Spoons Festival Ale ..

Mauldons Cherry Porter 4.8%, a fruit porter. Pours black with a red tint. Aroma, chocolate and cherry. Taste is chocolate, coffee and cherry. Very nice!
(Red Lion, Doncaster).

35 down, 5 left to find.

Spoons Festival Ale ...

Long Man Man Down 5.0%, an American-style pale ale. Pours clear golden. Aroma, hops. Taste is hops, resiny and grapefruit. Has a dry finish.
(Robert Peel, Bury).

Spoons Festival Ale ...

Higsons NZ IPA 5.0%. Pours a slightly hazy straw colour. Aroma, light citrus. Taste, a little malt and hops, citrus and a hint of pine. Not bad.
(The Waterhouse, Manchester).

Came up short, 37 of 40, not helped by being poorly from last Thursday.

One disappointment .. on more than one occasion walking in and spotting the clip for an ale still required only to be told 'we have the pump clip but not the beer'. This happened in Warrington and Manchester. Somewhat frustrating!

Gary. Not surprised you have been poorly drinking that warm beer, get yourself a pint of JOHN SMITHS at the Red Lion it will make you feel much better,

A few recent 'winners' ...

Eagle IPA 3.6%, an amber coloured IPA. Aroma, malt and biscuit. Taste is malt, biscuit and toffee. Enjoyed this! (Little Plough, Doncaster).

Northern Monkey Bit of a Rum Un 6.8%, a jet black stout with a thin beige head. Aroma, coffee and raisins. Taste is coffee, chocolate, rum and raisins. Stunning! (Lower Angel, Warrington).

Thornbridge Cortado 4.9%, an American style Pale Ale. Pours hazy amber. Aroma, milky coffee and butterscotch. Taste is similar plus malt, caramel and spice. Not bad at all. (Park Row Head of Steam, Leeds).

Wild Beer Co. Millionaire 4.7%, a stout, black with a beige head. Aroma, cocoa. Taste is chocolate, lactose, coffee, caramel and vanilla. Excellent! (Craft Asylum 2, Leeds).

Last night in Town, couple of pints of Stocks Old Horizontal in the Hallcross, lovely drink 5.2.% strong dark and and quite reminiscent of Old Peculier. Red Lion had Bradfield brewer's Farmers Belgian Blue beer, 4.9% in excellent nick a much appreciated winter warmer on a cold night. All in all a good night, cold but those winter beers did the trick.

Had my first festive ale of 2019 yesterday in the Scarbrough Hotel, Leeds ...

St Austell Jolly Holly 3.8%, chestnut in colour and has a malt & bread aroma. Taste, malt, bread, caramel, fruit & spice. Very nice.

Also enjoyed yesterday ...

Turning Point Brew Co Lucid Dream 5.0%, a Cookie Cream Stout. Pours dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma, malt, biscuit & vanilla. Taste is the same plus milk chocolate and cookies. Excellent! (Foleys Taphouse).

Beatnikz Republic Cortado 4.7%, a coffee stout which pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, roasted coffee, almost ash-like. Taste, much the same with chocolate. Nice. (Foleys Taphouse).

Wilde Child Excessive Behaviour 4.7%, a salted caramel stout. Pours black with a beige head.
Aroma, chocolate & caramel. Taste is chocolate & caramel with a slightly nutty finish. Winner! (Victoria Hotel).

A few recent ones worthy of mention ...

Sadlers Peaky Blinder 4.4%, a dark IPA. Pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, roasted malt and cocoa. Taste is malt, coffee, caramel and a hint of orange. Nice. (Lower Angel, Warrington).

Seven Brothers Marshmallow Stout 4.0%, pours dark brown with a thin beige head. Aroma, milk and vanilla. Taste is malt, lactose, vanilla, chocolate and marshmallow. Excellent! (Lower Angel, Warrington).

Fullers Boardwalk 4.5%, an American Pale Ale. Pours clear golden with a sweet malt and fruity aroma. Taste is malt, caramel and orange with a little nuttiness. Very enjoyable. (Little Plough, Doncaster).

Theakston Atlantic Red 4.3%, an American Red Ale. Pours dark amber. Aroma, malt and toffee. Taste is malt, toffee, honey, fruit and spices. Nice. (Little Plough, Doncaster).

Drinks in Bolton on Saturday evening, the first visit there for quite some time. The Northern Monkey Beer Co was a very welcome find as Barristers has lost a lot of it's appeal.

Had a couple of decent ales in the brewhouse which recently celebrated 12 months since it's move to Nelson Square ...

Bingley Brewery Do You Know The Muffin Man 4.5%, a gingerbread porter which pours dark brown with a beige head. Aroma, a little malt and ginger. Taste is malt, milk chocolate and ginger. Nice.

Hophurst Brewery Pud 4.5%, a milk stout. Pours dark brown with a decent beige head. Aroma, some malt and toffee. Taste is malt, lactose and plenty of toffee. Sweet and delicious.

A very enjoyable ale in the Lower Angel, Warrington last week ...

Nethergate Growling Dog Milk Stout 6.0%, pours black with a beige head. Aroma, malt and milk chocolate. Taste is malt, chocolate, vanilla and dark fruits. Smooth, potent and very nice.

Three very nice ales in the Lower Angel, Warrington last night ...

Westgate Brewery Merrie Christmas 4.3%, pours dark bronze with a white head. Aroma, malt and a hint of orange. Taste is malt, dark fruits, a hint of orange and some spice.

Timothy Taylor Crimson Comet 4.5%, pours dark red with a white head. Aroma, toffee, orange and spice. Taste is malt, toffee, orange and cinnamon. Reportedly TT's first ever festive ale

Kelham Island Conkers 4.5%, a stout, pours black with a tan head. Aroma, hazelnut with a little coffee. Taste is hazelnut, coffee, chocolate and a hint of ginger.