As last year looking at my Golden Half pints blog it was clear that I love Big Dark Beers. Ok this is nothing new to me or people who know me, But i dont just love these beers, so i thought i would cover the same ground with other styles, working with an arbitrary maximum abv of 5.5.  In  know ive had several good bottles and Cask(all of which id happily drink again) at under 5.5% but i have found this much more difficult to write than the original piece, on the whole these beers while good just dont WOW me, in the same way. Where there is no winner, that is because no beers meeting that criteria didnt make it into my Ratebeer top 100 of the year.

Best UK draught (Cask or Keg) beer(stout):
Winner:  Tinpot Game Spice Stout  
Runner Up: Adkin Alfred’s Jaypee’s Stout

Best UK draught (Cask or Keg) beer(other):
Winner:  Thornbridge Wye
Runner Up: Magic Rock High Wire NZ

Best UK bottle or canned beer (stout)
Winner:Buxton Dark Nights 

Best UK bottle or canned beer (other)
Winner: No winner This year
 
Best Overseas bottle or canned beer
Winner: Crombe Oud Kriekenbier


Best Overseas Draught beer
Winner: No winner this year


Best Overall beer
Winner:  Tinpot Game Spice Stout  

The Most interesting thing about this years results is to find a sour beer in my lists as i really am not a Lambic fan, but some of the Flemish red styles are nice and the Crombe was a stunner.

How ever this year brought about the nicest thing to ever pass my lips. Its not a beer (though it is on Ratebeer) hence does not feature in this post or my main post, So what is it i hear you ask... dont I,  i could have sworn i heard you ask. Oh well im going to tell you anyway, its an ice cider La Face Cachée de la Pomme Neige Recolte D’Hiver to be precise. It truely was stunning, very sweet but ive always been partial to the sweet end of beer. Never have i come closer to taste bud heaven. Now dont get me wrong i still love beer, and i could not drink ice cider all the time (especially given the price) but if your gonna offer me a beer or that ice cider chances are the beers not got a look in.
 

Golden Half Pints 2002

Still to come is my Bitters for 2012 but a Tweet from @BoakandBailey  made me think what would my Golden pints look like 10 years ago. So this is all very airy fairy based on roughly what my memory is saying i loved

Best UK draught (Cask or Keg) beer:
Winner:  Cairngorm Witches Cauldron

Best UK bottle or canned beer
Joint Winner:Manns Brown Ale    
 
Best Overseas bottle or canned beer
Winner: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Best Overseas Draught beer
Winner: I doubt id tried anything, id get excited by

Best Overall beer
Winner:  Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Best UK brewery
Winner: Badger

Best Overseas Brewery
Winner: On the Strength of Black Chocolate, it would be Brooklyn
 
Pub/Bar of the Year
Winner: This is Tricky, i suspect it might be the Bow Bar, but maybe Holmes Bar in Leith

Beer Festival of the Year
Winner: I probably only knew Medowbank in Edinburgh

 

Best beer twitterer
Winner: Whats Twitter


In 2003, I'd most not have any beer aims as i wasnt as beer driven. But im most likly want to bo back diving in Micronesia

Golden Half Pints 2012

For sheer simplicity im gonna go with last years  format. 
So for each catagory im going to give this years answer and my Overall choice in brackets, noting if this has changed.

Best UK draught (Cask or Keg) beer:
Winner:  Magic Rock Bourbon Barrel Bearded Lady  (Highland Orkney Porter)
Runner Up: joint Thornbridge Bracia (Pedro Ximénez Aged)    (Magic Rock Bourbon Barrel Bearded Lady NEW)

Best UK bottle or canned beer
Joint Winner: Tempest Double Cresta Stout  and Buxton Imperial Black IPA  (Old Chimneys Good King Henry Special Reserve)
Runner Up: (Old Chimneys Good King Henry )
 
