Cloudwater | Postcards From Here and There

Chester Craft Beer Festival 2019

What a difference a year makes. Last April the inaugural festival was blessed with perfect weather, warm and sunny and an ideal opportunity to get out the shorts and t-shirts.. Fast forward twelve months and we have storm Hannah to deal with. Driving rain, strong winds and a temperature of around eight degrees Celsius. Not ideal conditions for spending a few hours in a converted railway carriage shed that despite a roof is still very much open to the elements. Despite the weather the turn out was excellent though coats, scarves and hats were essential if you were to stay the distance.

Organisers Beer Heroes have put together a good selection of breweries, many of them from the north, with almost a hundred different beers on offer. So there was plenty to choose from in many different styles.

Top Rope. Run to the Helles. Dry Hopped Lager 5%. Golden in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of lemon citrus, malt and resin. Low/medium bitterness. Palate is medium bodied with some nice hoppy citrus.

Kirkstall Brewery. Virtuous. Session IPA. 4.5%. Yellow, slight haze with a small thin head. Low/medium bitterness, nice carbonation. Flavours of lemon, malt and yeast. A crisp beer with a nice finish.

Fourpure. Hummingbird, Raspberry and Hibiscus Sour. 5.4%. Light red in appearance, hazy with a small head. Aromas of red fruits, raspberry, strawberry and floral notes. Nice texture and gentle sourness. Palate has lots of raspberry fruit. This has lovely balance and a great finish.

Cloudwater. A&W18 Marzen. 5.2%. Amber in appearance, clear with a good white head. Aroma is noticeably malty and biscuity. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and nice texture. Flavours of malt and nutty biscuit. A nice finish.

Stone. Mojay. IPA. 7.6%. Light amber in appearance with a slight haze and a thin white head. Malty with some nice lemon citrus, biscuit and a hint of orange. Palate is low/medium bitterness with nice carbonation.

Gibberish. Passion Fruit Milkshake IPA. 5.2%. Yellow/orange, hazy and with a thin white head. Aroma is very fruity, passion fruit and pineapple with a hint of banana. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a nice texture. Flavour is passion fruit with just a pleasant hint of sourness on the finish.

Gibberish. Jam Roll Poly Pudding. Wheat. 9%. Orange with a reddish tinge, cloudy with a thin off-white head. Aroma is a touch synthetic but the palate is much better with lots of red raspberry fruit, a nice texture and low bitterness.

Amundsen. Hop Circles. NEIPA. 7%. Yellow/orange in appearance, cloudy, nice off-white head. Tropical pineapple, mango and orange aromas. Low bitterness, nice texture and a good level of carbonation. Lovely balance with flavours of mango, pineapple, lime, orange and fruit salad sweets.

Northern Monk. Patrons Project. 13.03. Seismic Shift. NE Double IPA. 8.5%. Yellow, cloudy/murky, thin off-white head. Aromas are tropical with mango dominating and orange. Low bitterness and lovely texture. This shows perfect balance with bags of tropical fruit, lemon and a nice touch of sweetness. Excellent.

Northern Monk. Glory. Double Dry Hopped Triple IPA. 10.5%. Yellow in appearance, hazy/cloudy with a good white head and nice lacing. Aromas of mango, pineapple, passion fruit and peach. Beautiful creamy texture, low bitterness. The palate continues the tropical fruit theme with a nice touch of orange. This really is very nice but beware the ABV, it’s easy not to notice it.

Runaway. BA Gingerbread Stout. 7.3%. Dark, opaque with a small tan head. Medium bodied with a good level of carbonation but the ginger here is very understated.

Brew York. Stay True. Blueberry Milkshake Stout. 8.1%. Dark, opaque with a thin tan head. Aromas of dark fruits with a nice savoury note. Palate is medium with low bitterness. Flavours of dark berry fruits, coffee and chocolate. A nice tart sourness on the finish.

Brew York. BA Empress Tonkoko. Vanilla, Cacao and Coconut Milk Stout. 10.6%. Aromas of coconut and vanilla abound and give this a most comforting smell. This really is lovely stuff with beautiful texture supporting the flavours dominated by coconut and vanilla but with a nice touch of chocolate and a hint of caramel. Complex and well balanced.

Amundsen. BA Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie. Imperial Stout. 10.5%. Dark and opaque with a tan head. Aromas of coconut, almond and caramel. The palate is low bitterness and there is creamy coconut, chocolate and caramel. Once again a complex and well balanced beer and a real winner.

