ALE 28th Cambridge Beer Festival No. 302

Beers

• If you're looking at this at the beginning of the Festival week, some won't be ready yet.
• If it's later in the week, some will have sold out, in which case we may have bought in extras not on this list (possibly some "old favourites").
• See the various notices for the latest information.
• There should always be a good choice of beers on at any one time.
• The ones which are "on" have cards displayed on or near the casks giving the details, including the price.
• If you can't find a card for a specific beer, it's not on at the moment.

We are using oversize glasses, allowing us to serve you a full pint (or half) of beer with plenty of space for the head.

See also the list of Foreign Beers and Cider & Perry.

Wherever possible we show in Festival programmes the 1998 East Anglian Beer Star Ratings. These rate the region's regularly-brewed beers, so occasionals, one-offs and more recent beers have no rating.

Abbeydale (Sheffield), 1996

Matins (3.6%)

Absolution (5.3%)

Barnsley (South Yorkshire), 1994

Mayflower (4.5%)

Batemans (Wainfleet, Lincolnshire), 1874

Dark Mild (3.0%)

A creamy mild with a fruity palate, some roast character and a hoppy finish. Mild of the Year 1999/2000 and on two previous occasions.

Godiva's Gold (4.0%)

A delicate beer brewed with lager malt. Liberty and First Gold hops added to give a taste of citrus fruit and a delightful fragrance.

"Yella" Belly (4.2%)

Organic Bitter

Miss Whiplash (4.2%)

XXXB (4.8%)

Superb strong russet bitter with a complex palate, consisting of a delicate aroma of hops delightfully balanced by a prominent malty character. Five times Premium Beer of the Year!

Batham (Brierly Hill, West Midlands), 1877

Best Bitter (4.3%)

A pale yellow, fruity, sweetish bitter, with a dry, hoppy finish. A good, light, refreshing beer.

Beecham's (St. Helens, Merseyside)

Beecham's IPA (4.5%)

Crystal Wheat Beer (5.0%)

Light, fruity wheat beer with aroma of citrus fruits, clean, hoppy palate, and adry finish.

Belvoir (Old Dalby, Leicestershire), 1995

Whippling Golden Bitter (3.6%)

Brewed for spring and summer.

Boat (Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland), 2000

Man in the Boat (3.5%)

Named after a local landlord. Traditional full mash dark ruby mild - 5 malts and shovels-full of fuggles hops convert all drinkers to mild!

Rattler (4.3%)

Traditional full mash, pale and hoppy with plenty of bite make this a refreshing, light thirst-quenching option. Nice.

Brains (Cardiff), 1882

Brains Dark (3.5%)

A dark brown mild with a pleasant mix of roast, caramel, malt and hops, bitter-sweet with a rounded finish. A beer that benefits from good cellarmanship.

Castle Rock (Nottingham), 1996

Elsie Mo (4.7%)

A blonde and beautiful single malt beer, light in colour, refreshing on the palate. Triple hops blend leans towards Challenger hops. Pleasant crisp aftertaste. Wonderful aroma.

Hemlock (4.0%)

Straightforward quaffing ale with a strong bitter finish.

City of Cambridge, 1997

Boathouse Bitter (3.8%)

A light copper coloured session bitter, quenching and dry. A pleasant aroma created from the distinctive floral and citrus Cascade hops.

Hobson's Choice (4.1%) ****

A light golden bitter with a refreshing bitter aftertaste. Champion Beer at the Cambridge Beer Festival 1997. One of the 1998 Good Beer Guide Beers of the Year, also finalist at the Great British Beer Festival in Olympia. Bronze award in the English Ale Awards in 1999.

Blend 42 (4.4%)

A blend of the brewery's two best-selling beers to create a unique smooth flavour. A pleasing golden colour with a refreshing aftertaste.

Atomsplitter (4.7%)

An amber coloured beer with plenty of character. Bursting with First Gold hoppiness.

