Not exactly breaking news. Sod Theresa May, Corbyn, Trump, North Korea, Millwall and Crystal Palace. New Micro Pub called The Kentish Belle opening in June, just a stones throw from Bexleyheath Station.
The Goose: Dreary Pubco boozer. Slow service. One till not working. Beer served with too much head. Only saving graces were that the beer tasted good and they had a nice picture of Gemma Arterton on the wall. 3/10
The Compass: Fabulous micropub. Friendly landlord and customers. Excellent selection and the best beer of the day - Plum Porter that really did taste of plums. Private room out the back that looked like your nan had tried to design a man-cave. 10/10
The Robert Pocock: Typical Wetherspoons - all forms of human life were in there. Excellent value food. The Abbey beer that they had on tap was fantastic. I think It's only meant to be drank in small measures; but if they're selling it in pints, I'm drinking it in pints. 7/10
The Grapes: Shepperd Neame pub which, as most of them do, suffers badly from only selling their own inferior product. With the beer choice limited to Spitfire or Whitley Bay it's not surprising we were the only ones in there. Only entertainment to be had in there was debating how much (or how little) the barmaid looked like Stacey Slater on a bad day. 2/10
TJ's: Looked a complete and utter shithole. Did not go in.
The Call Boy: Closed (luckily, by the looks of it).
The Crown and Thistle: Also closed (probably another stroke of luck)
Tavern Food & Wine: The beautiful tile work outside made this look as if this would once have been a wonderful old boozer. Disappointed to find that it was actually a convenience store. WTF?
Three Daws: Characterful pub on the sea wall. Good beer and interesting architecture - all nooks and crannies. Interesting history with Gunther Plüschow passing by. 8/10
Rum Puncheon: Looked like it had a lot of potential, but it certainly wasn't living up to it. Pretty much empty. Shockingly bad 'Bexley Beer'. 3/10
The World's End, Tilbury: Big old pub that was quite full to see some local band. They spent about an hour setting up, played one number, Dr Feelgood's Going Back Home (quite apt for us returning Essex boys) and then declared that they'd be back later. Strange. 7/10
Oohaah style scores: Chances of rushing back 0%, chances of coming back at sometime or another 40%, chances of never returning 60%.
Great review of the watering holes in what is currently my home town. The Three Daws is my favorite, but I haven't been in the Compass - I will rectify that soon.
The big question is then, were we right not to go in TJ's?
For those in Manchester tomorrow (or at any time), the Piccadilly Tap is an excellent pub, right next to the station, on the slip road up to the main entrance...enjoy!
Dammit! Why did I only see this after I'd been up to Manchester?!!!
The Goose: Dreary Pubco boozer. Slow service. One till not working. Beer served with too much head. Only saving graces were that the beer tasted good and they had a nice picture of Gemma Arterton on the wall. 3/10
The Compass: Fabulous micropub. Friendly landlord and customers. Excellent selection and the best beer of the day - Plum Porter that really did taste of plums. Private room out the back that looked like your nan had tried to design a man-cave. 10/10
The Robert Pocock: Typical Wetherspoons - all forms of human life were in there. Excellent value food. The Abbey beer that they had on tap was fantastic. I think It's only meant to be drank in small measures; but if they're selling it in pints, I'm drinking it in pints. 7/10
The Grapes: Shepperd Neame pub which, as most of them do, suffers badly from only selling their own inferior product. With the beer choice limited to Spitfire or Whitley Bay it's not surprising we were the only ones in there. Only entertainment to be had in there was debating how much (or how little) the barmaid looked like Stacey Slater on a bad day. 2/10
TJ's: Looked a complete and utter shithole. Did not go in.
The Call Boy: Closed (luckily, by the looks of it).
The Crown and Thistle: Also closed (probably another stroke of luck)
Tavern Food & Wine: The beautiful tile work outside made this look as if this would once have been a wonderful old boozer. Disappointed to find that it was actually a convenience store. WTF?
Three Daws: Characterful pub on the sea wall. Good beer and interesting architecture - all nooks and crannies. Interesting history with Gunther Plüschow passing by. 8/10
Rum Puncheon: Looked like it had a lot of potential, but it certainly wasn't living up to it. Pretty much empty. Shockingly bad 'Bexley Beer'. 3/10
The World's End, Tilbury: Big old pub that was quite full to see some local band. They spent about an hour setting up, played one number, Dr Feelgood's Going Back Home (quite apt for us returning Essex boys) and then declared that they'd be back later. Strange. 7/10
Oohaah style scores: Chances of rushing back 0%, chances of coming back at sometime or another 40%, chances of never returning 60%.
