Eating isn't Cheating: Cask Ale

Showing posts with label Cask Ale. Show all posts

The best Cask beer in the UK?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Friday, November 11, 2011

I’m trying to get out of the habit of just writing about new beers, and in that vain, I want to talk about a beer that every time I drink it I’m blown away. Get this beer in good condition, and at the right temp, and it is damned near the best pint of Cask Ale you’ll ever drink.

I suppose that’s an unusual statement in the context of this beer, because this certainly isn’t traditional “Cask Ale” in many ways. You couldn’t call it a demonstration of British Brewing’s famous balance, and it’s a style of beer that is anything but well established in the grand scheme of things. Some would argue the beer style hasn’t even got the right name. But that’s all irrelevant.

Because when it comes down to it, “Cask” is just a method of serving beer, and it undeniably gives beer a certain mouthfeel and flavour of it’s own, often accentuating sweetness and bringing out some subtleties that keg’s cooling might gloss over, and when a beer is good on Cask it is really, really good.

The beer is Proper Job Black IPA by St Austell.

The flavour of this beer is stunning. On the first sip you could easily mistake this for a regular pale IPA, with the wafts of bitter citrus and dry, herbaceous, almost woody English hop character.

In the second sip you get a different beer. The hops are there again but they swim around with a deep, smooth mocha chocolate and just the tiniest hint of spiced orange in the finish. In the after taste, providing you don't take another quick sip (which is hard to resist) you get a little grapefruit as your mouth dries and a lasting but not harsh bitterness.

Ultimately though it all rolls together as one big, bitter yet soft, citrus yet chocolate, juxtaposition of a beer, and it's as goddamn near as good a pint of cask beer as you'll ever drink.

The point of this post is to get it on Cask, but if you can't wait, you can also buy Proper Black in bottles, and they are also pretty damn good.

Try here:

http://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/beers/bottled-beers.html
http://www.mybrewerytap.com/

http://www.beerritz.co.uk

Unfined Beer

Is Britain ready for cloudy beer?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, August 15, 2011

How many times have you been in a cask ale pub and seen a punter hold a glass up to his eye, see it’s a touchy cloudy, and return in to the barman with a mutter of “that beers off mate”, before even tasting it?

I’ve seen it happen, and even more worryingly I’ve seen barmen accept this as correct and offer the punter an alternative. Now I’m not saying that if a beer genuinely is “off” or doesn’t taste quite right then a punter shouldn’t be given the opportunity to have it replaced, they absolutely should. What I take offence to is accepting a beer being cloudy as evidence that a beer is off, because it isn’t. A beer that is designed to be clear should be served clear, and if it’s cloudy then by all means have a taste, and if it isn’t right then return it. But for gods sake, taste it first, and if you aren’t convinced make your first question to the barman “is this beer meant to be cloudy?”.

If it is meant to be cloudy and tastes good, then who cares what it looks like?

However, the fact remains we aren't used to cloudy beer in this country and a lot of people expect beer to be 100% clear and bright. The problem is that whilst this is easy enough with keg beer, where the liquid can* be filtered before going into the keg, Cask ale is trickier.

The live yeast in a barrel of cask beer (real ale) helps to create a secondary fermentation that gives the beer its light carbonation and also adds to certain aspects of the beers flavour and texture. However that live yeast floating around in the beer also creates a problem for pubs because they have to give the beer time to “drop bright”, meaning all the yeast and sediment drops to the bottom of the barrel leaving clear beer at the top ready to be pulled in to your pint. To speed up this process some brewers use isinglass finings, which to use a technical description are “An acidified aqueous suspension of collagen derived from the swim bladder of certain fish, along with sodium metabisulphite.” But essentially finings are there to make the yeast and other bits floating in the beer clump together quicker and sink to the bottom.

However, some brewers would argue that along with the yeast the finings strip out some of the stuff floating in the beer which actually makes it taste and smell good. One of these brewers is Moor.

Moor make some fantastic beers and are massive believers in unfined beer. The problem is that the exchange mentioned at the top of this post is typical of pubs up and down the country - pubs find it hard to sell cloudy pale ales as customers want pin-bright, perfectly clear beer. This is not the case elsewhere though, how many cloudy German Weisse beers have you seen taken back with the explanation “this is off, it’s cloudy”? I bet not many. Cloudy does not mean bad!

Interestingly Moor send out all of their dark beers unfined, so all that tasty unfiltered character is present in the beer - it’s only their pale beers that have to be fined as it’s in these beers the cloudiness is more obvious. So to those people who think they don’t like cloudy beer, why not try one of the dark beers and tell me it tastes bad. Still think you don’t like cloudy beer? Sure it’s not just a visual thing?

