Well a while since my last post, and a lot of change! I'm no longer head brewer at London Fields! I'm now self employed and doing brewery consultancy stuff.

So, what does this mean for you? Well for one, I'll be moving back to my home town of Oxford..I'm sure a season ticket to the beloved yellows will now be a given! So the blogs I write will be about a different region of the country and with that, a different beer culture. But seeing as I'm still in London I'll write with the big smoke in mind...


So here I am, yet again, in my soon to be non-local - The Magpie.

First beer of today, Otley brewery's 04 Columbo. Well what can I say...It has great taste, despite being Welsh!

Lovely light straw coloured and invitingly aromatic. Perhaps nothing to write home, or to the Internet about, but still pleasant.

Now for the tasting, a brief nothingness due to the tall tight creamy head, but as soon as the beautifully conditioned craft ale hits your tongue, you're forced into a world of surprise. Bitterness, then dry malt, then fruity hop characters, followed by more bitterness, then biscuity malt, more hop fruit then finally a lasting bitterness. Some might argue the final bitterness could be more stable and delicate - but for a guy that drinks grapefruit juice for breakfast, this is lovely.

I was hoping to make this pint last a while so that I could focus on this blog a bit - but no chance! Another one down the hatch and I made a decision to move from a Stephen Fry beer- smart, complex and keen to get down my neck, to more of a Brian Blessed beer - loud, deservedly imposing and ultimately less popular...and thankfully, slower! (Just!)

Binghams Hot Dog chilli Stout.

It's dark. Smells of toffee apples, chocolate and with a slight burnt toast notch. It's well carbonated, silky smooth and great at hiding its 5% tag.

The initial flavour pushed the burnt toast flavour, leaving a great space for the fantastic chocolate flavour to assume brief control - you don't need to ask the chilli twice to have a distinctive and lasting impression. Don't get me wrong, it's not spicy. It serves beautifully well, much as adding chocolate to a chilli con carne does. It leaves a warm, but light flavour in your mouth. Perhaps this helps tho hide the alcohol. Either way, it works. Beautifully balanced, with an unpredictable but not nasty edge. A few more pints of Brian blessed please landlord!


Why have I still not learnt to avoid my local when trying to write my blog??

Cheers,

Josh Walker