Found an old favourite of mine, Orkney Red McGregor 4.0% in the Lower Angel in Warrington last night.

Recent highlights ...

Last Thursday;
Partners Evolution 4.0% in the Red Lion, a brown ale with hints of honey.
Sudwerk Inbetween 4.8% in the Gatehouse, a Swiss dark brown ale brewed for JDW's at Everards brewery.
Thornbridge Lord Marples 4.0%, an old favourite spotted in the Tut n Shive.

Saturday;
Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolph 4.2% in the Tut n Shive, a malty seasonal ale, always welcome.
Cairngorm Wildcat 5.1% in the Red Lion, a strong malty amber ale.

Ventured into the Salutation after yesterday evening's Meeting and tried Yorkshire Heart Sunny Heart 3.7%. Not bad but it would need to be at £3.35 per pint.

The pub appears to have changed hands and last night they were running out of beer left, right and centre. I hope that was just a 'blip' as it's a pub I've always liked.

Highlights of an afternoon in Bakewell yesterday were;

Marstons Old Empire in the Queens Arms and Peak Ales Bakewell Best Bitter 4.2% in the Peacock.

Bolton yesterday - both of the best couple of ales were in the Spinning Mule, Bank Top's Bad To The Bone 4.0% & Moorhouses Red Witch 4.6%.

The Man & Scythe had an Otter brew I'd not had before Otter Amber 4.0% and the Dragonfly another new one to me, Robinsons Wizard 3.7%, both nice enough.

The Red Lion had some very nice beers available on Thursday evening. Burton Bridge Burton Porter 4.5% which I've had previously along with Grafton Caramel Stout 4.8% and Everards Nutcracker 5.0%. The Porter and the Stout are pretty self explanatory with the Stout being my favourite on the evening. The Nutcracker is a seasonal Red ale.

A visit to Little Manor in Thelwall village (Cheshire) on Saturday evening resulted in sampling 3 very enjoyable ales ...

Coach House Cromwell's Bitter 4.0%, a delicious malty bitter
Tatton Red Hot Poker 6.0%, a ruby coloured winter warmer with orange and ginger flavours
Mobberley Brew House Red Vienna 4.2%, an American-style red ale

Found a couple of potent ones in Doncaster last night ...

Stancill Red Velvet 6.0%, a Russian-style stout in the Red Lion and Arran Black IPA 6.0% (coffee flavoured).

Also enjoyed Tetleys Christmas Cracker 4.3%, a dark seasonal ale with toffee and fruit flavours.

The Flying Scotsman had a couple of interesting 'guest' ales on Friday evening, Geeves Renaissance, a red ale 4.1% and Wall's County Town Brewery Northallerton Dark, a chocolate and orange flavoured Mild 4.4%.

The Gatehouse provided a seasonal ale from Stancill in the shape of Mistletoe 4.3% which was light green in colour.

Atherton last night ...

Two Allgates brews in the Jolly Naylor, Wigan Junction 3.9% a traditional bitter and Mad Monk 7.1% an imperial stout.

Moorhouses Pendle Porter 5.0% (caramel flavoured) in the Pendle Witch.

The Porter was so enjoyable a repeat was in order.

Two very nice seasonal ales sampled in the Red Lion last night in the shape of Saltaire's Winter Ale 4.9% and Bath Ales Festivity 5.0%. The former a lovely malty bitter and the latter a coffee porter with rum.

Also tried Belhaven Smoke Stack Stout 5.0% in Cask Corner and Birrificio Del Ducato A.F.O. (Ale For Obsessed) an Italian brew at 5.4% in the Angel.

Another seasonal ale was next up in the Gatehouse, this time Hook Norton's Twelve Days 5.5% a delicious malty and nutty brown beer.

Finally, Elgoods CXXX 4.2% in the Tut n Shive, which appears to have had a change in management.

If you are ever in the Denholme area of West Yorkshire or making your way to watch the Dons play at nearby Keighley pop in to the Keelham Farm Shop they stock a very large selection of beers from all over the UK
Keelham Farm Shop
Brighouse & Denholme Road
Keelham
Denholme BD13 3SS

Frodsham & Moore in Cheshire last night;

Frodsham
H&H Rocking Rudolph in the Bears Paw
Blueball Irish Red Ruby ale 4.3% in Kash 22
Weetwood Bitter 3.8% & Spire Chesterfield Best 4.5% in Helter Skelter

Moore
Brains Fir King Good 4.0% & Wells A Good Stuffing 4.5% in the Red Lion

Enjoyed each and every one but slight preference over all was for the Spire bitter.

Leeds last Tuesday;

Becketts Bank - Fuggle Bunny Oh Crumbs 3.8%
Mr Foleys - Tiny Rebel Dirty Stop Out 5.0%
Horse & Trumpet - Cottage Christmas Cracker 4.5%
Whitelocks - Wharfe Bank Smoke Stack 5.2%
Tapped - Hop Studio Porter 4.3%
Weatherspoons (Station) - Bridgehouse Rudolphs Ruin 4.1%

Favourites were the Dirty Stop Out (a smoked oat stout), the Christmas Cracker and the vanilla-flavoured Porter.

Christmas Eve in Doncaster;

Went with the Christmas theme ...

Flying Scotsman - Robinsons Frosty Frolics 4.4%
Red Lion - Kelham Island Festive Reserve 6.0%
Gatehouse - Hook Norton Twelve Days 5.5% & Everards Nutcracker 5.0%
Tut n Shive - Pennine Jingle Bell Rock 4.2% & Pennine Yule Pride 4.2%

I've had the Hook Norton and the Everards ales before (both very nice).

Best of the new ones were the Frosty Frolics and the Yule Pride.