Pub Crawl - April 2013

My first trawl across London specifically to visit some of the best spots to get some decent beer.

Cask Pub and Kitchen: Half of a Thornbridge APA on Keg that I wasn't familiar with. Can't remember the name. Not a Chiron.

Bottle of Green Flash West Coast IPA. Had to be done really. Bye bye palette! Actually, I had a Magic Rock Simpleton next (a half hearted attempt to pace myself) and despite the Green Flash, I still managed to taste the signature Magic Rock amazingness in this extremely decent sub 2.8% IPA.

Next was the Cross Keys in Covent Garden. Unpleasantly busy compared to the relatively empty Cask Pub (to be fair, it was post work at around 6pm), we each had a single of pint of the Brodie's London Fields Pale Ale. After singing it's praises (and going to this pub specifically for this pint) I was slightly embarrassed to find it warmer than I'm comfortable with and tasting a great deal less amazing than it did at the Westow House Ale Festival. I know Justin takes immense pride in the beer he sells and I'm certain he makes damn sure that the Westow's pipes are absolutely tip top. This is why his London Fields Pale tasted like it ought.

A short walk away (via an aborted attempt to get a table at Bone Daddies) - the amazing Holborn Whippet, situated on the beautiful Sicilian Avenue for a burger and a couple of halves of Moor: Dark Illusion and Nor'Hop. However they dispense their beer, they seem to make Mr Hawke's beers taste even better - both drinks tasting amazingly smooth and delivered at the perfect temperature. What a difference from the Cross Keys! Been to this place a few times now, love it.

Up the road to the Euston Tap, a pub housed in one of the only surviving parts of the original, Victorian built railway station. Half a Magic Rock High Wire APA on cask followed by a half of Thornbridge St. Petersburg on keg - both brilliant. First time for me to have a Magic Rock on cask - the jury's out on a comparison with keg until I actually do a proper test. The St. Petersburg may have been the catalyst for my recent move away from hoppy pale things to darker drinks. Great pub btw - knowledgable yet low key staff, not too busy. Could've done with a bar stool by that point in the evening though.

The Craft Beer Co in Brixton was a short tube ride away from Euston. Half a Wild Beer Company Fresh from the keg. Describing the bottle in a recent post, I mentioned how this half on draft basically made me re-evaluate whether I actually liked the drink or not. I get the feeling that despite having the same name, the two drinks were actually very different. Anyway, either from hop-fatigue-syndrome, a ruined palette or simply just general tiredness, I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy my last half of the evening.

One quick thought on the prices - whilst I absolutely understand the reasons behind charging £3.50+ for a half, it can be prohibitive. I love imported keg ales (and the UK ones) but it'd be great for them to be more 'democratic'. Having said that, I suppose the high price makes them a luxury, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: some of my most memorable experiences drinking a particular keg ale have been, I suppose, memorable by virtue of their being so rarified, as much as the taste itself.

All in all an enjoyable evening and I'm glad my mate James and I did it. 4.5 pints + a bottle, but I wouldn't have said I was drunk. Certainly not sober, but tactically interspacing the heavy hitters with session ales helped keep me compus mentis. I don't think I'll be 'craft crawling' again in a hurry though. I think I'd prefer to stay in one pub (destination pub or not) with an amazing selection and stick to it. Either that, or keep it organic - do it like the old days when I didn't care what I drank as such and went with the good company instead. I love tasting beer and I adore discovering new beer brands and flavours. Where I can, I'll always steer people towards a decent beer pub. But isn't 'going out for a drink' meant to be about the people you're with rather than what drinks the pub has?

Tap East, Nebula Galaxy IPA

IPA from Tap East - the boys that own UtoBeer (and the Rake I think?) in Borough Market. My bottle was flat, so potentially not drunk at it's best. Very heavy sherbet nose, but the taste was thick hop resin. Similar to the Arbor Yakima IPA. This style is possibly too much for me, although I definitely started to get into this by the half way point. I'll give their next IPA a go at the festival next month.

Buxton, Imperial Black

I've only had the almost surreally good Brodie's Dalston Black on keg (Westow House) so not sure what the bottled version is like. This beer from forward thinking Peak District brewery Buxton is, I feel, very close to the Brodie's (a lot better then their Black Rocks in my opinion). Big tropical nose, slight tinge of booze with a full body but delivered with a surprisingly light touch. Very professional balance between the resiny hops tand the meaty malts. Buying this again.

Moor, Illusion

Yet another truly world class beer from Justin Hawke at Moor. I'm trying to collate my recent BIPA tastes into a sort of series with this latest batch of blog posts, and whilst I would say that they're all excellent, I could easily say that this one is certainly one I'll go back to time and again.

My friend and I sampled this on draft at the excellent Holborn Whippet and I had this bottled version not too long afterwards (bought from the independently run Good Taste in Palace). Unbelievable tropical nose of the neck off the bottle, decent carbonation and a virtually seamless flow from the IPA tropicality into the malty chewiness (not so much of a coffee, more a like one of those malted biscuits with the cows on that might have been a little over-cooked in production?).

A blessed lightness of touch throughout, makes this beer, as it says on the bottle, a splendid session BIPA. The direct comparison would be with the Conqueror, but personally, I think this trumps it in most categories. So easy to drink the while bottle of this - a massively recommended drink. BIPAs are rapidly becoming my favourite type of ale and this particular one is possibly contending for the pick of the bunch.

