Plymouth Beer Festival

Happy Beer Festival folk

Always a highlight of the South West beer scene, Plymouth Beer Festival took place at Plymouth Pavilions last weekend. Normally this event is full to the brim of thirsty drinkers, but this year's event corresponded with a heat wave and although the Pavilions is air-conditioned, the lure of the beach and the BBQ was probably too great for some and numbers were a little down this year.

Beer Festivals are really important show cases for brewers and their brands, a chance for new brewers and beers to make a name for themselves or old favourites to confirm their status. They are also good fun and we must not forget that above all else, drinking beer should always be a social and enjoyable business.

At Plymouth the entertainment was Dr Feelgood, a fine band from the 1970's who I'm delighted to say were really rather good on the night. As for the beers, then I was there with my day job promoting and show casing St Austell Brewery brands. I've learnt over the years that at these events you need both your established brands, but also some new kids on the block to spark some interest. Luckily St Austell have a vibrant new product development programme and this year we took 1913 Stout on draught and a special treat, Proper Job's big brother - BIG JOB!

The heat wave meant stout was always going to be a tough sell, but the Big Job double IPA, even at 8.5% abv got lots of interest, although we did limit servings to a maximum of half a pint. Big Job is a wonderful craft beer in the American IPA style, full of lashings of citrus hops. The flavour is full and zingy but the balance is quite good and its not a real bitter beer.

There were lots of new local beers I'd not tasted before and it was good to see Tavy Ales, of which their Ideal Pale Ale is a very good beer, had three beers on show. Other local brewers included Plymouth Beer Co and also a brewer from Lee Mill called Garage whose beers I did not get to try.

St Austell Brewery Tribute bar

As a marketing man and one that is justly proud of the success of St Austell Tribute, the one thing that was reinforced yet again at this festival was the power of brands. The first beer on our bar to sell it's first barrel was Tribute. Customers love to try new innovative or more likely oddly named beers, but they always come back for a beer they know and love. Many people who go to these events are also bamboozled by a range of beers they have never heard of and often they don't understand the difference in beers styles. So they go back to or stick with the brands they know, enjoy, trust or simply have just heard of before. So I was very pleased to say that Tribute was one of the most popular beers at the event.

Another really pleasing factor was that Tribute came through the beer judging as winner of it's category and will now be short listed for the GBBF 2014. The judging process was interesting. I sat on one panel and was head of my table. Other judges included local radio host, Gordon Sparks, who has a keen interest in real ale; a couple of licensee's and a host of local councillors. An interesting choice but to their credit Plymouth CAMRA had done their homework and used the process as a chance to highlight the plight of local pub closures to their local government representatives.

All told, even thought the wonderful sunny weather had an impact, the festival was a popular local success so well done to CAMRA for organising this once again.

 

Beer, Sausages, Cheese and Chocolate!

Rashleigh Arms Beer & Food night

A real mixture of food and drink and one which you would think could make the average person quite unwell, but this featured in a recent night I ran at the Rashleigh Arms (pictured) in Charlestown.

Beer and food is probably second only to craft beer as being  the buzz words in the beer industry at the moment. Every brewer, small or large is trying to associate their brand with a food dish. In truth, the brewers have not really cracked the association as yet with consumers. There is a lot of talk of thinking beer rather then wine when dining, but in practice very few people think like this. So there is a lot of work still to do!

However, you have to start somewhere and I like a number of other Beer Sommeliers are running beer and food nights of varying types. My night at  the Rashleigh turned out to be a huge success. It helped tremendously that licensee Rob, really wanted to do the night and was also very organised.

We started with matching the sausages first. The Cornish Bratwurst was matched with Korev, a fine crisp, clean Cornish Lager.  If you think of German sausages and beer/lager and how well they go together, it was hardly surprising that this worked well. This was followed by a sausage flavoured with 1913 Stout, which of course was matched with the beer of the same name, followed by a cracked black pepper sausage that matched Admiral's Ale. A spicy sausage matching a spicy beer, it worked well.

Next onto the cheese. This is perhaps the best food match of all as the acidity in the beer cuts through the creaminess of the cheese. Cornish Yarg went down well with Smugglers Vintage, the rich toffee vanilla of the ale balancing the fullness of a powerful cheese. A real surprise was how well smoked cheese matched Clouded Yellow with the natural banana, clove and coriander of the beer, scrubbing the tongue clean of the smoked cheese ready for the next mouthful. A real match of contrasts but they worked very well together.

Finally onto the chocolate and what we really needed here was a fruit beer, but St Austell don't have one in the range at the moment (watch this space!). However using Proper Black, a black IPA, full of citrus hops and expresso coffee flavours, then this was a fine match with a coffee flavoured chocolate.

In total we had over 50 people for the evening, all of which had been introduced of the concept of matching beer and food when dining. In my view there are no rights or wrongs with this concept, but some combinations do work better than others. Luckily everyone is different so try some experiments of your own.

Ramsbury Brewery

A recent visit to Wiltshire included a stop over in the Bell at Ramsbury, a fine pub in it's own right but made even better as its the showcase for the Ramsbury Brewery brands.

