This weekend took on a bit of an unexpectedly international feel, first off there was a Welsh theme on the bar at The Bulls Head in Burslem, where most of the guest beers were from Powy’s based “Monty’s Brewery.
There were several Monty’s brews on tap over the weekend, but for me the best I recall tasting or at least the one I drank the most of was the “Monty’s Moonrise” which was a copper malty ale at 4%.
I didn’t really take much in about each of them detail wise as I was just lazily drinking for pleasure rather than with an intention to review, but you can check the details at their website linked below. It’s an interesting read as the brewer and owner Pam Honeyman has only been brewing since 2008, this after leaving her old career which led from being a primary school teacher to an Age Concern Chief Officer. A dream move for any beer enthusiast and one that has worked out well as these beers are quickly gathering a reputation for being top notch.
http://www.montysbrewery.co.uk/default.asp
Moving to the continent there was a new offering on the Belgian front with the arrival of Monk Stout which I believe is fresh from Brasserie Dupont, the memory of that is a little vague shall we say so will need further investigation and 100% clarification…
Now to Scotland where I was thrilled to be asked by the well respected and established Scottish beer blogger “thebeermonkey” to do a guest review, this is going to be a joint venture and hopefully grow to include collaborations from other writers and beer enthusiasts. You can check the review out using the link below, it was for a surprisingly excellent American Stout by Sierra Nevada. A real big thank you to The Beer Monkey for the opportunity and support.
http://thebeermonkey.blogspot.com/
Staying in Scotland we come to my beer of the week from BrewDog in the form of their 5AM Saint. It’s an amber ale and has the most fantastic aroma and taste which reminded me of lychees amongst other things. I only had one bottle which was a damn shame as I could have downed ten. A real find with the added bonus that it’s easily available at Morrisons at around £1.85, a snip as it’s awesome.
This is what Brewdog have to say about 5AM Saint:
“5am Saint is The Holy Grail of red ales.We live in a world of disposable deities. Someone, somehow has managed to press that big, flashing moronic override button and we are hard wired straight into the pockets of false idols trying to make a quick buck. Sadly, for a lot of people the same mentality applies to beer. But who is to know what is worth worshiping when monolithic advertising budgets have you sucked down the rabbit hole in the blink of an eye?
At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many peoples eyes as possible. Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity. Once this ruby liquid forms a foamy halo around your glass, you will never want to look back.”
BrewDog are a really exciting bunch, determined to break any links to the stereotypical view of “beer drinkers” with their iconic branding (which is impossible to ignore) and innovative ideas, they are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Take a look at their website, here amongst other things you can read about the current strongest beer in the world “Sink The Bismarck” at a mind numbing 41% ABV…
Beersay 