Ealing Beer Festival 2018

13/07/18

Ealing Beer Festival

Walking up to Walpole Park in Ealing, only the informed could really be expected to know what lay beyond the guarded iron barrier perched amongst the trees. Many a child trotting by sensed the excitement of their futures; being campaigners for real ale, taking every opportunity to peer underneath the banners. 

As the lads surged through the portal, a new world emerged, and 500 kegs of beer spread their arms and welcomed us in. This world wasn't like the one we had come from. This world was a secret garden of hoppy happiness. This was a reflection of diversity in both beer and the people that appreciate it. For every belly a barrel, from bitter to sweet to brown. And while not every keg a corker, by our humble taste buds, the level of invention was high. 

Departing the festival we knew we'd done our bit with 14 beers safely stored in the tank. The skies opened and the dusty ground was quenched, just as the mouths of the faithful that trod upon it.

Beers:

Beartown Brewery Blueberry - Amber and clear, strong blueberry notes on the nose, gentle, meandering, whisky sharpness on the throat, very tasty and sweet.

Beartown Brewery Polar Eclipse - darker than the inside of a particularly dark sock, been in the barrel for some time, smokey like the inside of a pensioners flat during the snooker, rich, light texture but solid on flavour.

Wild Beer Left Handed Giant Brewery River of Darkness - darker than the deepest cupboard in the cellars of hell, a top beer, bit of froth on top, spice in the nose, sweet taste to begin with from the maple and gives way to spice at the end.

Wild Weather Full of Beans - dark brown dusty appearance, smells of a nice logged fireplace, medium bodied, warming whiskey notes, very smooth and complex, dark chocolate taste and very very pleasant to drink, fascinating beer!

Wild Weather Brewery Obscure 80's Reference - yellow and cloudy like a Welsh summer, floral sweet notes to the nose, bursting with flavour, light melon flavours, summery gentle taste.

Tring Brewery Side Pocket for a Toad - classic amber appearance, bitter on the nose, sits on the tongue a while, a bit of a flavour cock tease, a blast of flavour up front then tapers off to bitter lingering.

Tiny Rebel Brewery Cherry Bomb - can smell the cherry from the naval, a bomb is not an incorrect name, fantastically sour, tastes syrupy, is there any beer in this?

Titanic Brewery Plum Porter - frothy, earthy, dark red hue, quite strong taste of plum, severely bitter aftertaste, not a great one.

Orkney Brewery Dark Island - Dark and muddy, bitter chocolate notes on the nose, flavour is very stouty, creamy, medium bodied and reliable stout.

Revolutions Brewing Co. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - hazy like a damp rag, light coloured, full bodied, pleasant, warming, tastes of the original feel of barley.

Bad Seed Brewery Rule the Roost - smooth and smokey like Tom Jones in the 80's, a sharp edge and rather bitter, good classic stout without a memorable stand out quality.

Fernandes Brewery Black Raptor - black, stouty robust aroma, flavour occupies the whole tongue, a wave of taste, liquerice, bitterness throughout (wooden kegged).

Sarah Hughes Brewery Sedgley Surprise - no real aroma, slightly fizzy, mild melon flavours, sticks to the basics well, tasty.

St Peter's St Peter's Mild - dark brown, raspberry/blackberry notes, balanced, sweet, quite bitter, reasonably pleasant.