The Spine Rolls Steady

Ooohhh Ooohhh Ooohhh and a Chicken

Blackburn Rovers 0 v Sheffield United 2

The Championship

Saturday 2 November 2024

SUFC 2024/25 Game #26

A lunchtime kick off meant the Carrier Bag Firm had to be creative with today's Beer Hunting. We did get to Blackburn in time to meet some of the others in a local pub. But, as you can see, it was proclaimed a - no redeeming features just a watering hole. I had a pint of one lager or another. Still, at least we were able to photie the rogue chicken on the way back to the ground.

Northern Towns. Sometimes they don't help themselves.

Indeed, if the Sensible Beer Bus had any sort of sense, perhaps we could have had time for a Beer en route Blackburn. The system is fucking mental. You get told a time the Coach is leaving for a particular game. But “everyone” knows you're supposed to be there a lonnnnng time before that.

I've checked my Calls Log. Today, a Nine AM Departure had been set. My phone rang at 08:20. Forty Minutes before departure. It was The Organiser.

Where are you? The Coach is here and nearly everyone's on.

Forty Minutes!!!

No one, I mean no one, understands how we've got to this position. A time is set. But that's not the time you're expected. You're expected muuuuuch earlier. My favourite Carrier Bagger, Kevin B, turned up last, as always, at five to nine. Everyone else had been on for the last 25 minutes!!!

Salute Kev

AnyRoadUp. No real Beer Hunting options at that time. So we hunted in Sheffield once we'd got home.

Two Thirds Beer Co.

434-436 Abbeydale Rd, Nether Edge, Sheffield S7 1FQ

As an aside, that little stretch of bars on Abbeydale are crazy at Tea Time on a Saturday. There were no spare seats in The Broadfield. And we had to Pretty Please in The Two Thirds. (They were very helpful and good as gold.)

We'd hit the Abbeydale Ale Alley in search of the DEYA Steady Rolling Strata launch. And we weren't disappointed. DEYA are a brewery in Cheltenham. One of their best known beers is Steady Rolling Man. A 5.2% Hazy Pale Ale. My modus operandi is to Beer Tick, to strive, to try, never have the same one twice. Forget quantity. Forget quality. Go for VARIETY, every time.

But, over the years, there have been a few Breweries, and a few Beers, which have become my Go To Beers. If they're on, I'm probs going to have ‘em. DEYA Steady Rolling Man is one such. Lush. One of them please Barman.

This weekend, DEYA were launching a Steady Rolling Variant(s) across a choice selection of bars around the country.

DEYA Brewing Co, Steady Rolling Strata 2024, Pale Ale on Keg at 5.2%

Steady Rolling Strata uses the same base recipe as for Steady Rolling Man. Plenty of oats, a NEIPA water profile and a fruity English ale yeast. But all the usual hops are swapped out for Strata. Indeed, fresh Strata specially selected during the hop harvest in September, flown straight to the UK and directly into the tank.

Didn't disappoint. Not overjuiced. A good hit of orange. Gorgeous from the get go.

DEYA Brewing Co, Steady Rolling Strata DIPA 2024, Imperial IPA at 8%

God love them. DEYA have also souped up for a Double IPA version. That pulled off the magic trick of some Old Skool DIPA shit with residual sugar, hop hit and lusciousness AND some New Skool DIPA shit with a bit of juice softening it out as you got over the first mouthful. If they ever do that trick with heroin, we're fucked. It all ended with tongue tingling tangerine.

As well as the Steady Rolling Strata main events, Two Thirds had a DEYA Tap Takeover. So we endured that.

DEYA Brewing Co, Saturated In Citra, Double Hazy IPA on Keg at 8%

You know what. I felt that was a heap underpowered to what I expected. It promised FOUR different types of Citra Hops. Who knew? It was seriously powerful. But I needed dank. I needed sticky.

DEYA Brewing Co, Can I Pleo It? Pale Ale on Keg at 4.4%

We'd been spoilt by the others !!!

That was a great way to celebrate a great win. Look, we're going to blow hot and cold. And today, we blew hot. And the league table looks healthy.

I wouldn't say we had to weather a storm early on. But that was Rovers liveliest spell. Initially both teams were all a bit one touch hot potato. Rather than one touch move and in control. In those circumstances, it only takes one ball to fall and break and you can go behind. So. We got through that spell. And got some sort of control.

I thought - spine. Souttar and Robinson, (but it could be Anel), Vinicius in midfield, Kieffer Two Fs up top and Michael Cooper claiming loads and saving loads and playing it into the spine loads. Across the Wilder spells, we've always been best with a spine. It allows “the others” to thrive and shine. Rather than clear up and struggle.

Today the spine was hot.

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