Best Overseas bottle or canned beer
Winner: Cigar City Campeador - Greaves  (Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout )
Runner Up:  Evil Twin Even More Jesus  (Struise Pannepot)

Best Overseas Draught beer
Winner: Fanø Chocolate Lava   (Mikkeller X Imperial Stout Calvados Barrel Aged)
Runner Up: De Molen Bommen & Granaten Cascade BA   (De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis 666)

Best Overall beer
Winner:   Fanø Chocolate Lava (Old Chimneys Good King Henry Special Reserve)
Runner Up: Magic Rock Bourbon Barrel Bearded Lady  (Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout )


Best UK brewery (based on new beers this year)
Winner: Highland (Hawkshead)
Runner Up: MagicRock (Tempest)

Best Overseas Brewery (based on new beers this year)
Winner: De Struise ( Cigar City)
Runner Up: Cigar City (Fano)
 

Pub/Bar of the Year
Winner: Cloisters (Edinburgh)
Runner Up: Hawkshead Brewery tap

Beer Festival of the Year
Winner: De Molen
Joint Runner Up: Brodies Bunny Bash and Egham


 
Supermarket of the Year
Winner :Waitrose
Runner Up: Booths

Best beer twitterer
Winner: Simon Johnson


In 2013 I'd most like to find time to Brew at Brodies (sadly chances are low)

Oddly once again i see a theme. Theyre mostly all Black and theyre all big beers, who would have guessed that :-) 

So like last year i will follow this up with a Golden Half pints of the lower abv beers

Brewdog Thank Their Shareholders

Now i've always had a love/hate relationship with the Bad Boys of Scottish brewing, They make some cracking beers, and they fair helped speed up the opening up of the wider beer market, But they have often gone too far in some of there marketing and i down right loathed their attitude to Cask beer (My preferred dispense method)

But never before have they shown such disdain to there biggest fans than with the Sale of the Limited Edition BA Tokyos.


As always this was offered first to their shareholders. You know those people who invested in the Company. It was explained that it was an expensive beer and very limited so it would cost a lot. In fact £24 pound a bottle.

Now thats a lot of money for a 330ml bottle, and as many say you can choose not to buy it. I However  choose otherwise and did indeed buy them, and you know what it turns out that i bought them at the 'Special' price of £24. Because they have been seen in shops for way less than this, rumour has it as low as £14 and  given that the shops will be making there own profit as well Brewdog must have been selling this for considerably lower.

Turns out Shareholders are now being rewarded for their contribution to the Company by being offered Beer at a higher price than can be picked up in some shops. Thanks for that Brewdog. Its nice to know you valued our contribution,



Update 24-08-2012 : Brewdog said today "This was a simple admin error. We invoiced trade customers at wrong price by mistake."  Well thats as maybe be but im still pissed. Shareholders still ended up paying well over the price other had the chance to purchase at.

Dont let me talk too much

but the temptation is definitly there to witter on about Witterfest.

Ryan Witter-Merithew  is an underknown American Brewer currently operating out of Denmark, He brews for Fano, but also under the brewery name Grassroot, but on top of all this he is trusted to brew for both Mikkeller and Evil Twin.

However one person who know the calibre of Ryans brewing is James of Brodies fame, and while i dont know how the event came about, it has come to pass that Brodies is hosting Witterfest. A showcase of Ryans beers on Cask and Keg. Now this could not be being held in a better place, and any one who does not know my LOVE of Brodies should go read this, and this could not be happening at a better time as Ryan has just announced that he is upping sticks and moving to London.

The event is Scheduled for Sunday the 19th of August. Start time i think is 11am (though pub usually opens at 12. So any one turning up early should confirm this)


The beer list is looking good (and Ryan will be there to talk to anyone not too smelly) and should be as below, subject to the normal conditions.

Fanø Oyster Stout - 3.7% - Dry Stout brewed with fresh harvested oysters

Fanø/Tired - Hands Tuff Ghost - 8% - American Wild ale aged 10 months in Brunello Red wine barrels with 3 different strains of Brett.