The pub itself is full of character and the food all that you would expect from a small rural town business at the heart of its community. Quite distinctive but wholesome. We also loved the honesty bar for those staying, at the top of the stairs and adjacent to the rooms. A great idea!

My first Ramsbury was the Flint Knapper, a good beer but it this was quickly followed but the Ramsbury 506 and what a great beer this is. A 5% IPA style brew, it was well balanced citrus, bitter and a touch of malt. I really like Hopback Summer Lightning but the 506 is certainly up there with it.

An unusual name, 506 is named after the American Parachute Regiment that was based in Ramsbury during the Second World War and the beer is a fitting tribute.

Ramsbury Brewery itself forms part of Ramsbury Estates, a large long established farming business on the outskirts of Ramsbury. The farm grows barley for brewing including the sought after Maris Otter variety and forms part of the stunning Kennet Valley. Living in Cornwall it's difficult to imagine countryside that will match the far South West but this certainly comes close.

The 506 was the start, but there are other beers worth a mention. Ramsbury Gold is the breweries best seller and you can see why. A golden easy drinking beer, it is a fine balance of malt and hops and the superb colour makes it very attractive to drinkers.

The next are probably two marmite beers. I'm not a great fan on honey beers, being too sweet and I prefer a hop bitterness. The Honeybee is a good honey beer and will have its fans but its not for me.


The final beer is a real marmite of a beast at 6.1% abv, quite literally! Named after the specialist breed of cattle farmed on the estate, the beer is quite a challenge. I found it a real meaty beer, quite smokey bacon, a bit spirituous and on the sweet side. However some people loved this beer and having used it at beer tastings and as part of the Craft Bottle Beer range we offer, I can appreciate it's finer points.

Good luck to Ramsbury Brewery, they are about to invest in a new brewery and they brew some great beers. Do try them if you see them.

Craft Bottle Beers

So Craft Bottle Beers finally got underway at Saltash Regatta last weekend. It has taken a lot of planning and hard work, a few false starts, not to mention costly mistakes, but at last we have begun to sell a few bottles of beer.

Our plan is to sell a selection of beers from local craft beers at events throughout the South West - its a hobby mainly but it does at least give me a chance to indulge my passion for beer and in particular bottled beer to enjoy at home.

Craft Bottle Beer Stand

Saltash Regatta is a two day event with local stall holders and producers all vying to sell their wares. Sadly the weather was not great but I'm delighted to say our stall was very popular. In fact the event rivalled some larger food and drink festivals for popularity and we were certainly pleased with how well we did.

Our stand could have been better and some things we planned to do in terms of branding did not work as hoped. However we were at least the equal if not better than many of the other stall holders.

Our first sale was a bottle of Cheddar Ales Potholer. a very tasty golden beer and one that

Golden/IPA's

proved to be a popular seller throughout the day. We had a range of 17 different beers and split them into beer styles to make it easier for customers to follow. The most popular style was the Golden/IPA range of which we had seven great beers. Of these special mention of the Ramsbury 506 as the first IPA to sell out. This is a wonderful beer and drinks very well in bottle - a fine balance of citrus hop that is not overly bitter.

Penpont Shipwreck Coast also sold well from this style as did the Piston Broke from Box Steam Brewery. Of the Pale ales,  Box Steam Tunnel Vision was the most popular with many local Cornish folk likening it to Doombar, although I'm not sure if that's good or bad!

We probably had too many Stouts on sale and although I personally love this style of beer and it is on the comeback, there are still many people who still find the roasty, toasty liquorish flavours challenging.

The final style we called Strong/Vintage ales. I was surprised how well these beers sold. Ramsbury Horny Highlander a 6.1% real meaty beer tasting of smokey bacon and slightly spirituous sold very well. I struggled with the flavour a little myself but lots of people liked this beer. Another lovely beer in this style was the Bellingers Moonlight, a fine dark malty beer erring on the side of a Porter but not quite.

So off soon to source more beer for our next confirmed event which is at Mount Edgcumbe Classic Car show on Sunday 4th August, although we still hope to find something suitable for late July as well. Lisa and I both loved the days, talking about beer and helping to guide people as to what flavours and styles will suit them best. As a Beer Sommelier this is a really satisfying part of what we are doing and it was great to impart a bit of knowledge to people who were genuinely interested.

Wish us luck for the next one.......

Beer and Cars Combined

There can be fewer unexpected locations to find a brewery than with Bellingers of Wantage. Traditionally brewing is closely associated with the farming industry and so many small breweries start life here, in fact farmers were once brewers as in the case of the Saison style of beer. Nowadays many start up breweries can be found on industrial sites and although this does not carry the mysterious charm that craft drinkers seek, it is very practical and commercially viable.

Front of the tin brewhouse

Bellingers however is fronted with a very modern car dealership for Vauxhall and Chevrolet cars. It's quite an impressive business and building and you would never know a brewery existed but for some signage on the forecourt. The car dealership boasts all that you would expect from a cutting edge sales business, with vehicles displayed to look their very best. The brewery on the other hand is situated in a shiny tin covered building that is hidden away at the rear with the dealership's service dept.

