Camden Town @ Draft House Tower Bridge

Does unfiltered beer give you hangovers?  Always keen to test a theorem and highly optimistic for the null hypothesis Fuggles merrily quaffed away tonight courtesy of Charlie Mcveigh of Draft House, Jasper and the team from Camden Town Brewery and Justin Carter (who kindly got me in the door at the last minute).

I'm a huge fan of what Camden Town are doing.  An artisan twist on traditional beer styles - contemporary, with being try-too-hard.  I'm mostly in love with everything I tried tonight.  Being in much polite company I can't supply you with photos, so please open your imagination instead and enjoy the below.  Or better still, seek them out for yourself in the soon to be opened brewery tap at Camden.

We opened with the Gentleman's Wit - a lemon and bergamot wheat beer where the lemons are roasted to release the oils.  This pale almond cloudy liquid was fresh, zesty and immensely drinkable.  Definitely the session beer of the night.  The Hells had been matured for 6 weeks in tank at Camden town, and 6 hours later, pretty much decanted into our glasses.  A proper kellarbier with spicy floral notes that remind me so much of heather honey.

Then onto the bottled wheat beer, a heffe weisser, brewed using traditional german yeast and very few hops.  There is an interesting story behind the yeast, which Jasper tells far better than I would ever attempt to, but the character of the yeast is the embodiment of the beer.  A variety of malted barleys balance the wheat to create a darker, sweeter and very quaffable variant of wheat beer.

And finally onto the hoptastic finale.  I'm not sure we were ever told how many IBUs were in this beer, but alot.  However, this chestnut coloured IPA had a richness that complemented and toned down the strident bitterness of the (9?) hops and resulted in a full and satisfying IPA.

Mention also should go to the chef, for the quite awesome foot long pork scratchings and even better pork belly.  Fuggles is all at once quite satiated with good beer, food and company and will be visitng draft house again very soon.

A Lambic Odyssey

It's been a while, I know, but after a brief hibernation Fuggles has rejoined the world of the wide web.  I blame Christmas myself, and I don't mean that in a bad way.  Research commissioned by the cask report in 2011 suggests that cask ale drinkers are more naturally adventurous in what they drink, and consequently less likely to stick to one category of drink.  In December, for me, this comes in the form of mulled wine.  But if it weren't for this fact, I might not be about to extol the virtues of the unusual Lambic beer from Belgium. 

Ever since a tip off from Mark Dredge I've been meaning to check out the Cantillon brewery in Brussels.  Cantillon has been brewing Lambic beer in Brussels in the traditional way for over a hundred years and is the last brewery still running in the capital, under the auspices of the same family which founded it.  The knowledge and skill passed down through the generations is as important a part of the beer as the very fabric of the brewery in which it is made.

Many beers describe themselves as Lambic.  Most that reach the export market have been sweetened to increase the appeal and popularity.  Classic examples being Lindemans and Mort Subite.  The purest and most traditional form of lambic has virtually no sugar in at all (having been entirely consumed by the yeast) and is incredibly tart and sour - a definite acquired taste.  Unlike most beers, old hops are deliberately used to avoid imparting any flavour, and solely for their preservative properties.  Lambic is perceived by some to more closely resemble cider than beer.

What makes Lambic beer so special is the yeast.  Most breweries preserve a pure strain of their yeast in an off site yeast bank, to allow generation of new yeast for fermentation and a consistent brew every time.  Lambic beer is produced using wild yeast.  Samples of Cantillon beer have revealed over 60 different strains of yeast in a single bottle.  The production of lambic beer is therefore unlike any other. 
The cooling tank (above) is where the magic happens.  This large flat vessel is where the near boiling wort is pumped to for cooling.  Boiling has at this point destroyed any organisms that may have been present in the beer thus far.  The sterile liquid is now exposed to the air overnight whilst it cools.

