Worth a mention ...

Rooster's London Thunder 4.2%, a porter sampled in the North Western, Liverpool yesterday. Pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, roasted malt and vanilla. Taste, roasted malt, brown sugar and vanilla. A slightly bitter finish. Nice.

The North Western is a large Wetherspoons adjacent to Lime Street Station originally built by L&NWR in 1871. 8 cask ales were available spread over 2 bars.

Off to Wembley on Sat any decent "Watering Holes" around Great Portland Street U/G ?

The last twice we've been to the Challenge Cup Final, 2016 & 2018 (as the girlfriend is a Warrington supporter) we've broken the journey back to KX at Great Portland Street for a drink in the Greene Man (formally the Green Man) which is only a few yards from the exit of the underground. It generally has 4 or 5 cask ales available.

We've also been in the Albany which is literally a minutes walk away and also has cask ales.

Thanks hopefully I will check them out

A couple of decent ales in the Little Plough, Doncaster recently worthy of mention ...

Theakston Grouse Beater 4.2%, a bitter which pours clear dark golden. Subtle berry aroma. Taste is slightly bready, banana and berries. A subtle sweet finish. Very nice.

Exmoor Silver Stallion 4.3%. A classic case of don't let the name put you off. Chestnut in colour, aroma is bready and toffee. Taste is bready malts, caramel and toffee. Nice!

Additionally, an old favourite, Courage Directors (now brewed at the Eagle Brewery) was on good form at the weekend.

One to watch out for but drink in moderation ...

Anarchy Brew Co Psychotronic Warlord 6.9%, a potent red ale. Pours brown / red and has some malt on the aroma. Taste is malt, hops, orange and caramel.

As well as having a wonderful name, this was excellent in the Lower Angel, Warrington.

Highlights of an afternoon in Saltaire last Thursday ...

SALT Beer Factory Velveteen 4.8%, a cacao porter (in the SALT Beer Factory). Pours dark brown with a thin beige head. Aroma, coffee & creme. Taste is roasted malts, coffee, creme and dark fruits. Very nice.

Turning Point Brew Co. Powerful Sense of Dread 10.0%, a chocolate maple stout (in the Cap and Collar). Pours black with a thin beige head. Aroma, cocoa & maple syrup. Taste, sweet, chocolate & maple syrup. Only sold in halves (so two were bought). Wonderful, but I suspect only in moderation.

Places visited ...

Fanny's Ale House: A multi-roomed pub with wooden floorboards and beer memorabilia on the walls. A good choice of cask ales across 8 handpumps.

The Salt Cellar: Refurbished in 2017, this traditional two-roomed pub retains a Victorian character. 5 cask ales were available.

The Rosse: A large stone-built building at the junction of a couple of busy roads. More a pub with 'real ale' than a 'real ale pub' although 4 cask ales were on offer.

SALT Beer Factory: A former tram depot and now modern premises which is owned by Ossett Brewery. 10 cask ales were available along with a multitude of other drinks including numerous gins. A large pizza oven is situated to the right of the bar.

The Cap and Collar: A micropub with a cafe style layout. As well as 4 handpumps for cask ale, real cider is available along with a selection of bottled beers.

As well as having the two ales I enjoyed most, the last two would also be the two places I would recommend for anyone visiting the town.

Some recently enjoyed ales ...

Severn Brewing Ltd Extra Special Bitter 5.2%, a strong bitter which pours copper and has an aroma of malt & berries. The taste is roasted malt, caramel, raisins & berries. A bitter finish. Very nice. (Lower Angel, Warrington).

Empire Brewing Chocolate Porter 4.7%, pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, cocoa. Taste, malt, cocoa, chocolate & lactose. An excellent robust porter from a brewery that I'm a big fan of. (Lower Angel, Warrington).

The Wild Beer Co B*wildered 7.5%, an imperial stout. Pours black with a red / brown head. Aroma, cherries. Taste, chocolate & cherries with a hint of biscuit. Quite potent and very enjoyable. (Craft Asylum 1, Leeds).

Two by Two Granola Porter 5.0%, a porter from a new brewery to me. Pours black with a coffee aroma. Taste is roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruits & cereal. Delicious. (Head of Steam, Leeds).