Moor have however struck a deal with the large pub chain Mitchell & Butlers to serve unfined beers in their Nicholsons branded pubs after persuading them it was the way to go when it comes to flavor, and no doubt that punters will come round to the idea of a cloudy pale once they taste how good the beer is. And trust me, it is good beer, in fact, it’s bloody brilliant beer.

I was lucky enough to enjoy a pint of Unfined Revival in the Scarbrough Tap in Leeds recently (a Nicholsons pub) and can certainly attest for it having a little touch of cloudiness, but the main thing that hit me was the taste - it was absolutely excellent.

Unfined Revival is the unfined version of their excellent Revival pale ale. It’s a fantastic citrus hopped session beer which has hints of grapefruit, spiced lemon and orange zest alongside bags of bitterness and a really refreshing, dry finish. It’s a perfect session beer, and at just 3.8% ABV punches well above its weight. This unfined version has everything the original offers, but for me had an even better aroma, fuller mouthfeel and a really fresh, vibrant flavour.

Naming it unfined revival is a good move as well, and they even go as far as to explain on the pump clip that the beer is meant to be cloudy because it tastes better that way. Moor want to serve all their beers unfined and I think adding it as a prefix before the name of the beer is a simple yet elegant way to inform regular drinkers of the beer that this a slightly different beast. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best ones, and I think this is a cracker.

I wish more brewers were doing this; serving unfined beer with a note to customers saying it is meant to be that way because it tastes better, it’s a simple but effective explanation that cuts out so much agro - Pubs will get fewer returned pints, and customers get tastier, more natural beer. It’s a win, win.

Good on Moor, and good on Mitchell & Butler for their bravery.

*Not all keg beer is filtered or pasteurised, and this is not a cask vs keg post. Lots of craft beer brewers in the UK and abroad sell keg beer which is neither heavily filtered or pasteurised. The beer served on keg from BrewDog, HardKnott and Summer Wine, to name but a few, is neither heavily filtered or pasteurised and has started to be referred to as "craft keg" in an effort to seperate it from the dull, filtered, pasteurised beer sold on keg throughout the UK. The only real difference between craft keg and cask ale is that it is served with added carbonation, is a touch colder, and doesn't undergo a secondary fermentation in the vessell from which it is served. i.e. it's not "real ale" as defined by CAMRA. Even more importantly, only certain beers suit this "craft keg" dispense method - Big, strong, hoppy IPA's, being a good example, where the keg dispense helps to lift the flavours, and show the beer at it's best.

Leeds

Leeds Beer Festivals in July - North Bar and The Hop

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Just a quick reminder that North Bar's American Beer festival in Leeds is already underway. This yearly festival starts on the 4th of July (American Independence Day, of course) and runs until the 15th. Expect a wide range of American Craft Beer on tap aswell as fridges full of cans and bottles from the good ol' US of A.

North have been frontrunners in bringing American Craft beer to West Yorkshire drinkers and their range at the American Beer festival is always a thing to behold. Fans of bold, hoppy, high abv craft beers need to hot-tail it down there asap.

Also in July, The Hop on Granary Wharf are holding a Summer Beer Festival over one weekend from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th July. With a special festival bar being put in place upstairs this cask only festival looks set to be a good one, with a genuinely huge range of cask beers in an array of styles, and the promise of new beers from new breweries, this looks set to be worth a look.

If the sun is shining then all the better, as you can grab a pint and sit outside in their large terraced area, smack bang in the middle of the rather nice Granary Wharf canalside area. What a perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Stag do

A guide to some of Liverpool's best beer bars

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, February 21, 2011

I went on a stag do to Liverpool in January and it was one of the best weekends I’ve had in ages. Nearly all of the usual stag do clichés were avoided and we actually managed to squeeze in some top notch beers in some of Liverpools best bars, in between the San Miguels and terrible dancing that is.

The weekend was made exponentially better by a bit of forward planning, firstly by the best man who organised a couple of decent centrally located apartments for us to stay in, and secondly by having access to some great local knowledge from a Liverpool based friend from University - he knows his beer and recommended us some great bars.

In fact, ‘recommended’, is not credit enough. He typed up and emailed me a list of all the best bars within walking distance of Seel Street near our apartments (an excellent area full of great bars all within stumbling distance of each other). Seems a shame not to share it, so here it is, only slightly edited and added to by me.

