Settled for a night in last night so a few bottles were the order of the day;

Wychwood Hobgobin
Joseph Holts 1849
Thwaites Liberation
Arran Sunset (brought back from the Brewery in September)
Batemans Dark Lord

All very enjoyable.

Fourth and final part of Yorkshires Perfect Pint last night featured the Saltaire Brewery (Shipley) and Timothy Taylors (Keighley).

According to the programme Yorkshires Perfect Pint is ......

3rd - Wold Gold - Wold Top Brewery (Driffield)
2nd - Hazelnut Coffee Porter - Saltaire Brewery (Shipley)
Winner - Hetton Pale Ale - Dark Horse Brewery (Skipton)

Wold top is a lovely pint

Sampled the following at the Gatehouse last night;

Mansfield Old Baily (now brewed by Banks)
Batemans Eastern Promise
Everards Equinox

Again, not everything in order this time with the Real Ale Festival. Eight pumps available for festival ales but five of them with 'Coming Soon' notices on them and only the above three ales available. Somewhat disappointing after the success of the previous festival earlier this year.

There is a chance to meet the people behind the Thorne Brewery at the Business Showcase event at the Doncaster Dome on Monday 27 November between 12pm and 8pm. At the event there is also the chance to join the new Friends of Thorne Brewery organisation. www.thornebrewery.com

There is a chance to meet the people behind the Thorne Brewery at the Business Showcase event at the Doncaster Dome on Monday 27 November between 12pm and 8pm. At the event there is also the chance to join the new Friends of Thorne Brewery organisation. www.thornebrewery.com

Paid another visit to the Gatehouse yesterday evening to take in some more Festival Ales.

Started off with a very nice Belgian Ale called Anker Gouden Carolus Ambrio (8.0% ABV) which had a full bodied caramel maltiness about it.

Next up was another International Ale, this one Barons Black Wattle Original Ale (4.8%) being from Australia. Another lovely drink with toffee, chocolate and caramel flavours as well as (the festival guide informs) Australian roasted Wattle Seed.

Also tried

Caledonian Smokey Pete (4.3%)
Elland 1872 Porter (6.5%) - not on the festival list
Thwaites Liberation (4.5%)

the latter named being the only one sampled previously.

Tasted Brains' Top Notch and Mikkel's Viking Voyage this lunchtime. Both very tasty. The Danish brew starts out with a very burnt flavour but after a short while citrus notes take over. Nice surprise after the original taste.

Also sampled a palatable Japanese brew at the Bluecoat last week but can't remember its name.

If it's the festival ale, it's Yo-Ho Yona Yona.

Got to sample a few more festival ales at the Gatehouse last night ...

Clark's Henry's Harvest Special (4.4% ABV) - a light brown beer from the Wakefield Brewery.

Okell's Maclir (4.4%) - a wheat beer from the Isle of Man which is said to have hints of Banana and Lemon but must have passed me by.

Firestone Walker California Pale Ale (4.5%) - as the name suggests an American ale (with a hint of toffee).

Titanic Iron Curtain (6.0%) - a new beer brewed in the style of a traditional Russian Stout but without the full strength. Deep and rich with biscuity malt flavours.

and the best drink of the evening ...

Brains Top Notch (4.4%) - a dark ruby ale with an oaky flavour. Another winner from the Cardiff Brewery which brought us the delicious Rev James!

It was Mikkel Berg Bjergso's Viking's Return ( I think)



It was indeed Yona Yona. Tasted the best of the festival so far yesterday. Traditional Scottish Breweries' Lomond Gold - nectar in a glass!

I had a pint of that on Sunday in the Red Lion on my way to the Cenotaph.
Very nice.......had another on the way back.

Had another today, just to make sure

, also had a very presentable 3.8% ABV beer called Red Rage from the Highgate Brewery.

Incidentally, if you're out there, Gary, would appreciate some pointers re the Lake District ( other than the Watermill Inn, which is a given )? Thanks

The Watermill Inn at Ings is as you say a 'given'. A fantastic establishment for both food and drink.

To be fair, its about 4 years now since I spent any time that way except for passing through on the way to the rugby.