Bradfield Brewery Farmers Ale 3.9%, a bitter which pours clear copper coloured. Malt & nut aroma. Taste is malt, biscuit & caramel with some nuttiness. Has a slight floral hint. Nice. (The Queen, Doncaster).

Just back from a few days based in Berwick-Upon-Tweed which included visits to Kelso races, Holy Island, Seahouses & Bamburgh, Alnwick & Alnmouth.

Highlights of the evenings in Berwick ...

Maxim Double Maxim 4.7%, a chestnut coloured brown ale. Aroma, biscuit & malt. Taste, biscuit & malt with some nuttiness & a hint of dark fruits. Very nice. (The Castle Hotel).

Broughton Ales Wee Jock 4.6%, an 80/- export ale. Pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, malt & fruit cake. Taste is malt, fruit cake, molasses & toffee. Has a slightly nutty finish. Another very nice ale. (Pilot Inn).

Abbeydale Daily Bread 3.8%, a best bitter. Pours copper coloured and has a malt & bready aroma. Taste is malt, bread, nuts and a hint of fruit. A very decent quaffable drink. (The Curfew).

Green Jack Lurcher Stout 4.8%. Pours ebony with a thin beige head. Aroma, coffee & liquorice. Taste, coffee, dark fruits & liquorice. Very nice. (The Curfew).

WooHa Porter 5.0%. An unfined porter. Pours near black with a thin tan head. Aroma, cocoa & coffee. Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, caramel & nuts. A nice drink with an earthy finish. (Barrels Ale House).

Green Jack Red Herring 5.0%. Inspired by German Rauchbiers, this smoked ale pours red / brown and has a woody, smoked aroma. Taste, smokey malts, subtle vanilla, dark fruits & nuts. Excellent. (The Curfew).

The Pubs ...

The Castle Hotel, a residential hotel opposite the railway station with a bar which serves a couple of cask ales.

Pilot Inn, a short walk from the railway station (approx 5 mins) in the residential Greens area of the town. A traditional nautical-themed end-of-terrace pub with friendly staff and customers which had three cask ales available.

Atelier, one of three outlets on Bridge Street for cask ale. A cafe bar style pub which seems to major as much on it's pies & snacks as it does on cask ale (three ales were available).

Barrels Ale House, also on Bridge Street, which had four cask ales available. A quirky town centre pub which has a dentists chair positioned at the left end of the bar.

The Curfew, the third and best of the Bridge Street outlets. Berwick's first micropub, accessible via a short snicket which opens up into a small courtyard with outdoor seating. Four cask ales were available along with bar snacks such as pork pies. CAMRA's Northumberland Pub of the Year 2018 was busy even midweek and is definitely worth a visit.

Highlights of Sunday's trip to Newcastle ...

Great Heck Patrick 4.8%, an Irish Stout which pours jet black with a tan head. Aroma, cocoa & malt. Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, lactose, vanilla and nuts. Very nice. (Newcastle Tap).

Long Man Old Man 4.3%, an old favourite and premium (or old) ale. Pours near black with a tan head. Aroma, malt & toffee. Taste is malt, chocolate, coffee, toffee, dark fruits & spice. Delicious. (The Victoria Comet).

Gaz if your going Oldham sunday I've got a couple of bottles of
Springhead Brewery Robin Hood you can have. I've tried it a few times and
it's not for me.
It's a 'smooth chestnut butter with plenty of hops and malt'

Sadly, can't get there on Sunday, long standing Diamond Wedding lunch appointment. Nice offer though.

I prefer margarine...

A few recent highlights ...

Starting with a couple of very enjoyable repeats (in the Lower Angel, Warrington) ...

Tiny Rebel Stay Puft 5.2%, the excellent marshmallow porter.
Empire Rum Porter 4.7%, a very nice smokey rum infused porter.

And a new one in Little Plough, Doncaster ...

Kansas Avenue Tornado Alley 3.7%, a copper coloured best bitter which has a malt & caramel aroma. Taste is similar with toffee and a hint of spice. A decent best bitter.

The next Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival will (officially) run from Wednesday 9 October until Sunday 20 October 2019.

40 ales will be available this time, marking 40 years since founder Tim Martin opened his first outlet in 1979. 35 UK and 5 International breweries will be represented.