Your Fav' Real Ales

mr_goo
mr_goo Posts: 3,770
edited December 2012 in The cake stop
Did this a couple of years back. Thought I would start it off again. The winter is approaching and copper ales, stouts (Guiness does not count on this one) and porters will be hitting the shelves.

Some of my all time favourite ales:
1. Ruddy Darter - Andwells
2. Dark Island - Orkney
3. Red MacGregor - Orkney
4. Eastgate - Wheetwood
5. Chocolate Cherry Mild - Dunham Massey
6. King John - Andwells

....... too many now that I come to think of it. Off to the Beer Festival at Bransgore this weekend. 30 ales to have a bash at. Can't wait.
Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
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Comments

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,249
    Beer festival at my local a while back and the ones that most impressed me were a couple of wheat beers. Quite odd at first it's like a cross between a German wheat beer and real ale. Not surprising as that's exactly what they are. One was Bobby on the Wheat, can't remember the other. The Roebuck by Richmond Park has had Bobby on quite a bit through the sumer. Usually a good choice of ales.
    I'd highly recommend the Sussex Arms in Twickenham for a variety of ales.
  • Current beer favourites are from Thornbridge (the Jaipur IPA is outstanding) and Blue Monkey Brewery from Nottingham.
    I've also recently enjoyed Wojtek from Beartown and an excellent dark lager (cask) from Oakleaf.

    It's not just Belgian Beer quaffing - I like to remain cosmopolitan in my beer drinking.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • mr_goo
    mr_goo Posts: 3,770
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Beer festival at my local a while back and the ones that most impressed me were a couple of wheat beers. Quite odd at first it's like a cross between a German wheat beer and real ale. Not surprising as that's exactly what they are. One was Bobby on the Wheat, can't remember the other. The Roebuck by Richmond Park has had Bobby on quite a bit through the sumer. Usually a good choice of ales.
    I'd highly recommend the Sussex Arms in Twickenham for a variety of ales.

    Getting a taste for wheat beers too. Tried one from a relatively new micro Vibrant Forest Brewery - Wheatwave. Very nice. Just got to get your head round the fact that with wheat beers they are generally cloudy, which is not to everyones' taste.
    Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,424
    They don't sell ale here! only lager not a problem as I don't now drink!

    I used to drink Ringwood's '49er or their Old thumper. Don't remember it well :D
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ringwood Best. St Austell Tribute.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,170
    Fullers HSB

    or my local brew Harveys Best
    Mañana
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Almost impossible to say. "So many beers, so little time". :)

    Having this place on the doorstep, doesn't help. :D
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • My two favourites....
    - St.Austell Tribute
    - Green King I.P.A

    Saw in Tesco you can buy bottled Tribute, obviously I bought and tried a bottle..... as I thought, it's not good and it's slightly fizzy; it was disheartening to say the least (I was hoping for good things)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Surely noone actually DRINKS Fullers - after their wanton destruction of our lovely country pubs. Goo - have you SEEN what they did to the white buck's lovely old signs. Eugh.
  • Some of my favourites;

    Bathams
    Enville Ale and Enville Ginger
    Wye Valley Butty Bach
    Morland Old Golden Hen
    Hobson's Town Crier

    I've got a Friday afternoon thirst on now thinking about that little lot!
  • Thwaite's Wainright.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Anything by Dark Star (particularly Hophead, their American Pale Ale and the Espresso Stout)

    Harvest Pale (can't remember the brewery but it won Champion Beer of Britain the year before last)

    Timothy Taylor - Landlord

    But there are too many to mention to be honest...
    When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    Too many to mention but Shepherd Neame Spitfire is probably top of my list.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    Coniston Bluebird
    Black Sheep, and also their Riggwelter
    Thwaites Bomber
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • Anything from Devon and cornwall keeps me happy, Doom bar particulary easy to drink but Spingo Ale from the micro brewery at Helston is a cracker.
    Cannondale Supersix
    Specialised Stumpjumper
  • I love Betty Stogs
  • Seconding peoples sentiments on here by having to agree that St Austell Tribute and Timmy Taylor's Landlord have to be up there with the best - cracking ales.
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    Thirding Tribute and Timmy T's!

    Lucky enough to have two really local breweries (within 4 miles) supplying their beers into my local Nobby's and Dowbridge both make excellent ranges.

    Doom Bar seems to be good wherever I drink it but, I think so often with real ale, beer x in pub y can be completely different to beer x in pub z.

