True North Best Bitter 3.8% in the Leopard, Doncaster last night. The sort of pint you could drink all night in your local.

Was introduced to the Abstract Jungle Brewery by the Queens, Doncaster last night.

Easy 4.4%, an American Brown Ale ... nice.
Jackal 4.2 %, a Porter ... excellent!

Springhead Chocolate Orange Odyssey 4.0%, a delicious porter in the Leopard Friday and Saturday evenings.

Highlights from a visit to York yesterday;

Yeovil Ales Stout Hearted 4.3%, a rich malty stout, in the Maltings
Neepsend Vanilla Stout 4.6%, another georgeous stout, in Pivni
Brass Castle Bad Kitty 5.5%, a vanilla porter (previously sampled in Cask Corner, Doncaster), in the Falcon Tap
Kirkstall Brewery Dexter Milk Chocolate Stout 4.5%, in Brigantes
Half Moon Dark Masquerade 3.6%, a chocolate-flavoured mild, in York Tap

Brewsters Stilton Porter 4.9% in the Corner Pin ... very nice.

Another winner from Dukeries, Black Tie, a Coffee Chocolate Stout 4.8% in the Red Lion, Doncaster last night.

Also thoroughly enjoyed Turning Point Lucid Dream 5.0% in Cask Corner. Described as a Cookie Cream Stout, it beautifully combines biscuit, oats and vanilla flavours.

Dog and Gun at East Butterwick yesterday had Top Honcho on, a really nice bitter at 4.7% it was very reminiscent of Taylors Landlord both in colour and taste, big difference was the price, £2.70.

One for Gary, Aldi have their Halloween beer in - Dunkel Fester a really nice dark beer 4.4% brewed by Wychwood. Mrs M has just sampled a bottle and it gets a

We missed out last year because it went very quickly and we didn't buy enough. (not happening this year)

Particularly looking forward to;

Zululand Pale Ale 4.2% (South Africa)
Cotleigh Chocca Mocca 4.3%
Wells Banana Bread Beer 4.5% - I think I've only ever had this in bottles.
Lancaster Chestnut Red 4.5%
Morland Old Nutty Hen 4.5%
Shepherd Neame Late Red 4.5%
Truman's Dark Side of the Moon 5.0%
Inveralmond Daracha 5.2%
Caledonian Trojan Horse 5.5%
Cerveza Fort Oatmeal Porter 5.5% (Spain)
Arcadia Autumn Wheat 6.0% (USA)
Adnams Tally-Ho 7.2%

Hopefully, all 30 ales will be sampled before the end of the festival.

First two festival ales sampled last night in the Gatehouse, Doncaster ...

Theakstons Pink Grapefruit Ale 3.9%. I found the grapefruit overpowering but in fairness, this one was never going to be to my taste.

Lancaster Chestnut Red 4.5%. On my 'looking forward to' list and didn't disappoint. A winter warmer with chestnuts, berries and spices.

Two from those I was looking forward to sampled in the Friar Penketh, Warrington ...

Cotleigh Chocca Mocca 4.3%. A porter and nice enough, but slightly blander than expected.

Adnams Tally-Ho 7.2%. A deep mahogany coloured barley wine (strong ale / speciality), biscuit and fruit on the palate. An excellent winter warmer, although you would only need a couple!

Three more festival ales in the Looking Glass, Warrington ...

Hogs Back Farnham White 4.0%. Named after a rare hop, a golden bitter most noteable for it's peppery aftertaste. I'm a fan of this brewery's TEA (Traditional English Ale) but this one wasn't for me.

Cerveza Fort Oatmeal Porter 5.5%. Brewed at Caledonian Brewery by Spanish brewers, this is a very nice roasted coffee porter.

Zululand Pale Ale 4.2%. An amber coloured ale brewed by South African brewers at Wychwood Brewery, it delivered the promised caramel and biscuit flavours and was very nice.

The Bankers Draft, Sheffield had available Morland Old Nutty Hen 4.5%. Had this before and still consider it to be far superior to Old Speckled Hen.

Two more festival ales in the Rawson Spring, Hillsborough ...

Liberation Brewery Liberation Ale 4.0%. This golden ale has featured at a 'spoons festival before.

Woodforde's Tundra 4.6%. A grapefruit flavoured golden ale.

10 of 30 sampled.

Sheffield Waterworks yielded the very nice Truman's Dark Side of the Moon, a chocolate porter at 5.0%.

The final festival ale of the evening was an international brew in the Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield ...

Arcadia Autumn Wheat 6.0%. A light amber hazy wheat beer brewed by an American brewer at Banks's Brewery, the fruit and spices combination made for an enjoyable drink.

12 of 30 sampled.

Hook Norton Haymaker 5.0% in the Red Lion, Doncaster. A bronze coloured premium bitter, hoppy and fruity but reasonable enough.

The Gatehouse, Doncaster had Brewsters Seven Heaven available. I missed this off the 'looking forward to' list. Coffee infused, this light mahogany ale at 4.7% is very much to my taste.

14 of 30 sampled.

Back over the pennines tomorrow to continue the quest.

Inveralmond Daracha 5.2%, a delicious oak matured ruby ale in the Robert Shaw, Westhoughton. Wonderful drink!

Half way there now.

One further festival ale located in the Spinning Mule, Bolton last night ...

Shepherd Neame Late Red, a very pleasant dark malty bitter, 4.5%.

Becketts Bank, Leeds ...

St Eriks Midnight Sun 4.5%, a fruity golden ale brewed at Shepherd Neame brewery by a Swedish brewer.

17 out of 30 sampled.

The Hedley Verity, Leeds ...

Caledonian Trojan Horse 5.5%, referred to as a beer within a beer, hence the name, this black beer is an IPA within a Schwarzbier and features malt and fruits amongst it's flavours.

Stick or Twist, Leeds ...

Celt Castro Mosiac 3.9%, brewed by the Evan Evans brewery, a golden American style pale ale. A little too fruity for my palate.

Back in the Hedley Verity ...

Titanic Red Indian Pale Ale 5.0%, reputedly including hops from a native American reservation, a very hoppy American IPA.

20 of 30 sampled.

Wetherspoons, Leeds (i.e. on the railway station) ...

Vale Steam Punk 5.1%, floral and citrusy - not really to my taste in truth.

Rawson Spring, Hillsborough ...

Young Henrys Newtowner 4.8%. The final international brew, this one brewed by a regular festival brewer from Australia at Adnams Brewery. Golden and very hoppy.