Enid Street Bermondsey

Back in October 2018 I wrote a post about the craft beer tap rooms on Druid Street in Bermondsey.

Druid Street can be either the start or end of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. What was once perfectly achievable in a single visit, the opening of more taprooms and the numbers of beers available at each means that it is simply not possible to cover the whole area in one go. So in this, the second post in the series, I will look at the taprooms on Enid Street which is just a short walk round the corner from Druid Street. The closest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line.

From The Bottle Shop on Druid Street turn right onto Abbey Street, go under the bridge and then turn first left into Enid Street. The tap rooms here are all very close together starting with Moor Beer Company (71 Enid Street).

This Bristol based brewing company opened their barrel store and tap room on Enid Street in 2018 and it has become a popular calling point for craft beer aficionados. Very busy on my visit with a good range of beers, plenty of standing room and adequate seating. The Tucka Burger van was parked right outside for when the munchies get to you. There was a good atmosphere here and certainly the most lively of the four taps visited.

Moor Beer Company Stout 5%. Just time for one beer here and stout was what I fancied. Dark and opaque with a thin tan head. Aromas of coffee, caramel and toffee. Nicely balanced with medium bitterness and gentle/soft carbonation.

Next door is London Calling Sweden (72 Enid Street). Serving beers from Swedish brewery Poppels and opened so that ex pat Swedes could have a taste of home it is an altogether quirky and not unpleasant place for a beer or two.

They have created a space which is adorned with what might best be described as a collection of unconventional objects including a three seat sofa in. pride of place on the stage, suitcases and an opticians eye test chart. As different as you can get from nearby Cloudwater. There is limited seating but plenty of standing room. Snacks are available but payment here is by card only. Tasting flights are available and that’s what I thought I’d try.

Poppels Passion Pale. 5.2%. Pale amber and clear with a thin white head. Aromas are tropical with malt and a touch of caramel. Palate has gentle carbonation, low bitterness and a slight creamy texture. Flavour is tropical with a hint of lemon citrus. Very drinkable.

Poppels American Pale 5.4%. Amber,clear with a good white head and some lacing. Aromas of malt, caramel and a init of citrus. Palate has good carbonation, low bitterness and flavours of malt, caramel, biscuit and a touch of resiney pine. The finish has a bitter tang.

Poppels IPA 6.5%. Light amber with the feintist of haze and a good white head. Aromas of pineapple, malt and a slightly floral character. Palate is low bitterness with gentle carbonation. Nice mouthfeel with some tropical flavours. A slightly bitter, lemon/pine finish.

Poppels Greeliner Weiss 5%. Pours vivid green, murky no head. Fresh zingy acidity with lime, cucumber and mint. Very gentle carbonation. A beer which is far more interesting on the palate. Don’t be put off by the appearance.

Next up is the recently opened Cloudwater Tap Room (73 Enid Street). No signage here, just a printed note on the door saying ‘we are open’. Inside the decor is shipping container chic, they have done their very best to make a railway arch not look like a railway arch and it works well. There is a bar at the far end , made to look like its been constructed from quarried stone. There are something like 20 beers on tap and the staff are very knowledgeable and happy to help you negotiate the menu despite it being busy. It is definitely the most interesting selection of beers because of the sheer diversity off styles on offer. There is plenty of seating though not all has access to a table and there are good toilet facilities. As you might expect from Cloudwater the whole experience is well done. Wished I had more time to investigate the range, sadly only time for two.

Cloudwater Pale. 4%. Yellow, cloudy in appearance with a thin white head. Aromas of mango and grassy pine. Palate is low carbonation and low bitterness with gentle lemon citrus. The finish is quite bitter.

Cloudwater Bourbon BA Kentucky Common. 8.2%. Collaboration with Against The Grain. Dark, opaque with a thin tan head. Nose is very aromatic with caramel, treacle toffee, cola and muscovado sugar. Palate has nice fresh acidity and complexity, there is caramel, vanilla, toffee and cola. Mouthfeel is excellent with a slight sweetness and there is a long lingering finish. Excellent.

Finally it’s Brew By Numbers (75 Enid Street). Part of the Bermondsey craft beer scene for some time Brew By Numbers has a tasting room which has ten beers on tap and a selection of bottles and cans. There is seating away from the bar area with space for around 30. There is plenty of standing. Small snacks are available as well as a range of merchandise including t-shirts and glassware.

I sampled a couple of beers here but unfortunately didn’t accurately record what they were! As a result there are no tasting notes for this visit.

Before visiting any of the tap rooms it is well worth checking opening times online before heading off as they can be sometimes subject to change.

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.