Beer Festivals > Oxford (Oct 2003)
October 16-18th 2003 saw the arrval of the Oxford beer festival in the town hall, with 120 beers and a dozen or so ciders and perrys on offer. We made it along to the Friday session, with the aim of heading back on Saturday. Needless to say, post-fest drinking in Oxford, Abingdon and the local put a stop to that, but we still sampled a fair few.
The Real Cornish Pasty Company sustained us during the day with their usual high quality wares, but asides from that there wasn't much else there. Granted, the venue itself is quite small, but there wasn't even a tombola - the cornerstone to any fest!! Good beer though, so mustn't grumble....
Brewer |
Region |
Name |
ABV |
Tasting Notes |
Rating |
| Spectrum | Norfolk | Wizard | 4.7% | Bit bland, with a lingering stale aftertaste |
6/10 |
| Springhead | Notts | Spooky Juice | 4.4% | Slightly tangy and hoppy - nowt special |
6/10 |
| Tring | Herts | Old Man's Day | 4.1% | Light, quite hoppy and very drinkable |
7/10 |
| RCH | Somerset | Steam Fair | 4.5% | Very rich, strong aroma for this dark gold ale - with a light, malty, satisfying flavour |
9/10 |
| Beartown | Cheshire | Ginger Beer | 4.0% | Enticing strong ginger scent, but this pale cloudy beer fails to deliver, with a poor, synthetic flavour |
4/10 |
| Bartrams | Suffolk | Cherry Stout | 4.8% | Not overwhelming cherry, but very pleasant stout with a nice coffee aroma |
7/10 |
Moor |
Somerset |
Old Freddie Walker |
7.3% |
Dark, oaty and very flavoursome stout. Quite thick and syrupy, but not sickeningly so |
7/10 |
Woodforde's |
Norfolk |
Wherry |
3.8% |
A very drinkable, well-rounded golden bitter - a good contender for a heavy session ale |
8/10 |
Khean |
Cheshire |
Dabber's Googly |
4.3% |
Light gold, no strong flavour |
5/10 |
Portchester |
Hamps | Firepot | 4.0% | Pale and spicy - with a burning feel to end ....but that's what you get with chillie beer! |
5/10 |