Hendre Huffcap

Another traditional perry pear is the Hendre Huffcap, named after the part of Monmouthshire the tree was first found in. Quite a tannic pear, will probably blend with another, sweeter pear such as the Tainton Squash we just picked (did not blog that one, ganger was getting me to pick and pank, not blog!) Very good year for perry pears this year.

Blakeney Red pears in Monmouthshire

Another day of perry pear picking at a Monmouthshire Farm. This time the variety is Blackeney Red, a traditional perry pear originaly from Gloucs. Centuries old farm with 200 year old trees. Good tannins in the perry pear balenced with plenty of sugar, this should ferment out to about 5-6% ABV when ready in the new year. Roll on the Welsh Cider and Perry Festival in May when this perry from Llanblethian Orchards.

Don Shenker is a Chump

Both Pub Curmedgeon and Dick Puddlecote have picked up on this excellent blog, written by Brew Wales' drinking buddy Fido and entitled Don Shenker is a Chump. Well its not actually called that but I'm sure Fido meant those words. Okay possibly not, but if Mandelson can attempt to get away with it.......
Here at Brew Wales we are no fans of the Government-funded Fake Charity Alcohol Concern or of its boss, Don Shenker. In fact a Brew Wales article appears on the Don Shenker is a Chump blog.

To quote from the blog:
"Head of a fake charity, Don sees his role as blowing booze into a media problem. A scaremonger who claims that a tipple or two turns us into mad beasts that need control. Then booze can give us cancer, reduces our immune system leads to all of societies ills. Unelected, a puritan who is given your tax money to put across his pet message. Don needs to be stopped".

Digging around in his background, it appears that the fake charity boss spent some time in Wales, as he did his degree at the Trefforest Miners Institute (1987-1990), now the University of Glamorgan.
Brew Wales cannot help but think if he spent more time researching in the 'O Block' his puritanical anti-pub views would not be so strong as they are today.

Fagin's Beer Festival on Now

The award-winning Fagin's Ale & Chop House, situated just outside of Cardiff, will be holding their a beer festival this weekend. Well it opens today (Thursday) and carries on until Sunday.
Fagins Festival Beers List - (In Alphabetical order) Subject to availabilty

Atlas – Kinlochleven – Three Sisters – 4.2% - Dark fruity beer with whole flower hops balances the dark malt character.
Bragdy’r Nant – Llanrwst – North Wales – Monkey Nells – 5.9%
Breconshire – Brecon – Ramblers Ruin – 5% - Dark amber,malty well hopped with a beautifully balanced aftertaste.
Brew Dog - Fraserburgh north east Scotland - Dogma – 7.8% - Heather Honey infused ale – Brewed with Guarana, Poppy seeds & Kola nut blended with Scottish heather honey.
Brew Dog – Fraserburgh north east Scotland - Punk IPA – 6% - Light Golden in colour with tropical fruits & caramelon the nose. Made with New Zealand hops
Brew Dog – Fraserburgh north east Scotland – Zeitgeist – 4.9% - Black lager.
Bridge of Allan – Stirling - Bannockburn – 4.2% - Pale Golden Beer.Refreshing complex hoppy & fruity aroma.
Bridge of Allan – Stirling - Bramble – 4.2% (cloudy) Brewed with the finest & freshest Scottish brambles from the forth valley.Smooth with a tangy aftertaste.
Cairngorm – Aviemore – Nessies Monster Mash – 44% - Malty lightly hopped.
Cairngorm – Aviemore – Trade Winds – 4.3% - Golden beer made with wheat. Blended with pearl hops & elderflower to give a bouquet of fruit & citrus flavours..
Elland – Leeds – Tomahawk – 4.7% - A pale gold premium bitter with a aromatic hop aroma. Made with USA hops Columbus tomahawk.
Goose Eye – Keithley West Yorkshire – Chinook – 4.2% - Pale beer with plenty of hops giving a hoppy subtle citrus flavour.
Hambleton – Melmerby North Yorkshire – Stallion – 4.2% - Premium bitter. Has a distinctly malty character with a hint of nuttiness.
Newmans – Caerphilly – Red Castle Cream – 4.7% - Copper coloured bitter with a smooth finish.
Ossett – Ossett West Yorkshire – Silver King – 4.3% - Lager style beer with a crisp dry flavour & citrus fruity aroma.
Ossett – Ossett West Yorkshire – Excelsior – 5.2% - Mellow yet full flavoured. Fresh hoppy aroma with toffee & floral characteristics.
Otley – Pontypridd – 01 – 4% - Straw coloured pale ale with styrian goldings aroma hops.
Otley – Pontypridd – 0F – 4.8% - Brewed for only Fagins a pale golden well balanced modern premium bitter.
Otley – Pontypridd – Porter – 6.6%ish – This porter has been cask conditioned for 14 months !!!
Purple Moose – Porthmadog – Glaslyn Ale – 4.2% - A golden coloured fruity best bitter with a well balanced hopped finish.
Red Squirrel – Hertford – WeissBier – 5% - Contains lots of wheat malt & a German yeast. A cloudy beer with that traditional refreshing weiss bier taste.
Red Squirrel – Hertford – White Mountain American India Pale Ale – 5.4%.- Contains four pale malts & one coloured malt plus two American hops.
St. Austell – Cornwall – Proper Job – 4.7% - A powerfully hopped golden bitter that explodes with citrus & grapefruit flavour.
Timothy Taylors – West Yorkshire – Landlord – 4.3% - Classic strong pale ale. Has won more awards nationally than any other beer.
Valhalla – Shetland – Auld Rock – 4.5% - Dark full bodied Scottish style ale.
Valhalla – Shetland – Simmer Dim – 4% - Golden bitter that explodes with citrus & grapefruit flavour.

