TEH Ale Train 2025 – All Aboard – First Stop: YORK

Posted byJ.S HarrisonPosted inale train, TEH Ale Train 2025Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

And we’re off!  The Ale Train has left the Station.

Its was a long old week but the engine sparked to life this weekend, and now our coverage of our TEH Ale Train 2025  can finally begin!

First stop? York Tap, where the taps are flowing and the good times are already rolling. Spirits are high, and Lee and Alastair are already there getting a head start so lets hurry up and get a move on!

We arrived in York right on time, a miracle in itself, we know! Looking sharp in our custom Ale Train T-shirts (designed by the brilliant freelance illustrator Duncan Carty and expertly printed by Elizabeth Salt-Short), we were ready to hit the Ale Train in style.

The weather may have been turning, but that didn’t dampen our spirits, because let’s face it, it doesn’t rain in pubs… it pours!

York Taps had an impressive selection of beers from a range of breweries, there was no shortage of temptation, and of course, we couldn’t resist sampling a fair few.

Here is what we thought!

Name: Krushd, Single Hopped Pale Ale 4.5%

  1. Brewery:  Thornbridge
  2. Aroma : Very Crisp Hoppy Scent, with some perfumed notes towards the back
  3. Appearance :  a slightly hazed golden colour with a thin lasting white head.
  4. Body :  Smooth, medium bodied but with good head retention, and not overly gassy
  5. Taste : Refreshing strong hop taste with a citrusy floral finish that makes you smack your lips.

We kicked things off with a solid pour from Thornbridge, and it wasnt disappointing.

With a crisp, hoppy aroma and a slight floral note, this hazy golden ale tasted as good as it looked. It was the perfect reminder that it is “technically” summer, despite what the weather says.

Light, sessionable, and consistently reliable, Thornbridge proves once again why they’re a staple on any ale trail.

Our overall rating: 3.5 / 5.0

Name: Warm Shade, Hazy Pale Ale 4%

  1. Brewery: FLOC.
  2. Aroma :  Citrus grapefruit forward, with a strong hoppy backing
  3. Appearance : Opaque Hazy Summer yellow in colour with a thick closer white head.
  4. Body :  Surprisingly viscous, with a good level of carbonation and decent head retention.
  5. Taste : An explosive mouthful of grapefruit and citrus, followed by a long hoppy draw with leaving a slight tingle on the tongue toward the end.

A bold offering from FLOC., bursting with grapefruit-forward aroma and a solid hoppy backbone. It leaned a bit heavy for a true session beer.

However, despite that its a punchy and enjoyable opener, though something lighter and crisper might be on the cards for the next round.

Our overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0

Name: Gold Ale 4.5%

  1. Brewery: J.W. Lees.
  2. Aroma :  Strong Floral notes upfront with an orangey almost jammy backing
  3. Appearance :  Clear golden to amber in colour with a creamy white head.
  4. Body :  Light, smooth and very crisp. good level of carbonation, ok head retention, not as strong as warm Shade
  5. Taste : This was quite a complex mouthful, it had a brilliant balance of sweetness from a marmalade like fruitiness upfront which morphed and contrasted with the bitterness from the hops, and I think it had an almost biscuity finish.

The Gold Ale from J.W. Lees was exactly what I needed after the heavier FLOC. pour. It delivered a brilliant balance of marmalade-like fruitiness and hoppy bitterness, finishing with a subtle, biscuity note. Paired with the lively atmosphere of the pub, this one gave me a real buzz—both in mood and momentum. A well-timed and well-crafted pint.

Our overall rating: 3.8/ 5.0

Name: Bobs Your Uncle, English IPA 5.4%

  1. Brewery: Electric Bear
  2. Aroma : Gentle Caramel nose, with a bit of citrus at the back
  3. Appearance : Opaque manuka honey colour with a strong closer white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium bodied, very good level of carbonation and held the head really well.
  5. Taste : A mild flavour over all but had a long sweet undertone, it was very refreshing, a little high to start on, but definitely session able though perhaps unwise at 5.4%

Not a bad start to the Ale train for me, maybe a little heavy on the % but its all part of the fun isn’t it!

Our overall rating: 4.1/ 5.0

Our time at York Tap has come to an end, and with pints polished off, it’s time to throw on our brave faces and our waterproofs.

The weather may not be on our side, but that won’t stop us. We’re heading off on a soggy mooch across York to our next destination: Brew York Taproom. Let the adventure (and the ale) continue!

But first a photo opportunity!

