Non-local colour

As mentioned in Tuesday's report from the Warsaw Beer Festival, there were a handful of non-Polish beers available at the event. A couple of mixed fermentation Belgian options piqued my interest, ones I had never seen for sale in Belgium, so was willing to shell out the €10-odd requested for a taster from the bottles.

I don't think I'd even heard of Geuzestekerij Odilon, from whom I tried the Schaarbeekse Kriek. This was their 2024 edition, but tasted older. The whole deal with the Schaarbeekse is it's the most cherry-tasting of cherries; this beer emphasised the funk of damp wood in the aroma, and has a powerful tart acidity in the flavour. Actual cherry only appears towards the end, with a hint of marzipan. I know it's a cliché that lambic causes heartburn, and that's not something I normally experience, but the intense sourness here was enough induce it. This example of kriek is to-spec, and might suit those who prefer the more extreme sort, something I associate mostly with 3 Fonteinen. It's not exactly to my taste, and certainly not at a tenner a sip.

What initially attracted me to this bar was the presence of Antidoot, a non-Pajottenland, and therefore non-lambic, Belgian wild beer producer which nevertheless has been mentioned in reverential tones within my earshot. The only beer left by the time I got there was an oud bruin called L'Obscur, this one a 2021 vintage. I'll say up front that I tend to find oud bruin too vinegary, and while this was another beer that wasn't to my taste, I can't accuse it of the vinegar thing. The style's strong points are its sweet/savoury date, tamarind and spice notes, and this had plenty of those, including black pepper and a hint of smoke. It turned sweeter in the finish, adding cherry and fig paste to the picture. It lacked any tart or mineral zing, but so does every other oud bruin, so while I can say, again, that this wasn't for me, it's an excellent example of what it is.

To Germany next, and there was an appearance by the new Schlenkerla Grodziskie. This is a fun departure by the Bamberg smokery, taking on Poland's national style of pale smoky wheat beer. The consensus in Poland is that it's not a proper grodziskie, being a cool-fermented lager. The lager attenuation combined with a low gravity, finishing at 2.9% ABV, results in a rather thin beer with a bit too much fizz. It is wheat based, but that doesn't pull its weight in giving the beer substance. It excels, however, in the specifically Schlenkerla aspects, from the lip-smacking light smoke aroma, on to a flavour of freshly grilled bacon. This might not please the grodziskie purists, but the Schlenkerla drinkers get some fan service, and something to drink in between doppelbocks.

Our festival run finishes in Burton-on-Trent. Laura from Burton Bridge Brewery, which has taken on the mantle of Burton's brewing heritage after AB InBev hollowed it out and Molson Coors shut down the remains, brought a couple of beers based on old Bass recipes. They're sold under Burton Bridge's Heritage label.

Masterpiece is their recreation of White Shield, formerly the last of Britain's old bottle-conditioned IPAs. It's been a bit too long since I drank that beer for me to judge it on accuracy, but it is very good. There's an old-fashioned dryness that's been bred out of modern, American-influenced, IPAs, making it crisp and exceedingly drinkable for 5.6% ABV. Don't look for fresh hops; instead there's a subtle hint of vegetation and green apples, with a good measure of tannin. Doubtless it will upset a few drinkers who think they know what IPA ought to be; I liked that it's keeping an important part of the style's history alive and accessible, as well as being a good beer in its own right.

There's perhaps less reason for the existence of Burton Bridge DBA. This is their recreation of Bass, a beer that AB InBev has suddenly, and likely briefly, started putting a bit of marketing and distribution welly behind. I have had that quite recently, and I think this has the edge on it, in the complexity stakes. To me, contemporary cask Bass lacks the signature Burton sulphur, but it's here in spades. There's also a full and wholesome fruitcake profile which takes it beyond the basics of bitter or pale ale. Maybe it's a different, and calmer, beast on draught, but for a purported old-school bitter, this is quite the flavour bomb.

For entertainment as much as education, this tasting session also included a Burton ale brewed by a Polish brewery at the festival. Nieczajna Burton Ale is true to this largely defunct beer style: 9.4% ABV and a dark amber colour; thickly textured and warming. The tannin theme from the genuine Burton beers continues here, and there's a similar dark fruit flavour to the bitter -- sultanas and glacé cherries. It's good, though I couldn't help thinking it also shows why this style has disappeared: there's nothing you wouldn't also get from an English-style barley wine, and they have a more explanatory name. Still, this is a pleasant way to drink oneself through some lesser-known beer history.

That's all I have to say about the festival, other than a big thanks to the organisers for the free ticket. If I were returning, I think I would stick to the earlier hours to try and avoid the crowds. I will definitely be back, to see and to drink Warsaw properly, however.