Going round Hull's Old Town tommorow night, some great real ale pubs around there so fingers crossed will have plenty to report back on on Sunday.

To be honest mate I still go out once a week but that's it now. 3-4 years ago it was Friday, Saturday & Sunday many weeks (probably 25 pints in just over 48 hours which I'm not proud of), but obviously I only go out a third of that now (drinking 6-8 pints I'd say) so I'm happy with that.

Had a good trip down to the Br*dford beer festival, which bizarrely was held in Saltaire last night.

The highlight being a cracking pint of Hill Island Black Thai. I'm not usually a fan of ginger beers but this was a great brown ale with just the right amount of ginger, lemongrass and thai spice coming through.

Had an excellent night round Hull's Old Town last night, taking in the following:

Oscars: Brains S.A. 4.2%
Black Sheep 3.8%

Walters: Great Newsom Brewary Sleck Dust 3.8%

Lion & Key (formally Durty Nelly's): Rudgate Brewary Jorvick Blonde 3.8%

Ye Olde Black Boy: Copper Dragon Golden Pippin 3.9%

Lamp: Erdinger Weissbier

Not a bad one amongst them.

Was looking forward to finally trying Brains, nice beer.

Also found the blonde ale in Lion & Key a pleasant change, whilst the Erdinger was the first time I'd had it in maybe a year or two, excellent.

Imperial Blonde from Mexborough's Imperial Brewery, nice hoppy light-coloured ale at the Cask Corner on Saturday night.

Had a few pints of Glentworth Siesta (4.2% abv) in the White Swan today. Before the game and during the second half.


Do all Glentworth ales taste like Jaipur?

Yes, they're all hoppy but they're not as powerful. I must admit that is my one problem with Glentworth beers, they are all very similar in my opinion, very palatable but unremarkable.

I suspect if you did a side-by-side taste test between Jaipur and any Glentworth blonde beer, you would tell the difference

Similar to my problem where I find them all overly-hoppy and therefore all unappealing but each to his / her own.

I would be interested to know which hops Glentworth use as New Zealand/American/German hopped beers seem to be much more to my taste. Just to be awkward though, my preference is for stouts/porters or crossovers like Buxton Black Rocks, styled as a Black IPA.

I hasten to add that I would choose a pint of Glentworth over any nitrokeg any day of the week.

The Magna Real Ale Festival:-

Abbeydale Black Mass
Acorn Gorlovka
Brass Castle Bad Kitty
Concertina Excelsior
Welbeck Abbey Ayrshire
Saltaire Cascadian Black
North Riding Neilson's Sauvin and Fat Lads Framboise Mild
Raw Elements
Blue Bee Rugbee Rugbee Rugbee
Geeves Tunnel Mouth

Not bad for 2 hours work ( 10 x halves )

Top of the tree definitely Brass Castle Bad Kitty.

Great venue though Magna is, am always left disappointed that beers I have tasted in pubs are invariably of lower standard at a Festival. Still, when they have 236 beers to look after with few facilities, they do a sterling job.

Ooh dear! Had rather too much of a good thing Wednesday lunchtime. Started off with a pint of St David's Ale, refreshing and golden,followed by Wharfebank Celtic Glory, a solid stout/porter then four pints of the glorious 1872 Porter ( Elland ) weighing in at a colossal 6.5%! Had quite a wobble on then. Oops!

Yorkshire Terrier in the Boat Inn, Sprotbrough made for a very nice post-victory tipple.

Thought you were on the wagon Gary no real ale postings for a fortnight.

There will be some this week, 3 days off work with plans to go into town on at least two of them.

normal services resumed

Tuesday ...

Brains Milkwood 4.3% (Tut n Shive)
Pennine Brewing Company Amber Necker 3.5% (Cask Corner)
Wells Bombardier 4.1% (Yorkshire Grey)
Wentworth Premier Bitter 4.4% (Old Angel)
Wharfebank Celtic Glory 4.0% (Gatehouse)

Wednesday ...

Brains Milkwood 4.3% (Tut n Shive)
Wentworth Best Bitter 4.3% (Old Angel)
Hydes Owd Oak Dark 3.5% & Skinners Riggin Ale 4.5% (Gatehouse)
Ayrshire Amber Ale 4.6% (Cask Corner)

JD Wetherspoon's latest Real Ale & Cider festival kicked off yesterday (on until April 1).

Ringwood Old Thumper in Hatfields this evening.

I'm almost embarrassed to say I came across Robinson's Old Tom for the first time last weekend. 8.5% in bottles, absolutely fabulous stuff.

I've had it from the cask ... twice in 15 years

... it is, as you say, fabulous!

Going to watch Beagles v Fax tomorrow,usually just have a drink in the stn bar. Any decent real ale pubs near and is Kelham Island within walking distance ?

There's a pub at the other side of the ground to the Arena. There are two actually, but one is a nice cosey one on a corner.
I think it sells real ale and is a spit from the entrance to the stadium.
Dons fans usually go there.

One of these:-
Faras
(210m)
Cocked Hat
(278m)
Greyhound Inn
(352m)
Friendship Inn

The Cocked Hat I think.
If not the Greyhound, I can't remember.

Just checked, it's the Cocked Hat.

Mind you there is a 'pub for let' sign on that photo.

Thanks but we playing at Bramall Lane !!!

Is the Cocked Hat open again???