Algarvian Delights......via Didsbury

As anyone who has been following me on Google + or Twitter, (God only knows why!), will have determined, The Beermonster and T'other Arf have been away on their jolly holidays. Our destination of choice ? The beautiful, sun drenched Algarve region of Portugal, but more of that to follow later. Because of our 8am departure from Manchester Airport, we decided to to stay the night in Didsbury, the Britannia Country House Hotel, to be precise, a place we had stayed at before. Arriving here can be quite a pain at times, as the parking is very tight, with a fag papers width left between cars in the main parking areas, and our experience was just the same. After 20 minutes of swearing, cussing and raised blood pressure caused by driving round, checking, and double checking the available spaces would accommodate my vehicle, we eventually squeezed in, sucked our bellies in to get out the car, and after counting to ten, de-stressed. That was it for my jalopy for the next 15 days. Check-in was easy, and the room, although not luxurious, was sufficient, clean and tidy, for our one night stay. We dumped our luggage and then out-out to see what Didsbury on a Saturday early evening can offer two weary travellers. Our first port of call was The Didsbury Lounge located in Barlow Moor Road. This isn't my usual type of haunt, a Cocktail Bar bedecked in bibliographical wallpaper, but we were on holiday, and I thought I would treat T'other 'Arf to a special drink. I have to admit this was a quite relaxing place, and the service quite good. Jane eventually decided on a Basil Grand, a cocktail containing Chambord, Grand Marnier, Vodka, fresh strawberries, Basil and Cranberry juice, whilst I settled on a pint of Warsteiner “Premium Verum”. The Pilsner beer was very refreshing and

German beer and cocktails ?
It must be Holiday Time.

robust, with a slight tartness in the finish along with a clean hop bitterness. The cocktail was also enjoyed with many a “Hmm” and “Aah”, although my limited sampling of it seemed a little sweet. Oh well, at least she enjoyed it. It is, I have to say, not cheap in here, the cocktail was £8-00 and the beer over £4-00, but that does not detract from the experience. I would definitely pop in again for a “special” drink. Next up was The Nelson, just a little way down the road. This is a real old fashioned working man's boozer, a complete change to the “Lounge” visited earlier. This pub has screens dotted around the interior of the front bar, showing sport, England's 6-0 walloping of San Marino was on some screens, vying with Ch4 racing on the others, and, on our visit, only one real ale was on, although we were told it usually has a couple more on. The beer we had in here was the 4% Jenning's “Cumberland Ale” which was in good form, with a nice caramel back taste and light fruitiness in the dry finish. The locals in here are very chatty, and we were told that the Karaoke nights are not to be missed. Next time, maybe, next time !

After leaving here, we took a left, and headed down Wilmslow Road, stopping briefly at Tesco's for our lotto ticket, before dropping anchor at The Slug and Lettuce, a rather modern looking pub carrying Cask Marque accreditation. The staff are very pleasant, and the bar offers two real ales. Our first choice, Robinson's “Trooper”, was more suited to sprinkling on your chips than drinking, but, after taking them back, we were given a sincere apology, and our beer was changed to Wells “Bombardier”. This was a good pint, and, as reviewed in the past, I shall not wax lyrically of it's nature. We left here, by-passed The Station, which looked incredibly busy, and back-tracked up to The Stokers' Arms. This pub successfully mixes the old with the modern in its décor. The clientele seemed to be a good mix of ages too, and the bar had a reasonable selection of beers, not only cask, but craft beers from the keg and bottle were also available. We chose the Caledonian Brewery “Deuchars IPA”, at 3.8%, in this busy, vibrant pub, which is a good session beer. With fruit and hops balancing the initial hopped taste, which leads to a long bitter finish, this amber coloured beer is worth all the plaudits it receives. This is a pub worth visiting again in the future. At this point, looking back over the road towards The Station, curiosity got the better of us. The England football match was well over, but this place was still very busy, with a good crowd milling about outside. We decided to pop over and have a peep. On entering here, it was evident that this was, in fact, an Irish pub. Not an Irish theme pub, but a genuine Irish pub. It transpired that the Saturday we were there was a big sporting day in the calendar. I can definitely say I have never been in an atmosphere so Irish in my life, and enjoyed the banter and friendliness shown towards us immensely. The staff, who beavered away behind the small bar, never missed a single person, and we were served swiftly with a pint and a half of Marston's “Burton Bitter” 3.8%. To be fair, it is a pretty bland brew, with just a hint of caramel and bread. It never really gets much past that really, with a slightly sweet and average finish. It is OK as a session beer, but that's about it. We were really enjoying the “craic” in here, so Jane surprised me with my pre-holiday drink, a double Powers “Gold Label” Irish Whiskey, stating “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, So, when in Didsbury, I did what the Irish were doing. There is a sense among the nonsense somewhere! This was a fantastic treat, and the spicy warmth that follows the gentle smoothness in the initial taste was noted, and greatly appreciated. It was now dusk, and having not eaten since breakfast, we decided on one more up this end of town, before moving a little closer to our hotel for something to eat. So we popped across to The Dog and Partridge, another great little boozer in this neck of the woods. This pub/sports bar, also attracting a wide range of drinkers, was very busy, but, again we were served quickly, and soon found a corner table. The beers we chose here were Salopian “Lemon Dream”, a 4.5% Wheat Ale, which was bright, refreshing with a slight lagerish taste, with a nice hoppy finish following the light bitterness. The lemon was there, but not overpowering, making it a well balanced Ale. Jane's tipple was a half of Adnam's “Southwold Bitter”, 3.7% and displaying a nice bitterness and a dry, thirst quenching finish. As with all the pubs we had visited in this session, we could easily have stayed for another, but, espying a taxi at the rank across the road, and food calling, we finished up, jumped into a cab and headed to The Woodstock, back in Barley Moor Road. We had visited this pub on our last visit, and found it to be very cosy and welcoming. It is a multi-roomed inn, all interlinked and has a large outdoor area as well, and carries 4 or five real ales on tap. Food is also a big part of this pub, and the fares on offer are all pub classics, and seasonal specialities. We chose the lasagne and fish and chips to eat, both excellently cooked and delivered to our table within 20 minutes, which was impressive, as the pub was heaving, with a good many out for meals. T'other 'Arf decided on a soft drink in here while I couldn't resist a pint, or probably two, of “Wainwright's Golden Ale”, from Thwaite's. This 4.1% beer is full of citrus flavours, with just a hint of the malted sweetness holding things together in the background. A slight fruitiness is evident, but this is a well balanced beer throughout. Good on its own, but marvellous with a meal.

We had really enjoyed our session in Didsbury, and we know of a few more good pubs also in this area, so a return will be eagerly anticipated. The pubs we visited all had a good, friendly atmosphere to savour, and, on the whole, the beer wasn't too bad either. Then, just like Zebedee once said “Boing....Time for bed” We were being picked up at 04-30 the following morning, so we slowly ambled back to the hotel. If in the area, or staying in one of the local “airport” hotels, you can do far worse than have a night out in this neck of the woods, so why not fill your boots, and give it a go.

Top Beer-Portuguese Special.

After a short, uneventful flight, thanks to those lovely people from Jet2 Holidays, our Portugal trip started. ( I had collected my bottle from Duty Free on the way out, a bottle of “Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey”, which, during the course of the next 14 days was savoured during the late evenings. I found this a rather nice Whiskey for the price. The nose was slightly nutty, whilst the taste was of sweet malt, with smooth honey in the background. Hints of smokiness are there, but not too overpowering.) We stayed at the Estrela do Vau in Praia do Vau, about half way between Praia da Rocha, and Alvor, part of the Portimao district of The Algarve. The area here is simply beautiful, with azure blue seas, miles of beaches, some well hidden and a joy to find, all sculptured by the natural rock formations. When the photographs of The Algarve appear in the holiday brochures, you can bet your bottom dollar they will feature the rocky creations synonymous with this location. The Algarvian food, with peri-peri chicken, bachalau, cataplanas and sardines available in most restaurants, alongside family favourite recipes and dishes with foreign influences, this is a gastronomical paradise. A mention, too, for the excellent wines. Vinho Verde, a fresh tasting, slightly sparkling wine is a particular favourite of ours, which is available in supermarkets, and resort liquor shops for as little as 1.40 euros (£ 1-05p). The most we paid for a bottle I believe was 3.75 euros (£ 2-77p). We had lovely house reds, whites and rose wines, none disappointed, and the Port, sweet and warming, was a pleasure at the end of a warm day. I am surprised there are not more of these excellent wines on sale in the UK ( besides the Port and Mateus of course). The local spirits and liqueurs range is varied, with the usual suspects of home produced whiskey, vodka, gin etc available quite cheaply in the shops, alongside the more expensive “branded” spirits. Mixers are most definitely required, even for the whiskies, I would suggest. The local brandies are worth a mention, and the Medronho, or Portuguese Fire-water, is certainly an experience to taste, and lives up to its name ! One local beverage, and possibly the biggest tourists' exported drink, is Beirao, a secret blend of herbs and spices and magic ! The sweet taste, followed by a warm spicy tingle, certainly make this a wonderful aperitif.

