Spoons Real Ale Festival 31/10/2014;

Caledonian Trojan Horse 5.5% strong ale (Red Lion, Doncaster) ... Very nice, one of my favourites of the festival, a nice malty flavour.

Away from the festival, the Tut currently has Cottage Trick or Treat 4.4% which was very enjoyable too.

Spoons Real Ale Festival 01/11/2014;

Evan Evans Artisan Cluster Nut 4.4% best bitter (Rawson Spring, Hillsborough)
Wadworth Heather and Honey 5.0% speciality (Rawson Spring, Hillsborough)
Cotleigh Uncle Sam Hop Burst 4.3% golden ale (Rawson Spring, Hillsborough)
Thwaites Hobnobber 4.7% premium bitter (Rawson Spring, Hillsborough)
Titanic Hop Aboard 5.0% strong ale (Swim Inn, Sheffield)
Vale Metamorphosis 4.5% golden ale (Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield)

The Evan Evans and Thwaites brews ticked the most boxes on a very enjoyable evening.

Spoons Real Ale Festival 02/11/2014;

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil 4.5% porter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Spoons Festival ale 03/11/2014;

JW Lees John Willies 100 4.2% best bitter (Red Lion, Doncaster)

If I post on here do I now have to share my next pint with griff1998?

Spoons Festival ales 05/11/2014;

Butcombe Crimson King 4.3% best bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Adnams 1659 Smoked Ruby Beer 4.7% speciality (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

The Butcombe brew was very nice. The Adnams was the beer of the festival for me ... absolutely stunning!

Spoons Festival ales 06/11/2014;

Mordue Americana 5.0% strong ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

also had the wonderful Adnams 1659 Smoked Ruby Beer again.

York on Saturday afternoon / evening;

Copper Dragon Witch 4.0%, Guy Fawkes
Adnams Southern Lights 3.8%, Cross Keys
Jennings Sneck Lifter 5.1%, Snickleway Inn
Purity Rivet 4.0%, White Swan
British Beer Factory Seven 4.2%, Pivni
Elgoods Black Dog 3.6%, Harkers
Irving Admiral Stout 4.3%, Maltings
Kelburn Dark Moor 4.5%, Tap

British Beer Factory Seven was my favourite on the day.

Spoons Festival ales 09/11/2014;

Barrel O.G. IPA (US) 5.0% speciality brewed at Wadworth Brewery (Angel, Doncaster)
Oakleaf Blakes Gosport Bitter 5.2% strong ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Loved the Oakleaf brew.

The Tut has Rev James at the moment

One for you Wanderer if you get the chance. Try the Pumpkin Porter at the Brewery Tap, not usually my type of drink but it was recommended and I'm pleased to pass this onto you because it went down very well. Ian and his good lady wife have IMO an excellent set up there, and the range of Ciders and Perries are as good if not better than anywhere in Town.

When I first read what you'd written I thought I may have had it once before. That was confirmed yesterday evening when I recognised the AD71 prefix before having another. I concur, very drinkable.

Spoons Festival ales 13/11/2014;

Still spotting the odd residual one ...

Okells IPA 4.5% best bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

I reckon that's 40 of the 50.

The Angel had a very nice Milestone ale available, Poppy Fields 4.0%. Similar to the same brewery's Rich Ruby.

Nice one, I did try the Gold Cup in there yesterday afternoon and thought
it was a winner (shocking pun I know)

Spoons Festival ales 16/11/2014;

Roosters Union Gap 4.3% golden ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Spoons Festival ales 17/11/2014;

Marstons Oyster Stout 4.1% stout (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

42 of the 50.

The Tut n Shive have The Hop Studio York 3.8% at the moment. Very much to my taste!

Cask Corner currently has a couple of Arran brews available. Sunset 4.4% & Dark 4.3%. Last time I sampled those was in bottles brought back from a trip to the Isle.

The Tut has St Peters Autumn Stout 5.0% ... very drinkable. The Suffolk Brewery is one I don't think I've sampled before.

Arran Clyde Puffer 4.5% (Stout) now on in Cask Corner ... very nice.

Also sampled Lincoln Green's Ayle X221 7.0%.

Wigan last night ...

Swan & Railway - Jennings Red Breast 4.5% & Wychwood Bah Humbug 4.3%
Berkeley - Long Man Brewery Old Man 4.3%
Boulevard - Moorhouses Pie Maker 4.0% & Robinsons Trooper 4.8%

Favourite on the night was the Old Man, a dark brown ale with hints of coffee.

The Tut n Shive had the wonderful Bradfield Farmers Belgian Blue 4.9% available yesterday as well as Hardy & Hanson's seasonal brew Rocking Rudolph 4.2%

A few recent highlights ...

Dec 23 ...
Tut ... Partners Christmas Devil 4.0%
Tap ... Doncaster Brewery Stirling Single Coffee Stout 4.5%

Dec 24 ...
Tut ... Cottage Christmas Cracker 4.5%
Gatehouse ... Milestone Prancer the Dancer 4.9%
Cask Corner ... Arran Fireside 4.7%

Dec 25 ...
Tap ... Doncaster Brewery Angel & Royal Vintage Spiced Winter Ale 6.5%

Bury Last night ...

Trackside ... Dunscar Bridge Mayflower Lancashire Stout 4.0%
The Robert Peel ... Lymestone Pudding Stone 4.8%
The Knowsley ... Hardy & Hanson Rocking Rudolph 4.2%
Art Picture House ... Naylors Santa's Darkside 4.4%

The Lancashire Stout was a very welcome find.

A few interesting ones in Town yesterday ...

Tut ... Okell's Aile (Porter) 4.7%
Gatehouse ... Pheasantry Ringneck Amber Ale 4.1%
Angel ... Elland Ell's Bells 4.6%
Cask Corner ... Dukeries Gunsmoke 5.5%

The Pheasantry & Dukeries brews are tried and tested. The other two were new and enjoyable with slight preference being for the Elland seasonal ale.

Warrington last night ...

9 Gallon ... Pied Bull Black Bull 5.2%
Barley Mow ... Brains SA 4.2%
Blue Bell ... Wells Bombardier 4.1%
Lower Angel ... Stancill Barnsley Bitter 3.8% (x3)

Chorley last night ...

Imperial ... Thwaites Wainwright 4.1%
Shepherds Hall Ale House ... ISCA Dawlish Ale 3.8%
Crown ... Allgates All Black 3.6%
Prince of Wales ... GK IPA 3.6%
Sir Henry Tate (W'spoons) ... Coach House Gunpowder 3.8%

Enjoyed a couple a nice Porters last night in town;
Greene King Suffolk Porter 5.4% in the Tut and Elland Padang Coffee Porter 5.0% in the Gatehouse.

Also sampled Elland Angel Witch in the Angel before heading to Cask Corner for a couple of Rudgate brews, the ever-reliable Ruby Mild 4.4% and the very pleasant York Chocolate Stout 5.0%.