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ROBCamra
27-11-2013, 12:15
Bucking Fastard: Ringwood Fortyniner
Real Ale Ray: Ossett Silver King
Aqualung: Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black
Wittenden: Adnam's Old Ale
Mobyduck: Siren Craft Bones Of A Sailor Part One
Trainman: Westvleteren 12
gillhalfpint: Siren Craft Gordon's Strong Ale
hondo: Samuel Adams Blonde Ambition
Thuck Phat: Wood Street Brewery Tuliptree
oldboots: Wensleydale Decadence
aleandhearty: Black Sheep Riggwelter
london calling: Brew Wharf Sesquicentennale
Oggwyn Trench: Ironbridge Whiskey Stout
ROBCamra: Kelham Island Back To Black

Bucking Fastard
01-12-2013, 17:06
Quite a few pubs,some variable pint quality.


North Cotswold -- Windrush Ale
Marstons -- Bass
Rainbow Brewery -- Inglenook
Roosters -- Yankee
Ringwood -- Fortyniner
Mc Mullens -- Sparkler
Guiness -- Keg only pub
Dark Star -- Hophead
Woodforde's -- Nelson's Revenge
Ilkley -- Norseman
Backyard Brewhouse -- Chinook IPA
Kelburn -- Dark Moor
Adnams -- Rudolph Red Nose
Adnams -- Old Ale (3PT)


I enjoyed the Old Ale but BOTW goes to Ringwood Fortyniner served in perfect condition in The Nursery Tavern ,Coventry.


Some footie for me next week will mean a few pints,but now hoping Xmas ales dont take up too much handpump capacity in the pubs I'm visiting.Generally can't stand the stuff.

Real Ale Ray
01-12-2013, 17:16
Ossett - Silver King

Aqualung
01-12-2013, 18:29
A more modest collection compared to previous weeks :-

Brodie's Mild 3.6%
Wood's Santa Ale 4.0%
Brentwood Gold 4.3%
Nine Standards (Settle) Silver Standard 4.3%
Hopstuff Pale 4.5%
Batemans's Rosey Nosey 4.7%
Hopcraft Bosun James Gray 4.7%
Elgood's Snickalmas 5.0%
Brodie's Old Street Pale 5.0%
Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black 5.0%
London Fields Shoreditch Triangle 6.0%
Adnams / Pretty Things Jack D'Or IPA 6.0%


The boring Spoons Xmas Guest list is kicking in. Bateman's Rosey Nosey has been degraded from 4.9% to 4.7%. I think Bateman's are a disgrace. As usual it looks like Hook Norton Twelve Days is going to be one of the few good ones.

The clear winner is the Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black which just qualifies as a Black IPA for me, though some may call it a dry stout. It was good value at £2.20 in the New Cross Turnpike in Welling.

BOTW Clarence & Frederick's Cascadian Black

Wittenden
01-12-2013, 19:47
4.0-4.2% Close grouping.
Adnam's Old Ale 4.1%abv. A lovely dark ruby nostalgic dark ale.Served on Gravity as was the next beer at The Three Chimneys.
Hop Fuzz-Pacific Jade 4.2% abv.An American Brown Ale brewed in West Hythe with NZ hops.In first class condition, but incredibly bitter and mouth wringing.wouldn't want more than one per session.Interesting though.
Hopdaemon -Incubus 4%abv. A lovely darkish malty best that Kent brewers do well.Taken at the Bell and Jorrocks.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter 4%abv.Acceptable in a not very special pub.
A very close run thing between the Old, the Pacific Jade and the Incubus. However I'll continue my run of East Anglian dark 'uns by nominating Adnam's Old Ale as my BOTW.

Mobyduck
01-12-2013, 20:08
A steady week given a boost by a Sunday afternoon spent in the Nags Head (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1691/)
Darkstar Hophead
Darkstar American Pale Ale
Ascot Anastasia Exile Stout
Longdog CoALEition
Great Heck Five
Langhams Hip Hop
Buxton Jacobs Ladder
Hawkshead Bitter
Siren Craft Undercurrent
Siren Craft Soundwave
Siren Craft Bones Of A Sailor Part One
Binghams Vanilla Stout
Andwells Krystal Weiss

The Buxton Jacobs Ladder stunned me with its flavour at a meagre 2.7 % and holds its own with its slightly stronger counterparts from the likes of Darkstar, Thornbridge and Castle Rock, was in the runnining for BOTW until I got to the Siren Craft Beers, all were outstanding but the one that clinched it was the impresively named Siren Craft- Bones Of A Sailor Part One, no tasting notes to be found as far as I can find but did find it described as an Imperial Royal Porter, to me it was very much a strong tasting Stout that punches its weight at a hefty 8.6%
I cant wait for part two.

trainman
01-12-2013, 20:19
I'm nominating (the apparently difficult to find) Westvleteren 12, 10.2%, tried at au Bon Vieux Temps which was a nice atmospheric 'joker' find down a ginnel during Saturday's Brussels jaunt.
Thanks everyone for advice received. I need a repeat trip to finish even my small initial selection! The hardships we have to bear! Ho hum...

gillhalfpint
01-12-2013, 20:32
Had a fantastic beer at Dudley beer festival so am making it beer of the week.

