Camra

[prinnysquad]

Oof sounds brutal

Enjoy!!

[babs]

I'm a fully paid up member and am going to the Cornish Camra festival in St Ives this weekend

[prinnysquad]

To tell the truth I've got a pathetically low tolerance threshold - 4 pints is my safe max, so I've avoided festivals and the like. I don't want to stick with halves, and I don't have the constitution to deal with loads of beers, so to avoid a vomming I haven't bothered. I just know that if I attended one of these things the tosser in me would come rushing to the surface and I'd have to try every beer. Then I'd spend the next day wretching in the otterbox, which would kind of disrespect the whole real ale festival thing tbh - I could turn into a puke machine on any old crap like John Smiths.

[vanpeebles]

haha proper wuss

[prinnysquad]

Er, I'd just like to point out that after a particularly heavy night of Durham ales, including Cnutus (yes, we made the obvious pun), VP spewed all over his arm and pillow then promptly fell asleep in it until the morning.

If my cautious attitude helps to prevent me from having to flick bits of carrot from my forearm in the morning, then I'm a very pleased wuss!

[Ish]

First couple of festivals I went to I ended up in a right state but I've got the festival techniques down well now! I generally go for a whole day (or two) and spread the consumption out over the hours. I generally feel fine the next day these days

[Ish]

I'm a fully paid up member and am going to the Cornish Camra festival in St Ives this weekend

Is that a big one?

[djjimbob]

Yay, more real ale drinker! Sans beards.

I love my real ale.

I live in York and the place has a few really really good pubs and beer shops and it's own brewery which produces the head-mashing Centurion Ale.

Went to the beer shop on Stonegate the other day and bought 2 belgians (Westmalle and Judas) and 2 english brews (St Peter's Ruby Ale and the 2005 Camra Gold medal winner).

The Gold medal ale was fantastic - can't remember the name now, but extremely complex and just downright tasty.

edit - Crouch Vale - Brewer's Gold is the name
More beer talk please

[prinnysquad]

These are particular faves throughout the years:

Wychwood's Bah Humbug! - http://www.eurobrews.com/bahhumbug/D...humbug_big.gif
Young's Christmas Pudding Ale - http://www.thebrewsite.com/images/ch...udding-ale.jpg
Badger Champion Ale - http://www.thelittlebeercompany.com/...bottles/17.jpg
Badger Golden Glory - http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/13324.jpg
Marston's Firestoker - http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/16734.jpg
Harviestoun's Bitter and Twisted - http://www.mit.jyu.fi/mweber/blog/im...nd_Twisted.jpg
Wychwood's Circle Master - http://www.thelittlebeercompany.com/...bottles/22.jpg
Wonkey Donkey - http://www.goose-eye-brewery.co.uk/bottle/wonkey.htm - check out that pic!


I'll have to check out the book for 9's and 10's later tonight!

Unfortunately I reckon things might get frustrating on this thread - I've already clocked the names of 2 beers I've never had before

[djjimbob]

I thought the Xmas Pudding ale was a bit jokey. A fairly nice ale, but not one that you'd drink every day.

Your Wychwood and Badger choices are good - the Badger Champion is *really* good at the moment. God bless Tesco and their 4 for ?5 dealing.

Not tried Wonky Donkey yet. It's the nickname of one of the really good York pubs called the Three Legged Mare.

[prinnysquad]

Yes the xmas pudding ale is *perfect* in season, but a bit moot for the rest of the year. Like all christmas beers, Shepherd Neame, etc, they've got a very xmasy taste to them that seems out of place in March. Every xmas ale I've had since 1995, from a variety of breweries, seems to have a short timer as far as taste goes. I can't knock their individuality, but having saved one for months on end once, drinking it in June seemed quite odd.

tbh i find that the everyday guzzlers are the more bog standard real ales, the bombardiers and pedigrees. They're the kind that can handle mass consumption. I couldn't drink most of the ones I listed on an everyday basis. They'd lose their lustre! Once a week max, maybe less. Then I can look forward to them and they retain their hype (in my mind lol).

[djjimbob]

Good call. You need a your session ales so that the good ones taste even better.

My current favourite special is the Brakspear Triple. It is gorgeous. I have 3 bottles that are over 12 months old that I am saving for special occaisions.....

...like this thread - slurp.

[Plough Boy]

I'm not a member of Camra but have had my beer drinking exploits revolutionised by prinny and VP over the last year. I had always been a bitter drinker at uni but somehow managed to fall by the wayside. Those two dragged me back up kicking and screaming and I have to say I'm rather pleased they did.

As prinny said I'm currently keeping track of what beers I'm drinking and how I rate them - slightly sad I know - but its given me a want to not just stick with the tried and tested (McEwens 80/-) and go for something different. Over 80 different bitters so far since Feb both in Bottle and Cask form. I'm going to the Tynedale Beer Festival in 2 weeks time too so that should boost numbers.

My favourites so far have been:
Perry Power - Burton Bridge - 4.5%.
Copper Cascade - Stewart Brewing - 4.2%
and as mooted earlier you really can't beat
Firestoker - Marstons - 5.0%.

For everyday drinkability I'm rather fond of Tim Taylors Landlord.

Only had one really rank one so far which was Innis & Gunn - 6.6%. It tasted like liquid butter and in my opinion was filth in a glass.

[Swallow]

Bloody hell, a Burton Bridge fan! That's my local brewery, they're the nads for bitter.

[Plough Boy]

Yeah - Perry Power was their monthly special for April which I sampled when I was in Nottingham for the Ice Hockey Finals. It was bloody tasty. Met Paulos G that night too - which arguably wasn't so great