MagicPhil's Tasting Notes 2004

London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2004

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

Wednesday 17th. - Friday 19th March 2004
Open Wed + Thurs 12-3pm + 5-10.30pm;
Fri 12-10.30pm.
Last admission 10pm
CAMRA members admitted free Wed + Thurs lunchtime
£1.50 at all other times
(non-members £2.50)
Charles Wells sponsored beer tasting thu lunch, early arrivers qualify for free draw to enter. A range of beers, ciders, perries and imported beers (draught and bottled). Excellent hot and cold food.

Entertainments:
Breweriana Auction wed eve.
Thurs quiet night.
Live music on Fri eve.

This and previous years of MagicPhil's Tasting Notes at:-
http://www.littlebluerhino.demon.co.uk/ldbf.htm
or at the US mirror site:-
http://www.magicphil.net/lbr/ldbf.htm

Magicphils Disclaimer:
No warranty is implied for any beer mentioned. It should not be implied that any beer not mentioned is disparaged.
Magicphil drinks ordinary bitters and does not drink milds; and does not, therefore, review them. If other persons wish to have Milds reviewed, it is open to them to do so. Any person who chooses to read the reviews below, or indeed to base their actions on them in any way is to be cautioned that Magicphil will not hold himself liable for the actions of such persons.
This disclaimer is forced on Magicphil by comments he has received at previous beer festivals.

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N.B. There are no Festival Programme Summaries(FPS) in the programme this year but the type of beer (as defined in the programme) is given.

MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 1

Wednesday 2.10pm. 17/03/2004

1st Pint. Buffy's Brewery, Bitter, Bitter 3.9%abv
MagicPhil(MP) says: A pleasant medium brown colour bitter. No enormous attack and rather sweet, quite dark, nice peppery hop flavour. In very good condition, if a little sweet for me, flavour does not develop as much as it might.
Good.

2nd Pint. Iceni Brewery, Fine Soft Day, Bitter 4.0%abv
MP says: A fine light brown/dark straw coloured beer that at first taste may be a little sweet, but has good mouth flavours and develops later. Some citrus comes out later on.

3rd Pint. Oulton Brewery, Bitter, Bitter 3.5%abv
MP says: Quite dark with immediate citrus, good fresh mouthfeel, in very good condition -if slightly hazed.
Recommended

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

It should be mentioned here that Ralph recommends the West Monckton Cider. I know he is an expert in these matters, so I defer to him in this.

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 2

Wednesday 6.10pm. 17/03/2004

1st Pint. Daleside Brewery, Shrimpers Bitter, Bitter, 4.1%abv
MagicPhil(MP) says: Medium brown bitter, good body, good first taste, a little sweet if anything, but good first flavours. Hardly develops, some licorice later. In the end, cloying.

2nd Pint. Abbeydale Brewery, Best Bitter, Bitter, 4.0%abv
MP says: A mid-brown almost dark brown bitter, immediate attack, some hops, some citrus, very good mouthfeel. More citrus develops and the flavours are sustained. Again, sweeter and perhaps heavier, than I would prefer.
Good

3rd Pint. Woods Brewery, Craven Ale, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MP says: A mid-brown almost ruby bitter, good first flavours, a bit sweet, some development in the mouth, but no great difference from any of the beers tonight.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: None.

MP's comment: It may be that my palate has become stranger, but I have found that almost all the beers I have had so far have been, in my terms, sweet. There seems to be no market or provision for a sharp, floral/citrus, light bitter which is the sort of thing that I would wish for. The days of the 'Old' Boddingtons, which used to be good before it was perverted, the 'Old' Fullers Chiswick, which was much better before it was made stronger and sweeter seem now to be gone. We are approaching apocalypse in the brewery market, the sixties are happening again. The big players are simply purchasing the assets they want and then closing them or selling them off and keeping the names to use for some bland product that usually bears no relation to the original name.
End of MP's comment:

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 3

Thursday 2.10pm. 18/03/2003

1st Pint. Six Bells Brewery, Big Nev's Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MagicPhil(MP) says: A mid/light straw colour Bitter that gives immediate full citrus and a slight sharpness that is to my taste. There is a touch of sweetness there to offset the citrus, but it is well balanced. It is slightly hazed and not in perfect condition, but it comfortably the best beer I have had so far at the festival. I would like to drink this beer in perfect condition; I suspect I could drink it all night - and possibly then some.
Highly recommended - even not in perfect condition

2nd Pint. Ramsgate Brewery, Gadds No7, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MP says: After the last beer this seemed, at first taste, to be overpoweringly sweet and treacley, but as I drank it I found at first a vague light citrus undertaste and then a slight reminder of bananas, although not unpleasantly so. Rather more citrus develops. Much better than I had first thought. In very good condition. Recommended

3rd Pint. Green Jack Brewery, Canary Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MP says: A light straw coloured bitter that is in very good condition, has good citrus and sweetness, no great attack, nicely balanced bitter. There may be hints of a honey flavour developing later, but it is a light beer rather than a behemoth of an ale, as a friend of mine might say!
Recommended

