The inaugural T.E.H Ale Train rolled into Ilkley under skies that looked determined to spoil the day. Grey clouds hung overhead from the moment we stepped off the train, but through a combination of relentless optimism, inappropriate amounts of exposed leg, and sunglasses Boldy adorned we somehow managed to keep the rain at bay.
With spirits high and the prospect of a full day of pubs, pints and a few railway platforms, our first stop was The Flying Duck. Nestled in the heart of Ilkley, it proved to be the perfect place to get the wheels turning. The atmosphere was relaxed, the welcome was warm, and most importantly, the beer was flowing.
And if the beers we found at The Flying Duck were anything to go by, the Ale Train was off to a very promising start indeed.
Here’s what we tried out!
Name: Wharfdale Best ( 4.0% ABV)
- Brewery: Wharfdale Brewery
- Aroma : Rich and Malty notes upfront with a slight hop backing
- Appearance : Good closed heat when pored, and a nice clear golden brown colour.
- Body : Crisp, good level of carbonation, very smooth to drink
- Taste : Crisp hop swiftly followed by a delicious malty draw
worth coming to Ilkley just for this, cracking first pint, shocked it was only £4.80, but I’m certainly not complaining!
Our overall rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Name: Hetton, Pale Ale
- Brewery: Dark Horse Brewery
- Aroma : Malty, with a bit of lime, not to fgar away from an old school bitter shandy
- Appearance : Light clear gold to copper very tight white head when poured.
- Body : medium bodied, good level of carbonation, cracking head retention
- Taste : Very clean, slight hop but overall malty goodness, everything a traditional ale should be
love it, like Coddy I was blown away by my first pint, just sad that we cant stay in here all day, BUT there is always another day!
Our overall rating: 4.1/ 5.0
Name: Wharfdale Porter
- Brewery: Wharfdale Brewery
- Aroma : Very fruity and malty on the nose.
- Appearance : A good closed foamy head with a deep ruby colour when poured.
- Body : Surprisingly light, with a full mouthfeel, more carbonated than i expected, but I like it!
- Taste : Rich deep malt with a fruity backing, its a very good example of a full bodied porter.
What i liked about this one was it was so light I could have had 5, the downside was we had to go to the next place so I couldn’t!
Our overall rating: 3.5/ 5.0
Name: Wharfdale Lager ( 4% ABV)
- Brewery: Wharfdale Brewery
- Aroma : slight malt, but no overall strong scent
- Appearance : Clear amber with a tight white head when poured.
- Body : Reasonable head retention, good level of carbonation, and quite light in the body.
- Taste : Had a lovely crisp zing taste to it, that remained into a morish aftertaste.
As I am a lager drinker, I was looking forward to trying this one as its a brewery I’ve never heard of before. I found this to be a very good staple lager, I would definitely have this one again. It had a cracking amount of flavour, and was very refreshing.
Our overall rating: 3.9/ 5.0
Name: Wharfdale Blonde (3.9% ABV)
- Brewery: Wharfdale Brewery
- Aroma : Citrus notes with a grassy/ hoppy backing.
- Appearance : Golden / Straw Coloured Clear Pale with a closed white head when poured.
- Body : medium to light ale, good level of carbonation and had really good head retention.
- Taste : This one had cirtus/ grapefruit like flavours with a very nice bitter twang towards the end.
this one was lip-smackingly good, very traditional but a very good example of a classic blonde.
Our overall rating: 4.2/ 5.0
We really didn’t want to leave. In fact, the old guard made a last-ditch escape to the rooftop beer garden in an attempt to keep the session going.
Unfortunately, we eventually had to drag them away kicking and screaming. Until next time!
Next stop! Bini Brew CO (join us at 2pm tomorrow to see how we got on)
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 