Welcome Back fellow beer lovers,
The other Saturday’s plan was simple: good company, good beer, and the noble tradition of making very sensible decisions that inevitably lead to questionable ones later. Our destination was the Ilkley Beer Festival, tucked inside the grand surroundings of the King’s Hall & Winter Garden, but as any seasoned festival-goer knows, you don’t charge headfirst into a hall full of cask ale on an empty stomach.
So naturally, the first stop was a tactical one a quick detour into Wetherspoons for some old-fashioned “stomach lining. With bellies fortified with a Full English, a pint of OJ, and expectations suitably high, we made our way to the beer festival.
Once through the doors, and festival glass in hand we perused what they had on offer.
From easy-drinking pales to comforting milds and a few “steady on there” high-ABV stouts lurking in the corners, the festival really did have the full spectrum covered. We even embraced innovation along the way, thanks to some brilliantly designed festival merch that allowed us to trial a brand-new “hands-free” reviewing system.
Because nothing says professionalism quite like taking tasting notes while technically not holding your beer at all.
But what beers did we pick? lets take a look!
Name: My BFF is an AI
- Brewery: Wishbone Brewery
- Aroma : Touch of sulphur (eggy) with a note of baked bread and dried hops.
- Appearance : Cloudy, opaque golden orange cordial, with a tight closed head when poured.
- Body : Pretty heavy bodied, full in the mouth with a high level of carbonation.
- Taste : Heavy on the Hop scale, giving quite a deep bitter flavour, a wash of citrus but a very dry finish.
This one was my kind of pint, full, flavourful and the right level of dry. Jut enough to make you want to go back for another mouthful to quench your thirst.
Our overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0
Name: Pale Ale
- Brewery: LuneBrew
- Aroma : Fruit forward with a perfume like backing
- Appearance : Clear golden colour with a n open white head when poured
- Body : light bodied, quite thin, good carbonation ok head retention.
- Taste : A touch of lime and a little soapy (possibly coriander) fresh tasting but not at all intense.
a good example of a traditional pale, but it doesn’t really stand out in the crowd, and not typically to my usual taste far too soapy.
Chris’ overall rating: 2 / 5.0
Name: I saw Bigfoot on the Chevin
- Brewery: Shadow Brewing
- Aroma : Light notes of citrus with a reasonable malt backing.
- Appearance : Dark Amber to Golden Ale, with a closed white head
- Body : Medium bodied, Good level of carbonation with okay head retention.
- Taste : Very mild in flavour, but has a real malty / wheat-like bite to it.
This one wasn’t super punchy, but i can see it being a very nice sessional tipple at 3.6% especially if you have just took a walk up the Chevin ( its a hard walk that)
Our overall rating: 3.2/ 5.0
Name: Sleaford Mods
- Brewery: Ilkley Brewery X The Demise of Planet
- Aroma : Floral, Lemon Pledge like smell
- Appearance : Slight hazed, golden beer with a open white head.
- Body : Medium bodied, very high carbonation but decent head retention.
- Taste : Floral, sweet tones, quite refreshing a little addictive twang.
The smell made me think that if you spill this one on a table, it wouldn’t be an issue. But it as I drank it, it grew on me more and more. Another more traditional beer, so not my usual wheelhouse, but I liked this one a lot better than the last.
Our overall rating: 3/ 5.0
Name: Muffin else Matters
- Brewery: Brew York
- Aroma : Blueberry toast, with a touch of tobacco.
- Appearance : Very dark with a slightly purple halo, sporting an off white to mocha head when poured, it was a real looker!
- Body : Full bodied, very smooth with a good level of carbonation.
- Taste : Blueberry sweetness upfront with a pastry like bready flavour followed by a morph to more tar like traditional stout like flavour.
This one hit all the right note in the correct order. Dark, Fruity and very morish. The sweetness peaks early in the mouthful before it returns to more traditional grounds which makes me think this is one even the hardest of traditionalists could get on with.
Our overall rating: 4 / 5.0
Name: Stone Cold Mango Mojito
- Brewery: Lost Cause
- Aroma : Very fresh, minty with a hint of sugary goodness.
- Appearance : Opaque, Maduka honey in colour, with a closed white head when it was poured.
- Body : Medium bodied, with a good level of carbonation and good head retention.
- Taste : Super refreshing, heavy spearmint flavours open us the sinnuses
if Listerine and Beer had a baby, this would be the result, Sam tried this one and recoiled but not me I think its a “stunner” and is the right level of mint.. and that’s the bottom line!
Our overall rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Name: Psychic House-Hunters
- Brewery: Lost Cause Brewing Co
- Aroma : Lemon and Citrus notes with a smattering of Kailai
- Appearance : Cloudy golden ale with a white film head.
- Body : Medium bodied, quite full in the mouth, with a decent level of carbonation with decent head retention.
- Taste : Dank, Hoppy with a decent level of citrus. This is a very well balanced beer. it has the right level of flavour dryness and body, and is by far the best NEIPA we had at the festival.
Our overall rating: 4.1/ 5.0
and that, was our Saturday! from 12 til 3:30pm it was a blur of good beer, better company, and the slow realisation that “just one more half” is a good idea.. but despite us asking for a half I don’t think I ever got one all day ( not complaining though)
The King’s Hall & Winter Garden delivered everything you could want from a proper beer festival: variety, surprises, hands free reviewing, and a cheeky sausage roll!
We really cant wait for the next one!
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 