Category: Beer

Liverpool Craft Beer Expo

Liverpool Craft Beer Expo is now in its sixth year and is held at the Invisible Wind Factory adjacent to the docks on the northern side of the city centre. It is a gentle 20 minute stroll from the Pier Head. With five sessions held over four days  the expo has more to offer than just beer with ciders, gin, street food and live music on the menu.

Wylam. All Formats. DDH Citra Pale 5.2% – Yellow,cloudy, nice persistent head. Aromas of lemon, peach, apricot. Palate has low bitterness and is nicely carbonated. Tropical fruits, bags of lemon citrus. There is a lovely bitter lemon finish.

Wylam. What’s the Sense in Sharing. Braw Collab. Grisette. 4.5% – Pale lemon, hazy, good persistent head. Aromas of lemon citrus and hops. Light on the palate, lemon, piney resin. Very much in the easy drinking style.

Wylam. Kill Phil. DDH IPA 7.0% – Yellow/orange, good white head. Nose is pineapple, lemon and banana. Palate is creamy tropical fruit and lemon citrus which lasts through to the finish. this is very nice and very drinkable.

Top Rope. Papa Mango, Mango Pale 5.1% – Vibrant orange in colour, cloudy with a strong white head. Aromas of mango, pineapple, banana. Palate is intense mango, low bitterness, nice carbonation. Mouthfeel is good with a slight creaminess. Long, lingering finish of mango puree!  Have been rather unimpressed with this beer in the past but this example was rather excellent.

Top Rope. Line in the Sand. East Coast IPA 6.9% – Pale amber in appearance, slight haze and a small white head.Aromas of lemon, caramel, malt. Palate has good mouthfeel, nice carbonation and a low-medium bitterness.

Runaway. Session IPA 4.5% – light amber, clear. Aromas of citrus and pine with malt undertones. Palate is clean and crisp, medium bitterness with plenty of citrus. Very drinkable session beer.

Runaway. IPA 5.5% – medium amber, clear with the very slightest of haze, small, white, non persistent head. Aromas of lemon, pine and malt. Palate has nice malty, hoppy bitterness with gentle carbonation. The finish is malty with a final lemony tang.

Much has been said in the Craft Beer world about Beavertowns recent decision to take investment money from Heineken. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this their influence on the craft beer movement can not be denied and their core range of beers are a watchword for quality and reliability. That said their stand was quiet when I visited early on the Thursday evening. Are consumers voting with their glasses on this issue?

Beavertown. Neck Oil. Session IPA 4.3% I have always enjoyed this session ale and it is always very drinkable. Yellow in colour , clear, small, non persistent white head. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit, caramel and malt. The palate is clean, low bitterness and refreshing

Beavertown. Lupaloid. IPA 6.7% – Yellow in colour, clear, good white head. Malty, hoppy, lemon. Palate is smooth with gentle carbonation and low bitterness. Nicely made and very drinkable.

Thornbridge Brewery. Green Mountain Session NEIPA 4.3% – Yellow, cloudy, a nice white head that lasts.Aromas of grapefruit, lemon and malty caramel. the palate is tropical fruit, low bitterness, creamy and with nice carbonation. A lovely citrusy finish.

Thornbridge Brewery. Hotki Blood Orange IPA. 5.5% – Yellow/gold, clear, nice white head. Aroma is slightly astringent orange, malt and pine. Palate is oranges, low bitterness, gentle carbonation.

Northern Monk. Faith. Modern Pale Ale 5.4% – Yellow,hazy, strong white head. Aroma is grassy, pine, lemon citrus. Palate is low bitterness, tropical fruit, orange with a nice rounded smoothness. A nice tropical note finish.

Northern Monk. Moobing on up. Triple IPA 10% – Yellow and as cloudy as it gets! Aromas of peach, banana and lemon. Palate is low bitterness, creamy, smooth, tropical fruit, merest hint of liquorice, gentle sweetness. This is a lovely beer, packed with flavour and a long, long finish.

Magic Rock. Cannonball IPA 7.4% – Amber, hazy with a strong white head. Aromas of citrus, pine, orange, earthy, malty. Palate is medium bitterness tropical fruits with orange, creamy with nice gentle carbonation. Finish is bitter orange. Very good.

The range of breweries and beers on offer was excellent and all that I sampled were fresh and in excellent condition,  it is easy to see why it is a very popular festival. Well organised and a nice choice of venue. My only grouch would be for a little more seating to be available but I do understand the constraints imposed by the size of the venue.

Waterloo Beer Festival

The 14th Waterloo Beer Festival was held at Old Christ Church in Waterloo, just a short train ride from central Liverpool. On a hot day in a very atypical summer the venue was cool and most welcoming.

One hundred and sixteen beers from 29 different breweries along with ciders and gin were available for sampling. All beer was sold in halves. I sometimes think that thirds should also be an option as it enables you to try a few more of the beers on offer.

Elderflower Ale. Gibberish Brewing. Speciality Pale. 4.5% – With a taproom in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle Gibberish is very much a local brewery. Pale amber in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of lemon and grass and the palate is soft, round and low bitterness. Doesn’t have much elderflower character which is a shame. Has a nice lemony tang on the finish.