Fagins Ale & Chop house
8 Cardiff Rd
Taffs Well
Cardiff
CF15 7QD

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Brown: Dangerous and Deluded

Having watched as much of the conference speech as I could stand, it came as no suprise that the teetotal Son of the Manse annouced plans to raise tax on the already overtaxed pub goer. This time the tax increase will pay for policing. Hang on a minute, we already pay enough in taxes to support the uniformed branch of the Labour Party, sorry Police force, together with the free-range park wardens known as PCSOs. If the police or the Government really wanted to clamp down on binge drinking then there is one easy law that could be enforced - it is an offence to serve anyone who is drunk, so why don't the police go around the City centres at night clamping down on the premises that are serving people that have already had too much to drink? It's already on the statute book so no further legislation would be needed. Of course the Police would object to this, after all it is too much like real policing and not inside the current safety zone they work in at the moment. Instead our deluded, unpopular and widely disliked Prime Minister announced a headline grabbing policy that will hit pubs and responsible drinkers in the pocket. Coincidently the British Beer and Pub Association today announced that they are stopping the "Axe the Tax" campaign on lowering beer duty. Looks like fake charity Alcohol Concern and their Government paymasters have scored a success on that front. Still look on the bright side, there are only 6 months left of this Government before the voters of this country give Gordon Brown a bloody nose at the polls, to add to his detached retina. The final 6 months will be messy, as the scorched earth policy of the bunker-dwelling Brown attempts to screw up this country even further.

Has anyone else noticed that Gordon Brown's health problems are similar to those caused by congenital syphilis? Delusions, blindness, temper tantrums, death of a still born child, sickness in other children etc. Looks like life in the Manse was a bit more interesting than once thought.

Another successful beer Festival

The Great British Cheese Festival at Cardiff Castle was a huge success this year with thousands attending to sample the cheeses and of course the real ales and ciders available at the Cardiff Arms bar, run by CAMRA. Emergency beer supplies were brought in by Rhymney, Vale of Glamorgan and Otley Breweries. Cider supplies were stocked up with reorders from Denis Gwatkin and Gwynt y Ddraig. A pleasant sunday night was enjoyed by the staff, relaxing outside the beer tent until a late hour. The surroundings of the castle are one of the best places to enjoy a beer or cider. Today the Brew Wales editor is having a quite half or two whilst waiting for the drays to come and collect their empties. Vale of Glamorgan brewery Summer Daze is the beer of choice - a golden hoppy ale at 4.2% ABV - my favourite style of beer as readers of this blog may have guessed. Otley brewery have just been to collect their empties and have tipped Brew Wales off about a forthcoming beer at their Oct-O-ber Fest in late October - a 14 month old porter. Mmm think Treforest may be due a visit then.

