After a suitable Curry-Heute at Kashmir, Clive and Hector headed off Keighley. There was an Interesting Steam Locomotive Manoeuvre occurring at Keighley Station. A Jenny Agutter Moment.
Turn left, first right, right again then first left – the instructions given to Robin who reportedly was heading out before us. Suffice to say Jonathan and Robin were already in situ when we entered the Central Hall. How many people down from Glasgow today? And one up from Crawley? How can we possibly know each other?
In search of Pale, Hoppy Ale
Golden salamander at 4.5% (Salamander, Bradford West Yorkshire) was tasted on my last visit to the Bradford Beer Festival, it didn’t impress. I don’t know if it was just in better condition today or did not have to follow a Great Ale, but it was a suitably Dry and Hoppy start to the day. And a Half Pint was certainly a Half Pint.
By the time the first Ale was consumed we had seats together. As ever, conversation was struck up with the people opposite. It’s a Yorkshire Thing.
There was a Programme. There was also an innovative projection system advising the populous of available Ales, or what became more apparent, the Ales which were no longer available. The last day of an Ale Festival, one expects a more limited choice, but this felt frustrating. It became a case of – what is available not what would Ilike? An Helpful Bar Volunteer ave me a Taster of Amarill-O (Otley Brewing Company, Pontypridd, Wales) at a modest 4.3% No, not the local Otley he was quick to advise me. There was once again a modest level of Hops and Citrus. What was a man to do? Drink Dark Ale. Even then I was advised my next choice was gone.
Dr. Stan arrived eventually, he was now an hour and a half out of sync. Time to visit the Foreign Bar. We had been left to believe that there would be Draught American Ales, instead it was only Bottles. Torpedo at a hefty 7.2% (Sierra Nevada, Chico, California, USA) was the next choice. An Amber Ale, strong with American Hops, wonderful stuff, and potentially dangerous. One was enough, Jonathan joined the Brief Party.
Before the planning for this trip I had never heard of the Keighley Beer Festival, very Bijou, a pleasant room, good company, but not at its best, I feel, on a Last Saturday.
First Pint Today
Normally when Keighley is visited, Hector is driving. When was the last time I had an Pint of Taylor’s Landlord (Timothy Taylor, Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire) at The Boltmakers Arms? The Brewery Tap! The Locale of Keighley. Robin and Jonathan had seat at the door as I entered. When some Glasgow Folk departed we took the seats up at the back. Clive navigated his way to t’Boltmakers but attempted to join the folk who had sat at the far end of our table.
At a mere 4.3% this Amber Ale is very far from what we seek currently. Yet, back in the day, it may well have lived up to the Brewery’s Own Description – Citrus, Hoppy, Fruity. There is no truth in the rumour that we were here to wind up Mags who still considers this to be her Favourite Ale.
After The Fox
Dr. Stan caught up with us, it was time for Food. Where else but the Rajpoot in Shipley? That The Fox lay between Shipley Station, well almost, and the Rajpoot, meant it had to be visited. Dr. Stan and Jonathan had started yesterday’s Festivities here with Ricky. Yes, where was The Man from Bradford today? And Robin has gone back to Forster Square already.
Brooklyn Lager (Brooklyn Brewery, New York, NY, USA) at 5.2%, and made of course with American Hops, is superb. To get it on Draught at £4.00 a Pint, Heavenly. And this was a lot less than I paid in the Bowling Alley next door to the Brewery itself back in February.
The Fox is a recent development, little more than a small room, but with quite an extensive range of Ales. I suspect we shall return to this again.
By 22.00 we had eaten and three were left standing. Dr. Stan suggested the newly re-opened Jacobs Well opposite the Media Museum in Bradford Having seen the building decay over the last year, this was a no brainer. Clive felt the ceiling reminded him of the interior of a ship. Maybe so, I was studying the Posters on the Wall. Draught 
La Chouffe? Bottles only and twice the price we could have paid at Keighley. The solitary Pint here was the Last. It had been a long day and the Empire IPA (Spitting Feathers, Chester, Cheshire) was not impressing. At 5.2% this Ale should have had something, alas not. Despite the Swan Neck and the Sparkler, and the Ale pouring ridiculously high, the Ale tasted Flat. Half a Pint was left.
Had we eaten earlier, I know what would have followed, but not to be…
The Beer Festival and Pubs visited today:
Keighley Beer Festival – Central Hall, Alice St, Keighley, Bradford, BD21 3JD, West Yorkshire
The Boltmakers Arms – 117 E Parade, Keighley, Bradford, BD21 5HX, West Yorkshire
The Fox – 41 Briggate, Shipley, Bradford, BD17 7BP, West Yorkshire
Jacobs Well – 14 Kent Street, Bradford, BD1 5RL, West Yorkshire