Currently Drinking...

[Karhedron]

But my favourites this month have been St Austell's Tribute

Another vote for Tribute here, very nice ale.

 

On the subject of Fuller's, I am quite fond of Honeydew which I do not find too sweet (in spite of the name).

 

And anything from the Badger brewery is usually a good bet. Fursty Ferret and Golden Champion are probably my 2 favourites.

[PhilJ W]

You might find this of interest >>

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruit

[Super D]

Did someone mention Bishops Finger? We always call it Nuns Delight!

[Horsetan]

Corsendonk.

[Indomitable026]

Tonight's "no no"

 

 

Edit - picture now upright, as am I ....

[Jon Fitness]

Tonight's "no no"

 

image.jpg

careful! You'll spill it at that angle!....

[45156]

My beer tastes are pretty eclectic nowadays, and unlike my younger days, I will now try bottled/canned/keg beers as well as real ales.  In that regard, there are a large number of German brews that I really enjoy, and it was on of these that caused me to lapse my CAMRA membership, as I was having a most enjoyable glass of Kulmbacher EKU in a pub when the local CAMRA branch chairman accosted me about it, and I thnk the word traitor came into the conversation. 

 

I've also developed a taste for some of the American brews that are on offer in this country - Sixpoint brewery's Bengali Tiger is one such.  Point IPA is another.  As for German lagers, Aldi do a most excellent bottle brewed in Dortmund called Steinhauser - though opinions on this one vary.  They've just done a naughty, and reduced the ABV from 5 to 4.7, which I guess is one way of keeping the price down.

 

Locally, we've got the Lancaster Brewery, which since its relaunch, move to new premises,and total change of approach to their beers, produces a good range of quaffable and tasty ales, though I've got to say that in my opinion the bottled versions really lose something.  Their Blonde is a quite interesting dry bitter/lager fusion, which uses German hops to achieve its dry finish - I've seen the recipe, and it is actually a quite adventurous brew which seems to be winning awards. 

Edited September 2, 2014 by 45156

[Indomitable026]

careful! You'll spill it at that angle!....

iPad or operator issue?

 

If you click on and open the image it's right way up - as it was when I posted it.

 

I wasn't however....

[PhilJ W]

iPad or operator issue?

 

If you click on and open the image it's right way up - as it was when I posted it.

 

I wasn't however....

I did, and its still on its side. It may have been 'right way up' when you looked but were you?

[Mark Forrest]

Tonight's "no no"

 

image.jpg

Have a couple of the flowers in the vase had some of it too; I understand too much beer can sometimes lead to a loss of structural rigidity which they seem to be exhibiting

[chrisf]

Inmates [innmates, perhaps?] may be interested in my ale exploration of Fleetwood last weekend.  I was in town for the final Fylde folk festival and as there was time between and at concerts to sup the odd ale I made some notes.

 

First stop, on Thursday afternoon, was the Thomas Drummond, a Wetherspoons house.  There I found Batemans XXXB (4.2%) for £2.05 a pint, and a fine fruity and malty brew it is.  The other ales on at that time were either the all too common Ruddles and Abbot or were too high octane, ie over 5%.  I returned the next day for lunch accompanied by Vengeance (4.8%) from the Nelson brewery at Chatham Dockyard.  This is a blonde ale tending towards golden and dangerously drinkable, tasting s it does a lot less strong than it really is!  I followed this with British Pride (4.2%), made by Lytham just along the coast.  On my final visit to 'Spoons in Fleetwood I had something other than Ruddles with my meal,having learned froom the small print on the menu that I could - ohew.  This was Citra Session (4.5%) which as the name implies was very lemony and therefore fresh-tasting.

