Date: 31 August & 1 September 2012
Theme: Ale At Sea
Harbury Beer Festival 2012 – another successful launch! Harbury may have been ”Ale At Sea” this year but despite this it floated away to another great success.
Many compliments were received about the quality of this year’s beers and it was pleasing to be able to have all 61 beers on sale.
We hosted the West Midlands Beer of the Year competition for the Strong Bitters category and this was won by Salopian ‘Golden Thread’. Among our team of judges this year was Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam and he selected this beer as the best and I was in complete agreement!
Our ‘Beer of the Festival’, voted on by the general visitors to the festival, went to ‘Banquo’. This fine ale hails from Lincolnshire and was also the first beer to run out! Our local breweries did well however with Slaughterhouse’s festival special called ‘Starboard Porter’ coming second and Tunnel’s new cherry beer called ‘Up The Kreik’ coming joint third with Highland Brewery’s ‘Orkney Blast’.
It was good to have new local breweries represented for the first time at Harbury with Old Pie Factory from Warwick and Sperrins from Arley both making their debut. Perhaps there will be more next year although supporting all these Warwickshire breweries does make it difficult to fit in our theme. Next year that will be another part of the country – but just which you will have to wait and see!
Many of our regular features were back as usual and seemed to be just as popular – the village Morris team danced Saturday lunchtime and the band in the evening Time After Time, a repeat of last year.
We were very lucky with the weather this year considering what had been happening on the lead in and got away with little more than a few spots of rain.
One problem beyond our control was the failure of at least one of the local buses to arrive which left people stuck in the village. All they could do was to go back in the festival for another beer (shame!) and catch the last bus which I’m glad to say did turn up, although almost half an hour late!! The nearby road closures and diversions did not help.
The village hall had the benefit of the brand new commercial kitchen which benefitted the food team greatly and enabled a steady flow of bacon rolls, hot dogs and samosas to satisfy the hungry punters.
The numbers of visitors were just slightly down on last year but I think everyone who came had a great time and we look forward to welcoming them and some new faces back again next year!
[John Crossling – Branch Chairman]
Awards
Beer of the Festival:
- 1st Newby Wyke – Banquo
- 2nd Slaughterhouse – Starboard Porter
- Joint 3rd Tunnel – Up the Kreik / Highland – Orkney Blast
Fastest Selling Beers:
- 1st Newby Wyke – Banquo
- 2nd Bowman – South Sea Spice
- 3rd Yeovil – POSH IPA
West Midlands BOTY Strong Bitter Category:
- 1st Salopian – Golden Thread
- 2nd Hobson’s – Old Henry
- 3rd Holden’s – Special
Entertainment
As ever the Hereburgh Morris danced on Saturday lunchtime. In the evening Time After Time.
Beers
| Brewery | Beer | Style | ABV | Tasting Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adnams | Ghost Ship | Best Bitter | 4.5 | Adnams Ghost Ship has good bitterness with a attractive lemon and lime aromas. Brewed with some Pale Ale malt, Crystal Malt, Munich and some Wheat Malt giving the beer a malty backbone. Columbus, Chinook and Citra hops add great lime flavours. |
| Arran | Clyde Puffer | Stout | 4.9 | A stout with a deep black colour. Sweet and mellow with a low hop taste. |
| Arundal | Trident | Best Bitter | 5 | An amber-coloured strong beer with a citrus, fruity aroma. The taste is clean and refreshing with a hoppy, fruity flavour and a pleasant dry bitter finish. |
