Hello there fellow beer lovers,
So, at the beginning of August I had this fantastic idea, where we would go out on an ‘Ale Train’ to York. On our journey, we would depart the train and make subsequent stops at York, Knaresbrough, and Hornbeam Park in order to visit three breweries (BrewYork, Turning Point & Roosters Brewing Co) all in the same day. Needless to say this idea was met with great enthusiasm and was in a way a resounding success!
So I gathered a motley crew and set out to seize the pint! What happened however resulted in a fantastic day out, but not a lot of serious note taking was done… I will have to work on that one.
However I do have a few of the beers from each location that we went to, so I will cover those and tell you a little about the places we visited!
ALL ABOARD!!…
Stop 1 –BrewYork
Location : Unit 6, Enterprise Complex, Walmgate, York YO1 9TT
About: Beer Hall, which is located just next to the main brewery houses, 40 draft taps of their top tipples, and has an inhouse Japanese street food restaraunt.
Name : Calmer Chameleon
Brewery: BrewYork
Aroma : Citrus fruits backed up with a strong hoppy scent.
Appearance : Clear Golden Colour with a thin white head
Body: Medium bodied, well carbonated with good head retention
Taste : Hoppy, with notes of citrus
Rating : 3.5/5
Name : X-Parrot – Tropical IPA
Brewery: BrewYork
Aroma : Um bongo like smell
Appearance : Opaque almost mustard Yellow with a thin white head
Body: Full Bodied, almost akin to a smoothy, mild carbonation no head retention.
Taste : A cross between a Fruity um Bongo and Tropicana, crushable mouth feel, full of fruit and flavour.
Rating: 3.2/5
Stop 2 – Turning Point
Location : Unit 3, Grimbald Park, Wetherby Rd, Knaresborough HG5 8LJ
About : The Taproom is set in the heart of the brewery, and serves the freshest Turning Point beers, direct from the source. 8 keg and at least 1 cask line not to mention a fridge full of their more exclusive cans. Although their tap room is seasonal, it often has live bands and various other events there too.
Name : Hickory Clan Caviar, Maple & Pecan Danish Stout
Brewery: Turning Point Brew Co
Aroma : Sweet vanilla, with a hint of caramel
Appearance : Very dark, with a mocha coloured head
Body: Medium Bodied, well carbonated, decent head retention.
Taste : Smooth and creamy, with a strong pecan taste with a sweetness that mellows into a vanilla finish
Rating : 4.5/5
Name : Stuck in a Metaphor
Brewery: Turning Point Brew Co
Aroma : Sweet fruity notes with a hint of Hop.
Appearance : Cloudy Golden Colour with a thin tight white head
Body : Medium bodied, well carbonated but poor head retention.
Taste : Strong notes of Apricot and citrus, making it a long thirst quencher with a hoppy finish.
Rating : 4.1/5
Stop 3 – Roosters Brew Co
Location : Unit H5, Fifth Avenue, Hornbeam Park Ave, Harrogate HG2 8QT
About : Hornbeam Park train station, is about a 4 minute walk away, and their onsite brewery Taproom offers around sixteen different beers across cask and keg, as well as a selection of beers in can and bottle. They also offer a selection of wine, cider, spirits and soft drinks.
Name : Scrambler
Brewery: Roosters Brew Co Ltd.
Aroma : Mild notes of Melon, and a smattering of hoppiness
Appearance : Very pale, and clear with a thin film head.
Body : Medium bodied, well carbonated but poor head retention.
Taste : Watermelon waterfall which transists into a classic lighter IPA taste.
Rating : 2.9/5
Name : Baby-Faced Assassin
Brewery: Roosters Brew Co Ltd.
Aroma : Citrusy notes with a hint of hop
Appearance : Deep golden colour with a slight haze and a tight white head.
Body : Medium bodied, well carbonated with good head retention.
Taste : Strong fruity flavours that leads ot a slightly dry hoppy finish.
Rating : 3.6/5
It is safe to say we certainly had fun. If you would like to know anything more about our trip or the logistics of getting from A to B to C, please feel free to drop me a comment or message, as I think more people should go on Ale Trains, as they are cheap, easy and a heck of a lot of fun!
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 