Best of today's beers in Toon ...

Orkney Red MacGregor 4.0%, an old favourite, not sampled for a while. An excellent Scottish bitter. Malty, smoky, peaty and some caramel. Ticks a lot of boxes.

Yeovil Ales Star Gazer 4.0%, clear brown in colour, a slightly malty typical old fashioned bitter. One you could happily drink all evening.

Timothy Taylor's Ram Ram 4.3% was a welcome find at the Leeds Brudenell concert venue last night.

A couple of interesting brews on Wednesday evening in Warrington ...

Kelham Island Night Rider 4.5%, in the Looking Glass. Not a brewery who's beers I always get on with but this caught my attention. A dark brown Stout, on the dry side but nice roasted malts, coffee, toffee and a pleasant nuttiness.

Castle Rock Arthur Skill 4.2%, in the Lower Angel. A very enjoyable coffee flavoured Milk Stout, not a full bodied one but not thin or bland either.

Sad to report that after 11 years at the Corner Pin, the management team (Dave and Ruth) will be leaving the pub in May.

The final trading day will be Sunday 19 May 2019. Quite what is in store for the Pin thereafter remains to be seen.

This appears to be another case where the management reach a point where working for Enterprise becomes untenable.

Whilst not ruling out remaining in the trade in Doncaster (I think there is a decent chance), Dave and Ruth have so far been unable to confirm their next move.

That is a real shame, its a pity they don't have their own premises.

Gloucester Monday evening ... highlights ...

Turks Head - Bespoke Brewing Co. Beware The Bear 4.2%, a deliciously malty best bitter.

TANK - Gloucester Brewery Cascade 4.2%, an amber bitter, malty with toffee and biscuit. Very enjoyable.
Gloucester Brewery Six Malt Porter 4.5%, rich and roasted malts, some chocolate, coffee and dark berries. Excellent!

The Pelican - Wye Valley Brewery Wholesome Stout 4.6%, an easy drinking smooth stout. Roasted malts, coffee and plum. Delicious.

Bristol Tuesday evening ... highlights ...

Cornubia - Neepsend Bollenhut 5.3%, a sweet and delicious (probably in moderation) Black Forest Gateaux Stout.

Seven Stars - Granite Rock Glasney College Porter 5.4%, roast malt, cocoa, toffee and dark fruits. Very nice.

King Street Brewhouse - King Steet Brewhouse Brexit Means Breakfast 4.3%, an excellent oatmeal stout with chocolate and coffee flavours.

The Beer Emporium - Stealth Brew Co Mint Spy 4.4%, a pint of After Eight Mints in a glass. What's not to like? Wonderful!

Bristol Bedminster Wednesday evening ... highlights ...

Bristol Beer Factory Tap Room - Bristol Beer Factory Fortitude 4.0%, an amber ale which has a nice malty start with some toffee. A dry bitter finish. Quite quaffable.

The Leveret - Twisted Oak Old Barn 4.5%, a ruby ale from a Somerset brewery I hadn't heard of before. Malty, nutty, some caramel and dark fruits. Very nice.

Footnote: The pint of Bath Gem 4.1% sampled in the Robert Fitzharding last night was poor compared to the excellent pint sampled in the Sidings, Bristol whilst waiting to go out to Gloucester on Monday evening.

Bristol Hotwells yesterday evening ... highlights ...

The Grain Barge - Bristol Beer Factory Independence 4.6%, a copper coloured pale ale. The aroma is tropical fruit and pine and the initial taste is much the same but with some malt. A slightly bitter finish.
New Bristol Brewery OohLaLa 4.6%, described as a red ale, it actually pours hazy orange / amber. A peachy aroma and the flavours although light are orange, lemon and peach.

The Merchants Arms - Cheddar Ales Gorge Best 4.0%, a copper coloured best bitter. A little malt, caramel and toffee with some nuttiness. Quite quaffable.
3D Beer Sheridan's Irish Coffee Milk Stout 5.0%, an Irish Stout packed full of Irish whisky, coffee and vanilla. Sweet and stunning!