| Atomic | Nautilus | Mild | 3.6 | Mildly hopped deep ruby mild using roasted barley and chocolate malt to give a distinctive nutty character. (Warwickshire) |
| Bank Top | Port o' Call | Special Bitter | 5 | Dark brown beer with a malty, fruity aroma. Malt, roast and dark fruits in the bbittersweet taste and finish |
| Black Dog | Schooner | Best Bitter | 4.2 | Golden Ale. A medium-coloured ale with an initial sweet flavour. It has a hoppy, bitter finish. Brewed by Hambleton Ales |
| Bowman | South Sea Spice | Ginger | 3.9 | A dark amber beer brewed with fresh root ginger to give it a gentle ginger flavour and a refreshing ginger aroma. |
| Cairngorm | Trade Winds | Speciality | 4.3 | Light golden in colour, with high proportion of wheat giving the beer a clean fresh taste. The mash blends together with the Perle hops and elderflower providing a bouquet of fruit and citrus flavours. |
| Church End | Fallen Angel | Strong Bitter | 5 | A sharp, full-flavoured, pale bitter. American hops give it that lemony edge (WMCBOB) (Warwickshire) |
| Coastal | Golden Hinde | Bitter | 4.3 | A sweetish golden beer with refreshing citrus hop finish. Brewers Gold hops give the aroma |
| Coastal | Handliner | Bitter | 4 | Mid brown coloured hoppy and fruity apple flavour with a little bitterness and dryness in a crisp finish |
| Conwy | Shipwreak | IPA | 5 | An IPA brewed stronger for a fuller flavour and triple hopped with goldings to give the beer an authentic citrus hoppy flavour. |
| Dorset | Harbour Master | Bitter | 3.6 | Full bodied, slightly nutty with blackcurrant background. |
| Dorset | Yachtsman | Best Bitter | 4.7 | A medium-tasting ale; smooth with suggestions of honey. |
| Exeter | Ferryman | Best Bitter | 4.2 | A copper coloured Premium ale. Beautifully well balanced flavour enhanced with generous handfuls of English Goldings hops. |
| Fullers | Seafarers Ale | Bitter | 3.6 | A delicious, thirst quenching ale. The secret of the hugely satisfying, refreshing taste of this light, amber beer is in the blend of finest quality English malt, Admiral hops and the unique Gales yeast |
| Great Western | Maiden Voyage | Bitter | 4 | A traditional English bitter, amber in colour, offering an initial smoothness followed by a dry aftertaste and a fruity aroma. |
| Green Jack | Baltic Trader | Stout | 10.5 | The Green Jacks Baltic Trader is an Extra Strong Export Stout. Smooth, rich and fruity with roasted coffee & vanilla flavours. If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to! Baltic Trader celebrates the North Sea sailing ships that traded between East Coast ports like Lowestoft, the Low Countries and Scandinavia. |
| Green Jack | Trawlerboys Best Bitter | Best Bitter | 4.6 | Full-bodied and a copper-coloured premium bitter brewed with English whole cone hops,rich and malty with fruity hop flavours. |
| Griffin | Bad Anchor | Strong Bitter | 6.3 | Full bodied sweet dark bitter with a very strong kick (Warwickshire) |
| Hadrian Border | Flotsam | Bitter | 4 | Bronze coloured, with a citrus bitterness and distinct floral notes. |
| Hadrian Border | Jetsam | Best Bitter | 4.5 | A well hopped, light coloured bitter with a fruity and refreshing aftertaste. |
| Hammerpot | Bottle Wreck Porter | Porter | 4.7 | A well hopped, light coloured bitter with a fruity and refreshing aftertaste. |
| Highland | Orkney Blast | Strong Ale | 6 | A stunning stronger ale in the true British fashion, with balanced flavours from maris otter malt and English hops added early and late in the copper. One to take great care with as it is so drinkable. |
| Highland | Scapa Special | Pale Ale | 4.2 | A satisfying world class pale ale, made with maris otter pale ale malt & a blend of four hops from America, Germany, New Zealand & Slovakia. Each one selected for their spiciness and aroma and all giving that certain something to back up the wholesome maltiness provided by the maris otter |
