Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival April 2013 - Tasting notes.

[aleandhearty]

Manged to bag three in The Six Chimneys, Wakefield last night. However, they were the only three on offer, which seemed rather half-hearted to say it was the second day of the festival. Normally there are five or six on. Unfortunately, they were all pretty disappointing. I found both Lodewijk's Fly By Night and the Corfu Ionian Coffee Porter to be thin and dull, with the Central City Red Racer IPA not really delivering for a 6.5% beer. A poor start.

[Aqualung]

Manged to bag three in The Six Chimneys, Wakefield last night. However, they were the only three on offer, which seemed rather half-hearted to say it was the second day of the festival. Normally there are five or six on. Unfortunately, they were all pretty disappointing. I found both Lodewijk's Fly By Night and the Corfu Ionian Coffee Porter to be thin and dull, with the Central City Red Racer IPA not really delivering for a 6.5% beer. A poor start.

I found three of the 6% ones in the Wanstead George today one of which was the City Red. I also found it disappointing as although it had a good hop aroma I thought it lacked the hop taste that I expected. The Wadworth's Turbo 6X was just that and as I don't like 6X that much in the first place came as no surprise. The big surprise was the Vasileostrovsky Siberian Red. Given that it is claimed to be a Russian beer I expected some sort of hideous beetroot concoction, but it's nothing like that. If this deep red flavour packed brew had been made by one of the newer local brewers then I would have been banging on about it ad infinitum.

I also had the Good George Pacific Gem in the Walnut Tree which was in superb nick and a good Black IPA. The Everard's Multi Tasker was a bit hazy, but seemed to be a very good brew.

[Aqualung]

Four new ones today in the King's Ford in Chingford, Wharfebank Spring Hop which I thought was a bit bland, The Ionian Porter and Titanic Molly Brown both of which I enjoyed and the best was the Bateman's Mocha with a superb chocolate flavour. I don't think it would pass the three pint test as it is fairly sweet. I wonder if Bateman's would have brewed this if the "Craft" trend had not happened.

[PaulOfHorsham]

the best was the Bateman's Mocha with a superb chocolate flavour. I don't think it would pass the three pint test as it is fairly sweet. I wonder if Bateman's would have brewed this if the "Craft" trend had not happened.

Originally created for Sainsbury's and their beer challenge.

[Aqualung]

Originally created for Sainsbury's and their beer challenge.

Thanks, I didn't know that!

[aleandhearty]

Managed to bag another four last night:

Brains - Willy Nilly. Aromatic nose. Long, hoppy finish. Decent.
Moorhouses - Amber Gambler. Dull and flat mouth feel. No flavour apart from murky malt. Old?
Shepherd Neame - New World Pale Ale. This grew on me. Tangy lime with a hint of sherbet. A bit thin perhaps? Be a lot better if it was 1% stronger.
Orkney - 1878. Rich, malty, slighty vinous. Short finish, hence curiously unsatisfying.

Still to find a 'wow' beer.