I’ll start with a warning my friend gave me as the opening to the guide, because it made me laugh.

“I'd recommend staying clear of the Albert Dock - overpriced, no atmosphere and pretentious. Also, stay clear of concert square. Basically, you can't miss it - Walk-a-bout, Yates, etc. Head here for a fight with a pilled-up skin head, and access to a great selection of STD's.”

Ok, so on to the places worth visiting:

The Philharmonic - A cracking victorian pub that is quite simply stunning. It features an elaborate entrance and great selection of beers and ales on cask and keg. When I visited they had BrewDog’s Alice Porter and 5am Saint on cask as well as plenty of Cains beers. I decided it was a bit too early in the evening for a 6% Porter and opted for a 5am Saint. In great condition and excellently served, a perfect first beer.

Interesting fact #1: The men's toilets are famous for their original, ornate marble urinals, Women are permitted to visit as part of organised tours. The building is a Grade II* listed building. Don't believe me? Check Wikipedia

Fly in the Loaf - This is a great pub with a wide selection of world beers. Six different cask ales available at any time and always a well stocked beer fridge with excellent choices such as Brooklyn Black Chocolate stout and Orval to name but a few international favourites I’ve spotted.

Pogue Mahones - You guessed it, an Irish bar. But don’t be fooled, this one’s a little diamond in the rough. Worth stopping in to have a chat with some of the drunken Irish blokes - had some interesting conversations in here myself.

The Shipping Forecast - An excellent relatively new bar with a great selection of beers. Can highly recommend this one if you fancy somewhere a bit livelier. Keep an ear out for the actual "shipping forecast" playing in the gents loos.

Interesting fact #2: If it looks closed from the front then you may have to go in through the side entrance (a red neon arrow showing the way). They do this because it stops the riff raff from Slater Street/Concert Square from staggering in.

Santa Chupitos - Not really a place for a beer but deserves a mention as my favourite independent cocktail bar anywhere, wipes the floor with some of the tired cocktail holes in Leeds. The Cocktails are really unique and there’s an amazing atmosphere. The Cocktails are between £3-£8 but they are well worth it - truly unique and interesting with great quality ingredients such as freshly squeezed exotic fruits and high quality spirits. Follow them on Twitter.

The Monro - A traditional looking, classy gastropub type place. Good selection of beers and ales and there’s usually a real log fire on the go as well when the weather turns chilly, making it a great winter warmer.

The Pumphouse - One of a limited number of decent pubs near the docks. A great place in the summer because of the outdoor seating area, it’s a safe choice for a relaxing afternoon drink in the sunshine, if summer ever arrives that is.

Thomas Rigby's - A great pub with a cracking selection of beers and ales including decent keg such as Brooklyn Lager and Fruli on tap, and a wide selection of regularly changing cask beers. I’ve had Okells IPA and Rudgate Ruby Mild in here and they were both in tip-top condition, reminds me a little bit of The Grove in Leeds with its traditional multi-room layout.

Ship and Mitre - Offers a quite simply epic selection of 13 real ales, usually from some great microbreweries, as well as international keg beers - definitely worth a visit.

Interesting fact number #3: They only ever buy one barrel of each cask brew meaning the beers are constantly changing and you're almost guaranteed something interesting to try. Be sure to check the chalk board menus rather than walking around the lengthy bar like a lost toddler.

Doctor Duncan's - Great selection of beers and cask ales, and being a brewery pub the full portfolio of Cains can be found on the bar here. That said, the last time I was in here I tried the Cains Christmas beer and it tasted like someone had dropped an Ambi Pur in my pint. No reflection on the pub though, just a shockingly bad beer.

So there we have it, some of what I think are the best boozers in Liverpool, any I forgot? Is there a craft beer mecca I missed? Please let me know in the comments.

NB: The above is a slightly abridged version with only my favourite pubs and beer bars featured, for the full guide of 18 boozers including the ones which aren’t necessarily for beer geeks, click here.

Credits: Google for the photos... I was on a stag do for God’s sake; the photos taken were few and far between and mainly involved humorous stolen hats.

Stew and Oyster

The Stew & Oyster - a beer lovers valentine destination

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I talked about The Stew & Oyster (AKA ‘Calls Landing’) in my round up of some good places for food and beer in Leeds, but after a fantastic Valentines dinner there last night with the better half I think it deserves a post of its own. Essentially, they’ve upped their game.

