Dec 30 2020
Golden Pints 2020 – Some Traditions Are Worth Maintaining

There really is no requirement to harp on and overstate the obvious. Yes, this year really has been “different”, but I started this blog back in 2011 to be positive about beery things.
And I’m not about to change now. Let’s go.

Pub of the Year – The Marble Arch : It wins cause it is. It wins because it’s the pub I’ve visited most often. It wins because it was the first pub to be visited by my Grandson (before his first birthday – he stared upwards, admiring the ceiling I like to think). It wins because it’s the most beautiful pub, with exceptional beer and even better staff. Chapeau.
Brewtap of the Year – Marble : Manchester has had it hard this year. But the biggest ray of sunshine broke through the Rainy City clouds on 4th July (Yes, it would have to be THAT date) when Marble tentatively re-opened their brew tap on Kansas Avenue in Salford. Friends gathered. Laughed. Took joy in the physical (rather than pixellated) sight of faces. Laughter without broadband fails. Impromptu tasting sessions. Hooray for Gazebos! (Manchester/Salford = Rain. Natch). The beer was exceptional too, needless to say.
Lockdown Heroes – Cloudwater : In March, about a week before lockdown, I rather stupidly sent out the initial invites to breweries for #ISBF7. And as I started to received replies a few days later, an impending sense of dread started to penetrate, take root. The replies which contained the phrase “if we survive…”. Then, real team working started to kick in. The Haves sharing with the Have Nots. I clearly remember RTing messages from Jan Rogers at Marble, advising breweries as to who to contact re VAT and Beer Duty help. Grants and the like. But still I fretted about some of my favourites. The likes of Squawk, Runaway and others. Then another of the “Haves” stepped up. Cloudwater. Inviting breweries to list their beers on their webshop, using their established webshop and distribution to get the product of others out. It was – undoubtedly – a lifeline, giving those breweries times to set up their own websales and made survival more likely. Chapeau.

Collab of the Year – Blended Chocolate Porter & Ginger : Marble Brewery / North Riding Brewery : Putting two of my favourite breweries together for #ISBF7 was a bit of a dream for me. The idea for the beer was Stuart Neilson’s (harking back to blending Marble Chocolate & Ginger in a pub, 15 years earlier). That they managed to pull off such an idea in amongst the chaos of autumn 2020 – especially for #VISBF was humbling. The blend of chocolaty sweetness and the warmth of the Ginger was – for me – perfectly judged. An achievement in so many ways.