Darwin's Downfall (5.0%)

A blended ruby-golden beer. Hoppy with a fruity character and a refreshing citrus aftertaste.

Parker's Porter (5.3%)

A dark rich ruby coloured fruity flavour bitter with a tangy aftertaste.

Bramling Traditional (5.5%)

Finalist at the Cambridge Festival of Winter Ales 1998. Made with Bramling Cross hops rarely used nowadays; very fruity and delicious.

Crouch Vale (Chelmsford, Essex), 1981

Brewers Gold (4.0%)

Anchor Street Porter (4.9%)

Daleside (Harrogate, North Yorkshire), 1985

Old Legover (4.1%)

A well-balanced, mid-brown, refreshing beer that leads to an equally well-balanced, fruity and bitter aftertaste.

Monkey Wrench (5.3%)

A powerful strong ale, mid-brown to ruby in hue. Aromas of fruit, hops, maltand roast malt give way to well-balanced fruit, malt and hoppiness on the tongue, with some sweetness throughout. A very flavoursome beer.

Dark Horse (Hertford), 1994

Dark Horse Ale (3.6%) *****

A tasty bitter, with a hint of roast grain.

Fallen Angel (4.2%) *****

Darktribe (Scunthorpe), 1996

Old Gaffer (4.5%)

Well-balanced copper-coloured bitter. Hops predominate throughout. Champion beer of Lincolnshire 2000 and 2001!

Dent (Cumbria), 1990

Aviator (4.0%)

Originally brewed as a beer for Flying Firkin, this amber-coloured ale is characterised by strong citrus and hoppy flavours which develop into an enjoyable bitter finish.

T'Owd Tup (6.0%)

A rich, full-flavoured, strong stout with a roast coffee aroma. The dominant roast character is balanced by a warming sweetness and a raisiny, fruit cake taste which lingers on into the long aftertaste, making this a very satisfying drink. Sometime Champion Winter Beer of Britain.

Dwan (Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland)

Black Pearl (4.3%)

Stout.

An Dubhain (5.0%)

"Dark one". An Irish extra stout with a classic balance of roasted barley and Galena hops. This beautiful and complex beer should be sipped to be appreciated fully.

Fenland (Chatteris, Cambridgeshire), 1997

Sparkling Wit (4.5%) ****

Doctor's Orders (5.0%) *****

Russet bitter, using First Gold hops and three Norfolk malts.

Flagship (Chatham, Kent), 1995

Crow's Nest (4.8%)

A straw-coloured, sweet and fruity ale with a hoppy aroma.

Green Dragon (Bungay, Suffolk), 1991

Chaucer Ale (3.8%)

Bitter

Bridge Street Bitter (4.5%)

Best bitter

Green Jack (Lowestoft, Suffolk), 1993

Honey Bunny (4.0%) ***

Crisp, with honey tone.

Orange Wheat (4.2%)

Guernsey, 1856

Braye Mild (3.8%)

Copper-red in colour, with a complex aroma of malt, hops, fruit and toffee. The rich, mellow flavour combines malt, fruit, hops and butterscotch, while the finish has malt and hops. Full-flavoured, surprisingly dry and hoppy.

Sunbeam Bitter (4.2%)

Golden in colour, with a fine malt aroma. Malt and fruit are strong on the palate and the beer is quite dry for its strength. Excellent dry malt and hop finish.

Hart (Little Eccleston, Lancashire), 1994

Katwalk Keeley (3.8%)

Golden beer with a hoppy aroma and sweetish aftertaste.

Saigon (4.2%)

Rich black Irish stout. Dry, bitter and moreish.

Harveys (Lewes, East Sussex), 1790

Knots of May Dark Mild (3.0%)

Armada Ale (4.5%)

Hoppy amber best bitter. Well-balanced fruit and hopsdominate throughout with afruity palate.

Hull, 1989

Mild (3.3%)

Roasted malt dominates this very good example of a dark mild. Dark red/black in colour, it has a good balance of fruit and hop flavours with a smooth finish.

