dubfest 2015 - Original Old Bay Horse, Horwich, Bolton

dubfest 2015: Introducing ‘drink up brewing’

August 26, 2015 Beer Event Reviews, Beer Festivals Leave a comment

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Following in the footsteps of Blackedge Brewery, Bolton’s latest microbrewery ‘drink up brewing’ (aka dub) are also from the small town of Horwich.

I’d tried one of their first beers, dubSUMMER, at Great Ale a few months ago and was keen to try more after hearing exciting talk of IPAs, Gose and wheat beers.

The perfect opportunity to do just that was ‘dubfest’; part launch party for dub, part beer festival.

The event, held outside the Original Bay Horse in Horwich not only featured seven of their own beers but another 20 plus from some of the best local breweries around including Marble, Quantum and Cloudwater.

With street food and live music too all that was missing was the sun. But even the miserable August weather didn’t stop people having a great time.

How could you not with 31 beers on offer?

I worked my way through three or four of their own beers that I’d not already tried. Unfortunately the one I really wanted dubWEST – a US West Coast style pale – sold out literally as I got to the bar.

Of the ones I had I did have some issues:

dubSMASH was perfectly drinkable but was supposed to be a sasion and for me tasted much more like a wheat beer. While dubWHITE, which actually was a wheat beer – a German style Hefeweizen – had the right flavour profile but was very weak and thin.

My least favourite was dubFIRE ACE, an amber ale dry hopped with sorachi. Now I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of sorachi hops anyway but I have enjoyed beers with them such as the classic Buxton Ace Edge and recently Wookie IPA from Amager. But I found them way too overpowering here.

I had far more success with the guest beers.

The highlight was ‘Brett C Pale Ale’ by Quantum, a lovely pale with funky Belgian yeast flavours.

I also loved ‘Nelson Sauvin Pale’ by Brewsmith Beer and ‘Uber Rad’ a strong Belgian pale from another new local brewery Rivington Brew Co.

Overall the event was a great success, far more enjoyable and with a much better range of beers than the Horwich Beer Festival that I attended last year. I hope it becomes a regular annual event and I’ll definitely be back if it’s repeated.