Grape & Grain

 
My favourite local watering hole Grape & Grain  is about to receive the South East London “Pub of the year award” and to celebrate are holding their second beer festival this weekend coming (4th-7th March)

With over 30 Real Ales and Ciders on offer including "Crystal Clear" brewed epically for the festival by new local brewing upstarts The Kent Brewery.

As well as all this for your audible pleasure are:

Friday 4th March  ”The Sax Pastilles”  9pm
Saturday 5th March  The Crystal Palace Community Choir 3pm
Jack Valentine’s ” Tribute to Sinatra”  8.30pm
Sunday 6th March” The Charlotte James Duo” 2pm
The Hugo Simmonds Trio 5pm
Monday 7th March “The Big Beer Band” 9pm

I have to say I'm looking forward to this and thankfully its only a short stumble home!
Hope to see you there!

IPA Weekend

"Can" you believe it!!

By chance on my way home from work I came across Brew Dog Punk IPA 5.6% ABV in a can!! At the beer drinkers meca of UtoBeer in Borough Market.

I feel I  owe it to the (original) Punk IPA for starting my adventure in to drinking Craft Ales and Beers. I still remember excitingly buying a bottle in Tesco's, after reading an article about Brew Dog and the then UK strongest beer Tokyo* (oh how times and abv's have changed). Drinking it with a respect I'd never given to another beer before. So Punk means a lot to me.

Late last year myself and Tom M attended the battle of the Punks at The Rake, where the original Punk recipe was put up against what was then known as Punk X. Needless to say Punk X won and as such Brew Dog, in a brave decision amended their flagship beer.Adding a lot more hops and more dry-hopping aswell as  reducing the bitterness from 70 to 45 thus giving the beer a bit more balance.

This was the first time I'd had the new Punk since that night at the Rake and my first time for a craft beer in a can! It didn't disappoint all the flavours are still there, grapefruit and lychee with an toned down onslaught of the bitter after taste (due to the lower IBUs). There's something about drinking from a can that makes this beer more crisp and fresh compared to the bottled version and if this means Punk becomes more readily available and reached a wider audience then I'm all for it!

Following on from the excitement I felt like trying and comparing another IPA and had in my collection.This time from Brew Dog's American cohorts The Stone Brewing Company.

Stone Brewing Company - Stone IPA 6.9% ABV - A full bodied IPA, what we've come to expect from the American craft beer revolution. Heavily hopped given a bitter but sweet taste. Has highly herbal flavour from the dry hopping process that leads to a lovely sweet fruity after-taste. The carbonation gives the beer a crisp refreshing zing.

I've had this beer before on tap (see previous posts) and remember it having a much bigger flavour.
It's still a great IPA from one of Americas best Craft brewers, although I feel that Brew Dog's Hardcore IPA or The Kernel's IPA are better beers being bigger and brasher with their flavours.

Also sampled over the weekend was Oakham Ales - Citra 4.2% ABV. a brilliant single hopped beer. Oakham Ales where the first to brew solely with citra hops back in 2009. A crisp fruity beer with the familiar grapefruit and lychee flavours being produced from the Citra hops. A nice dry finish makes this perfect as a session beer.

Imperial Russia

So taking a leap of faith I've booked myself on an 11 day trip to Russia, taking in the cities of St Petersberg and Moscow.

Now beer isn't really what comes to mind when you think of Russia, with estimates of between 3.6 gallons to 7.2 gallons of Vodka being consumed per person per year!! (Source)
However in days gone by one of the UK's biggest exports was in fact Stout. The beer was not only popular in England but in Baltic region where it allegedly became one of the Court of Queen Catherine the Great of Russia favourite tipples, leading to a stronger version of the beer known as Imperial Russian Stout.

Shortly after I return from my own Russian adventure, another begins as a 60 ft sailing clipper sets sail off from Greenwich down the Thames, up through the Baltic to Saint Petersburg. But this boat is also carrying casks of Imperial Stout, the first to attempt such a trip for 200 years!
Holding mini beer festivals on route in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki & Tallinn on route they aim to arrive in St Peterberg on 17th June 2011. For more information check out www.thegreatbalticadventure.com

Sorting out flights and my visa have been trying but thankfully that's all sorted now so what better way to celebrate than with a beer!

