My trip to the GBBF at Earl's Court yesterday afternoon was my second trip to the festival, and it hadn't changed much. The same blend of wacky characters, bad t-shirts and age verification wrist bands (ah, my youthful looks!) were exactly the same as last year. Inside, the stands had moved a little, the bars were reorganised and renamed, but everything was roughly where it had been the year before, give or take a few odd stands and such.
Arriving with my friend Tom, the first drink on our palates was a good slug Fruh's Kolsch. For those who have never had the joy of sampling Kolsch, I highly, highly recommend it. A weird mutant yeast means that Kolsch is top fermented beer resembling a lager more than a ale, but... with flavour! A crisp, refreshing beer, a bottle split between me and my friend Tom started of proceedings well!
Following this, we figured a nice half pint of IPA would be a good logical step, to help us wash down some fantastic Thai red curry. Given current media attention, as well as a demand on my own part to be able to formulate a response, there was only one we could try- Brewdog's Punk. At 6%, with a strong hop aroma, there was no doubt about it. It was a ballsy IPA. However, upon actually tasting the beer, I was a flabergasted by the sheer bitterness. I mean, a hoppy aroma and flavour is characteristic of an IPA, but this was like drinking liquid hops! There was no trace of malt, and it was, overall, imbalanced. I understand the Brewdog mentality, marketing and style- to make beers of character and flavour- but there is no point in just going OTT with the hops, and assuming that is flavour. I love many an IPA, whether it be Marston's Old Empire or St.Peter's IPA- but this is not one I will be quaffing again, I'm afraid!
Next up following this, we felt like a cleansing drink, so it was off to the world of Czech beer, for some unfiltered, draft Budvar. I love Budvar, it's no secret. I can drink it all day and night, letting the silken liquid hit me with a refreshing, crisp taste and wonderful flavour of Saaz hops. But this... was a treat. It really changed the mouth feel of the beer, making it seem much softer and almost velvety on the tongue, accentuating it's wonderful after taste. It also lingered wonderfully, and just provided such a welcome sense of refreshment. Add in a sit down, and a great time chatting to a few other festival goers about home brews exploding the car, and the beer really started to kick in and the festival was in full swing!
Following this, the beers flowed thick and fast, or at least the Rauchbier we had next did. Smokey, like a porter, but somewhat thinner. Absolutely delicious. After this, it was time to grab some Bananatana, an Italian ale flavoured with bananas (duh!) and sultanas. Very banana, tasted strongly of them. Not too sweet, a little residual hop bitter finish. It worked superbly, but... banana as a drink is a little odd! A nice occasional drink I'd say. Add in then a shared bottle of port stout (hint of port in the taste, from a cask I think, should have been a porter for maximum pun!) as well as a bottle of Little valley ginger pale ale, a balanced ale, with a hint of ginger. Very pleasant. Next, I realised that I had neglected my first love... Belgian beer!
So, here I had a little taste of all the Belgian stuff I wanted. First up, me and my friend Tom shared a couple of Blondes... not a suspicious thing to do at all! These were lovely, strong, somewhat malty beers. You'll have to excuse the blur that begins to sink in by this point at the festival; a combination of intoxicating beverages and Flemmish made things a little difficult! After this, it was witbier time, somewhat different from it's German counterpart- more spiced and somehow even gassier! Despite this spicing, it is exceptionally subtle in the finished beer, not an assault of flavour- more just a very complex hint of coriander and orange, accentuating the natural citrus crisp of the hops. Then, it was Geuze time. Last year, I'd had Lambic and Kriek... this year, I thought the blend of young an old Lambic might be more palatable, more exquisite... and that I might have a Damascus moment. Wow. Once again, despite the lactic taste that is more yoghurt than beer, it was still... beer. And, I'm proud to say a good one at that. A wonderful taste of citrusy malt and even a smooth finish it balance it. I think I've been converted :)
From here, we then went and saw that the time was about 6:00PM. For those in the know, that meant one thing and one thing only... Brewer's Reserve No.2 from Fullers. So scarce was the beer, that a queue formed prior to its release. Despite a somewhat odd conversation with a rather unhinged gentleman, who has several tankards clipped to his belt and who refused to believe it was in a cognac cask as opposed to whiskey, and the beer was released. Wow. Deep, complex, a real taste of fine cognac. Possibly the most complex and wonderful beer I has ever tasted. Thank you, Fullers.
But... then I had to have one more for the road. How do you beat an 8.2% ale flavoured with cognac? Answer...
A 13.1% Danish Imperial Stout. I drank a bottle of black hole... molasses. It was almost like that, yet still somehow bitter enough at the end to balance the insane malt and alcohol content.
Then, I departed, off into anon, upon the Picadilly line. An amazing and wonderful day, what a celebration of beer!
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