Health and safety notice - please do not touch the cow

A brilliant sunday morning at Cardiff Castle and the beer tent at the Cardiff Arms is in full swing. The 'elf and safety nazis have been out and have decided to rope off the plastic cow. Obviously a danger to everyone, Brew Wales salutes those brave officers of Cardiff council who took this bold move to protect the public. Well done!

More beer!

The thirsty customers at the Great British Cheese Festival have nearly drunk the Festival dry, but thanks to Otley Brewery, Gwynt y Ddraig cider and of course Denis Gwatkin reorders have been instigated and the bar is not quite dry yet. Roll on tonight, when the Cardiff Arms becomes the 4th pub in the Otley Empire! Mine's a Columbo.

Live from the Cardiff Arms

The Great British Cheese Festival is in full flow in the fantastic surroundings of Cardiff Castle. Cheese, real ale and cider, what more could anyone want? Okay we have a hog roast and other locally reared meats available along with alpacca socks made at a vineyard in Monmouthshire. Something for everyone at this Festival. Open tomorrow as well so pop along for a cider and cheese talk with Brew Wales, tickets still available.

Cider and Cheese tasting at the Great British Cheese Festival

Local cidermaker Stewart Lucas did a talk on cider and cheese at the Great British Cheese Festival today. A packed tent, named the "Dragon's Den" saw Stewart give a talk on the ins and outs of cidermaking and the tasting of the final product. One of the highpoints was popping the corks of the bottles of Troggi Perry. Roll on Sunday when Brew Wales gets to do the lecture.

Is the pint half full or half empty?

A bit of a philosophical question this but Brew Wales found ourselves in the Queens Vaults in Cardiff, more by accident than design, tonight, where they had Felinfoel Bitter on at the remarkably cheap price of £1.49 a pint! The Double Dragon is on at £1.99 a pint. Now the Queens is not a Felinfoel pub, it is owned by Mitchells and Butlers and let to the JW Bassett pub company yet they can serve the cheapest pint in Cardiff. Not normally a fan of sweet, malty beers but at this price in a city centre who can complain? The pub is reasonably busy and attracts a mixed crowd. To return to the title of this post, the Queens is the type of pub that manages to balance cheap beer and good atmosphere without attracting the chavs that large chains attract. Pint is definitely half full from here, time for another we think.

Thursday at the Great British Cheese Festival

The sun has come out and the editor is outside the Cardiff Arms beer tent at the Great British Cheese Festival. Only setup staff on site at the moment, we don't open to the public until Saturday. Still Cardiff Castle features some great grounds and there are very few City centres, apart from London, that feature such an historic and almost secret enclave. The piece and tranquility will soon be over as thousands besiege the castle for the Great British Cheese Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Better enjoy my cider whilst I can - for those interested its an oak-matured Kingstone Black from Gwynt Y Ddraig - a dry-wood aromared cider with that wonderful tannic kick in the aftertaste. A flavour of apples hits the tastebuds well into the aftertaste. Can't wait to match it to a cheese - aged cheddar I think, unpasterised of course.

Welsh Assembly to help pubs

Today in the Welsh Assembly the first formal meeting of the Cross-Party Welsh Assembly Beer and Pub Group takes place. An informal meeting was held earlier in the year to gauge support for the pub and drinks industry in the Assembly and the subjects for discussion today include tax and regulation to the beer tie and responsible retailing. Other subjects on the agenda include career paths in the pub sector, responsible selling of alcohol and the plans in Scotland, and promoting locally-sourced produce.

