A very wet day in Chester

On Friday 24 January 2014 I met up with my best mate in Chester.  Meeting up in Chester (where my friend lived once upon a time for a couple of years) is something we both do every now and then, when our busy lives permit.  During this particular trip to Chester, we visited a few pubs of course as usual.  There were though a few beers that did not quite live up to expectations.

The first pub we visited was the Albion Inn on Albion Street.  In this pub I consumed a half pint of Manchester Pale Ale, which is brewed by JW Lees.  Manchester Pale Ale met most of my expectations of a pale ale.  Unfortunately I found myself searching for that WOW factor.  Score 8/10.

On entering the Bear and Billet pub near the river, I saw a very interesting slogan on a beam that was above the bar.  It read "alcohol, because no great story ever started by eating a salad."  During our visit to the Bear and Billet, I consumed a pint of Cheshire Cat which is brewed by Weetwood Ales.  Cheshire Cat is billed as a pale ale.  But it is not a very good one, with too much of a watery taste.  Score 6/10.

The Brewery Tap is a pub I have visited on a couple of previous occasions.  As an establishment it appears very impressive.  On one of my previous visits, the staff were courteous to allow me a taste of a very obscure ale.  I really should have done the same on this visit.  I purchased a pint of Growler Bitter, which is brewed by the Growler Brewery.  I consider Growler Bitter to be a ridiculous specimen of a beer!  It was a very watery taste that simply became more watery, and only the slightest ale flavour could be detected.  Score 2.5/10.

My final alcoholic beverage of the day was consumed in The Town Crier, just over the road from the railway station.  That final drink was Top Totty by the Stafford Brewery.  This ale was banned from sale in a House of Commons bar two years ago, due to it's picture of a half naked lady on it's pump plate!  Top Totty provided me with a kind of taste that just could not get going.  It was though much better than that watery rubbish I tried earlier!  Score 6.5/10.