Ales

I went for a change in tipple tonight and bought a bottle of Spitfire and Cumberland Ale.

Being a lager drinker, I struggle to get my head round a beer served at room temperature. I love Spitfire, but can't help thinking I'd enjoy it more ice cold from the freezer.

I also like Ruddles County and one they used to do in Asda with a hint of banana, that I can't recall the name of!

What ales do you rate, and at what temperatures?

Abbott ale - Bombardier -London pride my top 3 and youngs double chocolate stout and Harveys sweet sussex stout. My favorite ever beer was Watneys cream label i used to drink it as a kid when my old man ran a wilsons pub in manchester. Cant get now for a long time.

I just can't drink real ale at room temperature. Too tepid and sweet plus all the brews are nearly 5% or more. I got a case of Hobgoblin for Christmas and I put it in the garage and found the temperature just right. I'm currently enjoying Coors light in those tin bottles and that is quite refreshing.

Banana Bread beer is the banana one Doffcocker.

About 54 F is the temperature Ale should be drank at although I can stand it a little cooler if need be (not refrigerated though). The reason is all to do with flavour and the reason a lot of lagers are ice cold is because they taste shit.

Doffcocker - I would recommend the Old Golden Hen by Morland/Greene King for your palate. It's light due to the double drop brewing process and well tasty.

You'll find it in most supermarkets

http://www.greenekingshop.co.uk/online-shop/bottled-beer/old-golden-hen/

One of my favourites is Timothy Taylor Landlord. A proper pint of beer when it's looked after.

Reebok Trotter wrote:One of my favourites is Timothy Taylor Landlord. A proper pint of beer when it's looked after.

Superb pint.

Ale has come a long way in this country in the last 20 odd years, it's just a pity that the government is trying to tax us out of it.

I supped your namesake last year. A few of us went on a station pub crawl and our first stop was the Station in Urmston. It was converted from a railway station to a real ale pub about two or three years ago. They had Copper Dragon dark on draught and it was a really good pint but the next time we went in they didn't have it because it was only a guest beer.

Black sheep is another decent slurp when it is looked after.

Have you ever tried Wobbly Bob ? We sank a few at Stalybridge station when we went to Huddersfield this year. It didn't blow my socks off but I knew I had had a drink.

Yes I've had Wobbly Bob although it was a few years back now.

One that I've been supping recently due to it being bought for me for Christmas is Abbott Ale Reserve, which is quite a strong one and will put the lights out.

It doesn't matter which Copper Dragon brew you have as they are all lovely but if you get the chance to try the Golden Pippin then give it a whirl, it's full of hops.
None of their brews are strong and they are proper session beers.

It's always about taste rather than strength but if you get a tasty strong one then happy days. It'll cost you less in the long run.

I have been told to try the Kingthorn Jaipur but they didn't have it at Stalybridge. It was sold out.

As my avatar may suggest I enjoy my ale.

At the moment I have been most drinking moorhouses, robinsons and hydes. All fantastic producers of beer. Cheers!

Reebok Trotter wrote:One of my favourites is Timothy Taylor Landlord. A proper pint of beer when it's looked after.

Great Beer. I also spent many years drinking Ruddles County when in the RAF based at Cottesmore. We had a few good trips to the brewery aswell. I also like the Abbott Ales, they served that at the Ram Jam Inn on the A1 a few miles from the airbase. As for London Pride, maybe it was not kept well in my local when I lived in Hayes, but it tasted like they scooped it straight out of the Thames to me.

a good pint...

WhiteBic wrote:As my avatar may suggest I enjoy my ale.

At the moment I have been most drinking moorhouses, robinsons and hydes. All fantastic producers of beer. Cheers!

I can sup Hydes but I have never been a big fan of Robinsons. I don't know why but I never enjoyed it.

A good day out is to the Little Mill Inn at Rowarth just on the edge of the Derbyshire Peak district. The food is good and they serve an excellent pint of Winkle bitter.

Ruddles County is a good brew and I've supped a few pints of Brains in my time. Adnams ale from Suffolk is another one for the Connoisseur.

WhiteBic wrote:As my avatar may suggest I enjoy my ale.

At the moment I have been most drinking moorhouses, robinsons and hydes. All fantastic producers of beer. Cheers!

Moorhouses brews are brilliant.

The old head brewer at Moorhouses has recently started up his own brewery (also in Burnley). Might be worth you keeping an eye out for them...

http://www.reedley-hallows-brewery.co.uk/

Bank Top flat cap is my favourite at the moment, every time I visit home!!!

Other than that its mainly IPA's

Although some good ones have been mentioned such as Timmy T's, Ruddles, Pride, anything by Greene King

Also a bit partial to The Nanny Flyer - sold at at a gastropub in the north of Bury (Nangreaves, I think, just after the old bus terminus)

There are loads of good ales around the country but ultimately I reckon it's how they're kept that has the biggest impact on what we're actually served. Not much choice is Norfolk though - Adnams or Woodforde's. Woodforde's Wherry is the bog standard ale, but they do a couple of nice ones: Once Bittern (loses points for being a bad pun) and Norfolk Nip (loses points for being 8%)

Perhaps the worst example of ale management I ever came across is in the Joey Holt's chain (24 pubs?) Love the concept of brewing for your own pubs and selling it cheap but they do struggle to get it right - maybe 1 in 3 pints is OK in my experience. From the Clarence in Moss Side to the Black Dog in Belmont I never found one that consistently served well-managed ale.

You are right about Holt's beer, if it's not done right it smells very peculiar. Like Sam Smiths as well. Very cheap beer but prone to giving one the squitters.

I love talking about and supping ale. There are so many weird and wonderful ales, but my own taste rarely goes above 4.5%. Thwaites brew great beers and can't ever recall having a bad one. Wainwrights is one of my particular faves and Lancaster Bomber, a beer that I believe they took over brewing after purchasing Mitchell's of Lancaster is another tasty ale weighing in at 4.4%. My Mrs is a bit partial to their Nutty Black, and she also likes Wainwrights and Moorhouse Blonde Witch. My fave though is Timothy Taylor's Landlord and well worthy of it's champion status.
CD mentions Golden Pippin, a beer that looks not unlike piss but tastes like a "fruity wine", a tremendous drink. I have supped plenty Bank Top ales, and whilst in my opinion, not the best in the World are always good for the constitution and is Premier League class compared to that dire keg bilge John Shite!
Whilst remaining local, I have sampled another brewery's ale recently, Dunscar Bridge. I have to say that this Brewery's ale is top drawer and when tasked with finding a barrel for suppin with two mates at New Year I settled reluctantly for 72 pints of Bombay IPA at 3.7%, we all agreed it was divine!!
One place I like to sup is Barristers in town. They have a great range of beers, the usual favourites to some occasionals like Conistons Bluebird and St Austells Tribute.
As for bottled ale, some are stronger than their cask brothers, and some taste completely different. Black Sheep is a fine example of this, great out of the barrel, not quite as good in bottle. I try to stick to Wainwrights, Bomber and Landlord when purchasing take away ale as these are closest to the hand pump job.
Finally in the same vein, Marston's Pedigree at 4.5% hand pump and 5% bottle, is true to taste in both forms.
You can wake up now, I've finished for the time being!!! Bring it on, can't wait for more mouth watering posts in this thread.

It looks like the general consensus is that Timothy Taylor Landlord takes the number one spot. A worthy winner in my humble opinion.