| Hobsons | Old Henry | Strong Bitter | 5.2 | Very drinkable, authentic strong ale. Complex malty flavours give a richness which is balanced by the clean, hoppy finish (WMCBOB) |
| Holden's | Special | Strong Bitter | 5.1 | An amber premium beer with robust malty overtones and a bitter sweet full bodied taste (WMCBOB) |
| Jarrow | Rivet Catcher | Bitter | 4 | CAMRA Great British Beer Festival Silver & Bronze Winner and Champion North East Beer of the Year. A symbolic tradesman from Tyneside's glorious shipyard history. A light, smooth, satisfying gold bitter. Subtle fruity hops give the taste profile on tongue and nose. |
| Kinver Brewery | Half Centurion | Strong Bitter | 5 | Pale premium bitter with strong citrus flavours (WMCBOB) |
| Liverpool Organic | Shipwreck IPA | IPA | 6.5 | A true India pale ale with intense citrus flavours. Grapefruit, aniseed and peach notes feature in the hoppy bite that builds to tropical fruit and a piney bitterness in the finish. |
| Merry Miner | Queen's Road Bitter | Bitter | 4.1 | A pale golden in colour bitter, citrus on the nose with a slight hoppy character. This is named after the road in which the Titanic was built in the Belfast docks. (Warwickshire). |
| Milestone | Black Pearl | Stout | 4.3 | Authentic Irish stout with notes of burnt toast and coffee. |
| Newby Wyke | White Squalll | Strong Bitter | 4.8 | Five time Gold medal winning ale, pale and blonde in colour with a full hoppy taste and wonderful fruity finish |
| Newby Wyke | Banquo | Bitter | 3.8 | Blonde session beer full of hops with gooseberry and passion fruit aroma |
| North Cotswold | Oyster Stout | Stout | 5 | A dark and smooth stout brewed with English hops, with the addition of Whitstable oysters resulting in a smooth tasting beer. (Warwickshire) |
| Northumberland | Jolly Roger | Bitter | 4 | Orange amber with slight head. Vague maltiness with cold tea note overlaid. Wheetabix and oat. |
| Nottingham | Dreadnought | Bitter | 4.5 | Rich ruby coloured premium bitter with a well rounded fullness of malt and deep strength of hop bitterness. |
| Old Pie Factory | Pale | Bitter | 4 | A pale ale that is light and refreshing (Warwickshire) |
| Outstanding | SOS | Best Bitter | 4.5 | Light brown ale strictly for those that like bitter beer, dry and intensely bitter with an incredible blast of late hop dominance |
| Patriot | Nelson | Bitter | 4 | An amber beer, being full bodied with a well-rounded bitterness with subtle fruity undertones (Warwickshire) |
| Purity | Mad Goose | Best Bitter | 4.2 | Brewed with Maris Otter Malt, Caragold and Wheat Malt with Hallertau bittering hops and Cascade and Willamette aroma hops.Light copper in colour with a great zesty hop character with citrus overtone (Warwickshire) |
| Rebellion | Mutiny | Best Bitter | 4.5 | A reddish, full bodied premium ale, with a rich malty flavour & a lasting, hoppy & bittersweet finish. |
| Rebellion | Smuggler | Bitter | 4.1 | An amber coloured best bitter, offering an initial smoothness followed by a dry aftertaste along with a fruity hop aroma. |
| Salopian | Golden Thread | Strong Bitter | 5 | A triple-hopping of English First Gold gives citrusy flavours and vinous aromas, while the malt grist gives body and sweetness to balance the assertive bitterness (WMCBOB) |
| Skinner's | Figgys | Best Bitter | 4.5 | Expertly balanced blend of malt & hops, premium strength, full flavoured with a smooth finish - Named after the infamous Lands End wrecker Madgy Figgy. |
| Skinner's | Keel Over | Best Bitter | 4.2 | A classic Cornish bitter, mid-strength, amber in colour, well balanced with a smooth finish |
| Slaughterhouse | Starboared Port-er | Porter | 4.8 | Ruby black robust Porter. Bitter, hoppy and dark malt character with hints of liquorice and roast barley. (Warwickshire) |