Juicy 4pm. One Mile End. Pale Ale. 4.9% – From the East End of London One Mile End has been in operation for four years. This beer is dark yellow and cloudy. There are aromas of tropical fruits; pineapple, mango, melon, candied peel and lemon. Palate is creamy, low bitterness with orange pith and tropical fruits. As juicy as the name suggests this is New England IPA in style and has been double dry hopped. The finish is reminiscent of lemon and orange cordial!. There may be better examples of the style out there but this is very drinkable non the less.

Juicy 4pm

First Chop Brewing Arm. SUP. IPA. 3.9% – With a brewery now based in Salford this beer pours amber, clear, small white head and some nice lacing. The aroma is malty, lemon, caramel and yeasty. The palate has a nice hit of resinous pine, pineapple and is smooth with a slight creaminess. Low bitterness. Nice malty finish.

Crusader. Milestone Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.4% – Light amber in colour, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt and grassy. Palate is slightly sweet malt and is low bitterness. Well made and quite drinkable.

South Island. Vale of Glamorgan Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.2% – Very pale yellow, clear (just) and with a non persistent head. Aromas of citrus and hoppy mango. Palate is very dry, crisp, medium bitterness and malty in character. There is a nice bitter tang to the finish. Very light but characterful and very drinkable.

Gulp. Milk Street Brewery. IPA. 4.8% – based in Frome, Somerset. This beer is amber, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, bread and a touch of citrus. The palate has a little crispness and is not overly sweet. West coast in style.

Mango Fever. 4T’s Brewery. Special Pale. 4.6% – Brewery based in Warrington. This beer is yellow gold, clear, bright and has aromas of grapefruit, lemon, mango, pineapple, candied peel and pear drops. It has a good mouthfeel with medium minus bittering.  There is a sweetness here and the flavour is reminiscent of fruit salad sweets.The finish is full on mango.

Yakima. Great Heck Brewing. IPA. 7.4% – Dark amber, clear and with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, toffee and nuts. This is a serious west coast style IPA with bags of sweet malt flavours, it is creamy with low bitterness and hints of citrus and dark muscovado sugar. Very nice.

 

Beer Round Up

Just a few short notes about some of the beers tasted over the last few weeks.

Chapter Brewing Company. A small, independent brewery based at Sutton Weaver near Runcorn in the North West. You can visit their website here

Chapter 5. Tired Eyes. Wheat. 5.3% – Yellow/gold with a slight haze and a light white head. Aromas of herbs, vanilla, honey and a light spice. Palate is medium bodied, low bitterness, nice sweetness with the most gentle, subtle hint of cinnamon spice. A nice finish.

Chapter 8. Parabola. American Pale 4.7% – Amber and clear with a good head and nice carbonation. Aromas of malt, yeast/bread, hints of citrus and pine. Palate is medium with a nice malt and hop character. low bitterness but there is a very nice lingering tang on the finish.

Chapter 9. Temos Tanta. marmalade Pale 4.4% – light amber in appearance with a slight haze and a small head. Nose is malty with an ever so slight orange citrus. palate is medium, dry, low bitterness and hoppy. The finish has a touch of bitter orange.

Cloudwater. Based in Manchester and the link to their website is here

IPL Cashmere 6% – Light gold with the slightest haze. Lots going on here with aromas of lemon citrus, mango, malt and some floral character. Palate is creamy, low bitterness, caramel, herby, melon flavours abound. Medium bodied. This can was at the very end of its FBD (freshest before date) and it showed a little. very drinkable non the less with a lovely lingering fruity finish.

Verdant Brewing Company. Based in Falmouth, Cornwall. website

Headband. Pale Ale 5.5% – Deep yellow/orange, cloudy with a good light tan head. Dominant aromas of grapefruit and orange. palate is medium minus bitterness, smooth with a prickly bitterness that lingers on the finish.

Even Sharks Need water. IPA 6.5% – Pours yellow, cloudy, small nice persistent head  and some nice lacing. Aromas of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. Palate has rich tropical fruits, some sweetness, creamy texture. Nice bitterness on the finish.

Northern Monk Brew Company. Making handcrafted beers in the hear of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Their website is here

Hop City DIPA 8.4%. A collaboration with Verdant, Deya and YCH Hops. Yellow gold, hazy with a good head. There are tropical fruits aplenty here; pineapple, mango, banana. The palate is full, rich and tropical  with a nice hint of citrus. It is complex with a touch of sweetness. Excellent.

Northern Rising. Raising the Faith. Triple Dry Hopped Pale Ale 5.5% – Pours yellow, cloudy with a good head. Aromas of orange, grapefruit and tropical fruits here while the palate is peaches, mango and lemon, rich and creamy with medium minus bitterness. There is a nice touch of bitterness on the finish. A well balanced beer.

Patrons Project 9.04. Light Adjunct Lager. Citrus/Exuanet. 5.2% – Yellow, hazy and pours with a good white head that persists. Crisp and clean with low bitterness and drinks very well. There are very subtle aromas of lemon and pineapple while the palate has a nice malty character with touch of sweetness.

Loka Polly. Only began brewing commercially earlier this year the company is based in Mold, North Wales. Their website can be visited here

Chinook Ekuanet Pale Ale 5.1% – pours yellow, hazy with a small frothy head. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon and tropical fruits. Very fresh, low bitterness, nice mouthfeel. Finish has a hint of bitter lemon.

Citra Simcoe IPA 6.1% – pours deep yellow, cloudy with a good head. Aroma is complex, serious with citrus, pineapple and passion fruit. Palate is full with flavour of lemon, tropical fruits and a slight maltiness, medium bitterness, nice mouthfeel.