areas this means no work for me. Lots of work for the journalist other half and lots of time with the children. With it being March now it’s like spring is having some problems loading.<br />
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My final journey back from work on Tuesday afternoon seemed to follow a clear gradient from the moderately snowy Wallsend to the grim, dark, desolate isolation of Siberian themed Alnwick. Our friends the yeast don’t like it too cold I explained to the bairns, it slows them down. Luckily the blokes at work have been re-heating those fermenters. But no work means no free beer, and supplies are getting short on that front.<br />
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I bring you the co-ops finest. McEwan’s Champion is another one of those supermarket strong beers that no one noticed it was 7.3% before pricing it. It’s decent stuff, all fruit cake and burnt caramel. After this I got to the end of the Flavourly box.<br />
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Beatnikz Republic Beach Bumpstead is a US, NZ and Australian hopped pale ale that's tastes of pure nectar from the gods compared to some heavily filtered/pasteurised supermarket equivalents. Tropical zesty but clean. According to the can meant to be drank in the sun or reminiscing about drinking in the sun. Sadly will have to settle for the latter.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-25671411059643964792018-02-01T16:40:00.000+00:002018-02-01T18:29:31.454+00:00The show goes on 2018<b></b>Alas it is 2018. 2017 is over, Last year was a mainly neutral sort of year that went very fast. There was operation Serpent Shadow (winning Newcastle beer festival Battle of the beers again) and some nice holidays.<br />
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The main agenda at Mordue Brewery this year is <a href="http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/brewing-brothers-delighted-plans-new-13744552"><span id="goog_1974997732"></span>Beeronomy<span id="goog_1974997733"></span></a>, the ultimate Mordue and Panda Frog beer and food experience. But plenty of other stuff is on the horizon, not to mention getting a new canning line. The coming spring obviously means SIBA events and all their grandeur. Then there’s Newcastle beer festival and Battle Of The Beers 7. Obviously if I were (although statistically unlikely) to win this year it would make Mordue the only brewery to ever achieve a three year hat-trick of wins at the event. Not just a chance of winning, a chance of immortality. But who knows, I’m just a man and his will to survive.<br />
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Finally Killswitch 51 is back from a long break of missing 2017, and a new Panda Frog E=PF2 (or squared) an Ekuanot - El Dorado hopped wheat beer is on the way. The new ‘Mash Sessions’ set of seasonals will bring back past Battle of The Beers winners Code Red 40 and 5PA along with some new beers. In all possibility 2018 could be a bumpy ride.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pump </td></tr>
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Hopefully I can maintain enough effort to keep blogging. These days life isn’t as compatible with beer blogging as it was back in the day. Then again the beer blogging scene isn’t what it was either. Back then you weren’t just a beer blogger, you were part of the REVOLUTION! And every delve into the blogging world was like going to the theatre. Where Beer vs Wine and beer duty were considered serious debates that could easily escalate into a punch up. New beer or beer an food pairing discoveries were embraced with awe like newly discovered species of butterfly. So many diverse views and characters but at the end of the day everyone just wanted to enjoy good/preferred beer in good company... That and all fall on Alistair Darling and give him a good drubbing, like a proper good drubbing.<br />
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So I’m obviously hoping for some kind of beer and cheese like event some point this year (already in the pre planning stage). Going to France again to get more way underpriced Rochefort 8 and brewing a sour beer. An interesting sort of line up.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-27996654397611091672017-09-18T20:32:00.000+01:002018-12-15T15:40:12.021+00:00Holidays and the GBBF Last month it was a great honour to again represent Mordue Brewery at the Great British Beer Festival. Again Workie Ticket was the nominated beer but sadly this time no victory. I recall Roger Protz mentioned in the latest What's Brewing that US hopped beers took the majority of awards this year. In our category of Best Bitters Tiny Rebel's Cwtch was the winner, tasted more Red IPA than best bitter. A great beer none the less.<br />
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So results aside my third ever visit to the GBBF trade session was a splendid day. The G-Man (Mordue MD), Grey Wolf (External sales man) and myself ventured south via train for the day. We encounterd various people from across the brewing industry including (for the first time) beer writer Melissa Cole.<br />
