ABV: 4.5%
Origin: North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England
Website: www.morduebrewery.com
Mordue Workie Ticket
The Newcastle conurbation is famous for its internationally known Brown Ale, now made in Gateshead on the south bank of the Tyne, but there are far, far better beers made in the region. Several of them come from Mordue, opened by brothers Gary and Matthew Fawson in 1995 and bearing the name of a long defunct 19th century brewery that once stood on Wallsend village green. It expanded to its present site ten years later.
‘Workie ticket’ is Geordie slang for a troublemaker or awkward person, deriving from postwar usage in the Armed Forces. The expression gave its name to the brewery’s breakthrough beer, a convincing Champion Beer of Britain winner in 1997, and while it’s not exactly awkward, it’s certainly got an assertive personality, as I rediscovered over a perfect pint of the stuff at the Market Tavern during a visit to Durham.
This is a deep reddish amber beer with a thick and creamy slightly pinkish off-white head. The aroma is nutty and autumnal with jam tart hints, and a fresh smooth palate has thick, firm dry malt with a good biscuity quality, lightly acidic notes and touches of crystal malt an hops. The swallow is beautifully smooth, leading to a long, twiggy, roasty, sappy and lightly peppery finish, overall malt accented but with a fruity bramble note. Indeed the biscuity, sappy character has much in common with the brown ales of the region, although the beer is normally classed as a premium bitter. One of my favourite British cask ales.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mordue-workie-ticket/5662/
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