 

Since the adverse transformation of the Marine Bar which I shall mention later the Strawberry Gardens has become the leader of the pack.  CAMRA members are offered a 50p discount on a pint on production of a membership card.  Another amenity is the Little Restaurant, the Little being Syd of that ilk, the well known entertainer, so now you know whatever happened to him.   On my vvisit there was a predominance of blonde ales, which are right up my street.  I chose Lancaster Blonde (4.0%) and agree with the comments a few posts ago, Fylde Folk Festival Ale (also 4.0% and probably something else rebadged but I couldn't work out what) and on a later visit Burscough Brewery Co's Mere Blonde (4%).  All were priced at £3.00 a pint before CAMRA discount.

 

The North Euston Hotel managed not to have Wells and Young's Bombardier on this year.   It gets everywhere, I live three miles from were it is made and familiarity breeds contempt.   The selection was unimaginative but did include Black Sheep Bitter (3.8%).  This must be well enough known not to need any further comment!  Also available were Deuchars IPA (4.0%) and a different Festival Ale.  The North Euston has an uncertain pride in having accommodated Margaret Thatcher during her premiership.  A photograph of her is displayed to mark this event and shows no signs of having been used as a dartboard.

 

The Mount Hotel, a big rambling place at the other end of the Esplanade, offered three ales.  I was delighted to find Thwaites Wainwright (4.1%) at £2.95.  This is fresh tasting, not too bitter for a bitter and very drinkable.   Also on offer were Timothy Taylor's Landlord and - oh dear  - Bombardier.

 

Finally I come to the Marine Bar, part of the Marine Hall that has been the centre of the folk festival these many moons.   Until a few years ago it was a thriving real ale pub and it was fitting that the Marine Hall should have been the home of the local beer festival.  Then some clodpoll on the Council decided to turn it into a bottle bar.  Feelings still run high about this decision which the benign would call asinine and the more caustic of us something very much stronger.  Against the odds there were two very temporary-looking handpumps dispensing the disimproved Hobgoblin (4.5%) and the very welcome Jennings Cumbrian (4.5%), but the damage is done.  I did attempt to tell the current Mayor what a silly mistake had been made but he was being entertained by the festival director and, as many of us have found over the years, Sunday morning does not always bring perfect recollections of Saturday night.  

 

Chris

[Jon Fitness]

"Clodpoll"! Haven't seen that word since I used to read the Jennings books at school.

JF

[MinZaPint]

Recent tipples include Loch Lomond, I do like a nice Scottish ale, we were on a trip to take in the "Tattoo"

 

secondly this on the Royal Yacht, which is well worth a visit

 

and from our local micro brewery

 

Last night sampled Badger's Bee from Hall & Woodhouse

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

After the Bank Holiday weekend and a few extra days in Scotland then the North of England (most dissappointed that we had very few darker ales although the Friends of Ham in Leeds did have some cracking beers) then last weekend in Norfolk (where there were plenty of dark ales) , I am drying out for a few days but our local serving Harveys ales might break this dry period some time this week!!

[45156]

I've got to say that the emasculation of some of the old standards is now apparently pretty standard - apart from anything else, it's a way of keeping the cost down (not necessarily the price, but the cost to the manufacturer {I hesitate to call some of the big producers brewers nowadays}) disguised in a desire to make the beer more appealing to the market and the licenced trade - many times I've heard the comment that any brew over about 5% is "too strong" from publicans - well yes, to those kids who can't cope or who want to binge - but seasoned drinkers like many of us?

 

I remember when there were handpulled beers which were prodigiously strong like Old Peculier, which used to have an OG of about 1068^o which would pan it out at about 6.5% ABV as it never fully attenuated - it's now down to 5.6% ABV.  One of the few brews not to be messed in this way is Robinson's Old Tom, which has always weighed in at an OG of about 1088^owhich brings it in about 8.5% ABV.

 

Many other brews come to mind having had the same treatment, and also lots have been sweetened up over the years - Youngs Special is a case in point - used to be uncompromisingly bitter, but over the years has got sweeter, and weaker and It didn't, in my opinion, get any better for being moved to Bedford  - and as for Boddingtons - no comments can express how I feel about that brew's slow demise!

