Biggleswade Beer Festival – 2024 Tasting Notes

This page contains the tasting notes for the 2024 Biggleswade Beer & Cider Festival. Not all of the products have been delivered yet, so there may be a small number of last minute changes. For more information about the festival see our event page.

This page is best viewed on a large screen. Printed copies will be available at the Festival.

Real Ale

NumberBreweryLocationNameABVContainerStyleNotes
1Buntingford RoystonSingle Hop  4.0%CaskGolden Ale Melon, citrus and pine from this trail hop – hop name officially CF184. (A trial hop from Charles Faram – Codename Princess Hop)
2Buntingford Royston Eyes of Moddey Dhoo  4.3%CaskRuby AleDark ruby red ale brewed with dark crystal rye and German malts. Toffee like sweetness with balanced body.
3Lord Conrad’sCambridgeA-Bomb4.0%CaskPale AleAmerican hopped blonde, brewed with a blend of light citrus hops from the Yakima region.
4Lord Conrad’sCambridgeHip Hop4.8%CaskPale AlePale ale hopped with resin giving strong bitter resinous notes.
5March HareDuntonBrown Owl3.2%CaskBrown AleA beer with a beautiful deep red-brown hue, low to moderately hopped, slightly dry, with a surprisingly full bodied rounded malty and biscuity taste for such a low abv.
6March HareDuntonVictorian Milk Stout4.9%CaskStoutA hefty stout from twelve different malts plus lactose to sweeten in the traditional way. Subtlety hopped to make way for a malty sweetness.
7MiltonWaterbeachSparta4.3%CaskPale AleRefreshing pale bitter. Packed with hop flavours and crisp bitterness.
8MiltonWaterbeachNike4.7%CaskRuby AleA delicate balance between maltiness and hops makes this dark ruby ale a distinctive and quaffable pint.
9MoonshineCambridgeSundowner4.0%CaskPale AleLight coloured beer, with a rounded hop flavour from the addition of New Zealand, Nelson Sauvin and American El Dorado hops.
10MoonshineCambridgeCellarmans Stout6.0%CaskStoutA sweet stout with a rich malt profile. Dark roasted malts are blended together with large quantities of Oats to create a mellow, silky smooth juicy rich stout.
11New River BreweryHoddesdonTwin Spings4.0%CaskGolden AleDeliciously balanced mellow golden ale with Kiwi hops and caramel malts.
12New River BreweryHoddesdonBlind Poet4.5%CaskPorterLightly smoked porter; chocolate malts, smooth and dark.
13PapworthEarithWhispering Grass3.8%CaskGolden AleSubtle aroma and flavour from the Maris Otter malt, with a dry yet fruity bitterness.
14PapworthEarithKoura5.7%CaskWheat BeerGolden, cloudy wheat beer with a delicate banana aroma. Well balanced bitterness with a zesty citrus finish.
15Phipps NBCNorthamptonFoundry Mild3.5%CaskMildA big lick of liquorice on the nose inviting you in to taste sweet caramel and toasted malt loaf flavours found under its lush creamy head.
16Phipps NBCNorthamptonRatliffe’s Stout4.3%CaskStoutThis is a creamy, full bodied malty brew, satisfyingly rich with distinct caramel and coffee notes. A combination of crystal and roasted malts give the stout its deep, dark flavour topped of with a creamy thick tan head. Unlike some stouts, it isn’t overly bitter due to careful use of traditional English hop varieties in the brewhouse. Winner of the CAMRA Winter Beer festival in Derby 2013. Our Albion Brewery was the original home of Ratliffe’s Stout from 1884 to 1919.
17Pot BellyKetteringBeijing Black4.4%CaskMildA Strong dark mild, Mild but not Meek!! “Supreme Champion” at SIBA National Beer Competition 2006.
18Pot BellyKetteringAnd Now For Something Piggin’ Different4.7%CaskBlack IPAAs a homage to Monty Python’s 50th Birthday celebration we have a black beer that has been super hopped! Using copious amounts of Chinook, Simcoe, and Citra – try it with your eyes closed, and you will honestly think it is a classy blonde with a smooth finish!
19Potton BreweryPottonHolly Pup3.8%CaskMildA deliciously easy-drinking mild with fruit and chocolate flavours.
20Potton BreweryPottonCrow4.3%CaskStoutA dark, smooth and nothing like a nitro-stout, this is a lovely traditional stout with a subtle hop finish, roast and coffee aroma. Coffee, chocolate and gentle roasted flavour.
21Potton BreweryPottonPride of Potton6.2%CaskStrong AleCaramel balanced by the gentle hops. Smooth and strong, one to savour.
22Rocket AlesGreat StraughtonBlack Knight3.7%CaskMildMade with multiple types of darker malt for layers of flavour. The dark colour of this beer comes from chocolate malt, avoiding the sometimes burnt wood astringent taste that can come from black malt.
23Rocket AlesGreat StraughtonBloodhound4.2%CaskBest BitterThis copper coloured beer has a balance of malt flavours from Maris Otter malt and hop bitterness with slight orange marmalade notes from the English Admiral hops used.
24Two BobsOaklands, WelwynGold4.3%CaskGolden AleThis deep Golden Ale combines Cara malt flavours with a hint of bitterness from Archer & Jester hops.
25WeldonRushdonDragline4.2%CaskPale AleGolden ale with pine fruit and floral notes imparted by US Simcoe Hops.
26WeldonRushdonGalvy Stout4.2%CaskStoutA classic light stout brewed with Hops from the Garden of England and an array of dark malts imparting hints of liquorice and toffee.
27Wheatsheaf BreweryHuntingdonSame Again3.9%CaskMildA malty, toasty dark mild ale with floral notes, hopped with Admiral and Cascade
28Wheatsheaf BreweryHuntingdonWipeout6.1%CaskRuby AleA rich dark ale with orangey citrus notes and a boozy warmth.
29XtremePeterboroughChristopher ColumbuX4.3%CaskPale AleA summer blonde with the single hop, Columbus, bursting through. An intensely citrus flavor and aroma, combined with an earthy, black pepper background and a subtle bitter finish.
30XtremePeterboroughGalaxy5.0%CaskIPAA very pale, refreshing IPA with modest conditioning and a subtle citrus nose. This opens with a dry grapefruit pallet and a refined bitter after taste which gives a vibrant zesty mouth feel.