Bristol yesterday evening ... highlights ...

The Christmas Steps - Twisted Oak Slippery Slope 5.3%, a porter where lightly roasted malts, cocoa and some subtle dark fruits combine. Nice.

The Gryphon - Reunion Ales Frost Fair 4.5%, a dark winter ale with roasted grain flavours along winter berries, cinnamon and some subtle chocolate. Decent.

The Commercial Rooms - Summerskills Plymouth Porter 5.0%, a deep brown porter. Chocolate, hazelnut and berries. Nice.

Small Bar - New Bristol Brewery Coffee Maple Bacon 7.0%, a stout. Quite a bizarre combination but it works. Potent.

Was thinking ... why not make a brief note on the pub as well as the ale?
I mean if someone just happens to be in say Bristol, they could seek out some of these pubs and the ales.
Since some pubs you just wouldn't take your partner in despite the ale.
I know you could look on your phone at whether the place is a shoitehouse or not using Trip Advisor, but a personal recommendation is better.
It might give your blog fresh life.

You make a very good point.

The 2019 Spring Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival is coming up. Starts in just over a week. I'll probably leave it until after that finishes to begin including pub reviews.

I enjoy the twice-yearly challenge of finding all the ales but other than that, I don't have much to say about most Wetherspoons.

The Wetherspoons Spring 2019 Real Ale Festival officially gets under way on Wednesday 27 March, concluding on Sunday 7 April.

30 ales brewed in the UK, 5 by International brewers, will be available.

Additionally, 3 UK ciders will be featured during the festival.

London (Kings Cross / Leicester Square / Piccadilly) last Tuesday for drinks prior to Only Fools and Horses, The Musical at the Theatre Royal ... highlights ...

Gales HSB 4.8%, an old favourite, in the Parcel Yard on Kings Cross station.

Black Isle 20 Hours of Daylight 4.0%, a straw coloured Scottish pale ale. Sweet, rhubarb and elderflower flavoured. Quite pleasant, in the Crown.

Harvey's Sussex Best 4.0%, a very nice malty best bitter, in the Lyric.

The Lower Angel, Warrington had the excellent Empire Chocolate Milk Stout 5.7% available on Thursday. Lactose, chocolate, coffee and roasted malts combine. Simply stunning!

The Lower Angel again last night, Tatton Malted Milk 4.6%, a very nice rich malty Chocolate Milk Stout.

I see that those good people at Doncaster Brewery have created an ale in honour of St. George's Minster. A pale ale at 4.0%, not really to my taste, hoppy and dry but good on them, I'm sure there will be plenty who do like it.

Especially looking forward to ...

Arundel Brewhouse Best
Darling Gypsy Mask Red
Rudgate Brew No31 Blue Nose
Camerons Old Sea Dog
Hook Norton Crafty Fox
Bagby Asphalt Jungle
Elgood's Hen In Black
Black Sheep Choc & Orange Stout
Conwy Kodiak
Maxim Raspberry Porter
Titanic Atlantic Red
JW Lees Moonraker

Spring 2018 festival, full house on the Thursday afternoon of the second week.
Winter 2018 festival, full house on the Thursday morning of the second week.

Let's see if they can be bettered?

Spoons festival ...

Sheffield Waterworks - Woodforde's West Coast Wherry 4.3%, an American-style red rye ale. Citrusy, hoppy with a dry finish.

Spoons festival ...

The Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield - Shepherd Neame Hop County 4.8%, a quite interesting golden ale with tropical fruit and caramel flavours. Strangely, quite nice.

Spoons festival ...

The Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield - Purity Bunny Hop 3.5%, a pale golden ale. Citrus, grapefruit, dry hops. Not really to my taste.

Spoons festival ...

The Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield - Oakham Heights of Oblivion 3.9%, to me, a bland golden hoppy session IPA. Many of this brewery's ales taste very similar to me.

Spoons festival ...

The Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield - Black Sheep Choc & Orange Stout 5.0%, not as expected, I was looking for something akin to Terry's Chocolate Orange but in truth it's just bland with little flavour.