A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Neon Raptor - caramel and peanut butter Imperial stout. £7 for a half @ 13% in Swinton's House of Hop.
It wasn't my round...
Only two pubs visited and not a bad beer in sight.
Flowerpots Perridge Pale*
Oakham OPA*
Saltaire Firefox*
Redemption Hazy Pale*
Goffs Jester Brew 20 (Rasperry Stout)*
Bad Seed Dusky Morning*
Disruption Alright Treacle*
Disruption A Crack In The Fabric Of Time* (k)
Magpie Cream Courser*
Elusive Oregon Trail*
Wantsum Baa Humbug*
Vault City Strawberry Sundae*(k)
Not much in it but going with Alright Treacle.jpg narrowly beating the Baa Humbug.jpeg, both on cask in The Alfred
Last edited by Mobyduck; 27-12-2022 at 14:10.
"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
-W.C.Fields
Kent:
Tonbridge-Coppernob:3.8%abv. Reliably earthy.
Harvey's-Sussex Best Bitter:4%abv. Unimpeacheable.
Greene King-Fireside:4.5%abv.Didn't realise it was GK.Pudding spice.
Long Man-Inn Keeper:4.8%abv.Craft Brown ale.Fruity,toffee,underlying bitterness.Intriguing. My BOTW,taken, as often this time of year, at Bell & Jorrocks
"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.
Gospel Oak,Green Park and Cole Green
Titanic -- Mild
Moor -- Live Beer
Five Points -- Railway Porter * (3 PT)
Thornbridge -- Jaipur IPA *
Cloudwater -- Hazelnut Ho ! Ho! *
St Austell -- Nicholsons Pale
Purity _- Pure UBU
BOTW goes to Five Points Railway Porter in NBSS 4.5 condition in The Southampton Arms among many other very fine ales on a long session.
Next week footie and planning meeting for pub selection in central London in 2023.
Happy New Year everybody.
"Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson
The build up to Christmas was a bit of disaster this year, having caught Covid in early December. Finally managed a quick drink on Christmas Eve.
Blue Bee - Centennial / Talus.
Mallinsons - Incredible Scenes.
Acorn - Polish Hopped CF123 IPA.
Blue Bee - Chocolate Stout.
Not sure if my tastebuds were firing on all cylinders, as they seemed a fairly underwhelming bunch. The Acorn seemed to have the most going for it. Taken in Harry's Bar.
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
Oxford:
Coach House - Blueberry ½
Dark Star - APA **½
Goff’s - Jester: Brew 12 **
Hook Norton - Twelve Days **¾
Nicholson’s - Pale **
North Cotswold - Shagweaver **1/2
Purity - Pure UBU ** ½
St. Austell - Proper Job **½
St. Austell - Tribute *½
Thornbridge - Jaipur **½
Timothy Taylor - Landlord **½
Tiny Rebel - Cwtch Red ½
Titanic - Plum Porter ***½
Victoria - House Bitter ½
White Horse - Bitter **
Wild Weather - Peeler
XT - Animal: Howl **½
BOTW: Titanic - Plum Porter Grand Reserve***¾ at The Royal Blenheim.
Late festive entry:
Adnams Ghost Ship*
Leffe Blonde (keg)
Barshams Golden Close IPA*
St Austell Proper Job
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
All pretty good and even the Leffe went down well with a bowl of mussels but BOTW goes to Barshams Golden Close IPA
"Beer is food." Morse, Colin Dexter
Even later festive entry (was away last week). Cask unless stated:
Ossett White Rat (4.0%)*
Butcombe Chris Moose (4.1%)
Chadlington Good Elf (4.2%)
Stockport Yuletide Blonde (4.2%)
Everard's Sleighbell (4.5%)
Loose Cannon Christmas Cannon X (4.5%)
Vocation How Now (4.5%)
Animal (XT) Dove (4.6%)*
Animal (XT) Ermine (4.6%) (growler)
Animal (XT) Hedgehog (4.6%)
Animal (XT) Howl (4.6%)
XT 25 (4.7%)*
North Cotswold Hung, Drawn & Portered (5.0%)*
Northern Star Chocolate, Caramel & Biscuit Porter (5.2%) (can)
Hook Norton Twelve Days (5.5%)*
Wild Weather Peeler (5.5%)
Thornbridge Jaipur (5.9%)
Titanic Plum Porter Grand Reserve (6.5%)*
Black Sheep Imperial Russian Stout (8.5%) (bottle)
Vocation Barrel-Aged Mint Chocolate Stout (12.2%) (bottle)
Managed some pre-Christmas pub visits which increased my cask intake vastly and even though I encountered my fair share of Christmas ales, I have to say the quality was very good if not excellent, bolstered by a shopping trip to Oxford where I managed to take in the always-excellent Royal Blenheim and the recently re-opened Lamb & Flag.
Must have missed Tris by a day or so in Oxford, but wholeheartedly agree with him when it comes to the beer; BOTW: Titanic Plum Porter Grand Reserve
"Breakneck speed we drown ten pints of bitter"
Yes, I was going to say I must have missed you as I have been staying in Oxford a lot recently trying to organise my mother's affairs, staying in her house and making regular trips to the Blenheim and not knowing anyone in Oxford anymore, spending New Year's Eve with a swift half in the Victoria (always great on Christmas Eve) then the bulk of the evening and past midnight in the now lovely Lamb & Flag.