The brewery must therefore ensure a good "infection" of the wort.  There are holes in the roof to encourage circulation of air.  The wood from which the brewery is built is the natural breeding ground for the yeast.  If repairs need to be undertaken to the brewery, only a small amount of wood can be removed at a time to ensure this unique "yeast bank" is not depleted.  Furthermore, brewing can only take place in the winter months to ensure that the wort cools to a level where the wild yeast can survive but bacteria (that would spoil the beer) cannot - around -5 to +5 oC.

 

The beer is then left to mature in barrels for anywhere from 14 months to 3 and a half years.  From this base a number of beers can be created.  The skill in lambic beer production lies not just in a good brew, but in a good blend.  "Geuze" beer is produced by blending old and young lambic to create secondary fermentation in the bottle, which adds carbonation to the beer.  This blending is the skilful part of making a geuze and the "head brewer" describes himself instead the "master blender" in reflection of this.  Because each bottle of beer is different (due to the effects of the wild yeast) this can only be done by tasting and blending.

Alternatively, fruits are added to provide the sugar for secondary fermentation.  Classic beers are Kriek (sour cherries) and Framboise (rasberries).  The Cantillon fruit lambics have an intense nose and first hit of fruit when you taste it, with the sourness of the lambic sweeping in to finish.

Our favourites were the Fou Foune (apricot) and Zwanze 2011.  Zwanze is the annual limited edition brew.  Cantillon are not afraid to experiment with mixing grain and grape and have several regular examples of this.  Zwanze 2011 contained a peppery grape variety called Pineau d'Aunis which provides a great contrast to the underlying sourness of the lambic.
You can only get this beer in the brewery itself, so if you want to try some you'll have to get over there (which I thoroughly recommend anyway).  Be warned though, our guide recommended a 1-2-3 approach to drinking the beer.  Essentially it takes 3 sips to get used to the flavour before you can start to enjoy it.  Some would argue more, but this is a beer that will not be to everyone's taste.

It's no secret that I like my Belgian beer, but I cannot stress enough that the Cantillon brewery offers a rare (but very accessible) opportunity to learn about and try something unique.  If you're ever in Brussels do pay it a visit.  Even if you can't get your tastebuds round the style it's a living part of Belgium's brewing history.

Postscript
Much can (and has been) written about Belgian beers and bars, which I won't attempt to better.  If you're planning a visit I recommend a read of the beer advocate.  Instead, I'll just leave you with some abbreviated highlights.

LATE NIGHT BEERS: Delirium Taphouse (excellent selection, didn't ever seem to close, also 400 vodkas if you're that way inclined)
LENGTH OF BEER LIST: Porte Noire (a warm dark cellar with an overflowing fridge and never ending beer list)
LOCALS' BEER CAFE: Le Coq (choice completely uninfluenced by childish humour)

GEUZE: Cantillon (obviously), Tilquin, Oud Beersel

LAMBIC: Bon Voeux 1 An

BRUNE: Bourgogne des Flandres Brunes

KRIEK: Kasteel Red

TRIPEL: Karmeliet, Caulier

Mikkeller @ Cask

Fuggles was very excited last Saturday, almost beside myself with excitement.  I couldn't quite believe that Cask Pub & Kitchen were playing host to my brewing hero - the legend that is Mikkeller.  It was clearly a sentiment shared by most others in the pub, judging by the respectful silence that hung in the air while he spoke.  It is rare to see Mikkeller on tap in the UK, although most good specialist beer pubs will have a selection of bottles.  You certainly won't see 12 Mikkeller beers on one bar again in a hurry.

Mikkel himself is an unassuming and modest type, whose mission in brewing is to keep making better beer, always push the boundaries and try something unusual - an ambition that's hard to fault.  What is perhaps most amazing about his modus operandi is that rather than run his own brewery, he 'rents' other people's breweries to produce his stuff of magic.  This may mean that no two beers are ever quite the same, but after all he doesn't exist to keep churning out the same beer year after year.  Although it seems this spark of genius may be borne less of creativity or financial acumen and more of pragmatism, Mikkel professing to a particular dislike of cleaning his equipment. 

