The Arran ales are back at Cask Corner. Sampled both Fireside 4.7% & Dark 4.3% last night.

The Tut n Shive had the very nice Empire Stout 5.0%.

JW Lees Archer Stout 4.6% (Barristers) was the pick of the beers sampled in Bolton last night although the 2 Bank Top brews Dark Mild 4.0% (Barristers) & Flat Cap 4.0% (Man & Scythe) are far from shabby.

Had a couple of pints of Partners Shoddy Porter 4.5% in the Salutation last night. In truth it was far from shoddy and very enjoyable.

Warrington last Friday ...

Lower Angel ... Beartown Brown Bear 4.1% & Big Hand Kings Bane Bitter 3.9%
Looking Glass ... Frodsham Devils Garden 3.9%

Three very enjoyable pints.

Nottingham on Saturday ...

Canalhouse ... Castle Rock Red Riding Hood 4.3% (very enjoyable)
Vat & Fiddle ... Castle Rock Black Gold 3.8%

Sheffield Tap en-route back ...

The marvellous Thornbridge Lord Marples (never tire of this wonderful beer)

Leopard (on return) ...

The first time I've been in since it re-opened ... Pint of Doom Bar.

Chorley last night ...

Imperial ... Thwaites Wainwright 4.1%
Sir Henry Tate (W'spoons) ... Coach House Blueberry Classic Bitter 5.0%
Prince of Wales ... Adnams Broadside 4.7%
Crown ... Bowness Bay Swift Bitter 4.5%
Shepherds Hall Ale House ... Elgoods EP 4.3%
Yarrowbridge ... Robinsons Unicorn 4.2%

The best three were the Coach House, Bowness Bay & Elgoods ales.

The Tut n Shive had a Partners Brewery rep in on Monday evening ... I stumbled on this by accident. Not quite a Meet the Brewer evening, more a rep with samples of the 5 Partners Ales currently on offer in the pub.

Available were J.Y.B. 3.5%,Working Class Hero 3.8%, Champion 4.0%, Triple Hop 4.2% and Tabatha 6.0%. Personal favourite on the night was Champion but the Tabatha was a very deceptive brew, potent yet very easy to drink.

Sheffield last night ...

Rawson Spring (Hillsborough) - Mountain Goat Hightail Ale 4.5%
Wellington (Shalesmoor) - Little Ale Cart Brown Jack 4.1%
Red Deer - Stancill Barnsley Bitter 3.8%
Bankers Draft - Bradfield Brewery Farmers Stout 4.5%

4 very nice pints, the first one an Australian brew and the other 3 Sheffield ales.

Cheltenham races plus ale yesterday in Doncaster ...

Started off gently with a GK IPA in the Tut followed by;

Milestone Rich Ruby in the Angel
Brains SA in the Gatehouse
Wentworth Plum Stout (4.7%) in Cask Corner (a new one to me I think)
Doncaster Cheswold Bitter in the Doncaster Tap
Chantry 18 Eight (4.6%) in the Flying Scotsman Tap (definitely a new one)

Wetherspoons (Spring 2015) Real Ale Festival commences Friday 13 March and runs until Sunday 29 March.

Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain & the United States all have representative brews on offer.

Looks like some outlets already have 'Festival' ales available as the Mountain Goat Hightail Ale (Australian best bitter brewed at Hook Norton Brewery) sampled in the Rawson Spring last weekend is one.

Spoons Festival ales 11/03/2015;

Lighthouse Shipwreck IPA 6.5% Canadian strong ale brewed at Wychwood Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Daleside New Dawn 4.6% premium bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Devils Backbone Spider Bite 4.0% US dark ale brewed at Banks Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Everards Ascalon 4.0% best bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Hook Norton Inspired 4.7% premium bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Officially, the Festival commences on Friday but the Gatehouse has a number of ales available already. Preferences were the Daleside and Everards bitters, the former having orange and caramel flavours and the latter orange and chocolate. I certainly wouldn't put anyone off any of the brews sampled last night.

The Tut currently has the flavour-packed Scarborough Brewery Stout 4.6% - very quaffable!

The Angel has Stancill Porter 4.4% also very nice.

Spoons Festival 13/03/2015;

Bodebrown Wee Heavy 6.0% Brazilian strong ale brewed at Caledonian Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Very nice Brazilian ale brewed in a Scottish style. Very deceptive in that it certainly doesn't feel like a 6.0% brew.

Spoons Festival 14/03/2015;

Hilden Nansen Street 4.8% premium bitter (The Robert Shaw, Westhoughton)
Titanic Wit Stout 5.0% speciality beer (The Robert Shaw, Westhoughton)

A pleasant pair of pre-football drinks.

Spoons Festival 14/03/2015;

Otter Otters Progress 4.4% best bitter (The Spinning Mule, Bolton)
Banks & Taylors Bedfordshire Clanger 3.8% bitter (The Spinning Mule, Bolton)
Batemans Lincolnshire Red 5.0% premium bitter (The Spinning Mule, Bolton)
Camerons Vermillion 5.0% premium bitter (The Spinning Mule, Bolton)

The Clanger had too much citrus for my taste but the other three were excellent pints.

Can anyone see a connection between our form and Gary's drinking? .....lol

Spoons Festival 16/03/2015;

Cerveceria Fort English Style IPA 5.7% Spanish strong ale brewed at Shepherd Neame Brewery (Angel, Doncaster)
Barley Browns ESA 5.1% US strong ale brewed at Marstons Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Caledonian Merman XXX 4.8% premium bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Spoons Festival 17/03/2015;

RCH Boadicea 5.3% strong ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Shongweni Durban Pale Ale 5.7% South African strong ale brewed at Batemans Brewery (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Enjoyed the SA / Batemans brew, it surprised me in a good way.

Spoons Festival 18/03/2015;

Robinsons Mojo 3.7% bitter (Angel, Doncaster)
Inveralmond Rascal London Porter 5.6% porter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

The porter was very nice.

Spoons Festival 19/03/2015;

Banks's Archer 4.0% best bitter (Looking Glass, Warrington)
Brains Pocket Full Of Rye 4.3% best bitter (Looking Glass, Warrington)

2 more very enjoyable ales.

Spoons Festival 20/03/2015;

Acorn Sovereign IPA 5.0% premium bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Orkney Puffin Ale 4.5% best bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Rudgate Brew No.11 Milk Stout 4.2% stout (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Three decent drinks from breweries who seem to consistently produce excellent ales.

Spoons Festival 21/03/2015;

Mauldons Bronze Adder 4.1% best bitter (Moon Under Water, Wigan)
Lancaster Albion Connection 4.5% best bitter (Moon Under Water, Wigan)

I'd rate the Lancaster brew as one of the best of the Festival so far.

Spoons Festival 22/03/2015;

Townshends JCIPA 5.5% strong ale brewed at Everards Brewery (Angel, Doncaster)
Black Sheep Monty Python's Holy Grail 4.0% golden ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)
Jennings Golden Host 4.2% golden ale (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

also managed another pint of the Lancaster Albion Connection

Spoons Festival 23/03/2015;

Hanlons New Moon IPA 4.4% best bitter (Gatehouse, Doncaster)

Spoons Festival 24/03/2015;

Vale SPS 5.0% premium bitter (Swim Inn, Sheffield)
Adnams Jester 4.8% premium bitter (Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield)
Purity Rivet 4.0% golden ale (Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield)
Wadworth Ye Ole Admiral 5.0% premium bitter (Benjamin Huntsman, Sheffield)

Loved the Wadworth brew.

Also had a pint (back in the Gatehouse) of the very nice Otter Otters Progress.