Shepherd Neame - Spitfire

Was in the Two Brewers saturday (near Selhurst BR station) and had a couple of fine pints of Spitfire. I had intended asking for a Late Red which I had recently had in a bottle, a very fine pint that was too. However, I guess I must have been a couple of weeks too late for that!

Still Spitfire is a fine pint, clear in colour and sharp in flavour. Very distinctive too. I was quite surprised to see they've only been brewing it since 1990!

Goering Goering Gone!

http://www.spitfireale.co.uk/spitfire-adverts/

Windsor and Eton Brewery

Guardsman Best Bitter

Went to the Croydon and Sutton Beer Festival last night and had a real find in this bitter, was my favourite of the evening. Smooth, with just the right amount of flavour as to make it a perfect session beer, not too strong at 4.2% but with plenty of taste

A relatively new brewery - only opened in 2010 but I think its one with a good future if they continue producing Guardsmans.

View the website for a list of pub that stock their beers

http://www.webrew.co.uk/ourbeers.html

GB Beer Festival overall winners

Overall winners 
Champion Beer of Britain - Mighty Oak, Oscar Wilde (3.7% ABV, Maldon, Essex) 
Second - Marble, Chocolate (5.5% ABV, Manchester, Gtr Manchester) 
Third - Salopian, Shropshire Gold (3.8%ABV, Shrewsbury, Shropshire) 

Mild category 
Gold- Mighty Oak, Oscar Wilde (3.7% ABV, Maldon, Essex) 
Silver- Rudgate, Ruby Mild (4.4% ABV, York, North Yorkshire) 
Bronze- Coastal, Merry Maidens (4% ABV, Redruth, Cornwall) 

Bitter category 
Gold- Salopian, Shropshire Gold (3.8%ABV, Shrewsbury, Shropshire) 
Silver- Teignworthy, Reel Ale (4% ABV, Newton Abbot, Devon) 
Joint Bronze- Triple fff, Alton's Pride (3.8% ABV, Alton, Hampshire) 
Joint Bronze- Potton, Shannon IPA (3.6% ABV, Potton, Bedfordshire) 

Best Bitter category 
Gold- Houston, Peter's Well (4.2% ABV, Houston, Renfrewshire) 
Silver- Country Life, Golden Pig (4.7% ABV, Bideford, Devon) 
Joint Bronze- Castle Rock, Preservation (4.4% ABV, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) 
Joint Bronze- Bollington, Best Bitter (4.2% ABV, Bollington, Cheshire) 
Joint Bronze- Blythe, Staffie (4.4% ABV, Rugeley, Staffordshire) 

Golden Ale category 
Gold- Cumbrian Legendary Ales, Loweswater Gold (4.3% ABV, Hawkshead, Cumbria) 
Silver- Salamander, Golden Salamander (4.5% ABV, Bradford, West Yorkshire) 
Bronze- Holden's, Golden Glow (4.4% ABV, Dudley, West Midlands) 

Strong Bitter category 
Gold- Moles, Mole Catcher (5% ABV, Melksham, Wiltshire) 
Silver- Kinver, Half Centurion (5% ABV, Kinver, Staffordshire) 
Bronze- Adnams Broadside (4.7% ABV, Southwold, Suffolk) 

Speciality Beer category 
Gold- Oakleaf, I Can't Believe It's Not Bitter (4.9% ABV, Gosport, Hampshire) 
Silver- Amber, Chocolate Orange Stout (4% ABV, Ripley, Derbyshire) 
Bronze- Orkney, Atlas Wayfarer (4.4% ABV, Stromness, Orkney) 

Winter Beer of Britain winner (announced in January 2011) 
Dow Bridge, Praetorian Porter (5% ABV, Catthorpe, Leicestershire) 
Holden's, Old Ale (7.2% ABV, Dudley, West Midlands) 
Hop Back, Entire Stout (4.5% ABV, Downton, Wiltshire) 
Marble, Chocolate (5.5% ABV, Manchester, Gtr Manchester) 

Bottled Beer of Britain winners (sponsored by Hotel du Vin) 
Gold- St Austell, Proper Job (5.5% ABV, St Austell, Cornwall) 
Joint Silver- Molson Coors, Worthington White Shield (5.6% ABV, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire) 
Joint Silver- Brown Cow, Captain Oates Dark Oat Mild (4.5% ABV, Selby, North Yorkshire)

Real Ale news!

