Live Beer Blogging #EBBC12

This is my live beer blog from the European Beer Bloggers Conference. Apologies in advance for any bad grammar, misspelling or likewise. This has been written live and in stages as I am tasting the beers.

Lets go......

Brains Dark- 4.1%- Brains and Co SA- As its name suggests this is dark. Loads of chocolate malt on the nose.First thing that hits me about the taste is how much liquorice comes through. Lovely savoury flavours.I am being told this beer is big in Cardiff. Its a lot lighter (in taste) than many of us were expecting.

Marble- Earl Grey IPA- 6.8%- Cloudy and I presume unfiltered this beer is really pleasing to the eye. On the nose this delivers big style. A wonderful balance between hop character and the bergamot and I get some tangerine. Earl grey notes are lost a little bit more in the taste than I expected but it is wonderfully balanced (to my surprise). I know I am only on the second beer but this will take a lot to beat. As a massive Earl Grey fan this is brilliant.

Roosters-  Baby Faced Assassin- 6.1%- Lovely golden colour with great clarity. On the nose I get loads of citra on the nose which makes sense since its 100% citra hopped. A little bit of something I can't quite pick up in this short time. Lovely residual sweetness from this beer. I am impressed by this too. This started life as a homebrew beer, it doesn't taste like one at all.

Great Heck- Stormin' Norman- 6.5%- Nice clarity from this too. On the nose I am getting some nice hop character (centennial?) . I think this is a little unbalanced and needs to have a bit more depth. This is dangerous as it doesnt taste anything like 6.5%. This is going to linger on the palate for a while, which I have no objection to at all.

Slaters Ales- Top Totty- 4.0%- And now for a controversial one. Lovely labels. This is very pale and absolutely cristal clear in terms of clarity. Quite lagery on the nose and very clean. Terribly fresh on the palate and probably the most refreshing beer of the day. I am very impressed with this after the previous 3 IPA's

Camden Town- USA Helles- 4.6%- Lovely and slightly cloudy almost milky pale colour. Smells fu*king brilliant (nothing to do with the fact that I am now into my 6th beer). Its totally not what I was expecting. My favourite beer of the tasting now. This is quite hard to describe. I have tasted the original and this is better and its very good.

Adnams- Ghost Ship- 4.5%- Golden colour. Citrus, rye, toffee and many other things going on on the nose. Lemon and lime on the nose and also nice level acidity lingers through to the taste. Its very nice if not slightly forgettable compared to some of the rest.

Innis and Gunn- SPA- 7.0%- Golden and quite pleasing to the eye. Vanilla and butterscotch (oh dear). Banana and toffee on the taste. Being nice about this is easier than I expected. This is a marmite beer. Taste it and make up your own mind.

Leeds Brewery- Hellfire- 5.2%- Very pale and inviting to the eye. Doesn't deliver much on the nose and a little metallic. It really makes up for it on the taste though. Its crisp and quite refreshing. I am not sure it was the right beer to bring to this event. It makes the brewery feel a little corporate.

Otley- Oxymoron-  5.5%- Dark and rich in appearance.  Lovely intense hop aroma on the nose with a great coffee backbone. It is the citrus that drives the nose. Taste is a big contrast to the nose. Lovely coffee and citrus compete for main flavour. It is epically balanced and impressive. Creamy and hoppy. I don't know how this is possible but it is.

Thanks for following my live beer blog from EBBC12. I hope it made sense. Now to be beered and dined by Pilsner Urquell





(More to come, its live you know)

EBBC12- Is anyone else excited yet?

Well that's it done; I have booked my train for European Beer Bloggers Conference in the great city of Leeds. Not that I would know that Leeds is a great city since I have never been before, but for arguments sake I will say its great.

I am really looking forward to EBBC12. Mainly because I have lasting memories of how good London was this time last year. I can't quite make up my mind about what I am looking forward to the most; all of the great beer friends I made last year, meeting the people that couldn't make it last year, all the great beer and food. There is one thing I can't wait for though....... The Thirsty Brewmaster is back! Václav Berka, the senior brewmaster from Pilsner Urquell is due to be back at this years conference. If you haven't met him he may be one of the funniest, eccentric and enthusiastic beer guys I have ever met. I must remember to get my picture taken this year!!

Zephyr Adventures 2012

In all seriousness though, there are so many great breweries, companies and people descending on Leeds later this week and I simply cannot wait. If you are going to be there come over and say hi. If you are not......then why??!?!

Oh and make sure you are using the #EBBC12 hashtag  before,during and after the conference