Fanø - Havgus 2.7% - Session strength IPA

Fanø/Hoppin Frog - Natasha Rocks Denmark - 7.5% - Hoppy American Stout

Fanø Dr.Owl - 3.7% - Grisette

Fanø/Cabinet Artisanal brewhouse - Bitter Amendment - 4.5% - Saison with Brett inspired by English Bitter

Fanø Batch 300 Imperial X-mas porter - 10% - Imperial Porter with Coffee, Vanilla, Cinnamon, and oak chips

Fanø - Gorm - 10% - Imperial Milk Stout with 3 different types of Chocolate. Nibs, Powder, Dark Chocolate Chunks, and Vanilla.

Fanø - Chocolate Lava - 10% - Imperial Chocolate Stout with Chilies - CASK

Fanø/Mikkeller/Stillwater - Barrel-aged Gypsy Tears - 8.5% - Stout fermented 100% with brett and aged 6 months in Brunello Barrels

Stillwater - Premium 45 - 8.5% - Belgian Malt Liquor. 50% Corn and Massive dry hops of Galaxy, Citra, Kohatu

Stillwater/Mikkeller Rauchstar - 10.8% - Imperial Smoked Red ale

Cigar City - R&B Smokeout Stout - 7.35% - Lightly Smoked Stout

Grassroots - Keep on cruising buddy - 3.2% - Berliner Weiss
Evil Twin - Sønderho Hipter ale - 5.7% - Pale ale aged in white wine barrels with Brett for 5 months and Dry hopped with Cascade

Evil Twin - Molotov Cocktail - 13% Triple IPA

Fanø/Brodies - Old Dog, New Tricks - 4% - Collab super hoppy Session ale.

Mikkeller -Cù’t Cà Phê Bia Brodies Edition - 11% Imperial Stout with Coffee, Coconut, Vanilla. CASK

I do hope i see you there, but as i need to rush off about 2pm to get the Kids home(as they have school the next day), dont expect me to say more that "hi" and "Yes i would like a beer. ive not tried .... yet"


Ps. I added the smelly proviso, not Ryan :-)

BSF @ GBBF German and Czech Bar

Here the Last of the BSF beers (im afraid i only have the German info this year). I do hope you enjoy. But while your here, if youve not had a look at my Blog before why dont you have a look round. Here are 2 of what i think are my best entries.

A king amongst pubs
&
Its beer Jim but not as we know it

GERMAN DRAUGHT BEER
Andechser	Vollbier
Andechser	Weissbeir Dunkel
Andechser	Weissbier Hell
Augustiner	Hell
Braustelle	Pink Panther
Braustelle	Weizen Rauchbier Bock
Braustelle	Amarillo Hop Weissbier
Braustelle	Schwartz Bier & Amarillo Hop
Aecht Schlenkerla	Rauchbier Marzen
Aecht Schlenkerla	Rauchbier Eiche
Fruh	Kolsch
Karg	Weissbier
Keesman	Herren Pils
Kneitinger	Edel Pils
Kneitinger	Export Dunkel
Tegernsee	Hell
Trunk	Export Dunkel
Lowenbrau	Kellerbier
Schumacher	Alt
GERMAN BOTTLED BEER
Andechser	Weissbier Dunkel
Andechser	Weissbier Hell
Andechser	Vollbier Hell
Andechser	Spezial
Andechser	Dunkel
Andechser	Bergbock Hell
Andechser	Doppelbock Dunkel
Aecht Schlenkerla	Rauchbier Marzen
Aecht Schlenkerla	Rauchbier Weizen
Aecht Schlenkerla	Rauchbier Eiche
Eittinger	Fischer Weisse
Eittinger	Dunkel
Kneitinger	Pils
Kneitinger	Dunkel Export
Kneitinger	Bock Dunkel
Fruh	Kolsch
Jever	Pils
Goller	Hefe Weizen
Goller	Rauchbier
Goller	Bockbier
Goller	Weizenbock
Keesmann	Herren Pils
Karg	Weissbier Hell
Karg	Weissbier Dunkel
Meister	Vollbier
Wernecker	Weisse
Schneider	Weisse
Schneider	Aventinus
Urige	Alt

BSF @ GBBF Bar B5

Here is the Bar i hope to be Working and if you look at my background image you may see a random connection.  So Boys and Girls i give you the beer list for USA and World Beers.

