Back in the Groove

Last Friday night I managed to get back to the pub. Yes, someone give me some tickets to put on the wall - its exciting news. The Parr's Head had Summer Lightning on as its guest beer. It tasted like DMS and had traces of acetaldehyde as well. I don't think I have ever had this beer and enjoyed it. It's rubbish and overrated. My yellow curry from their Thai kitchen was nice though and more than excused the lacklustre pint. In future I will remember just to stick to the Pride!

On Saturday afternoon I met up with my mate Rich who has moved down to sarf-London. We hit up the Alma and the Ship which are both Young's pubs in Wandsworth. Both pubs were really busy with crowds spilling over onto the streets, and the Young's Ordinary was in fine condition (@ both venues). I even had one pint served in a dimpled mug which is pretty rare in London. I obviously didn't look like I was going to bop someone over the head with it!

Anyhow I broke the drought and hit up a couple of pubs. It was fun, although I didn't have a bender. One of those is on the horizon though.

On other beer related news there is a CAMRA beer festival creeping up that I might go to. The Ealing beer 'fest is the only one of these soul less nerdfests that I actually go to. It's held outside and there is plenty of room to get away from the hardcore beer nerds and CAMRA degenerates. Not sure which day I will go to yet, but I will forewarn everyone which day I am going. If only so CAMRA types can avoid me! A full report of the piss up will follow in due course.

Young's Winter Warmer

After Jay finally recovered a little bit, I took him to the Cabinet War rooms and the Churchill Museum and then a chaotic stroll along Regent Street. It was getting cold and late so we decide to head back west and grab a bite to eat at my former local - The Brook Green Hotel.

This is a Young's tied house that went upper class during a refurb after the smoking ban was introduced last year. Since then I have avoided the place, but I found myself in there last Saturday.

Jay was not drinking, but I got stuck into the Young's Winter Warmer (5.0% abv), the winter seasonal from Young's.

I really rate this beer - it is really nothing more than a dark special bitter but it tends to take on the character of a brown porter which I suppose suits the season well. Hopefully this is just a stepping stone in my so far unsuccessful hunt for Fullers London Porter! (Website)

Young's Kew Gold

Young's Kew Gold (4.8% abv) is a pale spritzy bottle conditioned bitter from Young's. I had the pleasure of getting my hands on this bottle at the Young's tied Coach and Horses on the edge of Kew Green. The beer is brewed with hops that are inspired by the varieties found in nearby Kew Gardens. My amateur hop detecting nostrils can detect styrian goldings (sorry no east Kent Golding's here) and maybe pride of ringwood. It tastes a little bit like coopers pale ale, ad pours a similar colour, however the beer is more harsh and has a strong carbonic bite as it is overcarbonated. This acidic bite makes the bitterness harsh and the beer not very refreshing. The beer is also bottle conditioned, so it qualifies as Real Ale under the conditions set out by CAMRA, but not that CAMRA's guidelines mean anything in the real world.

Basically I am a little underwhelmed by this beer. It seems like Young's have attempted to brew a basic lager under the disguise of a Real Ale, possibly in an attempt to convert lager drinkers into Real Ale fans? Anyhow, I still suggest that you check this one out, purely as its still an intersting beer (once you let it warm to ale temp and let the gas die down).

Young's Bitter 2

Whilst revisiting the Brook Green hotel I also got into a pint of Young's Ordinary, just to see if they have improved their cask handling practices. I have to report that they have indeed improved things, although this pint was certainly still not at its best.

Does anybody think that its a fair call that Young's Ordinary is better now that they have moved the brewery from Wandsworth out to the Well's site? It just seems to be fresher these days with more hop flavour where before it was so bland it could have been nitrokeg John Smith's being served up on pump. Anyhow, you can read my past thoughts here.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

As I have stated a few times recently, my parents have been in town visiting. After eating in nearly all the restaurants and pubs near us I took them down to my old local - The Brook Green hotel. Now its not that I have anything against the Brook green, its just that since the renovations after the smoking ban the place has become a bit pretentious. OK not just a bit pretentious, very pretentious! First of all, they insist on table service... It's a Young's tied pub for crying out loud! They have also become quite expensive and the ale is usually not kept very well.