Beer of the Year : In a beery sense, my heart yearns for darkness. Sit me down in a warm pub – with friends – and a nice pint of Cask Conditioned Mild, Porter or Stout and I’m in one of my happier places. But, in a positive sense, this year surprised me. I found myself drinking copious amounts of Pilsner and Helles (Marble’s “American Pilsner” being a regular), and paler beers – especially West Coast IPAs – grabbed my attention. Ultimately, the choice came down to a choice from 3 beers that made the greatest impact. “Tawny” from Marble (for me, the best of the Retro releases), “Ageless” by Redwillow and “Oregon Trail” by Elusive. And – fine be the margins – it comes down to that most important (and unknowable of factors) “Time & Place”. That being a holiday with family and friends in the time between Lockdowns. In Devon. And a case of beers ordered from Finchampstead. Oregon Trail gets that nod. An exceptional beer. Chapeau Mr Parker.
Brewery of the Year – This was another close run thing. So much so, that it came down to the release of a single beer amongst many. I love new beers. But what I love even more is the continued production of Core beers amongst the new stuff. Relentless excellence. For me, this year, the balance of my choice was tipped by the release of a Cider Saison. An exceptional Cider Saison. Fabulous Lagers, brilliant Pales, Ryes, Black IPA (and a brilliant Blackberry Saison for #VISBF), Chapeau Redwillow.
Jan 19 2021
#Tryanuary – gwei-lo Beers – A Nice Surprise
This blog used to be about beers at home – mostly. It was built on such posts over a number of years. Indeed, the first post (about 9 years ago) was a stumbling thing written about Hobson’s Brewery “Twisted Spire”, a beer I love on draught.
But about 2 or so years ago, all that dropped off. My focus being devoted almost wholly to ISBF – especially once it moved to Hemsley House and really took off.
There were times when I would be sent beer to try (to be absolutely clear, I NEVER asked for beer. Never) and those occasions were always a pleasant surprise. But – from the very start of the blog – I had a very simple rule. A “prime objective” if you will….
I would only write about something if I really enjoyed it.
But – like I said earlier – I kind of fell away from reviews.
Then, last month, a lovely message popped into my DMs. Did I fancy some beers from someone new………
Well. What’s a boy to say? “Rhetorical Question”? Bears and woods?
Then a box of 12 beers turned up. From gwei-lo Brewing. A Hong Kong brewery looking to do stuff over here. Brewing with people like Vocation & Fierce. I did the decent thing and shared some with friends (which – to be fair – the accompanying message encouraged) saving some for myself. But with shed loads of beers left from #VISBF, it took awhile to get to them….
I wish I’d tried them sooner…..
I ❤️ Hong Kong NEIPA – 4.9% abv (Brewed with Behemoth of New Zealand)
Aroma. Intense and juicy. Peach, Apricot and Mandarin sweet orange. Like the nasal equivalent of MSG, seriously salivating at this. And I’m not a NE style lover.
Give me a West Coast IPA and I’m a happy rabbit. But that smell, juicy and gently floral is drawing me in….
As full bodied and creamy a mouthfeel as you would expect from the style. Again, peachy stone fruit to the fore, kiwi and even a little green grape. Really fruity and juicy with some orange citrus notes in a dry finish.
A really enjoyable example of a NE style beer.
Sudoku – Golden Stout – 6% abv (Fierce)
Love the can wrap! Never having had a Golden Stout, I kind of didn’t know what to expect.
Amber / Gold in colour, putting my nose to the glass, I wasn’t expecting like a toffee coffee aroma, yes, vanilla toffee. Suitably intrigued, I moved to second base and tilted the glass to my now eager mouth.
Mmmmm……. Maltesers! Perfectly carbonated,, first impressions at on the tongue was honeycomb, coated in chocolate. Second mouthful, still that Maltesers thing going on, but with a smooth roast coffee coming to the fore. I knew there was something else….. those caramel biscuits you get with a coffee! Mmmmm………
Smooth this. Very smooth. And bloody lovely.
Finished lovely too, with that roasty coffee toffee thing augmented with a subtle bitterness. This is one seriously lovely surprise. Didn’t know what to expect, but I certainly didn’t think I’d enjoy this SO MUCH. Lovely stuff. And – I really hate to long for pubs – this would be gorgeous on cask. Chapeau…..
Seeker – DIPA – 8.5% abv (Fierce)
Love the can wrap (again!) Being a DIPA, had more of a clue with this mix golden, slightly hazy, beer. The nose test bringing bucket loads of tropical fruity stuff, kiwi, passion fruit and no small amount of pineapple. Been a while since I’ve salivated like this – and DIPAs are hardly a go-to for me….
For an 8.5% beer, this is drinkably light. Peachy is the first thought, nice soft stone fruit with passion fruit sweetness bolted on.
Then comes – unsurprisingly, with Nelson, – a gooseberry hit, that subtle tartness to balance the slight sweetness. This – again – is lovely.
There is a balance to this which just lifts it compared to many DIPAs I’ve had. It’s plentifully hopped, but avoids any of the hop burn and astringency that can come with “too much”.
Oh this is lovely. And so drinkable. At 8.5%, dangerously so. With a very gentle, barely percept able, subtle bitterness in the finish.
I like this. A lot.
For Fig Sake! – Stout – 8% abv (Fierce)
Now this. THIS is MY kind of view!
Pouring almost an oily black, the slick falling from the can, this had me drooling as it poured.
The nose test? Gentle roast and vine fruits. More than enough to draw this lover of the #DarkSide right into the deep end. With this, I’ll sink or swim. My kind of trial by ordeal.
In the mouth? Sorry. Can’t speak. Too busy partying……
Chocolate fruit cake. Need I say more? Luscious. Rich. Chocolatey. Yummy.
Full bodied. Beautifully so. Rich and chocolatey flavour and mouthfeel, slowly revealing the fruity fig thing going on. Like a combo of chocolate cake and Christmas pud, but without the hideous spicing (bite me Chrimbo lovers!)
I could drink this beauty still night. And get beautifully hammered. But I won’t. It’s a school night. But Christ this is one seductive beer.
It finishes as it starts. Like a Hot Chocolate gone cold. But deliciously so, with a lingering dry cocoa finish.
I could fall in love with this. I want more.
So. What did I expect from these beers? Not a lot. A brewery from abroad trying to make a splash. I kind of expected something above competence. 3 of these were brewed at Fierce. And that is normally a guarantee. Fierce are damn good.
What I got were two really good beers, excellent really (the NEIPA and the DIPA) making me enjoy styles I ordinarily wouldn’t.
But the two “Stouts”. Oh my. For me, exceptional.
I mean, I could happily drink the Pales all night. But I’d BATHE in the Stouts. They were that good.
Back soon. With lots of ISBF goodness (on THAT website) and more of this kind of thing too.
Stay safe. Jx
By BeersManchester • Uncategorized • 0