Northern Pride (4.2%)

A distinctive, full-bodied beer, with a malty aroma.

Iceni (Ickburgh, Norfolk), 1995

Celtic Queen (4.0%)

A light summer ale, packed with flavour.

LAD Lager (5.0%)

Raspberry Wheat (5.0%)

Kelham Island (Sheffield), 1990

Wheat Bier (5.0%)

A summer beer.

Pale Rider (5.2%)

A well-balanced strong, pale ale. Fruity and fulldrinking.

Kings Head (Bildeston, Suffolk), 1997

NSB (2.8%)

Not Strong Bitter. Surprisingly tasty for its strength.

Crowdie (5.0%)

Oatmeal stout.

JW Lees (Manchester), 1828

GB Mild (3.5%)

Malty and fruity in aroma. The same flavours are found in the taste, but do not dominate in a beer with a rounded and smooth character. Dry, malty aftertaste.

Bitter (4.0%)

A pale beer with a malty, fruity aroma and a distinctive, malty, dry and slightly metallic taste. Clean, dry Lees finish.

Lidstones (Wickhambrook, Suffolk), 1998

Rowley Mild (3.2%)

A dark full-flavoured mild, brewed with Maris Otter chocolate malt and roasted barley.

Session Bitter (3.7%)

Straw-coloured, dry aromatic bitter.

Lucky Punter (4.3%)

A light beer with a highly distinctive taste and aroma.

Oat Stout (4.6%)

A complex black stout brewed with five different malts. The editor's current favourite beer in the world, so get some before he drinks it all!

Rawalpindi IPA (5.0%)

A strong, straw-coloured bitter with a citrusy and appley flavour. IPA the way it was meant to be.

Marston Moor (Kirk Hammerton, near York), 1983

Prince Rupert Mild (4.0%)

Brewers Droop (5.0%)

A pale, robust ale with hops and fruit notes in prominence. A long, bitter aftertaste.

Mighty Oak (Mauldon, Essex), 1996

Oscar Wilde Mild (3.7%)

A wonderfully mellow, moreish dark mild. Brewed using Maris Otter, Pale Crystal and Black malts and gently hopped with Challenger. Beer of the Festival at Ongar 1999.

Milton, 1999

Minotaur (3.3%)

A rich, dark mild with bags of character from the lavish use of chocolate malt.

Pegasus (4.1%)

Complex copper-coloured beer. The initial hoppiness is balanced with a long fruity, malty finish. Very moreish.

Pyramid (4.4%)

Bronze in colour, powerfully hoppy, a complex bitter-orange flavour with a lasting bitter finish.

Electra (4.5%)

Golden colour, hoppy aroma, with a biscuity malt flavour balanced by a strong and lasting bitterness.

Mausoleum (4.9%)

Crisp, hoppy beer. Bright golden hue, with a beguiling bitter finish.

Cyclops (5.3%)

Deep copper coloured ale, with a rich hoppy aroma, full body, fruit and malt notes develop in the finish. Brewed with three different malts and four different varieties of hops.

Mammon (7.0%)

Deep copper coloured ale, with a rich hoppy aroma, full body, fruit and malt notes develop in the finish. Brewed with three different malts and four different varieties of hops.

Moorhouses (Burnley, Lancashire), 1865

Black Cat (4.3%)

Excellent dark, fruity, refreshing beer with a distinct chocolate malt flavour. Current Champion Beer of Great Britain.

Pendle Witches Brew (5.1%)

A full, malty beer with a distinct hop aftertaste.

Nethergate (Clare, Suffolk), 1986

Suffolk County (4.0%)

A dark bitter in which delightful malt and hop aromas give way to a well-balanced palate. Rich malts and powerful bitterness dominate the flavour, ending in a strong, bitter finish.

Swallow (4.2%)

Old Growler (5.0%) *****

A complex and satisfying porter, smooth anddistinctive. Sweetness, roast malt and fruit feature in the palate, with bitter chocolate lingering. The finish is powerfully hoppy.