Part of the Portugal Front Line

Now for the main part of this blog, those beers. First of all, if you want English/Irish beers, they are available, but, as they are imported, you will pay extra. We had the misfortune to purchase a pint and half of an Irish Bitter in a bar, as we were on a trip, and couldn't see any local brews on the bar. We paid 7-80 Euros for the privilege, which worked out at £ 5-75 !. A huge difference to the 90c bar we found in Alvor ( 70p), although that was the price only up to 8pm. The two main brands available in most bars, cafes and restaurants are Super Bock and Sagres. Both are usually on sale via tap, or bottles. The other main Portuguese beer brand, sold mainly in shops and supermarkets, but not so much in the bars is Cristal. Other brands are available, but not so prolifically. So here goes.

Unicer ( Now part of the Carlsberg Group)

Super Bock (Original) 5.2%

Probably the most popular beer, by sales, in Portugal. It is available in cans, bottles and draught nearly everywhere you go. The taste is slightly sweet, and leaves a fresh, clean taste in the mouth. The hops are not very prominent, but there is just a hint of fruit in the finish. It isn't a punchy taste, some may describe it as bland, but on a hot day it is more than welcome to find a cold glass of this beer heading towards your table.

Super Bock Stout 5%

This is not like a typical British/Irish stout. It is a lot thinner, almost like a Mild, but I found it quite acceptable. Some chocolate flavour comes through, and the medium finish is quite satisfying.

Super Bock Abadia 6.4%

This is quite a good beer. It is described as a Dark Wheat Beer. The malty sweetness in the initial mouthful and the fruity back taste gives this beer the slight characteristics of an English Brown Ale. The finish was quite long and made a pleasant change.

Unicer, under the Super Bock banner, also produce a “Classic” at 5.8%, a strong lager, and “Green”, a 4% beer with lemon. There are also 4 “special selection” brews available, promoted as “Seleccao 1927”. Unfortunately, I didn't get to sample these. They also do low alcohol varieties of the the most popular brands.

Cristal Pilsner Lager 5.1%

Unicer's “other” brand. I only saw this in shops and supermarkets, in bottles, but I found it a very good beer, and an easy drinking drink. There is a hint more malt in the flavour, followed by a reasonable hoppy bitterness. A very refreshing Pilsner.

Central de Cervejas. (Part of the Heineken Group)

Sagres (Pale Lager) 5%

This competes for pump and fridge space in all the major bars with the Super Bock equivalent, and, rather like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, some opt for one over the other, with no changing back. A slightly more malty taste than Super Bock, but still unmistakeably a lager. It is clean and refreshing on the palate, with a touch of bitterness in the satisfying finish.

Sagres Preta 4.1%

This black lager, whilst still quite thin, has a good burnt malt and caramel taste at the fore. There was a bitter-sweetness in the finish and was quite moreish. I liked this style, and thought it a very refreshing beer.

Sagres Bohemia 6.2%

This amber coloured beer displayed a nice fruitiness in the aroma and first taste, along with a fair malty hit, but the flavours soon dissipated at the finish. Still a good beer though.

Again, there a low alcohol variants of these beers, and a Sagres Radler, 2%, along with “Special Editions”

Font Salem (Damm) Brewery

Euro beer.

Kings Brau 4.8%

I found some tins of this in the local supermarket, and, to be fair, although a touch bland, with average malt flavour, and a hint of bitterness, on a hot afternoon, it wasn't that bad. Cheap and cheerful and better than some English lagers !

A Crafty Portuguese

And now, 2 bottled beers I managed to pick up on our travels around the shops in Portimao. The first was a Scottish styled beer, brewed in Belgium and sold in Portugal, truly an International collaboration. This was “Gordon's Finest Scotch Highland Ale”, an Ale of 8% from the Anthony Martin Brewery, which was full of big , rich fruit flavours, accompanied with an almost black treacle sweetness, that leads to a lovely bitterness in the finish. This is a beer that has a big punchy flavour. A good beer to discover. The other beer, at 7%, was brewed by Quinta dos Alvos, and is a Portuguese Artesan Ale called “Marafana IPA”. The colour is dark, and a touch cloudy, with a tropical fruitiness first in the aroma and then throughout. There are hints of pear in the finish, but, for an IPA, it lacked bitterness. It was OK, and the most promising thing is that breweries in this locality are experimenting with craft and bottle conditioned beers.We also found the odd restaurant selling the German Erdinger Wheat beer, and, the Barcelona brewed, Estrella “Galicia” from Hijos de Rivera. I liked the 5.5% Estrella, with a nice malt sweetness, followed by a controlled bitterness in the finish. All in all, our experiences of drinking in The Algarve, although mostly lager driven, was certainly far from unpleasant, and now we are in the fingers of a cold damp British Autumn, they are sorely missed.

Cheers and keep it “Real”.

Message in a Bottle

Oh, the red hot summer of 2015 is drawing to a close, with the gossamer kiss of a gentle breeze, caressing one's cheek, soon to be replaced with the ruggedness, associated typically with the the approaching Autumnal months. (Yeah, I know. Summer 2015 was NOT too good. I thought at one stage I had got a tan. It was later diagnosed as rust !, and the wind has been "unseasonal" too. Poetic licence is a wonderful thing to exploit.) Through this Summer, I have found myself turning more towards bottled beers than I would usually have done. This is mainly due to my, and T'other 'arf's, work patterns not quite synchronising, a dose of shingles, suffered in good grace by my half-pint taster, and the Leeds outing. That doesn't mean I have not ventured out, just a little less than expected. Over the last few weeks of Summer, we have, usually, in fact, besides Leeds, exclusively, been frequenting Grimsby's Top Town. The turn of this month found us meeting, along with friends, in The Hope and Anchor, raising a glass to a friend of ours, Big Phil Revill, who sadly passed away, enjoying life in Cambodia, at the age of just 47. He was a big, friendly guy, an ex-taxi colleague of mine who was as soft as, well, you know what, but was built like an outhouse. I have many fond memories of Phil, but I will always remember him, as quite a few party-goers in this area will, as the cabbie who would grow a big white beard, every year, and don a red and white Santa suit for the Xmas rush ! Legend. After swapping a few stories, and a pint or two of Bateman's "XB", their well balanced 3.7% Best Bitter, which is dry, bitter, and perfectly hopped in the finish, but has a pleasing hint of a nutty sweetness running through, we all moved on to Old Lloyd's Bar, a good pub with good music, but no real ale. Oh, well, you can't have everything. Best choice was the Guinness, which was as average as this brew usually is. We ended our celebration of Phil's life in The Barge, some attempting the quiz, others just managing to work out how bar stools work, at the 2nd or 3rd attempt. I have said before how"Bombardier" on here, is, probably, the best pint of this Charles Wells (Wells & Young's as it is now ) beer in the area. It didn't fail this time either. We, the sensible part of the group, bade farewell, and made our respective ways home. The others ? They could still be on there for all we know !! A fitting, if slightly mad, send off.

Big Phil, 2nd right in Cypus 2007.
Another boozy afternoon.

