The Lemon Fool

AleisterCrowley wrote:I don't mind Pride in good condition. I was lucky as I used to drink it in the Victoria (Paddington) near our old office and all the beer was in good nick. Lovely little pub.
http://www.victoriapaddington.co.uk/
http://www.victoriapaddington.co.uk/360-tour
I'm also quite partial to Chiswick as a nice refreshing sunny-evening-in-the beer-garden beer

What do you think will be the sensible drinker's choice in The Grafton on Thursday?

John

Something to suit the lone drinker - as we're all at The Clachan...



(The Clachan is a Nicholsons, so "Nicholson's Pale Ale" - brewed by St Austell- is a standard, plus loads of guests)

AleisterCrowley wrote:Something to suit the lone drinker - as we're all at The Clachan...



(The Clachan is a Nicholsons, so "Nicholson's Pale Ale" - brewed by St Austell- is a standard, plus loads of guests)

LOL

I see they have the aforementioned Purity Mad Goose, must try some.

John

If it's on :they don't (IIRC) have the full list on at any one time.
Beer condition is normally good - Nicholson's are my favourite 'chain' pub - they are owned by M&B but seem to have retained their independence.
The one in Windsor is where I normally end up if I'm touring those parts of an evening.

AleisterCrowley mentioned Citra - outstanding single-hop stuff from Oakham Ales (of Peterborough, not Oakham) which I am drinking at this very moment. Their stronger Bishops Finger is also worth a glass.

stewamax wrote:AleisterCrowley mentioned Citra - outstanding single-hop stuff from Oakham Ales (of Peterborough, not Oakham) which I am drinking at this very moment. Their stronger Bishops Finger is also worth a glass.

I thought that Bishops Finger was a Shepherd Neame brew?

Slarti

Slarti wrote:

stewamax wrote:AleisterCrowley mentioned Citra - outstanding single-hop stuff from Oakham Ales (of Peterborough, not Oakham) which I am drinking at this very moment. Their stronger Bishops Finger is also worth a glass.

I thought that Bishops Finger was a Shepherd Neame brew?

Slarti

Bishops Farewell I believe.

Enjoyed a pint of Buxton Myrcia at the Pint Shop in Cambridge this evening. A new beer for me but a very interesting one brewed with oatmeal and wheat. Described as a Session IPA. A cloudy amber/orange appearance but looks can be deceiving; a really nice pint.

All the best, Si

simoan wrote:Enjoyed a pint of Buxton Myrcia at the Pint Shop in Cambridge this evening. A new beer for me but a very interesting one brewed with oatmeal and wheat. Described as a Session IPA. A cloudy amber/orange appearance but looks can be deceiving; a really nice pint.

All the best, Si

That sounds rather like those hybrids that lie somewhere between English Ale and German Weizenbier. They can be nice, and are at their best drunk chilled on a hot summer day.

UncleIan wrote:Looking at where they are, they couldn't really kick on without getting someone else to brew it too, or a wholesale move to a much bigger location. I'm assuming Doombar isn't all brewed in Cornwall. Maybe they don't want to be the new Doombar. Though their TEA is almost as ubiquitous as Doombar around here, but I guess it would be.

It's pretty common for expanding breweries to move, sometimes a significant distance - Oakham, which has just been mentioned (although I remember when it was still in Oakham...) and Moor are better-known examples although I can think of several more on a local level. It is a bit of an indictment of our planning system though that expanding businesses can struggle so much with that kind of thing.

Although people made a big deal of Doom Bar bottles being brewed in Burton, it's worth remembering that >80% of Doom Bar is still brewed in Cornwall, over a million pints per week - Coors have poured £10m's into the brewery since they bought it.

UncleEbenezer wrote:

simoan wrote:Enjoyed a pint of Buxton Myrcia at the Pint Shop in Cambridge this evening. A new beer for me but a very interesting one brewed with oatmeal and wheat. Described as a Session IPA. A cloudy amber/orange appearance but looks can be deceiving; a really nice pint.

All the best, Si

That sounds rather like those hybrids that lie somewhere between English Ale and German Weizenbier. They can be nice, and are at their best drunk chilled on a hot summer day.

The influence lies firmly in New England - New England/Vermont IPAs are _the_ current fashionable style, and most of the cool kids have already brewed some at the "original" ABV of 6-7%, and are now trying to interpret that super-juicy style into a session version more compatible with British drinking habits/duty/drink-driving laws. It's really hard to get right though, without the alcohol the juiciness and lack of bitterness tends to turn to flabbiness - I think they really need a bit of extra bitterness on the finish but then one is getting away from the very nature of NE IPAs. Hence comparative reviews such as this one : http://www.mostlyaboutbeer.co.uk/vertical-whimsy/ which isn't quite your traditional beer review

A few per cent of wheat in a grist bill does not a wheat beer make. Usually wheat is used for head retention in pale ales and IPAs, oatmeal would be used for mouthfeel.

But still quite definitely still in Oakham is the Grainstore Brewery (and pub) that has the advantage of being right next door to the railway station*.
The medium weight Summer seasonal Gold, and permanent GB Best and (one that has been there since Day 1) Triple B are my personal favourites. Cooking - another of their original beers - is also a good bet.

* especially if you over-enjoy Winter Nip which now appears to be available throughout the year

The parakeet beer from Oakham was 20% off at Edenbridge Waitrose, making it about the same price as the Citra. Luvly jubbly.

Adnams Ghost Ship. The taste was like the Marie Celeste, it had all gone missing. I must try it again some time when I haven't got a head cold.

BJ

Timothy Taylor's Landlord - it was a good pint.

Better was that the pub I was in had a major refurb a couple of months back, and didn't ruin it. It was heaving, well, maybe not heaving, and everyone had a seat, buzzing then, yes, buzzing. Hope they can make a good go of it, as it's the last pub in that suburb/village, and it's my scout hut local, i.e. where we leaders go for a pint after for "review the evening" and "planning".

UncleIan wrote:Timothy Taylor's Landlord - it was a good pint.

Better was that the pub I was in had a major refurb a couple of months back, and didn't ruin it. It was heaving, well, maybe not heaving, and everyone had a seat, buzzing then, yes, buzzing. Hope they can make a good go of it, as it's the last pub in that suburb/village, and it's my scout hut local, i.e. where we leaders go for a pint after for "review the evening" and "planning".

TT Landlord used to be my beer of choice when I lived in York in the 80s, it's still good today...
I am just about to go to my local for an early doors tipple, they usually have at least three keg and three casks of decent stuff on, I'll let you know how I get on.

John

Wildcat from Cairngorm Brewery. Mmmm.

Scott.

Back from the pub after a very nice pint of Dark Star American Pale Ale

https://www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/beers/apa

Very nice indeed, full of flavour with a nice hoppiness but not as thin as some over hopped IPAs can be.

Followed with a pint of my usual 3.8% Red Cat Prowler since I was driving.

Good little session, chewing the cud with my old mate for an hour and a half. he had three pints of Kronnenberg...the pleb!

John