Rudgate Ruby Mild

For the next part of this bottle-top tour of Yorkshire, I’m heading a few miles to the west of York, to the village of Tockwith, and the Rudgate Brewery, established in 1992, and shared with the Marston Moor Brewery.  I’ve previously reviewed the York Chocolate Stout (though that won’t stop me having another taste later in this series), but I’m going to start with the Ruby Mild.

This 4.4%ABV ale is a deep red colour, with an almost light brown head that fizzes excitedly as its poured from the bottle.  There ‘s not a big aroma to it – maybe hints of caramel and hazelnuts – but the flavour is rounded and far from dry, as a good mild should be.  The hazelnut aroma is carried through to a very nutty finish in the flavour too.  This is a highly refined and enjoyable beer that would work as well with more delicately flavoured food as it would as a session ale.

And it’s not just me that likes this beer.  In 2012 it was awarded the Gold Medal for Mild Beers at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival.

This is a great start to this exploration of the beers of this award-winning brewery.  Next into the glass is Rudgate’s Battleaxe.  Looking forward to that one.

 

Thwaites Nutty Black

Thwaites Nutty Black says that it’s a curiously dark beer, and yes, it’s dark, though I’m unsure how curious it is!  It’s a deep, deep red colour with a light tan head that lasts well.  The aroma is slighty nutty, though this is not too pornounced.  The flavour isn’t too heavy for such a dark beer:  malty and slightly liquorice, and this flavour lasts well.  To be honest, this beer might be one of just four that have been named as Champion Beer of Britain twice, but I find it really hard to describe how it is distinctive (and this is the second time that I have tried to review Nutty Black, having given up once before).  This 3.9% ABV bottle-conditioned ale would go well with something like a treacle sponge pudding or any other similar sweet and robust hot dessert.

 

Butcombe Brewery Best Bitter

I’d never heard of Butcombe Brewery let alone tasted its bitter before, but I’m very glad that I have. This 4.5% ABV bitter from Bristol won a silver medal at the Great British Beer Festival in 2009 and in my humble opinion it was very well deserved. There’s a depth and clarity to this brew, without any of the sourness that can often accompany a lesser bitter, and, for me, just the right balance between malt and hop.. Seek it out!

 

Twickenham Brewery Gothick Dark

This is half a pint of Gothick Dark from Twickenham Brewery, at enjoyed at Hercules Pillars in Great Queen Street in Covent Garden. The Twickenham Brewery website describes it as a strong dark mild at 4.6% ABV. I’m not sure that I’d naturally classify it as a mild: it has a deep malty flavour, with strong treacly overtones. Appearance-wise, it is a deep red, but somewhat resembles a glass of flat cola. If I didn’t have to drive I’d have definitely had more of this. If you see it, try it!

 

Elgood’s Black Dog

I think that Mild is undeservedly overlooked as a beer. In fact it’s only recently that I’ve been personaly aware of a resurgence in the brewing of mild. This bottle of Elgood’s Black Dog (part of my son’s birthday present to me) is a particularly fine example. A lowish ABV of 3.6% doesn’t detract from the rich malty flavour. If anything, this bottle is going down a little too easily, and I only have the one…