Otherwise, our sampling has been done in The Yarborough Hotel. Our last visit, a refresher after taking my 6 year old Granddaughter for a day's fishing, we sampled, first the wonderfully dark, rich and choco-coffee "Honey Porter" from those wizzards at Milestone's. This Porter was reasonably sweet, with a dryness in the finish. The initial aroma is chocolate, which is evident in the well balanced taste, along with a hint of fruit and a lovely coffee back taste. The honey is there but it is not a big part of the taste, I really enjoyed this beer. T'other 'arf had the Caledonian "Golden Promise" an Organic Harvest Ale of  5%, which leads with a grainy aroma, quite malty taste which leads through to a dry, slightly citrus, but well balanced finish, A very quaffable Ale. Whilst Jane stayed on the Caledonian brew, I moved on to my last drink in here, a brew by USA's Dan Kopman of The St. Louis Brewery, in conjunction with Leicester's Everard's Brewery. "Schlafly", a 4.4%, Pale Ale, and promoted as a session beer, is delicately spiced in the aroma and taste, along with a light caramel maltiness. There is a hint of fresh bread, and a fruitiness combines well in the dry, well balanced finish. We decided to pop home, tidy ourselves up a touch, and have the evening out. We eventually strolled down to The Wheatsheaf, where we were soon sitting outside, with the setting sun's last embers flickering their last, through the trees. In hand, we had a pint of Ramsgate Brewery's "Al Murray's Beautiful British Beer", and a half of the 3.8%  "New World Pale Ale" from Marston's Pedigree stable. The "Beautiful British Beer", at 4%, was a good malty brew, with hints of biscuit, spice and fruit combining well to really lift this beer, so much so that Jane decided to have my pint, whilst I ended up with the half !! I wasn't too disappointed though, as the "New World Pale Ale", a beer I have had quite a few times before, was it's usual dry, zesty and refreshing punch lasting right down to the finish. It always leaves the palate with a satisfying tingle. After a couple more, we wandered down The County Hotel, which had a group on, whose name, sadly, escapes me. Although three pumps bedeck the bar, dispensing different brews. Sharp's "Atlantic" and "Doom Bar"as well as "Black Sheep Bitter". I was not too impressed with the condition of any of them. Very disappointing. The group, on the other hand, were excellent, playing covers of Franz Ferdinand, Bon Jovi, Kinks, among others. The night finished with a Whyte & Mackay whiskey in my hand, boogieing along, embarrassingly, to some great music.
Back to JDW's Yarborough Hotel. On a previous visit here, I had a couple of really good pint, worthy of a mention here. One of these was the 5.1% Wharf Bank Brewery "Yorkshire IPA", a lovely golden, crisp and zesty Ale, which had a hint of floral notes combined with a lovely dry and bitter finish. A really enjoyable IPA. This is a great summertime brew, and would quench many a thirst quite swiftly. The other beer was the quite malty 3.9% American styled Pale Ale from Roosters, "Wild Mule". There is a slight tropical fruit taste in the background, which doesn't distract from that maltiness, and the finish is reasonably dry and bitter. I liked this one, but have spoken to others who thought it bland. Best to make up your own minds I think.

Now, on to those bottles.
As I have mentioned, I have been sampling more by the way of bottles just recently, so I will share with you now some of my humble opinions.

First, "London Porter" from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range. This 5% beer is brewed by Shepherd Neame and, although a touch thin, isn't too bad. The taste is of chocolate, burnt malt and a hint of liquorice lurks in the background.  For a "home brand", this is quite reasonable, and on par with the other supermarket's offerings.
Fuller's "Honey Dew" is a beer I have also recently tasted in cask form too, and , besides the carbonation being much higher, both variations come out good to the tasting. There is a waft of fresh mowed grass in the aroma, which carries on into the sweet, slightly rich malt body. The honey is there, in  the background, but is not overpowering at all. There is a mild bitterness in the finish of this 5% Organic Golden Ale. Definitely a summer drink, and one for the BBQ parties.
Badger's "Hopping Hare", a crisp and zesty 4.4% beer, is a light coloured Bitter, which is not that heavily hopped in taste, considering it is "thrice hopped", but it is very refreshing, with biscuit, cinder toffee and a hint of citrus fruit in the main, followed by the tangy flash of grapefruit in the medium finish.

Now a true classic, and one that has been well written about for quite a while. It is another from the Fuller's Brewery, one of their most popular brews, "Bengal Lancer". This IPA, at 5.3% is full of flavour and character, with a rich malt and spice, which tantalises the palate , and leads to a sweet, but not sickly, tropical fruit taste, with mango very evident, in the main. The finish is a lovely mild bitter one, not overly long, but one that does linger. A good solid, and well received brew, which deserves all the plaudits I have seen.

I have enjoyed one or two (or so !) bottles of Titanic Stout of late, on offer, among other beers, at the local Spar shop, conveniently situated on my way home from work (so, that's why they are called convenience stores). At 4.5%, this a a very velvety smooth beer, with rich chocolate and a hint of vanilla. There is a nice, warming bitter-sweetness in the pleasing medium finish. 3 for a Fiver ? Bargain.

Back to those random bottles now. Lidl's have recently improved their selection in the beer aisles of late, and one of the beers to take my eye was "Blanche de Namur" a Wheat Beer of  4.5% , brewed by Brasserie du Bocq in Belgium. I am I am getting into these cloudy beers, of late, and this was a very refreshing beer, with a big yeasty punch, and a heavy citrus taste, with orange and lemon at the fore. The mouthfeel is, somewhat, waxy, but not unpleasant. Corriander and a little bit of ginger also make an appearance in this quite complex, but easy drinking Belgian beer. Other beers sampled from here included another Belgian brew,"Bornem Abbey" a 6% Blonde Beer from Brouwerij van Steenberge. A fresh tasting beer, with a perfumed aroma, slight yeast taste and a dry bitterness throughout. Not bad, but I did prefer the previous offering from Belgium. Next up was Badger "First Call", a 4% Bitter with a good, if slightly uninspiring, "earthy" malted aroma and taste. Quite a standard bitter, really, with not a great deal to lift it from being, well, just a bitter. "Yorkshire Gold" from Leeds Brewery, has become a regular on the shelf here, and the bottle is equally as tasty as the cask version, which I have praised in my last post. The last one I will review in this session is Bank's "Mild", a drink which has been around for years. Although a little thin, the flavour is light caramel, a bit nutty and quite sweet. It soon drifts away though, leaving a slightly watery fruitiness, but, at less than a pound a bottle, it is about what I expected. It is not unpleasant, but certainly not a robust Mild Ale. With a few more bottles to review, a Holiday abroad, not to mention a night out in Didsbury upcoming, I will leave it there. Until the next time.

Cheers and keep it "Real".

Leeds. The Crawl goes on. Part Two.

Saturday Afternoon.

The morning started out with an excellent cooked breakfast at the Travelodge, over which the day's plan was hatched. The boys would be off for a walk, followed by beer, the girls, shopping and then meeting up with us for a beer. Simple. What could go wrong. (Gurgle, gurgle) We all got ready and headed out (gurgle). After a twenty, or so, minutes of our (gurgle, gurgle) walk, I desperately realised that, maybe, last night's kebab, followed by a hearty breakfast, was not a great idea, and a desperate rush back to the hotel was most welcome. I later caught up with Steve, back in the Pack Horse, although I opted out of the first pint of the day. After that, the rest of the plan was hatched, and we were soon heading towards our first “new” pub of the day.

The Hop. The Dark Arches, Neville Street.

Let's go to The Hop !

Don't give up looking for this pub. Continue down Neville St, until you see an alleyway on the right, under the station. Follow this, under the platforms, over a river (yes, a river) and eventually you will reach The Hop. After exiting the alleyway, you are confronted with a pub frontage that overlooks a canal and various apartment buildings and a Hilton Hotel which is very cosmopolitan to behold. This is an Ossett Brewery outlet, with a good choice of their beers, alongside a few guests. Steve went for the Ossett “Inception”, a 4% Golden Ale, which has a quite complex aromatic, almost herbal, taste to it, with pine, citrus and a woodiness detectable. Fair bitterness is there in the dry finish. It takes a bit of getting used to at the start, but by the end it transcribes to a good beer. My beer was Great Heck “Voodoo Mild” , 4.3%. You are greeted by a big mouthful of chocolate and roasted malt, which carries on throughout. I thought it more stout-like. The finish is medium sweet, but dry. The perfect pick-me-up to recover from the effects of last nights kebab ! A great pub, and great beer.

