Other Beers sampled during December 2013

After visiting Manchester Christmas on Monday 9 December I popped into the Orford Hotel in Warrington.  The guest ale on offer was Gift Wrapped by the Caledonian Brewery.  As with the Mistletoe beer I had sampled earlier at the market, I found Gift Wrapped to be too similar in taste to mince pie and mulled wine.  Score 7.5/10.

I was on my Christmas Work Do with my workmates on Saturday 21 December.  We spent part of the evening in the Village of Stockton Heath (which is 2 miles from Warrington Town Centre), and paid a visit to the newly opened Costello's Bar.  This Bar very much specialises in Real Ale.  In Costello's, I sampled Bowden Parish Ale by the Dunham Massey Brewery.  I found the Bowdon Parish Ale to be a nice light ale.  Score 8.5/10.

On Saturday 28 December, I was meeting my family for our Christmas get together in a hotel in Waterloo, north of Liverpool.  Prior to meeting in the hotel, I popped into the local Wetherspoons and sampled Sleighbells by the Everards Brewery.  Sleighbells is a light and refreshing ale.  It was probably not quite the best light ale I have sampled.  Score 8/10.

Finally, thank you for reading.  I hope all readers have had a peaceful Christmas period.  I will be offering more Real Ale Opinions throughout 2014, and will be publishing two WattoTalk posts on New Year's Day.  Happy New Year.  Andy.

Christmas Eve at the Lower Angel in Warrington

A regular part of Christmas Eve in recent years has involved a visit to the Lower Angel on Buttermarket Steet in Warrington Town Centre around 6pm.  Myself and Mrs Watson always meet up with friends at this very traditional establishment.  The Lower Angel always has a fine selection of guest ales, and I was able to sample five different ales on this visit.

I found Red Duke by Privateer Beers to be a pleasant and very smooth ale.  Score 8.5/10.

Hoppy Angel by the Tipsy Angel Brewery (the Lower Angel's very own micro-brewery) contains a most delightful hoppy and fruity taste that could certainly have taken care of me until last orders.  Seriously though, it is probably a bit too strong at my time of life to drink till ze death.  Score 9.5/10.

Christmas Angel by the Tipsy Angel Brewery is a stout that had an oily coffee aroma.  As with most stouts, not really my cup of coffee.  Score 6/10.

I found Winter Spice by the Allgates Brewery on first impression to be too much like John Smiths.  John Smiths is a bitter I will tolerate at my local if Tetleys is out of action.  Score 6/10.

My first thoughts on sampling the Teignworthy Brewery's Gun Dog was WTF, then found the aftertaste to be remarkably quite pleasant.  Could this beer get better?  Unfortunately, it did not quite work out that way.  But I still found it to be a bit better than Winter Spice.  Score 6.5/10.

A night out in Liverpool with two of my bros, December 14 2013

A pleasant Saturday evening with two of the other Mr Watsons started at a Christmas Market Cabin on Church Street selling German Lager.  It was not bad stuff, but this blog is of course about Real Ale.  So next up was a pub called Bier in a side street off Bold Street.  In Bier I tried a beer called Yule Love It by Thwaites Brewery.  Yule Love It has a hoppy cum pale ale taste, and without having to choose my words carefully, I do declare that it is pleasant.  Score 8/10.

After Bier we moved up Bold Street and past the former Anglican Church of St Luke, which is now a ruin.  This is a part of Liverpool City Centre I rarely visit.  So I had the pleasure of the Watson Brothers (well two of them) introducing me to the Grapes; not to be confused with it's namesake on Mathew Street.  This Grapes is a lively pub I will no doubt visit again sometime.  However, I have to confess that I did not find the real ale of my dreams on my first visit to this particular establishment.

Yellabelly by Batemans seemed a pleasant enough blond ale.  Despite a lovely aroma, it does not quite deliver.  Score 7.5/10.

Upon buying a pint of Josephine Butler Elderflower Ale by the Liverpool Organic Brewery, I wondered straightaway why on earth I did not buy a half!  However the taste did start to grow.  Could this be a slow burner?  Josephine Butler Elderflower has a very yeasty taste, but in all honesty is not quite up my street.  Score 7/10.

A Day Out in Manchester and the Christmas Markets

On Monday 9 December I took a short trip into Manchester with my Wife to experience the City's Christmas Markets.  The markets we concentrated on are located close to the Corn Exchange.  Whilst visiting these markets we paid a visit to a Pub called the Old Wellington Inn, which is a Tudor Building that was once the home to some of the founders of Manchester Commerce.  During my visit to the Old Wellington Inn, I had the pleasure of sampling two fine beers.

