Solihull Beer Festival 2009
CAMRA supports sensible drinking, so please be aware that the higher figures in % given below equate to more alcoholic content. Some low gravity beers can have more flavour than the higher, we do encourage you to try them. CAMRA Solihull acknowledges CAMRA's Good Beer Guide and brewery websites for beer descriptions.
The LocAle logo signifies that the beer was brewed within 25 miles of the festival. CAMRA's LocAle scheme helps to support the local economy, preserve the environment and give drinkers more choice and diversity.
Session Beers
 Blackwater, Stourbridge, West Midlands Highwayman 4%
Burnished copper to the eye, Highwayman is a vibrant ale, pure and fruit focused which tickles the palate and refreshes the soul.
 Copper Dragon, Skipton, North Yorkshire Golden Pippin 3.9%
A light refreshing blond ale brewed using a new variety of hop creating a citrus fruit flavour. Originally brewed as a seasonal ale, it has become such a favourite, it is now brewed all year round.
Crown, Sheffield, South Yorkshire HPA (Hillsborough Pale Ale) 3.9%
Straw-coloured bitter with citrussy nose, flowery head and petal undertones.
Enville, Stourbridge, West Midlands Nailmaker 4%
A well defined hop aroma and underlying sweetness give way to a dry finish.
Malvern Hills, Malvern, Worcestershire Feelgood 3.8%
A light frothy beer that lives up to its name, with a floral spicy aroma and good bittering quality.
Malvern Hills, Malvern, Worcestershire Swedish Nightingale 4%
A light hoppy beer that imparts a floral nose leading to citrus flavours, named for 19th century soprano Jenny Lind who lived the later part of her life in the Malvern Hills.
Millstone, Mossley, Lancashire Tiger Rut 4%
A very pale and hoppy strong ale. Well hopped using only Chinnook hop; the mellow bitters make way for a distinctive citrus/grapefruit aroma.
Pictish, Rochdale, Lancashire Brewer's Gold 3.8%
A refreshing thirst quenching pale golden session beer. Malty undertones and a powerful spicy hop aroma combine to produce a dangerously moreish beer.
Rooster's, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire Bangtail 3.7%
A soft malty beer which is amber in colour with flavours of toffee and caramel. The brewery uses some Saaz hops to give a clean refreshing hop flavour. This is a new beer for the Outlaw Range.
Salopian, Shrewsbury, Shropshire Shropshire Gold 3.8%
A light copper coloured ale, the complex malt grist gives an unusual blend of body and dryness. The beer is triple hopped using finest British Goldings and Slovenian Styrian Goldings to give plenty of fruity aromas and flavours.
Saltaire, Shipley, North Yorkshire Rye Smile 3.8%
A copper coloured session bitter with Crystal Rye malt giving silky, toffee flavours. Hopped with Fuggles and Bramling Cross hops.
Thornbridge, Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire Wild Swan 3.5%
White gold in colour, with aromas of light bitter lemon with spices.
Weatheroak Hill, Weatheroak, Worcestershire Icknield Pale Ale 3.8%
A very pale bitter with an initial sweetness that gives way to a burst of flavour gained from the finest Styrian Goldings hop.
Windsor Castle, Lye, West Midlands Mild Ale 4%
A traditional Black Country Mild, with hints of chocolate. A long dry finish complements the gentle aroma of the Goldings hops.
Best Bitters
Bays, Paignton, Devon Bays Gold 4.3%
An easy drinking light golden ale. The unique blend of English and Continental hops creates lemon citrus overtones which tantalise and refresh the palette.
 Bob's, Ossett, West Yorkshire White Lion 4.3%
A very pale, flowery lager style beer using Cascade hops.
Church End, Nuneaton, Warwickshire Bounty 4.3%
Pale Malt and Chinook hops give this light coloured ale a clean crisp flavour.
 Church End, Nuneaton, Warwickshire Stout Coffin 4.6%
Black, chewy and creamy. A first class example of what a stout should be.
Cotleigh, Wiveliscombe, Somerset Golden Seahawk 4.2%
A bright golden coloured best bitter. Smooth and malty with a background of honey flavour offering a refreshing and citrus smooth finish.
Enville, Stourbridge, West Midlands White 4.2%
Very pale straw coloured beer brewed with 20% wheat, has a gentle hops and fruit aroma and a hoppy but sweet finish.