Felt the same re Rum Puncheon, the 3 daws was good, decent beer and good food...We have plenty of S & N pubs down here (Hastings)...I tend to drink bottled beer in them.
The Goose: Dreary Pubco boozer. Slow service. One till not working. Beer served with too much head. Only saving graces were that the beer tasted good and they had a nice picture of Gemma Arterton on the wall. 3/10
The Compass: Fabulous micropub. Friendly landlord and customers. Excellent selection and the best beer of the day - Plum Porter that really did taste of plums. Private room out the back that looked like your nan had tried to design a man-cave. 10/10
The Robert Pocock: Typical Wetherspoons - all forms of human life were in there. Excellent value food. The Abbey beer that they had on tap was fantastic. I think It's only meant to be drank in small measures; but if they're selling it in pints, I'm drinking it in pints. 7/10
The Grapes: Shepperd Neame pub which, as most of them do, suffers badly from only selling their own inferior product. With the beer choice limited to Spitfire or Whitley Bay it's not surprising we were the only ones in there. Only entertainment to be had in there was debating how much (or how little) the barmaid looked like Stacey Slater on a bad day. 2/10
TJ's: Looked a complete and utter shithole. Did not go in.
The Call Boy: Closed (luckily, by the looks of it).
The Crown and Thistle: Also closed (probably another stroke of luck)
Tavern Food & Wine: The beautiful tile work outside made this look as if this would once have been a wonderful old boozer. Disappointed to find that it was actually a convenience store. WTF?
Three Daws: Characterful pub on the sea wall. Good beer and interesting architecture - all nooks and crannies. Interesting history with Gunther Plüschow passing by. 8/10
Rum Puncheon: Looked like it had a lot of potential, but it certainly wasn't living up to it. Pretty much empty. Shockingly bad 'Bexley Beer'. 3/10
The World's End, Tilbury: Big old pub that was quite full to see some local band. They spent about an hour setting up, played one number, Dr Feelgood's Going Back Home (quite apt for us returning Essex boys) and then declared that they'd be back later. Strange. 7/10
Oohaah style scores: Chances of rushing back 0%, chances of coming back at sometime or another 40%, chances of never returning 60%.
Great review of the watering holes in what is currently my home town. The Three Daws is my favorite, but I haven't been in the Compass - I will rectify that soon.
Was my home town from 1985-1988 and prior to that I lived in Greenhithe so visited Gravesend quite often, always enjoyed a good pub crawl round the town, seems that quite a few of our old favourites have gone now.
Went on great pub crawl on Friday. Started at 17:30 and finished at 22:30. Some really old splendid pubs some of which I hadn't been to before;
1. The Seven Stars, Carey St. 2. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet St. 3. The Viaduct, Newgate St. 4. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, Hatton Garden 5. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn 6. The Ship Tavern, Gate Street 7. The Cross Keys, Covent Garden 8. The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden 9. The Harp, Chandos Place
I've regularly struggled to find a Samuel Smith's beer that I like....had a bottle of the Oatmeal Stout in No.5 which was quite nice and "India" in No.2 which was certainly drinkable.
Went on great pub crawl on Friday. Started at 17:30 and finished at 22:30. Some really old splendid pubs some of which I hadn't been to before;
1. The Seven Stars, Carey St. 2. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet St. 3. The Viaduct, Newgate St. 4. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, Hatton Garden 5. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn 6. The Ship Tavern, Gate Street 7. The Cross Keys, Covent Garden 8. The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden 9. The Harp, Chandos Place
I've regularly struggled to find a Samuel Smith's beer that I like....had a bottle of the Oatmeal Stout in No.5 which was quite nice and "India" in No.2 which was certainly drinkable.
Some great pubs in that list. Though it's a great little pub it's usually far to crowded in The Harp....agree SS tend to drink bottled beer in their pubs.
I was in The White Swan for a pre match pint on Sunday. They had a cask beer the name was something like 'xxx' the person behind the bar said it was a home brew left over from their beer festival. Did anyone try it? I'm fairy sure was an IPA. It was excellent and only £3 a pint.
I was in The White Swan for a pre match pint on Sunday. They had a cask beer the name was something like 'xxx' the person behind the bar said it was a home brew left over from their beer festival. Did anyone try it? I'm fairy sure was an IPA. It was excellent and only £3 a pint.