The Kernel - Imperial Stout 12.5% ABV. Brewed to commemorate the birth of the brewer Evin's son.
The beer pours with a thick, dark jet black appearance and gives off an aroma of rich chocolate & roasted coffee, as well as the alcoholic nose. The first sip is thick and tastes lightly of smokey ash but leads to a beautiful long lasting sweet fruity flavour with a distinctly bitter & heavily alcoholic after taste.

Evin states that he hopes this beer will keep until his son is of age to drink it & wish I had bought two bottles to cellar one too! I'd love to revisit this beer after it had been matured like the Imperial Stout soon back on it's way to Russia!

His bark is worse than his bite

With the news that Sharps had been acquired by Molson Coors last week, people on the blogsphere began to wonder if head brewer Stuart Howe's wonderful seasonal & limited batch beers would continue. Thankfully Stuart later posted on his blog "Molson Coors are very happy for me to continue uncensored and the 12 brew project is still very much on track with two brews nearly confirmed for February". Oh if you've not already stumbled across Stuart's blog I highly recommend it.

With this news I felt it time to try out some of Sharps less well known beers...

Late last summer I took trip to Padstow a stones throw away from Sharps brewery and the millionaires play ground of Rock. Padstow has also aptly dubbed "Steinstow" after the TV chef  Rick Stine who seeming owns half of the bustling harbour town, with four restaurants and cafes. 

So when Rick challenged Stuart to create a distinctly English beer with the character, individuality and quality to stand alongside the Belgian greats. It was going to take something special.

First up was Chalky's Bite 6.7 ABV%, named in honour of Rick's dog and with the unusual addition of wild Cornish fennel added to the brew. This beer produces a lovely golden blonde appearance and with the first sip comes a bitterness with intense flavour. There's a smells of fruit & hint of spice from the fennel. Being based on a Belgian beer there's that familiar yeasty after-taste matched to the strong lingering alcohol.
Overall this is a strange beer for me, as I'm not always so keen on Belgian whitbier, but the added spice from the fennel makes this beer different and some how more interesting to drink.

Being so pleased with Bite, Rick again challenged Stuart to create another beer, so up next was Bite's successor Chalky's Bark 4.5% ABV Again with a novel ingredient this time Ginger.

Like the beer its based on it has a golden blonde appearance but this beer is a lot lighter tasting. It offers a sweet citrus flavour and is wonderfully contrasted by the ginger which gives this beer a subtle zest without being over powering like you may expect. This is defiantly a beer with beer with ginger and not a ginger beer.  This is a highly refreshing beer perfect for summer thankfully I've stashed a bottle away for just that!

Brew Dog Q&A

Whilst out at the weekend we spotted an advert for a "Meet the Brewer" event at The Blackfriar with none other than Brew Dog. Meeting Tom in the pub we started Saturday trail, seemed a bit strange as did sinking a few pints on a Monday evening! But soon all my worries were lost after trying the previously unheard of Camden Town Brewery's Pale Ale 4.5% ABV.

As 8pm approached the bar started to empty out and we began to wonder if the event was going to be taking place. Luckily for us James Watt (Head of Stuff as his business card states) walked in and a tray of Alpha Dog was passed round. Soon realising that we were the only people actually there for the event we introduced our selves.So what was billed as Meet the Brewer became 3 guys discussing beer, football and technology.
        
As well as this there was the trivial topic of his beers, talking about the soon to be launched Single Hopped IPA range and a possible future release of a chilli beer he comes across a hugely passionate about his beer and the craft beer industry. Upon asking him some of his favourite breweries he lists Stone, Mikkeller & Three Flloyds. Surprisingly none of them are from the UK, not that this is a bad thing but clearly sums up James' opinion on the UK's craft beer market. With further prompting Darkstar and Thornbridge were two English breweries he preferred.

After recommending the previously blogged Rum Porter talk turned to the recently released Alice Porter & its a story. For those of you that don't know a few guys from North Bar in Leeds went to Brew Dogs brewery to make a unique beer for his wedding, naming the brew after his fiancée Alice Porter. Demand for the beer "was phenomenal" and as such Brew Dog decided to make it in limited edition seasonal beer.
James mentioned that the beer was actually on tap over the bridge at Doggetts so with the night coming to a close we headed off to try a pint.

Alice Porter 6.2% ABV slight smoky taste but not long lasting. Huge fruity flavours, dates and blackcurrant really sweeten this Porter. I've mentioned before that there's been an influx of Porters on the market but this manges distances it self from other recipes but is an amazing example of a Porter neither of us wanted to leave our glasses behind.

