A COFFEE PORTER WEEKEND

About this time last year Maxim Brewery released a seasonal brew, Coffee Porter. Fellow CAMRA members were going on about it at the time but I didnt manage to find any to try ; - sold out. Determined that was not going to happen in 2016, I first broached the subject when I spent a day at the brewery last year. *

"April / May " I was told.

Further updates were extracted from the brewery until at the time of the brew in April I managed to reserve myself a minicask to drink at home. I wasn't going to risk missing out in a pub again.

Now coffee flavoured beers are not that common but most of the ones I have tried have been at beer festivals. Batemans Mocha and Dark Star Espresso Coffee Beer spring to mind. At this years Newcastle Beer Festival recently there was Bandwagon Coffee Porter from Hadrian and Border. The guy who pulled the drink said he thought it just tasted of cold coffee. Nevertheless, yours truly enjoyed it, as I do most dark speciality beers.

Anyhow, back to the Maxim. Picking up the minicask last month, I stored it in the garage to settle then jetted off to Majorca for a week, to suffer some crappy Spanish drinks **. On return, I thought that this May Day Bank Holiday I would have a Coffee Porter Weekend.  

Filling up a jug in the garage and carefully carrying it indoors, I poured some , and a generous sip for Mrs Ken. Obviously there was a hint of coffee in the aroma ( I'm crap with smells, but got this one) Perhaps Mrs Ken can sum up the tasting experience :-

"It tastes like cold coffee ( see above) but soon it wraps itself around your tongue and lingers there for a while."

This beer is dangerously drinkable ( its 4.5%). So far Ive had between 5 and 6 pints ( the minicask holds just under 9) , so more to look forward to today then. I just wish there was  some sort of indicator to tell you how much is left. We shall see tonight  !!

There may be still some out there in a pub somewhere; give it a try

*A day in Maxim Brewery

** Follow the link to read about Majorca beer

  

CAMPAIGN FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF OWD RODGER

Many years ago I used to drink on an occasional basis in The Cooperage Pub on Newcastle Quayside. Sadly, this wonderful place closed in 2009 but it has memories for me because it used to sell Marstons Owd Rodger on handpull. Since its demise my only means of access to this great beer has been in bottled form from a B&M's supermarket. 

If you have not tried this 7.4 % old ale then I would definitely recommend it. It has a dark ruby red colour with a fruity, warming flavour. Ideal as a winter warmer although I have the occasional drink throughout the year.

I got to thinking about why it had not been seen , certainly here in the North East, as a cask ale. A couple of weeks ago I emailed Marstons and asked them. Imagine my surprise when they replied saying its going to be available in December as a guest beer. Now when Marstons say "guest" they mean one of there own beers as a guest in one of their own pubs.

This reply prompted the idea for the Campaign for the Reintroduction of Owd Rodger  ( CAMROR). 

A digression now but there is a point to it.

I visited the Bishop Auckland Food and Drink Festival last weekend, primarily to seek out the advertised "Tipple Tent" and try some local beers. Also on my list was to visit Pollards, a pub just outside the town centre and which features frequently on the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

In the Tipple Tent were bars selling beers from  Black Paw,  Yard of Ale and Hill Island breweries, all from County Durham. Sunderland brewer Darwin were selling bottles only, including their Flag Porter for £1 !! .  I had a couple from Yard of Ale and Hill Island, bought a Flag Porter, then headed off to catch the bus to Pollards.

I discovered it was a Marstons pub and soon got chatting to the landlord. I mentioned the email from Marstons about the Owd Rodger and he said he was going to order some in !. Fantastic, if all else fails another trip to Bishop Auckland was on the cards. He kindly gave me a copy of a new Marstons magazine ( pictured left) which I  think is principally aimed at publicans.   Inside was the proof that Owd Rodger in cask is on its way.

So the objective of  CAMROR is simple, next time you visit a Marstons pub, mention the Owd Rodger. If enough customers and pubs ask for it, maybe, just maybe, the brewery will make the cask variant a permanent feature.

I finished a bottle off prior to writing this and have come to the conclusion Owd Rodger is my beer of the month for April.

BOTTLE CONDITIONED IN MAJORCA

We have just returned from a weeks holiday in Majorca. It was a last minute job to escape the crappy weather, and not having been before, I wasn't expecting anything exciting beer wise. We stayed in the East coast resort of Cala Bona, (an hours coach drive from Palma Airport) . I was pronouncing it Cala Boner till I got wrong off the wife , can't think why.