Siren Craft - Gordon's Strong Ale 8.5%

"A wee heavy (scotch ale) All malty flavours, toasty raisins and caramel. A proportion of the beer was caramelised in the external wort boiler to really add to the depth of caramel flavours. Also dark fruits. Big body. "

Might not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it.

Aqualung
01-12-2013, 20:54
Might not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it.

It would defo have been to my taste as would Moby's one. This outfit (Hopcraft / Pixie Spring whatever) are producing some great beers. I'm going green with envy!

hondo
02-12-2013, 06:43
Samuel Adams - Blonde Ambition

Thuck Phat
02-12-2013, 08:45
Another decent week:

Bass
Roosters Yankee
Ringwood Fortyniner
Titanic - Nine Tenths Below, Plum Porter
Marble Chocolate
Oakham Bishops Farewell
Abbeydale Moonshine
Wood Street Brewery - Tuliptree
Hart Green Hop
Wychwood Dogs Bollocks

The Plum Porter was excellent, as ever but BOTW was Wood Street Brewery - Tuliptree. A new brewery to me and yet another winner in Yorkshire, Sheffield in this case.
Tuliptree is described as "4.8% strong golden ale with citrus notes. Medium hopped for balanced easy drink." It's more at the pale end of boring brown but is certainly an easy drink whistling through the 3 pint test and getting better with each passing pint.

oldboots
02-12-2013, 08:56
A bit of variety this week:

Marstons Ringwood Best Bitter
Sharps Doombar
Triple fff Alton Pride
Bowman Swift One
T Taylors Landlord
Wells & Young Courage Best Bitter
Theakstons Best Bitter
Rudgate Uruz
Rudgate Traditionale
Rudgate Hagar's Mash
Rudgate Viking
Wensleydale Decadence
Hambleton Stud
Ilkley Joshua Jane
Stone San Deigo Session IPA
Old Mill Porter
Ossett Silver King

Wensleydale Decadence a dales IPA in the modern style to be added to the GOOD list.

aleandhearty
02-12-2013, 11:12
Tried quite a few this week, but a fairly ho-hum selection, overall.

Hawkshead - Lakeland Gold.
Geeves - Clear Cut.
Salamander - Analogue Nostalgia.
Black Sheep - Riggwelter.
Pennine - Best Bitter.
Pied Bull - Matador.
Bob's - White Lion.
Clarks - Must Dash.
Otley 05 - Hop Angeles.
Geeves - HIPA.
Vale - Red Kite.
Great Heck - Dave
Great Heck - American Classic.
Red Squirrel - Jack Black.
Titanic - Engine Room.
Rat - Project Rat.

BOTW is an oldie, but a goodie. The big hearted and warming Riggwelter.

london calling
02-12-2013, 20:37
Some really good black beers but a pale hop bomb blew them out of the running
mr grundy,s -bullet
great western -edwins ruby porter
signature brew -black vynal stout
seebright -black milk stout
fullers -black cab
and the winner was
brewharf -sesquicentennale 5.2

Mobyduck
02-12-2013, 21:16
It would defo have been to my taste as would Moby's one. This outfit (Hopcraft / Pixie Spring whatever) are producing some great beers. I'm going green with envy!
Slight mix up in breweries here, Hopcraft and Pixie Spring are from Wales, Mine and Gills BOTW's came from Siren Craft Brew ,based in Berkshire, one thing in common though is all their beers I've managed to taste are really top end of the good beer scale in my opinion, Siren Craft tend to be in the upper ABV bracket,what Aqualung would call regular session beer. :eek:

Oggwyn Trench
02-12-2013, 21:45
Oakengates Winter Beer Festival this week , held between the Station Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/32757/) and the Old Fighting Cocks (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/68336/) with some intresting ales

Brass Castle - Cliffhanger
Bird Brain - Amarillo Swallow
Brown Cow - White Dragon
Jolly Sailor - Yellow
Old Bear - Enchanter
Ironbridge - Whiskey Stout
Wickwar - Station Porter
Titanic - Wreckage

BOTW Ironbridge - Whiskey Stout , they have brewed another batch of the wonderfull silky smooth oak aged stout then chucked in a big dollop of Jack Daniels ...... its bloody wonderfull :D

Aqualung
02-12-2013, 21:58
Slight mix up in breweries here, Hopcraft and Pixie Spring are from Wales, Mine and Gills BOTW's came from Siren Craft Brew ,based in Berkshire, one thing in common though is all their beers I've managed to taste are really top end of the good beer scale in my opinion, Siren Craft tend to be in the upper ABV bracket,what Aqualung would call regular session beer. :eek:

Oh Dear!! You're absolutely right! They ARE BOTH producing some great beers!! They have had both in the William and it's scrambling what's left of my brain.

ROBCamra
06-12-2013, 12:09
Kelham Island Back To Black sampled several times in The Baum.

A chocolate stout at a nice and peaceful 4.1%

Why does anyone drink Guinness when this stuff is available?:confused:

It came on the bar late on Saturday night and I tried it and thought it was OK although it tasted a little young.

By Tuesday it was on absolutely top form and it passed the 3 pint test easily.

Sadly it then went off.

Runner up was another Kelham Island beer Get Your Kicks a strong American Pale Ale.

There's a clue in the beer name, the ABV was 6.6% :cheers: