Light at the End of the Tunnel

After a meeting to talk about the beer part of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, a beer was in order. One of our number gave us the glad tidings that Thornbridge and Meantime both had beers on at Micro Bar. Good enough. We hot footed it over there, dragging our thirsts behind us.

We all plumped for the Thornbridge Julius to start and we seized (geddit) our glasses eagerly. What a disappointment. On this showing, no world beater, just an ordinary, dull, vaguely mandarin tasting, brown beer with no distinguishing features. We grumbled our way through it and ordered the Meantime London Pale Ale. Another shocker - vaguely wet dog smell, a lot of odd and off flavours - just grim. Two of us four, me included, couldn't finish it. Now the beers were a bit warm. The barmaid confided that though an engineer had allegedly fixed the cooling system, he'd have to come back, as the beer was still too warm. I'm giving both these beers the benefit of the doubt and will try them again. I just don't believe they were a good sample. That happens.

Things got no better at the Angel where Hornbeam Lemon Blossom was at its toilet cleaner worst, though the Dunham Massey Stout was thoroughly admired by one of our party. No such problems in the Marble Arch though, where Pint was on stunning form. When we'd drunk that dry, we switched to Summer Marble which was a bit of a stunner too. Good things come to those that wait. That could be an advertising slogan eh?