All in all a great evening and we hope to attend and review some more Meet the Brewer nights soon!

Nicholson's Ale Trail

The Day Started Out Promising

Finding Tom already sipping a half of Thornbridge's Jaipur was always going to be a good start to a day.
The Blackfriar is a gem of a pub, an Art Nouveau Grade II pub built in 1905 on the site of a Dominican friary.
Unfortunately there was only one ale from the festival on tap, Thornbridge's Wild Holly 5% ABV . Drinking in the extension designed as a "snack room" makes you feel as if you're in the crypt of a cathedral. Mosaiced ceilings and effigies of friars appear all round in the pub.

Diverting from our original plan we headed to the Old Bell Tavern on Fleet Street. Another pub steeped in London's history. Having been a licensed tavern for more than 300 years. Built by Sir Christopher Wren, it housed his masons who were rebuilding St Bride's Church after the Great Fire. Again only one Festival Ale on Tap and one I'd personally been looking forward too Brew Dogs Alpha Dog 4.5% ABV with its hoppy and bitter long lasting taste. Quite a few halves were sunk whilst we waited for Jon to join us. Playing (and losing in my case) a few games of Blackjack to pass the time. Something that is rarely seen in pubs these days, the alien idea of going to a pub to play games or read.

Next up a short walk south of the rivers was Doggetts Coat & Badge, name after Thomas Doggett who issued the winner of a yearly amateur rowing race on the Thames with a coat and badge. Over looking the Thames with four floors we plumped for the bar (obviously) and this time were greeted with 3 festival ales!
Thornbridge's Hark 4.8% ABV a warming winter ale with spiced fruit & Brock 4.1% ABV a very smooth and creamy dark stout. A personal favourite from the day. As well as trying Adnams Oyster Stout 4.3% ABV which sadly wasn't that memorable.

By the time we headed toward The Old Thameside it was already dark, however upon arriving we were greeted with a dark empty pub and apparent construction notices. Luckily enough the next pub was a short walk away. The Mudlark serving another favourite Brew Dog 5am Saint (see previous post) taking advantage of the 2 meals for £10 we scoffed dinner and tried to sober up a bit! With another festival ale on the we tried a seemingly unimpressive half pint of Vale Brewery's New Dawn 4.2% ABV.

Soon we were down to two as Jon & Christine departed, moving on along the river again to The Horniman at Hays over looking  HMS Belfast on the site of an old tea warehouse owned by Frederick Horniman, a famous tea dealer. A packed bar with several festival ales on offer, deciding to sit at that bar. We quickly sought after Jersey Liberation Blonde 3.5% ABV and a disappointing half of Rudgate Jorvik Blonde 3.8% ABV. As well as Saltaire Triple Chocoholic 4.8% ABV which Tom had been recommending to me for a while and it certainly didn't disappoint. With a deep chocolate taste and a smooth finish, definitely one to look out for.
Next up were White Horse's Black Horse Porter 5.0% ABV and my beer of the day Vicious American IPA 6.0% ABV-a wonderfully hopped strong tasting beer. Not too over powering like so many other American IPA's can be.

Unfortunately because I hadn't done my homework our next two pubs turned out to be closed at the weekend!! That's the city for you. Although The Ship in Talbot Court looked like it could be an interesting place to drink. So with that and probably for the best we called it a day.

M&M Special Porter

The Rake can appear busy even when its quiet thanks to its size, but tonight the place was literally rammed. With M&M's scattered on the bar paying homage to their namesake Darkstar M&M Special Porter 6.5% ABV

This beer is brilliant, the Oak ageing of this beer leads to a lovely oaky smell, that conjures up a feeling of age and wisdom to this brew. The oaky smooth taste lingers in the mouth & the alcohol leaves a warming feeling inside. This beer is smokey yet not over powering which other porters don't always manage. With so many breweries at the moment trying to recreate this historic beer, Mark and Melissa have really managed to create something to live up to its name "special".


Also premièring tonight are M&M's "woody cousins" Mocha and Vanilla 

Unfortunately I only managed to try the Mocha -

Soft delicate creamy coffee taste with the usual dark appearance of a porter or stout. Very sweet tasting and smelling. More Porters like this should be made as I'm sure this is beer my girlfriend would love. I'm just hope she gets to try it one day!