Wednesday 8 August 2012

Let's talk about 5X

I was at the Great British Beer Festival yesterday. Purely for professional purposes you understand. Though I did have a couple of pints when networking, and maybe a few more for research, with perhaps one or two to wash down my food and maybe one for the road, it should be clear the focus was mainly on work. Whilst I could still focus that is.

I made a mess of the travel arrangements so arrived late, but on the plus side I met noted beer historian Pete Brown at Earl's Court. His next book will be out on November 8th, which is conveniently shortly before my birthday (hint, hint).



There was a lifetime's supply of beers lined up in the hall but I only had one beer on my tick list: Greene King 5X. A living fossil, this 12% ABV oak aged beer is normally only used for blending with another beer to make Suffolk Strong (6% ABV). It undergoes a log maturation in vats at the the brewery, like a stock ale or porter of old. I'd first read about it years ago but never even heard of Greene King letting anyone drink it  unblended until quite recently.

However of late a few beer writers have managed to get hold of some, which had started to raise my hopes that I might one day blag some myself. Perhaps I thought a trip to Bury St Edmunds for the next IBD AGM would be in order? As it happened Greene King decided to make limited quantities available at the GBBF which solved my problem. I joined the queue early (which earned me three seconds of fame) and after a short scrum I had a 1/3 pint in my hand.


Whilst some have to settle for getting historic beer from bottles I was able to get some on draught. It's a hazy, mid-brown beer with a taste of sherry about it, combined with notes of sour cider and barley wine. Or "urgh, that's yuck" as the lovely Lisa put it. Personally I liked it, though 1/3 pint was enough.

Then it was back to the grindstone: networking, researching, networking, researching, networking, pork scratchings. And after that it was time to go home.



9 comments:

  1. I see you apply Barm's pork scratchings rule!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, I read about it shortly after I'd been talking to him several pints in and munching on a bag of pork scratchings at last years GBBF.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I thought it delicious, put me in mind of winter nights in front of a fire and not far to go after a couple of pints.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I certainly enjoyed drinking it and I'd happily drink it again but I think I'd have preferred if it was a bit darker.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Greene King 5X is also top of my list. Looking forward to trying it tomorrow - if there's still any left!

    ReplyDelete
  6. They've got a cask set aside for each day so check what time they're putting it on.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Didn't spot you at GBBF on Tuesday... Maybe see you at Egham next week?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've just dropped the beer off at Egham today! I normally pop in during the festival but have a nasty feeling I'll be working on the Saturday so not sure if I will this time.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's a shame. In the evening we've splashed out on entertainment, and booked Bill Posters Will Be Band [formed by ex-members of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band].

    ReplyDelete