Old Blue Last pub EC2A at 1843 on 10 May 2012.

I attended the annual Wetherspoon 2011 Spring Real Ale Festival at various JDW establishments across London.

The Festival, which ran 14 March to 1 April 2012, featured 50 real ales and 10 ciders.

Five of the ales were by international brewers but specially brewed in the UK, shown by [international special] below.

Here’s the beers I sampled over the two and half week festival, along with marks out of ten and a brief comment:

• Cairngorm Red Mountain – 8/10 steel [international special]
• Caledonian Coffee Porter – 8.7/10 rich
• Celt Experience Newmans Spring Cottage Biscuit – 7.8/10 buscuity!
• Franklins Brighton Rock – 8.7/10 just mowed
• Highgate Bee-Zone – 8/10 golden
• Holts Two Hoots – 8.4/10 refreshing
• John Martin Pale Ale – 7.5/10 copper [international special]
• Nøgne ø Bitter – 7.75/10 lightly smooth [international special]
• Smuttynose Murrikan Mild – 7.7/10 lively
• Springhead Willy’s Wheatbeer – 6.5/10 fragile
• Titanic Nine Tenths Below – 7.5/10 brassy
• Wood Hopping Mad – 8.3/10 new woodland
• Wooden Hand Parte’s Gold – 7.7/10 lively
• Wychwood King Goblin – 8.5/10 deceptive
• Zululand Zulu Blonde – 8/10 golden [international special]

Full details are given in the festival tasting notes [6.7MB PDF].

I went to the London Drinker Beer and Cider Festival 2012 at the Camden Centre yesterday evening.

Here’s the beers I sampled, along with marks out of ten and a brief comment:

• Acorn Barnsley Gold – 7/10 smooth
• Crouch Vale Amarillo – 9/10 lylic
• Dark Star Revelation – 8/10 fruity
• Liverpool Organic Empire Ale – 9/10 earthy
• Tring Side Pocket for a Toad – 9/10 lively

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