    Quite a fan of the newer, lighter real ales too . . . has anyone tried "Summer Lightning"?
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • mmmm .... Summer Lightning
    Another vote for Timothy Taylors Landlord
    Elland Breweries offerings tend to be good
  • lemon63
    lemon63 Posts: 253
    Tried some Innis & Gunn recently, really nice (6.6%) :shock:
    also these;
    St Austell - Tribute
    anything from the Wye Valley Brewery
    Greene King - Abbots
    Sharps - Doombar

    thirsty now, :wink:
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    Just going out for a bit-of ale.Bishops Finger is my fave bottled beer.
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • random man
    random man Posts: 1,518
    Another vote for Wainwright's, Doom Bar and Fortyniner. Also Woodforde's Wherry.
  • mr_goo
    mr_goo Posts: 3,770
    davylear wrote:
    Anything from Devon and cornwall keeps me happy, Doom bar particulary easy to drink but Spingo Ale from the micro brewery at Helston is a cracker.
    Wooden Hand Brewery - Black Pearl, Cornish Buccaneer, Pirates Gold and Cornish Mutiny. Without exception all very nice bottled beers and available at quite a few Morrisons along the south coast. Even better when you can get them on 4 for £6.
    Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
  • mr_goo
    mr_goo Posts: 3,770
    coriordan wrote:
    Surely noone actually DRINKS Fullers - after their wanton destruction of our lovely country pubs. Goo - have you SEEN what they did to the white buck's lovely old signs. Eugh.
    If you mean the White Buck at Burley, I haven't noticed. Will have a look see tomorrow morning.
    Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    monkeydan wrote:
    Harvest Pale (can't remember the brewery but it won Champion Beer of Britain the year before last)

    Castle Rock brewery - could see it from my old house. They own a couple of boozers round this way and both have cycling clubs affiliated to them. Seems a good reason to join one TBH.

    Timothy Taylor, Greene King IPA and the above mentioned Harvest Pale are regular staples for me but I will be honest and say Directors by Courage is my all time love (and has been since I looked old enough to get served.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • nevman wrote:
    Just going out for a bit-of ale.Bishops Finger is my fave bottled beer.
    Don't mind it at all, though I generally find the Shepherd Neame ales a bit "bright" tasting – may be the Kentish water they use.

    For me it's shifting to that time of year when the darker ales appeal more... double chocolate stouts, porters....
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Not a big fan of Doombar myself, find it a bit like sherbet. For me, the very best has to be St Austell's Proper Black. Big flavoured black IPA that just begs to be drunk in huge quantities. Unfortunately, it was a limited run afaik so now having to 'make do' with some great stouts like Hook Norton Double Stout and Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's wholesome stout. Worth checking out the Thornbridge range too, they make some lovely beers with decent flavours that can handle a curry (makes a nice and refreshing change from lager).
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    +1 for Thornbridge with curry. A delicious combination. :)
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    Old Peculier
    Empire
    Tribute
    Doom Bar
    Bass
    Fist full of Hops(Falstaff)
    Thomas Sykes(Burton Bridge)
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    It’s such a golden age for beer that it’s easier to say which beers I don’t like, rather than try to list my favourites. :)

    1. Beers with a “creamy head”. By that I don’t mean the gorgeous foam that accompanies a fresh lively proper pint in perfect condition, rather the wet dream USP of some marketing scum as typified by Boddingtons et al. :evil: Sorry if you’re a Boddies fan, BTW. Beer shouldn’t be creamy. Devon teas should be creamy, custard should be creamy etc., etc.

    2. Green King beers. There’s something in the taste (the yeast, maybe?) that I just can’t stand. Furthermore, all of the supposed guest beers in GK pubs have the same tang, so I think that’s conclusive proof of “badge-engineering brewing” going on in their pubs. I can recall a time when Abbot, for example, was a nice pint, but not anymore. Not for me anyway.

    3. Marginally, wheat beers. Some I like, but generally I’ll go for something else.

    As I said at the outset it’s a golden age for beers with tiny outlets producing top drawer ale (Gloucester Gold, anyone?) and selling it in free houses at £2.50 - £2.70 a pint. Mass brewed beer (a grossly inferior product) brewed with the famous economies of scale weighs in at anything from £3.30 up in my experience. Another capitalist lie put to the sword perhaps. :roll:

    Hmmm... is it time for a pint yet? :D
    Purveyor of "up" :)