Yes, I really liked it. I also had their other own brew, 'Old Fiver', which was also very tasty and, again, only £3.
Had a few to many La Goudales yesterday at the Hastings Jack In The Green festival. Nice beer from Northern France, but at 7.2% not a session beer.
Yes, in the land of pression and cold, fizzy unpalatable piss like Heineken and Kronenbourg, La Goudale is one of my standby beers when visiting the GF's family in France. La Goudale is available in nearly every supermarket there - and is bottle conditioned.
For those who like to spend holidays in France, a quiet revolution is happening (no, not that one!). Little micro breweries are popping up in various places.
There are several in Brittany ( I had a lovely well kept hand-pulled pint in a café on the front at Roscoff while waiting for the ferry), and friends introduced me to different cask and bottle conditioned ales at L'Orient.
In Burgundy there is the Vezerlay brewery, which produces a range of bottle conditioned. Also in Provence in the south, there are a few micro-breweries - and believe it or not, even in grubby old Marseille there is a brewery called La Pleine which produces several bottle conditioned beers (I recommend their IPA) and a couple on draught.
In Marseille, Nimes and Paris, I've also come across specialist beer shops well stocked with beers from many countries, and you can invariably find some that are bottle conditioned.
There's bound to be many other breweries out there in France that I don't know of. With a bit of research beforehand and hunting around you needn't go without your ale.
Had a few to many La Goudales yesterday at the Hastings Jack In The Green festival. Nice beer from Northern France, but at 7.2% not a session beer.
Yes, in the land of pression and cold, fizzy unpalatable piss like Heineken and Kronenbourg, La Goudale is one of my standby beers when visiting the GF's family in France. La Goudale is available in nearly every supermarket there - and is bottle conditioned.
For those who like to spend holidays in France, a quiet revolution is happening (no, not that one!). Little micro breweries are popping up in various places.
There are several in Brittany ( I had a lovely well kept hand-pulled pint in a café on the front at Roscoff while waiting for the ferry), and friends introduced me to different cask and bottle conditioned ales at L'Orient.
In Burgundy there is the Vezerlay brewery, which produces a range of bottle conditioned. Also in Provence in the south, there are a few micro-breweries - and believe it or not, even in grubby old Marseille there is a brewery called La Pleine which produces several bottle conditioned beers (I recommend their IPA) and a couple on draught.
In Marseille, Nimes and Paris, I've also come across specialist beer shops well stocked with beers from many countries, and you can invariably find some that are bottle conditioned.
There's bound to be many other breweries out there in France that I don't know of. With a bit of research beforehand and hunting around you needn't go without your ale.
What a good read...I've been to Vezerlay...it pissed down for a good couple of hours and we ended up in a bar (as you do) in a hotel just south of the old 'city' wall, seem to recall trying all 3 of the local beers that they had on from the local Vezerlay Brewery...good it was to. I was drinking 25cl bottles of La Goudale yesterday, when we've camped in France I usually get the 750cl bottles the one with the cork in it. 'Grubby old Marseille'...LOL we actually liked it there, just done a day trip there by train from Cassis, where there was a bar that had quite a few Belgian beers. It's worth mentioning that there's usually no problem in getting Belgian beer in France...obviously you would know that.
'Grubby old Marseille'...LOL we actually liked it there, just done a day trip there by train from Cassis.
Yeah, but you just came in from lovely Cassis and visited the tourist area bit around the Vieux Port specially cleaned up for the "Marseille: European City of Culture" in 2013.
You'll probably even love the multicultural open market at Noailles (watch your pockets/handbag). And there's even some interesting churches/cathedral, Mucem, Vielle Charity, etc
But go just a few streets further into the city away from the restored forts, fish restaurants, a street of swanky shops and the yacht-ty harbour and you're in real grubby Marseille. It's filthy and uncared for. Let's just say there's a lot of crime. Mind your back and don't tread in all the dogshit.
'Grubby old Marseille'...LOL we actually liked it there, just done a day trip there by train from Cassis.
Yeah, but you just came in from lovely Cassis and visited the tourist area bit around the Vieux Port specially cleaned up for the "Marseille: European City of Culture" in 2013.
You'll probably even love the multicultural open market at Noailles (watch your pockets/handbag). And there's even some interesting churches/cathedral, Mucem, Vielle Charity, etc
But go just a few streets further into the city away from the restored forts, fish restaurants, a street of swanky shops and the yacht-ty harbour and you're in real grubby Marseille. It's filthy and uncared for. Let's just say there's a lot of crime. Mind your back and don't tread in all the dogshit.