Anyhow rant over - I opted for a Double Chocolate stout (5.2% abv), a bottled ale (so it will be in OK condition) and a fair whack cheaper than a pint of draught (£2.60 as opposed to £3.40).

The beer delivers what Meantime Chocolate attempts - and fails to do. A strong intense chocolate flavour and aroma, chocolaty bitterness and a smooth mellow lingering bitter aftertaste. The beer is also quite thick and oily, which I am assuming comes from the chocolate used in brewing. For some reason, I think Young's may have discontinued this beer - and my thoughts were suspiciously confirmed when I failed to find any mention of the beer on the Young's website.

Young's Special Premium Ale

Young's Special Premium Ale (4.5% abv) is a special bitter available only on draft and not to be confused with the much stronger bottled London Special Ale. I enjoyed this pint at the Calthorpe Arms on Gray's Inn Rd a couple of weeks ago whilst attempting a mini crawl through the Mt Pleasant area. The beer is a medium amber colour and has a defining characteristic fruitiness which differentiates special from bog standard Young's Bitter.

Lately I have been having a bit of a debate with some of my mates regarding Young's beers. We believe that since the brewery has moved from Wandsworth out to wherever they make the stuff now the beer has become better and more consistant, especially the standard bitter.

Anyhow, you can find all your marketing needs about the beer at the website:http://www.youngs.co.uk/beer-special.htm

Young's Special London Ale

This was the other beer I picked up during my Tesco run, and I must admit that it is one of my favourites. It is quite a strong beer at 6.4% abv, and has a distinctly hoppy taste. The label claims that the beer is bottle conditioned, however I have yet to find any evidence of yeast deposited in the bottom of one of the bottles! It is claimed that fuggles and goldings hops are used which is interesting as the beer does not taste like your typical London ale and actually is a lot fruitier with some banana and citrus flavours coming through not unlike an APA. I have noticed on occasion that the level of aroma and flavour hops is not very consistent and lower levels lead to a strong alcohol kick on the tongue. The more hoppy batches tend to be balanced better – this bottle was of the less hoppy which is a trend I hope hasn’t started due to the recent price increases on the world hop markets! Young’s describe the beer are:

Bottle Conditioned. Occasionally available in the cask.Production moved from Youngs to Wells & Youngs in 2007.Ingredients: Maris Otter and Crystal malt; Fuggle and Goldings hops. Dry hopped with Golding and Target hops. Re-pitched with fresh yeast and wort in the bottle.Young’s Special London Ale is the UK’s No.1 bottle conditioned ale. It is an unpasteurised, living beer, matured in the bottle for a fuller, more complex, multi-dimensional, fresher taste. Without artificial carbonation, the only fizz is the natural effervescence created by fermentation. “A wonderfully balanced, deep-golden strong bottled ale, brewed from pure malt and a phenomenal amount of hops. A lively, fruity character with suggestions of banana and orange zest.” CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain - 1999.

Young's Bitter

Next up was ‘The Hope’ a Young’s tied house just up the street from Farringdon Station. We decided to head to this pub based upon a recommendation in a CAMRA book however, the only two real ales on offer where the perpetually boring Youngs Bitter (3.7 %abv) and the equally uninspiring Greene King IPA (which ironically is just a regular bitter). As we were in the Youngs house we decided to opt for the house bitter of which a fresh cask had just been plumbed in. The verdict?? I will be honest that it was one of the best pints of Youngs Bitter I have had the privilege of consuming.. even if it was slightly boring after the St Peters Stout.

Here is what Youngs have to say about their beer.

Bursting with taste, Young's Bitter is an easy to drink, refreshing cask ale with a fresh, fruity aroma that leaves a long, satisfying bitter finish. It is traditionally brewed to deliver a clean taste and is light and dry in flavour with a subtle taste of hops. 100% malt brew: Maris Otter and crystal malt with Fuggle and Golding hops.Enjoy on draught in all Young's pubs (subject to availability).
Note from the Head Brewer:"Number one selling beer, an ideal session pint."
Brewery AwardsGold medal and Championship Trophy at Brewing Industry International Awards 2000