You can't argue with that

Couple of festival plugs

http://www.oxtedlimpsfieldbeerfestival.co.uk/

my local festival - second year and very well received last year...



http://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/article/third-annual-cpfc-beer-festival-599443.aspx

went to this last year and thought it very well organised

Both definitely worth a visit!

Great British Beer Festival

Here right now.
First half Snowdonia Ale from Purple Moose. A very pleasant start!

Admirals Ale

Just enjoying this bottle conditioned ale. Rather pleasant, quite a smooth flavour, if a little fizzier than a draught

St Austell Brewery tour

Whilst in cornwall on hols I went on the St Austell Brewery tour. Have to say they have a fine selection of beers.

The tour itself was excellent, compared with others I been on they seem to show more of the process. At the end we had samples from four of their specialist bottles:

Admiral Ale: 5% ABV - good bottled beer
Smugglers: 6% ABV - liked this one, full flavoured and rich
Strawberry Blonde: 4% ABV not sure about this, for me this didn't seem to have the class of say a Belgium fruit beer
Clouded Yellow: 4.8% ABV - this is apparently great with curries and I can see why, have bought a couple of bottles to test out that theory ;-)

Then two tokens for two halves or a pint.

The two halves I had were Tribute and Proper Job, both of which I thoroughly enjoy but with very different flavours.

Tribute(4.5 ABV) is a great session beer and Proper Job (4.2% ABV) has just the right hint of citrus without it overpowering the bitter taste.

Some people may remember a beer called Tinners well this is being phased out and replaced by Trelawny, slightly weaker, but a great taste none-the-less, had a couple of these on with a meal out whilst away too!

http://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/

Once again the west country comes up trumps!!

Oxted and Limpsfield Beer Festival

Plug for my nearest beer festival, only realised it was on recently and sadly I'll be on holiday!

http://www.oxtedlimpsfieldbeerfestival.co.uk/

One thing I can guarantee, if its a nice day you couldn't ask for a better location, overlooking a cricket field with old English church in the background, what could be better. (BR station only 5 minutes walk away!)
I just hope its the start of an annual thing.

Some nice beers on offer too!

Garlic Beer

When in the Isle of Wight this year I bought a bottle of Garlic Beer, from, not surprisingly, The Garlic Farm. (Which incidentally do some fantastic relishes!)

Rather naively I thought it'd be a beer with a hint of garlic.

Initially, on opening the bottle I made the mistake of not checking that it was bottled conditioned, however I not sure that really mattered, as the beer wasn't really pouring that well out of the neck due to the whole garlic plugging its exit!!

Now I like garlic, garlic bread, Boursin cheese spread, pizza .... can I add garlic beer to that ... no.

Can I re-iterate that, no, no, no and no.

To be honest I barely took a sip, I didn't have to.

Does anyone repeat buy, other than just repeat!