And Elliot Brew whilst contacting every American I know who's gone home for Christmas, and begging them to bring me back US craft beer. The begging is worth it when you get promised Black Butte
Got a bottle of Macadame in the outhouse, will dig that out at some point - probably save for a tasting!
Rounding off an excellent afternoon/evenings tasting event with Old Chimneys Good King Henry Special Reserve 2010 Vintage.
If you're after the Black Jack porter at some point, don't bother. It's as piss weak as it was before. Possibly even worse after the aging.
I've recently gone off beer in favour of whisky, but there are a few bottles in my fridge I should probably drink tonight. Raging Bitch, for example, and Les Rulles' triple. Then again I might just stick with the Glenmorangie/Lagavulin.
Innis & Gunn 4 bottles of Independence Day 2012 big tastes of the Islay barrels it was aged in at £3.85 from B&M's why not have both lol. Bolstered the beer of NYE with some Barnsley Shut Thi Gob well as a northerner can't have a big night in without sum broon
Pints of Black Cab Stout, Bengal Lancer IPA, and St. Austell Tribute, while waiting for the train. Marquis would be proud.
£3.90 a pint wasn't great but The Mad Bishop and Bear is pretty good with cellaring. Always a few degrees above fridge temperature, so good for the pale ales. They get a lot of custom so it's always fresh too. Though if you want something else they have Fullers limited releases in bottle format, but £7.50 a pop for Brewers Reserve #4 and £5.50 for Vintage Ales really makes http://store.fullers.co.uk/Store/Category/35/Product/BOMCVA01PK.aspx and http://store.fullers.co.uk/Store/Category/35/Product/BOMCSR01PK.aspx into real bargains.
£5.50 is the going rate for an '09 to '12 vintage in the brewery shop, £6 to £7.50 for the older vintages and the latter for the Brewers Res so they aren't bad prices for a pub tbh, certainly better vfm than £3.90 a pop at the standard 4% cask offerings!
Time for a beverage for Bevis Little Valley Ale's Stoodley Stout to kick off NYE £2.10 for a 500ml organic bottle conditioned full roast taste bud humping stout WaHey!
But yeah, ushering in the new year with Mein Blondes, Mein Grunes and Meine Hopfenweisse, aka Tap 1, 4, 5 Yum.
The Highlight of tonight Catso thank you Urbain Coutteau for your fantastic brewery Really Really good beer
Durham Bombay 106 IPA. Our lass sez I have to start drinking all these beers I've accumulated as they're taking over the place. A Two Roses single hop pale ale of some sort up next.