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/875505-boom-time-for-real-ale-with-trendy-new-image

This is great news, not that it surprises me.

The article mentions an increase in both younger men and women drinkers and I would confirm this too, if only by the clientele seen over the last 20 years of the GBBF.

I can remember in the first few years having a criteria and points system for spotting a certain type of gentleman, it went something like this:
10 points awarded for:

• Bushy beard
• Overhanging beer gut (extra points for an old festival T-Shirt that's far too short exposing belly)
• Sandals and socks
• Biege trousers with useful pockets (extra points for longer socks with shorts)

Extra points for a combination of the above.

Whilst some of that clientele are still at the festival, it has to be said the crowd has changed over the years and it can only be a good thing.

I have also seen two very good blogs by women (which are in my list of links), who would be in the category that the article is talking about. Here's hoping this trend continues.
And as the years go by, lets hope I don't add too many of the criteria!

Molecatcher wins award

http://www.molesbrewery.com/site/?p=696

Glad to see my taste buds aren't too bad, this was my favourite of the ones I tried on the day.

Sharp's Brewery - Doom Bar

Now I must have had a dodgy one the first time I tried this because I've tended to avoid it, until I had little choice this week. How glad I am too, this is a great pint!

I had it with a meal and then asked my wife if she minded driving home so that i could have another!! (In my defence I had just driven all the way back from the coast :-)

It's in that category that you could call a session beer.

Brewery: Sharp's (Rock - Cornwall)
Beer: Doom Bar
Style: Premium Ale 4.0%

Another beer to add to my long collection of likeable west country ales!

http://www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/our-beers/doombar/

Here's a little bit about the name and its origins:
Where the river Camel meets the Atlantic Ocean on Cornwall’s rugged north coast, a sand bank, centuries old, known as the Doom Bar protects and calms this beautiful estuary. Sailors respect the Doom Bar knowing it to be unforgiving if met with haste or arrogance.

Great British Beer Festival 2011

Honourable mention must go to the following beer:

Brewery: Beeston (Norfolk)
Beer: On the Huh
Style: Premium Beer 5.0%

In the GBBF brochure it gave this description:
Chestnut in colour, this is an old style traditional strong bitter. Smooth, malty, rich and full bodied.
I just gave it three stars, however as it was one of the last ones I tried on the day, I honestly can't give you much more description than that!! But as it got the same marks as the Potholer it couldn't have been too bad.

Further beers I had, that got two stars, which would imply an acceptable beer are as follows:

Brewery: Braydon (Wiltshire)
Beer: Yetiz
Style: Bitter 4.1%

Brewery: Keltek (Cornwall)
Beer: Magik
Style: Bitter 4.0%

Brewery: Exe Valley (Devon)
Beer: Silverton Pride
Style: Bitter 3.9%

Brewery: Kelburn (Glasgow)
Beer: Red Smiddy
Style: Premium Ale 4.1%

Brewery: Surrey Hills (Surrey)
Beer: Shere Drop
Style: Bitter 4.2%

and finally one that only got 1 star

Brewery: Church End (Warwickshire)
Beer: Goat's Milk
Style: Golden Ale 3.6%

I had underlined citrus and dry finish and whilst I don't mind a bit of tang it's not my favourite flavour in beer. Although I seem to be seeing many more "citrus" beers at the festival as years go by. Is it an industry idea that these flavours are more palatable? Or a change in drinking habits?