I give in....

Queens Park Rangers 0 v Sheffield United 3

Sunday 4 January 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

I just do not understand how we are able to reasonably comfortably see off Premiership teams. I'm no fan of Premiership football. Rarely watch it on TV. You've got the true elite players & teams. But the rest of it seems much of a muchness.

We don't kick them to death. We don't park the bus. We don't hoof it. We don't have The Crazy Gang team spirit.

We do set up well. The midfield 4/5 not too far in front of the back four. You'll have to go across us. You can try going round us. Lose the plot & try and go over us if you like. But, you're gonna have a hell of a job to go through us.

And we have a gentle, encouraging team spirit. No eyes out on stalks and throbbing temples. Leave that to Clough & Morgs. Players know their jobs. They'll help the others know theirs. Stand up. Be counted. Keep at it. Look each other in the eye.

Journeymen Premiership players. Used to a different choreography. No plan B. Bingo. Too many hands on hips. Even when they have the ball.

And. When I was a kid, I did NOT dream of "getting out of this poxy league". I dreamt of winning cup games against the big boys. Poxy leagues come & go. Football was invented for days like today.

So, naturally, too much to drink.

BrewDog Shepherds Bush
Beavertown/Dogfish Head, Londonerweisse on keg at 2.8%. Very Sour.
Dieu du Ciel, Corne du Diable on keg at 6.5%. Glorious

The Parcel Yards
Redemption - Urban Dusk on cask at 4.6%
Fullers - Bengal Lancer on cask at 5%

Euston Tap
Buxton - Moor Top on cask at 3.6%
Buxton - Wild Boar on keg at 5.7%

And. Finally managed to track it down. Standout beer of the day. (Er... had more than one).

Siren/Beavertown/Magic Rock - Rule Of Thirds on keg at 6.4%. Superb.

(65/166)

...stop the slaughter & let's go home...

Sheffield United 3 v Plymouth Argyle 0

Saturday 6 December 2014

FA Cup Round 2

Twitter @ball_sup

I headed for The Rutland Arms. They'd had a Magic Rock Brewing Tap Takeover in the week, which I couldn't make. So I was hoping to catch the tail end.

I plumped for Barrel Aged Dark Arts Surreal RASPBERRY Stout on keg at 6%.

Lovely lingering thin latte head. Black Forest Gateau on the nose. Sweetness of the raspberries gives you an immediate hit. There is a little bit of tart there. And that segues into a rich & bitter background kicking in. Maybe the finish is more toasted hazelnuts than bitter.

Great. It's sort of 3 beers in one. The raspberry sweetness. The bittering. And a burnt toasty finish. The sweetness does not stay. Hit & run.

They've got me now. So I moved on to the  Barrel Aged Dark Arts Surreal CHOCOLATE Stout. Also on keg, also at 6%. This one had a much more grassy, earthy feel to it. There isn't a sweetness. I'm OK with that. I don't like sweet chocolate stouts. The bitterness (presumably) comes from the chocolate & hops. I'm thinking the earthy feel is maybe woody coming off the barrel ageing. Although I wouldn't say I can taste the chocolate. But you sort of feel it in the background. A tip of the tongue bitterness gives it away.

Nice. But I firmly prefer the Raspberry version.

Football Remembers at many grounds today. Another "thing" for clubs to try & outdo each other with. I'll get firmly behind the song & the sentiments on this one. Hooty & The Farm. Pete Wylie cameo in the video. Ordinary German & British & Commonwealth soldiers doing what they could to stop the fighting in a mad Imperial War for one day. Salute.

I still get a little buzz from the Cup. It helped a lot that we had a great run to the Semi Final last year.  I'll hear all the "we've got to get out of this league",  "forget the cups, concentrate on the league" arguments. But, come on. It's still an 11 v 11 game with a ball. It's different. In a way it's more immediate. It's better.

Went OK for us in the end.

Harry Maguire - Shattered Dream

Twitter @ball_sup

Sheffield United 0 v Huddersfield Town 1

29 July 2014

A pre-season home game as the will he/won't he Harry Maguire saga drew closer to a conclusion. He's gone to Hull.

I could fill the internet with lists of players who have left Bramall Lane to pursue their dreams. Where are they know .... Jordan Slew.

In Harry's honour I tucked into Siren Craft Brew Shattered Dream in The Rutland Arms.

A pulverising 9.8% Imperial Stout. The smell was very pleasant & not at all overpowering. Quite gentle coffee & vanilla tones. Nothing burnt or even toasted.

Mouth filling & smooth - velvet. It tasted very well balanced. There was a little bitter finish (which I like). Went down very easy for a belting abv.

One of those beers you expect to be extreme - but you come away thinking - oooooh lovely. The coffee & vanilla flavours linger on the tastebuds - & I'll repeat, without overpowering.

Next up. Magic Rock Brewing Craftwerk at 5%. Magic Rock turns up a lot in The Rutland & I love their beers.

Craftwerk was a perfectly nice, but unexceptional US/German Pale. Nice & refreshing, a little bit of citrus. But I found myself waiting for a hop kick.

Next stop. The Lord Nelson (Fannys). I had Fox Brewery Patriot on cask at 4.8%. Loved it. It surprised me. Felt a bit like the best of both worlds. Malty & ruby like an English bitter but with a "not quite pucker up" hop hit finish like an American pale. I'd embarrass myself if I guessed the hops. Maybe they were American maybe Kent. Who knows.