Oakham (Peterborough), 1993

Jeffrey Hudson Bitter (3.8%) *****

Impressive straw-coloured quaffing bitter with bold floral, grassy hop, grapefruit and kiwi fruit and a little sweetness followed by a long, dry aftertaste.

White Dwarf (4.3%) *****

Full-bodied yellow-golden wheat beer with awell-defined citrus hop, rounded off with a gentle underlying malty sweetness in the mouth but ending bone-dry with hops holding up well.

Orkney, 1988

Dragonhead Stout (4.0%)

A strong, dark malt aroma flows into a dry malt and roast flavour with hints of caramel and fruit. The roast malt continues to dominate in the aftertaste and blends with chocolate to develop a strong, dry finish. Hard to find.

Skullsplitter (8.5%)

Does exactly what it says on the cask!

Passageway (Liverpool), 1994

The Cavern (4.2%)

Genuine Blonde Wheat Beer (4.2%)

Naturally cloudy wheat beer with complex fruit and hoppy flavours and a distinctive aroma.

Phoenix (Manchester), 1982

Monkey Town Mild (3.9%)

A dark mild ale. Deep roast flavours are balanced with traditional Golding hops.

Wobbly Bob (6.0%)

An amber beer with a malty fruit aroma. Strong malt and fruit flavours with a slight sweetness ending in a dry finish.

Pictish (Rochdale, Lancashire), 2000

Black Diamond (3.5%)

A full-bodied, rich, dark mild. Roast barley flavours dominate the palate and lead to a subtle well-balanced finish.

Celtic Warrior (4.2%)

Mid-brown in colour this beer is quite malty with a delicate hop aroma.

Randalls (Guernsey), 1868

Patois Ale (5.0%)

Amber in colour, with a hoppy aroma. Bitter and hoppy both in the palate and finish.

Reepham (Reepham, near Norwich), 1983

Rapier Pale Ale (4.3%) ****

A crisp, hoppy aroma leads to a clean hoppy taste underpinned by a bitter base and smoky maltiness. A superb balance of bitterness and hops in a long drawn-out finish.

St. Agnes (4.5%)

A hybrid ale, whatever that means.

Ringwood (Hampshire), 1978

Boon Doggle (3.9%)

Old Thumper (5.6%)

A mid-brown beer. A fruity aroma preludes a sweet, malty taste with some fruit. Surprisingly bitter aftertaste, with malt and fruit.

Rockingham (Elton, Cambridgeshire), 1997

Forest Gold (3.9%)

A hoppy blonde ale with citrus flavours, well balanced and a clean finish.

Dark Forest (5.0%)

A new recipe, comprising a complex blend of six malts, with generous proportions of Perle, Cascade and First Gold hops.

Rooster's (Harrogate, North Yorkshire), 1993

Punch Drunk (4.3%)

A one-off brewed for a pub; we managed to get the last two casks.

Sarah Hughes (Sedgley, West Midlands), c1860

Dark Ruby (6.0%)

A dark ruby strong ale with a good balance of fruit and hops, leading to a pleasant, lingering hops and malt finish.

Sweet William (Leyton, East London), 2000

East London Mild (3.6%)

Just William (3.8%)

Whole fuggles are joined in copper by challenger hops for bitterness and aroma, this makes Just William a crisp bitter ale. Ideal for a session beer.

Ginger Beer (5.5%)

Pale malt ale has root ginger added to the copper to create a traditional ginger beer flavour. More ginger in the fermenter provides a light fresh aroma culminating in a crisp and refreshing pint

Tipsy Toad (Jersey), 1992

Jimmy's (4.2%)

Titanic (Stoke-on-Trent), 1985

Captain Smith's (5.2%)

A full-bodied, dark red/brown beer, hoppy and bitter with malt and roast malt flavours, and a long, bitter-sweet finish.

Tring (Hertfordshire), 1992

Jack O'Legs (4.2%)

A combination of four types of malt and two types of aroma hop provide a copper-coloured premium ale with full fruit and a distinctive hoppy bitterness.