Bellingers are a 4th generation company and the brewery uses an image of Les Bellinger who flew with the RAF in the Second World War and then went on the lead and grow the company in the years thereafter. The company is now a major landmark as you approach Grove and Wantage from Oxford.

Being an ex resident of Wantage and certainly proud of my Oxfordshire roots I am delighted to find  this brewery and recommend their beers.

Two beers I purchased were the IPA and the Moonlight. The branding on the former is not great and does not reflect the beer, which certainly is a refreshing IPA, however the colour ways suggest a darker beer. The branding on the Moonlight I liked a lot better, reflected Bellingers heritage and the label colours and balance just seemed to imply a quality beer.






Bellingers IPA & Moonlight
 



The IPA had a hint of chocolate combined with citrus on the aroma - chocolate orange like! The palate was more hop, pineapple, herbal like, but there was a hint of fruity esters as well. The finish was bitter and touch astringent which actually I quite liked. Overall a beer in the English IPA style and very drinkable.

The Moonlight was the more interesting of the two beers. Chocolate and fruity esters on the aroma, there was a lot going on here. The palate was fruit cake, spice, roast and a bit nutty. The mouth feel was nice and full, with good conditioning bringing the beer to life. I liked this beer better and it is a good example of a Strong pale ale.

I' m looking forward to my next visit home when I will make another trip to this craft brewery to try some of their excellent brews.

Yeovil Ales

Passing through Yeovil recently was a good opportunity to call into the brewery of the same name to buy some of their excellent beers. The brewery is located on an industrial estate as is quite common now for smaller breweries. The signage around the brewery is not great and it is easily missed.

Three beers from Yeovil ales

Having spent a lifetime working for Regional brewers, it is quite sobering to realise how few people keep the mash tuns churning of smaller breweries such as this. However their beers are none-the-less still very good.

Star Gazer flavour wheel

I purchased three examples of their beers. The first thing that struck me was the branding on the bottles. All are clearly part of a quite distinctive family style. The labels are clear and offer good standout, in fact they are right up their with some of the better labels I've seen and very good for a smaller brewer.

Star Gazer is a really easy drinking 4% bitter. A good beer in this style is one that is not too challenging but has enough flavour to keep you interested. Star Gazer has a degree of floral hop balanced with roast malt, but the key is balance, its easy to drink.

The flavour is a toasty roasted bitter beer with floral hop. Also interesting for a relatively low abv beer such as this is that its a bottled conditioned beer.



Lynx Wildcat flavour wheel

Lynx Wildcat is a 4.3% brewery conditioned beer. The aroma is grassy and touch herbal, but overwhelming hop. The taste is biscuit malt but an overriding tropical pineapple hop is the dominent flavour. I really liked this beer. It is in the English IPA style, drinks well and is on a par with other classic English brewed beers of the same style.

The name commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Yeovil built Lynx Helicopter.

Stout Hearted flavour wheel

The final beer I tried was the Stout Hearted, as the name suggests a fine 4.3% dark stout, plenty of roasted malt and hint of chocolate on the aroma, but one unusual thing about this stout is the higher than normal level of hop you might get in a beer of this style. Not quite a black IPA, but certainly there is a hint of this in the taste of this beer. 

 

All told I really like the Yeovil Ales. They were good quality and very drinkable. The label designs were excellent and easily as good as many of the larger brewers produce. I'd certainly recommend beers from this brewer.

 

 

Stouts & Porters

Without doubt the most popular beer style at the moment is IPA. These heavily hopped golden beers have really caught the imagination, fuelled by the interest in craft beers and use of American and Australian hops. However one other beer style that is also making something of a comeback is the good old fashioned stout or porter!

Now, most brewers bottled beer range is not complete without a beer of this style and its great to see. They are really very different to IPA's and Pale Ale's and have also moved forward from the harsh roast flavour that some stouts have had in the past. It's now common in these beers for chocolate and coffee to be dominant flavours making them sweeter and fuller.

Hook Norton Double Stout is a fine example of this style, a good balance of chocolate and roast and not as sweet as some of the more modern stouts can be. St Austell Brewery's recent addition of 1913 Cornish Stout is step back in time as the name suggests. Well balanced again, it has that touch of liquorish and roast typical of an oatmeal stout that make this a bit more of a savoury drink. Fullers London Porter is a quite superb beer and in my view one of the best beers of this style on the market. Finally, just like a dessert, Meantime Chocolate Porter is the perfect beer to finish the night on.

There was a time when the mere mention of the words stout and porter would be a firm indicator not to buy! However the next time you visit the local supermarket, sidestep the IPA's for once and give one these great beers a try. Don't spend the whole night drinking them, you won't enjoy it, but they do make a superb contrast to your normal beer choice so slipping one of these into your repertoire of an evening will enhance your overall enjoyment of drinking beer.

And to finish, if you did not already know, the difference between a stout and a porter is historically strength (abv%). Porter was traditionally the standard fayre that the London Porters drank and stout was a word used to describe the strongest beers - in fact historically there were even pale stouts brewed, but then that's another story.....