USA BOTTLED BEER
Alltechs Lexington Brewing Co	Kentucky Ale
Alltechs Lexington Brewing Co	Kentucky Light
Alltechs Lexington Brewing Co	Bourbon Barrel Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Co	Calico Amber Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Co	Sculpin IPA
Ballast Point Brewing Co	Black Marlin Porter
Boulevard Brewing Co	Tank 7
Boulevard Brewing Co	Double Wide IPA
Boulevard Brewing Co	The Sixth Glass
Coastal Brewing Co	Fordham Wisteria Wheat
Coastal Brewing Co	Copperhead Ale
Coastal Brewing Co	Tavern Ale
Deschutes Brewery	Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery	Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Brewery	Inversion IPA
Dog Fish Head Craft Brewery	90 Minute IPA
Dog Fish Head Craft Brewery	Festina Peche
Dog Fish Head Craft Brewery	Palo Santo Marron
Epic Brewing Co	Coppe Cone Pale Ale
Epic Brewing Co	Hop Syndrome lager
Epic Brewing Co	Hoppulent IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Pale 31 California Pale Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Union Jack IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Double Jack DIPA
Flying Dog Brewery	Snake Dog IPA
Flying Dog Brewery	Doggie Style Classic Pale ale
Flying Dog Brewery	Raging Bitch Belgian IPA
FX Matt Brewing	Saranac White IPA
FX Matt Brewing	Saranac Lemon/Ginger Saison
FX Matt Brewing	Saranac Pale Ale
Goose Island Beer Co	Matilda
Goose Island Beer Co	312 urban Wheat
Goose Island Beer Co	IPA
Green Flash Brewing Co	West Coast IPA
Green Flash Brewing Co	Double Black Stout
Green Flash Brewing Co	Hop Head Red IPA
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales	Madrugada Obscura
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales	Bam Noire
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales	E.S. Bam
Left Hand Brewing Co	Milk Stout
Left Hand Brewing Co	Black Jack Porter
Left Hand Brewing Co	400 Pound Monkey
Kona Brewing Co	Fire Rock Pale Ale
Kona Brewing Co	Longboard Island Lager
Kona Brewing Co	Wailua Wheat Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Co	Lagunitas IPA
Lagunitas Brewing Co	Little Sumpin' Sumpin
Lagunitas Brewing Co	Lagunitas Pale ale
Lagunitas Brewing Co	Lagunitas Pilsner
Odell Brewing Co	Odell IPA
Odell Brewing Co	90 Shilling Ale
Odell Brewing Co	St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale
Rogue Ales	Hazlenut Brown
Rogue Ales	Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale
Rogue Ales	Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager
Shipyard Brewing Co	Export Ale
Shipyard Brewing Co	Pumpkinhead Ale
Shipyard Brewing Co	Monkey Fist IPA
SKA Brewing Co	Decadent Imperial IPA
SKA Brewing Co	Buster Nut Brown Ale
SKA Brewing Co	True Blonde Ale
Smuttynose Brewing Co	2010 Wheat Wine