Craft Beer

NumberBreweryLocationNameABVContainerStyleNotes
ABlacken SunMilton KeynesCosmic Ark4.1%KeyKegLagerAn easy drinking pseudo lager made with Kviek yeast. Clean, crisp and malty with a subtle bitterness and a spicy, sweet noble hop flavour. Easy drinking and refreshing.
BBlacken SunMilton KeynesUnsung5.4%KeyKegBelgium AbbeyOur interpretation of a classic style. A simple malt base lays the platform for a deep golden beer with a noble hop character. Combined with our House Belgian yeast blend, we’ve created a complex yeast driven beer with notes of fruit / spice and an a unique tropical yeast ester aroma.
CSix Hills BreweryStevenageRunning with the big dog4.8%KeyKegPale AleOur series of dry-hopped New England’s are generally single hopped in order to showcase each variety. We use the same wheat, oats and finest barley every time as a soft backdrop to further accentuate the hop.
DSix Hills BreweryStevenageHanging Around5.5%KeyKegPale AleBold malt backbone and higher bitterness from our version of this classic. Hopped differently each time, which allows us to seek out the freshest boldest US hop flavours.

Cider & Perry

NumberBreweryLocationNameABVContainerStyleNotes
1Camrose CiderHuntingdonBish Bash Bosh5.6%BiBDryThe juice of local dessert and cookers blended with classic cider apples, Morgan Sweet and Tom Putt. It is straw in colours light and refreshing but not too sharp.
2Camrose CiderHuntingdonLuvvly Jubbly6.0%BiBMedium DrySpartan apples from Diddington, fermented with Limelight, Ashmeads Kernel and Tremlitts Bitter. Nicely balanced, golden in colour, with body and a slight tannic after taste. An easy drinking cider.
3Cromwell CiderHuntingdonCavalier Perry6.5%BiBPerryMade from dessert pears that are allowed to ripen on the tree to produce a light and bright medium perry.
4Cromwell CiderHuntingdonOliver’s Last Gasp6.7%BiBDryThe driest cider in our range. A ‘mean’ cider with an abv between 6.5% and 6.9% that will take your breath away and is not for the faint hearted.
5Potton Press CiderGuilden MordenHeritage7.0%BiBMediumSoftly tannic, full bodied and balanced with a delicious orchard aroma. Made from 14 different traditional and rare Herefordshire cider apples from old well managed heritage orchards.
6Potton Press CiderGuilden MordenHappy Medium7.4%BiBMediumBlended from the best of the current season and vintage ciders. Very popular rich and fruity cider, CAMRA award winner.
7Simon’s CiderCambridgeCrispin5.9%BiBMedium SweetSingle variety Crispin dessert apple cider.
8Simon’s CiderCambridge
Barton Perry
6.1%BiBPerryMedium perry made from dessert pears with white wine flavours. Fruity.
9Simon’s CiderCambridgeRusset8.0%BiBMediumSingle variety cider made with Egremont Russet apples.
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