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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by Tharg drinker of cider[/i] [br]Five of us went to Catford: three cider drinkers, a beer drinker, and a retired American Professor of medieval English History, who decided to come on the spur of the moment after I’d bumped into him on the way. After being fortified with huge fry-ups, we went into the Broadway Theatre and headed straight for the (small) cider bar. They only had room to display a handful of the advertised ciders. We discounted the Orchard’s medium cider and the Cannock perry as being known quantities. We also decided not to drink any of the sweet ciders or perrys, this narrowed the choice down to a few. This is the order that we tasted them in: Palmer’s (Devon) - dry pale almost clear very dry subtle flavour, smooth Seidr O Sir (Radnorshire) English apples – yeasty, subtle, smells citrusy, acidic Castle – Kentish apples, crystal clear, spicy nose, medium, zesty – we liked it. Mynediad Ysbyty – strong tannins, coffee bitterness, good fruit, dark coloured cider, made by Jon Hallam – yes, that Jon Hallam Brook Farm Perry – clean, refreshing, dry, big flavour – fantastic. Newton Court Perry – rich, smooth, lots of pear on the nose - a bit “puddingy” - wouldn’t want to drink too much of this. Cripple Dick (Kent) – farmyard and yeast on the nose, tastes of cooking apples – not popular King-Turner ( Shropshire) fruity, popular New Forest Cider – dry, fruity, cloves, spice, honey, “smells like cider should” the overwhelming favourite, and made by Barry the Ciderman, as sold in SE1’s Borough Market. We thought it churlish not to try some of the many beers on offer. Here are our thoughts: Millis’ Kentish Red - very hoppy, dry, long finish, “delicious”. Nethergate’s Umbel Magna - ground coriander, very rich, very complex, coffee flavours, sooty, refreshing – thumbs up from everyone. Titanic mild – dark, bitter, clean, refreshing – popular. Grand Union’s Honey Porter - tasted of “salami and chocolate” (!) very popular. Crouch Vale Brewers Gold – fragrant smelling and tasting, really good Grand Union Stout – caramel, coffee, chocolate, tar, rich – “fantastic” Can’t remember the Dutch brewer’s name Hazlenut and Honey Porter - medicinal, “tastes like it’s been drained off a boil dressing” “tastes like a gout dressing” “tastes like Bovril” “Dutch dick wash” – not popular. Snab Spa (Dutch) –very nice, ordinary, ok, “foreign”. AdR Montagnarde – spicy, lots of character, nougat, nuts. Ramsgate Brewery’s Gadd’s no7 – bitter, tannic, “smells of buttered toast” long finish, smooth – the Professor declared that he couldn’t smell toast but he wouldn’t be able to taste garlic either (we were quite jolly by now.) The Professor disappeared to buy beer, only to re-appear some time later clutching three pairs of trousers he’d bought instead. Westerham’s Grasshopper – great fruity smell, tastes of grapefruit, very good. Wolf’s Strawdog – nice, subtle, touch of sweetness. Dark Star’s Landlord’s Wit – “it tastes of beer” - this was very popular Drie Horne Besselaer a Belgian beer made from blackcurrants and redcurrants – enjoyed by some, dismissed as “Ribena” by others. Larkins’ Best – recommended by the bar staff, this was a favourite with us, a great bitter. Wye Valley Bitter – “bog standard”. Oakleaf Brewery Mild – “smells pretty good” “quite nice” big flavour, malt, fruit. Hopdaemon’s Skrim Shandler IPA – bitter orange peel nose, same on the palate, “very good beer” - very popular. We went to get something to eat, and then headed back to SE1 for a pint in the Wheatsheaf. During the 8 hours we spent there, we only saw six women. We didn’t start any fires, we didn’t get into a fight, none of us vomited, we did fart a lot (that’ll be the beer) we laughed an awful lot, and next day, although a little sluggish, we all reported in feeling really good. I’m not sure how soon I’d visit a beer festival again, the beer and cider was fantastic, but the hoards of middle-aged, overweight, bald men in safari suits, or t-shirts with wacky slogans on and badges, was a little disconcerting. And you will know us by the trail of empties.... [/quote]    -  HTML is OFF | Forum Code is ON   Check here to include your profile signature.