[Barry O]

I've got to say that the emasculation of some of the old standards is now apparently pretty standard - apart from anything else, it's a way of keeping the cost down (not necessarily the price, but the cost to the manufacturer {I hesitate to call some of the big producers brewers nowadays}) disguised in a desire to make the beer more appealing to the market and the licenced trade - many times I've heard the comment that any brew over about 5% is "too strong" from publicans - well yes, to those kids who can't cope or who want to binge - but seasoned drinkers like many of us?

 

I remember when there were handpulled beers which were prodigiously strong like Old Peculier, which used to have an OG of about 1068^o which would pan it out at about 6.5% ABV as it never fully attenuated - it's now down to 5.6% ABV.  One of the few brews not to be messed in this way is Robinson's Old Tom, which has always weighed in at an OG of about 1088^owhich brings it in about 8.5% ABV.

 

Many other brews come to mind having had the same treatment, and also lots have been sweetened up over the years - Youngs Special is a case in point - used to be uncompromisingly bitter, but over the years has got sweeter, and weaker and It didn't, in my opinion, get any better for being moved to Bedford  - and as for Boddingtons - no comments can express how I feel about that brew's slow demise!

Strangely enough I see some bottled beers which seem to have gone up in ABV, but the hand pulled  I spot easiest is Camerons ordinary - whatever it is called now (IPA for some bizarre reason)  it used to be 3.6 to 3.7% now 3.8% (and last year as something else it was 4%) - not a lot of difference but they did the same with Tetleys - now a very pale shadow of the ale once proudly brewed in Leeds and seen as a session beer for the locals (session as in about 8 pints or so on a night out)

 

I had a couple of pints of Hawkshead Coniston Pale Ale (3.5%) followed by a couple of pints of Ruby Jane from Ilkley Brewery (4%) which was, to say the least dangerous stuff as it slides down very easily!

[Indomitable026]

Lets try another beer related pic off my iPhone......

 

 

[roundhouse]

When I view

Lets try another beer related pic off my iPhone......

image.jpg

When I look at your photos on my iPad they are the correct way up but today when I looked at you flower power photo on the desktop it was on its side. It's the correct way up again looking now on my iPad. Edited September 2, 2014 by roundhouse

[Indomitable026]

And tonight's......

 

 

So if I edit the picture on my iPhone (say crop) and save it, it means my picture is the right way up.

 

Mad

[PhilJ W]

And tonight's......

 

image.jpg

 

So if I edit the picture on my iPhone (say crop) and save it, it means my picture is the right way up.

 

Mad

Are you the right way up this time?

[AndrewC]

Tempted to throw in some beer pics but can't be arsed to f*** about resizing from my iPad just to meet the 1mb limit.

 

Basically I'm persona non grata with our local CAMRA branch. They're more or less twiggy beer, beardy, sock&sandal Luddites. I make a point of drinking a Sixpoint from the can when one of them is in visual range just to piss them off. The SE London bunch are far more progressive. More than likely I'll let my membership lapse next month after 10 years.

 

Been enjoying several American brews from Ballast Point, Dechutes, and No-Li today. Finishing with an Italian/Dutch collab beast from BrewFist, Tocalamato, de Molen. M.I.L.D. a 6.5% mild.

[Indomitable026]

Are you the right way up this time?

No comment.....

[petethemole]

Recent visits to The Wagon Works (Eastleigh 'spoons) have involved Andwell's Number Two Porter (4.9%). Not dark like most porters,  more like an IPA but less hoppy.

[melmerby]

I actually went into a pub today and found they didn't sell any draught beers, not even gas powered ones.

Only had that fizzy lager stuff on tap (about 6 different ones).

Why bother? They all taste the same!

 

Reminded me of that Slim Dusty song from Oz!

 

30 seconds later I had left and went elsewhere.

 

Keith

[roundhouse]

When in a real ale only pub, particularly micropubs we often see the lager drinkers walk in, ask for Fosters, Carling or similar and when told that they only do real ale (or craft beer if they do American or continental craft brews), they will turn round and walk out.