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A somewhat surreal moment given that back in 2010/11 meeting Melissa Cole was classed as a life ambition. Me old muckers from Heriot Watt Uni, Ed and Simon also came out of nowhere around the same time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herriot Watt 2007 reunion group </td></tr>
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Another encounter made was the Dredge. Mark Dredge, former lord of the beer bloggers, now beer writer.<br />
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I got to sample various London beers and from brewers that you don't often see in the North East. All in all the GBBF was a cracking day out and what followed was the remainder of a short frantic week before going on holiday.<br />
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The Vendee region of France is somewhere I'm semi-confident I have visited before on one of my many camping trips to France as a kid. It is quite flat and hosts a scattering of independent breweries. Given that this was not an all inclusive holiday, beers on site weren't served over carbonated and in very small measures. They were however exceedingly expensive.<br />
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A highlight of this trip would obviously be a beer and cheese night. This time with exclusively all French cheeses, and the selection on offer was normally vast. Local beers explored were very Belgian influenced with a tendency to be very yeasty and served ether from keg or bottle. Though on this occasion Grimbergen Blonde was the best overall cheese pairing beer.<br />
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The holiday overall lacked in session beers (unless you like Kronenbourg). It was rather good however to be able to get some top of the range Belgian beers like Rochefort 8 at around £2 a bottle from the supermarket.<br />
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As of most holidays of recent the balancing act of beer hunting with parenting was in play. Beer budget aside at times the Bairn/s will stress the desire for a certain toys that it is really absolutely essentially mandatory you buy them. Then you will end up carrying that toy around for the rest of the day. Having only one toy that both kids want can trigger protests that could upgrade to a Paddy.<br />
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Common triggers for paddy;<br />
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a: too much ketchup on plate<br />
b: wrong cup<br />
c: tired<br />
d: Nam flashback<br />
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So in short the kids were not entirely used to long car journeys and long days in the sun but still had a great time.<br />
I give the French lots of marks for effort on their beer scene, it seems to have expanded a lot since my past ventures to the country. I did drink a few Belgian ales but one beer I went back to a few times was Fisher Tradition. Sort of like the French equivelant of McEwans Champion in the sense it's cheap as chips, decent, reliable supermarket beer.<br />
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Vaguely a Marzen style lager, clean toasty grain and a rounded hint of boozyness in the finish from the 6% abv. Supermarket beer perhaps but the Triple Hop version at 7.2% was one of the beers of the holiday showcasing the effect of much under-rated low alpha European hops. A tad paler than Tradition with creamy burnt caramel and Peach. Really soft with good drinkability. <br />
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So overall the France holiday was great. I recommend it if you like Belgian esque type beers and don't mind getting away from the current cloudy hoppy pale beer/cloudy sour (with fruit/ other stuff thrown in) UK trend. It's also good for cheese.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-43719606098257153062017-07-02T20:58:00.001+01:002017-07-02T20:58:21.938+01:00This Summer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longframlington beer fest</td></tr>
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A summary post you could call it. After not blogging in so long I thought it would be fitting. So far it's been a fairly mixed summer, with June not being the predictably mild to overcast type of month it normally is. Pale ales and lagers were on the agenda, or more specifically cloudy, hoppy paler beers. I noticed this also at Longframlington beer festival, the annual amalgamation of well-selected local and non-local beer meets cider, face painting and a bouncy castle. </div>
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This year the Longfram fest hosted beers from the likes of Box Social, Two By Two, Tempest and Cullercoats brewery. A memorable one was Flash House Hazelnut Stout, Nutella meets liquorice in this medium-bodied, smooth affair. Cullercoats Storm Porter was like a Fuller's London Porter crossed with Old Peculiar. Good substance to it. Tempest Cascadian was also substantial but Two By Two Grapefruit IPA was very pink grapefruit forward but a tad too alcohol and ester heavy for the higher 5.7% abv. A lovely day out of beer with the kids also having fun.</div>
