Thornbridge Hall Imperial Oatmeal Stout 11% abv

Thornbridge Hall Imperial Oatmeal Stout 11% abv

I'm not one for superlatives but oh my god its so good.
It's a hefty price to invest at £6.50 a pint, but within a couple of sips you'll be glad you did.
For a strong beer it's also deceptively moreish,  which is both dangerous and delightful at the same time.

Danny's Score - 9
Mike's Score - 8

Thornbridge Thorny Goat Mocha Porter 6.0% abv

Thornbridge Thorny Goat Mocha Porter 6.0% abv

A collaboration between Thornbridge and Australian craft brewers Mountain Goat. Delicious on cask or keg.
Danny's score -8
Mike's Score - 9 (a real favourite of mine)

Brookyln Winter Ale

Amber Ales Revoloution

I enjoyed this. Quite quaffable. Tasty treat and one of a good selection that we have enjoyed from Amber Ales recent guests at the Cross Scythes. Mike`s Score - 7.5 Danny's Score - 7.5

Buxton Dark Nights 4.6% abv

Buxton Dark Nights 4.6% abv

With impending snow storms, you need a reassuring beer, preferably dark, warm and inviting.

This one strikes all the right Winter notes and I managed 3 swift pints of it without straying from the (well gritted) path. We tasted liquorice, but also an unexpected chilli bite, that warmed and reassured with an ABV in the mid 4%`s. I left The Cross Scythes confident of conquering the elements!

"It's a Cracking beer"   Danny

Mike `s score - 7
Danny's Score - 8

Ska Brewing Company Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale 6.8% Abv

Ska Brewing Company Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale 6.8% Abv

**Write up to follow
I liked this but it was clearly overshadowed on a good night for beer, and this wasn`t just down to the mini tin (330ml).
It looked like a 7-up but it was definitely `craft` , `american` and `IPA`. It was also £5.50. Nice but SKAnt ;a rare treat.

MIKE SCORE - 7
Danny's Score - 7.5

Great Heck Brewing Powermouse 3.6% ABV

Great Heck Brewing Powermouse 3.6% ABV

A new kid on the block in the real ale scene, at least in Sheffield anyways. Originating from Goole in North Yorkshire. I've been lucky enough to sample a few beers from Great Heck over the last few months and from what I've tasted I've been impressed. This was the best of the cask beers we found on the bar at The Harlequin in Nursery Street Sheffield on a snowy afternoon last Monday.
The Powermouse, apart from having an excellent name, was a cracking drink. Very hoppy and packed full of flavour, so much so that you don't notice that its only 3.6 abv, it's the kind of beer you could drink a gallon of and still not have too much of a stagger on, on the way home.  Not sure whether this current trend for lower abv beers is down to tax and duty reasons or not but if it means we keep getting beers this good then I'm all for it. Very similar to Magic Rock's Curious in my opinion.

Danny's Rating - 7/10
Mike's Rating - 8/10

Anderson Valley Barney Flat Oatmeal Stout 5.7% Abv

Anderson Valley Barney Flat Oatmeal Stout 5.7% Abv

It's been a good week for trying new beers. Thanks to the snow we managed to sneak out for a few beers on Monday afternoon. We popped into The Harlequin on Nursery Street and after we'd sampled what they had to offer on cask we moved onto the fancier stuff. I'm a big fan of American Craft beers and this is yet again a new one on me. Having tried the delicious Thornbridge Oatmeal Stout 11% abv at The Cross Scythes on Derbyshire Lane we thought we'd try a drop of this Anderson Valley Barney Flat Oatmeal Stout to compare it to. It's a pricey drink at £6 a bottle and 5.7% abv but not something you see everyday and in my opinion money well spent. Easy drinking and extremely tasty made even better by the fancy tasting glasses they served us it in. The bar staff were great and seemed to know their beer. I'll definitely be looking forward to trying more Anderson Valley beers in the future.

Danny's Rating - 8/10

Mike's Rating - 8/10

*Edit* Mike's Comments Below:
Not really sure how to rate bottles vs cask vs keg, but I'll enjoy trying. Also I like to ponder on the whole 'experience', rating the beer, pub and service, and The Harlequin always ranks highly , in my opinion, for this trio.

Beer of the night / snowy afternoon off I reckoned was Great Heck's Powermaus, a tasty low ABV effort from one of my face Brewers but the Oaty Stout from across the pond was an Emperor's feast. Loved having the oversized wine glasses to really be able to savour the full-bodied aroma (nice touch bar staff!)that preceded the tremendous taste that seemed the perfect foil to the January freeze that we were heartily enduring.
Beer - 8, pub 9, service 8.5

Amber Ales - Jasmine IPA 5.0%

Amber Ales Jasmine IPA 5.0% ABV

Popped into The Cross Scythes tonight for a few cheeky pre dinner beers, and was pleased to stumble upon this delightful guest Jasmine IPA from Amber Ales. A completely new brewery to me but if this cracking little number is anything to go by they are one to look out for. Very similar to Thornbridge's Puja but in my opinion slightly better, the lower abv works against the sweetness and floral notes and makes for a tastier drink. Still got to confer with Mike on this one but I reckon it's a winner. It's on the bar now at The Cross scythes and it's to their credit that they have such interesting guest beers on alongside their own. 

It's my local so I may be biased but if you like good beer in a pleasant environment you should pay them a visit and get a drop of this while you can. The staff are always welcoming, knowledgeable, and hospitable. Kids and dogs are welcome but if you don't like that kind of thing there are plenty of side rooms to escape to.

Danny's Rating - 7.5/10

Mike's Rating  -

Thornbridge Mocha Porter - Barrel Aged With Chillies

Thornbridge Mocha Porter Barrel Aged with Chillies 6% ABV

A bit of a rarity for our first post. There's apparently only 4 barrels of this stuff in existence. It's a bit different and has one hell of a kick to it. It's basically Thorny Goat that's been aged with chilli. Thorny Goat is probably one of my favourite Thornbridge beers and this stuff takes it to a whole new level.  Here is the description taken from the Thornbridge website. 

"Thorny Goat, pre chocolate and sugar has been barrel aged with Chillies to create the perfect antidote for a chilly night"! 

Like all the best Thornbridge beers its nice and strong at 6% ABV. You can't really taste the coffee or the chocolate as the chilli kind of takes over. It's not the type of beer you chuck down your throat as the spiciness is so prevalent. There's a knack to drinking it though and once you've found it, it becomes rather pleasurable indeed. It's makes your lips tingle and your insides warm. Hats off to Thornbridge for trying something different. It's on the bar now at The Cross Scythes on Derbyshire Lane at a reasonable £3.50 a pint. 

*Edit - Mike's Comments;

And it's a 7 from me. Once I'd got past the initial back of the throat kick and worked out how to drink it, I liked it. Couldn't really manage a pint but a leisurely half was just the ticket, especially when cleansed with a citrussy dessert in the form of Halcyon. I do want another bite at this chilli cherry though as I might be a little harsh with a safe 7! 

Danny's Rating - 8/10

Mike's Rating - 7/10