Hop Back, Downton, Salisbury Entire Stout 4.5%
A rich dark stout with a strong roasted malt flavour and a long, smooth aftertaste. Suitable for vegans.
Newman's, Caerphilly, Wales Autumn Valley Flower 4.4%
A well bittered, light brown best bitter. Autumn Valley Flower is well hopped with a floral and spicy aroma extracted from Boadicea and first gold hops.
Oakham, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire White Dwarf 4.3%
Piercing bitterness in this "bright" English style wheat beer, mellows to reveal fruit overtones amidst a dry as bone finish. A real thirst quencher.
Phoenix, Heywood, Lancashire White Monk 4.5%
Powerful attack of Cascade hops giving way to a lingering aftertaste.
Rudgate, Tockwith, York Ruby Mild 4.4%
Nutty, rich ruby ale. Voted Champion Beer of the Year at this years CAMRA Great British Beer Festival.
White Rose, Sheffield, South Yorkshire Whiter Shade of Ale 4.2%
Very pale easy-drinking ale with a well-balanced hoppy finish.
Wye Valley, Stoke Lacey, Herefordshire Dorothy Goodbody Golden Ale 4.2%
A light gold coloured ale with good hop character throughout.
Strong Beers / Old Ales
Bank Top, Bolton, Lancashire Blonde 5%
An extremely pale ale made with New Zealand hops resulting in a pleasant woody flavour and distinct berry aroma.
Bob's, Ossett, West Yorkshire Chardonnayle 5.1%
First brewed in time for the 2002 Wakefield Beer Festival, a complex & stylish strong pale ale with hints of lemongrass & fruits like a Chardonnay wine, using Willamette hops for aroma.
Elland, Elland, West Yorkshire Tomahawk 4.7%
A pale gold premium bitter with an aromatic hop aroma, finishing with a clean bitterness which comes from the high Alpha USA Hop "Columbus Tomahawk".
Loddon, Dunsden, Oxfordshire Bamboozle 4.8%
A straw coloured strong pale ale with a pure malty body and a smack of refreshing hops.
Millstone, Mossley, Lancashire True Grit 5%
A very pale and hoppy strong ale. Well hopped using only Chinnook hop; the mellow bitters make way for a distinctive citrus/grapefruit aroma.
Olde Swan, Netherton, West Midlands Bumblehole 5.2%
Sweet, smooth amber ale with hints of astringency in the finish.
Pictish, Rochdale, Lancashire Mandala 4.7%
A pale hoppy beer brewed with Mount Hood hops.
Salopian, Shrewsbury, Shropshire Golden Thread 5%
A triple hopping of English First Gold gives powerful citrussy flavours and vinous aromas, however the malt grist of barley, wheat and lager gives plenty of body and sweetness which balances the assertive bitterness.
Weatheroak Hill, Weatheroak, Worcestershire Shires 4.7%
A very pale beer that is both slightly sweet and floral and extremely robust using Bramling Cross and Northdown hops.
To be treated with caution!
Elland, Elland, West Yorkshire 1872 Porter 6.5%
International award-winning porter, rich, complex and dark based on an original 1872 recipe, with an old port nose, and coffee and bitter chocolate flavours on the palate.
RCH, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset Firebox 6%
A reddish deep brown coloured beer which is a deceptively drinkable strong bitter with a fine combination of citrus hops and cherry fruit bittersweet flavours which gives a strong dry bitter finish.
Sarah Hughes, Dudley, West MIdlands Dark Ruby 6%
A dark ruby strong ale with a good balance of fruit and hops, leading to a pleasant, lingering hops and malt finish.
Thornbridge, Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire Jaipur 5.9%
The immediate impression of this wonderful award winning India Pale Ale is soft and smooth but this builds to a crescendo of massive hoppiness accentuated by honey. This converts into a powerful but pleasant, enduring, bitter finish.
Cider and Perry
 Rich's, Highbridge, Somerset Medium Cider 6?%
Powerful stuff... another one to treat with caution.
Rich's, Highbridge, Somerset Dry Cider 7%
Take care with this one as well!
Heck's, Street, Somerset Perry 6?%
Makers of Perry since 1840. This is indeed more of the powerful stuff again... respect it!
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