The Scarbrough Hotel Bishopgate Street.

Just below the station is this pleasant “Nicholson's” pub, which is very busy with passing trade. A good selection of pumps display their wares in this very clean and tidy, well kept Inn. At busy times, seating can be at a premium, but don't be deterred, seats do come available. Although we did not eat, the food which passed us, on the way to expectant diners, looked delicious, and portions large. I opted for the 4% “Red Sails Cherry Porter” from Shepherd Neame, which was well rounded, with a lovely cherry taste all the way through from the rich, smooth sweetness of the malt to the gorgeous dry finish. Marston's “New World Pale Ale” was my co-taster's tipple. This was his first taste of this 4% beer, with it's lovely bitter, crisp and citrus notes. He is now a “New World” beer convert !

Leeds Brewery Tap New Station Street

This is an easy pub to find, when you find with this area being on two levels, and beers already being taken, one can get a little disorientated. We wandered up to the Station via the steps opposite The Scarbrough, and, after bearing right, then forward onto the station, then, tentatively, left, felt quite stupid when we espied it, next to the GIANT multi-storey car park ! It is a very modern looking bar, light airy and, obviously, carrying a full Leeds Brewery line up. In here I opted for Leeds “Yorkshire Gold”, which was just as good, if not better, than last night's offering in The Swan, whilst Thornbridge “Wild Swan”, a very zesty Pale Ale, with slight spiciness, and a noticeable bitter lemon note, a refreshing 3.5% Ale, was also included in our round. The shopping had finished whilst we were in here, so our numbers were now doubled for the rest of the afternoon's shenanigans. The next round much reflected the last one, with 2 halves added, in this wonderful bar, with an easy going feel about it.

Friends of Ham New Station Street

Well, the Friends of Ham, part deli, part wine bar, part pub. Very cosmopolitan indeed. We were greeted by a very polite waitress, who, after determining our preferences, eating, drinking or both, invited our party to find a table downstairs. We then waited for our “beer menu” to be presented for our perusal, then our order was taken and, eventually, our drinks arrived. I liked the concept, rather like some micropubs we have visited, but I did find it a bit of a long-winded way to get a drink. A good experience, in some ways, but when busy, you may have to wait a while or so. So, what did we drink in here ? The two halves were the keg “Pacer HAM's Pale Ale” 4.1%, from Summer Wine Brewery, a fruity, slightly bitter, but quite rounded Pale Ale, with a high carbonation. A very refreshing keg beer. Steve chose another Pale Ale, this one from The Bristol Beer Factory, called “Independence”, 4.6%. A very hoppy, floral and reasonably fruity American style Pale, which was packed with flavours, but not overly complex. I had Ilkley's “Damn Good Threshing”, a Wheat Beer of 5.1%. Cloudy, slight yeast and that wheat bitter-sweetness is much evident, and this was as good a Wheat Beer as I have tasted.

Tapped Boar Lane.

On the Tapped Taps soon.

This is a very busy and bustling pub portraying another excellent display of beers, Cask, Keg and Craft beers. There are a myriad of beer pumps behind the bar, with vessels of beer readying at the back. The clientele is very mixed, and the atmosphere is vibrant. There is a quite airy feel to the place. I, again, chose a 5% Stout, Moor Beer Company's “Stout”, a Craft beer with a slightly smoky taste. Not a heavy beer, in fact quite thin in body, but certainly not wishy washy. Can a 5% stout be a session beer? Intrepid “Explorer” , a Blonde Ale of 4.3%, with a fruity aroma and crisp,dry and quite zesty and bitter finish, was the other pint in the round, along with Bernard “Pivo” Czech Lager. Although not usually a lager lover, from my tiny little sample, I thought the taste of this one was really good. The ladies enjoyed it too, enough to prevent The Beermonster having seconds.

The Head of Steam Mill Hill.

A Cameron's pub which, due to it's size, popularity and choice of beers, is very busy. Patience at the bar is a virtue, but the welcoming staff do manage quite well, and the locals are very engaging and entertaining. This corner bar, with central serving facilities, carries another good range of beers, mostly from nearby breweries. Since this was to be our last port of call for this afternoon's little walkabout, we decided to have a couple in here. I started on another pint of “Damn Good Threshing”, which was equally as good as the pint of the same, partaken in the Friends Of Ham, before moving on to a 4.9% Titanic “Plum Porter”. With fruit in the aroma, and plum and raisin in the initial taste, which leads all the way through the slight bitter, but quite sweet finish. Steve chose Timothy Taylor's “Boltmaker” a drink he stayed with for the duration in here, as did Dee and Jane, with their choice, Cameron's 3.9% “Gold Bullion”. “Boltmaker” a 4% Best Bitter, is full of roasted maltiness, which leaves a lovely sweetness in the mouth before it dissipates, to be followed by a wonderful bitterness in the finish. The “Golden Bullion” was clean, crisp and refreshing, with citrus and hops coming to the fore. A very good beer, best enjoyed on a hot day, but equally as pleasing on a cooler afternoon in Leeds !

Saturday Evening

After a brief respite, back at our hotel, a few snacks and a brew or two of coffee later, we wandered back out to tick a few more of our pub list. It was a nice evening, but with just a touch more than a hint of chill in the air, but, at least we had missed the forecasted rain.We to be on our way home the next day, around noon, so a big session was to be avoided. Still, here is the last part of our saga in this wonderful real ale drinker's paradise.

The Wardrobe St Peter's Square.

Slightly off the beaten track, next to the BBC, and not far from the Bus Station, this bar, restaurant and music venue is well worth visiting. With craft beers by the bottle, and cask ales from local brewers, alongside fine wines and cocktails, makes for a lovely mix of customers in this friendly, relaxing bar. Vocation Brewery, from Cragg Vale, with the offering of “Bread and Butter” , a 3.9% Pale, with a mild sweetness, pine aroma and a hint of peach, was the drink of choice of Steve, and our partners, which was very smooth and rounded, with a nice dryness in the finish. I opted for “Ro-Sham-Bo” , a 4.2% Session IPA, from Wharfedale Brewery. The taste is a good mix of bitter-sweetness, with tropical fruits and zesty citrus notes. The finish is dry, bitter and very moreish.

Crowd of Favours, Harper Street

A pub not on my list, I don't know why, but firmly on it now. With a shopfront facade, this is a quaint looking premises. Run by Leeds Brewery, the beers are predominately from that brewer's stock, but with several guests alongside. The advertising inside boasted of filmshows, quizzes and various other activities, all on different nights. It seems that never a dull evening is experienced here. Steve, and the Girls topped up with, the, now, much loved Leeds “Pale Ale”, which had been well received all weekend. It is a glass full of good, golden enjoyment. I, initially, went for “Samba”, a fruity Blonde beer, but, unfortunately, it had just gone, so “Mosaic”, a Blonde Ale of 4.3%, from another local brewery, Malton's Brass Castle, in conjunction with North Riding Brewpub, in Scarborough, was my chosen drink. Tropical fruits, including mango, are very evident and the balance between these, and a good hopped bitterness is well balanced, which leads to the dry, bitter and refreshing finish, to make it a very good pint indeed.

The Duck and Drake Kirkgate

This was the pub we had originally headed for , before coming across the Crowd of Favours, dropping anchor for some refreshment, and replotting to find this pub, so we were very pleased to find it just yards away ! We squeezed into the main room, to the strains of Green Day, just managed to get to the end of the bar, next to a good selection of hand-pumps, but, seeing as it was packed in here, with a good band on for entertainment, we were served quite quickly. We ordered our drinks, then retreated to the side room, which also carried a full array of beer pumps. A place with great vibes. Our beers were a pint and a half each of Elland “Blonde”, a 4% Blonde Ale, which was dry, quite aromatic, with a hint of pine, reasonably bitter, with floral notes, Slightly Foxed Brewing's “Prairie Fox”, an American style Pale Ale, with a spiced fruitiness, citrus and dryness in the finish. Quite light tasting for it's 5.2%. Our second round in here, much reflected the first, except I went for the Acorn “Arcade”, a 4.5% Golden Ale. Floral, with a hint of lime and citrus greets the palate, but then a lovely sweet maltiness is there to temper it. A well rounded and, by the number opting for it at the bar, quite popular beer.

