By Brewery Bird
Can you remember your first pint?
I can. Theakstons Old Peculiar.
In my late teens, after quickly becoming bored and quite frankly incredulous at some of the drinks my female friends opted for – Cinzano and lemonade or Leibfraumilch anyone? – I figured there must be an alternative tipple that I hadn’t yet discovered.
So it wasn’t long before I began to check out what several of the blokes in our social group were happily quaffing and it was there I discovered the Holy Grail. A beautiful amber-chestnut pint of rich, malty fruitiness; it was smooth, and it was good. And that was it. I was hooked.
Now back in the early 90’s, it’s safe to say that there certainly wasn’t the choice of beer that there is today, and whilst there were some beautifully crafted beers, you pretty much found the same brews in every pub you drank in. Thankfully over time this is no longer the case and as a result over the years there have been a handful of beers which have made an impression on this beer-drinker…
Harveys Best Bitter 4.0% – I’m not really a best bitter drinker, but if I moved to a village with only one pub, which just served this beer, I would happily sup a few pints a couple of times a week. Light toasty notes with a fairly big bitter hop taste, but perfectly balanced.
Goose Island IPA 5.9% - The One That Got Me Into Hops. First drunk whilst working/travelling in the US, around the time US microbreweries really started to upset the big boys. The aroma was like nothing I had encountered before in a beer; an explosion of lemon and grapefruit which to my delight carried on with the first sip. My first real hop fix, and definitely not my last.
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9% –American hops are layered throughout over a malty background with a dry bitter finish – I first came across this brew at the Great British Beer Festival in 2006 where it won Silver in the Champion Strong Bitters category – at the time for me, it was one of a kind in terms of flavour. Two years later at GBBF 2008 Jaipur was awarded Gold Medal in the Champion Strong Bitter Category. Nuff said.
Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout 4.5% – Oh my days. What can I say about this beer that hasn’t already been said? Smooth, chocolatey loveliness in a glass, with hints of coffee and dark fruits which balance out the sweetness. It won Bristol CAMRA Beer Festival in 2006 and again in 2007. CAMRA finally crowned it Champion Winter Beer of Britian in 2009. About time.
Oakham Citra 4.2% - Found at pretty much every major beer festival and my go to palate cleanser. Sharp, refreshing and zingy thanks to the beer’s namesake. Back in 2009 Oakham claimed to be the first UK brewery to brew a commercial beer with 100% Citra hops. Meant to be seasonal, they haven’t stopped brewing it since. CAMRA Supreme Champion in 2014.
