Monday 26 October 2009

Beer Quest to the extreme!!: Stag inferno extravaganza!!

Last Friday my stag weekend kicked of after much anticipation for the greatest pub crawling, beer hunting extravaganza I have ever experienced. As mentioned in my previous post we were joined by Ed, the Daleside crew and others including best man Chris and the deadly Nick Windoo (deadly at chess that is) for a 2 day tour of many of York’s great pubs including Guy Fawkes, Brigantes, The Ackhorne, The Maltings and various others.





Having the period of 2 days to hunt beers we had a pretty good run at it. Steady away on the Friday, then steady away Saturday lunchtime (due to everyone being hungover). For a good part of the sessions I did remember getting the urge for the darker beers, and the fine roasty Summer Wine Teleporter, and full nourishing Collermans oatmeal stout didn’t disappoint. Later exotic bottle beers such as Goose Island India Pale Ale, Rodenback Grand Cru and J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2006, rich, silky smooth with warming vanilla and sherry notes, were enjoyed. So as planned a great amount of beer territory was covered and the session was very spread out and slow paced for the most part. Amongst the great range of brilliant beers consumed it was difficult to pinpoint a single ‘greatest’ beer of the weekend as it would have to be many. I suppose its true what our lord Mr Jackson used to say, its all about mood and moment.

But one of the most interesting experiences of the weekend, was that of walking into the Punch Bowl Weatherspoons to find the very beer I designed for Daleside brewery on cask, Daleside Autumn Leaves. It wasn’t bad stuff ether, bready, grainy chewy malt at the centre with leafy earthy hops interplaying and blackcurrant notes to the finish. It suddenly dawned on my what a peculiar creation this indeed was, it doesn’t drink like a 3.4% beer, and expresses that wholesome, rounded malt accent that many Daleside beers do.


But it wasn’t all about the beer, as you can probably guess from reading Ed’s blog, and the previously stated ‘rules’ were for the most part followed pretty closely. But rules are not that important, and no rules were drawn against strip clubs, after all, it was a stag weekend.


Moment if indulgence with a Rodenback Grand Cru.


On first visit Brigantes was impressive, good beer range, nice interior, pleasant atmosphere.




1 comment:

Ian Beer said...

Rob, the Brigantes was a truly pleasant discovery - more enjoyable even than the mighty Maltings. I will be going back there, probably with the missus in tow.