Beer Tiz 1 2 Beer Tiz Witterings of The Wizard In the last Issue, I was a real Grumbledore. I’m not available and had a carry-out of Cwtch from Tiny apologising for voicing my feelings, Chairman’s Rebel brewery - the Champion Beer Of Britain 2015. prerogative, but this time I shall be more positive. I must congratulate all those who responded to Our branch membership continues to grow and, our nags about voting on line for Champion Beer better than that, many new members are active, Of Britain southwest beers. I felt very proud when coming to meetings, socials and volunteering. It’s I saw the breakdown of members voting in each really great to spend time with like-minded people, branch in the Southwest Region and our percentage sharing views and opinions and excellent ales. of votes was the highest. Well done ND members! An example of this was Rosemoor beer festival. The last 2-3 weeks have been quite stressful for me This was a very successful event with lovely weather and even more so for Fiona. I had a fall and cut and great beer. Fiona ran some sessions for Tasting my head severely, lost a lot of blood, and suffered Panel members to get used to completing Tasting a Paramedic’s haircut! I was in hospital for several Cards. There were many people trying the ales and days and have not driven for a few weeks now. Once taking advantage of five ‘tasters’ for a pint. This also I had got out of hospital we had to go to South encouraged visitors to sign up to the campaign too. London for my son’s wedding. This was wonderful Fiona and I were invited to judge in two categories but we were very glad to get home again. of the Champion Beer Of Britain 2016 rounds held So now December approaches - a busy time for me. at Falmouth Beer Festival. I was on the panel for I do hope you have all been good boys and girls! Porters and Fiona led the team judging Best Bitters. We also got to enjoy some of the great beers Morris aka Grumbledore From The Editor’s Armchair This Issue is a pot-pour of the new and the old. As Finally, we are starting to explore the process of well as our favourites (Pub News, Brewery News brewing in more depth – this issue covers an outline and of course our version of the word from the of the process, future issues will focus on some of mountain – Grumbledore), we are starting some the choices brewers make in beer design. new features. And talking of ‘new’ and ‘old’ it appropriate it is The first of course is reflected in our cover, the that we review the Tally Ho! Brewery – one of our introduction of ‘Real Ale Champions’ – people who oldest micro-breweries (1990), it is now our newest, have consistently over a long period promoted the starting again this year after a 14 year lapse. cause of real-ale in our area; they may run pubs, or breweries or be connected to real ale in other ways. Some articles have had to go – our Letters Page has Those who know Bert at The Railway will agree he is died through neglect and our Beer Quiz author is a worthy first choice for this accolade! taking one Issue off for an early Xmas Holiday – actually, he is buried in work. We also demonstrate CAMRA’s passion for Cider (alongside Real Ale) by a review of one of the most Happy reading, Ron famous local cider producers in the area – Winkleigh Cider celebrating their centenary in 1916. Beer Tiz 3 COMMITTEE CONTACT INFORMATION Chairman Branch Calendar Morris Elsworth January 2016 [email protected] 9th Branch Discussion meeting Secretary Green Man Pilton Chris Wells [email protected] 15th - 16th Exeter & East Devon Branch Festival Of Winter Ales Treasurer Exeter Football ground Matt Collins [email protected] February 2016 February, day not yet fixed Membership Brewery Trip - Hanlons Brewery Fiona Elsworth February, day not yet fixed [email protected] Branch Social Meeting Pubs Officer Group Coord. 17th - 20th Bob Goddard National Winter Ales Festival - Derby [email protected] 20th LocAle Officer CAMRA Regional Meeting Paul Wells Bristol Branch [email protected] March 2016 Website Manager March, day not yet fixed Ron Lester Branch AGM [email protected] Social Secretary April 2016 1st - 3rd Mark Partridge CAMRA National AGM & Members w/e. [email protected] Liverpool Press & Publicity Officer 14th - 16th Ben McQuillan SIBA Tuckers Maltings Beer Festival [email protected] Tuckers Maltings, Newton Abbott, TQ12 4AA Beer Tiz Editor Ron Lester Calendar subscription at http://northdevoncamra.org.uk/calendar/ [email protected] Brewery News STOP PRESS!!! BARUM - No changes to beers brewed. Joined We are delighted to announce that in the: ‘Country Life’ at the North Devon food festival. Southwest Regional Champion Beer Of Britain 2015 Competition. BRAUNTON - #1 Pale & #2 Bitter are now in full production, available in bottle and cask sizes. Holsworthy Ales - Tamar Black #3 IPA trials are successful and it will soon go has been awarded into production. New distribution links have been Silver in the Stouts Category established, so their beers are guest ales in a rising number of local pubs and festivals. The bottle Well done Holsworthy Ales and well done ND versions are being distributed on a nationwide basis. CAMRA members - this is what your voting for Champion Beer Of Britain leads to. CLEARWATER - Has launched (pun intended) a new 4 Beer Tiz beer: Submariner is a 4.2% hoppy bitter, produced in HOLSWORTHY ALES - Dave was delighted to again alliance with a North Devon clothing manufacturer be selected to have beers at the Great British Beer of the same name. This beer is proving popular in Festival in August. He is also thrilled that Tamar the brewery tap (The Champ, Appledore) and is Black is being judged at a round of CBOB. He has being bought by other pubs in the area. collected green hops from Worcestershire for a green hopped beer he hopes to release shortly. He COMBE MARTIN - The brewery is still mothballed. has reinvented ‘Smoking’ Santa’ as ‘Dark Bomb’, a smoked porter style beer, available August - March. COUNTRY LIFE - Also were at the North Devon Food festival. Has brewed a Halloween Ale – MADRIGAL - Reports excellent increases in sales to ‘Goosebumper’ (4.4%), with a touch of green! The Ship & Pilot, Ilfracombe, The Poltimore Arms, in Yarde Down, two Plymouth pubs as well as to Beer GRAMPUS - Brewed a new summer speciality IPA Festivals. There are also increased bottle sales to beer called ‘Orcadia’, flavoured with fresh Gorse speciality shops & restaurants. Although production flowers. The Autumn speciality beer, Hoppy Dog, is small, the brewery sells everything it makes. A has been in production. The two standard bitters planned move to new premises will aid expansion and the winter Ale continue in production as plans. Quite an achievement by one man in a year. normal. TALLY HO! - Re-opened. See Report in this issue. GT ALES - With good summer sales now an established beer supplier to an increasing number of WIZARD - We have been unable to obtain any local pubs. They have invested in buying own Logo information from Wizard over a prolonged period. casks and increased stock. The three main beers Each time the brewery has been visited it has been ‘Thirst of Many’, ‘Blonde Ambition’, & ‘Crimson closed and communication attempts unanswered. Rye’d will now be available in cask & bottle all year round. ‘Thirst of Many’ was recently voted ‘Champion Beer’ at the ‘Uffculme Beer & Music’’ festival. What I Seek In A Pub A previous issue included a list of the qualities Strongly agree ( ) George Orwell sought in a pub ( in 1946). Quality of drinks (100%) We then surveyed visitors to our Website to get a Choice of good real ales * (86%) modern take on the same question. Although our Knowledgeable & professional bar staff (73%) questions didn’t fully ‘map’ onto Mr Orwell’s list Good standards on customer behaviour (71%) (below), you will see that most of his ‘qualities’ still Supports CAMRA values (71%) find favour ( ..), although a couple don’t ( ) and a Welcoming, conversational host (67%) couple are ‘maybes’ (…). The pub is quiet enough to talk…. Strongly disagree ( ) The bar-staff know the customers by name…. Need smoking area (100%) They are particular about their glasses. Want continuous background music (81%) There is a snack counter. Children friendly (81%) The architecture/fittings are Victorian. Bans dogs (76%) ** … Games are only played in the public bar. Plenty of special Events (76%) You can get a good, solid lunch. It has a fairly large garden. Full results are at: http://northdevoncamra.org. It serves a creamy sort of draught stout. uk/poll-results/. … It sells tobacco etc. and provides a phone. Notes Looking now at our modern list of questions, we * ‘Draught stout’ assumed the same as ‘real ale’. have space only to list those for which there was ** Although most people rejected banning dogs, the strongest support - shown by the percentage of the few that voted for a ban voted strongly! respondents ticking the highest (lowest) two boxes: Beer Tiz 5 Real Ale Champion – Bert Bolt, The Railway You have only to few barrels but as he says, ‘when it hurts your profit enter the carpark you soon learn’. of The Railway Most evenings Bert is still behind the bar and Claire North Tawton in the kitchen. Even then, he hasn’t given up his to realise this previous job – each morning he’s up with the lark, is something off to Hatherleigh to work as a motor engineer! special.