I think I may have developed an allergy to hops. I had three pints yesterday but boy, do I know I had a drink.
Admittedly, the three pints were taken at The White Horse Old Ale Festival and were mostly in the region of 6% - 9% so, I guess that makes it the equivalent of six or seven normal strength pints. I will have to be dry now until Wednesday as there is a big week ahead.
The White Horse at Parsons Green has hosted the Old Ale Festival in the last week of November for the last 27 years so you would expect them to be getting the hang of it but this year's list must be the biggest and best.
Among the highlights for me was Thornbridge Raven, a beer you might call a black IPA, brewed with black and chocolate malt but with a generous hop bitterness that balances the roast malt character. A 6.6% sharpener.
My overall winner for the day was Sierra Nevada, Celebration. A cask beer brewed in California and released for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year to celebrate the season. A rich beer with a spicy hop aroma, a complex taste of orange, with hint of honey and almonds finished with a long warming, fruity aftertaste. A lovely 6.8% beer as good as you come to expect from Sierra Nevada.
Some people do say that the WH is a bit expensive but overall my three pints cost less than £15 - less than I would have spent on a session of six or seven pints in the pub and this for rarities that I probably won't see again. Very good value in my opinion.
The festival continues throughout the weekend. I recommend a visit.
4 comments:
what do you think of the £7.00 a pint for fullers 1845 and golden pride when the american beer which had travelled half way round the world cost on average £4,50.
We didn't make it to the WH (tough week at work, lingering effects of swine flu) but we do think it's a great pub. I wouldn't go there for a bargain night out, though.
Johng -- I guess they were expecting to sell halves rather than pints and so priced it Belgian-style. It does sound a bit steep when you put it like that, though!
Johng, I take your point, ditto the Harvey's Christmas Ale @ £7. I guess you had to be a bit selective. The Italian cask imports were all at £7 a pint and IMHO were dissapointing - underattenuated and under conditioned. As far as the US stuff is concerned, I think the importers really are clued in now and are bringing in sufficient quantities to be able to price competitively. £1 to $1.6 is also helpful.
This was my first visit to the Old Ale festival and after a fleeting visit on Friday I had to return Saturday( much to my girlfriend's annoyance :-)!!!) I agree the Sierra Nevada, Celebration was on top form with Brewdog ales closely behind. I didn't consider it expensive, sometimes you have to pay extra for quality. I think the £7 pint for Fullers was due to it taking longer to deliver from Chiswick in the rush hour than American brews from the US!!!
Post a Comment