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Ok, the year is halfway through and I've found myself in a reflective mood this morning. Here's what I've enjoyed this year, out of all those pints of sweet (and some not so) sweet ale....
1. Leeds Brewery: Midnight Bell. Looks like there's not only me who has been astounded by these guy's ascent in 2008 - A Swift One is also a big fan and so it seems, is the rest of Yorkshire. Midnight Bell is, in my opinion, their best - a sweet, light, malty mild in the true sense of the word.
2. Purple Moose's Dark Side of The Moose - seems everyone likes this, too! Again, another flavoursome and seriously moreish dark mild, in excellent nick at the Camra Leeds Beer Festival.
3. Kelham Island Brooklyn Smoked Porter - I think I said it all here.
4. Brasserie Lefebvre Blanche De Bruxelles - It's not all been dark for 2008! I thought this fresh, citrus-loaded Wit was in excellent form at North's Belgian Fest.
5. ...And bottled - well, Cain's Raisin Beer. A bit of a surprise, maybe, but i really do like this stuff. It's not one to drink a lot of, but the fruitiness of it makes for an intruiging pint that has grown on me in 2008.
Let me know what's been going down well in 2008 for you - what should be looking out for?
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5 comments:
Some interesting choices there Leigh, I've had the raisin beer on draught quite recently, I can see that it would be a cracking pint on a cold Autumn evening.
The stand out (commercial) beers of the year so far include
On Draught
Saltaire - Pale Yorkshire Bitter
Saltaire - Dark Mild
Hawkshead - Red
Fullers - IPA
Saltaire are fast overtaking Acorn as my favourite commercial brewery.
From a bottle
Konig Ludwig - Hefe
Ask me again in six months and hopefully I'll have some different ales to tell you about.
John - Good show! Hawksehead Red is lovely, i'm with you on that one! Glad you rate Acorn too - thinking back, i don't think I've ever had a bad pint from them. Great brewery. And yes, I'll be asking again in six months!
I'm with John re Saltaire especially after the Drop Inn fest this weekend. Roosters were back on form this Easter with their awesome Boneshaker IPA and of course I can drink anything those Leeds boys brew till it comes out of my ears! My love affair with Thornbridge Jaipur is still burning strong despite a growing familiarity with it, but top of the pops this year so far has to be The Afro from geordie brewers Mordue. This 4.8% grapefruit juice was a one-off but will surely be resurrected if there's any justice in the world!
Must agree with John re the Saltaire stuff they just get better and better. So far this year my number 1 has been The Afro (4.8%) from Mordue which will hopefully be brewed again someday if there's any justice in the world. Also in the frame is the now ubiquitous Jaipur IPA and anything by mighty Leeds of course. Oh and Roosters have had a return to form with their superb Boneshaker this spring!
good calls the both of ya! I also enjoyed an excellent pint of Centurion's Ghost this week from York - easily thier best beer imo - dare i say better than the famous 'terrier'?
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