All 60 Welsh Assembly Members have been invited to the meeting. Speakers will include Enterprise licensee Phil Jones of Fair Pint, who secured a temporary 38% rent cut after a long-running dispute. He’ll discuss “the pros and cons of pubcos”.

Justin Grant, of the Breconshire Brewery, who chairs the Association of Welsh Independent Brewers, is due at the meeting, alongside representatives of larger brewers SABMiller, SA Brains and Coors.

The British Beer & Pub Association and Fake Charity Alcohol Concern are also due to attend. Alcohol Concern have a vested interest in appearing as according to 2007/8 figures 57% of their income came from the taxpayer. No doubt Don Shenker, Chief Executive of the Government-funded fake charity will be trying to get some funding from the Welsh Assembly Government at the meeting today for his new fake charity, Alcohol Concern Cymru.
Some information regarding the fake charity Alcohol Concern:
"Alcohol Concern supports banning happy hour, raising the price of alcohol, lowering the drink drive limit, banning glass bottles in pubs, warning labels on cans and bottles and banning TV advertising before 9pm. It described the ban on happy hour promotions as "a step in the right direction" and the introduction of cigarette-style warning labels on bottles as "a very good first step".
Basically they epitomise the nanny state along with everything that is wrong about this country today and would not exist if their Government-funding dried up.

Nine AMs are currently members of the Cross-Party Welsh Assembly Beer and Pub Group, which was formed in June. It is chaired jointly by Nicholas Bourne, leader of Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly, and Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert.


Below: Welsh Assembly members Jeff Cuthbert and Nick Bourne met earlier this year with CAMRA members, brewers and some skinhead wearing a Felinfoel Brewery tie

From Brew Wales

Second beer festival for Hay-on-Wye

The award-winning pub Kilverts Inn, Hay-on-Wye will be hosting their second beer festival this weekend with a focus on a seasonal speciality - green-hopped beers, that is beers brewed with the first hops of the season.
The beer menu: shamelessly ripped from the festival blog
Beers in bright green are green-hopped

Breconshire Brewery:

1) Green Dragon 4.6% HP

Brewed with malted wheat and fresh Goldings hops

2) Ysprid Y Ddraig, 6.5%

Matured in whisky casks for a good few months, this is a beautifully well rounded ale

3) Cribyn 4.5%

A very pale, straw coloured aromatic ale, hopped with Bramling Cross, Northdown and Challenger hops

Corvedale

4)Green Hop 4.5% HP

Brewed with Fresh Fuggle hops

Golden Valley Ales

5) Hop, Stock & Barrel 4.6%

A new brewery located at the back of the Bull-Ring pub, this is their flagship ale

Hobson's Brewery

6) Hobson's Mild, 3.2%

Champion Beer of Britain 2007

Don't be fooled by the low a.b.v. this is full of flavour

Kinver

7) Green Edge 4.2% HP

Green hopped beer!

Malvern Hills

8)Green Pear 4.4% HP

9)Priessnitz Plzen Lager 4.3%

Marstons

10) Old Empire 5.7%

With it's pale appearance, strong hoppy taste and higher alcoholic strength Marston's Old Empire comprises all the genuine characteristics of a true India Pale Ale, which were necessary to last the 3 month long journey from Burton to Bombay.

11) Milestone

Raspberry Wheat, 5.6%

Continental Style Fruit Beer, mouth filling fruit with a zingy finish!

Otley

12) Columbo 4.0%

A dry hopped, very pale, summer ale, bittered with colombus hops with aromas of cascade and columbus

13) O8 8.0%

Pale golden strong ale. Deceptively smooth and drinker

friendly, in moderation! Hoppy aromas and good bitterness

with Willamette hops dominating.

Champion Beer of Wales GWBCF 2006 and 2008

Gold Medal CAMRA GWBCF Barley Wine 2006 and 2007

Rhymney

14) Rhymney Export 5.0%

A heady flavour, full bodied yet rounded, serious yet quaffable

Rudgate

15) Ruby Mild 4.4%

Champion Beer of Britain 09, this is a nutty, rich mild

Teme Valley

16) Early Bird Fuggles* 4.1% HP

17) Early Bird Challenger*, 4.1%HP

A brewery that is surrounded by hop farms? These beers are brewed using single strain of fresh hops - the clue is in their names!

