7th Britannia Inn Beer Festival 2009

From Friday 13th to Sunday 22nd November 2009 we will be celebrating our seventh annual Beer Festival, featuring a mixture of CAMRA Champion Real Ales still in production since the competition started in 1978, some SIBA Award Winners (Society of Independent Brewers), and some local finest brews. We'll be aiming for an even more interesting mix this year than last. Below is last year's comprehensive list, which, as we have six hand pumps, were rotated throughout the Festival, ensuring there was a good mix of strengths, flavours, darks, lights, etc. at all times.

Beer List

Crouch Vale Brewers Gold

Brewers Gold from Crouch Vale of Essex   4.0%   (2005 and 2006) £2.80
Striking grapefruit nose leads to a beer of generally citrus hoppy character, underpinned by a perfumed sweetness and an aftertaste of orange wine gums.

Kelham's Pale Rider

Kelham’s Pale Rider   5.2%   (2004) £2.90
A well-balanced, strong, fruity, full-drinking pale ale, flavoured with North American hops.

Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted

Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted   3.8%   (2003) £2.70
Aggressively  hoppy beer with fruit throughout. A bittersweet taste with a long bitter finish. A golden session beer.

Caledonian Deuchars IPA Caledonian Deuchars I.P.A.   3.8%   (2002)   £2.70
An extremely tasty and refreshing session beer. Hops and fruit are very evident and are balanced by fruit throughout. The lingering aftertaste is delightfully bitter and hoppy.
Oakham JHB Oakham J.H.B.   3.8%   (2001)   £2.60
An impressive thirst quenching yellow bitter with powerful aromatic grapefruity hop character. Mouth filling grainy palate with a malty sweetness underpinning the hop bitterness. The citrus hop and malt persist as a deep enveloping dryness builds.  (2nd place in last years Brit vote )
Moorhouse Black Cat

Moorhouse's Black Cat   3.4%   (2000)   £2.45
Formerly Black Cat Mild.
An excellent dark, fruity ale. Smooth and well balanced with fruity, choclate and coffee flavours to complement the bitter roast character that lingers on in the aftertaste.

Coniston Bluebird Coniston Bluebird Bitter   3.6%   (1998)   £2.60
A yellow- gold, predominantly hoppy and fruity beer, well balanced with some sweetness and a rising bitter finish, and  a permanent fixture on the Britannia Bar.
Mordue Workie Ticket Mordue Workie Ticket   4.5%   (1997)   £2.60 
Complex, tasty beer with plenty of malt and hops. The flavours extend into a long lingering finish.
Woodfordes Wherry Best Woodforde's Wherry Best Bitter   3.8%   (1996)   £2.70
Pale brown in colour with a sustained fruity character in both nose and taste. A hint of caramel and roast in the aroma are overtaken by a first taste that has rather more hop and malt background. The fruity character fades towards the finish as a more defined hoppiness becomes apparent. Easy drinking with a consistent character.
Norman' s Conquest Cottage Norman's Conquest   7.0%   (1995)   £2.95
A dark strong ale, with plenty of fruit in the aroma and taste; rounded vinous,  hoppy finish.
Woodfordes Norfolk Nog Woodforde's Norfolk Nog   4.6%   (1992)   £2.60
A dark brown beer with a heavy roast framework. A deep fruity bitterness hangs on to the roast notes to give depth to the taste. The nose is full of roast and dried fruits well in keeping with the flavour profile. The bitterness takes over towards the end to lighten the somewhat heavy, filling mouth feel.
Mauldons Black Adder Mauldons Black Adder   5.3%   (1991)   £2.70
A dark stout. Roast malt is strong in the aroma and taste, but malt, hop and bitterness provide an excellent balance and a lingering finish
Fullers Chiswick Fullers Chiswick Bitter   3.5%   (1989)   £2.45
Hops and malt on the nose intensify on the palate, leaving a clean, fruity hop finish and a bitterness that builds on drinking.
Ringwood Old Thumper Ringwood Old Thumper   5.6%   (1988)   £2.77
A mid-brown beer. A fruity aroma preludes a sweet, malty taste with some fruit. Surprisingly bitter aftertaste, with malt and fruit.
Pitfield's Black Eagle Pitfield Dark Star   5.0%   (1987)   £2.65
(Now re-named “Black Eagle”)
A light drinking strong old ale, black with red hues, a lasting roast malt flavour and a malty, dryish aftertaste.
This was the only beer we were unable to source last year, and it's not looking good for this year. But fingers crossed.
Batemans XXXB Batemans XXXB   (1986)   £2.65
A brilliant blend of malt, hops and fruit on the nose with a bitter bite over the top of a faintly banana maltiness that stays the course. A russet-tan classic.
Timothy Taylor Landlord

Timothy Taylor Landlord   4.3%   (1982/ ‘83/ ‘94/ ‘99)   £2.55
An increasingly dry,  bitter finish complements the spicy, citrus hop character and complex fruitiness of this full flavoured and well balanced beer.  A permanent fixture on the Britannia Inn Bar.
Fullers London Pride Fullers London Pride    4.1%   (1979)   £2.55
A tawny-coloured beer with malt notes balanced with hops. Fruity citrus orange is noticeable throughout, with a well-rounded bitter finish.
Fullers ESB Fullers E.S.B.   5.5%   (1978 – TIED 1981/ 1985)   £2.75
A rich, full bodied, complex beer with malt, hops and fruit all in evidence. Marmalade bitter notes build, leaving a dry aftertaste. Marmalade bitter notes build, leaving a dry aftertaste.
Thwaites Mild Thwaites Mild    3.3%   (1978 – tied / 1980)   £2.40
Has become hard to find in cask form. A traditional dark mild presenting a thin malty flavour and a slight bitter finish.