Hello there my fellow beer lovers,
Relatively fresh off our riverside session at Piglove Brew Co, Kayla, Luke and Sam packed their bags and set off for the very first Northallerton Craft Beer Festival.
We were kindly invited along by our friends at Bayonet Brewing Co, who organised the event, and lets just say it didn’t take much coaxing for us to roll up and try some choice tipples.
From putting away pints to poutine away something indulgent for the walk back to the station, we gave #NCBF a proper Hoptimists’ road test.
Here’s what we really thought of the event…
We rocked up a little ahead of schedule (keen, us? Never…) since it was also Northallerton Beer Week.
Naturally, that meant a cheeky “starter pint” in The Stumble Inn — because why pace yourself when you can pre-game properly? Before long, though, we were perched in the outdoor area, eagerly eyeing the doors like kids at a sweet shop.
The moment those magical green wristbands were strapped on, it was game on.
The festival itself was set inside the Golden Lion Hotel, tucked away in a sizeable Yorkshire Suite round the back.
Plenty of space for the brewers to show off their wares, clean and respectable loos (a festival rarity worth applauding 👏), and more than enough room for a dance-floor.
Which, as it turned out, was absolutely essential once the live music kicked in because you can’t drink all evening and not have a little wobble to the beat. (Video, Silenced for Copywrite Reasons)
But that’s enough about the Venue… what about the beer?.. Sam is up first with a brewery we have never covered before on our blog, Three Blind Mice.
Name: Giddy Kipper, NEIPA (4.5% ABV)
- Brewery: Three Blind Mice Brewery
- Aroma : Dank hop, with lots of fruit
- Appearance : Opaque yellow with an Open white head when poured
- Body : Full bodied, very well carbonated with okay head retention
- Taste : Refreshing, Dank and fruity, not dry but lashings of grapefruit.
This was a cracking easy drinker, and incredibly morish, and refreshing, absolute stormer out of the gate thus far in the festival.
Our overall rating: 4.0/ 5.0
Now It give me great pleasure to introduce you all to Luke who joined us on our journey to the North, as he did to Pig Love by the River earlier in the month, this time however, he has decided to give reviewing a go!
So lets see what our guest made of this beer from the Three Blind Mice Brewery.
Name: Pucker Up (Abv 5.5%)
- Brewery: Three Blind Mice
- Aroma : light and fruity smell with a citrus kick punching through.
- Appearance : completely opaque and very a kin to a tropical smoothie, thin white head but not long lasting
- Body : fizzy and almost gritty with a tang on the tongue after.
- Taste : A roller-coaster of an initially sour kick with a smooth sweet incline into a soft and sweet after taste that lingers
I thought that this was a lovely long summer beer, with nice levels of tang and citrus flavours. This would be great at any outdoor event or festival.
Our overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0
She saw a Czech Lager, and went for it, at this point I’m not even surprised anymore! take it away Kayla!
Name: Juno Lite, Pilsner (5.1% ABV)
- Brewery: Twice Brewed
- Aroma : Wet straw with a backing of various malts.
- Appearance : Translucent gold with a thin white head when poured.
- Body : Light, Crisp and refreshing, okay levels of carbonation but no head retention
- Taste : Sweet and malt with a zesty tang and a slight hoppy tingle.
Not what I usually expect from a Czech beer, it was a lot lighter and smelt very different but the taste was almost there it just lacked that toasted caramel flavour.
Our overall rating: 3.0/ 5.0
Sam is back with another look at another offering from the Thee Blind Mice Brewery, something tells me he might like this brewery.. just a hunch..
Name: Juice Rocket ( 4.5% ABV)
- Brewery: Three Blind Mice
- Aroma : Mild Hop with a good lashing zesty citrus
- Appearance : Opaque lemon with a mid-reanged head but it was short lived.
- Body : Medium to heavy body, with great head retention and a good level of carbonation.
- Taste : Mild Dankness, with a lemony freshness throughout.
I like it, its another east drinking session, but its not its bigger brother “Giddy Kipper” but by no means is it a slouch! defintiley want to try some more Three Blind Mice Tipples.
Our overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0
Luke brough this one to the table with a massive grin on his face, have you seen that shield? He said.. I think he might be into this..
Name: Nectaronicon (6% ABV)
- Brewery: Twice Brewed
- Aroma : Very close to an old citrus boiled sweet, however its more on the sweeter side
- Appearance : Opaque and cloudy with a similar colour to a freshly sanded wood deck
- Body : Very light and free flowing in the mouth with a slight fizz
- Taste : initially bitter and fairly hard hitting. Quickly drops off leaving a sweet taste in the mouth. Much like having a sour sweet that turns sweet.
Our overall rating: 3.8/ 5.0
Fancying a change from the Czech Lager, Kayla has surprisingly picked up a Hazy Pale?
Name: HeadLand, Hazy Pale ( 4.6% ABV)
- Brewery: Talking Tides Brew Co
- Aroma : Hoppy, Fruity but oddly savoury
- Appearance : Opaque lemon with a thin white head when poured.
- Body : Light but heavy carbonated with ok head retention.
- Taste : Fresh hoppy flavours, with a hint of herbs resulting in a gentle bitter finish.
Refreshing and flavourful without being intense, but a little on the gassy side for me. Very nice though for a Hazy pale, with typically is not my thing.