What was particularly special about this meet the brewer event was the amazing atmosphere.  It was more like being at a house party (but with better booze).  Random conversations easily struck up with people at the bar, or the next table along.  The sense of excitement in this shared experience, and obviously a proliferation of opinions on the beers providing an easy common denominator.
So onto the beer.  I could list them all as great beers, but I'm not here to regurgitate a beer menu to you, so I'll just note my top picks.  Faced with the dazzling menu, and realising we couldn't drink it all presented some tough conundrums.  It should be noted that the inevitability of trying to drink them all hadn't even occurred to us, we were still quite sensible at this stage.

An early crowd pleaser was the "Nelson Sauvignon" (pictured at the top with "A Pale Ale").  Apparently one of Mikkel's own favourite beers.  A beer of high acidity, but still fruity, vaguely reminiscent of caramelised pineapple.

The "Double Shit Coffee" (or VB Kaffestout) was a beer to rival Dark Star's Espresso.  Rich chocolate notes on first tasting give way to a fuller bitterness, like chewing on roasted coffee beans.  A truly wonderful stout.

The "Black Hole"s matured in a variety of barrels were also tasty.  Our favourite was the Tequila, as it cut through the stout and lifted it, leaving a slight hint of Tequila at the end.

 And finally we come to what may have been our undoing.  But was probably just the straw that broke the camel's back (having worked our way up to it through the rest of the menu).  The "Black 2011" weighing in at an almighty 17.5% was just too tempting to resist.  I've had strong beers before that had little to say for themselves apart from their strength, but this was stunning.  Rich, meliflous and terribly naughty.  According to the Beer Gremlin, if they served beer in a den of iniquity (which I'm sure they would?), this would be it.

It was great to meet the man behind the beer, and sample so much of his repetoir side by side.  Whilst I am eternally grateful to Cask for playing host to my brewing hero, I would just make a small plea that you start serving his beer in thirds...

Beer and Food Matching

Whether you're a regular experimenter with beer and food, have the odd dabble, or never tried it before, I really cannot recommend highly enough an event put on by beer professionals to learn something new.  That said, there's something equally satisfying about having a go yourself next time you're in a great cask or speciality beer pub.  Try something new, something you think won't work, it just might.  In this vein of adventure, off trotted Fuggles to South West London.

Billed as Battle of the Sexes.  John Keeling vs Melissa Cole.  (Or Fuller's beers vs non-Fuller's beers).  Six courses, each with 2 beers matched with it - one selected by Ms Cole, the other by JK, you judge and jury - which works best? It sounded like a gastronomic delight going down at the Red Lion in Barnes on 14th October.  And that was before we discovered that one of the "courses" contained 4 different charcuterie, each of which was matched with 2 different beers.  Those warm up drinks suddenly started to feel like a bad idea.

To start was a test of the time honoured matching of porter and oysters.  I must confess to never having tried this before - remaining in the curious but unconvinced pool of people.  Fuller's London Porter squaring up in this instance to Aspall's Premier Cru.  A lovely cider (or should I say cyder?) in normal circumstances, but in this case I found it wholly too acid for the oysters, and the warm comforting blanket of the London Porter coated the Oysters in a surprisingly silky way on the palette for me.  1-0 to John.

Onto "Course" 2 (part 1) - smoked duck breast with cherry compote.  Anchor Liberty vs Fuller's Chiswick.  I'm a massive fan of Anchor beers (see Beer Fest in a box for one of my favourites).  But when it came to pairing with the sweet and smoky duck the Anchor was entirely too powerful for the food, and the mellower Chiswick won out.

(Part 2) - air dried ham and fig.  Honeydew vs Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted.  Again, I found the Bitter and Twisted just a little overpowering for the dish, whereas the Honeydew pulled out the sweetness of the fig and exploited nicely that classic sweet and salty combination that is so moreish.

