Wolverhampton on Saturday ...

Visited 7 town centre pubs (would have been 8 but the Tap & Spile had no Real Ale).

Best pubs;
Lych Gate Tavern & The Posada (both highly recommended).

Best beers;
Norfolk Moongazer 4.0% & Black Country Ales Fireside 5.0% (Lych Gate Tavern)
Inveralmond Brewery Lia Fail 4.7% (Moon Under Water - W'spoons)
Oxfordshire Ales Black Ox Porter 5.0% (Hogshead)
Hobsons Best Bitter 3.8% (The Posada)

Wetherspoon's Tax Equality Day today ... Prices reduced by 7.5% ...

Off out to show my support

Forgive my crude maths Gary but with a saving of about 15-18p a pint at Weatherspoons today I still reckon them or the Govt how you about £12,000.

The Tut this week ... Brighton Bier The Fall Guy (American Red Rye ale) 4.5% ... very enjoyable.

Gatehouse this week ... Coronado Brewing Co Mermaid's Red 5.7% ... equally enjoyable.

Angel this week ... Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge 4.5% ... again, same as above.

St Helens on Saturday evening after the latest shambles at the Macron ...

Visited 3 pubs;

Olde England ... Arthurs Ale 3.8% & Robinson's Unicorn 4.2%
Duke of Cambridge ...Howard Town Wrens Nest 4.2%
Sportsman's Inn ... George Wright Cheeky Pheasant 4.7%

Loved the Cheeky Pheasant so never moved on.

Hogs Back TEA (traditional english ale), very enjoyable Best Bitter at 4.2%, currently at the Tut n Shive.

I see Cask Corner has dropped out of the Good Beer Guide for 2015.

Hawkshead Red 4.2% in the Spinning Mule, Bolton Saturday evening was at least some compensation for the Whites being unable to beat 10 men.

Wetherspoon's next International Real Ale Festival kicks off on Friday 17 October 2014.

50 beers including a number created by visiting brewers from Australia, Belgium, Holland, Italy, New Zealand & the United States.

Of the home brews, there are a few I'm looking forward to seeking out;

Adnams 1659 Smoked Ruby Beer
Arundel Autumn Breeze
Exmoor Antler
Moorhouse's Black Cat Reserve
Mordue Americana
Thwaites Hobnobber

to name a few.

Timothy Taylor Boltmaker 4.0% currently available in the Tut n Shive
(quite unusual, not seen this one outside of Keighley too often).

Rudgate Grain Storm 3.8% & Stancil India Black Ale 5.0% in Cask Corner, Cheswold Mucky Bucket 5.0% in the Doncaster Brewery Tap all tasted for the first time this week and all very nice.

Morland Old Nutty Hen 4.5% in the Tut last night ... a very welcome find.

Spoons Real Ale Festival 17/10/2014;

Liberation American Brown Ale 4.2% best bitter (Red Lion, Doncaster)
Brew Moon Antipodean Ale 4.0% best bitter brewed at Hook Norton Brewery (Old Angel, Doncaster)
Ian Ramsay's Village Elder 3.8% bitter brewed at Everards Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

The second and third are New Zealand brews with preference being for the latter.

Spoons Real Ale Festival 18/10/2014;

Bath Prophecy 3.9% bitter (Red Lion, Doncaster)
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale 6.5% speciality ale brewed at Wychwood Brewery (Old Angel, Doncaster)
Everards Tiger Triple Gold 5.0% strong ale (Old Angel, Doncaster)
Wicked Weed Freak of Nature 7.5% strong ale brewed at Batemans Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Managed to find (inadvertently) on the same night, the two festival beers with the biggest ABV's. Both are from the US and the Pumpkin Ale was absolutely wonderful.

The Everards ale was a pleasant surprise too, as whilst I don't dislike Tiger, I certainly wouldn't rave about it either.

Careful, I love Everards Tiger.