MagicPhil's Tasting Notes 2008

London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2008

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

Wednesday 12th - Friday 14th March 2008
Open Wed + Thurs 12-3pm + 5-10.30pm;
Fri 12-10.30pm.
No admission after 10pm
CAMRA members Admission free Wed + Thurs lunchtime
£1.50 at all other times
(non-members £3.00)

Further info see: http://www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/

Food all sessions.
Imported Beer

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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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 1

Wednesday 2.50pm. 12/03/2008

1st Pint. Acorn Brewery, It's Madness, 4.4%abv
Type and Festival Programme Notes(TFPN): BB, Pale, straw-coloured bitter.
Type: B: Bitter, BB: Best Bitter, SB: Strong Bitter, BW: Barley Wine, DM: Dark Mild, P&S: Porter and Stout, S: Speciality
MagicPhil(MP) says: The programme note is accurate as to the colour and type, but fails to do justice to this beer. It is in prime condition, a bit lively, but better for it. The immediate flavours of this bitter are citrus and then some sweetness, well balanced, and then more flavours await. There is a second note of deeper citrus, and I thought a quarter of the way down the pint that this would overwhelm and be too sharp, but I was proved wrong. The sweetness and sharpness balance and combine to produce a really good drinking beer. I do not know if I could drink this as my "Standard Bitter" but I would certainly try.
Highly recommended

2nd Pint. Black Hole Brewery, Red Dwarf, 4.5%abv
TFPN: Not in Programme
MP says: Again, this beer is in prime condition and is a bit lively, but again all the better for it. It is a mid to dark brown bitter, with a great deal of flavour immediately available. Malt, sweetness, no apparent citrus at first taste. The sweetness stays, but is not cloying, a touch of sweet citrus - pineapple perhaps - comes in, but this beer is well made, and stands against the "It's Madness" very well. If I had had them the other way round I "might" be suggesting that that was too sharp! This is an excellent beer, and highly drinkable. There is another deeper flavour that comes out about 3/4 of the way through,but I have not managed to identify what it is!
Highly recommended

MagicPhil's Joint Session Pick: Acorn Brewery, It's Madness, 4.4%abv

MagicPhil's Joint Session Pick: Black Hole Brewery, Red Dwarf, 4.5%abv

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes -Volume 2

Wednesday 5.15pm. 12/3/2008

1st Pint. Holdens Brewery, Black Country Bitter , 3.9%abv
TFPN: B, Light bitter with dry, hoppy finish.
MagicPhil(MP) says: A pale mid straw-coloured bitter, lively, in prime condition again. Immediate citrus, but lacks drive! This is good bitter, at any other time it might get a commendation, but in the company of the other beers today the best I can do is:
Recommended

2nd Pint. Roosters Brewery, Outlaw Wrangler, 3.7%abv
TFPN: B, Golden beer with passion-fruit aroma.
MP says: Certainly an immediate citrus nose, pale gold, lively, it is a reasonable bitter, but it does lack the development that would bring it up.

3rd Pint. York Brewery, Guzzler, 3.6%abv
TFPN: B, Dominant hop and fruit flavours developing throughout.
MP says: Well, I cannot find major flavours here. It is a good light bitter, but does not really develop much past the first two mouthfuls. Perfectly good, but do not expect much extra.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Holdens Brewery, Black Country Bitter, 3.9%abv

Magicphil's rant begins early!
I fail to understand how the festival can manage to struggle on for such a long time without learning lessons. It seems that every festival the things that should have been learnt last time are as though they had never been. The late opening, - 5.04 tonight, the poor queuing, which is NOT the problem of the queuers, no matter how much some of the staff would like to make it - if you do not tell people which way they should queue when they start to queue, then do not berate them for doing something sensible. The failure, again, to have two lines or entries, one for CAMRA members and one for others. It is difficult to see what the mission statement of the festival organisers is? If it is to get people into the venue as quickly as possible - up to the limit of the venue - and get them drinking good beer, then they are clearly failing in that mission statement. Why?
End of Magicphil's rant.


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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 3

Thursday 2.40pm. 13/03/2008

1st Pint. Broughton Brewery, The Reiver, 3.8%abv
TFPN: B, Light-coloured ale with predominantly hoppy flavour.
MagicPhil(MP) says: This is a very pleasant drinking bitter, no great surprises, but it is done well. If there is no great depth of flavour, this is not a bad thing. Some initial sweetness, some citrus later. It does get dryer, and better, as one goes down the pint!

2nd Pint. Battledown Brewery, Tipster, 4.2%abv
TFPN: BB, Golden beer, crisp, clean & zesty.
MP says: More than slightly hazed, mid-brown beer. There is some honey early, but it is difficult to tell how good this beer could be because of it's poor condition. I would like to try this in prime condition. Perhaps a bit sweet, but who knows.

