BEERFEST!
November 14, 2006 at 2.48 pmLast week saw the "UMIST" (AKA "University of Manchester Campus North") Beer Fest. Of course, this was the first beer fest I ever went to, back in 1996, when it was in a tent. It was also the second…and the third…and possibly the fourth as well 
It was always a bit of a social event back at UMIST, and as such is very different to your average beer fest - for a start, it’s much more like a club night out, with music and atmosphere, and it also features a much younger crowd. "CAMRA for young people" as Howell put it.
This year was my tenth. It had been on a downward slide for the last few years, as the Students’ Union did all it could to prevent it happening…allegedly. Apparently they’d raised £3000 for charity by the Friday night.
So, the downward slide. Some of the late-90s fests featured nigh on 200 beers, lagers and ciders, with casks racked up all around the Underground. Last year had just over 50, I think, with a handful of ciders, bottled beers and vodkas. And what was there was pretty badly kept, unfortunately - seldom have I had so many bad pints at a beer festival.
Fortunately, Barney (MUGSS crew stalwart) had a hand in this year’s event. He got Dave Hallows (CAMRA stalwart) involved, and the beer was, well, pretty much spot on.
I moseyed on down for the Thursday and Friday evening sessions, and had a lovely time drinking with friends.
Thursday
The Thursday sesh saw lots of MUGSS types, as well as Howell, Antony and Housemate Paul. Plenty of beer left too, although the rugby club had been on Friday and polished off the Old Tom and Skullsplitter. Given that it’s something of a tradition of mine to have some Old Tom at every UMIST Beer Fest, I was pretty miffed.
*shakes fist at rugger buggers*
Hopefully they all had killer hangovers on Friday!
Howell, Paul, Mia, Malcolm and I tried to go on to East Z East for a high-class curry after the fest, but it was closed. Cue kebabs for Paul, Howell and I instead. Ho hum.
Howell managed to leave his festival pint pot in Abdul’s, after almost falling asleep into his kebab. I donated mine on the bus home…which he smashed between the bus stop and his place! We have no idea what happened to Paul’s.
Friday
Pete, Adrian, Linden, Rob, Kate and Housemate Gillian turned up, which was nice. Matt, Amy and Richard kept the CAMRA U30 flag flying too, and I’d not seen them for absolutely ages.
Lots of beer was running out, unfortunately, and I was left with only the lighter ales left. More 6’s and 7’s, rather than the 8’s and 9 that had featured on Thursday. Yes, I score my beer - it’s a memory aid for the next day! No, I don’t record them in a database - that’d just be tragic.
After that, it was on to Sam’s place for his birthday celebrations. Definitely a fun little party, and Sam’s mates-from-home (Blackpool) were a friendly bunch. The highlight of the evening was Housemate Gillian looking at Sam and exclaiming:
"That man is a RAVING homosexual!"
Well, he was wearing a fluffy pink cowboy hat and doing the typewriter dance to Nine to Five at the time.
Beers
So, the beers. I had 17 in all, although I suspect there were one or two more towards the ends of the evenings that I’d not noted.
Sod it - I’ll list them all!
SIX - drinkable, but not quite there
SEVEN - I’d happily have a few
- Fuller’s - Chiswick
- Hanby - Cherrybomb
- Highgate - Old Ember
- Hyde’s - Stormtrouper
- JW Lees - Great British
- Robinson’s - Double Hop
- Wadworth - Bishop’s Tipple
- Wychwood - Dog’s Bollocks
EIGHTS - mmmmm
- Couchhouse - Honeypot
- Hopback - Entire Stout
- Moorhouse - Black Cat Mild
- Young’s - Winter Warmer
NINE - seriously, there aren’t many of these!
The Hanby Cherrybomb was absolutely full of cherries, but a bit sweet for my taste.
Of the 8’s, the Honeypot was pretty good, with a lovely honey aftertaste, but a bit lacking in body or it might have pushed for a nine. The Entire Stout had some lovely coffee tones, and rated a very high 8 indeed!
Orkney Dark Island is, of course, one of my favourite pints. In perfect nick, it rates a 10. However, I think it was approaching the end of the barrel when I had mine, so it was "only" a nine.
Incidentally, I don’t subscribe to the "7’s average" school of ratings. A distinctly average pint of Bombardier or Landlord in a standard local would probably get a 5 or 6. A 4 would indicate a pretty bad beer, while 3 means that there’s probably something wrong with it. 2 would be "off, but need a second sip to make sure", while 1 is instant "this one’s gone; could I have another please?"
Last year’s fest would have featured several 3’s, 4’s, and perhaps even a 2.
Actually, there’s a point - I can look it up on this very blog! Here, in fact. Rather than the scathing write-up it deserved, it got a slightly dismissive paragraph or two. Must have been in a good mood
Roll on, next year - hopefully this won’t be a lone blip amongst a sea of mediocre UMIST Beer Fests.
