
Dom’s Casks of the Month
Nearly every month I offer the chance for somebody else to write in with their three favourite beers from the last month. Nobody has been in touch yet so I’m assuming people are happy to keep reading about mine – either that or nobody is reading at all! If you do fancy writing your own column for a month, get in touch at beermatters@sheffield.camra.org.uk.
Anyway, I’ve not had too many opportunities this month to get out and about so I’ve not had too many beers to choose from. That said, whenever I have made it to the pub there’s been the usual high standard of real ales on offer. Here are my top three, as always in no particular order:
What: Reaper #3 Rhubarb and Rosemary (5.4%) – Abbeydale (Sheffield)
Where: Heeley City Farm Festival
The latest offering in the Reaper series of wheat beers from Abbeydale’s Brewers Emporium range, this one featured the intriguing combination of tart rhubarb and herby rosemary. In the glass, this had a traditional wheat beer appearance with a hazy golden body and a very thin white head. Both the rhubarb and rosemary came through on the nose, but the latter dominated slightly on tasting. This might not be a beer you could drink all night, but you’d probably have fun trying.
What: Liquorice Lads Stout (4.3%) – Great Newsome (Hull)
Where: Dog & Partridge, Trippet Lane
As promised, I didn’t to include any dark beers in my top three last month but old habits die hard. The Dog & Partridge doesn’t have the largest selection of ales, but what’s there is almost always top quality. This liquorice stout was no exception; with its deep black colour and creamy off-white head, it looked picture-perfect served in its pint tankard. The aroma of liqourice allsorts promised much and the beer certainly did not fail to deliver.
What: Wisewood Four (5.0%) – Loxley (Sheffield)
Where: Wisewood Inn, Loxley
This was the first time I’d been able to get up to the Wisewood Inn to try a beer from the new Loxley Brewery at its source. This Citra-hopped IPA offered classic notes of grapefruit and hop bitterness and looked the part too with slightly hazy amber colour. This was a good example of a traditional style done well, and the fact I got to look round the brewery where it was made as I was drinking it was definitely a bonus!
Dominic Nelson