| Sperrin Brewery | Band of Brothers | Best Bitter | 4.2 | A light hoppy golden bitter. Guest ale at the Strangers Bar in the House of Commons. (Warwickshire) |
| Titanic | Captain Smith's | Strong Bitter | 5.2 | A red/Brown, full bodied beer hoppy and bitter with a sweetness and roast malt flavour and a good strong finish.. . . . Named after one of the most famous of sea captains of all time - Captain Edward Smith, who was born in Stoke on Trent |
| Titanic | Mild | Mild | 3.5 | A mild of classic style full of roast malt and balanced by delicate hops. True to type it has a rounded sweetness and a smooth dry finish. |
| Titanic | Pier 54 | Speciality | 5.4 | American craft ale. This beer reflects the very best of US craft brewing, red in colour and with an inviting malty foretaste, the American hops come crashing through to wow those who love hops. Malty foretaste with stong hop finish. |
| Tryst | Carronande | IPA | 4.2 | Packed full of citrus flavours from the distinctive Washington state hops used, combined with pale malt and Carron valley water to create a real thirst- quenching treat |
| Tunnel | Trade Winds | Best Bitter | 4.6 | A heavenly aromatic, copper coloured beer. It has an aroma rich in cascade hops spilling over into clean crisp hints of citrus. Quickly followed by a rush of fruity malts that are pursued by an exquisitly dry finish, full of scented hops (Warwickshire) |
| Tunnel | Up the Kriek | Speciality | 4.7 | A kriek style cherry IPA |
| Warwickshire | Starboard List | Best Bitter | 4.5 | Reddish in colour. (Warwickshire) |
| Weatheroak | Cabin Boy | Mild | 3.4 | A mid brown beer with a malty aroma and fruity sweetness in the finish. (Warwickshire) |
| Wood Farm | 1823 Mild | Mild | 3.5 | A full bodied dark mild with hints of caramel finishing with a smooth malty palate (Warwickshire) |
| Woodforde's | Nelson’s Revenge | Special Bitter | 5.5 | Rich and floral aromas, sweet Norfolk malts and a burst of citrus hops embody this mouth-watering premium beer. |
| Woodforde's | Wherry | Bitter | 3.8 | Fresh and zesty with crisp floral flavours. A background of sweet malt and a hoppy grapefruit bitter finish characterises this champion bitter. |
| Wye Valley | Butty Bach | Strong Bitter | 4.5 | A burnished-gold premium ale, malty, fruity, rich and sweet(WMCBOB) |
| Yeovil | POSH IPA | IPA | 5.4 | A genuine gourmet India Pale Ale of uncompromising quality. Pale with body and mouth feel it’s strength is balanced by a truly fruity late-hopped finish. |
Ciders
| Maker | Cider | ABV | Tasting Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwatkin Cider | Foxwhelp Cider | 7.5 | Dry. A single varietal cider. Is a crisp dry cider, full of body and flavour. From Abbey Dore, Herefordshire. |
| Gwatkin Cider | Yarlington Mill | 7.5 | Medium. A rich red medium cider with a spirit aroma and taste, that resonates with the tastebuds to surprise and delight. |
| Gwatkin Cider | Kingston Black | 7.5 | Dry. The most famous apple in the cider making world, dating back centuries. |
| Gwatkin Cider | Farmhouse Perry | 7.5 | Medium - Made from a blend of old fashioned varieties of pears, harvested from the few remaining pear orchards of rural Herefordshire. |
| Windmill Vineyard | Millers Fancy | 8 | Dry. A dry cider with lasting aftertaste, made with a mix of cider and crab apples. From , Hellidon, Northants. |
| Windmill Vineyard | Perry | 6 | A medium dry and a medium sweet. |
| Windmill Vineyard | Pippin Cyzer | 8 | Medium. A mix of cider apple varieties fermented with honey. |
| Windmill Vineyard | Amber Nectar | 10 | A blend of apple varieties blended with whiskey. |
| Tricky Cider | Dry Cider | 6 | Cider from Taunton, Somerset |
| Tricky Cider | Medium Cider | 6 | |
| Rous Cider | From Rous Lench, Worcestershire | ||
| Tardebigge | From Tutnall, Worcestershire |