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.

Chester Craft Beer Festival

The Chester Craft Beer Festival organised by Helsby based Beer Heroes was held at the Carriage Shed, adjacent to Chester railway station. A semi covered venue and a gloriously warm April day provided the perfect environment in which to sample some of the 60 or so beers available on offer. As with such events the festival presents the opportunity to try something new/different and with pours available as 1/3, 1/2 or 2/3 that’s all the encouragement you need.

Top Rope – Liverpool

Overkill IPA 5.5%  – An American west coast style IPA first brewed as a tribute to Motorhead’s Lemmy who died in 2016. Light amber, hazy with a light head. Citrus with hints of nutty caramel the develops as it warms. Low bitterness.

Papa Mango Pale Ale with mango 5.1% – Yellow, cloudy with little head to the beer. Pronounced mango on both the nose and palate. Quite sweet, low bitterness.

Gibberish – Liverpool

Custard Cream New England Pale 5.2% – Pale amber/yellow, opaque, gives the appearance of being much thicker than it really is. Very pronounced aromas of grapefruit and lemon, high bitterness, creamy with a developing smokey note. Finish is grapefruit pith and a little aggressive. An interesting beer in a style which may well be an acquired taste.

Vibrant Forest – Hampshire

Dunkelunch Dunkel Weisse 5.6% – A dark style of wheatbeer. Light brown, hazy, light head. Flavours of treacle, nutty, smokey. Quite full flavoured and creamy with a nice lingering finish.

Runaway – Manchester

NZ Pale 4.2% – a light pale ale brewed with New Zealand hops. Amber with a slight haze and a light head. Low bitterness, malty, caramel, slight crispness. Good flavour, very drinkable.

Marzen Lager 5.4% – Yellow/gold, slight haze and little head. Malty with. slight touch of sweetness, clean ,dry. Very drinkable.

Chapter Brewing – Cheshire 

Parabola Pale Ale 4.7% – Light amber, slight haze, light head. Lemon citrus with grapefruit notes, floral,low bitterness, some caramel, quite full flavoured. Very drinkable and a reasonably low ABV.

Steadfast Companions 6.6% – A collaboration with Beer Heroes a New England IPA. Light amber, hazy no head. Grapefruit is the dominant flavour, nice  creamy texture which makes it very appealing. Has a good rounded slight bitter finish. Very nice indeed.

Stone – California

Go to IPA 4.8% – Light gold, clear, no head, lemon citrus, fruity. Medium bitterness. Lingering flavour of citrus on the finish. A very drinkable session beer.

Exhalted IPA 7.0% = Gold in appearance, clear and bright, no head as such. Rich, savoury and complex with a nice citrus finish. Medium bitterness.