Beery Me

Last Thursday (12th) saw me enjoying a night at the Leicester Beer Festival, meeting up with John Hague and also bumping into ex-iNDUSTRiE band mates Liam O'Driscoll and Kev Potterton. A great night all in all, with some excellent beers. Unfortunately I also had a couple of nasty ones, and one downright lethal one! In order sampled: Beijing Black from Potbelly Brewery, Kettering, Northants 4.4 Mild - superb as ever Darker Mild from Wibblers Brewery, Chelmsford, Essex 4.3 Mild - really enjoyed this one Ten Fifty from Grainstore Brewery, Oakham, Rutland 5.0 Ale - another firm favourite Dark Ruby from Sarah Hughes Brewery, Sedgley, West Mids. 6.0 Mild - very good indeed Nieco from Church End Brewery, Atherstone, Warks 5.0 Pale IPA - possibly my favourite of the night Ripper from Green Jack Brewery, Lowestoft, Suffolk 8.5 Barley Wine - here's where things started to go wrong! Jaipur from Thornbridge Hall Brewery, Bakewell, Derbyshire 5.9 Pale Ale - the last sensible drink of the night Thorn from Gwatkin, Herefordshire 7.5 Dry Perry - really not very nice! Dark Rum Porter from Boggart Hole Clough Brewery, Manchester 4.6 Porter - can't remember it Divine Rebel from Brewdog Brewery, Fraserburgh, Aberdeen 12.5 Barley Wine - oh dear .... The full notes for this last beer (which I should have read with a clear head before trying it) are as follows: "Brewed jointly with Mikkeller (Denmark). 25% of the beer aged in Speyside whisky barrels. Barley Wine. Dangerous." That last word should have been in big bold text! I can put up with vomiting and headaches after a night out, but sitting on the throne all night with stomach cramps is not my usual post-beer habit. Luckily I didn't feel inclined to try one of the festival specials - Superheater, a 15% nightmare from down the road in Broughton Astley.