Avoided the Gael Rua ale on your say-so, last Friday, Gary, but had a very satisfying Saltaire Dublin Stout and Milestone Dark Galleon, to compensate. Incidentally, the Thorne Vermuyden is a bit of alright too.

Good call - awful stuff!

The Hook Norton Old Hooky 4.6% was on form last night in the Gatehouse - lovely! Also sampled Acorn Madness 4.5% (not bad without being anything special) and earlier in the Old Angel a rather nice pint of Spire Coal Porter 4.4%.

Theakston Hogshead Bitter 4.1% (malty brown bitter) and Robinsons Dragons Fire 4.0% (ruby red ale) sampled this week - both very enjoyable.

Tonight in Thorne Old Mill Blond Bomshell 2 pints in the Punchbowl & then a few pints of Black Sheep in the Windmill.


A good night .


COYD

Was at the Gardeners' Rest in Neepsend for a pint of Ramigius, a fine Cathedral ale and a very quaffable pint of Yorkshire Dales' Askrigg Ale at the CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2008/9 on Saturday.

Sheffield is sooo lucky to have such a glorious collection of real-ale establishments. The pie and peas wasn't bad at the KIT either

The Tut had Brains The Rev. James on this weekend

The Leopard had another winner from the Cottage 'stable' Mosquito 5.0% (first time for me).

The Old Angel had Banks & Taylor SOD 5.0%

Well catered for this weekend.

May be of interest ....

Barnsley Beer and Cider Festival 2010
Milton Hall, Elsecar, Barnsley

Opening Times:
12 noon till 10:30 each day
Good Friday 2nd April to Easter Sunday 4th April 2010

Admission £3 (£1 CAMRA members)

Sponsored by Acorn Brewery of Barnsley.

Hoping to drop into a least a couple of the following today ...

Wetherspoons (Leeds Station)
Scarbrough Arms
Leeds Brewery Tap

Pre match ...

Visited all three as it turned out. Leed Brewery Tap had a number of beers on from the Vale Brewery so I plumped for one of theirs (over the Midnight Bell). Grumpling Ale a very nice ruby ale 4.6%.

Next to the Scarbrough Arms and a pint of Hydes Over A Barrel 4.1%.

Wetherspoons at Leeds Station and the excellent Nethergate Mary's Ruby Mild 4.5%.

Post Match ...

Cross Keys (Holgate). Nook Brewery Oat Stout 5.2%.

Midnight Bell (Holgate) and obviously a pint of Leeds Midnight Bell 4.8%.

Five decent pints. A toss up between a favourite of mine Midnight Bell and the Nethergate brew for the best one of the day.

Visited the Pivni World Beer Freehouse at York yesterday. Plenty of foreign beers as you might expect from its name but they also have a number of rotating cask ales. Three from Thornbridge available yesterday. Settled on the very nice Ashford, a brown ale at 4.2%.

Had a couple of York Brewery beers too, it would have been rude not too . The ever-reliable Centurions Ghost 5.4% in the Three Legged Mare and Coppergate 4.3% in the Golden Lion.

Also encountered the green coloured beer (for only the second time) that is Stonehenge Ales Sign of Spring 4.6% from Bunces Brewery, Salisbury in Harkers.

One new one which was a very pleasant surprise was Derail Ale 5.2% from the Box Steam Brewery, Colerne sampled in The Maltings.

The Hub is the Pub tonight.

Managed to sample a few new ones last night at the Hub ...

Breconshire Red Dragon 4.7%
Bristol Beer Factory Exhibition 5.2%
Idle Brewery Idle Eyes 4.4%
Isle of Avalon Arthurs Ale 7.0%
Newmans Spring Cottage Biscuit 4.2%
Stonehenge Great Bustard 4.8%
Wensleydale Sheep Rustler's Nut Brown Ale 4.4%

not a bad one among them.

also had half of Leeds Midnight Bell 4.8% (couldn't resist it ).

Took the chance to have a couple of pints in Newcastle before yesterdays game at Gateshead.

First up the very nice Bridge Inn (near the Castle Keep) and a pint of Jarrow Brewery Rivet Catcher 4.0%.

Then a visit to the Bodega and a pint of Nethergate Extra Old Growler 5.5%.

The former was the more attractive pub but the latter was the better pint.

Note to self must go back again and do more pubs - there was a Lloyds and a Wetherspoons both within 2 minutes walk of the Station which got bypassed and that before you get too far into the City Centre.