I'm biased, my GF is currently working there.
;o)
Agree there were some iffy areas along the train route in and the area around the station was not that great, we went to a bar by the station and got the next train back before it got dark. The trendy area just North of the Vieux Port was pleasant enough and the wander up to the church with the gold virgin Mary on top offered some fantastic views....but as you say there are parts that you would not want to go to, and I can understand that England fans wouldn't care if England never played there again.
What a good read...I've been to Vezerlay...it pissed down for a good couple of hours and we ended up in a bar (as you do) in a hotel just south of the old 'city' wall, seem to recall trying all 3 of the local beers that they had on from the local Vezerlay Brewery...good it was to. I was drinking 25cl bottles of La Goudale yesterday, when we've camped in France I usually get the 750cl bottles the one with the cork in it. 'Grubby old Marseille'...LOL we actually liked it there, just done a day trip there by train from Cassis, where there was a bar that had quite a few Belgian beers. It's worth mentioning that there's usually no problem in getting Belgian beer in France...obviously you would know that.
Thank you, HastingsAddick. Glad to hear you know Vezerlay too and have sampled the local beers. Never had the chance to sample the Vezerlay beers on draught though. Like you, I think their beers are pretty decent - and can also be found in supermarkets in and around that part of Burgundy.
You're right in that the French like their Belgian beers (faced with the ubiquitous Kronenbourg and Heineken, you could understand that). From memory, you'll often find Leffe, Grimberger and sometimes Hoegaarden on pression in France, but some of the Belgian bottled stuff can be really good, even bottle conditioned, but a strong 8 or 9% and quite (to my taste, anyway) heavy, especially stuff that's labelled from Belgian Trappist Monks.
Did you find that you can't quaff them like a British pint but need to drink them in the way you would drink wine?
What a good read...I've been to Vezerlay...it pissed down for a good couple of hours and we ended up in a bar (as you do) in a hotel just south of the old 'city' wall, seem to recall trying all 3 of the local beers that they had on from the local Vezerlay Brewery...good it was to. I was drinking 25cl bottles of La Goudale yesterday, when we've camped in France I usually get the 750cl bottles the one with the cork in it. 'Grubby old Marseille'...LOL we actually liked it there, just done a day trip there by train from Cassis, where there was a bar that had quite a few Belgian beers. It's worth mentioning that there's usually no problem in getting Belgian beer in France...obviously you would know that.
Thank you, HastingsAddick. Glad to hear you know Vezerlay too and have sampled the local beers. Like you, I think they're pretty decent - and can also be found in supermarkets in and around that part of Burgundy.
You're right in that the French like their Belgian beers (faced with the ubiquitous Kronenbourg and Heineken, you could understand that). From memory, you'll often find Leffe, Grimberger and sometimes Hoegaarden on pression in France, but some of the Belgian bottled stuff can be really good, even bottle conditioned, but a strong 8 or 9% and quite (to my taste, anyway) heavy, especially stuff that's labelled from Belgian Trappist Monks.
Did you find that you can't quaff them like a British pint but need to drink them in the way you would drink wine?
Absolutely, better to take it easy when drinking 8-9% Trappist beer.
Are you still in Cassis? I know Cassis pretty well as somewhere to go for an afternoon (GF spent a lot of her childhood holidays there, so loves to go often).
But I've never been able to find any bars/cafes that serve draught or bottle conditioned ales there. Have you had any luck finding any?
Are you still in Cassis? I know Cassis pretty well as somewhere to go for an afternoon (GF spent a lot of her childhood holidays there, so loves to go often).
But I've never been able to find any bars/cafes that serve draught or bottle conditioned ales there. Have you had any luck finding any?
No we was there in June 2015 (4 nights at the campsite), there was/is a bar on the front near the boules court/pitch that sold Belgian bottled beer.
