I’ve detailed the drinks I sampled at various different JDW pubs during the festival, with marks out of ten.

The festival included American craft ale, shown as [US] below, beer brewed exclusively for the festival [exclusive], and resurrection beer (beer that has not been produced for some time brewed again for the festival) [resurrection].

• Beartown Wojtek- 8.5/10
• Bell’s Brewery Black Silk [US] [exclusive] – 6.5/10
• Box Steam Piston Broke [exclusive] – 7/10
• Brakspear Tripple- 8.75/10
• Brewster’s American Chopper [exclusive] – 8.5/10
• Broadoak Chedder Valley – 7.5/10
• Cotleigh Commando Hoofing IPA – 7/10
• Double Maxim Anderson’s Best Scotch [exclusive] – 7/10
• Everards Whakkatu – 8.5/10
• Exmoor Hart [resurrection] – 7.75/10
• Fat Head’s Yakima Sun [US] [exclusive] – 7/10
• Hilden Twisted Hop [exclusive] – 7.5/10
• Hook Norton Flagship Ale – 8/10
• JW Lees The Governor – 8.5/10
• Moorhouse’s Pendal Porter- 8.75/10
• Oakleaf 10 Little Acorns [resurrection] – 8/10
• RCH Firey Liz [resurrection] – 9/10
• Salopian Vapour Trail [exclusive] – 6/10
• St Austell Proper Black- 8/10
• St Peter’s Golden Ale – 8/10
• Thwaites Daniel’s Hammer [resurrection] – 8/10
• Thatchers Chedder Valley – 7.5/10
• Thornbridge Brother Rabbit – 6/10
• Traditional Scottish Ales Taking the Pith – 7.5/10
• Two Trees Farmhouse Perry – 9/10
• Wells Naked Gold – 7/10
• Wharfebank Treacle Toffee Stout [exclusive] – 8.5/10
• White Horse Rustler [exclusive] – 8/10
• Woodforde’s Kett’s Rebellion [exclusive] – 7/10

Full details are given in the festival tasting notes [2.4MB PDF].

Here’s the cider I sampled during my visits to the festival, along with marks out of ten:

• Addlestones Cloudy – 6/10
• Green Valley Cyder Strawby Cider – 5/10
• Mr Whiteheads Cider Festival Special Perry – 8/10
• Thatchers Traditional – 9/10

I attended the Ealing Beer Festival 2011 held in Walpole Park on 6 July 2011.

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Coach House Banana – 9/10
• Lynne Down Much Marcle cider – 9/10
• Mordue IPA – 8/10
• Outstanding Pushing Out – 9/10
• Rebellion Googly – 5/10

I attended Kingston Beer Festival on 15 May 2011.

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Butts Barbus Barbus – 7/10
• Triple fff Summer is Icumin – 9/10
• Westerham Audit Ale – 8/10

Unfortunately the festival had to close two hours early at 1900 due to the beer running out!

I think a bit more planning for next year may be required…

I attended the Wetherspoon 2011 Spring Real Ale Festival at various JDW pubs in West London recently.

The Festival, which ran 23 March to 10 April 2011, featured 50 real ales and 10 ciders.

Some of the ales were new and brewed exclusively for the festival, [exclusive] below, whilst a few were by international brewers but specially brewed in the UK [international special], to complement the imported beers [international].

A few others were resurrection ales brewed for the festival [resurrection] – in other words beers that have not been produced for some time.

Full details are given in the festival tasting notes [3.7MB PDF].

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Acorn 1887 [exclusive] – 8/10
• Big City Jamaica Stout [international] – 8/10
• Broadoak Perry – 10/10
• Elgood’s Sping Challange [exclusive] – 7/10
• Everards Early Doors [resurrection] – 8/10
• Highgate Fox’s Knob Premium – 8/10
• Holden’s April Shower [resurrection] – 7/10
• Jennings Cocky Blonde – 7/10
• Lancaster Kingmaker – [exclusive] 9/10
• Mauldons Blackberry Porter [exclusive] – 9/10
• Nethergate Saison Challange [exclusive] – 7/10
• Oakham Taipan [exclusive] – 9/10
• Rhymney King’s Ale – 9/10
• Robinsons Ginger Tom – 9/10
• Shepherd Neame East India Pale Ale [resurrection] – 8/10
• Tripple FFF Ramble Tamble [exclusive] – 8/10
• Wadworth 125 Celebratory Stout – 9/10
• Wells Banana Bread Beer – 9/10
• Westons Organic – 11/10
• Zeunerts Ale [international special] – 8/10

I attended the London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2011 at the Camden Centre yesterday evening.

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Brodies Citra – 7/10
• Camden Town Pale Ale – 8/10
• Dark Star Hophead Citra – 7/10
• Redemption Fellowship Porter – 9/10

I attended the Wetherspoon Real Ale and Cider Festival at The Central Bar in Shepherds Bush, West London, yesterday.

The Festival, which is running at participating Wetherspoon pubs, continues until Sunday 14 November 2010.

Included are some international ales, shown by [I] below.

Full details are given in the festival programme [2MB PDF].

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• J W Lees Chocoholic – 9/10
• Caledonian Flying Dutchman Junibier [I] – 6/10
• Birra Del Borgo Castagnale [I] – 7/10
• Banks’s USB – 8/10

Meeting of Tech Ops types at the Coach and Horses on 2 November 2010.

I attended Kingston Beer Festival on the evening of 25 June 2010.

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Castle Rock Black Gold – 9/10
• Grafton Lady Mary – 6/10
• Marble Pint – 7/10
• Welton’s Bobby’s Best – 9/10
• Gwynt Y Doraig Black Dragon Cider – 9/10

I attended the Wetherspoon Spring Real Ale Festival at The Red Lion and Pineapple in Acton, West London, last Friday.

The Festival, which is running at selected Wetherspoon pubs, is featuring up to 50 ales and continues until 25 April 2010.

Some of the ales were new and brewed exclusively for the festival, [FB] below, whilst a few were by international brewers but specially brewed in the UK [IB], to complement the imported beers [I].

A few others were resurrection ales brewed for the festival [RA] – in other words beers that have not been produced for some time.

Full details are given in the festival programme [3MB PDF]

Here’s the drinks I sampled, along with marks out of ten:

• Goose Island Honker’s Ale [IB] – 9/10
• Green King Suffolk Springer [FB] – 11/10
• Herold Black Chalice [I] – 10/10
• Holden’s Burton Runner – 9/10
• Hook Norton Early Mist – 9/10
• Jennings Stickle Pike – 10/10
• Shepherd Neame Fremlins Bitter [RA] – 8/10
• Thwaites Summat Special – 9/10
• Val-Dieu Abbaye Blonde [IB] – 11/10

Pictured are fellow drinkers Nick Carroll and Chris Collier.