Smuttynose Brewing Co	Robust Porter
Smuttynose Brewing Co	Finest kind IPA
Stone Brewing Co	2012 Stone Imperial russian Stout
Stone Brewing Co	Stone IPA
Stone Brewing Co	Arrogant Bastard ale
Uinta Brewing Co	Wyld Organic Extra Pale ale
Uinta Brewing Co	Baba Organic Black Lager
Victory Brewing Co	Prima Pils
Victory Brewing Co	Hop Devil
Victory Brewing Co	Hop Wallop
Victory Brewing Co	Golden Monkey
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Torpedo
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Summer lager
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Southern Hemisphere
Odell Brewing Co	Myrcenary
Odell/Thornbridge	Pondhopper
Coronado Brewing Co	Islander IPA
USA CASK BEER
10 Barrel Brewing	ISA
Amnesia Brewing	Desolation IPA
Baxter	Stowaway IPA
Bridgeport	Hop Czar
Cape Ann Brewing	Not Your Ordinary Bitter
Cape Cod Beer	Cape Cod Red
Chama River Brewing	Jackalope IPA
Clown Shoes	Hoppy Feet
Deschutes	Enlightenment IPA
Deschutes	Doc Watbrown
Fort George	Nut Red Ale
Geary's	Geary's Pale Ale
Grittys	Maine's Best IPA
Haverhill Brewery	Sassy Rabbit Rye Red
High & Mighty Beer Co.	Beer of the Gods
Jack's Abbey	Hoponius Union IPL
La Cumbre Brewing	Pyramid Rock Pale Ale
Lagunitas	Undercover Shutdown Ale
Left Hand Brewing	Sawtooth ESB
Left Hand Brewing	Black Jack Porter
Lowell Beer Works	Sour Red
Marble Brewing	Marble Double IPA
Martha's Exchange	The Farmer's Daughter
Mayflower Brewing	Summer Rye
Mystic	Old Powderhouse
Ninkasi Brewing	Total Domination Imperial IPA
Notch Brewery	Session Ale
Opa Opa	Opa-Opa IPA
Oskar Blues and Brews	Old Chub
Oskar Blues and Brews	Deviant Dale's IPA
Portsmouth Brewing	Oatmeal Stout
Redhook	Cream Ale
Rising Tide	Daymark American Pale Ale
Rogue	Brutal IPA
Rogue	"Nutless" Hazelnut Brown
Rogue	American Amber
Run of the Mill	Summer Bitter, Summer Not
Salmon Creek Brewpub	Oatus the Red
Santa Fe Brewing	Imperial Smoked Chocolate Stout
Sebago	Fry's Leap IPA
Smuttynose Brewing	Old Brown Dog
Smuttynose Brewing	Finest Kind IPA
Stone Brewing	Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Stone Brewing	Pale Ale
Summit Brewing	Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing	Extra Stout Porter
Thomas Hooker Brewing	Hop Meadow IPA
Tommyknockers	Hop Strike Black Rye IPA
Tractor Brewing	Barnstorm Ale
Turtle Mountain Brewing	Arsenal Porter
Walking Man	Walking Stick Stout
Watch City	Breakfast of Champions
Willimantic Brewing	Brown Ryed Girl
AUSTRALIAN BOTTLED BEER
Cooper Brewing Co	Sparkling Ale
Cooper Brewing Co	Pale Ale
Little Creatures	Pale Ale
NORWEGIAN BOTTLED BEER
Lervig	Lucky Jack IPA
Lervig	Betty Brown
Lervig	Hoppy Joe Red Ale
Lervig	Konrad RIS
Lervig/Mikkeller	Eye Eye PA
SRI LANKAN BOTTLED BEER
Lion Brewery	Lion Stout

