Exclusive: Hilden Brewery Beer Festival Beer list.

Happy Tuesday to one and all. As mentioned at the start of the month I was expecting to have a very beery month indeed, and what better way to finish it off than with a beer festival in my own back yard (almost). Hilden Brewery have been running a beer festival annually for a number of years now, providing a selection of British and Irish beers. Its this weekend (see flyer below) and I'm going along to work from Friday through to Sunday.

Today I was emailed the tasting notes for the beers that should be available. There is a good selection of both new beers and old favourites, with a range of styles to suit all palates. I have copied verbatim the tasting notes below:

Dark Star Brewery, Sussex

Hophead ABV 3.8%

An extremely clean drinking pale golden ale with a strong floral aroma and elderflower notes from the cascade hops.

Pot Belly Brewery, Northamptonshire.

Streaky ABV: 3.6%

Summer Seasonal. A straw coloured bitter, light and refreshing

Dawkins Brewery, Bath

Sorachi Ale ABV: 4%

Lemony with a certain creamy character making for a highly distinctive, refreshing beer. Uses rare, single variety Sorachi Ace hops from Japan.

Acorn Brewery, Barnsley

Summer Ale ABV 4.3%

A golden bitter with floral citric hop aroma. It has a hoppy predominate taste which is slightly sweet and fruity.

Newman’s Brewery, Caerphilly

Mt Snowden Pale Ale ABV 3.8%

This pale ale is a tasty well hopped bitter, with a creative mix of summer fruit aroma hops. The subtle blend of flavoursome malts create a citrus and berry fruit finish.

Great Newsome, Hull

Frothingham Best ABV 4.3%

A best bitter with a dark amber hue. Crystal malts provide a depth of flavour while bitterness is created by English Pilgrim Hops.

Triple FFF, Hampshire

Dazed and Confused ABV 4.6%

A genuine Hampshire pale ale, amber in colour, fruit gum aroma, complex bittersweet mixture of malt, hops and biter fruit.

Lymestone Brewery, Staffordshire

Lymestone Cowboy ABV 4.2%

Pale red bitter made with Amarillo hops and roasted rye malt to refresh and revive the palate.

Kelham Island, South Yorkshire

Riverfront Coliseum ABV 3.8%

Hand crafted blonde ale. Brewed with the choicest lager malt and specially imported lager hops. Very refreshing and easy drinking. The ideal drink for warm summer evenings.

Aspall, Suffolk

Aspall Cyder ABV 5.5%

An off-dry cyder with a floral/apply aroma and delicate flavour of fresh pressed apples. Made from 100% pressed apple juice

Hilden Brewing Company, Antrim

Hilden Ale ABV 4.0%

A fine full drinking Irish ale, refreshingly clean on the palate. It has a pronounced hoppiness which arrives at the end of the taste.

Scullions Irish 4.6%

A bright amber ale, smooth initially with a slight taste of honey which is balanced by a long dry aftertaste which lingers on the palate.

Barney’s Brew 5.0%

Hilden Brewery’s take on a wheat beer brewed to commemorate the inventor of the “Belfast Penny Bap”, Bernard “Barney” Hughes (1808-1978). Made from wheat and barley, cardamom, coriander and a dash of black pepper, this spicy tipple is delicious and won’t “stick to your belly like lead”.

Champion’s Brew 5.0%

A deep red Irish ale smooth on the palate with a refreshing hoppy finish from dry hopping.

College Green Brewery, Antrim

Headless Dog ABV 4.3%

A bright amber ale, smooth initially with a slight hint of the Munich malt coming through from the grist. This is complemented well by the stronger refreshing taste from this well hopped beer. Named after the unusual mural of a headless dog at the front door to the brewery.

Belfast Blonde ABV 4.3%

A wholly natural blonde beer with a clean and refreshing character, derived from the use of Lager Malt along with a small proportion of maize. The Mixture of continental and native varieties of late and early addition hops please both the nasal senses and the taste buds.

Clanconnel Brewery, Armagh

McGraths Black ABV 4.3%

Dry Irish stout combining rich roasted malts with hints of coffee and dark fruit, balanced carefully with earthy hops.

Franciscan Well, Cork

Rebel Red ABV 4.3% RA

Amber ale with distinct caramel flavour from crystal malt with Challenger and Fuggles hops.

Carlow Brewing Company, Carlow

O’Hara’s Irish Stout ABV 4.3%

A malty, buttery stout with coffee sweetness and dry, hoppy finish.

O’Hara’s Smoked Ale No.1 ABV 4.3%

First in a series, this ale has fruity notes on the nose, a biscuit malt base peaks in a zing of bitterness, rounded off with a subtle smoked finish.

Metal-Man, Waterford

Metalman Pale Ale ABV 4.3%

American style pale ale, dark gold in colour with a delicate white head. Citrus and floral aromas lead into hop flavours characterised by grapefruit and mandarin produced by Cascade and Amarillo hops. A dry bitter finish makes this an eminently enjoyable beer.

Trouble Brewing, Kildare

Dark Arts ABV 4.4%

This porter is brewed using both black and chocolate malt to give its dark colour and roasty flavour, with hints of caramel and chocolate. It also has a clear bittering hop presence to preserve its balance.

Or. ABV ?%

A smooth a refreshing Golden Ale with subtle fruit flavours and a crisp finish. Brewed with two row Marris Otter and a combination of British and American hops.

White Gypsy, Tipperary

Weiss ABV 4.5%

Bavarian style wheat beer with a banana and clove flavour with a citrus zing.

The Bruin ABV 5%

Belgian style brown ale with a hint of chocolate

Brunette ABV 5%

Dark lager with a roasty chocolate undertone.

Dungarvan Brewery, Waterford

Helvick Gold ABV 4.9%

Refreshing blonde ale –generously hopped to give bitterness with an aroma that packs a punch.

Hope to see some of you there, let me know if you're coming in the box below!