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So another highlight this season is WT20. A beer to mark the twentieth annaversary of Workie Ticket winning Champion Beer of Britain. As the folks who work at Mordue know Workie Ticket to be abbreviated to WT on stock labels and the likes. The Mordue equivalant to 1966, 1997 was the biggest year and biggest award in Mordue history. So this year we will be brewing a 6% tribute to the history and the beer. </div>
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An all-round interesting project. The aim here isn't a first runnings or just a higher gravity version of the 4.5% original. I aim to smooth a few edges out taking a slightly different angle but keep largely loyal to the original template.<br />
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Moving on. This month has also been my birthday. Thirty three seems irrelevant but the kids are growing, becoming more demanding and learning new things like how to identify beer in pictures and how to wind parents up. New beers are coming out at Mordue. The brewing scene is seeming more and more overcrowded with new breweries, new trends and new breeds of beer elitists buying into them.<br />
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Trans-Atlantic Pale Ale in the underback</div>
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On the Panda Frog front this summer we have released Amphibious Four. A 4% amber ale brewed with four malts (pale, munich, cara red, crystal) and four hops (Galaxy, Comet, Citra, Equinox). We also have a Blood Orange IPA in the pipe line along with a few re-releases like New Zealand Pale and Oatmeal Stout.<br />
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So by no means a dull summer, especially not considering that other new development; <a href="http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/mordue-brewery-newcastle-bar-opening-13219350">http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/mordue-brewery-newcastle-bar-opening-13219350</a><br />
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Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-91434505701735917332017-04-30T09:04:00.000+01:002018-12-15T20:47:41.343+00:00The 41st Newcastle Beer Festival. Battle of the beers.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I win again. Fourth Battle Of The Beers win in six years.</td></tr>
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So it was that time of year again. The trade session at Newcastle Beer Festival is always a great get together for the local industry. From brewers, to landlords, to wholesalers, this year I got to meet the folk from some newer breweries such as Stu Brew and the respective Errant Brewery. Although it seemed a tad quieter this time the stage was still set to unveil this years Battle Of The Beers winners. <br />
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This year Battle Of The Beers was a contest of who could brew the best IPA between 4-6%. Being style specific for the first time this removed the 'paper-scissors-stone' dynamic of previous years where if you entered a big porter style beer you automatically had advantage over a mild. So with the many sub styles of IPA the majority of entrants went with US style IPA, followed by some UK style traditional IPAs then the odd farmhouse IPA and even a Peach IPA from Box Socal brewing.<br />
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The Mordue entry this year was 5PA a west cost style IPA. The number 5 represents 5% abv and the use of five hops. It's also double dry hopped. Yet from the brewery I was 89% confident of defeat. Out of the tank 5PA had so much late bitterness it was bound to divide a judging panel. Yet on cask 5PA mellowed into a bold ride of grapefruit and citrus pine, I didn't ever think it would be in such superb form. <br />
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This year our very close runner-up was Almasty Brew Co Mosaic IPA, a 6% NZ-US hop combo this time unfined. It was reasonably hazy, bold but mellow with lots of complex Nelson Sauvin over a medley of soft fruit and pine. Since 2014 the ex Mordue and Tyne Bank brewer Mark McGarry, now Almasty's head brewer, has entered the local scene with a resolve for on-trend bold, uncompromising beers. His second silver at BOTB was always going to look good on paper. Like an old tennis rivalry, the former chef vs the biochemist we have both undoubtedly added a great deal to the local beer scene.<br />
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So, after the overwhelming realisation of winning despite being convinced it wasn't going to happen and trying for so long it was time to try new beers. Flash House Iron Giant IPA (BOTB third place) was soft-bodied, unfined and citra led. Yet it got to a point where IPA became tiring and I had to sort myself out with some Leeds Midnight Bell, 4.8% dark mild. Shortly after, the recent SIBA award winner 5.3% Daleside Monkey Wrench was tried with its dark fruit and boozy caramel malts. <br />