Despite planning on drinking wine with most evening meals during the week, it was soon time after arrival to check out the local supermarkets for any decent beer. Sadly, it was mostly San Miguel and John Smiths. ( why go on holiday and drink John  Smiths ?)  However found some German Paulaner wheat beer so made do with that for the first few days, as most supermarkets just sold the same crap.

After half a dozen bottles of the same stuff, got bored and fancied a change. Venturing further afield one day, we found a larger store with a marginally better selection.

So I picked up bottles of Tramuntana Golden Ale and San Miguel Selecta. It's worth mentioning that the fridge in our hotel room was small and bottles could only be stored horizontally. Later that evening, allowing sufficient time to cool , I opened the Tramuntana. There was a woosh and the bottle just erupted, not unlike a geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park. I managed to capture most of it in a glass. It was my fault ; I should have read the label more closely - it was in Spanish but closer inspection revealed the words :

Carbonatacion Natural

Cerveza Artizan

Craft Beer.

It appeared this was a bottle conditioned beer, brewed on the island. It didnt have an exceptional taste, just a standard pale ale. It was one of those drinks where you say, that was refreshing, then instantly forget what it tasted like.

Now as I said, we've not been here before so I don't know if this is a recent development or what. The beer itself was stored on the bottom shelf of the supermarket so not being sold in  prominent position.

I've been on the website, http://www.cervezatramuntana.com/which doesn't  tell you much. Still, a small victory I thought.

Finally the Selecta. This wasn't bad, not bottle conditioned but a very malty 6.2 % beer. I read a review on "Ratebeer" which said " Compared to the ordinary San Miguel, this is a masterpiece." Quite so

NEWCASTLE BEER FESTIVAL 2016

Well,  Ive just visited the Newcastle Beer Festival for the umpteenth time. It was held in the Northumbria Uni Students Union and as usual it was standing room only, mainly because there were only a couple of tables and a few stools.

There are 3 problems with this :-

1. You drink more beer standing up.

2  The beers warms quicker in the glass being in constant contact with the hand

3. You invariably have to take your glass with you to the gents.

Luckily, we managed to grab one of the tables so were set for the evening. 

I'm still recovering from the Tiny Rebel Stay Puft ( a marshmallow porter) and the 11.5% Barrel Aged Orkney Porter, among many others.
 

Anyhow , before it moved to this venue it was held in the Kings Building, Newcastle University, with seating in the main bar area and in the adjacent cafeteria. Personally , a much better location but it had become too small.

My last visit to the Kings Building festival was a bit of a disaster however.

It was 2007 and  Mrs Ken and I had been on holiday in Cyprus and our flight back was due in Newcastle Airport at about 6 ish. I had arranged to meet a friend,  who was travelling up from the Midlands on a family visit, at the Beer Festival .  His name was first on my phone ( not a smartphone) contacts list and I put the phone in my bum bag I was wearing on the bus to the airport from the hotel. Unbeknownst to me every time I moved,  the phone was sending out a short text " da da da" This must have gone on for about 30 mins. He was driving up the M1 getting all these texts and having no means of stopping them ( other than switching the phone off of course)

Obviously I switched it off at check in and then on arrival in Newcastle, I texted my mate to say we were here. Mrs Ken then drove home with the cases and  I caught the Tyne and Wear Metro into the city centre.

I got off the Metro and crossed over the street to the festival venue  to find it was closed. They had run out of beer !. I then got a text saying my friend had arrived in  the Crows Nest pub nearby with his wife.  I headed for the pub, gagging for a pint, then was confronted by a bouncer on the door who said, " Do you have any ID please sir ?".

"Your f***ing joking aren't you ?" my mate lip read me saying through the window.

Then I noticed him  and his wife through the window pissing themselves laughing. As an act of revenge for the multiple texts,  he had tipped the bouncer off to  challenge me. Bastard.

 

NEW BEER REVEALED TODAY

It can exclusively be revealed that a Scottish Brewer is planning to launch a tartan beer. Not to be confused with Youngers Tartan beer, this will be actual tartan coloured.

