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