(Part 3) - salt cod brandade on ryebread.  St Austells Clouded Yellow vs Fuller's Discovery.  Melissa had it for me here.  Clouded Yellow is a great beer, but the real secret lay in the thin layer of horseradish between the brandade and the bread.  The spicy notes from the coriander in the Clouded Yellow teased this out perfectly, allowing the spicy flavour to linger on the tongue.

(Part 4) - Devils on Horseback - Chimay Blue vs HSB.  This was almost too close to call.  So I won't.

Main 1 - Yam Fatt Putt.  OK, I'll explain it.  Chinese style pork belly with sweet potatoes in a big yam doghnut.  Fuller's Past Masters Strong Ale vs Thornbridge Kipling.  Much as I love Thornbridge, it was way too hoppy for the sweet plum sauce of the pork belly.  Past Masters XX had it for me by a country mile.  Rich, sweet and mellow, I'd never have thought of pairing it with anything but a sharp cheese, but it surprised me by not being cloying with the sauce.  Nice pick JK.

Main 2 - Lahmacun (AKA spicy lamb pizza - sort of) - Fuller's London Pride vs Williams Bros Grozet.  For me the intensely herbal Grozet - the stuff that Williams Bros do best - was a clear winner here.  London Pride is a great session beer, but it didn't add to the food, didn't detract from it.  It just didn't interact.  One more to Melissa.

Dessert - Pear Tart Tatin with Fuller's Double Stout Ice Cream.  Dark Star Espresso against (you guessed it) Fuller's Past Masters Double Stout.  I love the double stout, it's a quirky stout, with some aniseedy notes, and really does the style credit.  But the espresso here with its intense coffee flavour and greater sweetness, almost like a tia maria, just toned in nicely with the dessert.  I think we're about 4 - 3 to JK now.

Digsetif - Chilli salted Caramel Tart - I loved this course, sweet, salty, spicy, so hard to match!  You need a BIG beer to deal with that, let alone add to it.  In the red corner, Fuller's Golden Pride, in the blue corner, O' Hanlons Brewers Reserve.  It could only be the bigger beer that won out in this heavyweight competition.  In this case it was the fruity, mellow, marmalade mitts of Golden Pride wrestling the chili caramel down your throat.

So 3 hours later, satiated in the extreme, I left the night reminded of three things.  Firstly that matching beer with food can be equally, if not more powerful than matching wine with it.  Although on the flip side it can also miss the beat entirely, which I find happens less with wine.  Secondly that Fuller's has a staggering range of beers.  We tasted less than half their range, and no two were even a similar style.  And thirdly and most importantly that experimentation is always a good thing, and life can only be the richer for it.

Many thanks to the staff of the Red Lion for the exquisite food, and Melissa and John for their careful pairings and tutelage on the night.

Hallelujah

I'm not sure this is something to be proud of, but after many frustrated hours I have finally found the button that allows me to reply to comments on my own blog.

Fuggles is exhausted, but satisfied.

Celebrating beer's diversity

I’ve been meaning to eat this particular slice of humble pie for some time now, as a recent trip to Cornwall reminded me.  If you’ve been reading this blog for long enough you may remember a rather negative piece I wrote following the acquisition of Sharps by international brewer Molson Coors.  At the time I could only see this meaning the end for the Rock brewery, and the innovative fruits of head brewer Stuart Howe’s exploits, with a wholesale transfer of Doom Bar production to Burton, or somewhere else better connected than Rock (which, let’s face it, wouldn’t be a tall order).  How wrong I was.