Kengormlees Brewery are behind this dramatic news. Head Brewer Joe King said " We have been experimenting with this for some time. There are beers of many colours ; green, red,  black and yellow. If punters can be persuaded to drink Black Indian Pale Ale, I am convinced we are onto a winner here.

King, a qualified biochemist, refuses to reveal the secret recipe, but will say that the molecules of the liquor are engineered during the fermentation process into the tartan colours, which are retained when racked and then served from a cask. The beer is an impressive 10% so hardly a session beer. However, in a clever marketing ploy, the brewery recommend drinking it in pints, so you can see the full tartan ; as having only a half you only see half the tartan       (obviously).

First impressions are a strong peaty aroma, with a noticeable haggis flavour that fills the mouth with an intense aftertaste. 

The brewer confesses this is not his first foray into experimental beers. Last year saw the introduction of Silver Whiskers ( pictured) which he freely admits was a commercial disaster.  

 " Part of the problem" he confessed  "was that landlords didnt let it settle enough in the cellar so grey hairs and dandruff would often be found floating in someones pint...all perfectly harmless of course"

It is hoped the new beer will be showcased at the Glasgow Beer Festival in June, and if well received , the Great British Beer Festival in London in August.

Having tried the beer , I have no hesitation in naming this new ale, First of April my beer of the month for March.

DEJA VU IN DURHAM

In December last year I tried to do some Xmas Shopping in Durham and ended up in a brewery beer festival .***

Time to do the same again. 

 

Saturday 19th March was St Cuthbert's Day in Durham City.
This was the feast day to commemorate the saint who is buried in Durham Cathedral. Various events took place , mostly at the Cathedral and the Market Place .  

To kick off the day there was an 8 mile walk from Chester Le Street St Cuthbert' s Church   to Durham ( so I got the bus). On  arrival the walkers would assemble in the Market Place then  march behind a banner of St Cuthbert up to the Cathedral.  And guess what, just like at Xmas, the city's Hill Island Brewery were having another  one day mini beer festival.

Arriving early, before the St Cuthbert's thing and the Beer Festival were due to happen at 2pm,   I headed up to the Cathedral to do some tourist stuff. In the cloisters was a farmers market, which included a Hadrian and Border Brewery stall. In the actual market place there was a stall with someone from Black Paw Brewery trying to sell bottles of beer and freezing his nuts off at the same time.  As all the beers being sold by both breweries were familiar, didnt bother buying any.  

By this time the walkers had arrived in the Market Place and I bumped into a pony tailed individual carrying a sign attached to a long pole.  At first I thought it was someone proclaiming "Jesus Saves" or "The End is Nigh" ; but no - it was Mike from Hill Island. He was marching round the square touting for business. Some of the walkers asked him where it was taking place. He explained it was just down the street, turn right after the Post Office.

One of the women declared  "Well we've walked  8 miles from Chester Le Street you know !" I still haven't figured out why she said it and what its cryptic meaning was.  It was obvious they didnt have a clue what a beer festival was. Their loss.

Soon the walkers , following the banner and two guys dressed in medieval costume, headed up to the cathedral. So I headed instead to the brewery. Now Mike only opens up for bank holidays and special days ( like this) and his bar is tiny. I was first in but it soon filled up and everyone was enjoying the beers and having a good chat. There were six beers on, see photo, so order all 6 as thirds

Now since my last visit here, a new micro pub has opened in Durham. Called the Station House , it claims  to be the first micro pub in the city, despite being 10 times the size of the brewery. Mike pointed out, his tiny bar has been going for a lot longer.

In between Hill Island and the Station House is a Wetherspoons. Their spring Beer Festival was on so I had a look in. It was heaving , 2 deep at the bar. Bugger that, off to the Station House.

This pub, having opened in December 2015 by 2 CAMRA members, serves 4 cask and 4 real ciders. There is no music, no TV, just a place for a chat ( like Hill Island). I had a cracking pint of Tyne Bank Farmhouse Saison, and enjoyed another good chat with a punter and the manageress.

Soon it was time to head off to the bus station and home. On the bus I reflected that Hill Island and the Station House were competing with the mighty Wetherspoons. So although I cant knock Spoons beers or prices,  for me that day , there was no contest. 

Good beer, simple surroundings and good crack.

