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Are you Experienced?

Do I like all beer? Well, most beers – there are one or two exceptions. Do I like ALL Beer? Well, yes actually. The ALL Beer Experience is an “interactive guide to beer” – the ALL element refers to the fact that the guide covers the 3 most common types of beer – Ale, Lager […]

County set

I’ve been a fan of Ruddles County for many years, but unfortunately I haven’t had much opportunity to indulge. It was traditionally brewed in Rutland, and although it was an occasional guest beer in a few pubs, I didn’t come across it too often. Ruddles is now a part of Greene King, and it seems […]

X marks the spot

Perhaps “XB hits the spot” might be better. This is Theakston XB (4.5%). It’s a ruby coloured beer, quite a rich and full-bodied. A very hoppy smell, and a bitter, slightly caramel taste – very nice.

A couple of interesting points about this beer – the first concerns the beer’s name. Apparently, at the time […]

Leader of the pack

Yesterday evening we went to a jazz concert – “Jazz in a Summer Meadow” at Harcourt Arboretum, which is part of the Botanical Department of Oxford University. A the name suggests, it is an open-air event where you can take your own picnic, and eat and drink while listening to the music. The weather was […]

The Young’s Ones

Here are a couple of bottle-conditioned beers from Wells & Young’s that are worth trying.

Young’s Bitter (4.5%). The cask version of this beer is a very pleasant 3.7% session beer (see A bit of a pickle). The bottled version – a bit stronger – is also very pleasant. It has a slightly sweet smell […]

Best of British

Just a quick reminder that the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival takes place at Earls Court in London from 4th to 8th August. Over 450 real ales, ciders and foreign beers from around the world – sounds a bit overwhelming, and I don’t think I’ll manage to try all of them! Actually, I’ll be lucky […]

Real Ale and …rain

As predicted, Friday night was a bit damp, though to be fair, the rain did stop, and it did give the opportunity for people to venture outside the marquee later on. It was still a bit cold though, and having found a table with some friends (and being naturalised southern softies), we decided to stay […]

Black and Greene

On Monday evening we went out to the Black Boy at Shinfield. Sarah had acquired some vouchers for a special offer that meant we could get a 2-course meal for a tenner each. The Black Boy is only 2 or 3 miles from where we live, and has seen a number of managers come and […]

Jazz it up

This weekend is the Reading Real Ale and Jazz Festival, at Christchurch Meadows in Reading – and like many recent years, the weather forecast is for rain and wind. When the weather is nice, there is nothing better than sitting out on the grass with a pint of decent beer – but when it’s nasty […]

Marston’s Pedigree – you either love it or you hate it

Well, what’s not to love about Marston’s Pedigree? It’s a lovely beer. No, I’m referring to the special limited-edition Marmite made from the yeast from the Marston’s Pedigree brewing process. There are 500,000 of these jars, styled to look like a cricket ball, to coincide with The Ashes cricket between England and Australia. Marston’s […]