MagicPhil's Tasting Notes 2001

London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2001

"Come and get your swashes well and truly buckled at the.."
London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2001

Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1,
close to Kings Cross/St. Pancras)

Wednesday 21st. - Friday 23rd March 2001
Open Wed + Thurs 12-3pm + 5-10.30pm;
Fri 12-10.30pm.
Last admission 10pm
CAMRA members admitted free Wed + Thurs lunchtime
+ 50p up to 1pm on Fri, £1.50 at all other times
(non-members £2.50)
A range of regional beers, beers rarely seen in London,
cider, perry + imported beer. Hot and cold food.

Entertainments:
Breweriana Auction wed eve.
Thurs quiet night.
Wolfie Witcher and his Brew live on Fri eve.

This and previous years of MagicPhil's Tasting Notes at:-
http://www.littlebluerhino.demon.co.uk/ldbf.htm

All Festival Programme Summaries(FPS) by Trevor Unwin
with acknowledgement to CAMRA's Good Beer Guide,
the breweries and the agencies

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 1

Wednesday 2.15pm. 21/03/2001

1st Pint. Oldershaw Brewery, High Dyke 3.9%abv
Festival Programme Summary(FPS): A pale yellow beer of intense bitterness.
MagicPhil(MP) says: At first taste intense citrus, especially grapefruit, flavours that are very good on the tongue and in the mouth. A light brown bitter rather than pale yellow. The bitterness develops and gets stronger. Slightly hazy but this did not interfere with the flavours at all. A very pleasant beer that perhaps does not develop all the depth of flavour that I had expected.
Recommended.

2nd Pint. Skinners Brewery, Spriggan Ale 3.8%abv
FPS: "A light golden hoppy bitter"
MP says: A mid-straw coloured bitter, good immediate flavours with a little sweetness in the mouth, not as much citrus as High Dyke, but present. Flavours that develop and last with a good finish. A beer that deserves going back to; I shall, I hope.
Highly recommended.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Skinners Brewery, Spriggan Ale 3.8%abv

Don's recommendations: High Dyke (as above) and Beckett Breweries Old Town Bitter 3.7%abv as an "archetypal session bitter."

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 2

Wednesday pm. 21/03/2001

1st Pint. Green Jack Brewery, Green Jack Bitter 3.5%abv
Festival Programme Summary(FPS): A hoppy, pale brown light bitter with an underlying malty sweetness.
MP says: Nicely peppery to start with, a little sweetness on the tongue, good depth of flavour that develops, a little citrus that appears towards the end.
Recommended

2nd Pint. Itchen Valley Brewery, Godfathers 3.8%abv
FPS: A pale brown beer with a hoppy aroma.
MP says: A very light, very pale straw coloured beer, rather thinner than the Green Jack, very nice light flavour with no citrus to speak of, a little pepper develops, but really a one note session beer. I can imagine drinking this all night.

3rd Pint. Ales of Kent Brewery, Wealden Wonder 3.7%abv
FPS:.None provided
MP says: Had I known this was a mild, I would not have bought it, but it is characteristic of its type, a brown mild with lots of liquorice malt and not much more. It is better than some however; it is not cloying.

4th. Pint. Salopian Brewery, Shropshire Gold 3.8%abv
FPS: Light, fruity and hoppy.
MP says: Very pleasant immediate flavour in the mouth, a little dryness, the flavour develops a certain acidity towards the end, a sweet finish rather than a sharp dry cutoff. A session bitter plus a little.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Green Jack Brewery, Green Jack Bitter 3.5%abv

My thanks go to Dave and Ray for their comments and knowledge, especially of the darker beers and also for raising an interesting point about Youngs ordinary bitter.