Thwaites

18) Golden Wunder, 4.6% HP

Brewed to celebrate the Munich Beer Festival, this is straw coloured ale with a distinctive continental hoppiness balanced with a smooth dry finish.

Wye Valley Brewery

19) Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, 4.6% HP

1 of only 2 ales to gain 5 stars on Roger Protz's Beer-pages.com

Confirmed Ciders:

Brook Farm

Kingstone Black, 6.8% Dry

Just won silver at the Worcester Beer Festival

Perry,

6%, Dry

Orgasmic Ciders

Sweet 6%

Medium 6%

Dry 6%

Gwynt Y Ddraig

Happy Daze 4.5% Medium

Barnstormer 6.5% Dry

Fiery Fox 6.5% Medium

Two Trees Perry 4.5% Medium

Pyder 6% Medium

Moles

Black Rat Cider 6% Dry

Kilverts are also on Twitter, follow @kilverts for comments from Ed as to how the festival is going, if he has time to tweet!
Full details of how to find the pub are on their website or festival blog
Kilverts Inn
The Bullring
Hay-on-Wye
Hereford
HR3 5AG

Traveline Cymru provide details of getting to Hay on Wye

Carmarthen Beer Festival this weekend

It's a busy week for real ale lovers in Wales as the 'Best in the West' CAMRA beer festival at Carmarthen St Peter's Hall gets underway on Thursday. featuring 40 real ales, ciders and perries the biggest CAMRA beer festival west of Swansea is sure to be another great event.

Open:Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri/Sat 12noon-11pm

£4 entry fee (inc commemorative glass + prog). CAMRA membs free. Basic food avail or bring own. Beer Tokens on sale within.

Thu preview eve with ltd ales + no live music, optional fancy dress night. Fri music from Somethin' Else; Sat music from Backtrax.

The menu:

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.25 ABV

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Braf 3.7

Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.2

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Braf 3.7

Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5

Tomos Watkin Chwarae Teg 4.1

Evan Evans Cwrw 4.2

Evan Evans Warrior 4.6

Evan Evans Harvest Home 4.3

Purple Moose Myrtle Stout 4.2

Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5

Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4.0

Swansea Original Wood 5.4

Swansea Three Cliffs Gold 4.7

Rhymney Dark 4.0

Otley O1 4.0

Brecon Ysbrid Y Ddraig 6.5

Brecon Golden Valley 4.2

Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch 6.0

Ffos y Ffin Cwrw Caredig 4.1

Wychwood Hobgoblin 4.5

Bowman Swift One 3.8

Brew Dog Punk IPA 6.0

Otley ColumbO 4.0

Hopback Summer Lightning 5.0

Conwy Clogwyn Gold 3.6

Oakham Bishops Farewell 4.6

Woodefordes Wherry 3.8

Wickwar Station Porter 6.1

Hook Norton Old Hooky 4.6

Sharp Doombar 4.0

Facers Flintshire Bitter 3.7

Mordue Workie Ticket 4.5

Church End What the foxs hat 4.2

Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbodys Golden Ale 4.2

Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4

Oakham Attila 7.5

Monty's Desert Rats 3.8

Nant Chwaden Aur 4.2

Purple Moose Glaslyn Ale 4.2

Cider

Westons Old Rosie 7.3

Old Rosie 7.3

GWR 1st Quailty 5.0

Gwynt Y Ddraig Farmhouse 5.5

Haymaker 6.5

Firey Fox 6.5

Barnstormer 6.5

Perry

Pyder 6.5

Two Trees 6.5

Wines

Blackberry

Rhubarb

Elderflower/Apple

Ginger

Beetroot

Gooseberry

Raspberry

Elderflower

Elderberry

Mediaeval Mead

Carmarthen is only an hour by train from Swansea

View St Peter's Civic Hall, Carmarthen in a larger map