Now that is a lovely pint of ale, but hard to find.

Had a lovely pint of Hazelnut and Coffee Porter (Saltaire) today and the rare but lethal Abbot Reserve; later, had a pint of Club Extreme at the Concertina Band Club in Mexborough.

Love Abbot Reserve but not found any since April!

Next Wetherspoons International Real Ale Festival, Thursday 30 October to Sunday 16 November 2008. Includes ... Guest brewers from America, Australia, Denmark & Japan. Imported beers from Belgium & Poland. Speciality, seasonal, organic & fruit beers. Beers brewed exclusively for J D Wetherspoon. Ales selected in partnership with CAMRA drinkers. More details and list of Ales ... www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/promotions/2008 ... -festival/

Next Wetherspoons International Real Ale Festival, Thursday 30 October to Sunday 16 November 2008. Includes ... Guest brewers from America, Australia, Denmark & Japan. Imported beers from Belgium & Poland. Speciality, seasonal, organic & fruit beers. Beers brewed exclusively for J D Wetherspoon. Ales selected in partnership with CAMRA drinkers. More details and list of Ales ... www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/promotions/2008 ... -festival/

Managed to find a pint of Hobgoblin in Barristers Bar in Bolton town centre yesterday afternoon. Went some way to making up up for not getting to the Reebok ... but that's another story!

Blackberry Cascade (Saltaire)
Gathering Storm (Leeds)
Best Bitter (Timothy Taylor)
Old Speckled Hen (Morland)

all sampled on Sunday in the Brighouse / Rastrick area but the best drink of the day was

Black Witch (Moorhouse).

Must give a special mention to the Roundhill Tavern at Rastrick. First time ever in the place, but made to feel extremely welcome by the lovely young blonde barmaid who pointed us in the direction of Cheese, Pate and Biscuits as well as serving a quality pint of T Taylors Best! Winner!

Didn't forget. Features on three brewerys this time;

Leeds Brewery
York Brewery
and the Brown Cow Brewery (at Selby).

Made me fancy a pint!

I've been a bit dry of late, but sampled some Badger Golden Champion bottled ale at the weekend. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.
Looking forward to Friday night at the Fighting Cock, Bradford & Saturday afternoon round Halifax. If anyone can recommend anywhere in the centre of the latter I should be grateful.

Not a personal recommendation as Halifax is not a place that I know too well but the GBG 2009 speaks highly of the Three Pigeons (1 Sun Fold, South Parade) - Previous CAMRA award-winner.

An agreeable pint of Thornbridge Jay Wick this lunchtime at the Bluecoat, preceded by a tasty pint of Abbott at the Cross Keys, both in Rotherham.

Am traipsing to North Wales for a few days from Friday. Any suggestions from the Good Beer Guide in the vicinity of Pwllheli and 20 mile radius thereof would be appreciated . Yes I know what I said earlier




Perhaps it is indispensable after all

There seems to be only five in the 2009 GBG starting at Porthmadog and working West;

Spooners Bar, Harbour Station, Porthmadog
Station Inn, Station Platform, Porthmadog
Castle Inn, Criccieth
Lion Hotel, Tudweiliog
Ship Hotel, Aberdaron

Hope that helps.

Thanks. None of these are too far away from our base. Could even fit in the Ffestiniog railway whilst visiting Porthmadog

Cheers!

Enjoy and post a report when you get back.

Third part of Yorkshire's Perfect Pint featured three more Breweries;

Copper Dragon (Skipton)
Wold Top (Driffield)
and
Theakstons (Masham)

Final part Monday 03/11/08 10.40pm Yorkshire ITV.

Watched Neil Morrissey's Risky Business this evening (part one of three).

The star of Men Behaving Badly and pal Richard Fox set out to open their own pub and micro brewery.

The pub in question being Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn at Marton cum Grafton in North Yorkshire. The Brewery, the Morrissey Fox has already been notified to CAMRA and is recorded in the 2009 GBG future breweries section.

Quote ="WANDERER"Watched Neil Morrissey's Risky Business this evening (part one of three). '" Risky Business? Any microbrewery would kill for the sort of advertising appearing on television would give. Good luck to them - any idea when it opens? Who will be the first to review the beer on this thread? Talking of new breweries, a friend of mine is involved in one which has just started brewing in Wrexham (website, www.sandstonebrewery.co.uk). A long way from Doncaster, but I'm sure this thread is read by lots of others.

Quote ="WANDERER"Watched Neil Morrissey's Risky Business this evening (part one of three). '" Risky Business? Any microbrewery would kill for the sort of advertising appearing on television would give. Good luck to them - any idea when it opens? Who will be the first to review the beer on this thread? Talking of new breweries, a friend of mine is involved in one which has just started brewing in Wrexham (website, www.sandstonebrewery.co.uk). A long way from Doncaster, but I'm sure this thread is read by lots of others.

Weatherspoons real ale fest starts Thursday 30th October for two weeks.

Yes, there's a link on the previous page (Page 27) to Wetherspoons site which lists all the ales on offer.

Bone- dry weekend, apart from the horrific weather, although I have managed to pick up some bottled beers from breweries in Portmadoc and Conway.

Yesterday I had a taster rack of Okell's Eastern Spice, Wychwood Hobgoblin and Bateman's Saucy Madam (?) at the Golden Ball, Whiston. The Okell's was more like a ginger beer than a real ale despite an ABV of 4.5. The other two, I'd give about 7 out of 10 for each.

Gatehouse, Doncaster tonight - festival kick-off!

A nice light bitter called Bonkers Conkers from the Westgate Brewery. Definitely worth a re-visit.

Started last night with Triple FFF Alton's Pride (Champion Beer of Britain 200icon_cool.gif.

Also tried;
Wadworth Camrale
Wentworth WPA (Woppa)
Elland Old Skool
Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew
and allegedly,
Mikkels Vikings Return.

The reason I say allegedly is because it's described as an amber coloured ale but was presented as a black porter! Not sure if we actually got the right beer although it was pulled from the pump with the Vikings Return clip attached.

The other funny thing was a number of the real ales available last night weren't on the festival list, the Woppa, Old Skool and Pendle Witches Brew to name but three!

Moorhouses Black Cat in the Spinners Arms, Adlington (between Bolton and Chorley) last night. Then later on the way home called at the Cemetary, Rochdale (appropriate with it being Halloween) and had a pint of Wells Bombadier.

The Cemetary, Rochdale is in new hands(again) and
seems to be doing ok. Usually about 6 hand pulled
beers on.

When we last called there in July it was closed but last night it was doing a roaring trade.