Beer Compurgation

This is a judgmental title and I will immediately admit that I am generalising with it. It’s not something I actually believe. However, I am having a little rant and a dig at my dear uncle in this post and therefore feel I have the right to say as I please. I don’t agree with some of the CAMRA bashing that has gone on in recent years. Though I have never, and will never, be a member, I applaud the work they do, changes they’ve brought and know quite a few who are supportive and active volunteers. But you can’t defend the indefensible and I’m afraid that often CAMRA members become their stereotype and don’t help themselves. My Uncle Dave was once chairman of his local CAMRA branch, (from Dewsbury but I don’t know which sect that is and won’t name it purposely.) He was a man who introduced me to many different beers and pubs and someone who I’ve often enjoyed having a pint with. Not only has he taken me to different beer festivals and taught me about different styles but he a

Back when I wrote about the MOSIBeer Festival in March, I explained my disillusionment and lack of enthusiasm for most of the major beer festivals. However, over the last 24 months, many more independent, charitable or local festivals have been held that have drawn my attention, including the one at MOSI and the SIBA event in Manchester last year. Last weekend, the second Tameside Beer Festival was held in Stalybridge Civic Hall. I attended the one last year with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the organisation and set-up, so returned this week. Organised by the Rotary Club of Ashton Under Lyne, I was pleased to see this was a purely charitable affair, with all profit donated to WaterAid . Also, I was glad to see that it was a two day event, the Friday and Saturday, because I really do detest festivals that have run out of beer by the time most hard-working people have time to visit, i.e. at the weekend. Whilst I’m not going to turn this into a personal di

Barrel Ageing. There’s a two word conundrum that’s likely to create any pub chat debate within seconds. What do you think of it? Is there any point? What are your favourite examples? Are the prices ridiculous? As a more recent addition to the beer blogging universe I know that there are some debates that will have become tired and been repeated long before I ever began. My two cents on such a subject are relatively worthless now. But, hey, this is my blog and these are my opinions so I’ll pretty much do as I please. What brought me to write my judgements on Barrel Ageing was the increase in effected beers I’ve had over the last month or two. Summer Wine’s Kopikat Clynelish and Caol Ila proved to be, as I tweeted at the time, the best examples of Barrel ageing I’ve had to this day. The barrel aged 77 Lager at BrewDog Manchester left me pondering the sheer novelty side of the process. Whilst another BrewDog beer, Bitch Please, a collaboration with Three Floyds, showed how beers r