Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:07 pm  

And don't forget that CAMRA members get £20 worth of vouchers for Wetherspoons (50p off a pint of real ale) too.

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:33 am  

Been to North Devon over the weekend. Sampled a very nice pint of Teignworthy Golden Sands on the patio of the Beaver Inn at Appledore. Great views across the Taw and Torridge estuaries and out towards the Bristol Channel. Best pint of the weekend at the George in Braunton at £2 a pint was the 3.7%-with-taste Cousin Jack ( not sure why this pub isn't in the GBG ) brewed by St Austell. Visited the Hunters Inn in Heddon Valley, an idyllic spot between Ilfracombe and Lynmouth and a very busy beer festival. Luckily, there's a National Trust car park nearby. Sampled a refreshing pint of Otter Amber. Well worth a visit if you're in the area despite the narrowness and steepness of the road in and out. The Sunday lunches looked like they would sate a Yorkshire appetite

Only disappointment was the Black Lion at Braunton. Not a fan of gravity beers anyway, but was served a very unexciting and warm pint of St Austell Tribute there. Wouldn't recommend.

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:36 am  

Back to the Bluecoat in Rotherham yesterday to two excellent pints namely Springhead's cleverly named Newark Castle Brown Porter and another Acorn IPA brewed from NZ hops, Pacific Jade IPA ( so good, I repeated the experiment )

[Wanderer]

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:34 pm  

Had a very nice pint of Old Bear Brewery (Keighley) Hibernator 5.0% last Sunday in the Fox & Goose at Hebden Bridge ... a lovely ruby red malty winter warmer.

Also dropped in at the wonderful Old Bridge Inn at Ripponden ... the only down side being my choice of drink. Went for John Eastwood Best Bitter but in all honesty it was a golden IPA and not what I would call a Best.

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:23 pm  

Wanderer wrote:

Had a very nice pint of Old Bear Brewery (Keighley) Hibernator 5.0% last Sunday in the Fox & Goose at Hebden Bridge ... a lovely ruby red malty winter warmer.

Also dropped in at the wonderful Old Bridge Inn at Ripponden ... the only down side being my choice of drink. Went for John Eastwood Best Bitter but in all honesty it was a golden IPA and not what I would call a Best.

Indeed....

Session or ordinary bitter

Strength up to 4.1% abv. The majority of British beers with the name IPA will be found in this group, such as Greene King IPA, Deuchars IPA, Flowers IPA, Wadworth Henrys Original IPA, etc. Though bearing the name IPA, these session bitters are not as strong and hoppy as an India Pale Ale would be in the USA and elsewhere. IPAs with modest gravities (below 1040º) have been brewed in Britain since at least the 1920s.[4] This is the most common strength of bitter sold in British pubs. It accounts for 16.9% of pub sales.[5]

Some IPAs are however Best bitter, those between 4.2% ABV and 4.7% ABV.
Best of course being a strength, not a quality.
But you knew that.
People who go into a pub and order a pint of Best bitter often are just saying it thinking it means finest ... and it doesn't.

[Wanderer]

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:28 pm  

... and why I deliberately used the phrase 'not what I would call a Best' even though I know others may / will.

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:30 pm  

Wanderer wrote:

... and why I deliberately used the phrase 'not what I would call a Best' even though I know others may / will.

As a CAMRA man, I never doubted you ... I just thought I might educate the masses.

[Wanderer]

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:31 pm  

Stand-Offish wrote:

As a CAMRA man, I never doubted you ... I just thought I might educate the masses.

You should ... and you have.

[Jemmo]

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:49 pm  

Paid my first visit to Cask Corner Dive Bar yesterday, very enjoyable indeed had a Mature Toad, Hung parliament and Charlies Angel. With the first of the three being my favourite

[Wanderer]

Re: O/T Another Round - More tales of Real Ale : Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:21 pm  

Jemmo wrote:

Paid my first visit to Cask Corner Dive Bar yesterday, very enjoyable indeed had a Mature Toad, Hung parliament and Charlies Angel. With the first of the three being my favourite

The Mature Toad is very nice. If you like that you'll probaly enjoy Tadpole too.