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 3

Thursday 2.20pm. 22/03/2001

1st Pint. Bridge of Allan Brewery, Stirling Bitter 3.7%abv
Festival Programme Summary(FPS): None provided.
MP says: A deep red beer, no head whatsoever, the immediate feel is a thinness in the taste, a lack of body, this is what I would call a mild rather than a bitter*. Malt, a bit of sweetness; the flavour does deepen if anything; a sweet finish. *(N.B. It is listed as Stirling Bitter in the programme but named as Stirling Brig on the cask)

2nd Pint. Sharps Brewery, Cornish Coaster 3.6%abv
FPS: A smooth, golden, easy drinking bitter.
MP says: A dark straw colour beer that is immediately good in the mouth, a little grapefruity citrus, a little dryness, very good first flavours. The flavours last and develop, there is a sharp/sour/acidic finish that is clean. This is a beer in perfect condition, and so much to my taste that I could drink it for the rest of the festival
Highly recommended. I fitted in an extra half.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Sharps Brewery, Cornish Coaster 3.6%abv

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 4

Thursday 5.30pm. 22/03/2001

1st Pint. Branscombe Vale Brewery, Branoc 3.8%abv
Festival Programme Summary(FPS): A pale brown session ale.
MagicPhil(MP) says: Very pleasant first flavours, clean, a little sweet, not as much life in it as I would prefer. Some flavour develops, but not too much. I can imagine drinking this all night.
Recommended

2nd Pint. Teignworthy Brewery, Reel ale 4.0%abv
FPS: Clean, sharp tasting bitter.
MP says: A mid-brown rather sweet beer. A little citrus, but otherwise bland. No more to say.

3rd. Pint. Mighty Oak Brewery, Burntwood bitter 4.0%abv
FPS: An amber coloured beer with a good balance of malt and bitterness.
MP says: A pretty dark amber perhaps, but the flavours arrive in profusion. A lot of malt, almost chocolatey, smokey?, certainly rich. It does not develop as much as I would have expected, gets a little sweet at the finish.

4th. Pint. Wells Brewery, Eagle IPA 3.6%abv
FPS: Not in programme.
MP says: A light brown beer, fairly sweet, a little citrus, a little bland. A reasonable session bitter.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Branscombe Vale Brewery, Branoc 3.8%abv

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 5

Friday 2.40pm. 23/03/2001

1st Pint. Wentworth Brewery, Pale Ale (WPA) 4.0%abv
Festival Programme Summary(FPS): Well hopped and exceptionally bitter.
MagicPhil(MP) says: Certainly very sharp, very pale straw colour beer, slightly hazy but ok. Grapefruity, acidic flavours are the keynote of this beer; it does not develop any more.

2nd Pint. Barnsley brewery, Barnsley bitter 3.8%abv
FPS: A pale brown creamy and smooth bitter.
MP says: Quite hoppy, quite malty, a touch of sweetness. No great depth of flavour.

3rd. Pint. Green Jack Brewery, Grass Hopper 4.2%abv
FPS: Copper coloured hoppy bitter with balancing malt throughout.
MP says: Slightly hazy, but the first flavours are good. A touch of citrus, a touch of hop, maybe past its best. I would like to have this on top form.

4th. Pint. Rebellion Brewery, Zebedee 4.7%abv
FPS: Crisp and refreshing with a delicate floral aroma.
MP says: A light brown beer very lively, very good in the mouth, good creamy head, good floral flavours. Develops a little but no more. No boiiiiiingg, more a pfffffrrrt.

5th. Pint. Sharps Brewery, "Sharpis Own" 4.4%abv
FPS: A well balanced deep golden-brown beer.
MP says: First flavours good, some malt, a little sweet, some fruit. Hardly develops.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: None
MagicPhil's Beer of the Festival: Sharps Brewery, Cornish Coaster 3.6%abv
MagicPhil's Reserve Beers of the Festival: Skinners Brewery, Spriggan Ale 3.8%abv, Oldershaw Brewery, High Dyke 3.9%abv, Green Jack Brewery, Green Jack Bitter 3.5%abv

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