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Along came a raspberry and sat down beside her...
From: InnSpire - Issue 79 – June 2009
 I am a big fan of dark beer, so when I heard that Thornbridge had brewed another one, I just HAD to give it a try. This new beer was Katipo (pronounced Kar-ti-paw).
Thornbridge Brewery are based in Ashford in the Water, in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall; a small, but perfectly formed stately home. Set up in October 2004, many of their beers are brewed using local ingredients, or often feature an interesting twist. Since their foundation Thornbridge have built up an impressive portfolio of beers and an even more impressive array of awards for their outstanding products. Beers you may come across include Jaipur IPA (strong and tasty at 5.9% ABV), St Petersburg Stout (dark, rich and moreishly strong at 7.7% ABV) and Kipling (packed with exotic fruit flavours at 5.3% ABV).
A short while ago the brewery issued a challenge to their brewers; each of them had to produce a unique beer to showcase their skill, talent, style and taste. Through a variety of means (via the ratebeer website and in pubs for example) a winner was announced. Kelly Ryan, the brewery’s resident brewer from New Zealand had come out on top with Katipo!
Named after a small spider from his native New Zealand, Katipo weighs in at 5.4% ABV and is brewed using raspberries from Belgium. It is brewed in the style of a Porter – dark, not too heavy.
Looks wise, Katipo is a very deep brown, almost black, coloured beer with a light beige head. Aroma is quite smoky, with hints of chocolate and a little bit of berry fruit. Texture is not too heavy, but not thin and watery like some Porters can be. Taste is a subtle blend of bitter dark chocolate, roasted malt and an underlying, but not overpowering tinge of raspberries. The finish is quite dry and bitter, with a slightly citrusy hop coming through in the aftertaste. This all makes for a tasty and intensely drinkable beer, with bags of flavour, without being over the top.
I was really impressed by Katipo and really enjoyed drinking it both at Chesterfield Beer Festival in February and also during our Stouts, Porters and Old Ales trip, when we visited the Coach and Horses at Dronfield. On each occasion the beer was on top form and really easy and pleasurable to drink.
Andrea Waterhouse
A little bit of stimulation works wonders...
From: InnSpire - Issue 78 – April 2009
 We have just booked our next trip to Belgium for this coming September and, to celebrate, I felt the urge to review another Belgian bottled beer. This one is known by two different names - the one I know it by, and have seen it for sale as is Witkap Pater Stimulo… in some places it is exported to, it is called Witkap Pater Singel.
Witkap Stimulo is brewed at the Brouwerij Slaghmuylder, a family owned brewery at Ninove, in East Flanders. The business began back in the 1860s and even has an old working steam engine that can be used to power the brewery.
Some of the beers you may come across from this brewery include Witkap Pater Tripel (a pale golden beer at 7.5% ABV), Witkap Pater Dubbel (amber coloured ale at 7% ABV) and Ambiorix Dubbel (a red/amber beer at 8% ABV). These beers can be found in a number of outlets in Belgium and are also exported around the world.
The name Witkap Pater is actually a reference to the white hoods worn by the Cistercian monks who were responsible for brewing a goodly amount of beer in Belgium. It literally means, father in a white hat! You will see a picture of the monk in question on the label. This beer is brewed in the style of an Abbey beer.
Witkap Stimulo is a bottle conditioned top fermented beer, which means it is still fermenting in the bottle and hops which “float” on the top of the brewing vessel were used during production. The export name (Singel) refers to the light density of the beer, while the Belgian name (Stimulo) refers to the invigorating effect that this beer is supposed to have. It weighs in at 6% ABV - not as strong as some Belgian beers, but definitely with a bit more kick than your average English bitter.
Stimulo is a light yellow/blonde coloured beer that is slightly cloudy - there is quite a lot of sediment in the bottom of the bottle, so the level of cloudiness and the amount the beer clears when settled varies depending on how carefully you pour it. Once poured the beer has a light coloured frothy head that starts off large and falls slightly to leave a lacing on the glass. Aroma is quite spicy, with a touch of vanilla, fruit and a hint of yeast. Texture is quite carbonated giving it a bit of a “fizzy” sparkle and it is quite light bodied compared to most of the beers we tried while in Belgium.
It has a well balanced blend of hop and malt and sweet and sour flavours, with a bitter edge thrown in, making it actually quite a complex beer. The yeastiness that was present in the aroma is the base flavour throughout, but this is complimented by other elements coming through. It has a refreshing aftertaste that combines the bitter with a lemon tartness that helps to wake up the palate. It is a beer that has a good balance, a complex range of flavours and is easy to drink. The lightness of texture makes it a good choice for a beer to have with food (what I did on the first couple of occasions). It is pleasant, if not remarkable beer, but certainly one I would recommend - after all, a girl needs a bit of stimulation every now and again!
Andrea Waterhouse
It goes down well!
From: InnSpire - Issue 77 – February 2009
 A short while ago at The Britannia in Tupton, I was most impressed to see that there were TWO stouts on offer! As I have already reviewed Sgt. Pepper Stout, I thought that it would be fitting to review Titanic Stout in honour of CAMRA’s Stouts, Porters & Old Ales Campaign, which winds its way (somewhat unnoticed), through the months of January and February every year.
Titanic Brewery started its life in 1985 and is based in Burslem, in the Potteries area of Stoke on Trent. The name of the brewery comes the fact that a short distance away is Etruria – the place where Captain Edward John Smith (Captain of the ill-fated Titanic) was born. Among the excellent range of beers brewed you will find most have names that relate to this nautical connection. These include Iceberg (a refreshing wheat beer at 4.1% ABV), Wreckage (a strong winter ale at 7.2% ABV) and Nautical Mild (a ruby coloured beer at 4.8% ABV).
Titanic Stout is an award winning dark beer. Since it was first produced it has won the following awards nationally:
- The Guardian Bottled Beer of Britain 1994 – Gold
- CAMRA Northern Ireland Branch 1995 - Stout of the Festival - Bronze
- CAMRA Champion Beer of the West Midlands 2003 - Bottles - Gold Crown
- CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2004 - Gold
- CAMRA Champion Beer of the West Midlands 2004 - Porter/Stout- Silver
- CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2005 – Bronze
- CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2006 - Bronze
- CAMRA West Midlands Beer of the Year 2006 - Stout - Gold
- CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2007 - Silver
- CAMRA West Midlands Stout of the Year 2007 – 2nd place.
- Titanic Stout weighs in at 4.5% ABV and is brewed using Maris Otter pale malt, wheat
malt, roasted barley. Northdown, Yakima, Galena and Goldings hops. It is an extremely dark brown, almost black beer, with a slight reddish tinge when held to the light. It has a reasonably long lasting, coffee coloured head that is slightly frothy too. The aroma is predominantly that of roasted malt, but there is also coffee and chocolate present, along with hints of licorice. Texture is smooth and quite light for a stout.
Taste wise, Titanic Stout is well balanced with a strong roasted malt flavour, with a moderate amount of hoppiness. Add to this hints of vanilla, licorice, chocolate and coffee and you get a glimpse of the flavours on offer. It begins quite dry and then gets increasingly sweet towards the finish.
I really enjoyed my pint of Titanic Stout and soon remembered why I liked it so much when I’d tried it before. My pint cost me £2.20 at The Britannia – their price for any beer between 4.5 and 4.8% ABV. I was really pleased with the well balanced blend of flavours and the pleasant texture of this classic stout. ...sink a few if you get a chance! www.titanicbrewery.co.uk
Andrea Waterhouse
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