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.