We left here to find some food. No Subway, no McDonald's, and chippy Fish and Chips were to be frowned upon. Kebabs ? Oh no way. Tonight we were making our way to Mr Oliver's place “Jamie's Italian” The food here is very nice, and, after ordering our various meals, I went for Fritto Misto, a fish and shellfish dish, flash fried, with a chunky tartare sauce, and, of course, a side of chunky chips (so, I suppose I got my Fish and Chips in the end, even if it wasn't the traditional !) We all enjoyed our food here, it is qwell worth the visit, and it serves Leeds Brewery beers by the bottle. What more could you ask for.

On reflection, our experience of Leeds was just fantastic. Real Ale, Craft and Keg in every pub we visited. We experienced over 40 different brews between us, with very few disappointments. I, along with my band of boozers, cannot wait to return, visiting, maybe, a few more pubs not yet ticked, along with those already mentioned. Leeds. Thank you for your hospitality. Until the next time.

Cheers and keep it “Real”

The Leeds Pub Crawl. Part One.

We had been looking forward to our weekend away in Leeds for ages. Jane and I, along with our good friends, Steve and Dee,travelled to Yorkshire's biggest city on a Friday, staying at the Travelodge, in Vicar Lane, for 2 nights. I had been to the City a few times in the past, but, usually, the only pubs I would have visited would have been the ones nearest the Football Ground. Now, it was time for a good sniff around the many bars within the City centre. My original foray into the Real Ale outlets available led me to a list of over 50. Hmm. Beermonsters have their limits. Liver transplants were not an option we were looking at. After digging through the t'interweb, and asking my friends on Twitter and Google +, I managed to get a short list down to 20 pubs. Of these, during our three sessions across the weekend, we managed 17 of them, AND added 2 more! Not bad at all. Above all, though, we had a fantastic couple of days in a brilliant city, which caters for all, whether you are shopping, drinking or eating. We did all three. Our return is eagerly anticipated. I have tried to encapsulate our little trip around here in chronological order of our pub crawl, with a little intro of the boozers and taverns discovered, and the delicacies partaken within. I know some will think we missed out on the best, or not agree with my comments, but hey ho, such is the life of a beer blogger. So, if you are ready, here we go.

Friday Afternoon and Night.

The Templar Hotel 2 Templar Street.

1st knockings in The
Templar Hotel

Situated just off The Headrow, and opposite the Travelodge in Vicar Lane, this was a good starting point. The selection is pretty impressive, and there is the offer of 10% off for card carrying CAMRA members. This is an old style boozer, and among with the many hand-pumps, there was, probably, a similar number of screens dotted around the pub, all showing various sports, but there doesn't seem to be any conflicts between those dedicated to the 2-30 at Kempton and those with a thirst for good beer. Our choices in here were Empire Brewery “Moonraker Mild” at 3.8% , a sweet, nutty and quite chocolate flavoured example of this style, with quite a dry finish, and one I really enjoyed. Leeds “Pale Ale” was Steve's tipple, another a 3.8%, and a good session beer, with a light, but noticeably, hoppy taste, leading through to floral notes. We would all become quite familiar with this well balanced classic, with a medium bitterness in the finish. The ladies went for Moorhouse's “Blonde Witch”, a Golden Ale of 4.5%, with a fruity smoothness throughout. The finish is quite bitter and zesty, but tempered well with a hint of sweetness.

The Swan, Swan Street

Just tucked away off Briggate, this Leeds Brewery run pub is very modern in décor, and displays a good range of beers, available in 1/3 pint tasters. This is more Wine Bar, in looks, than traditional Public House, and, despite the variety on the bar, the quality of some of the beers were not so good, with one beer, the Leeds Pale, having to be returned. Steve and I went for the aforementioned tasters, with Leeds “Midnight Bell”, Marble “Earl Grey IPA” and Leeds “Pale Ale” being in his original line-up, whilst Sonnet 43's “American Pale Ale” and “Steam Beer” sat alongside a Marston's “Saphir Single Hop Amber Ale” on my tray. The half pints were both Leeds “Pale Ale”, but, unfortunately, these had to be changed, as was Steve's, for the same brewers “Yorkshire Gold”. The “Midnight Bell” a 4.8% Mild, was heavy on the dark malts, with a lovely chocolate notes through to the medium dry and bitter finish, the “Earl Grey” was very full of fruitiness, with orange and grapefruit mixing with tropical fruit and, of course, tea. Truly American in style. The “Yorkshire Gold” is quite light in taste, but with a good background of malt. The finish is citrus and very satisfying. The Sonnet “APA”, 5.4% had a vein of spiciness running through the apricot and biscuity body, with a hint of floral. A satisfying but not too punchy American Pale, whereas the slight fruit,toffee and citrus flavours and thin body of the “Steam Beer”, at 3.8%, although a reasonable session beer, just lacked that little extra. “Saphir' Single Hop”, with a caramel sweetness, spice and tangy hop hints, was quite enjoyable.

The Ship Hotel, Ship Yard, off Briggate.

Another pub, sited just off the main street by an alleyway. A great Olde Worlde atmosphere oozes through this pub, from the nautical based wooded décor, through to the cosiness of the outside drinking area. The beer selection is, I was told, usually around half a dozen, and Cask Marque accredited. The clientele is an easy mix of locals, shoppers and beer hunters, and there is a genuine friendliness in the air. In here we all chose the Leeds Brewery “Pale Ale”, to get over the disappointment of the previous tavern. It was excellently dispensed and tasted fresh, light and extremely satisfying, as it should. This is a pub worth looking out for.

The New Conservatory, Albion Place

The bar here is in the cellar, or should I say Basement, but when you are in here, it is no dark dingy and airless place. The decorations are Art Deco, and quite pleasing on the eye. Not a vast beer selection, but the beer we sampled was very well kept. Another pub worth digging out, with the street furniture and facade giving the looks more akin to a cafe. Our beer selection was the 4.3% Leeds “Best Bitter”, a Yorkshire Bitter to savour, with rich a malt taste perfectly balancing the hoppiness, and leading to a refreshing bitterness. There ain't many better.

The Pack Horse, Pack Horse Lane, Briggate.

A good selection in the Pack Horse

This pub vies for the title of Leeds' Oldest, and is very popular, with a number of local ales on tap, and real cider too. It is the sort of place to happily take a breather from retail therapy, or to use as a man crèche if the shops are too much of a distraction. The selection in here is also good, and we counted 7 cask Ales and Orchard pig Cider on the crowded bar. There is quite a bit of room inside, as well as an outside/smokers area in the adjoining alleyway. In here, our order was a pint each of Purity Brewing's “ Pure Ubu”, a Premium Amber Ale of 4.5%, and Castlesford's Revolutions Brewery's “Clash London Porter”, also 4.5%, along with halves of Copper Dragon's “Golden Pippin”, for T'other 'Arf and the 4.2% Golden Ale, Purity “Mad Goose” for Dee. Steve's “Pure Ubu” was full on with maltiness and fruits, sweet, but dry in the finish. A beer that is deceptively smooth. My “Clash London Porter” had a wonderful aroma of coffee, bread and a touch of chocolate, which carried on into the taste of this medium bodied Ale. It is well balanced and has a vein of bitter sweetness throughout. A good beer of this style. After what we believe was a touch of “slight of hand” magic, or just downright cheek by T'other 'Arf, it appears that the other two drinks got swapped on their arrival at our table ! The “Mad Goose” was a refreshing, zesty Golden Ale, with smooth and dry finish. The “Golden Pippin”, with it's sweeter fruitiness and slight bitter finish, also carried noticeable floral hints. All in all, 4 excellently brewed beers.

Whitelocks , Turks Head Yard, Briggate.