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Six Bells Brewery, Big Nev's Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MagicPhil's Reserve Session Pick: Green Jack Brewery, Canary Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 4

Thursday 6.10pm. 18/03/2004

1st Pint. Salopian Brewery, Salopian Gold, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MagicPhil(MP) says: I asked for a pint of this beer and was told that there might only be a half left. I was then served with a pint that was not only murky -I could not see through it- but was poor as well. It is no reflection on the brewers, but some reflection upon the festival to serve beer in that condition, and lest it be said that I was unlucky, there was at least one other beer drinker who was served this beer after me by a different bar person. I might have taken the pint back and complained, but chose not to, instead I threw it away and went to............

2nd Pint. Black Sheep Brewery, Best Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv
MP says: A mid brown beer, well made, a little thin perhaps, no great development or flavours, but this is a beer to drink when you just want to drink beer and not worry about anything else. This is a beer to drink in your local, day in and day out, if you want more than this, look elsewhere.
Good

3rd Pint. Dark Tribe Brewery, Full Ahead , Bitter, 4.0%abv
MP says: Quite a dark brown beer, reasonable, slightly hazed, but I think it unlikely that that has a great influence. Reasonable

4th Pint. Pitfield Brewery, Eco-Warrior, Bitter, 4.5%abv
MP says: A light straw coloured bitter, I had expected a lot of this beer, there is some minor initial citrus, but as one goes down the pint, there is no development other than getting dryer. Not perhaps more acidic, but as though it was simply running out, suddenly any sweetness becomes sugary and one is left with almost a husk of a beer. Disappointing.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Black Sheep Brewery, Best Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv

MP's comment: The queue tonight to get in to the festival was, at 5.40pm, almost up to Judd street. At some point it was decided that something needed to be done to get people in quicker and thus members and non-members queues were instituted. This was a good idea. The only problem then was that once -notionally- inside the festival one had to queue to purchase a glass for almost as long. What most people will tolerate is waiting for a reasonable time if they know what is happening and why they are waiting. No information was forthcoming, firstly to the queue outside, and secondly to the queues inside as to why they were waiting and what was being done to remedy this. It is not enough for someone -who is clearly afraid of the rain in which the queue outside is standing- to shout something that no-one beyond the first 5 yards(metres) can hear and consider their job done. They should walk down the queue, if necessary explaining every twenty people or so.
Perhaps this festival is becoming tired, perhaps the oversight in various areas is inadequate. I have attended for twenty years, I shall see what happens tomorrow.
End of MP's comment:

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 5
Friday 3.30pm. 19/03/2004

1st Pint. Grand Union Brewery, Gold, Bitter, 4.2%abv
MagicPhil(MP) says: A mid-straw colour, lighter rather than darker, good condition, nice hop, a very pleasant pint, some grapefruit, some lemon, more citrus develops later on. Very drinkable. I was tempted to have another pint.
Recommended

2nd Pint.Wells Brewery, Eagle IPA, 3.6%abv
MP says:A mid to light brown beer in prime condition, there is some banana immediate, but the citrus and sweetness are present, this is a beer that I could drink for an extended period, it is all there. A good drinking bitter.
Recommended

3rd Pint. Blanchards Brewery, Bull Best Bitter, 3.9%abv
MP says: A mid to light brown bitter with an attack that originally surprised me, good flavours. There is some citrus, some sweetness, some licorice, slightly hazed, but it is a well balanced bitter, one I could drink most days.
Recommended

4th Pint. Spectrum Brewery, Spring Promise, Bitter, 4.5%abv
MP says: A little darker, a little heavier, but the first flavours promise much, some molasses, some citrus, it does not develop enormously; adequate. I might imagine drinking this for an evening.

5th Pint. Oakleaf Brewery, Blakes Gosport Bitter, 5.2%abv
MP says: This is a good 'heavy' 'dark' bitter. It is not to be taken lightly, partly because of the strength, but also because of the flavours that are present. In very good condition, some licorice and a body that is sustained.
Recommended

6th Pint. Woods Brewery, Hopping Mad, 4.7%abv
MP says: Marginally hazed, but there is some attack, some sweetness, noticeably thinner than the last pint, perhaps understandably so, perfectly good, lack of development, but a bit sweet in the end.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Grand Union Brewery, Gold, Bitter, 4.2%abv.

MagicPhil's Reserve Session Pick: Oakleaf Brewery, Blakes Gosport Bitter, 5.2%abv.

MagicPhil's Beer of the Festival: Green Jack Brewery, Canary Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv

MagicPhil's Reserve Beers of the Festival:
Six Bells Brewery, Big Nev's Bitter, Bitter, 3.8%abv
Wells Brewery, Eagle IPA, 3.6%abv
Oakleaf Brewery, Blakes Gosport Bitter, 5.2%abv

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