2013 is the 24th anniversary of the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash.
The idea of 24 seemed like a good one to use for the theme for the beer list as there are plenty of things related to 24; Jack Bauer from the popular TV series, Twenty Four Seven – a film by Shane Meadows and, as Burt Bacharach sang, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa.
But the most obvious 24 connection is that there are 24 beers in a case. Oh no. Wait. That’s not it, that’s just a lucky co-incidence! The most obvious connection is that there are 24 Hours in a day. Yes. That’s it.
Twenty Four hours, which over a few beers and a bit of discussion morphed into Twenty Four of Ours. Twenty Four favourite beers chosen by the beer festival organisers for your personal pleasure.
These are the classics, the crowd pleasers, the beers seen at the festival over and over again because, well, putting it simply, because they are so good and enjoyed by so many people, year-in and year-out.
So here they are, the Twenty Four of Ours. Enjoy …
Abbeydale – Deception (4.1%)
Lovely pale gold in colour, thin crisp head, with a honey-like aroma it is delicately sweet in taste and goes down a real treat. Very tangy and refreshing, pure flavour, very addictive. Voted SIBA Regional Winner in 2012. Go drink!!
Allgates – Pretoria (3.9%)
Named after the local mine it is a perfectly clean yellow gold ale with big assertive lemon sherbert hops; juicy with just a pinch of sourness.
Bank Top – Flat Cap (4%)
Bank Top’s signature beer. Pale with citrus fruit aroma and a hoppy finish.
Bathams – Best Bitter (4.3%)
A straw coloured bitter which initially seems sweet, but a complex, dry, hoppy taste soon predominates. Get it while you can as rumour has it that not many other local festivals can get their hands on it.
Boggart – Rum Porter (4.7%)
A strong porter with added rum. Rich and warming.
Cairngorm – Trade Winds (4.3%)
Light golden in colour with a high proportion of wheat giving a clean fresh taste. The mash blends together with the Perle hops and elderflower providing a bouquet of fruit and citrus flavours. Voted Beer of the Year by CAMRA Highlands and Western Isles.
Castle Rock – Harvest Pale (3.8%)
An aromatic blend of American hops gives this 3.8% pale beer exceptional poise. It’s distinct hop flavour leads to a crisp finish. Voted SIBA National Champion Bitter 2004, Chamption Bitter of Britain 2007 and Champion Beer of Britain 2010.
Cumbrian Legendary Ales – Loweswater Gold (4.3%)
Pale and golden with a small white head. Malty and grainy aroma with fruity and floral notes. Sweet grainy flavour with grassy hops. 2011 Champion Golden Ale of Britain.
Dark Star – Espresso Stout (4.2%)
Crowned the world’s best speciality beer 2009. This is alcoholic coffee!
Elland – Beyond The Pale (4.2%)
A pale, golden bitter brewed with a touch of Munich Malt and a pronounced floral aroma and finish from the North American Cascade hops.
Exmoor – Gold (4.5%)
Exmoor Gold is an appetising and enticing gold colour. Bittersweet with hints of citrus fruit weaving in and out.
Harviestoun – Bitter and Twisted (4.2%)
A golden/blonde ale that was the Champion Beer of Britain in 2003. There’s not much else to say!
Hawkshead – Windermere Pale (3.5%)
A very pale, very hoppy, multi-award winning beer. Voted SIBA North Overall Champion in 2011.
Hop Back – Summer Lightning (5%)
Another Bent and Bongs regular since the dawn of time. Summer Lightning’s light citrus aroma and hoppy kick raises it above the average drinkable summer ale. It’s the original summer ale but brewed all year round, so no matter what the weather outside is doing, put a bit of sunshine in your glass.
Kelham Island – Pale Rider (5.2%)
Pours clear and golden with an aroma of fruit and hops. Flavour of grass and straw in the hoppyness and citrus fruits. Champion Beer of Britain 2004.
Moorhouses – Pendle Witches Brew (5.1%)
A full malty flavoured beer with a crisp sweet fruity aftertaste and soft citrus nose.
Olde Swan – Entire (4.4%)
A classic Black Country quaffing ale.
Orkney – Skull Splitter (8.5%)
Yes! That’s 8.5%. Treat it with care!
A barley wine that pours a dark amber. Boozy, dark fruit aroma. Tastes sweet and malty. Dark fruit. Some apple in there too. 2001 Champion Winter Beer of Britain.
Norman Sinclair (of Sinclair Breweries) recommends drinking Skull Splitter with pate, red meat and strong cheeses. We think it goes particularly well with one of Mick’s sausages.
Phoenix – Wobbly Bob (6%)
A malt and hop aroma gives way to a bitter and hoppy finish. Wobbly Bob is another Bent and Bongs favourite going as far back as we can remember.
Roosters – Yankee (4.3%)
Aroma nice flowery malt. The taste is quite amazing. It’s subtle yet powerful and bitter. Very nice finish of vanilla and toffee. Nice!
Sarah Hughes – Dark Ruby Mild (6%)
A classic strong dark mild from the Black Country and arguably the benchmark for this tradition style of brew. It’s been a Bent and Bongs favourite for years. What more can we say?
Thornbridge – Jaipur (5.9%)
A citrus dominated India Pale Ale (IPA). Its immediate impression is soft and smooth yet builds to a crescendo of massive hoppiness accentuated by honey with an enduring, bitter finish.
Timothy Taylor – Landlord (4.3%)
A traditional Yorkshire bitter and a Bent and Bongs classic. A sweet caramel flavour is balanced by a fruity bitterness. Over the years Landlord has won more awards than there is space to list. Beer of the Year in 1982/83 and 1983/84, Champion Best Bitter of Britain in 1988/89, 1989/90 and 1990/91, Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 1994/95 and 1999 and Gold Award – Best Bitter Category in 2010 to name but a few. If there is one beer that generates more chatter than any other (Glasscollector!) this is it. And if there is one beer that you should try more than any other. This also is it. We can’t guarantee that you’ll like it, but that’s what taste is all about. Life would be very dull without it.
Titanic – Iceberg (4.1%)
A combination of Maris Otter pale malt and fine wheat malt give this refreshing beer real zest. CAMRA Champion Beer of the West Midlands – Speciality Beers in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009. Would it be too much of a pun to suggest sinking one?