2 and a halfth pint. Abbeydale Brewery, Moonshine, 4.3%abv
TFPN: BB, Pale beer balancing sweetness & bitterness with full hop aroma.
MP says: This was recommended to me by a colleague who said it looked as though it could have already passed through the body once! He did use different terms, but I understood what he meant. It is very pale; probably the colour of a lager that used to be called Ste**a A****s; really yellow and pale. It is much sweeter than I would have expected, with no apparent citrus, but some honey flavours immediately apparent. Maybe I should try a pint; Judgement reserved; But "I'll be back" as The Styrian Oak used to say.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: None

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 4

Thursday 5.15pm. 13/03/2008

1st Pint. Tunnel Brewery, Meadowland, 4.0%abv
TFPN: B, Pale ale with citrus finish.
MagicPhil(MP) says: A very pale yellow, low on head, it is hazed with very fine particulate matter, a touch flat, a little sour if anything, some sweetness comes in , but does not really develop. About a quarter of the way down the pint I thought it would not develop, and regrettably, I was right. Disappointing.

2nd Pint. Saltaire Brewery, Blackberry Cascade, 4.8%abv
TFPN: S, American style pale ale infused with a hint of blackberries
MP says: At first look, it is interesting, more than a hint of blackberries, rather sweet, one hopes for some development, but it never happens. There is a touch of citrus that comes in as it goes along, but the journey is not really worth it. It is one thing making Kriek, which is sweet and sweet and sweet, but this is sweet with nothing else.

MagicPhil's Session Pick: None

Magicphil's rant 2
The entry debacle continues. Again the festival does not open until 5.04pm, and again there is no CAMRA entry. But these are old issues, discussed again and again in earlier festival notes. I see no point in going over the same old ground again. Considering the same people have been running the festival since it started, have they learnt nothing? Or perhaps it is because the same people are running the festival? DISCUSS.
End of Magicphil's rant 2

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MagicPhil's Tasting Notes - Volume 5
Friday 3.00pm. 14/03/2008

1st Pint. Oakham Brewery, JHB, 3.8%abv
TFPN: Citrus hops with dry, bitter aftertaste
MagicPhil(MP) says: A real pale yellow colour, good citrus immediately, and then some body. It is not a "Mighty Beer" but neither does it pretend to be. In excellent condition, this is a good drinking bitter. A very pleasant Pint.

2nd Pint. Dark Star Brewery, Hophead, 3.8%abv
TFPN: Golden bitter with long-lasting citrus/bitter taste
MP says: Pale, clear, good condition, good flavours, perhaps some sweetness there, a bit more "chewey" than the others? More to it in the mouth! A touch of sweetness, this has more body than earlier beers. It does get a touch sharp, but it is questionable whether it is TOO sharp?

3rd Pint.Fox Brewery, LJB, 4.0%abv
TFPN: A malty brew with a hoppy, bitter background
MP says: Dark and malty, chewey, rich and sweet. It is surprising to me to find this kind of beer at this strength. But maybe that is what is required. It has, for me, the flavours and body of a beer that could be 5-6%, without the strength to back it up. It is not unpleasant, but it is disappointing.

4th Pint. Matthews Brewery, Bob Wall, 4.2%abv
TFPN: Roasty hint with fruit & malt flavour
MP says: Yes, this is quite dark, but does not have the overpowering sweetness of the LJB, it is better balanced, it is not so chewey as the last one, it is not so caramel. It is pleasantly drinkable - slips down a treat.

5th Pint. Saffron Brewery, Pledgdon Ale, 4.3%abv
TFPN: Amber ale, with hints of citrus & biscuit
MP says: A mid-brown beer, in nice condition, some sour/sweet flavours, yes, why not. Cannot find a Biscuit here, I have to say!

5 and a halfth pint. Woodfordes Brewery, Headcracker, 7.0%abv
TFPN: BW, Malty, with winey bitterness & a dry finish.
MP says: Slightly hazed, Golden coloured beer, good nose, good first flavours. It is sweet, but not too sweet, it is rich in flavours, but not too much so, it really is very good, but it is time for me to go!
Recommended

MagicPhil's Session Pick: Woodfordes Brewery, Headcracker, 7.0%abv

MagicPhil's Beer of the Festival: Acorn Brewery, It's Madness, 4.4%abv

MagicPhil's Reserve Beer of the Festival: Black Hole Brewery, Red Dwarf, 4.5%abv.

MagicPhil's Strong Beer of the Festival: Woodfordes Brewery, Headcracker, 7.0%abv

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