The Goose: Dreary Pubco boozer. Slow service. One till not working. Beer served with too much head. Only saving graces were that the beer tasted good and they had a nice picture of Gemma Arterton on the wall. 3/10
The Compass: Fabulous micropub. Friendly landlord and customers. Excellent selection and the best beer of the day - Plum Porter that really did taste of plums. Private room out the back that looked like your nan had tried to design a man-cave. 10/10
The Robert Pocock: Typical Wetherspoons - all forms of human life were in there. Excellent value food. The Abbey beer that they had on tap was fantastic. I think It's only meant to be drank in small measures; but if they're selling it in pints, I'm drinking it in pints. 7/10
The Grapes: Shepperd Neame pub which, as most of them do, suffers badly from only selling their own inferior product. With the beer choice limited to Spitfire or Whitley Bay it's not surprising we were the only ones in there. Only entertainment to be had in there was debating how much (or how little) the barmaid looked like Stacey Slater on a bad day. 2/10
TJ's: Looked a complete and utter shithole. Did not go in.
The Call Boy: Closed (luckily, by the looks of it).
The Crown and Thistle: Also closed (probably another stroke of luck)
Tavern Food & Wine: The beautiful tile work outside made this look as if this would once have been a wonderful old boozer. Disappointed to find that it was actually a convenience store. WTF?
Three Daws: Characterful pub on the sea wall. Good beer and interesting architecture - all nooks and crannies. Interesting history with Gunther Plüschow passing by. 8/10
Rum Puncheon: Looked like it had a lot of potential, but it certainly wasn't living up to it. Pretty much empty. Shockingly bad 'Bexley Beer'. 3/10
The World's End, Tilbury: Big old pub that was quite full to see some local band. They spent about an hour setting up, played one number, Dr Feelgood's Going Back Home (quite apt for us returning Essex boys) and then declared that they'd be back later. Strange. 7/10
Oohaah style scores: Chances of rushing back 0%, chances of coming back at sometime or another 40%, chances of never returning 60%.
Great review of the watering holes in what is currently my home town. The Three Daws is my favorite, but I haven't been in the Compass - I will rectify that soon.
The big question is then, were we right not to go in TJ's?
Best to trust your instincts. I still haven't made it to the Compass.
Went on great pub crawl on Friday. Started at 17:30 and finished at 22:30. Some really old splendid pubs some of which I hadn't been to before;
1. The Seven Stars, Carey St. 2. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet St. 3. The Viaduct, Newgate St. 4. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, Hatton Garden 5. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn 6. The Ship Tavern, Gate Street 7. The Cross Keys, Covent Garden 8. The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden 9. The Harp, Chandos Place
I've regularly struggled to find a Samuel Smith's beer that I like....had a bottle of the Oatmeal Stout in No.5 which was quite nice and "India" in No.2 which was certainly drinkable.
Numbers 1 and 4 in particular on your list are crackers. The Seven Stars is just around the corner from where i work, and a regular (well, semi regular at least) haunt of mine!
Bexley Beer Festival tonight.....anyone else going?
How was it? Someone mentioned that its on today too.
The Thursday night must have been very busy, as there were roughly a dozen barrels missing from the 1 - 85 advertised.
I got there at 7:30pm on the Friday....programmes had run out and I was given a glass from 3 years ago, all current year ones had gone!
By the end of Friday night, we were on to the reserves (barrels numbered in the 90s) and there could only have been 20-30 in total left. I understand from a friend that Saturday was free entry as there was so little left.
The beer itself was just ok to be honest, wasn't one I really enjoyed to pass on if truth be known. The two that I really wanted to try had all gone on the Thursday.
Anyone been Stormbird in Camberwell? Excellent for craft beer.
I haven't, but the people who run that now have the Star & Garter in Bromley, and it's bleedin' fantastic. As well as Stormbird, they also own a proper old-style boozer in Camberwell, the Hermit's Cave, which is a lovely place.
Anyone been Stormbird in Camberwell? Excellent for craft beer.
I haven't, but the people who run that now have the Star & Garter in Bromley, and it's bleedin' fantastic. As well as Stormbird, they also own a proper old-style boozer in Camberwell, the Hermit's Cave, which is a lovely place.
Bexley Beer Festival tonight.....anyone else going?
How was it? Someone mentioned that its on today too.
The Thursday night must have been very busy, as there were roughly a dozen barrels missing from the 1 - 85 advertised.
I got there at 7:30pm on the Friday....programmes had run out and I was given a glass from 3 years ago, all current year ones had gone!
By the end of Friday night, we were on to the reserves (barrels numbered in the 90s) and there could only have been 20-30 in total left. I understand from a friend that Saturday was free entry as there was so little left.
The beer itself was just ok to be honest, wasn't one I really enjoyed to pass on if truth be known. The two that I really wanted to try had all gone on the Thursday.
I'll still go back next year though!!