Another goldmine of an Alehouse. We arrived to find a beer festival taking place. Their were more beers than you could shake a stick at, and plenty of punters tasting the wares. Unfortunately, we waited far too long for service, and, on enquiring when it would be our turn, received a very short and rudely delivered retort from one of the bar staff. Another member of staff eventually served us, with politeness, but first impressions ? Not what we expected. This was a real shame from, what otherwise was, a superb boozer. The beers chosen were Ridgeside “Black Night”, another good solid Porter, of 5%, which had a more fruity taste than some, with rich liquorice and chocolate notes giving way to burnt caramel, but bitter dry finish, and Timothy Taylor “Landlord”, 4.3%, which tasted, well, just like “Landlord” should do. Slight fruit gives way to a real nice hoppiness, and citrus notes delicately cut through, making it a really good, and award winning beer. We had hoped to sample Kirkstall “Pale Ale”, but it had gone off, which was a pity.

The Griffin, Boar Lane.

This was not on my original list of pubs to visit, but one look inside persuaded us otherwise. This street corner pub, part of the Taylor Walker estate, has a strange, but interesting, layout, and can become rather crowded. The designers have gone for part traditional, part tube-station and a touch of canteen, but, somehow, it works ! With two permanent and, up to, 4 guest beers, this is quite a good show on the pumps. The beers we chose in here were the “Taylor Walker 1730 Special Pale Ale”, brewed for the company by Westerham Brewery, and “Chinook Blonde”, 4.2%, from Keighley Goose Eye Brewery. “Chinook” is a very light tasting Ale, with hints of malt, citrus and slight grassy tones, but the finish is a big dry and bitter punch. It is a good Summer beer, and the finish, very refreshing. The 4% “1730” had a rather fruity hint to the main malt body, which slowly leads you a medium dry and zesty finish. Both beers were well worth our diversion from “The List”

The Atlas King Street.

This pub is a 5 minute amble away from the main drinking area, but worth the trip. It has a good range of World Craft beers, Wines and Spirits, along with a selection of local Cask beers. The feel is slightly wine bar, as is the look, but, it is certainly not pretentious. We found it a very comfortable and friendly bar, and the staff are very knowledgeable and courteous. We chose two Atlas beers in here,brewed by Halifax Brewers Stod Fold and Saltaire. These were, respectively, “Gold” 3.8%, a straw coloured light coloured Ale which is very smooth to drink, with zesty hints and medium bitterness, and “Blonde” 4.8%. This was a touch drier, but equally nice, with a more noted and rounded maltiness. “Barnsley Bitter”, from the Stancil brewery, 3.8% of lovely malt sweetness making it have a creamy feel in the mouth. The bitterness is good and well balanced, a great session beer, and Ilkley “Summer” were also sampled. “Summer” is a Golden Ale of 4%, which is full of fruit flavours. Mango,Pineapple and orange were detected by us, with hints of vanilla too. A touch complex, but, nonetheless, very quaffable indeed.

Mr Foley's Cask Ale House. The Headrow

A great line-up of York Brewery beers.

The first York Brewery owned house outside of York, with an excellent selection of the brewery's beers on show, along with several guest ales. It is named after the founder of Pearl Assurance, Patrick James Foley, who started his business on this site, in 1864. The building itself, has a magnificent facade, which gave me visions of the start of Monty Python's “The Meaning of Life”, as the Crimson Permanent Assurance Co building, Edwardian in style, and turned, magically, into a sailing ship, slips anchor, and heads off , after it's oppressed staff rebel against their new owners, and set sail to London city, to wage war against the Very Big Corporation of America........This was my ninth pint I would be necking !! The pub does offer 1/3 pint tasters, but we waded in with our 2, plus 2 halves all the same. Steve, and the two half pinters chose York “Terrier”, the 4.2% Premium Golden Ale, which was refreshing, clean and quite sharp tasting, with a good bitterness, and fruit and citrus tones cutting through. I opted for York “Otherside IPA”. This was a very fruity Ale, with tropical fruit on the nose and taste. This leads to a quite bitter and dry finish, accompanied by wonderful pine hints. Not a lot of sweetness in this 5.4% brew, but very nice, all the same.

As we left here, food seemed top of the agenda for my companions. “I'm having a Subway, Don't try and stop me” stated Steve. Through supressed laughter, his T'other 'arf, Dee, said “What ever, have what you want”. “No, I'm having a Sub, don't try and talk me out of it” So, it was agreed. Steve was having a Subway meal. Dee, eventually, decided on McDonald's, to which my T'other Arf took a liking to. “What you having ?” was the main question to me by our little group. “Me ?” I responded, “Another pint. I'm off to find another pub !”. So, bravely, I ventured forth, with no provisions, just a crumpled beer map in hand, to find the last pub on tonight's list.

The Veritas Ale & Wine Bar Great George Street.

The name says it all, really. On the outside, this looks more like a shopfront than a drinking house. Inside, four seperate areas, interlinked, greet you. It is a nice, relaxing place, with a reasonable beer selection, friendly staff and comfortable ambience. The beer I chose was Two Roses “Heron Porter”, a Barnsley brewed beer. At 4.2%, and having a lovely chocolate aroma, reflected in the taste, along with burnt caramel, I found it a very smooth beer, and very satisfying. I could have had another in the peaceful surroundings of this tavern, but I was summoned to regroup, back at The Templar, and, who am I to argue.

Although my memories of my last pint, back at the start of our crawl, may be sketchy, I am assured I enjoyed it,whatever was thrust into my sweaty paw, along with the kebab which followed. So came an end to our first night in this great drinking paradise ( I am reliably informed that Steve ventureds out of the hotel a little later that evening for another Subway !) What of tomorrow? Read on.

We can be Heroes

With T'other 'Arf, and I struggling to get weekends off together, and our social circle mostly, seemingly, working Mondays to Fridays, it can be a real bonus when we all “click”. We had been trying for a while to arrange a few drinks out with Dave “Mogsy”, a mate from my taxi driving days, and his lovely, but equally mad and zany wife, Jane but to no avail. Scuppered by our work patterns, Dave's love of Manchester United and prior engagements, we eventually worked out the last weekend in June would be ideal for us all.......almost. I would be at work on Saturday, whilst my “significant other” was at the grindstone on Sunday morning. Nevertheless, we decided on a Sunday afternoon in Cleethorpes would be spot on, fine and dandy. Only after our arrangements did we realise the the local Armed Forces Weekend would be taking place.