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Elland 1872 the former champion beer of Britain was also on, another big beer with lots going on. All in all only a small range of beers were tried in comparison to what was available but it was a great day out. I learned Olicana hops are nothing like Jester and that Stu Brew would kindly let us borrow there tiny brew kit to do short run Panda Frog batches. Just splendid.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-731669169116349038.post-67233446238134497922017-04-02T20:55:00.001+01:002017-04-02T20:55:27.316+01:00Beer & Cheese revisited <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer</td></tr>
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So this was the first group beer and cheese night in a long time. Beer and cheese has been a common feature on the quest over the years. I've done the one-on-one pairing approach to the freestyle try any cheese with X beer type cheese nights. Some group commercial events also.<br />
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This group event was a non-commercial 'parents special' you could say. With the added technicality of five children. Would they stay the distance or would everyone leave early to put them to bed? Or would they put us to bed? I was aware things could have gone either way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer and cheese compatibility guide for the night</td></tr>
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Note that this time round a new approach was taken to pairing. Selecting 2-3 cheeses per each beer would allow freedom with a degree of order. A halfway point between beer 1 with cheese 1, beer 2 with cheese 2 etc or the opposite 'everyone just dive in' approach. Nonetheless first in the lineup was <strong>Augustiner Edelstoff</strong>, a proper German premium Hells lager at 5.6%. Bold yet delicate, both Brie and Gruyere provided little for it. <strong>Durham Cotherstone</strong> was a fair match.</div>
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Next up was the anticipated, never tested <strong>Mordue Workie Ticket</strong> (easy to get from work, very food compatible but never tried it with cheese). In the red corner; Doddingtons Original (a nutty cheddar, makes sense) in the blue corner;<strong> Doddingtons Admiral Collingwood</strong>. The original was a tad sharp for Workie but Admiral Collingwood with its mellow centre and rind washed in brown ale worked harmoniously with enough salty, chalky bite on this cheese to parallel Workie Ticket's late bitterness.<br />
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Next up was <strong>Wylam Remain in Light</strong>, a 5% pale ale I have never tried. A very hop forward orange, grapefruit, passion fruit type of pale ale . The idea at this phase was to explore pale ale/IPA type beers with bloomy goats cheese and creamy blue cheeses. This beer struck right on chord with <strong>Buche Ruffec</strong>. Soft tangy Goats Cheese meets hoppy resiny yeasty pale. Meanwhile <strong>Panda Frog 5th Panda</strong> found almost surprising affinity for <strong>Doddingtons Darling Blue</strong>. The more weighty, slightly less resiny character helped marry with sweet centre of what's growing to be one of my all time favourite blue cheeses.<br />
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So staying with the cost cutting beer from work tactic we next had <strong>Panda Frog Hibernator Bock</strong> (6.3%) with <strong>Old Amsterdam</strong>, a nutty, crunchy Gouda. This textbook pairing went down a treat. Unsurprisingly the fondness for beer and cheese was growing. More surprising was the amount of stamina groups of under five year olds can have when it comes to staying up past bedtime. At this time the children had ceased control of much of the house (living room, kitchen, bathroom, Bridge, engine room), or at least the chocolate stash.<br />
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Onwards to <strong>Chimay Tripel</strong> with <strong>Reblochon</strong>. This gooey washed rind cheese meets 8% boozy carbonation match was originally meant to be Tripel Karmeliet with Delice de Borgogne, a lovely cheese that didn't really pair with anything. Delice was just too funky. Chimay Tripel played its part but a more exciting chemistry was to found in the final round of pairing.<br />
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<strong>Allendale Barrel Aged Export Stout</strong> (7.4%) is a lovely if expensive take on one of the region's finest strong beers. With <strong>Stilton</strong> there was good chemistry but I felt a less aged original version Export Stout would have done a better job. The beer needed more booze, more bite or rougher edges to go toe to toe with big old salty Stilton.<br />
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So it seems beer and cheese has always had an unpredictability factor. Regardless of how many beer author opinions you take in pairing beer X with cheese Y often get; 'well you would think that but actually'. Instinct is probably an equally as useful as literature. Overall this beer and cheese night was a great success, one of the best ever. The great company also made it so.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686907092077149244noreply@blogger.com1