BSF @GBBF The W1 Bar

Well as some of you may know i tend to work The BSF (Bieres Sans Frontieres) bar at GBBF each year and despite some reservations about the Olympic Chaos i decided to do so again this year. (All be it with little less hours) So i any one is there during trade day. Do say hi if you see me.

And just to get you all ready for the festival, here the list from one of the Bars W1 Belgian, Dutch and Italian.

BELGIAN BOTTLED BEER
De Dochter van de Korenaar	Noblesse Extra-Ordinaire 7.0%
De Dolle Brouwers	Boskeun 10.0%
Ellezelloise	Saison 6.5%
Hofbrouwerijke	Blondelle 8.0%
Fantome	Saison 8.0%
De Graal	Tripel 9.0%
Abbaye des Rocs	Blanche des Honnelles 6.0%
Caracole	Troublette 5.0%
Cantillon	Gueuze Bio 5.0%
3 Fonteinen	Oude Geuze 6.0%
Girardin	Black Label Gueuze 5.0%
Hanssens	Oude Kriek 6.0%
Orval	Orval
Rochefort	Rochefort 10 11.3%
Dupont	Monk’s Stout 5.2%e
Hofbrouwerijke	Hofblues 5.5%
De Struise	Black Damnation 13.0%
Boelens	Bieken 8.5%
Boelens	Prinsesken 6.5%
Verhaeghe	Echte Krienenbier 6.8%
Girardin	Framboise 5.0%
De Ranke	Kriek 7.0%
BELGIAN DRAUGHT BEER
Girardin	Lambiek 5.0%
Cantillon	Lambic 2 Years Old 5.0%
Cantillon	Lou Pepe Kriek 5.0%
De La Senne	Zinnebir 5.8%
De La Senne	Taras-Boulba 4.5%
Cazeau	Saison 5.0%
De Ranke	XX Bitter 6.2%
Des Geants	Ducassis 3.0%
De Dochter van de Korenaar	Belle-Fleur
DUTCH BOTTLED BEER
Christoffel	Bier 6.0%
Klein Duimpje	American Pale Ale 6.5%
Maallust	Vienna 5.0%
Mommeriete	Blond 5.5%
De 7 Deugden	Spring + Tijm 6.0%
De 7 Deugden	Scherp + Zinning 5.0%
De 3 Horne	Wit 7%
Gulpener	Korenwolf 5.0%
De 7 Deugden	Wijs + Neuzig 5.0%
De Molen	Hel&Verdoemenis on Wild Turkey Barrel 11.0%
Klein Duimpje	Xtreme Baltic Chocolate Coffee Mocha Porter 9.0%
De 3 Horne	Bananatana 7.0%
De 3 Horne	Mangootje 7.0%
Sint Servattumus	Kernsbier 6%
Sint Servattumus	Appelke Vur D’n Dorst 6.0%
DUTCH DRAUGHT BEER
De Molen	Rye IPA (Bordeaux) Approx 6%
De Molen	Rasputin on Speyside 14%
Emelisse	Barley Wine Jack Daniels 10.5%
Emelisse	Espresso Stout 10.0%
Emelisse	Caol lla 11.0%
Emelisse	Ardberg 11.0%
Emelisse	Black IPA 10.0%
Emelisse	Imperial Russian Stout 11.0%
Emelisse	IRS Sorachi Ale 11.0%
Jopen	Mooie Nel IPA 6.5%
Jopen	Jacobus Rye Pale Ale 5.3%
ITALIAN BOTTLED BEER
Le Baladin Brewery	Isaac, 5%
Le Baladin Brewery	Super, 8%
Birra Del Borgo	Re Ale Extra,
Birra Del Borgo	My Antonia, 7%
Olmaia Brewery	Pvk 4.5%
Olmaia Brewery	“La 5”, 5.5%
Birrificio Italiano	Tipopils, 5%
Birrificio Italiano	Bibock’, 6.2%
Montegioco Brewery	Demon Hunter, 8.5%
Montegioco Brewery	Draco, 11%
Barley Brewery	Tuvi Tuvi, 6.2%
Barley Brewery	Toccadibo’ 8.4%
Loverbeer	Madamin 5.7%
Loverbeer	Beerbera 8%
Brewfist	Spaceman, 7%
Brewfist	Caterpillar, 5.8%
Extraomnes Brewery	Blond, 4.4%
Extraomnes Brewery	Tripel, 8.6%
Amarcord Brewery	Ama Bionda, 6%