I have always been a supporter of our Armed Forces, and their charities, although never serving myself, except for a cameo role in the local Air Training Corps as a spotty teenager (195 Grimsby Sqn ATC, Leading Cadet and Bandsman, if you are that interested!). Work prevented the parades and commemorations being viewed by our good selves on Saturday, along with, what was reported as, a fabulous firework display, but we would, hopefully, catch some of the MAD (Military Air Display) on Sunday. After Jane got home from work, we quickly got ready and nipped to town to catch the next train, only to miss it by 2 minutes. Bugger, I thought , as the realisation of being in Cleethorpes too late for the celebrations dawned.. Keep Calm and Stay Near The Bar ! We popped into The Yarborough Hotel, which was quite busy for a Sunday, and, with 50 minutes to waste, we imbibed. What did you expect us to do ? I chose the Thornbridge “Jaipur”, a 5.9% IPA, which is incredibly easy drinking for a beer of this strength. With a zesty and undeniably citrus punch from first taste, through to a peach and plum roundness, then, a strong, but well balanced, dry finish, with orange and grapefruit tastes very prominent. Make no mistake, this is no Great Pretender, this is an IPA to be reckoned with! T'other 'arf, meanwhile, chose a G & T. Oh well, whatever. With at least another 15 minutes left, and the gin still well above the lime, I quickly opted for a further quick pint. This one was “Dark Knight” , a 4.4% Stout from the ever reliable Milestones brewery. With a good fruitiness, mainly blackcurrant, which slides away to leave a malty chocolate finish, I found this an excellent brew, and one to be sourced again. Alas, it was time to leave, and face the 10 minute journey to the seaside. Entering The Coliseum Picture House on our arrival, we found found our 2 amigos sat in the modern, but somewhat dark, interior of this popular Wetherspoon's pub, and, with a resigned feeling we had missed most of the afternoon's air display,settled in for a couple of beers. I happened upon a beer that was renowned in Grimsby's brewing past. “Hewitt's HBB 1874 Celebration Ale”, an occassional ale now brewed by The Black Horse Brewery in nearby Louth. I have a lot of Family history tied up in Hewitt's Brothers old brewery, so a sentimental pull was inevitable. I am too young to remember the beers from this brewery, it was “absorbed” by Bass Charrington back in the late 60's, with the usual outcome of closure coming soon after, but I have heard, and seen, in the form of many a pub facade, the size and strength of this estate in it's pomp. The beer, itself, was a lovely ale, with the rich maltiness present throughout, and a long bitterness in the finish. I would I have loved to have had the chance to drink a pint of this with my late dad, who worked at the old brewery, in the bottling plant, and bonded stores (when I was younger, much younger!), just to see if it was anything like the old stuff. I will never know. I followed this with Robinson's “Trooper” a 4.7% Premium Bitter, with a smooth, almost caramel malt taste, which gives way to a citrus hint, slightly lemon, in the finish. Not a bad beer. The rest of the two rounds consisted of Tuborg lager, and Greene King's “Abbot Ale”. We departed soon after, but not before “Mogsy” and I had a shot each of the 33% cinnamon flavoured Whiskey liquor, “Fireball” which, I agree, is an acquired taste. I enjoyed it, but Dave ? I'm not sure ! The face showed a different story to the statement of “Ooh, not bad” Next stop was The Nottingham Hotel, which was surrounded by Military hardware, a pleasing sight. We quickly grabbed our beers, mine, an Acorn “Darkness”, which was a fabulous tasting dark ruby coloured Mild of 4.2%. The flavour was distinctly nutty, with caramel and slight fruit. Although served in a plastic glass, H&S !!, this was still a great pint, which I savoured whilst feeling so proud of our aviation heritage, as a Spitfire and Hurricane danced and acrobatically flung themselves around the sky above us. This was followed by the Yak Display Team, and finally 3 Folland Gnat's, from the Heritage Aircraft Trust. Marvellous. We retired to “Willy's Wine Bar”, a bar I have always found a little pretentious, where we, T'other 'Arf and I, had a pint of a Rat Brewery Ale (sorry, name escapes me, but the beer was quite good), and half of the “Portobello Star” from the brewery of the same name. The latter was very biscuity, and not bad, bearing in mind the previous half dispensed in my absence ( call of nature ) was sidelined to another table after I pointed out that it was not supposed to look like something drawn from a ditch ! My preoccupation with “other” matters and had prevented me mentioning something sooner ! We' d had a good afternoon, with Dave & Jane on good form, as usual, one to be repeated soon I hope. We set off back to catch our train, but not before finding the Number 2 pub had a few beers left from the weekend's beer festival, and 1/3 pint tasters were available. It would have been anti-social not to pop in, don't you think ? The selection, as ever, festival or not, was excellent, and eventually I chose a third each of Cottage Brewery's “Thunderbolt”, “Fireball”, and Pheasantry Brewery “Dragonfly” along with a half of “Pale Ale” from the latter brewers. At 4%, and with a fresh and hoppy surge, with a rather citrus finish, “Thunderbolt” certainly hit the mark. The second offering from Cottage, a 5% IPA, was heavily driven by the grapefruit taste, with a slight peppery spiciness in the finish, I liked it, but T'other 'Arf thought it too bitter. The Pheasantry offerings were both enjoyable too, with the 5% Blonde “Dragonfly” having an exotic fruitiness in the background, along with a rounded malt taste which leads to a dry, crisp finish.The “Pale Ale” coming in at 4%, was very floral, almost perfumed, with an equally dry finish to it's stablemate . Our train was now ready, so we contentedly ambled down the platform, boarded and in a few minutes were alighting back in Grimsby. Being of the persuasive type, and Jane didn't take too much prompting, we managed one more back where we started. This last pint and accompanying half was “Green Bullet” from Loddon Brewery. This is a Golden Ale, weighing in at 4.6%. There was quite a lot going on here, with fruit, gooseberries, the tasting notes advised, and a distinctly lemon and lime trait in every mouthful, along with a rather aromatic spiciness overlaying with biscuit, and slight malt, it was hard to concentrate on any particular part of this complex Ale. We thought it was an OK beer, but nothing extra special, there again, it certainly wasn't bland, just elaborate, busy and a little confused in taste, there again, we had had a full day on the pop, so our palates could equally have been in the same mixed up state.

STOP PRESS.......

Good news. Next year's National Armed Forces Weekend has been awarded to North East Lincs (Grimsby and Cleethorpes). This will mean a posse of Leading politicians, high ranking Forces personnel and, hopefully, a member of the Royal Family, will be here to receive the salutes. It will also mean a few more displays, land, sea and air, for all to enjoy. If you have a spare weekend next June, I'm sure you will be made very welcome.

Although not getting out quite as often, I have had one or two little sessions in The Yarborough of late, and, thankfully, managed a few decent brews. Sadler's “Hop Bomb”, sampled on a warm and sultry early evening, was one to enthuse about. A 5% IPA, this beer has the aroma of a fruit basket, a lovely bittersweet maltiness, and a rush of florality. The finish is heavy on the hops, and very dry. An excellent and refreshing drink. Milestones Brewery, from the Newark area, seems to be an ever present at our JDW just lately, and I must confess, they do some bloody good beers. They rarely disappoint. “New World Bitter” was recently on tap. A rich, malty brew, with slight fruit and burnt caramel tones coming through to a quite long, but subtly dry finish, this 4.8% beer was well received, as was the “American Pale Ale”. With a mix of fruits in the initial taste, and a strong but not overpowering hit of bitterness from the hops, I thought this beer of 4.6% was well balanced, although I would say it was not truly like an American Pale Ale at all! Wild Weather “Howlin' Gale” a Co-Ale-ition Ale (with the Monster Raving Loony Party, apparently) was another I stumbled across, 3.9% and labled a dark Old Ale, this beer had a slight choco-coffee taste, along with a hint of dark fruits, and, although initially quite interesting, just like the election, soon forgotten ! I was most surprised at Coach House Brewing Co “Posthorn”, a 5% Premium Ale. I thought it big and malty at first, but after the outset, it did not seem to go anywhere. A touch bland for my liking. Elgood's offering of the newly brewed “Cambridge IPA” was another ale I crossed of my imaginary list (or rather added to my memo notes on my phone, must read them all sometime!). Grapefruit mingles with a wonderfully maltiness, which,in turn, meanders through to a long, tangy and bitter finish. One of the better IPA's being offered at the moment, and at 4.7%, close to a session beer.

Well, that's it for now. I have been tasting a few bottles of late,and with notes made, of which I will try to spew a line or two of next time I post. At the moment, T'other 'Arf, I and our friends, Dee and Steve, are just getting ready for a BIG weekend in Leeds, a place I have not really explored before. I have a list of 20 pubs I would like us to visit over two days. How many we will manage is another thing, but be sure, I will have a report on those (un)lucky enough to have had a visit from The Beermonster !!

Cheers and keep it “Real”

You Can't Curry Love...