First up is Citra by the Great Heck Brewery.  This beer has what I would describe as an orange cum lemon flavour.  Very refeshing indeed.  Score 9/10.

The other beer I tried in the Old Wellington was White Witch by the Moorhouse Brewery.  White Witch has a small hoppiness, combined with a slight heaviness that hits straightway.  Overall a pleasant enough ale.  Score 8/10.

The Markets had a Log Cabin set up, with a fine selection of mainly local real ales to sample.  In the Cabin, I sampled a total of five ales.

Mr Trotter's by the Lancaster Brewery Company is a slightly dark ale that for me promises much, but which does not quite deliver.  Score 7/10.

Bonaventure by Privateer Beers has a nice refreshing raspberry taste.  Very nice indeed.  In fact it reminds me a little bit like a raspberry milkshake with an alcoholic twist.  Score 9/10.

Mistletoe by the Bootleg Brewery is a well-intentioned beer; but I just found it a little bit airy fairy.  By airy fairy I mean too much like mulled wine and mince pie.  Score 7.5/10.

Lancaster Blonde by the Lancaster Brewery Company was an ale I found to be nice and smooth.  It hit the right notes for me.  Score 10/10.

Cascade by the Boggart Brewery is a golden ale that has that typical pale ale feel.  Score 9/10.

A visit to the Ship and Mitre Pub in Liverpool

The Ship and Mitre Pub is an establishment I tend to pay a visit a few times during the year.  It is one of Liverpool's main Public Houses which serve Real Ales.  I would personally say it is my favourite Scouse Ale House.  Last night I visited on route to Anfield to watch Liverpool take on Norwich City, where I enjoyed the most sublime entertainment from Mr Luis Suarez!  There were two Real Ales I tried whilst in the Ship and Mitre.  They were Analogue Nostalgia by the Salamander Brewing Company and Janners Pride by the Waen Brewery.

I found the Analogue Nostalgia to give a gentle and calm taste.  More generally, I will keep my view of this beauty very simple by stating it was right up my street.  Score 10/10.

The Janners Pride was pleasant enough.  However there were too many parallels with Stan Collymore and Emile Heskey.  I mention Collymore and Heskey because I was in conversation with a fellow Liverpool FC Fan on the train from Warrington to Liverpool, and those two former Liverpool players were the subject of one of our few football discussions.  For those who don't follow football or the English Premier League, let me fill you in by telling you that both Collymore and Heskey were both talented, but could have achieved much more as Liverpool players.  Like Collymore and Heskey, the feeling I had with Janners Pride was that there was much more to come.  Score 7/10. 

Orford Hotel, Warrington, Friday 1 November

Myself and Mrs Watson took a joint decision this weekend not to attend our usual karaoke weekend night out.  Shameful!  I realise that it might seem a bit controversial to some folk in the Warrington karaoke fraternity, considering the immense statements our facebook/twitter accounts make about one particular establishment which is close to the Wire Rugby Ground.  But sometimes a rest is as good as a change.

The Orford Hotel in Warrington provided a most winderful opportunity to do something outside of our norm.  And believe you me, I was able to wind down big time!  It was good on a personal note to catch up with a friend who frequents this establishment, who is also one of Warrington's emerging comedy talents.  And of course, the Orford sells Real Ale!

So onto a couple of different ales I sampled @ ze Orford.  And at this point I probably should explain that I was informed that the Orford Hotel does change it's Real Ale every Friday.  On that note I was a bit privileged!  I not only sampled Pumpkin Ale, which was everything one would expect from a Real Ale and probably more, but also Two Hoots which was something else.  The local comedian did tell me that on previous occasions in which both of these ales were sold at the Orford, the Pumpkin Ale sold out in a day and a half, whilst the Two Hoots sold out in a day!

The Pumpkin Ale (from the Everard Brewery) is a dark ale billed in taste as a cross between coffee, spice, and fruit.  Now my work colleagues would be the first to say I love my black coffee, and Mrs W would state I drink too much of the stuff.  But come on, coffee is hardly alcoholic!  I have to confess that not only could I not smell the coffee, but that the fruity flavour was slow in showing only after the halfway stage!  All in all a decent Ale.  Score 8/10.

The Two Hoots (from the Joseph Holt Brewery) provided a brilliant and uplifting taste that certainly provided an immediate impression.  I am tempted to say better than sex, but I won't quite go there.  I can definitely understand why this ale sold out in just a day, and it is certainly an ale that serves as a testament to Mancunian Brewing Excellence!  Score 9/10.

I anticipate there will be another visit to the Orford Hotel in the foreseeable future no doubt.