Colley's Dog (5.2%)

Dark but not over-rich, strong yet very drinkable, this premium ale has a long dry finish with overtones of malt and walnuts.

Wentworth (Rotherham), 1999

Oatmeal Stout (4.8%)

Bucketfuls of roast and chocolate malts with coffee overtones lead to a bitter aftertaste.

Rampant Gryphon (6.2%)

A deceptively strong, well-balanced golden ale with hints of fruit and sweetness but which retains a hoppy character.

Wolf (Attleborough, Norfolk), 1996

Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (3.7%)

A strong malty aroma introduces a complex mix of malt, hops and bitterness. Caramel notes merge with a roasty, nutty finish to complement the consistent fruity bitterness.

Granny Wouldn't Like It (4.8%) *****

Unusual caramel base binds all the flavours of beer in a symphony of taste. Malt, hops, fruit sweetness and bitterness all flow in balanced proportions.

Lupus Lupus (5.0%)

A new beer, being launched at this festival.

Woodforde's (Woodbastwick, near Norwich), 1991

Wherry Best Bitter (3.8%) *****

Amber in colour with golden syrupy flavour that binds a well-balanced classic creamy bitter. A fine blend of hops, bitterness and fruit gives a light but complex feel. A long, consistent finish with little flavour loss.

Nelson's Revenge (4.5%) *****

A full-bodied pale amber beer with the rich flavour of Dundee cake. Sultana fruitiness is balanced by a hoppy bitterness to give a full but light feel. The finish continues to develop into a warm, mellow glow.

York, 1996

Mildly Mad (3.3%)

Yorkshire Terrier (4.2%)

Refreshing and distinctive, well-balanced fruit and hops in the aroma and taste, with a background of malt. Hoppy bitterness remains assertive in the aftertaste of this amber-gold brew.

Extras

B&T

Dragonslayer 4.5%

Edwin Taylor Extra Stout 4.5%

Glider 4.8%

Shefford Bitter 3.8%

Two Brewers 3.6%

Bartrams

Bees Knees 4.2%

Cherry Stout 4.8%

Damson Stout 4.8%

Little Green Man 3.8%

Pierrot 4.5%

Butcombe

Gold 4.5%

Castle Eden

Nimmo's XXXX 4.4%

Cotleigh

Kiwi 3.9%

Elgoods

Black Dog 3.6%

Cambridge Bitter 3.8%

Double Swan 4.5%

Pageant 4.3%

Exmoor

Exmoor Gold 4.5%

Flagship

Ensign 4.2%

Spanker 4.2%

Hart

IPA 4.4%

Nemesis 4.5%

Hop Back

Summer Lightning 5.0%

Mighty Oak

Burntwood Bitter 4.0%

Essex County 4.6%

Mighty Oak Bitter 4.8%

Simply the Best 4.6%

Spice 7.0%

Milton

Jupiter 3.5%

Neptune 3.8%

Pharos 4.7%

Nethergate

IPA 3.5%

Umbel Ale 3.8%

Oakham

Bishops Farewell 4.6%

Black Hole Porter 5.5%

Helter Skelter 5.0%

White Dwarf 4.3%

Old Chimneys

Galingale 3.9%

Golden Pheasant 4.2%

Military Mild 3.3%

Natterjack 5.0%

Potton

Dumb Blonde 4.1%

Gold 4.8%

Pride of Potton 6.0%

Shambles 4.3%

Robinsons

Frederics 5.0%

Titanic

Iceburg 4.1%

Tring

Mother Haggys Summer Ale 3.7%

Side Pocket for a Toad 3.6%

Wentworth

Best Bitter 4.3%

Gryphon 5.1%

Needle's Eye 3.5%

Pale Ale 4.0%

Wychwood

Alchemy Gold 4.4%

Fiddlers Elbow 4.1%

Oberon 4.2%

Shires 3.7%