GBBF Tomorrow!

[stronk]

Well, technically today, but it's still dark (and so still night)!

I'm pretty stoked. I'll try to report and make a few notes, but I'm jumping in the car at 7:00 the next morning to drive to Switzerland (not me driving, luckily), so I may not get a chance for a while.

Believe it or not, I actually had difficulty finding any friends to go with, as every single previous member of our tasting club is out of London and they're pretty much the sum total of my friends who are into good beer!

If you want to be more jealous, go and check out the beer and brewery lists on camra.org.uk!

[chazwicke]

I'm jealous alright! It has been 2 years since my last GBBF and 1 year since my last CAMRA fest in Ealing. I'm having withdrawels.

[stronk]

Actually, it's the same for me. I missed GBBF last year and could only get to an Oxford one.

[chazwicke]

Well regardless, I'm jealous of both you and Richard. I have a few friends from here who are going. I'm jealous of them too.

[MeridianFC]

It's taking all my will to not think about this grand event. My resolve was seriously tested by the arrival of the new issue of "What's Brewing" last night.

[MeridianFC]

BTW is anyone aware of any GBBF blogs? I've never gave a toss for blogs before but for this I am curious.

Whilst perusing the GBBF site I found this interesting tidbit, it's Roger Protz’s Top Ten Beers to Drink in British Pubs (in alphabetical order!):

1. Brakspear Bitter, Oxfordshire
2. B&T Edwin Taylor’s Stout, Bedfordshire
3. Cains Dark Mild, Liverpool
4. Crouch Vale Brewers Gold, Essex
5. Fullers ESB, London
6. Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, Sussex
7. Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Scotland
8 Marston's Pedigree, Burton upon Trent
9. Taylor’s Landlord, Keighley, Yorkshire
10. Young’s Bitter, London

That's a mighty list of fine pints.

Sniff........

[chazwicke]

I think #2 is the only I have not tasted. It is a mighty fine list indeed.

[Richard English]

I shall be at the GBBF on Friday. Anyone who wants to meet up will find me at the Young's bar, just inside the main entrance, from about 1215.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by Richard English
I shall be at the GBBF on Friday. Anyone who wants to meet up will find me at the Young's bar, just inside the main entrance, from about 1215.

By 1215 on 6 August 2005 we want all the gory details. As long as you've not been huckled by the Man for trying to walk out of the Olympia with a firkin under each arm.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
By 1215 on 6 August 2005 we want all the gory details. As long as you've not been huckled by the Man for trying to walk out of the Olympia with a firkin under each arm.

I, for one, will definately want details of that story!

[Richard English]

Quote "... for trying to walk out of the Olympia with a firkin under each arm..."

With around 600 of them you'd not think they'd notice...

[chazwicke]

I'm still green! You lucky dogs!

[stronk]

Well, I didn't keep any notes (in fact, I didn't even bring money, let alone a pencil and paper; I had to go for a 20 minute walk to find a working cashpoint, subsequently finding loads dotted around inside the hall).
I had a bit of a session on the milds, with my definite favourite being Gales' Festival Mild (which I think I bought 2 bottles of to take home, but I'm in another country and so can't check). Woodeforde's Wherry was, unusually, not high up on my list, probably due to the fact that almost every single beer I tried was dark (including dark milds, stouts and ESBs).
The most interesting beer I tried was Wells Banana Bread Beer. I have tried this before in the bottle, but it has much more depth of flavour on cask (and a more pronounced banana taste, as well as the characteristic aroma). Really suprisingly enjoyable, just as long as you go for a half rather than a pint.

Another interesting beer was Meantime Espresso Stout. Call me boring, but I thought this tasted like stale coffee (as have the other three I have tried before). I give up on this style.

My one regret is that I could only stay one day, and so only tried about 10 beers or so (half pints, of course!).

Actually, I have a second regret: although Jennings had beers at the festival, they didn't send a cask of Sneck Lifter, which would really have made my evening.

[Wit Memo Jeff]

Hey Stronk - your Sneck Lifter avatar evokes happy memories of the tour of the Jennings Brewery in Cockersmouth that my wife and I went on in 2002. Nice place, nice people, and fine beer. Back home I treasure my Jennings pints, Sneck Lifter hat, and Cross Buttocks Ale shirt. -Jeff

[chazwicke]

I've had the Wells Banana Bread at GBBF before. I would not want it as a regular beer. I Really like Woodfordes Wherry and I love all the Gales beers I've tried. Have not tried Sneck Lifter unfortunately. Man! I'm sad I'm not there this year!

[MeridianFC]

I just want to say I'm not jealous of Richard as he stands there a beautiful pint of ale in his mitts, lucious heady, malty hoppy...................sniff...................I can't take it anymore..................

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


:D

[stronk]

Wit Memo Jeff, I love the Jennings brewery, too. I haven't actually been to the place, but I have tried and liked many of their beers. I actually know someone who owns a lot of shares in Jennings (apparently it used to be a family-run brewery, but is now owned by many local shareholders); I'll have to go and visit him to sample some of the free beer he gets.

[chris_o]

Originally posted by stronk
I actually know someone who owns a lot of shares in Jennings (apparently it used to be a family-run brewery, but is now owned by many local shareholders); I'll have to go and visit him to sample some of the free beer he gets.
It's now owned by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc, so I should get there quick if I were you, before they shut the brewery down. W&D and Greed King are getting as bad as Whitbread were in the 70's.

[Kalleh1]

I wish I were there!

[stronk]

Judging by the huge following in the Lake District, it would be completely counter-intuitive to shut down the brewery.

[Wit Memo Jeff]

It would sure be a shame if anything happened to the Jennings brewery, but like Stronk said it seems to have a strong following in the Lake District. The pubs that I visited in my one trip to the Lake District in 2002 all had at least one Jennings ale available, and I remember one of them being one the best beers I had in England. Can't remember which one, could it have been Sneck Lifter?

At the brewery they said that a 'sneck' is part of a latch that you'd lift to open a door, and sneck lifter meant that you had enough money to buy a beer, after which maybe your friends would stand you a pint or more.

Cheers, Jeff