Had my first taste of Stancill's Avalon 3.9% in the Corner Pin yesterday. It's a Blonde Ale and not really to my taste but as a one-off was fine.

Yesterday, a trip out to the Hope Valley area with a friend I've known for most of my life ...

Edale - The Old Nags Head - Nags 1577 5.1%, house ale (seemingly brewed by Keltek in Cornwall), dark ruby coloured with bread, chocolate and toffee flavours.

Edale - The Rambler Inn - Mansfield England's Pride 4.5% (brewed by Marstons), excellent ruby ale, malty with toffee and nut flavours.

Hope - The Old Hall - Theakston Best Bitter 3.8% and Theakston Old Peculiar 5.6%.

Bamford - Anglers Rest - Bradfield Farmers Brown Cow 4.2%, always enjoyable chestnut coloured ale with caramel, chocolate and nut flavours.

Hathersage - Little John Inn - Bradfield Farmers Brown Cow (again).

Stopped off at the Sheffield Tap en-route home ...

Alechemy Blood Orange Shake 3.9%, described as a Blood Orange infused Milkshake IPA.

Thornbridge Salted Caramel Lucaria 4.5%, closely related to the recently sampled Strawberry Lucaria and every bit as nice. Both are badged as Ice Cream Porters and are delicious.

Both the Stancill Barnsley Bitter and the Brains The Rev. James are on good form in the Corner Pin this week

It appears that there will be a real ale on sale at the Keepmoat Belle Vue bar for the Rovers season. No details as yet but this is the link to the Rovers Vikings chat forum where it has been discussed. https://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=267034.0

It appears that there will be a real ale on sale at the Keepmoat Belle Vue bar for the Rovers season. No details as yet but this is the link to the Rovers Vikings chat forum where it has been discussed. https://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=267034.0

'Lift my leg'
'Empty my wallet'
'Acid belly'

Highlights from York yesterday;

Wilde Child Brewing Co. Days of Wilde 4.9%, a delicious Banoffee Stout, in Brigantes.

Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4%, in the Ackhorne Inn.

NRB Mocha Porter 4.5% and Timothy Taylor 1858 5.3%, the latter a Brown ale, both in the York Tap.

Wrexham yesterday as a base for a trip to Bangor on Dee races, the highlights being ...

Box Steam Brewery Tunnel Vision 4.2% (an amber bitter) and Weetwood Mad Hatter 3.9% (described as a red-brown ale) both in the Elihu Yale.

GK Abbot Reserve 6.5%, a winter warmer with fruit and toffee flavours, in the North and South Wales Bank.

Had a couple of particularly enjoyable ales in Doncaster yesterday;

Pheasantry's Black Pheasant (dark ale) 4.2% in the Red Lion and

Magpie Brewery Raven Stout 4.4% in the Corner Pin.

Pre CC Final drinks ...

Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3%, in the Sawyers Arms, Paddington.

Greene King London Glory 4.1%, in Dickens, Paddington.

Wimbledon (Brewery) Common 3.7%, an orange-flavoured pale ale, in the Warrington, Maida Vale.

Exeter Brewery Ferryman 4.2%, a deliciously malty best bitter, in the Warwick Castle, Little Venice.

Post CC Final drinks ...

Hogs Back TEA (Traditional English Ale) 4.2%, in the Green Man, Euston (adjacent to Great Portland Street tube station).

Youngs Bitter 3.7%, in the Fellow, Kings Cross.

Shepherd Neame Master Brew (Kentish Ale) 3.7%, a biscuit and toffee flavoured bitter, in Mabel's Tavern, Kings Cross.

Fullers ESB 5.5%, an extra special (strong) bitter, in the Euston Flyer, Kings Cross.

That's a gallon ...

Fullers ESB is a thing of beauty, and hard to find on draught in this neck of the woods.

Agreed. That and the Exeter Ferryman were the best two ales on the day.

Bought two bottles of Fullers 1845 from my local Select Save for £4.00. Bottle conditioned, and matured for 100 days. A premium ale at 6.2% and fantastic stuff.