Hopped Up Heretics

Sheffield United 0 v Nottingham Forest 0

The Championship

Saturday 17 March 2018

SUFC 2017/18 Game 77

Twitter @ball_sup
www.twitter.com/ball_sup

I've only got myself to blame. But, that felt a little bit like an identikit beer day. As the abvs kicked in. As the drivel flowed. I found myself yearning for a tan/brown, slightly opaque, bit of residual sugar, feel the abv burn, rich, intense Imperial/Double IPA. The closest I got was the superb Arbor, Large Hop Collider DIPA on keg at 8% in The Sheffield Tap. But, most of the remaining Hopped Up Heretics were yellow, impenetrable, juiced up, gloopers. Identi, and indeed, kit.

Shakespeares had a Howling Hops vs Cloudwater Tap Takeover event. I went solely for Cloudwater kegs on a - well you have to don't you - basis. Of course they were interesting & intriguing. Of course they were full of flavour. Of course there wasn't a bad 'un anywhere in the Postcode. But, tellingly, for a Self Defining Hop Head, I enjoyed the Helles & the Barrel Aged Stout most.

Cloudwater Helles Mandarina 4.8%
Cloudwater Bourbon BA Black Forest Stout 12%
Cloudwater DIPA Enigma 8.5%
Cloudwater DDH IPA Enigma Chinook 6.5%
Cloudwater DDH Pale Simcoe Citra 5.5%
Cloudwater Small Citra Ekuanot Pale 2.9%

After the game, we hit up the True North Brewing open brewery door event with Framework Brewery. Perfect Storm, literally. Those mental weather conditions. Swirling snow in a chilly wind. The keg bar behind the barman. Small pump clips. Ridic steamed up glasses. Previous abv consumption. All meant I was struggling to see what was on. The barman must have been sick of me constantly asking - what's the third from the left again? I “think” I had;

True North, Dynamo New England IPA 8.6%
Framework Circus Money 5%
Framework Sinker 5%
Twisted Barrel/Framework, Detroit City Sour 4%
(Note to self, Dry Hopped Sours tipped to be the next Identikit Beer…)

We were at the back of the Bramall Lane Upper, well under the roof. The snow only reached up there occasionally. The cold wind - oh, that was constant up there. At half time, a handful of Muslim guys came up to avoid the snow. Couldn't fucking hack the wind mind. One of my Utd supporting Muslim brothers told me his skin wasn't designed for weather like this. His classic line was “I was born in The Northern General, but this is too cold for me…” What a marvellous example of Multicultural South Yorkshire.

Another flat at times game. Which we couldn't get over the line. With a fair few obvious right leaning bile bullies shouting SCAB. Not a lot to enjoy.

627/1306