A couple of enjoyable ales from the recent Little Plough Festive Beer Festival which majored on Acorn and Elland brews ...

Acorn Guiding Star 4.5%, a dark, malty and fruity ale. Very nice.

Acorn The 17th Noel 6.4%, dark, malty, fruity, slightly spiced and a little potent. Best of the festival.

Recently enjoyed in the Lower Angel, Warrington ...

Empire Chockwork Orange Porter 4.7%, black with a beige head. Aroma, chocolate and a hint of orange. Taste is chocolate with a little more orange. I like this brewery!

Northern Monkey Film Club 6.0%, a stout which pours black with a red hue and a thin tan head. Aroma and taste, cocoa and popcorn. Nice!

Cross Bay Velvet Blizzard 4.5%, a dark brown porter which has a red hue and a thin tan head. Aroma, malt and plum. Taste is malt, chocolate and fruits. Winner!

Another couple enjoyed in the Lower Angel, Warrington ...

Mad Dog Marmalade IPA 4.5%, pours slightly hazy golden orange. Aroma, sweet malt and orange. Taste is sweet malt, oats and oranges. Has a slightly biscuity finish. Nice.

Distant Hills Loose Nut 5.5%, a stout which pours black with a beige head. Aroma, cocoa and hazelnut. Taste is malt, chocolate, hazelnut and salted caramel. Very nice!

Had a pint of coconut stout in the Gatehouse before Sunday's game.
6% abv.
Talk about sickly .
..

Northern Monkey Underdog 6.0%, a porter, pours black with a beige head. Aroma, sweet malt & chocolate. Taste is malt, chocolate, molasses. The strength is well hidden. Excellent!
(Lower Angel, Warrington - yesterday).

Recently visited London for a concert at the Wembley Arena. Best pint of the day was Electric Bear Inspector Remorse 4.7% in the Holborn Whippet.

A porter which pours black with a beige head and has a roasted malt & chocolate aroma. Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, dark fruits, caramel & toffee. Excellent!

The pub is well worth a visit if in the area. A cafe bar setting with cask, draught and bottled beers. Some food is available such as Pizza and Bratwurst. Only a two minute walk from Holborn tube station.

The Little Plough, Doncaster have in recent days had both Brains Rev. James and Courage Directors in top form.

The pub has a Spring Beer Festival scheduled for Thursday 12 - Sunday 15 March 2020. A minimum of 9 cask ales will be available.

Exeter last week (racing trip) ...

The Quayside has a couple of places well worth a visit ...

The Samuel Jones, owned by St Austell Brewery, is a modernised former warehouse. Half a dozen ales were available in Pints, Two-thirds or thirds. Food is available from Noon until 9.30pm.

The Prospect Inn, which had very welcoming staff, had four cask ales available. We had an evening meal there and the food was excellent!

Favourite ales were ...

Hunters Brewery The Royal Hunt 5.0% (in George's Meeting House) - A copper coloured premium bitter. Aroma and taste, malt, toffee and dark fruits.

Bath Gem 4.1% & Mena Dhu 4.5% (in the Samuel Jones) - The former is a longstanding favourite, the latter a stout with smokey malts, liquorice, chocolate and oats.

South Hams Devon Pride 3.8% (in the Prospect Inn) - An amber bitter combining malt, fruit and caramel.

Sad to hear that Brigantes, York will not be reopening after lockdown. I've enjoyed many a fine pint there.

The award winning pub, owned by Market Town Taverns, was a CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry and supported Yorkshire breweries.

Sadly, I suspect we will hear of many more pubs which don't recover from the impact of the virus / lockdown.

I drove past the leopard earlier which had signs in the window saying this site is closed. Which I hadn't noticed during lockdown

The Devonshire Cat in Sheffield will remain closed and not reopen, Abbeydale Brewery has announced.

More sad news.

Gary, wherever you may be for the re-opening take care mate and enjoy. Its been a bloody long time.

Hi Alan, hope you are well?

No rush for me, I'll give it a week or two and see how things pan out.

Good thinking Gary .

Don't think there is a pub open in Thorne tomorrow ,may be the Barge Inn & that's all ticket.

Hi Paul, hope you are all well.

I miss the pub but not enough to go out this weekend. It's just not necessary.

In good form Gary thanks. We will be taking our time as well and see how it goes, we had a night away in Beverley booked that was cancelled but they kindly put it back so we have the option of up to Christmas to take it.

First visit to a pub for 4 months yesterday.

TT's Landlord in the Salutation being the first pint.

Nice to get back in the 'Little' Plough in the last few days. Acorn Barnsley Bitter on good form.

Wetherspoons first Real Ale festival since pre-Covid / Lockdown commences this week featuring 20 ales from the UK and Ireland.

I'm particularly looking forward to ...

Bath Ales Queen of Hearts
Bru Brewery Brown Ale
Wadworth Sweet Molly

Good to see thread up and running again.

Good hunting Gary.

Cheers ... updates to follow ...

Festival Ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Conwy Brewery El Camino 4.0%

A Golden Ale. Pours clear golden with a small white head and lacing. Aroma, faint citrus. Taste is slightly hoppy with some citrus. On the bland side for my taste buds (hence having it first).

Festival Ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Maxim American Pride 5.2%

An American IPA. Pours amber with a creamy white head and lacing. Aroma, a little malt but more tropical fruit. Taste is somewhat similar with a dry finish.

Festival Ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Greene King Ruby Abbot 5.2%

A Premium or Strong Ruby Ale. Pours dark amber with a white head and lacing. Aroma, malt and dark fruit. Taste is malt, toffee and dark fruit. Falls somewhere between Abbot and Reserve but is nice enough.