Chorlton Pale Ale

On Saturday 26 October I visited the Chorlton-Cum-Hardy district of Manchester to watch AFC Liverpool take on West Didsbury and Chorlton FC.  Just before arriving at the ground, I popped into the Horse and Jockey Pub on Chorlton Green, which on this day was also hosting a craft fair.  With the need to ideally meet up with other members of the AFC Liverpool congregation prior to Kick Off, I did not really have the time to pay much attention to the craft fair.  What I really needed was a nice relaxing ale to wind down following my journey from Warrington to Manchester.

The Pub runs a microbrewery called the Bootleg Brewing Company.  Their speciality is a nice little number called Chorlton Pale Ale.  On first impressions it was right up there with other pale ales I have consumed in the past.  I would say to anyone not to be put off by it perhaps not being very well known outside it's locality.  My only concern as I got half way through the ale was whether it would knock me out ahead of the big match!  In fact it was thoroughly enjoyable, and set me up just fine for the afternoon.

Score 9/10.

The Beers I tried at Warrington Oktoberfest 17

Beer Name Obscure Brewery Name Tatton

As I took my first sip of Obscure, the Beautiful South's "Rotterdam" started blurring out around Warrington's Parr Hall.  As with the saying "Liverpool or Rome", I just struggled to make my mind up on this one.  I did get more than the usual half pint served which my beer token entitles me to.  Ultimately I would say it was nearly there.  Score 8/10.


Beer Name Bamboozle Brewery Name Lodden

Well if as the name suggests, the aim is to con the customer into thinking this is a quality ale, then I was certainly taken in.  To be fair though, I have tasted worse.  But this ale had what I would perceive to be a sawdust taste around the side.  Score 7/10.


Beer Name Longdendale Lights Brewery Name Howard Town

Refreshingly delightful.  This Pale beer hit all the buttons for me.  Score 10/10.


Beer Name Plum Porter Brewery Name Titanic

Not bad for a dark beer.  Score 8/10.


Beer Name Full Whack Brewery Name Peerless

As a Merseysider, I just had to try this one.  But at best it reminded me of a Cains Raisin Beer, which was nothing to write home about.  I was very disappointed with this one.  It scores only 5/10 for me.  Had it been a Manc Beer, it would have scored 4!  Score 5/10.


Beer Name Wizerwoo Brewery Name Thomas Hardy

To me this tasted a bit more like a Holsten Pills than a Real Ale.  Score 6/10.


Beer Name Lymm Bitter Brewery Name Lymm Brewery

A nice hoppy bitter taste.  Score 9/10.


Beer Name Farmhouse Ale Brewery Name Spitting Feathers


This beer is described as a nice balanced flavour.  Well to me it was more like forming a coalition Government, in the sense that I was getting a good taste and then a not so good taste.  Score 6/10.


Beer Name Centurion's Ghost Brewery Name York

I can only describe this speciman as a sadistic Stout.  Then again if you have not already guessed it, I have to confess that I don't normally go for the dark ales.  Score 4/10.


Beer Name Orkney Blast Brewery Name Highland

My first impression was that this impressive ale is a lot calmer than a harsh wind blast that is typical of life on the Orkney Islands.  Not quite the Ale of my dreams though.  Score 8/10.

Improving Warrington's Beer Festival

Real Ales, with their unique character offer a most splendid and relaxing drinking experience.  The tastes can vary sharply.  Although some can be quite frankly awful, the Dragon's Breath, a taste in point from a personal point of view; the various real ales on offer at any Oktoberfest from all corners of the land is a pleasant contrast to your John Smiths or your Tetley's Bitter which normally appear on a visit to the local.

As someone who has frequented Warrington Oktoberfest for many years, I have found Warrington Rotary Club and it's dedicated volunteers on the whole to do a fine job.  But they do need to question their choice of venue.  Peak times such as Friday and Saturday evenings generally see Warrington's Parr Hall packed out with limited seating availability and little room to move around freely.  At times I have found such an environment to be fairly stuffy if I am being honest.

Oktoberfest 2013 is now only a little over a couple of weeks away.  No doubt along with other local real ale enthusiasts, I am looking forward to this year's festival as much as the previous ones in which I have attended.  But I do highlight the point going forward that the Warrington Rotary Club do need to look at alternative venues, such as the Halliwell Jones Rugby Stadium perhaps.

Ultimately, the beneficiary of an improved venue is not solely the real ale enthusiast or even the real ale brewing industry, but the local charities which could benefit from potentially improved profits which the Oktoberfest Beer Festival could generate.  My message to Warrington Rotary Club is DO TAKE NOTE PLEASE!