 Some things are good in pairs, and go together, oh, so well. Think of Laurel & Hardy, Morecambe & Wise, cheese and crackers, bacon & eggs, tea & biscuits, Sonny and Ch... OK, OK, most of them! The finest ones, though, especially for us Brits, must be the pairing of Curry & a Pint. A marriage made in Heaven. The only fly in the ointment, usually, is location. Not geographically, I am not saying Devon's curries are any better, or worse than, say, those in Cheshire, No the point I am making is whether to choose between a pub curry, which gives you the beer variety, hopefully real ales, but, most times, only offers a choice of one or two curries, or an Asian restaurant, with it's many, and varied, dishes but much more meagre drinks. In my experiences, most curry houses offer, almost entirely, bottled or keg lagers, with the occasional British keg bitter thrown in for good measure.For those who like a good selection of both the East-West wares, I would recommend a Thursday night visit to your local Wetherspoon's. Not only is the drinks selection as varied as you can usually find on the High Street, they also offer up to seven different curries, plus starters and dips, ranging from the mild Chicken Korma, all the way up to The Flaming Dragon, which is 5 pepper strength on their scoring. I, over the years, have tasted them all. Anyone who likes a hot 'un, you will not be disappointed by The Flaming Dragon, which, like all their curries, is served with a free drink. Not a bad offering for around £6-50 (local prices may differ.) and the offer to trade-up to a large portion for a small increase is available. I know these meals are, in the main, “ding” meals, (after I complimented the “chef” through my local JDW's assistant manager a couple of years ago, I was told how busy the microwave operator had been all night, and this was certainly not a surprise !), but, to be honest, they are still tasty, and good value for money. On our last Thursday Curry Club visit, T'other 'arf opted for the Chicken Balti, a rather flavoursome curry, which packed a punch, with a pint of Exe Valley “Sheppard's Crook”, a full and malty Premium Bitter brewed with a hint of fruit in the main taste &, a nice dry, bittersweet finish. I, meanwhile, chose the Beef Madras. I found the meat slightly on the tough side, but still enjoyed it thoroughly, along with my chosen drink, Grainstore Brewing Company's “Ten Fifty”. I was, originally, told that this was a\ Scottish brewer, but I have since found out that they hail a little closer to home, Oakham in Rutland. This 5% Premium Bitter, is said to be the closest brew to the “old” Ruddle's” County, and they are not far wrong. With a rich malt flavour, and a satisfying, but not overpowering, sweetness leading to the bitterness from the well balanced hops, I found this a fine partner to my meal. I am not suggesting that you should ditch your chosen Curry House in favour of JDW's, as I am well aware that most of these establishments, culinary speaking, are far more superior, but for VFM and choice, on a Thursday, you could do far worse.`

Battle of the Bottles. #1

Recently, I suggested I may start a little extra addition to my blog, namely, The Battle of the Bottles. With such a range of beers now available in the local Supermarkets and similar outlets, I thought I would, where possible, try to pair two like-for-like brews together, for a head to head taste off. I will, as always, try to give a fair assessment of my chosen “competitors”, which, even with T'other 'Arf's input, will be an independent, and personal review.

First up, are:-

The Ilkley Brewery's “Joshua Jane” (3.7%) v The York Brewery “Yorkshire Terrier” (4.2%).

Both billed as Yorkshire Bitters, and both brewed within the White Rose County. On pouring, the first thing we noticed was the difference in colour. Joshua Jane was a rich amber coloured beer, whilst Yorkshire Terrier was a hint lighter, and the head did not stay around as long. Initial aroma of Joshua Jane was of a slight toffeeness, and a hint of grass, whereas York Brewery's beer had a sweet and fruity nose, this was also noticeable in the initial taste. The bottle notes suggested at “a modest salt” taste to the Ilkley beer, which I did not pick up. There was slight sweetness leading to a hint of caramel, and a lovely zesty dry bitterness throughout, and the finish was reasonably long, dry and bitter. I thought it a little over carbonated, but not too much as to distract from the overall balance. The Terrier, on the other hand, is more dominated from the citrus and, well, slight berry fruitiness,with an almost biscuit aftertaste, which leads to a clean, and bright, bitter finish.There is just a little more complexity to this brew, but with an underlying stability. I thought both beers were very good, both displayed similar traits in the bitterness and dryness of the finish, but the fruit and hops driving the Yorkshire Terrier just tipped the balance for me. Joshua Jane is still a “reight good beer”, and would knock many a challenger into a cocked hat, but in this little contest, the more rounded, richer tasting Yorkshire Terrier just growled a little louder.

Cheers and keep it “Real”

Time for a quickie !

 I know, I know. You've been missing my appraisals, occasional diatribes and comic genius that I have offered on here, until just lately (okay, maybe a bit over the top with the comedy reference!), in my reviews of boozers, brews and my life in general. The truth is, and I struggle to see how, all my spare time I used to have seems to have dissipated, vamoosed, buggered off, if you like, leaving my over creative right forefinger little time to tap away, artistically, at my laptop keys. I have very little time to use it for any function at the moment (before you start thinking thoughts, I mean picking my nose !). Never mind, I will valiantly strive onwards.

Celebration Time

So, I am happily settled into my new job, adjusting to a new shift system which, oddly, will seemingly go against what you read my opening paragraph, by giving me an extra day between shift changes than my previous employ (?). We have still been out and about, but somewhat less than we had been before our recent trip “Darn Sarf” to Kent. The usual haunts have been visited, but, sadly, one of them, The Parity, on my last excursion to this, one time, favourite, failed to produce a single pint fit for sampling, from it's four handpumps. This meant a pint of “John Smith's” keg and an early finish to that little session. One pub we re-visited, for the first time in several years, was The Empire. We had just arrived home from Kent, grubbed around on the allotment plot for an hour, before deciding to venture out to The Wheatsheaf for a couple of beers. I relaxed with a pint of Cameron's “150”, a Celebration Ale to commemorate 150 years of brewing by this Hartlepool based brewery. A 5% version of “Stongarm”, with a bitter-sweet taste and well hopped finish, I found this a quite pleasing Ruby coloured Ale, and a fitting tribute to the North East Company's sesquicentennial anniversary. T'other 'Arf chose the 4.1% Daleside Best Bitter, “Old Leg Over”. A rather sweet brew, with fruits coming to the fore, and a pleasing dry finish. As we savoured these, we were quite surprised to see my brother and his family at the bar. After the initial greetings, we were asked if we were going to our niece's 40^th. Unfortunately, we had not received our invitation, so knew nothing of it. That is how 2 near scruffs ended up in The Empire, dressed VERY informally for a birthday bash. Never mind, we were warmly received and enjoyed this family occasion. The pub, in Runswick Road, is a typical 2 room “estate” pub, geared very much to the locals and their tastes. It used to serve “Tetley's” and “Hobgoblin” on cask, I was informed, but these are a rarity now. I had to satisfy myself with “Guinness Extra Cold” , a most bland of stouts, but beggars can't be choosers, as the saying goes. A great night was had by all, which was more important than the wares available. The following week, or so, I managed to get into The Yarborough Hotel on a couple of occasions, and, luckily, experienced some differing beers. I happened to bump into an acquaintance from my taxi driving days on one afternoon. Mick, a fisherman for many years, was a regular fare for the company I worked for, and we had a good yarn about the fishing industry. It is so sad that the industry on which Grimsby was built around, prospered on and has taken so many men to an early, and in most cases, a watery grave, has now, almost, disappeared. From the days of well over 200 deep sea sidewinder trawlers being registered and regularly sailing from the port, less than 10 smaller North Sea boats now bear the famous GY prefix on their number. I shall not go on, but will always feel that certain politicians happily sold us down the river.

Back to those beers. Firstly, Moorhouses “Farmhouse”, this 4.6% Saison style beer has a sweet aroma, rather like damp cardboard. This is followed by a slight berry taste and then a big Grapefruit finish, with plenty of zest. This is beer packed with punch. Over the last few weeks The Kelham Island Brewery, from Sheffield, has had a good representation of it's Ales on at The Yarborough. 2 new ones I have tasted recently are “California Drinking” a 4.8% American style Blonde Ale. The flavour of this dark hued beer is malty, slightly easing towards cinder toffee, followed by a light fruity hint, orange zest comes to the fore, but also a touch of woodiness. Quite a complex brew, which is very easy drinking, as the balance is just right. “Gentleman Death”

Baltic Porter at it;s best.

was another from this excellent brewers. At 6%, this extremely dark Baltic Porter is unbelievably smooth and silky, with a lovely malty taste. The backtaste is a mix of dark chocolate and, almost, a cappuccino coffee. I found it quite irresistible and moreish. I was also fortunate enough to savour “Dark Age” , a 4% Mild from the Celt Experience. The initial taste is quite sweet, with chocolate, caramel and spice combining well and adding a hint of bitterness into the medium finish. One beer I was a little disappointed by was “Posh IPA”, a 5.4% “Goumet fruity IPA” from Yeovil Ales. This beer had a slight fruitiness, medium bitterness, which leads to a bitter-sweet, rather short finish. I wouldn't say it was a bad beer,no, not by any means, it just didn't seem to lift itself from first taste to finish. And that is about it with the cask beer reviews for now, although T'other 'Arf and I have had another couple of sojourns to the local hostelries over the last couple of days, which I shall write about soon, and I also have a bottled beer review to follow, but until then, once again Cheers and keep it “Real”