London beer week is about to come to an end. Us at team Maketh made a trek down to see a few things going on.
Monday was especially my favourite as we headed down to Clapham to enjoy a Glasses and grains boilermaker tasting session, with Woodford Reserve and Anspach & Hobday. The educational evening was hosted by the great Tom Vernon of Woodford Reserve, teaming up with the powder Keg diplomacy in Clapham. The aim was to bring to us a unique beer and whiskey tasting, designed to highlight the strengths of both bourbon and some fine Anspach & Hobday beers.
Along with these fine beer and whiskeys, came some tasty dishes, to help heighten the great link in food and drink.
Woodford Rye & IPA
The Woodford rye was the first sampling, combined with the Anspach London IPA. Dish served alongside this was a roasted cod, charred chicory & lemon emulsion. The peppery rye spice you get from the Woodford helps to add flavour to the soothing IPA, leaving the roasted cod to add the final sharp touch to all of these flavours combined.
Woodford Double Oaked & Anspach Smoked Brown
Second dish had to be my favourite of all, before the finale came out, simply because Double oaked does wonders to any palette or dish it comes across. With the double oak was a serving of Anspach & Hobday Smoked brown. The double barrelled bourbon’s sweet oak flavour gives the stronger smoked bacon beer a boost to its palette pleasing taste, along with matching the hanger steaks & burnt onion jam.
Woodford Distillers Select & Gosnell’s Mead
Nothing will ever beat an original Woodford (maybe the double oaked). Served neat with a caramel, glazed bananas & bramley apple dish, it was only right that a sweeter beer like Gosnell’s mead paired up with the meal. For those that know the distiller’s select, will know the value of its rich toffee, caramel and chocolaty taste. With the combination of Woodford with the sweet lemony taste of the Gosnell’s mead, you get a thrilling desert drink experience, combined with the glazed bananas desert.
Trumans Brewery experience
Second day in the London Beer week fun takes me to the Truman brewery, where several beer enthusiasts host their own brands for the public to explore.
For me in particular the brand of fancy was the Hop house 13, a new project by the brewers of the legendary St James Gate brewery. For those that may not know what brewery I refer to, this is of course the legendary brewery of the great Guinness.
Being a fan of Guinness i was curious about trying this beer of theirs out, with the hop I wouldn’t be disappointed in the end result. Thankfully the result wasn’t a negative, but it did indeed catch me by surprise. The lager is a flavourful one, with an interesting hoppy citrus nose to it. With an ABV of 5% I’d say it’s worth getting a few bottles to try for out, without the worry of getting to merry from it.