Our overall rating: 3.5/ 5.0
Sam is finally off the Three Blind mice and decided to pick up DIPA from another brewery I don’t believe we have covered on the blog before ( well before Luke’s and Kayla’s earlier picks)
Name: Deadite, DIPA (7.5% ABV)
- Brewery: Twice Brewed
- Aroma : Banana? and Pine bit of an odd scent, very complex
- Appearance : Closed white head with a brilliant opaque mango colour.
- Body : Medium bodied, with a good level of carbonation, with ok head retention.
- Taste : It tastes like a Fruit Salad sweet, with a slight Banana finishing with a hoppy flourish.
This one was very lively out of the gate, I found this one a little sickly, the flavour profile was not for me, however I could definitely see where it was going, and I think if I had not had a few beers before this one i would have enjoyed it more. One I will have to try again.
Our overall rating: 3.2/ 5.0
Sam was told that Luke like Ginger Beer, so he pointed him in this direction.. looks like we might be taking another trip to DMC shortly!
Name: Ragnorok Star , Mango, Ginger, Lime & Chilli Pale
- Brewery: Brew York X DMC
- Aroma : strong pallette cleansing ginger and lime, with a slight sense of spice.
- Appearance : opaque, amber/golden.
- Body : tangy and prickly in the mouth.
- Taste : Begins with a punchy ginger burst with a slight hint of lime cutting through. Then comes the chilli with a kick, leaving a lasting burn in the throat. Requires sipping like a whiskey.
Luke’s overall rating: 4.1/ 5.0
He just cant stay away from the Thee Blind Mice brewery… hes back again this time with a Rocket… Nun?…
Name: Rocket Nun
- Brewery: Three Blind Mice
- Aroma : Toasted Hop, wheaty, with a twist of citrus.
- Appearance : Opaque lemon, with a tight white head when poured.
- Body : Medium to thin in the mouth, ok carbonation, with good head retention.
- Taste : Crisp & dry with a good level of hop a little dry at the finish but not overly so.
I was hoping this one would bring my to church, but as good as it was it didn’t grab me as much as some of the other beers that i have sampled this festival. But this is one I would happily revisit, I feel that Three blind mice were the most consistent at the festival overall and i hope to try more of there beer in the future.
Our overall rating: 3.4/ 5.0
She has gone back to what she knows best, Sours. an a cheeky collab one no less!
Name: Drift, Apricot & Peach Sour (5.6% ABV)
- Brewery: Copper Beech Brewing X Attic Brew Co
- Aroma : Sour fruit, with a lot of Apricot.
- Appearance : Opaque golden colour with a thin white head when poured.
- Body : Medium bodied with low carbonation, poor head retention
- Taste : A very fruity sour with, a strong hit of peach and apricot flavour upfront which doesn’t let up as you drink.
A great fruit sour, for those who are partial to a sour, astringent without being painfully so though after 2/3rds of a pint it dangerously skirts to the borderline.
Our overall rating: 3.5/ 5.0
I think Sam tried to hit all the breweries that we have not visited before on the blow this one is Vaux, out of Sunderland, lets see what he thinks.
Name: Freddys Drop, Nz Session IPA (4.3% ABV)
- Brewery: Vaux
- Hops: Nelson and Motueka
- Aroma : White Wine and pinecones with a hoppy backing
- Appearance : Grapefruit in colour, opaque with a thin white film head when poured
- Body : Medium, with a good level of head retention, and a good level of carbonation too.
- Taste : Slightly toasted passion fruit, gooseberry, and peach with a wine like quality finish
I like it its familiar, the smell of it weirdly reminds me of a particular person, whom i will attempt to get to drink this now I know of its existence.
Our overall rating: 4.2/ 5.0
And last but by no means least I tried the Festivals Pale made by the very people who invited us northward (the best direction) Bayonet Brewing Scale A, and it was poured by none other than the Craft Dogg, it was great to see him out and about on the circuit, shame I didn’t get to chat as he was busy serving all the other punters!
Name: Scale A, Festival Pale (5.3%ABV)
- Brewery: Bayonet Brewing
- Aroma : Dank peach with citrus notes.
- Appearance : Manuka honey in appearance with a lively tight head when poured.
- Body : Medium bodied, well carbonated but with low head retention.
- Taste : Very fruity out the gate, but morphed into quite a bitter hoppy finish, another easy drinker and quite the palette cleanser.
Bayonet never seem to let themselves be outdone at a festival, I really liked this one, it was a cracking pint and I would have had more if the train wasn’t leaving in 30 mins… so I had to get a wiggle on to the station.
It was fruity, a good level of carbonation and left you craving more what more could you want from a festival ale.
Our overall rating: 4.2/ 5.0
As we left the Yorkshire Suite Sam spied the Polish beers stall and took well… a few to review over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open for them from a Dragonball Z IPA to a Fruit Crumble Sour, he certainly got a range to take a look at!
when we finally emerged into the open air our senses were accosted by the delectable scent of Poutine from The Koop. Weirdly we had been talking about Poutine that very day on the train ride over… so it felt strangely fitting that we get some for the journey home… and well… look at it..
You know it didn’t disappoint, and if there was any doubt look at their drunk but incredibly satisfied faces! 10/10 said Sam, so I guess if were going back to Northallerton we know where we are going for food.
So with that the three amigo’s boarded the train south back to Leeds..
But would “we“ go to another NCBF?…HECK YEAH WE WOULD! …and next time MOB Handed!
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 