Local Beer Fest News – Newcastle Arms

After winning the glory of being both mine and HH’s Pub/Bar of the Year the Top Arms is not resting on its laurels and next week see’s the first of this year’s Festivals.  Running from the 10^th until the 13^th of February, Neil and the gang have 41 cracking beers lined up with at least a dozen of them on at any one time.

For those of you who have never been to the Top Arms before it is a real pub.  By that I mean that it’s a little rough and ready around the edges and doesn’t do food or have any music playing.  What you get is just a great friendly atmosphere and some very well kept beers to keep you entertained.  Situated up near St James Park and Newcastle’s China Town it is easy enough to walk to for anyone who can make it into Newcastle itself.

Anyway, back to the festival.  Having seen the beer list* I think we are in for a treat this time:

AllGates – Green Bullet 4.1%

AllGates – Kiwi Best Bitter 4.2%

Backyard – Heriot 4.4%

Big Lamp – Golden Star 4.0%

Big Lamp – Winter Pale 5.0%

Bird Brain – Little Brown Jobbie 3.9%

Bird Brain – Little Wren 3.5%

Boggart Hole Clough – Bitter Blue 5.0%

Dark Star – American Pale Ale 4.7%

Dark Star – M&M (Mark & Mellisa) Special Porter 6.5%

Delaval – Delaval Hall Pale 4.2%

Delaval – Souter Lighthouse 3.8%

Durham – Apollo 4.0%

Elland – Red & Ruined 4.6%

Fyne – Avalanche 4.5%

Fyne – Sublime Stout 6.8%

Happy Valley – Black Magic 4.2%

Happy Valley – Sworn Secret 3.8%

Mallinsons – Binary Star 4.7%

Mallinsons – Hidden Malt 5.2%

Mallinsons – Lynx 4.3%

Mallinsons – Temple of Fame 4.4%

Marble – Ginger 4.5%

Marble – Three Point 9 3.9%

Pictish – Alchemist 4.3%

RedWillow – Smokeless 5.7%

RedWillow – Wreckless 4.8%

Rudgate – Truckies Special 3.8%

Rudgate – Willamette 4.2%

Summer Wine Brewery – Barista Espresso Stout 4.8%

Summer Wine Brewery – Boreas American Pale 5.0%

Summer Wine Brewery – Diablo IPA 6.0%

Summer Wine Brewery – Red Eye Rye Wheat Ale 4.8%

Tempest – Spiced Porter 5.9%

Thornbridge – Chiron 5.0%

Thornbridge – Colorado Red 5.9%

Thornbridge – Galaxia 5.9%

Thornbridge – Jaipur 5.9%

Thornbridge – Maniola 4.8%

Yorkshire Dales – St Josephs Wood 3.9%

Yorkshire Dales – Ulla Bridge 4.4%

I’m particularly looking forward to trying the Dark Star M&M after having heard so much about it on Twitter and beers from Summer Wine Brewery, Thornbridge and Fyne are also always worth trying.  Not having come across RedWillow Brewery or Tempest Brewing Co before I look forward to tasting their brews but to be honest I think everything on the list is going to be worth a try.

Again HH and I will be in a couple of times during proceedings with a Cider Tart or two in tow so say hello if you see us.

KC

*The beer list has come courtesy of Eric Larkham’s excellent North East beer mailing list.  Contact me if you would like to get in touch with him to be added.

Local Beer Fest News – Newcastle Arms Update

Just a quick update from yesterday on the beer list for the Newcastle Arms Beer Fest.  The ABV for the Marston Moor Beers are now in:

Black Knots 4.3%
Jack Snipe 3.9%

And there have been two additions to the list:

Redemption Pale Ale 3.8%
Redemption Urban Dusk 4.6%

As I said yesterday HH and I will be there tonight and it looks like we will be joined by at least one Cider Tart (δ) so if you see us pop over and say Hi.

KC

Local Beer Fest News – Newcastle Arms

Just got the beer list in for the latest Newcastle Arms Beer Festival which kicks off on Thursday (11/02/2010) and runs through the weekend.  I guess you can expect the usual game of sardines but judging by the list below it’s going to be well worth it.  HH and I are likely to be in on Thursday night but as he has to go to Scotland for the weekend I imagine it will be down to me to drink as much as I can and relay the tasting notes back to him…damn shame really.