***
XMAS VISIT TO HILL ISLAND BREWERY

FAIRYTALE FROM NEWCASTLE

Once upon a time Show White Beard and the Seven Drunks went on a pub crawl in Gosforth  ( North Newcastle).  It would prove to be a long day, with excitement and disappointment in equal measure. We do these pub crawls about five times a year and one of our number , Mr Interrogator, compiles a quiz for which we passionately compete for a trophy.

Meeting up at Haymarket Bus station in Newcastle,  we boarded a bus to take us on the 10 minute journey to Gosforth High Street. Our first encounter  was  an  11am breakfast in the Job Bulman, a Wetherspoons.  This one is named after a local doctor, who in the 18th century, had a hand in the development of this suburb. It was quite busy but we managed to get an 8 seater table.

On the bus Mr  Cockney made a startling observation -  that all Wetherspoons appear to be named after people ! What, like the Milecastle, The Union Rooms, The Lambton Worm you mean ?

One of the beers on offer was from Hambletons and was called Hooker. " Can I have a hooker please ?" The barman didnt flinch. Last week I asked for a Smoked Rat in Fitzgeralds in Sunderland. ( that's a beer from the Rat brewery, not a local delicacy)

Anyhow, back to the story. All of the pubs we planned to visit after breakfast were about 2 minutes walk from each other; the pubs being

The County

Brandling Arms

Queen Victoria

Gosforth.

Its worth mentioning at this point that several footy matches would be taking place during our visit, including Newcastle Utd playing at home about 3 miles away. 

But first, The County just down the High Street, where the Spurs Arsenal game was about to start live on TV. This pub makes regular appearances in the Good Beer Guide, with 8 ales available.

We started the quiz and enjoyed a couple of pints. Mr Cockney was disappointed with Arsenal getting a draw, so we left for the Brandling Arms. On the way out I turned round and saw a sign i had missed on the way in, indicating CAMRA members get 10% discount. I had just bought 14 pints of real ales out of the kitty ! Why no sign inside behind the bar ? Humph.

The Brandling Arms was the only pub on the day I hadn't been into before. It looked posh on the outside and this was the case on the inside with 3 handpulls on the bar. There weren't many punters in and we soon found out why - the round came to over £30.  

" How much" we all chorused.

Only stayed for one....too upmarket for us lot.

By now the 3pm footy matches had kicked  off so along the High Street to the Queen Victoria. There were a few customers in but we still managed to squeeze the 8 of us round a table for 6.

This time I asked the right question of the barmaid , "Do you do CAMRA discount ?". 

"Yes" came the reply "and a loyalty card - buy 7 pints and get a free pint in the next round" - sorted *. 

By now some gloom descended over 2 of our party, Mr Black and Mr White were seeing Newcastle Uniteds score on the TV vidiprinter go from 0-0 to 1-3 by the end of the game ( they were at home to Bournemouth). By contrast , the Sunderland supporters among us were briefly euphoric, taking the lead away at Southampton, only to succumb to an injury time  equaliser. Then to top it all, the menu was removed from the table, as there were mutterings about needing more food.

"But Ive got this loyalty card for another round "  I cried to deaf ears. It was wasted - a pub with food was needed. 

So over the road to our last bar of the day , the Gosforth Hotel.  The pub was busy with 6 handpulls in use. Prices on each handpull indicated this was nearly a £1 cheaper per pint than the Brandling. There was a quieter back room and bar. So we made a beeline for that. It was empty, no customers or staff.

Now when you have had a few beers sometimes its best to concentrate. On entering the room, straight ahead is the actual back of the bar, so if you're not careful , and the bar flap is open, you end up walking behind the bar instead of in front.  Mr Naughty did this and was about to pose for me to take a picture of him impersonating Del Boy falling thru the open bar, when in stormed the landlord.

" You not supposed to be behind the bar" he barked. Given we had just ordered 8 pints and 8 meals, I thought that was a bit harsh. Poor Mr Naughty !

The mathematicians reading this may have noticed only 5 of the 7 with me have had a mention. Well when we were reaching the quiz climax, the tension was so great that Mr Sleepy dozed off. Nearly missed me winning the trophy. Well we had been on the go for nearly 8 hours !

Coming into town, Mr Dizzy felt a bit queasy on the bus, but heading home on the bus and under the influence of a few beers , was OK.  Work that one out.

What a day. ! And they all lived happily ever after.

   * Ive lost the bloody loyalty card, its around somewhere I hope.