New kids on the block

The hangovers have just about gone, so it's time for the commercial room to have a look back at this year's great Welsh beer and cider festival.

Photo - Paul Evans

I attended this year on Thursday and Friday, wanting to ensure that I tried all the beers I had selected from the beer list.  In past years I have been left disappointed that particular beers I really wanted to try had sold out, this year the event was very well stocked.

The champion beer was awarded to the Heart of Wales brewery for its very strong 'high as a kite'. It was particularly pleasing to see the judges pick a less conservative beer this year and opt for a strong 9.5% almost barley wine style beer.

Photo - Paul Evans

Highlights included beers from the Waen brewery, particularly the chilli plum porter and the always good blackberry stout. Otley had their usual selection of top notch beers, and it was good to be re-acquainted with thai-bo and the spectacular odessa. Brains had their new craft beers on offer, and I enjoyed sampling those, but the star of the show was Tiny Rebel, who sold 3500 glasses of beer over the weekend - incredible!

All weekend the longest queues were at the Tiny Rebel bar, and it was not difficult to see why once I sampled the entire range on offer.  Hadouken was a particular highlight, whilst fubar served dry hopped through the hop rocket was an unusual and interesting take on serving beer.  Doc brown, cwtch and dirty stop out were also top notch beers.


Photos - Paul Evans


The festival saw a debut for the new Pixie Spring brewery of Llantrisant, and their IPA 'prince of Bengal' was very good. We also love Bullmastiff at the commercial room, and it wouldn't have been a beer festival without trying the always brilliant 'son of a bitch'. Other brewers we particularly enjoyed were Acorn of Barnsley, Wentworth of Yorkshire and Brecon's ever expanding range.

Photo - Ross Evans

In all, a thoroughly good festival this year and a definite improvement on years gone by.  My only gripes - the slightly confusing beer tokens, and a lack of tables and chairs.

I tried too many beers to list them all, so here's the commercial room's top 5 festival beers:

1. Hadouken 7.4% - Tiny Rebel

A double IPA with massive flavour from a complex mixture of hops. the commercial room's beer of the festival by some distance.

2. Chilli plum porter 6.1% - Waen brewery

A warming dark beer with coffee and dark fruit flavours.

3. Dirty stop out 5.0% - Tiny Rebel 

A subtle smokiness from this smoked oat stout makes it very complex, and very moreish.

4. Rampant gryphon 6.2% - Wentworth

A strong golden beer, quite hoppy, with fruity hints and a good biting alcohol sweetness.

5. 06 Porter 6.6% - Otley

Another of the commercial room's favourite beers. A full-on, smooth and complex porter.

Roll on next year!