Hope to pay a visit next weekend.

That's the spirit.

Sampled a pint or three of Thorne's Chairman's Stout at the Bluecoat. Do I not like it? Porter par excellence, ably abetted by Old Moor Porter, an Acorn fave and the less ubiquitous, Ashover Coffin Lane Stout. My former John Smith's Smooth drinking colleague is a true real-ale convert. Not bad for someone who drank Carling or Fosters for ten years!

I must say i'm positively drooling already at the sound of Newcastle Coffee Porter. Mine's a firkin!

Ah, there you are.

Nottingham Brewery Supreme Bitter (5.2%) in the Bell, Nottingham and the very nice Fullers Red Fox (4.3%) in the Lincolnshire Poacher, Nottingham this afternoon .... more this evening.

Spent yesterday evening in Nottingham ...

best pints were Brains Bitter in the Canalhouse, Olde Trip in Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and O'Hanlons Red Ale in the Joseph Else (first pint of the JDW Real Ale festival

also visited the interestingly named Fellow, Morton & Clayton Ltd (next to the Canalhouse) and the Salutation which was gearing up for it's Halloween Beer Festival.

Discovered a very nice drink this afternoon ...

Olde Lion Ale 3.9% (from the Maypole Brewery, Eakring) tasted in the Olde Red Lion, Wellow, Notts.

Also visited the Queens Hotel, East Markham which would certainly be my local if I lived anywhere near. Half a dozen real ales and a quality jukebox. The girl behind the bar was quite a looker too!

Have today tasted Moorhouses Black Panther, a delectable rarely brewed stout ( allegedly) and the Burkmistr Bohemian Schwarzbier courtesy of the Wetherspoon's festival. Difficult to pick an outright winner there due to their excellent quality. If pushed i'd have to say the panther shaded it by a whisker ( pardon the pun

Bumped into a couple of familiar faces (rugbyman and weighman) whilst doing the rounds of Wetherspoons pubs last night.

Have to confess that I expected more festival ales to be available (especially in the Gatehouse who only had four).

The following were however sampled ...

Cotleigh Long-Eared Owl and O'Hanlons Red Ale (Gatehouse).
Namyslow Original Plum Beer, Moorhouse's Black Panther and JW Lees Supernova (Old Angel).
Cains Fine Raisin Beer (Red Lion).

Not a bad one amongst them. The plum beer is really nice in moderation (wouldn't want more than one) but the best couple were the Red Ale (sampled earlier in the week in Nottingham) and the Black Panther.

Returning for November and December only ....

Greene King Abbot Reserve (6.5%)

go seek it out!