And I had the good keg but not as good as the cask version of Pilot -iced tea pale ale this week.
I'm enjoying a good pint of Tring Ibex in the Claret Free House in Croydon, but more importantly I've spent the day in the Black Country and finally managed to sample Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild - which has been top of my 'to do' list for a good three years now. Sadly, my trip turned up no Bathams beers, so they have been promoted to top of my hit list.
Am I the only one with a beer 'to do' list?
I managed to try Batham's XXX last Saturday, it was on in all three Batham's pubs visited. I've had this as a "to do" beer for the best part of 40 years but I think that's it for the old regionals now. I no longer have a beer list as such, although Blue Monkey was a very high priority until I visited Loughborough in September.
The number 1 bus is your friend in the Black Country. It runs around every 10 minutes from outside the Spoons in Wolverhampton through Sedgley and Upper Gornal to Dudley Bus Station. You could have taken a short ride on this from Sedgley to the superb Batham's Britannia at Upper Gornal which was one of my three last Saturday.
The Ruby Mild also seems to be a fairly regular guest at the Great Western under Wolverhampton Station.
Warwickshire Beer Company Duck Soup. Nice, smooth Chestnut Bitter.
I'll just stay till we've won the quiz...Or taken over the world...Whichever comes first
No, definitely not! Top of my list at the moment is Marble Lagonda IPA, which will probably set Thuck Phat salivating as I type. To say we're just over the Pennines, Marble beers are quite rare, in my neck of the woods. I've had a few others in the range but never the holy grail. (And yes ROB, I do know about the Bramsche bar in Todmorden. )
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
Dribble, dribble!
They're even rarer here in the Midlands but I do have a stock of bottled Lagonda IPA to ease me through Christmas.
The last time we headed to the Bramsche bar was on a Monday and the regulars had hammered the Lagonda IPA over the weekend so there wasn't any left! Probably worth a try any day except Mondays.
I'd like to try their 125 Imperial Stout which seems to be getting good reviews.
The Canterbury Ales Green Hop, a lovely golden pale ale (5.4%abv),naturally conditioned, using East KLent Goldings.Peppery,with that oiliness associated with Green Hops.
I'm becoming impressed with this brewery, and their Wife of Bath's ale , though not a block buster, is to be sought out.
"At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.