Tag: IPA

House of Beer Krakow

There is a thriving craft beer scene in Poland and the city of Kraków has a number of good places to sample the local brews. Admittedly there are a lot of bars selling the more traditional lager style beers from the big brewers such as Tyskie, Zywiec and Okocim and if you drink on the main square this is likely to be what is on offer. Walk just a few short streets away and you will find a much wider choice of beers. Craft beer In Polish is piwo rzemiesinicze and this is worth looking out for on bar menus if you are unsure. In Kraków head to the House of Beer at Tomasza 35, only a short walk from the square, where you will find a superb range both on tap and in bottle.

It certainly gets busy here but if its full in the main bar they open the downstairs area which is huge with very comfortable seating. We were in the city from Sunday to Friday and so did not experience the weekend. crowds.

There are usually eleven beers and one cider on tap, from both Polish and international breweries. We visited three times during our stay and there was usually something different to try each time. They also have a large selection of bottled beers from around Europe. You need good eyesight here to see what’s on offer as they don’t have a list of beers available, at least not one that I could find, but the staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable so its not really an issue.

Food here is also very good with burgers, hot wings and nachos on the menu.

Pracownia Piwa. Mieszanka Krakosa. Session IPA. 3.7%. Yellow, hazy with a good white head. Nice hoppy flavour here with a touch of malt and sweetness. Very drinkable. Good session beer.

Pinta. Like Fake. Peach IPA. 5.8% Pinta produced the first craft beer in Poland back in 2011. this particular beer is yellow in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of peach along with citrus. Palate has malt, peach and lemon. Medium bitterness and nice carbonation.

Birbant. Amity. Hazy IPA. 4.7% A yellow/orange colour with a definite haze. Aromas are citrus and a nice touch of tropical fruit. Low bitterness, good carbonation, gentle sourness and a nice texture.

Cztery Sciany. Sciana. APA. 5.1%. Light yellow in appearance with a small thin head. Aromas of malt, lemon and grapefruit. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a good texture on the palate. A nice bitter lemon finish.

PiwoWarowina. Coffee Milk Stout. 4.7% Wow strong coffee with some chocolate. There is some sweetness and the palate is intense, deep and strongly flavoured. Nice carbonation and an incredibly long finish. Very nice but I couldn’t drink many of these.

Tempest Brewing. Citra Citra. IPA 6.8% Yellow/gold with a haze. Aromas of tropical mango and pineapple with lemon and orange. A good texture, low bitterness, nice carbonation and lovely tropical fruit flavours. Very drinkable.

Amager Bryghus. Sabrotaged. DDH IPA. 8% Dark orange, small white head. Aroma is malty with lots of tropical fruit. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation, smooth and creamy. There are flavours of tropical fruit, orange and stone fruits.

Northern Monk Leeds

The Northern Monk brewery and taproom is located in Holbeck, south west of the city centre and a short 15 minute walk from Leeds City Station. It is located in an old flax store and mill which makes an interesting change from brewery taps in industrial units and railway arches. The building itself is not only characterful but is grade II listed and is a reminder of this areas significant contribution to the importance and wealth of the city in the nineteenth century.

The original brewery opened in 2014 and is located on the ground floor. It no longer has the capacity of production required so in 2017 a new brewery was opened which now means that they can brew a significant number of different beers between the two sites at the same time. It is possible to tour the flax store brewery with tours conducted at 1.30 and 3.30 each Saturday afternoon. Tours cost £10 and involve a 45 minute tour including three tasting samples. It is probably advisable to book tours in advance via the company website.

The Refectory tap room is located on the first floor and they have created a welcoming space with plenty of seating and adequate table space. At the time of my visit there were 16 keg lines serving a good range of styles of beer. Food is also available and prices seem very reasonable. The second floor consists of the Chapter Hall which is available for private hire/functions. They have also created an outdoor beer garden for those special days when it is possible to drink beer outside. The Refectory and beer garden are open everyday except Monday.

I have long admired the beers of Northern Monk. Their beers are always innovative, superbly well crafted and very drinkable. They don’t ever stand still for very long as they are continually looking for ways to move forward with their brews and packaging. The Patrons Project was founded to explore the possibilities of collaboration to further seek ou creativity and excellence. Each release, there have been 17 so far, consists of 7 beers with specially commissioned artwork. You can catch up and find out more about the collaborations here.

Eternal. Session IPA. 4.4%. Yellow gold in colour with a slight haze and a thin white head. Aromas of lemon, malt, orange and pine. Low-medium bitterness with nice carbonation. Crisp and dry with a touch of bitter orange on the finish.

Faith. Pale Ale. 5.1%. Yellow and hazy with a good white head. Aromas of tropical mango, orange and malt. Low bitterness and gentle carbonation. Palate is tropical with a good dash of orange. Nicely balanced.

Neopolitan. Ice Cream Pale. 6%. Neopolitan ice cream was a staple of Sunday afternoon tea as I grew up. This beer is a collaboration I believe with Little Leeds Beerhouse. It’s light amber, hazy and with a thin white head. Strawberry with a hint of vanilla on the nose just as it should be. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a nice texture. This really does taste like Neapolitan ice cream with a lovely light chocolate on the finish.

Doom Stooge. Fruited IPA. 7.2%. Orange/yellow, murky with a very thin off white head and some lacing. Low bitterness, soft carbonation and a slightly creamy texture. Not sure about this one, not unpleasant with a whole range of flavours; red fruits, peach, apricot, plum and a hint of floral.

Seismic Shift. DDH IPA. 8.5%. Part of the Patrons Project series 13 release when in can. Yellow, decidedly murky with thinnish white head. Aromas of mango, pineapple and orange. Low bitterness, nice carbonation and great texture. There is sweetness on the palate, which is dominated by tropical fruit and orange, but it is not overly sweet.

Glory. Triple IPA. 10.5%. Yellow, hazy with a white head. Complex aromas of pineapple, mango, banana and passion fruit. The palate has low bitterness, gentle carbonation and great mouthfeel. Flavours are topical with a hint of orange on the finish.

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.