At a welcome to the Beer Bloggers conference in May, a man (whose name and position I ashamedly can’t recall) from Molson Coors, the major sponsor of the event, stood up and talked about celebrating beer’s diversity.  His point (or my interpretation of it) was that there is a sort of symbiotic relationship between the major brewer and the micro.  The major brewers have the marketing power and the mass appeal to bring new drinkers in to the cask ale market.  A vital role when you look at the tough time the cask ale market has been having at holding share in recent years.  The micro, or craft brewer is then able to innovate and take seasoned ale drinkers to new levels with more unusual and sometimes challenging tastes.  Thus the major brewers bridge the gap between the newly converted and experimental drinker and ensure a steady influx of willing guinea pigs.

The problem with being a self-pronounced beer connoisseur is that you can sometimes inadvertantly become a beer snob.  This was the point at which I realised I was guilty of this.  In a world where small breweries are springing up all over the place and producing new and exciting beers it is easy to forget that regional and national brewers have in fact been doing this for hundreds of years, and clearly doing it rather well to have stayed the course.  We never actually lose our love for the classic beers that first got us into the style.  But they become a bit like a favourite toy – still played with often, but not the shiny new one we want to shout about and show off to our friends.

And so back to my humble pie.  Coors announced two weeks ago that they would be spending £5m tripling the capacity of the Sharps brewery in Rock with a shiny new brewing plant.  In the interim, a couple of additional fermenting vessels will be added to accommodate the rapid growth (currently tracking at over 50%) that has followed the financial backing and logistical support from Coors.  Hardly the action of someone who places no value on heritage, and sees their product only as a commodity.  So perhaps shame on me for my cynicism, but I’ve never been happier to be proved wrong.

St Austell Tasting

In a week of many beers, Fuggles took a night off from GBBF (just the one, mind you) and headed over to the Real Ale Shop in Twickenham.  Busman's holiday?  Well, yes, but when you like buses...  What could possibly tempt me away from Earl's Court in a week like this, you might wonder.  Well, Zeph and the crew were playing host to none other than Roger Ryman, head brewer of St Austell, for a tutored tasting, and the launch of the beer brewed in collaboration by St Austell, Realale.com and the Rake in Borough.  Nuff said.

We started off with Trelawny Bitter, a session beer packed full of fruity flavour from the complex mix of 3 hops and 3 malts.  Roger then explained the importance of his relationship with the farmers who grow his barley and proudly boasted that Cornwall had some of the best barley in the country this year.  This is a theme I am hearing more and more these days.  With the growing demand of the bioethanol market and pressure on farmers to increase the yield from their fields, they need a reason to grow brewers barley.  Being able to drink a pint of Tribute and say "I grew that Barley" is not a bad one.

We then moved on to Proper Job IPA and Roger enlightened us as to the origin of the name.  Inspired by the IPAs of Portland, Oregon, Roger returned to Cornwall determined to brew a similarly strident and punchy beer.  As all westcountry folk know, a job well done is a "proper job".  Devoid of a name, the 2 barrel brew was simply labelled "proper job" IPA.  And it stuck.

Roger then talked us through one of his special brews - a Bock style lager, made with well roasted malts this lager is amber and sweet, and packs alot of flavour.  Then it was time to try the collaboration brew - Big Smoke.  A mild porter with a beautiful smoky nose and fruity palette.  But they had still saved the best til last.

Smugglers Grand Cru is a Barley wine aged in oak whisky barrels for 9 months.  The unfilitered beer is then bottled in Champagne bottles, topped up with some yeast from Camel Valley vineyards down the road.  (Incidentally, if you've never tried Camel Valley's sparkling Pinot Noir, you really should.  It beats Champagne any day).  The result is a deep and complex beer.  The aroma is fruity, with a touch of sourness (think lambic), the palette is rich, spicy and tart with a hint of the whisky coming through.

It is incredible the transformation that St Austell has undergone under Roger's care.  He has taken it from a 15,000 barrel brewery in 1999 to 70,000 barrels today.  He's not afraid to experiment with unusual styles or push the boundaries.  Every beer you try from there (even Tribute) started life in his 2 barrel microbrewery, and I'm confident we can expect many more where they came from.