After facing the elements we arrived at Brew York slightly sodden but our spirits high. The open hall was both warm and inviting and full of lovely smells of exotic foods and the many many beers they had on offer handily itemized on the overhead rolling display.

We formed an orderly queue, and acquired our beverages, from Sours to Stouts, we got quite the range.

We also tried to resist the pull from their Yuzu restaurant, but i dare say we will end up partaking in some of the food as well.. it would be rude not too wouldn’t it!

We even picked up a few train beers for the road too (more on those later)

First let us tell you about the beers we picked up in the main hall.

Name: Black Bess, Stout 4.8%

  1. Brewery: Brew York
  2. Aroma : Roasted Malts with a hit of dark chocolate on the nose.
  3. Appearance : Dark in appearance, with a slightly off white closed head
  4. Body :  Surprisingly thin for a stout, and more gassy than I was expecting, but not horribly so.
  5. Taste : The roasted malts hit the pallet first, and the chocolate grew with each passing mouthful, giving it a rich decadent finish.

It may be summer, but I can drink stouts at anytime of the year, its not my favourite stout by Brew York, but I honestly can say, I will have another in fact… *walks off to the bar*

Our overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0

Name: Midgard Mist, West Coast IPA 6.8%

  1. Brewery:  Brew York X Thornbridge
  2. Aroma :  Strong scent of Grape fruit and Pine Needles giving it a fresh forest kind of scent.
  3. Appearance :  Clear, slightly dark gold in colour, looks similar to a light apple juice. with a thin wite tight head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium to full bodied feels quite sticky in the mouth, good level of carbonation but with poor head retention.
  5. Taste :  Hop forward with a wash of grapefruit and sticky pine needles. it has a slight caramel flavour running alongside the pine needles. Became quite a muddy profile as you worked your way down the pint.

Our overall rating: 3.8/ 5.0

Name: Fenrir’s Howl, Spiced Imperial Stout 11% ABV

  1. Brewery:  Brew York
  2. Aroma : Strong notes of chocolate and coffee with a sweet dark fruit nose to finish
  3. Appearance : Jet black, open thin mocha coloured head, you can see it hugging the glass
  4. Body :  Full body, poor head retention, but a perfect level of carbonation
  5. Taste : Explosive, the kind of explosive that makes your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, wow!.. It has a fantastic warming bourbon hit upfront with Coffee and choco-vanilla notes with an almost jammy blackcurrant finish. Strong, Sweet and packing the power of its legendary inspiration… I will be shocked if we find a better beer on this Ale train today!

Our overall rating: 4.7/ 5.0

Name: Tontoko, Coconut, Cacao Tonka & Vanilla Milk Stout 4.3%

  1. Brewery: Brew York
  2. Aroma : Vanilla and Tonka Bean forward scent
  3. Appearance : Deep Black, (no light is getting through this pint) with a thin closed caramel head when poured
  4. Body :  Smooth, and full bodied, a good level of carbonation but not great head retention.
  5. Taste : Rich and deep tonka bean flavour with hints of vanilla. Not overly sweet and really hits that spot.

I always thought the Ice-cream stouts were far too sickly, or like a Guinness with a drop of blackcurrant in. But my eyes have been opened! This is definitely something I could drink all day, in fact this might be the only thing I ever drink moving forward, as I feel that this is a brewing masterpiece.!

Our overall rating: 4.9/ 5.0

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Name: Smells like Green Spirit, West Coast double IPA 8.5%

  1. Brewery:  Brew York X Green Gold Brewing
  2. Aroma :  Pine needles and floral tones, very perfumed.
  3. Appearance :  Closed White head
  4. Body :  Medium Bodied, good level of carbonation
  5. Taste :  Another hope forward pine needle mouthful. Very crisp, and bold, almost overpoweringly perfumed.

This one was a little too much for me, its very bold in its flavour but after the last pint and this one I’m a little pine needled out I think.

Our overall rating: 2.8/ 5.0

now we have a few more pints under our belts and the rain is still poinding on the windows and to roof outside, we took a brief pause… not just to catch our breath, but to snap a quick group photo.

Also our appetites kicked in and we made a beeline for Yuzu Street Food, . which was serving up Asian Fusion Eats; like crispy gyoza, Bao’s, sticky fried chicken, and fully loaded fries, it was the perfect way to refuel before the next round.

Trust us, the food here is more than just a side dish, it’s a must-have part of the experience. in the words of Owen “Its Bang’in this!”

and with that it was time to make a beeline to the train… in the rain… join us tomorrow as we visit our next stops Poppleton, and Knaresborough!

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