One of my niggles previously was that the cask beer was often served way too cold. However, this wasn’t a problem last night with my first pint being at perfect cellar temp and in great condition. I opted for a pint of Deuchars IPA to begin with, and at a session strength 3.8%, it was a perfect first beer. Not too heavy, floral, lightly hoppy and bitter in that classically balanced British Bitter kind of way, but with a nice soft underlying malt and slightly creamy mouthfeel. It was a great thirst quencher.

The one thing that was a little disappointing was that the three cask ales were very similar; Theakstons Best Bitter (the house ale), Black Sheep Best Bitter, and of course the Deuchars I opted for, all tipping the ABV at a quaffable 3.8%. Whilst all three are perfectly decent session bitters, it meant that by my second drink I was hankering for something with a bit more depth.

The recently developed Calls Landing website has a new menu which includes a few well chosen additions such as ‘twice cooked chips’ which I did fancy trying, unfortunately I was told on arrival the new websites menu hasn’t launched yet. No matter, what they do currently offer, they do extremely well and the chalk board stew menu yesterday evening certainly didn’t disappoint.

Rich and robust chilli con carne with mixed peppers and smoky bacon.
Aparagus with mixed green beans and white wine pesto cream.
Rich shepherds stew (beef) with garden peas and broad beans.

The website also states “Our stews are homemade using the most seasonal and freshest ingredients. They are all the same price and are served with crusty bread, toasted seeds, cheese, greek yogurt and wild rocket.” Which I couldn’t say better myself.

They offer two types of oysters now, both very reasonable and always super fresh. I’ve eaten Oysters in lots of places and the ones from here are as good as any, and for this price, they are untouchable. It’s £7 for half a dozen of the small Irish Oysters but we opted for a full dozen, which came on two separate serving plates bedded with ice and studded with lemon, an attractive and practical way of serving as the ice not only keeps the oysters cool but also ensures they stay upright with all their fresh juice and flavour contained within the shell.

For what were billed as ‘small’ oysters they were actually pretty big. With the meat being large for the shell, something which I’ve been told is a good sign, meaning they were very healthy and fresh. Absolutely delicious. For anyone who hasn’t tried oysters yet, particularly if you are a fan of seafood such as mussels, you are missing out. Just don’t listen to any tosh about swallowing them in one go, it’s a load of rubbish. Chew them and swallow them exactly the same as you would any other seafood to get the full flavour and surprisingly soft, creamy texture.

By the time we’d finished the oysters my Deuchars had slipped down nicely, it’s delicate bittersweet flavour matching really well with the salty oysters. I decided I fancied something a bit more complex next and after weighing up the rather samey handpumps, and not fancying a keg lager, opted for a chilled bottle of Duvel from the fridge. A stonewall classic for a reason and always a safe bet.

For main course I ordered the Chilli and Colette went for the Shepards stew (both should be £6.50 but with a Taste Card we got them buy one get one free) after being told at the bar it was actually lamb and not the beef that was stated on the board. My stew was really deep and rich with tomato, paprika, chilli, cumin and I think fennel seeds, plus the smoky chunks of bacon lardon, chopped dried red chilli, sweet mixed peppers and long slow cooking really added to the depth of the stew. The meat was really high quality coarsely ground butchers mince and wonderfully ‘beefy’ in flavour.

Colette chose the Shepards stew, which if I’m honest I was a little unsure about when I read it on the menu. The description leaning towards a Shepards Pie, but how would that work as a stew?
My concerns were unfounded, as it really was fantastic. One of the best stews I’ve tried from here, and something that I can’t believe i’ve never thought of trying myself. It was essentially a deconstructed Shepards Pie with peas and broad beans. The lamb having been slowly cooked with what I think must have been a little wine and stock as well as onions, carrots, garlic, thyme and rosemary, studded with potatoes, peas and broadbeans. It felt like Sunday lunch in a bowl and I half wished I’d opted for it myself.

It’s also a really nice touch that the stews come with (on this occasion a measly amount of) rocket, a sprinkling of toasted seeds for texture, and a little greek yoghurt and grated cheese if appropriate (the Sheperds stew didn’t have it but my chilli did). You also get two huge slices of thick cut bread and good room temperature butter. A filling and delicious combo.

I’m not going to bore you with a description of the Duvel because if you are reading this then you probably know how good it is, but all i’ll say is it actually paired with the chilli really well in the same way that a lager or hoppy IPA would. The other half was drinking Pinot Grigio Rose, and let’s be honest who wants to read about that?

In conclusion, if you’re in Leeds then definitely give this place a go. It’s unlike any other place i’ve ever been, and let’s be honest who doesn’t like a good stew and a pint of ale?