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01-03-2013, 08:26
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This week I have ad chance to revisit the North East and check out a few of my favourite pubs, and some others that are new on the scene,as well as trying to catch up with some of the new breweries there. This a snapshot of what I found.

I was based in Whitley Bay for my stay so at first chance I called in a the 'Briardene' on the seafront. I had called before and been impressed by the pub and beer range. The pub was how I remembered it, but sadly the beer range was a little boring; there were a couple of local breweries represented in amongst the big brewery beers but the Ouseburn Valley that I sampled was average at best.

Never mind, a quick trip on the Metro and I was able to check out what Newcastle itself had to offer. My first stop was at 'The Bodega', a pub with a unique glass domed ceiling. Here the beer range was excellent, but the problem was the strength. It was a hard decision, a weaker beer I had tried before, or a strong one new to me. Soon I was sipping away at my 6.4% ,'Tempest' Step Back,a good light coloured beer that did not taste its strength, but sadly lacking a bit of flavour for such a strong beer. The next pub was new to me but came well recommended, 'The Town Wall' is just a couple of minutes from Central station, and well worth a call. A massive pub which looks deceptively small on the outside, its square central bar, serves seating on all four sides. Here there was plenty of beer choice, with all sorts of strengths and styles. I chose a stout from Sonnet 43, a new brewery to me from co Durham, and was pleasantly surprised, a really mellow taste that brought out the background flavours in the beer excellently.

People who know me may have heard me wax lyrically about 'The Central' at Gateshead, the pub at the south side of the High Level bridge. So after a quick trek over the river it was a chance to revisit, and see my enthusiasm was misplaced. I was not disappointed, it was just how I remembered it, a friendly pub, long and thin but geared for the real ale drinker. Around 8 beers on offer, but strangely the only one new to me was from Cornwall, Skinners ' Cornish Trawler'. Good but not exceptional, but the pub and the craic made up for that. Back over the bridge, and into the 'Bridge Hotel, back in the city. If you like your Yorkshire beers this could be the place for you in the next few days, with what appears to be an Ossett takeover, with some of their beers and plenty from the Rat Brewery due on the bar. I opted for the house beer, 'High Level Ale, from Hadrian, which unfortunately was a bit too malty for my taste, overhearing the landlord it sounds to be brewed to his taste.

My next stop was another of the must visit Newcastle pubs, ' Bacchus' is a short walk away, and generally has a wide range of beers from near and far. Not so on this occasion when the pub had been taken over by the beers from the 'Highland' brewery, with what appeared to be their whole range on offer. A good way to scoop the beers but not quite what I expected, as I usually find some interesting breweries here. Fortunately, a fellow ticker told me about the 'Lady Grey' just round the corner. A pub I had never heard of, let alone visited. A bit on the foody side it did have a decent selection of beers on offer though, and I settled down with Tempest 'Cascadian', a nice hoppy alternative to the maltier beer I had tried earlier. Too soon it was time to return to the Metro and back to Whitley Bay.

As usual, Newcastle was an excellent place to sample a few beers and visit some excellent pubs, it was just a shame that I could not find some of the newer breweries that have recently appeared in the area. Never mind, will just have to visit again !!!

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