Beer Festival Report

Report on the Harrogate Round Table 22^nd Annual Charity Beer Festival

17th February 2012:

Unlike my only previous visit to the Crown Hotel, Harrogate – on an unremarkable New Year’s Eve circa. 1972 – one of the busiest areas was the 100 square yards or so of car park nearest to the hotel entrance.  The reason for this was, of course, the reason most public spaces are busier now than they used to be on evenings: a smoking ban-generated crowd of smokers. 

Unlike the crowds observed in, say, Newcastle’s Bigg Market, this one was buzzing – rather than shouting and screeching – with conversation concerning the contents of the small glasses held by all.  There was no atmosphere of threat or the strutting, pre-fight rituals to be seen in many town or city centres anywhere in the country on most weekend evenings.  I don’t just mean the big (or Bigg) places, either, since I witnessed testosterone-aggravated behaviour in the centre of tiny Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, on a Saturday evening in January.

I passed through the smoke, as it wafted and eddied in the currents generated by the warm air accompanying the beerlore-related opinions and bullshit being spoken into reception, where I paid and was issued with my tokens and glass.  Thus processed, I entered the festival proper.  

All the beer-dispensing and entertainment areas were packed from my arrival at eight and had transformed into heaving by the time I left at ten.  The main room was wood-floored and noisy, making conversation difficult.  Just as well then I was Billy No Mates for the night.  A lone visitor.  Not a man drinking alone with only his thoughts for company, but a writer undertaking research. 

A small area was set up for performances of the singer/guitarist type, but was too busy to hang around.  One possible reason I have attended so few beer festivals (an amazing admission, considering how much of a beer lover I am, but then again I also like rock music and don’t exactly rush to the equivalent of open-air and/or large venue multi-band events) is my dislike of large noisy crowds and standing up for any length of time.    

A large area next to this overcrowded space, with an empty stage crying out for a use, lacked seats and lighting, but I made it my home for a few minutes as I drank and considered my first half, a glass of Saltaire Pale Ale, chosen as a starting beer for its tasting notes’ description of being a light, English pale bitter of 3.9% ABV. 

It was apparent from reading the programme that this was a small festival, as these things go, with perhaps 28 beers (mainly local) and a handful of ciders and perries.  Some generic wine was available – in red and white flavours – in what looked like ring-pull plastic containers; also a small range of the poorer types of lager (we know who they are, so no need to spell it out, is there?) and soft drinks.  These are necessary for those who don’t much like beer but are along for the social occasion, are designated drivers or feel like a change between brews.  

Sitting at a trestle table in semi-darkness soon palled, so I circulated a bit through packed rooms and quiet corridors in a planetary fashion, working my way up the ABV scale with Briscoe Brewery’s Chevin Chaser, Mighty Oak’s Oscar Wilde Mild, Daleside’s Pride of England, Goose Eye Special, Theakston’s Coopers Butt and Thornbridge’s Jaipur IPA.  The one that stood out – if not for being the best – was the mild, which I appreciated for its range and depth of flavours combined with a low strength of 3.7%.

Over time I gravitated to a leather sofa in a sponsors’ room, with its single beer pump and sparse population, where I wrote down notes without too much self-consciousness.  At least 30% of those present at the festival were women and masses of staff – about one person to each pump – made for quick and friendly service.  Most people were in small, quiet, mixed groups with a wide age range but small groups of men and women also gathered. 

Everyone else apart from me appeared to be amongst company and having a good time, whereas I probably looked like I was reprising my long history of being a “Health Inspector”.  It was with that unpleasant thought I started to wander again and, after a walk outside to break from the beer and crowds, I fetched up in a more convivial area sat next to a guy called Bernard.  He wasn’t on-his own in the sense I was, but was with his son who kept turning up with beers for him to try. 

Once five tokens were exhausted I knew I had had enough.  Two of my drinks were provided free, since somehow I did not hand over a token in exchange.  I didn’t realise until the end and so was unable to rectify the errors, but I appreciated my free drink and gave the surviving token to Bernard.

A tenner entry which included six halves and a basic glass (which I forgot to take) was pretty good value – more than pub prices but it WAS a charity event – and food was available, but seemed to be all hot and lacked variety as well as somewhere to sit and eat it.    

Extra tokens at £1 each meant supplementary drinks for those with large capacity would pay only a very fair £2 a pint equivalent after first six were gone, but the ciders, perries and (I think) wine were priced at two tokens each, which seemed harsh.  

There was enough of a beer range, with lots of them local but a few from farther afield.  A few ciders and perries, all seeming to cost twice as much as the beers, provided alternatives for what was a beer festival.  A notable absence from the beer selection was any kind of decent lager.  CAMRA wasn’t involved so surely some good keg lager could have been offered as a crisp, cool palate-cleanser even if no cask was available.  I didn’t see any free water dispensers which there should have been, although bottled water may have been on sale (which is not the same thing at all!)

Another recommendation for a festival I would organise would be a selection of bottled beers. To drink there or take away.

These criticism aside, I left my first beer festival for some time thinking it was great and looking forward to the next.  This time, with company.     

And so, to the beers tasted, in order of my preference: 

MT12009 
Thornbridge, Jaipur IPA 5.9%

Appearance:  Gold.

Smell:          Beer.

Taste:          Fruity, just-right level of bitterness.

Impressions: Soft, smooth, full-bodied, lacking hoppy IPA aroma, BUT my favourite.

CAMRA beer of the year 2010 and 2011.

Bitter:          3/5

Score:          4 (seek out)

MT12010 
Goose Eye Special 4.2%

Appearance:  Pale gold.

Smell:          Peach and gooseberry.

Taste:          Sharp and citrus fruit, lingering bitterness.

Impressions: Good aroma, best of the beers sniffed.

Bitter:          3

Score:          4 (seek out)

MT12011 

Theakstons Coopers Butt 4.3%

Appearance:  Amber.

Smell:          Beer.

Taste:          Creamy caramel and robust fruit.

Impressions: The fourth tasted and the first I wanted to repeat.st of the beers

Bitter:          4

Score:          4 (seek out)

MT12012 

Daleside Pride of England 4.1%

Appearance:  Pale gold.

Smell:          Floral.

Taste:          Citrus fruit.

Impressions: Easy drinking summer beer. Unremarkable, but pleasant and would have again.  Probably had enough by now (my seventh half).   

Bitter:          4

Score:          3 (okay)

MT12013 

Mighty Oak Brewery Oscar Wilde Mild 3.7%

Appearance:  Dark.

Smell:          Roasted coffee.

Taste:          Coffee.

Impressions: Easy drinking, smooth, no bitterness.  One was enough.

Champion beer of Great Britain 2011.

Bitter:          0

Score:          3 (okay)

MT12014 

Briscoe’s Brewery Chevin Chaser 4.3% (Bitter = 4/5)

Appearance:  Pale straw.

Smell:          Beer.

Taste:          Sharp, almost sour.  

Impressions: Thin and little body.

Bitter:          3

Score:          2 (why bother?)