I guess the organisers can never be sure how many drunks beer connoisseurs will attend and the weather has a bearing. They don't want to be left with a load of beer, so the idea is to sell out, however this does sound like they were a little too cautious.
Comments
Sod Theresa May, Corbyn, Trump, North Korea, Millwall and Crystal Palace.
New Micro Pub called The Kentish Belle opening in June, just a stones throw from Bexleyheath Station.
1. The Seven Stars, Carey St.
2. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet St.
3. The Viaduct, Newgate St.
4. Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, Hatton Garden
5. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn
6. The Ship Tavern, Gate Street
7. The Cross Keys, Covent Garden
8. The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden
9. The Harp, Chandos Place
I've regularly struggled to find a Samuel Smith's beer that I like....had a bottle of the Oatmeal Stout in No.5 which was quite nice and "India" in No.2 which was certainly drinkable.
Great to see the pub doing so well.
La Goudale is available in nearly every supermarket there - and is bottle conditioned.
For those who like to spend holidays in France, a quiet revolution is happening (no, not that one!).
Little micro breweries are popping up in various places.
There are several in Brittany ( I had a lovely well kept hand-pulled pint in a café on the front at Roscoff while waiting for the ferry),
and friends introduced me to different cask and bottle conditioned ales at L'Orient.
In Burgundy there is the Vezerlay brewery, which produces a range of bottle conditioned.
Also in Provence in the south, there are a few micro-breweries - and believe it or not, even in grubby old Marseille
there is a brewery called La Pleine which produces several bottle conditioned beers (I recommend their IPA) and a couple on draught.
In Marseille, Nimes and Paris, I've also come across specialist beer shops well stocked with beers from many countries, and you can invariably find some that are bottle conditioned.
There's bound to be many other breweries out there in France that I don't know of.
With a bit of research beforehand and hunting around you needn't go without your ale.
You'll probably even love the multicultural open market at Noailles (watch your pockets/handbag).
And there's even some interesting churches/cathedral, Mucem, Vielle Charity, etc
But go just a few streets further into the city away from the restored forts, fish restaurants, a street of swanky shops and the yacht-ty harbour and you're in real grubby Marseille. It's filthy and uncared for. Let's just say there's a lot of crime. Mind your back and don't tread in all the dogshit.
I'm biased, my GF is currently working there.
;o)
Agree there were some iffy areas along the train route in and the area around the station was not that great, we went to a bar by the station and got the next train back before it got dark. The trendy area just North of the Vieux Port was pleasant enough and the wander up to the church with the gold virgin Mary on top offered some fantastic views....but as you say there are parts that you would not want to go to, and I can understand that England fans wouldn't care if England never played there again.
Never had the chance to sample the Vezerlay beers on draught though. Like you, I think their beers are pretty decent - and can also be found in supermarkets in and around that part of Burgundy.
You're right in that the French like their Belgian beers (faced with the ubiquitous Kronenbourg and Heineken, you could understand that).
From memory, you'll often find Leffe, Grimberger and sometimes Hoegaarden on pression in France, but some of the Belgian bottled stuff can be really good, even bottle conditioned, but a strong 8 or 9% and quite (to my taste, anyway) heavy, especially stuff that's labelled from Belgian Trappist Monks.
Did you find that you can't quaff them like a British pint but need to drink them in the way you would drink wine?
Quick question, please Hastings?
Are you still in Cassis?
I know Cassis pretty well as somewhere to go for an afternoon (GF spent a lot of her childhood holidays there, so loves to go often).
But I've never been able to find any bars/cafes that serve draught or bottle conditioned ales there.
Have you had any luck finding any?
I got there at 7:30pm on the Friday....programmes had run out and I was given a glass from 3 years ago, all current year ones had gone!
By the end of Friday night, we were on to the reserves (barrels numbered in the 90s) and there could only have been 20-30 in total left. I understand from a friend that Saturday was free entry as there was so little left.
The beer itself was just ok to be honest, wasn't one I really enjoyed to pass on if truth be known. The two that I really wanted to try had all gone on the Thursday.
I'll still go back next year though!!
Kidbrooke beer festival starts tomorrow: http://sel.camra.org.uk/diary/festivals/
I was thinking about going Kidbrooke beer festival, but none of my pals are intrested.
drunksbeer connoisseurs will attend and the weather has a bearing. They don't want to be left with a load of beer, so the idea is to sell out, however this does sound like they were a little too cautious.