Arty pints no.25

Photo - Paul Evans

A Pint of Calypso by the Brains Craft Brewery, at the Stradey Arms, Llanelli.

Arty pints no.24

Photo - Paul Evans

Devon red cider at Brewdog Bristol.

Parton Perry

This is a 5% perry made by the Orgasmic Cider Co of Hereford.

Photo - Paul Evans

This is a still perry, that's golden in colour, cloudy, with some sediment present.

Photo - Paul Evans

The aroma is fresh and effusive, and really entices the taste buds. It tastes of fresh pears, and is balanced well with sweetness and dry oaky bitterness.  The aftertaste is pleasing with no trace of sourness.

Good stuff.

Merry Crimbo!

Photo - Paul Evans

Merry Crimbo!

The Commercial Room will be taking an enforced drinking break from January, so we'll be back in March.

Happy New Year!

Blog Awards 2012

It's the end of the year and time for the Commercial Room to announce its beery award winners.  It's been a cracking year writing this blog, visiting breweries and attending beer festival.  Here are the year's highlights via the golden pint awards:

1.Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer

Odessa - Otley Brewing Co

　

2. Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer

India Pale Ale (C.S.C.) – The Kernel Brewery

　

3. Best Overseas Draught Beer

Oak Smoked Stout, Fort (Spain)

　

4. Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer

Raging Bitch, Flying Dog (USA)

　

5. Best Overall Beer

Odessa - Otley Brewing Co

　

6. Best Pumpclip or Label

Anything by Otley Brewing Co

　

7. Best UK Brewery

Tiny Rebel

　

8. Best Overseas Brewery

Brooklyn

　

9. Pub/Bar of the Year

Craft Beer Co - Clarkenwell

　

10. Beer Festival of the Year

The Coach Beer Festival - Bridgend

　

11. Supermarket of the Year

Sainsbury’s

　

12. Independent Retailer of the Year

Discount supermarket, Whitchurch Road, Cardiff

　

13. Online Retailer of the Year

N/A

　

14. Best Beer Book or Magazine

Real Heritage Pubs of Wales – Michael Slaughter, Mike Dunn

　

15. Best Beer Blog or Website

Beer Lens is rather good.

　

16. Best Beer Twitterer

@CAMRGB

　

17. Best Online Brewery presence

Thornbridge

　

18. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year

Anything and everything

　

19. In 2013 I’d Most Like to…

Stop drinking rubbish cold tea beer

　

20. Best Cider

Black Bart - Rosie's

　

Cheers! And roll on 2013!

Doublewood

This is a 12 year old single malt from the Balvenie distillery in Dufftown, Banffshire.  This is a whisky from the Speyside region and weighs in at 40%

Photo - Paul Evans

The whisky is firstly matured for many years in traditional oak whisky casks.  The secondary cask used for maturation is a European oak sherry cask, and it stays in here for a few months to add deep complexities to the whisky.


Photo - Paul Evans

The whisky is deep gold in colour and has a reasonably high viscosity. The aroma is of spicy oak, raisins and hints of vanilla.  It has a mellow, sweet finish.

Photo - Paul Evans

On initial tasting the whisky was rather fruity, followed by a spiciness that tingled the taste buds. It's a complex whisky with a good oaky body that mellows in the mouth, to a lovely sweet honey and vanilla finish.

I haven't touched whisky since last winter, but i'm glad I reacquainted myself with this one. Beautiful.

Arty pints no.23

Photo - Paul Evans

A pint of Navalgazer by Orchard Pig, at the City Arms Cardiff.