[A Few More Than] Six Links to 03.08.11

In which I usually post a half-dozen links to items of interest I’ve spotted around the Beerblogosphere since my last Six Beer Links post. But seeing as I’ve been on holiday for a couple of weeks since my last proper read-through my RSS feeds and tuned back in to find 717 unread items waiting for me, I’ll be posting stuff in longer-than-usual batches until I’ve caught up…

1. Here’s a video chat with three members of Bellowhead, back-stage at this year’s V Festival on the subject of touring, brewing and diverse other things [via ‘Local Beer Champion’ accreditation scheme for pubs who do their bit to support breweries in their region. More info at www.siba.co.uk/sibalocals.

2. This year’s 2011 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain – Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde – looks like one I’d definitely like to try. And I’ve enjoyed many a pint of the always excellent runner-up (Marble Chocolate) and a one or two of the third-placed (Salopian Shropshire Gold) before now. Congrats to all three breweries!

3. The People’s Pint y’say? Good idea, having a lower-strength option on the bar for extended sessions. Bloody stupid name though. Would you be tempted to try a beer that sounds like a government initiative?

4. Via www.siba.co.uk, news that Molson Coors has announced plans to invest £175m in its UK breweries, including the recently-acquired Sharps. Which is a Good Thing in anyone’s book, surely?

5. Gotta love those Ralph Steadman labels from Flying Dog. Here’s news of a new one, courtesy of beernews.org.

6. Will Hawkes has profiled Sussex brewer Dark Star for The Independent Online [via Is Saison the New Citra?, decided it isn’t and then explained his flavour-profile-based conclusion.

7. Mark Dredge got a few things off his chest with a piece on beer branding and I have to say I find myself nodding in agreement with just about everything he says there.

8. …his piece also prompted Boak and Bailey to follow up with a few simple but rather excellent Branding Tips for Small Breweries.

9. …and on the same topic, Jeff Pickthall’s PumpClip Parade blog was featured in a Guardian Online article on Real Ale’s Image Problem.

10. Over at Eating Isn’t Cheating, Neil has been looking into the world of Foreign Export Stouts and mentions a couple I haven’t tried yet.

11. Via Brew Wales, news that Brains Original Stout may soon be appearing in a larger Tesco near you. Any new bottled stout on the supermarket shelves is a cause for celebration (and worth a try or two) if you ask me.

12. Pete Brown encountered brilliant bar service at BrewDog Edinburgh, based around the principle of friendly, good-looking young people handing out hundreds of free samples of beer (he’s got a point there, what’s not to like?)

13. Martyn Cornell got a bit hot under the collar about Roger Protz and Otley Brewery’s new Burton Ale, which due to an accident of 1970s brand reinvention, apparently isn’t a Burton Ale.

14. BrewDog have announced the winner of their 2011 Photo Competition. I voted for the swimming dog myself, but there you go :)

Brewery: Rudgate
Location: York, England
ABV: 4.4%
Version: Draught
Source: Automatic, Bury

After a couple of pints in the Trackside yesterday afternoon (one each of a perfectly pleasant Green Jack‘s Lurcher Stout and an absolutely incredible Outstanding Stout) Jo and I headed round the corner to (probably Bury’s best eaterie) Automatic, part of the Met Theatre / Malt Bar setup run by Bury Council (iirc).

I was delighted to discover that they had CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 2009 on tap, and thoroughly enjoyed a couple more pints with my meal (I had the fishcakes, followed by a rib eye steak and chips, seeing as you ask, and very tasty they were, too).

Rudgate Ruby Mild was a vision of loveliness for starters – a dark chestnut colour shot through with those eponymous highlights – and tasted absolutely delicious. Waves of warm, rich maltiness, with cherries, dark chocolate, a hint of sherry sweetness and none of the sourness that I’ve noticed in a fair few milds; all delivered on a wonderfully rich, smooth mouth-feel.

All in all: a quite fabulous beer that I wouldn’t hesitate to quaff all night, given half the chance (easily good enough to tempt Jo away from the Guinness for her second as well). If you’re within striking distance of Bury town centre, I suggest you hot-foot it down to Automatic, or the Malt Bar next door, before the barrels are drunk dry.

CAMRA have announced this year’s supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britian. It’s Oakham Ales Attila, a 7.5%abv barley wine described by the brewery thus: “Fruit notes and elderflower on aroma. Taste of ripe red berries and citrus fruit with a long bitter fruity finish.”

Sounds bloody delicious, and I’ll bet there’s none left by the time I get to the NWAF tomorrow evening (my drinking buddy Howard is available, so that means a double-session for yours truly. Nice.)

The silver and bronze awards went to Elland Brewery‘s 1872 Porter and Sarah Hughes’s Dark Ruby mild, respectively, so that’s another two for the target list for tomorrow and / or Saturday. I’m looking forward to the next couple of evenings immensely…

The judges have spoken at the Great British Beer Festival and CAMRA has announced that this year’s Champion Beer of Britain Gold Medal winner is Alton’s Pride, brewed by Hampshire’s Triple fff Brewery.

From the press-release tasting notes: “Alton’s Pride, which has an ABV of 3.8%, is described in the 2008 edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide as: ‘Clean-tasting, golden brown beer, full-bodied for its strength with an aroma of floral hops. An initial malty flavour fades as citrus notes and hoppiness take over, leading to a hoppy, bitter finish.’”

The Silver award went to Black Dog Freddy from Beckstones of Cumbria. Bronze went to CAMRA’s current National Winter Beer of Britain winner: Station Porter from the Wickar Brewery (no website?) of Gloucestershire.