Windsor & Eton, Conqueror 1075

I first tried this ages ago and I blogged (previous incarnation) that I didn't like it. What an amateur! This bolstered Conqueror (boosted from 5% to 7.4%) from Windsor and Eton looks like Coca Cola, has a decent citrus nose off the bottle neck then switches to burnt cereal aromas when sniffed within the glass. Thick and generous body with the malts winning out over the hops in the taste stakes, but only just. Having said that, the hops are evilly rounded - bitter and piney. The aftertaste is only mildly bitter, but it lingers for a long time. (You can just taste the booze at the end of this - a nice touch and a reminder to respect the high abv.) I would love to try this on keg. Maybe they'll have it at London's Brewing....? *fingers crossed*

Windsor & Eton, Conqueror

A good introductory BIPA from London brewing heavyweights Windsor and Eton. Also sampled on draft at the Alma (with a splendid roast btw). This bottle tasted quite differently on each sip, sometimes a coffe tinge in the malts, the tropical hit from the hops varied a bit too (I felt there was less hoppiness than in the draft version). Light and drinkable (for a BIPA) a good sense of a full body.

Art Brew, Hip Hop Extra: Citra

Another citra beer.....this one from Dorset's finest. I think this was quite different to other citras I've had recently - still quite sweet, but the taste wasn't that lemony citrus thing as such. (I had a curry that night, the strong flavours of which may have affected the taste I suppose.) The after-bitterness rested at the back of the tongue. This wasn't a palette obliterator, but close! I felt this drink was running in the same pack as the Arbor Yakima, the Tap East Galaxy and the By the Horns 'Hop Sonnet': hop overload orchestrating a dense, heady, resin stupor. Was there a gentle touch of Saison-esque spice in there? Or were the resins making me imagine things? Was nice to drink 500ml of this. Hic.

Art Brew, Hip Hop Series: Riwaka

I first had this fantastic pale from Art Brew towards the end of last year and I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up some more after Manish (possibly one of Art Brews biggest apologists...I think he may even be on their payroll....) got another delivery in at Good Taste. Brewed with Riwaka hops from NZ. Lychee nose, orange colour. Lacing down the glass and a full, decent body. Big bitterness and massively and very satisfyingly hoppy. Love it - more please! (Cool label art is by Simon at CAMRGB.)

Wild Beer Company, Fresh

I drank this Fresh from the Wild Beer Co almost a month ago, and have since had a half of this on draft at Craft Beer Co Brixton which I think has coloured my perception of this beer slightly. (I suppose it should be mentioned that I had the half at the end of a relatively substantial 'pub crawl' so my enjoyment my not have quite been the same had I had it at the beginning of the evening....)

I quite liked the Madness IPA, but unfortunately, I don't think this beer is my cup of tea (beer). All the elements are there, but something didn't quite gel for me. Can't for the life of me tell you the reason though - was it in fact the freshness element that was throwing me off? Usually that's a good thing right? Piney and grassy, an almost imperceptible fruitiness was overcome by the massive pine flavour. Crisp and clearly fresh on the palette, big stinging on my gums. According to the code on the bottle, this drink was prepared with Pacific Jade whole cone hops in the kettle, and then a Centennial dry hop. I had chicken + chips with Encona hot sauce for my tea before drinking this. Maybe the encona affected this? Will definitely try another one when the next batch materializes.

Hardknott, Azimuth

Middling abv but full body for this IPA from Hardknott. Tropical nose not dissimilar to the Punk IPA. Orange flavour prominent, this drink recommended to me by the ever friendly chaps at Good Taste in Crystal Palace. As this drink warmed up, I started to really taste the caramel. The expiry date on this was 2015! This isn't a bad thing, but I think I prefer my pale ales bottle conditioned.

Red Willow Brewery, Ageless

My tasting notes say that this Ageless from Red Willow is similar to a West Coast IPA. I certainly remember that whilst it's similar in abv to the Remorseless, it's a very different style of IPA altogether. Part of the Red Willow core range, this IPA poured orange, there was a lovely creamy texture to this beer (perhaps due to a slightly languorous carbonation?) and good lacing down the inside of the glass. A very bitter drink, the tropics were there mildly - the accompanying oily and resiny hop character in ascendancy. No notes for what my food was that evening. There is absolutely no doubt I'll get this again - a damn good IPA from one of the UK's premier breweries.

Red Willow Brewery, Headless Pale Ale

Mild citrus nose for this 3.8% Headless from Red Willow. Gentle citrus flavour plays second fiddle to a great sense of freshness. High carbonation and then a minor grapefruit bitterness rounds it off. A very gentle modern twist on a traditional UK pale ale. Should really go without saying that this is a fantastic session beer - this really ought to be in every river pub up and down the country this summer.

Hog's Back Brewery, Hop Garden Gold

Decent enough drop from Hog's Back. Local to where I grew up, I've been drinking their TEA for years. Simon at CAMRGB did a write up of this beer. Go and read it (and the rest of his stuff too).

Buxton Brewery, SPA

Classic 'special pale ale' from Buxton. Another ale singly hopped with Citra. (I'm making a habit of this citra thing - purely by accident in most cases!) The usual citra affair - hoppy and fruity, lychees nose (learnt from Oakham blurb) with a gentle carbonation. Instant rounded grapefruity bitterness on the inside of the cheeks but it didn't hang about for too long. I drank this at room temperature for a change.

Fyne Ales, Hurricane Jack

Without being able to put my finger on it as such, I definitely got the instant impression of quality from this Hurricane Jack by Fyne Ales. Apparently lacing down the side of the glass is a key indicator of good quality beer? This beer had loads of that. Citrus nose, citrus taste, and very very pale. Not dissimilar to the Ilkley but very much a superior drink for me. Very decent body for a relatively low abv and a sharp bitterness across the gums. I possibly drank this a bit too cold (out of the fridge) but that's the way I drink 'em. My first Fyne Ale. Palette = chicken + sweet bagel.