Well, I just discovered that Kingstone Micro-Brewery is just up the road, In my fave part of the world... The lower reaches of the Wye Valley.
The range looks superb, so I might take a ganders up after work for a tasting
They also do a brewing day with breakfast, lunch (plus a few pints) and a 5 litre keg thrown in which sounds a fantastic day out!
(no connections ect. didn't realise it existed)
So, I might book in for one soon'ish.
I'll cruise Sainbury's on the way home with a few notes from above. God I love friday's.
al.
Well for me the best real ale is a local one in a pub where the landlord knows how to keep it.
For me Farmers Brewery in Bradfield or Kelham Island Brewery both have superb beers. The other top tip is if you want good beer at a good price buy a barrel from the brewery, £70 for 72 pints, get a bunch of mates round and it soon goes. We have a sort of informal beer appreciation club in the village where we take it in turns to buy the barrel. Which reminds me there is a barrel of farmers blonde on the go tonight.
That reminds me of a local chess tournament. Every year a few of the players in the local league buy a barrel of beer and play an all-play-all tournament, with the extra stipulation that you cannot win a game or offer a draw until you have finished your pint. If an offered draw is declined, both players get a fresh pint which must be finished before the end of the game.
The standard of play isn't very good, especially in the later rounds, but it uses up a barrel of beer.
Batemans dark lord is a good one, as already said anything wychwood, if you are feeling like something strong then Marston's owd roger is a favourite of mine they also do an indian pale ale called old empire which is quite nice.
I hope you have as much fun trying them as I did finding them.
Steve