Bit of a rambling post this one, which I won't apologise for since I'm currently three beers to the wind and counting. News wise it's been a relentless doom-and-gloomathon of coalition cruelty and lies, the weather has been snowy and 'orrible, and I've barely had a moment to myself thanks to an endless parade of sickly offspring crying off school and coughing into tissues. Nevertheless I insist on being cheerful and bollocks to it all.
I think some top tens are called for. First up, ten favourite beers of the moment, which are subject to frequent change.
In no particular order:
Wychwood Hobgoblin (a mainstream but tasty dark ale, 5.2% abv) - just because. And it is for lagerboys, if they want some. Hobgoblins all round!
Naylors Pinnacle Porter (available filtered in bottles in many discerning northern shops, 4.8% abv) A rich, dark ale full of roast and coffee flavours with a citrussy finish (Styrians?) - very drinkable. Naylors' best one in my humble wotsit.
Timothy Taylors Landlord (superlative Yorkshire best bitter, 4.1% abv bottled, 4.3% cask.) Goes without saying, I'm a Keighley lad after all!
Acorn Gorlovka Imperial Stout (bottle conditioned, 6% abv) - a rich dark, liquoricey, intensely flavoured stout from a cracking Barnsley brewery. This one will put hairs on your chest.
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout (widely available, 5.2% abv) In chilly weather I like my stouts. And I finally tried this this year after resisting for an age, as I don't have a sweet tooth really as far as booze goes - but it isn't really sweet. Just rich, smooth, a bit warming thanks to the abv and full of coffee and dark chocolate flavours. Really rather nice.
Marstons Strong Pale Ale (widely available, 6.2% abv) Unpretentious, smooth strong ale with a good hoppy bite, does exactly what it says on the tin. Even my dad likes it.
Black Sheep Riggwelter (ubiquitous in Northern supermarkets, 5.7% abv) Tasty, bitter strong ale. Satisfying on a cold night and full of flavour, good stuff!
Jennings Sneck Lifter (ditto, 5.1% abv) Another dark liquoricey one, like Riggwelter's little brother. A very nice ale and somewhat better for when you have to get up early. ;)
Saltaire Hazelnut Coffee Porter (in decent northern bottle shops, 4.6% abv) Works well, another interesting brew from Saltaire Brewery. Rich and flavoursome but not too heavy, not bad at all.
Ilkley Lotus IPA (again good northern bottle shops, 5.6% abv) - full of tasty American hops, well balanced and easy to sup. A tasty one and great cold on a warm day - if we ever get one.
Currently missing from this list are any brews from Ossett, since my favoured stop off for local ales, Keelham Farm Shop on the A644 near Denholme Gate, aren't currently stocking any. Shame - their 'Excelsior' and 'Treacle Stout' are both excellent.
Enough beer listing for now. Once I've got around to clearing out my cellar/brewing space, I will doubtless be brewing most of my own ale again soon so the above will become occasional treats.
Another top ten I hear you say? No?
Ten fantastic albums I like, and don't care whether you do or not, you tin-eared muppets:
PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. By turns soulful, bluesy, plaintive, gutsy, world-weary, exultant. Her best album IMO, not even Thom Yorke can spoil it.
Agalloch - The Mantle. Sprawling progressive metal opus, including the brilliant 'In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion', which is 14 and a half minutes of wow. Really.
Th' Legendary Shack Shakers - Swampblood. Just crank it up, crack a bottle of Jack and ease into it. Rootsy Southern rock at its best.
Pixies - Trompe Le Monde - Full of wit and great riffs, as well as Kim Deal's surprisingly sultry vocals as an effective counterpoint to Black Francis' shrieking.
AFI - Sing The Sorrow. Before you start this is actually good. The mix of gothic and hardcore punk aesthetics combine with some great songwriting for their best album I reckon. One of my favourite crank it up and sing along, driving in the dark albums.
New Model Army - No Rest For The Wicked. This was one of the records that woke my teenage brain - growing up in a decimated post-Thatcher Bradford, it articulates the sense of loss, anger, pride, defiance - and hope - perfectly. And the basslines are to die for. I even have a NMA tattoo, so that I can never forget my roots and values, even when (hopefully) I grow old and affluent.
The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette. If you only buy one classic UK punk album, make it this one, the Pistols were rubbish. Full of clever, snarky, catchy tunes. They're still touring and still highly entertaining.
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless. Ambitious, delicate arrangements buried in thundering walls of noise and feedback, wispy vocals, beautiful and somehow comforting. Still a classic.
Jack Off Jill - Clear Hearts Grey Flowers. Angsty, sparky alternative rock thrashing but very catchy with compelling vocals, equal parts purring and threat. Great.
The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Eclectic, sprawling double album with some fantastic songs - contains all the classic Eighties' Cure components - self-flagellating lyrics, flanging guitar riffs, evocative spidery basslines, pop hooks. Self loathing you can sing along to and somehow feel happier afterwards - needless to say this was my favourite album when I was 14.
I probably wittered on enough for one post. A final observation - people have layers. Like onions. This blog will take awhile to show off all mine. I like onions. *hic*
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