Yapton Beer Festival 2016

Oh happy day, for 'tis Yapton again, err again... another year has passed, Yapton worked it's usual magic and the sun shone, bullshit was quoth, and we all got burnt and enjoyed some outstanding ales... doesn't get any better... 😀

As ever most beers were surprisingly cheap - I think we were paying £1.50/ £1.60/£1.70 a half, about the same as last year, but excellent value. Entry to the festival  was a fiver (which gets you an official glass, no official glass no beer), and that's the secret of this successful festival, and a lesson that a lot of Beer Festivals could do with learning...  people aren't going to come and pay a large entry fee to an event when they are then also being charged the same or more than their local pub... last years experiment of offering beer in a third of a pint at a cheaper rate again was also continued...

Long may this little festival continue!

Piccie courtesy Twitter...  this is the main bar - there's another one behind the person taking the piccie...

So without further ado here's the ales.....

Brewery	Beer (click for more info)	ABV	Notes (from brewery website)	What I can remember...
Thornbridge	Wild Swan	3.5%	"White Gold Pale Ale Wild Swan is white gold in colour with aromas of light bitter lemon, a hint of herb and a subtle spiciness. A great refreshing beer!"	Little underwhelming when compared to their better known "Jaipur" - I had hopes that this would match the bottled version but I don't think it did..
St Austell	Proper Job	4.5%	"A powerfully authentic IPA, Proper Job is brewed with a blend of imported American hops. .... An award winning modern IPA, packed full of citrus pineapple, grapefruit resinous flavours with a fine crisp bitter finish."	One of my top 10 beers of all time - rarely seen on draught - this was always going to be a choice on the day. Interesting that the draught verison is a whole percent less than the bottled version, even so it was lovely..  very nice
Oakham	JHB	3.8%	"Hop: Challenger, Mount Hood Colour: Light Gold"	Another one of the citrusy, grapefruity, super bitter, light coloured ales that are very popular at the moment..  I had two of these, but only 'cos one of the other guys got me the second one in error.. Ordered me the wrong beer and then goes to sleep...
North Riding	Citra	4.5%	"Citrus in a glass, the hop that keeps on delivering. Easy drinking premium pale ale with a grapefruit and lemon taste and aroma."	This was the one I had hoped to have the half before..  well worth waiting for, as it didn't disappoint...
Vibrant Forest	Flying Saucer	4.3%	"A golden beer, with hoppy explosions of citrusy orange and grapefruit, leaving a lingering bitterness and a curious desire for more."	Perfectly pleasant, but not outstanding... and no curious desire, good or otherwise...
Burning Sky	Aurora	5.6%	"Premium-strength pale ale with an expansive blend of US hops giving a resinous mouthfeel. Big citrus and tropical fruit flavours, yet well balanced."	I'd first tried this on a Jolly Boys outing to Brighton where we had gone to a pub called the Prince Albert - one of the stand out beers for that trip, so today was a check to see if it was still as good as I remember it..  and it was, this was my "beer of the festival"...
Oakleaf	Hole Hearted	4.7%	"The use of Cascade hops gives this golden ale powerful floral and tropical fruit flavours, and a delicate bitterness."	Bit of a cheat as this is one of my top 10 beers - I just fancied a half before I went home so I was strictly stay on on piste with this choice...

...and that was it - wended my way home for a snooze on the sofa and a watch of Eurovision...