So whilst browsing the Twitterverse and the interwebs a few weeks back, I happily stumbled across a new blogger by the name of Jeff Pickthall. The guy's a top bloke, who really seems to know his stuff when it comes to all things beer, and was busily raving about something called Croglin Vampire from Cumbrian Legendary Ales. He had my attention from the off when he said he gets bored by session beer. A good sign I thought, since it's the likes of Brew Dog and Flying Dog, with their absurdly hoppy IPAs and their dramatically innovative takes on traditional beer styles that have got me into beer in a big way in the first place. So I read on, and liked what I saw.
After reading his post, I wasted no time in tweeting the guy right away to find out how I could get my hands on a bottle to try for myself. As I explained to him at the time, I'm on something of a mission to radically overhaul our beer room at The Wineyard, getting rid of a lot of traditional big name beers and breweries, and bringing in the most diverse, ecclectic, unusual selection of genuinely delicious and surprising beers I can find. I've no particular problem with 'session beer' as such, but it's not for me by and large, and I've noticed a LOT of our customers saying they feel similarly: the traditional styles and regular beers on most bars are pleasant enough, but they've been around for years, decades even. Most guys and gals who like their beer are desperate for something new, interesting and different.
After Jeff put me in touch with Cumbrian Legendary Ales, they wasted no time in firing some samples my way to see if we'd like to stock their bottled range (and give our wholesale arm a nod in their direction too). Four beers to take for a spin in all: Grasmoor Dark Ale, Langdale, Loweswater Gold, and Croglin Vampire Doppelbock. I wasted no time in cracking open the Croglin Vampire of course! Myself and my housemates were tasting the range together (getting other perspectives is handy for deciding if a beer/wine's worth stocking), and were thoroughly blown away.
Jeff does a much better job of describing the flavours than myself, but it was an absolute treat. Jam packed with rich malty flavours, it had an utterly divine mouthfeel and persistence on the finish. The nicest beer I've tasted in a good long while, Jeff's own write-up is on his blog here and is well worth a read! Following on from Croglin Vampire, we tried the other three beers, and were very impressed by both Langdale and Loweswater Gold in particular. They both had a really lovely array of refreshing and fairly fruity flavours. In danger of heading into bland, boring session beer territory on first inspection of the bottles, I was very pleasantly surprised by the pair. Sadly, Grasmoor Dark Ale was something of a letdown for me by contrast.
It was nice enough, but had nothing to recommend itself over the likes of Anchor Bock, York Ghost Ale, or Black Sheep Riggwelter, to pick three entirely random examples. And none of those beers have anything that compares with the phenomenal Flying Dog Gonzo Porter, but that's a beer for another day.
A week on Tuesday, fingers crossed, Langdale, Loweswater Gold and Croglin Vampire will have been delivered safe and sound, and will be adorning our shelves. They are a huge step up on their new neighbours to-be, Thwaites' Wainwright and Jenning's Cumbrian Ale (the rejuvenation of the range is an ongoing project).
Have you tried any of the Cumbrian Legendary Ales range? They do other stuff in cask too that you may have come across. Any thoughts on Croglin Vampire, or on a Cumbrian brewer making a seasonal Munich style beer?
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