If you are in the South Lakes, which Ings is not too far from, any of the following;

Golden Rule, Ambleside (on the road to Kirkstone) - a regular in the GBG and an out-and-out beer pub.

Drunken Duck, Barngates - home of Barngates Brewery.

Black Bull, Coniston - home to the Coniston Brewing Co.

Royal Oak, Bowness - popular with walkers as the Dales Way passes by.

Beer Hall, Staveley - Brewery tap of the Hawkshead Brewery.

Others;

Kings Arms Hotel, Hawkshead.

Tweedies Bar, Dale Lodge Hotel, Grasmere.

Church House Inn, Torver.

Wainwrights Inn, Chapel Stile.

Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Great Langdale.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice, Gary, although some of those names like the Black Bull at Coniston and the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel ( not forgetting the Hawkshead Visitor Centre) are already well-known to me. As it happened, once again I went alcohol-free for the weekend.

However....................................I've sampled two fine ales this lunch-time, Saltaire Stateside IPA, a very dangerously drinkable 6%ABV and White Horse, a somewhat sickly sweet Epona at 4.3% ( maybe it was just the Stateside which spoiled my palate

)

The Yates in Doncaster is in the process of being transformed into a Lloyd's No 1 Bar. Another outlet for decent beer, but very close to the existing Wetherspoons.

See here ... www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/pubs/pub-detail ... umber=6153

See here ... www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/pubs/pub-detail ... umber=6153

Have been sampling a number of excellent Leeds Brewery ales recently, their pale is my favourite, at their newly opened Brewery Tap pub on Leeds station forecourt (to the right as leave the main entrance, about 50m, opposite the multi-storey car park) & the Midnight Bell in Holbeck. Both have excellent looking food, which I've yet to try. BTW if you are in ther South Lakes try the fantastic Masons Arms at Strawberry Bank, Bowland Bridge, betwen Kendal & Bowness. www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/

Have been sampling a number of excellent Leeds Brewery ales recently, their pale is my favourite, at their newly opened Brewery Tap pub on Leeds station forecourt (to the right as leave the main entrance, about 50m, opposite the multi-storey car park) & the Midnight Bell in Holbeck. Both have excellent looking food, which I've yet to try. BTW if you are in ther South Lakes try the fantastic Masons Arms at Strawberry Bank, Bowland Bridge, betwen Kendal & Bowness. www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/

When I have tried the Leeds Brewery beers previously I have found them a little bland, as if the boil wasn't furious enough. Wentworth seems to suffer the same problem too.

I must admit that, if I recall correctly, the only Leeds Brewery beer I have had to date is Midnight Bell which is quite a favourite of mine.

As far as Wentworth Brewery ales go, I tend to only really enjoy the stronger or darker brews such as Rampant Gryphon, Black Zac and Oatmeal Stout. The point about the boil sounds like a reasonable argument.

They do a strong seasonal pale also, called Hellfire, which is delicious.

Quote ="tigertot"They do a strong seasonal pale also, called Hellfire, which is delicious.'" www.leedsbrewery.co.uk/seasonal I'll look out for it.

Quote ="tigertot"They do a strong seasonal pale also, called Hellfire, which is delicious.'" www.leedsbrewery.co.uk/seasonal I'll look out for it.

Been up Tyne and Wear and Northumberland and finally had the opportunity to sample some beers. Went to the Alum Ale House in South Shields, which as well as having a great ambience had a couple of fine ales in Jennings' Sneck Lifter and Brakspear's Oxford Gold. There were six or seven others on, none of which , unfortunately, was from a microbrewery.

However, ventured into the Crown Posada, a real drinkers pub on the CAMRA heritage list in Newcastle city centre and had two Sulwath ( Solway) brews; Criffel, a very moreish IPA and Galloway Gold, a citrusy flavoured 5% lager with real taste

Tipples tasted today:- Acorn Crystal Glaze, Spire Dark Side Of The Moon and E & S's Nettle Thrasher. The first one is the only one new to me and, as you would expect for the consistency of Acorn, a good brew.

The other two are tried and trusted by yours truly.

Two corkers tasted today, Spire's Coal Porter and the dependable Acorn,turning in a stunner in the form of Ahtanum IPA. Those Ahtanum hops are the real deal!