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.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
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.
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.
Monday, 16 December 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
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.
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