Arbor Beachcraft 3.9%

Big Lamp Stout 4.4%

Big Lamp Winter Pale 5.0%

Bird Brain Golden Oriel 4.5%

Blue Monkey Ape Ale 5.2%

Blue Monkey BG Sips 4.0%

Boggart Rum Porter 4.6%

Brew Dog Punk IPA 6.0%

Brew Dog Trashy Blonde 4.5%

Coastal Astronomy 4.7%

Coastal Foxtrot 3.8%

Dark Star APA 4.7%

Dark Star Over the Moon 3.8%

Derby Quintessential 5.8%

Durham Archangel 7.5%

Durham Magus 3.8%

Elland Highway Star 4.3%

Fyne Avalanche 4.5%

Fyne Hurricane Jack 4.4%

Greenmill Thirst Quencher 3.9%

Hadrian Border Pioneer 4.2%

Hadrian Border Tyneside Brown Ale 4.7%

Highland Old Norway 9.5%

Highland Orkney IPA 4.8%

Holland Double Dutch 4.5%

Kirkby Lonsdale Institutional 8.8%

Liverpool Organic Liverpool Porter 4.9%

Mallinsons Jane Wouldn’t Like It 4.3%

Marble Ginger Marble 4.5%

Marston Moor Black Knots ?%

Marston Moor Jack Snipe ?%

Muirhouse Shunters Pole 3.8%

Pictish Alchemist 4.3%

Pictish Bravo 4.7%

Pitstop G Force 4.5%

Pitstop Pace 4.0%

Roosters Apres Ski 4.3%

Storyteller Genesis 3.8%

Thornbridge Raven 6.6%

Thornbridge Saint Petersburgh 7.7%

Wensleydale Beaters Winter Ale 8.5%

Yorkshire Dales Braidley Blonde 4.4%

Yorkshire Dales Buttertubs 3.7%

Looks like a really good mix of old favourites and some names that are new to me.

KC

Local Beer Fest News – Top Arms, Top Beer

Today sees the start of the Newcastle Arms Winter Beer Festival which is just as well because they were down to a mere 3 hand pumps, in preparation, when HH and I popped in yesterday.  The Beer list (courtesy of Eric) looks very promising.

ACORN – Cashmere 4.7, Lebelski 4.7
ADUR – Rope Tackle 4.3
ART – Hip Hop 4.3
ASCOT – Winters Ale 5.2
BIG LAMP – Newcastle Arms Winter Pale 5.0
BLUE MONKEY – Amarillo 3.9, BG Sips 4.0, 99 Red Baboons 4.2
BOGGART – Big Ginger 7.5
BOTTLEBROOK  – Pot Luck 5.0, Sand in the Wind 6.0
BREWDOG – Belgian Trashy 4.1
DARK STAR – Choc Stout 4.5
DURHAM – Bede’s Chalice 9.0
EAST COAST – Hoppers number 2, 4.1, Scarecrow 4.1
FALSTAFF – Carina 4.3, Cetus 5.7
FULL MASH – Castle Gold 4.0,Monty’s Whistle 3.8, Mortimer’s Ale 3.8
FULLERS – ESB 5.5
FULSTOW – Beata Gold 4.3 Rossi’s number 9, 4.6
FUNFAIR – Hotdog 4.5
GREENFIELD – Gardeners Gold 4.0
HADRIAN & BORDER – Tyneside Brown 4.7 (new badge)
HAVANT – Dropped 3.9, Stopped Dancing 4.4
HEADLESS – 1st Bloom 4.3, 5 Gates 5.0
HOLLAND – Blonde Belter 4.5, Lipsmacker 4.0
HOOK NORTON – Old Hooky 4.6
HOPBACK – Entire Stout 4.5
ILKLEY – Grandma’s Pud 4.3, Ruby Cascade 3.8
KELHAM ISLAND – Easy Rider 4.3
KELTEK – Trystan’s Triumph 4.5
LIVERPOOL ORGANIC – Port’er 4.9
LYMESTONE – Stone Cold 4.7
MALLINSON’S – Motueka 3.8, Nile 4.5
MARSTON MOOR – Churchill’s Armour 3.9
MONTY’S – Maple 3.8
MUIRHOUSE – Stout Fellow 3.8
RUDGATE – Ashingdon Hill Porter 4.0, Dutch Courage 4.2, Good, Better & Best 3.8
SAMBROOK’S – Junction 4.5
SALTAIRE Copper 4.1
SPRINGHEAD – Snatch & Lift 4.2
THORNBRIDGE – Kipling 5.2
WINDIE GOAT – Bolt Hole 4.6

HH and I (along with the potential of a Cider Tart or two) will be in residence from about 19:00 so get yourself along if you can.

KC