Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 So today begins the start of the Annual Bridge End Beer Festival, in the Bridge End in a village by me called Ruabon. The pub won CAMRA UK Pub of the Year 2011, and came 2nd last year which is really good going for a small Welsh village only known for Mark Hughes and Bryn Law. To say this is one of the highlights of my year is an understatement, and I'll be there for at least 3 of the 4 days. I'm looking very much forward to sampling all 30+ ales and ciders on offer this year, some brewed especially for the occasion. Â Now, I know I'm not the only Real Ale Twat on here, so I thought this'd be a good place to discuss ale, moan about Hobgoblin being for part timers, home brewing, stuff like that really. Â I'll have some tasting notes tomorrow from the first night's festivities. I'm hoping mainly for some cracking porters and American style pales tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bus Surfer Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 I decided to switch to ale from lager a few weeks ago, after sampling some local stuff whilst being away. I have been mainly drinking Hobgoblin since then. Rather enjoying it too. Â I'm obviously out of my depth here, but why the hate for the 'Goblin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Author Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) It's mass produced rubbish, I reckon. They've done a great job branding it, but it's not a great beer by any stretch of the imagination. The stuff you'll find at Beer and Food fairs destroy it. I like locally produced and sourced ales, personally, painstakingly crafted in a microbrewery. Good beer is a passionate labour of love and it really shines through in an A* tipple. I am a massive elitist about it though, which isn't a good thing. I'll be wearing sandals and having loads of keys on my belt loops before you know it. And never having sex again. Edited August 23, 2013 by PowerButchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikey Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) One of my two locals is the "best pub in the area" but that's like being the one-eyed man in the valley of the blind. I always try a super-expensive real ale, their most notable recent addition being from the Cronx Brewery called "Kotchin'". The brewery is in a small industrial unit on the edge of a shit council estate and the company is named after one of Croydon's more modern nicknames. However, it's a decent enough blonde ale and it's nice to see some small companies reverse the trend of brewing. To be fair, beyond kids looking to get fucked up on a Saturday night, middle-aged bores who drink real ale are probably the only reliable punters for a boozer nowadays. Â EDIT: Being down with the urban youth, I have to say "Pint of the Cronx, fam" each and every time I order it. Edited August 23, 2013 by mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 Great Thread Butch  Im back this weekend so might pop over if I have time. Went to the Spitting Feathers beer festival a few weeks ago, had some fantastic Ales (Including his own) The guy who runs it has his own Brewery on his farm and owns The Tap in Chester. If you've not been I suggest you give it a try.  Also quite a fan of Blueball which I think is brewed in Runcorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bus Surfer Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) I guess your right then because I did select the beer based off the design on the bottle. I picked up a couple of bottles of Trooper for the same reason also. I thought that wasn't too bad either to be honest. I'd be happy to try anything, so hopefully this thread will provide some good info. Are there any decent ones that can be found in supermarkets? Edited August 23, 2013 by Silky Kisser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Author Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) Choke, you should definitely make the journey if you've time. It's right by Ruabon train station, if you know the place well at all. I'll be there all day on Sunday if you do pop down. they also got their own microbrewery on the pub grounds in the car park meaning it's not travelled at all and is super fresh as regards their own ales of which they'll offer plenty. My mate who's the brewer for Sandstone out of Wrexham will probably be moaning about all the other beers available, but he brewed a cracking Pale called Citrine recently coming in at a beefy advertised 6.3%, and an actual 7%. Lovely tasting brew though. Very, very moreish. Edited August 23, 2013 by PowerButchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) IPA and Blondes are my weakness with ale. The problem is if i'm drinking something that's anywhere near 6% i know i'm going to be out of action with 'Ale Head' for at least 2 days afterwards. Beer Festival hangovers are never fun. Â I think we've spoken about that pub before. If its the one I'm thinking of it used to be a right shit hole. Is that it? Edited August 23, 2013 by chokeout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Author Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 