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Thread: Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival April 2013 - Tasting notes.

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    This Space For Hire aleandhearty's Avatar
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    Default Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival April 2013 - Tasting notes.

    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.
    'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    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.

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    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.

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    I'll stay on me own PaulOfHorsham's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    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.
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    Quote Originally Posted by PaulOfHorsham View Post
    Originally created for Sainsbury's and their beer challenge.
    Thanks, I didn't know that!

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    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.
    'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.

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    I think most of you know I am not Wetherspoon's greatest fan but some of the beers in the festival look quite tempting, I might just try a few locally this weekend. I particularly fancy trying the Ionian Porter and Bateman's Mocha, if available of course, we shall see.
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
    -W.C.Fields

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mobyduck View Post
    I think most of you know I am not Wetherspoon's greatest fan but some of the beers in the festival look quite tempting, I might just try a few locally this weekend. I particularly fancy trying the Ionian Porter and Bateman's Mocha, if available of course, we shall see.
    It does help being in London as there is a huge choice, especially in the areas where 90% of the other pubs are (or were) rubbish. The trouble is that so much depends on the manager and staff. At the start of last year I thought that the George at Wanstead was pretty poor, but after several visits in the last year I prefer it to all of the local Spoons despite it not being that easy to get to for me and slightly more expensive. The fact that it was a pub before helps even though it was Grotneys.
    I would warn that I haven't been there of an evening!

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    I've had two more American beers and really liked them, I thought both were better than the 6.5% one. They were the Deschutes Twilight Pale Ale and the Devil's Backbone American Amber. I'm not sure what the definition of an Amber ale is in the USA but to me it was an American brown ale.

    I also had the Nethergate Bowler which is a golden 5% ale that I was unsure about to start with but really started to enjoy half way down (this is why I NEVER drink halfs!). It had a lemony sort of taste but according to the Spoons tasting notes has a ginger element.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    It does help being in London as there is a huge choice, especially in the areas where 90% of the other pubs are (or were) rubbish. The trouble is that so much depends on the manager and staff. At the start of last year I thought that the George at Wanstead was pretty poor, but after several visits in the last year I prefer it to all of the local Spoons despite it not being that easy to get to for me and slightly more expensive. The fact that it was a pub before helps even though it was Grotneys.
    I would warn that I haven't been there of an evening!
    My nearest Spoons has 12 pumps so should be something of interest but odds on probably not what I want to try. Agreed about the manager and staff, not been over impressed in the past locally,I'll give it a go though. Also agree about having a history of being a pub helps, the one I shall have a look in today used to sell toilets and baths!
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
    -W.C.Fields

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