Beer of the Week (w/e 19 September 2010)

[Conrad]

runningdog: Dark Island
Quinno: Marble
trainman: Thornbridge Kipling
Bucking Fastard: Caledonian Brewery Mellow Yellow
aleandhearty: Ossett Quick Silver
rpadam: Magpie Brewery Midnight Porter, honorable mention - Naylor's Brewery Black & Tan
Wittenden: Westerham Special Bitter Ale 1965
RogerB: Greene King Bonkers Conkers
ROBCamra: Wychwood Bountiful (worth seeing the post)
ETA: Brakspears Oxford Gold
Pubsignman: Kelham Island 45rpm
Alesonly: St Austell Proper Job
Millay: Great Orme Brewery Celtic Dragon
HTM69: Sharp's Doom Bar

[ROBCamra]

Well it was a strange evening in The Baum last night.

The usual 5 cask ales + a real cider all well kept and all but one were poor.

Little Valley Two Lads was weak & wishy washy and had a strange taste.

Little Valley Dutch Courage tasted of very little at all.

I have never found a single beer brewed by Little Valley that has been great.

Cottage Licensed To Chew was also a bit thin with an unusual aftertaste.

Marston's Royal Ryder was better and tasted fine, but was rather on the sweet side for me.

Both the landlord Simon, and myself ended up drinking the ever reliable Phoenix Pale Moonlight having tried all the others.

I really, really hope that none of these win BOTW or I will have had a seriously crap week.

[trainman]

The usual 5 cask ales + a real cider

Do I not recall mention that another 3 pumps were to be installed?

[ROBCamra]

Do I not recall mention that another 3 pumps were to be installed?

There's been 6 for quite a while now. There used to be 3 at the front and two round the side of the bar.

The two at the side were difficult to see and therefore whatever beer was on them didn't sell as well as the ones at the front.

The two at the side are still there but aren't used, so in reality there are 8.

An extra bank of three were installed with Tony Allen at Phoenix shelling out for one of them as part of a deal to sell a rotating Phoenix beer.

It was always planned to try a real cider or perry and it's selling really well (£3 for a pint of 7.5%+ loopy juice, so I'm not surprised)

Trade is still increasing and so all 6 handpumps are now used all week.

In the past only 3 plus the cider were on Sunday - Wednesday once the weekend extra 2 had sold out.

Extension to the conservatory is the next up and coming event.

It's all going rather well at the moment.

[Gann]

With connection to the other relevant parallel chain, my local has Davenports Summer Storm on at the moment, and although I also have no idea where it's being brewed at the moment it was a very good light coloured session beer and a few of them almost numbed the pain of watching the Spurs trying to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
Therefore this is a strong contender unless there's a better one on for the quiz night tomorrow.

[runningdog]

Well, the 'Dark Island' turned up again in the 'Night Jar', so I guess my BOTW is settled.. All aboard for a trip round the island..........

[oldboots]

Work has prevented me getting to the pub all week except for a mini pub crawl of Reading but that was full of good beers especially in the Nags Head and even in the Monks Retreat. Lots of choice but I think I shall go for Ramsbury Showtime. Roll on Monday night when the drinking recommences.