We can’t claim to have really ‘done’ the Brodie’s Brewery ‘Bunny Basher’ festival, but here are a few observations based on popping in twice over the weekend.
The beer was never less than interesting, and the atmosphere was brilliant. Like the Blue Anchor in Helston, the pub is both a tourist attraction and a local boozer. People are there to drink and have a good time; some do it with Foster’s lager and football, while others sit alone with their third of kegged Belgian-style sour and write code on a laptop. No-one cares what anyone else is doing.
Brodie’s seem to be better at pale beers than dark. Apart from one dry-hopped with Motueka which smelled just a tiny bit too much like freshly-expressed urine, the yellow’n’hoppy ales were all at least good, and most were excellent. (But regular brew Citra at 3.1% is still our favourite.)
Cinnamon still doesn’t work in beer. Is there a market for a patented Beer Ruiner? If so, here’s the recipe: some cinnamon. (Coffee optional.)
We found the much-vaunted Elizabethan Ale (22% ABV) undrinkable. HP Sauce? We didn’t persevere past a couple of sips each, to be fair, and perhaps we need to get in training, c.12% being really the upper limit of our experience with strong beer.
We will certainly try to be in town if/when the Bunny Basher is on next year.
Matt ‘Total Ales’ Curtis’s take on the festival is also worth a read.
8 replies on “A Brief Bashing of the Bunny”
One thing that Brodie’s have absolutely nailed is sour beers, they do it better than anyone else in London. So I hope you tried some of those too.
Also: “No-one cares what anyone else is doing.” Sounds like heaven! I certainly enjoyed the juxtaposition of regular punter and serious beer lover – as described by Matt in his post (we were sat at the same table).
Thanks for the mention guys. Did you try the Big Mofo stout? That is a masterclass in Dark Beers, when they get it right, they really get it right.
I was there for the full four days, although I was flagging somewhat on Easter Monday.
On Good Friday some of the pale beers were being served cloudy, but on subsequent days they were OK. I really liked the 3 Jamaican Stouts tried and the 3 Kentish Town Browns.
I prefer Kiwi and Shoreditch Sunshine to Citra but what does that mean? nothing really!
I thought the Cinnamon and Coffee mild was OK but preferred the Coconut and Vanilla.
I tried the Keykeg and Cask versions of Elizabethan and it seemed the same as previous years, very sweet and viscous. It’s a novelty beer.
I’m sorry Emma but I can’t get into those sour beers, they just taste rank to me. I do like Marmite a lot though.
I’ve not come across anyone else in London doing them!
Matthew, I agree with you about the Big Mofo, but the days of it being £3.30 a pint are a distant dream now. I’m not forking out £10,50 a pint for anything.
Blimey, what a lot of fellow drinkers I must have missed! Mind you, I was only there on Monday evening.
I’m with Emma on the sours (with the exception of the Brodenbach, which I found almost undrinkably acrid – in fact, I couldn’t finish my half), they are an acquired taste though. And I could barely detect the Cinnamon in the mild!
You’re a braver man than me if you can drink a whole pint of Mofo.
Emma — yes, we did. The Belgian pale was excellent and we enjoyed the others well enough. A bit rough-edged and intense for us on the whole, though.
Matt — no, didn’t get round to that one, perhaps because the other dark beers hadn’t been to our taste.
Corporal — four days! Blimey. We did see quite a few people who were there both times we visited, so presumably you weren’t alone in making a weekend of it.
Bryan — I had a half of Brodenbach at the end of our first short session and didn’t finish it, partly because I’d run out of flunter. I suspect served in a nicer glass, with a seat and a bit of peace and quiet, I’d have been able to appreciate it.
“flunter”?
Energy.