Saturday, May 26

Yapton Beer Festival 2018

Yapton has been and gone again... another year has passed!

The sun shone, the beer flowed, Yapton worked it's usual magic and we all got sun burnt and enjoyed some decent (but not outstanding) ales... it doesn't get any better and we had a better turnout from the jolly boys (the bunch I go drinking with) this year, which is always a joy...

As ever most beers were surprisingly cheap - I think we were paying £1.40/ £1.50 a half (which I think was slightly cheaper than previous years), but excellent value. Last years idea to offer free containers for takeaway - something I took them up on then - was continued this year and I again spent my remaining vouchers on a pint to enjoy at home! 😀👍

Long may this little festival continue!

Picture courtesy http://devoursussex.co.uk

So without further ado here's the ales.....  I have to say, much like last year although I didn't have a poor beer, the choice was very largely from lesser known breweries this year...  having looked at the notes from last year, they did exactly the same this year with Thornbridge (very much a premier league brewery) but the beer was an unknown to me (and isn't even listed on the brewers web page) and very average, on the other hand perhaps my favourite beer of the day was from a brewery I don't normally rate..  so horses for courses, and you pays your money and...

Brewery Beer (click for more info) ABV Notes (from brewery website) What I can remember...
Southsea "Low Tide Pale Ale" 3.8% "Great hoppy flavours refresh your thirst in this tasty golden pale ale" A good start from a local brewery based in Henry VIII's castle in Portsmouth..  very bitter, also slightly hazy rather than golden..
Big Hand "Pendragon" 3.9% "Welsh red ale, malty with a warm citrus hit." Ok - but not outstanding.
Bowman "Sarva" 4.5% "Pale, lower strength IPA with pine and citrus flavours from the American Cascade and Simcoe hops".My beer of the day - took a pint of this home with me as well - for a beer of this strength a lovely hoppy bitter hit without the all too present grapefruit'y/citra taste.
Thornbridge "California Sun" 4.5% "Crisp, hop forward session IPA, full of pine and grapefruit flavours." Was looking forward to this but it disappointed - a very thin brew with not a lot of taste carry through...
Broken Bridge "Insane the Grain" 4.2% "This is a deep and complex pale ale brewed with barley, rye, spelt and oats. Full bodied, spicy, biscuity and crisp malt base and well hopped." Close run thing for favourite beer of the day - very powerful flavour (or maybe that was just in comparison to the Thornbridge I'd just had??) with a good bitter finish
Hop Studio "Ascalon" 4.5% "Brilliantly drinkable strong and complex golden ale. Floral and Citrus aromatics. Bitter, slightly spicy, dark fruit flavours and a malty backbone." "Very dry and bitter" I wrote..
Emsworth Brewhouse "SkIPA" 5.4% "a hoppy, American IPA brewed using malts, oats, wheat and 5 new world hops to create a rounded, ‘fuller mouthfeel’ India Pale Ale without being too much of a hop monster!" My most local brewery - they have had a distinct up turn in quality since they relocated to proper premises and brought in a qualified brewer - I liked this, it was OK

...and that was it - wended my way home for a snooze on the sofa and the wedding highlights...

9 comments:

  1. That picture looks so inviting Steve, it's one thing I'm really missing, good old English Ale. Plenty of bottled Belgian beers here, heavy going Trappist stuff etc, otherwise it's Lager only. I could murder a pint of golden IPA. Glad the weather was nice for the festival, always makes a difference.

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    1. Lee.. I would too... so - noticed on your blog you were popping in to Valencia.. after you've got your paints you need to give me a review of this place..

      https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187529-d3600921-Reviews-Portland_Ale_House-Valencia_Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Country.html

      .... :o))

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    2. Cheers Steve, I'll stick the address in the satnav and see how far it is from the solicitors offices, sounds inviting :) Last time there we did find a nice Irish Bar and had a lovely pint of draught Guinness.

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  2. Nice beer festival, will go to the annual big bash CAMRA Kent festival at Merton Farm Canterbury in July, with hundreds of beers & ciders however the price is the same as in a pub! I always thought beer festivals were suppossed to be a little cheaper like Yapton. Hoppy bitters are best too much of this citrus malarky going on!Still cant beat a pint of good honest Harveys Sussex Best!!

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    1. Fraxinus... in more philosophical mood the jolly boys often discuss this question of beer festivals.. have they run their course?? They were an absolute God send 20 odd years ago whn the beer choice was so limited.. but these days, I can name half a dozen local pubs serving 3 or 4 qood quality, premium ales, that I don't have to pay to get in to, and where the beer is the same price... Yapton is different.. I tink it's the atmosphere.. the beer is cheap(er) but add in the six quid entry and it's the same as the pub..

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  3. Were they all IPAs? I've turned to stouts myself. Sounds like a fun day!

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    1. Scott - the game of the day was spot the Citra - every beer seemed to have it! Now don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of a strong IPA, but the Citra hop is pretty one dimensional...

      Stouts, yes, there were some on.. a couple of the jolly boys are similarly minded so they were hunting them out...

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  4. Sounds a fun day out! Bowman's do make some crackin beers!

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    1. Watcha Ray - that one was a good'y, but I have to say that most of their range is fairly average-plus, Wallop's OK, this one was nicer, the rest I can take or leave... now what you need to do my friend is seek out some Fallen Acorn beers - not a duff one among them, and the 'Hoptimus Prime' is nectar..

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