Yep. Used to be a real fucking dive. Grim shithole when Ray Harris had it playing his Roy Orbison tapes all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Frankie Crisp Posted August 23, 2013 Awards Moderator Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) This thread was inevitable and I had my money on Butch or Philo to start it. You took your time, you sexy Welsh git. Â I've been drinking proper ale for a few years now. I went for the usual mid-twenties ''lager is crap, so I'll drink a proper drink. Ooh, John Smith's!" thinking I was dead grown up. But that now taste like rat AIDS after getting in to some proper drink over the last few years. Before I moved in to town a couple of years back, I was a regular at a local beer festival in Prescot. It was in a leisure centre and not a good one at that, but the quality of the ale was staggering. I was away for the last one but I'll make the effort this year. Whilst nothing to set the world on fire, Cheeky Pheasant is a favourite and is usually one of the first to run out, brewed at Wright's in St. Helens. Which is probably the only good thing to ever come out of that place, apart from Alex Murphy. Â Temptress is a nice drop and as luck would have it the best (and oldest) ale house in Liverpool has recently had it as a guest. My old man is a Mild drinker but as that's becoming less commonplace he'll often join me in trying a few new beers; Temptress is one he loves so I'm hoping it's still on this weekend so I can pop over for a couple. Â Most mates will join me with ale when we're out but I seem to be the only one who likes pales. Sadly most places only do Deuchars but that's a decent enough one if there isn't much choice. Any other decent pales you can recommend, Butch? Edited August 23, 2013 by Frankie Crisp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Author Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) My mate Phill (Hafod Brewery) made a stomping IPA called Hellhammer. Coming in at a heavy 6% it didn't taste even nearly that strong, resulting in some almost inhuman shitting gymnastics pulled off by me the next day. I'm not sure if he still does it though. A lot of the best stuff is only brewed for very limited times, unfortunately, but with me getting going to the festival tonight I'll have some bang up to date news on awesome IPAs still available. I know Shipwreck is a quality IPA however, and that's Liverpool based so should be in abundance. organic too. Â I did the "I'll have a real drink *buys a Worthingtons*" when I was 17. Which explains why I look 40 now at the tender age of 28. Edited August 23, 2013 by PowerButchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chilly McFreeze Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 I don't drink anymore but when I did I mainly drank Ale thanks to my Dad's influence. He was big into CAMRA and set up the first beer festival in Ipswich (I believe the Mild tent is named after him these days since he died, he'd love that.) He also jacked in his job when I was 2 and ran a proper Ale pub for a year. That nearly destroyed him financially but it was him living his dream. My Mum hated it apparently be he loved it. He also was heavy into the memorabilia collecting. Â I didn't become a proper Ale Twat like my Dad, but I always preferred it to Lager in my youth. Can't go wrong with Woodfordes in general. Love a bit of Wherry. Still have a half every now and again if I'm not driving. Â Butch - what would you say was your perfect pint? My Dad finally found his in a little pub on the Isle of Wight one holiday, I will never forget how he gloried over it for an hour. Possibly the happiest I have ever seen him. I wish I could remember what it was. Didn't try it myself as I was too young. Some obscure guest ale I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted August 23, 2013 Author Moderators Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) I had one called Summer Lightning in Wetherspoons in Wrexham town centre in about 2004. It was absolutely fucking perfect. Â EDIT: Quick online search says it's still being brewed. Made by Hopback, and now I'm thinking about picking up the keg twin pack. Edited August 23, 2013 by PowerButchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chilly McFreeze Posted August 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2013 Summer Lightning is awesome. There's also a Winter Lightning which is not quite as good from what I recall, but worth checking out. Wetherspoons do it a lot. I drank it all the time when I worked there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Frankie Crisp Posted August 23, 2013 Awards Moderator Share Posted August 23, 2013 I had one called Summer Lightning in Wetherspoons in Wrexham town centre in about 2004. It was absolutely fucking perfect. EDIT: Quick online search says it's still being brewed. Made by Hopback, and now I'm thinking about picking up the keg twin pack. You're only saying that because you're on the Hopback company logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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