I have been busy for a few days, but one or two things to mention in this great beer drinking world I live in. On Thursday I took my National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders exam. I don't know the result yet, but know from discussion I have got two wrong. Doh! Afterwards we went to the Black Lion in Salford for a pint. A relatively new opening, or rather re-opening, it is a really nice corner pub, run by the same people that run the nearby New Oxford. Like the New Oxford, it offers a good range of beers, despite in this case, an Enterprise tie. Unfortunately the beer we tried, Phoenix Arizona wasn't at its best, so we beat a retreat to the Angel, now divested of its gastropub status and just a proper pub again. We didn't enjoy Williams Brothers Gold. Its description of golden and hoppy only met the criteria on the"golden" bit. It was sweet beyond belief. Given that we had walked a couple of miles all in and had not had a good pint yet, we cut our losses and went to the Marble. Glorious pints of Pint restored our faith in cask ale, but there was a sting in the tail. I finished on Dobber and it was poor and unrecognisable as the great beer it is. Even the best can have an off day!
I mentioned also that Lees Bitter had disappointed recently. Those lovely chaps at the brewery have sorted it. Alerted by a text from my mate John who had sampled half a dozen in the THT to make certain of the return to form, I went to the Old Boar's Head and the Lancashire Fold. Both were providing bitter in top form, so much so that when I bumped into Lees Second Brewer I didn't mention it, though I did tackle him about boring beer. He put a flea in my ear as he always does when I bang on about hops, but we parted friends!
Soon I'm off to the THT to check things out.
Had some lovely Lees Cock and Bull at a beer festival in Newcastle this week - far from boring, dry hopped and delicious!
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Peter.
ReplyDeleteMein gott - bad luck for getting two questions wrong on the exam. Were you drunk, or did you forget your reading glasses, or both? I can think of no other explanation.
If this means you're taking on a pub, be warned that your blog will soon be an irrelevance and will suffer a painful "change of direction" that will alienate all those who love beer but hate pubs. That's what happened to me.
Chris. It is indeed dry hopped. Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a pub Tandy, I'll bring Gazza around so we can fuck in your gents.
ReplyDeleteBarry, you are one seriously messed up dude.
ReplyDeleteThe explanation is simple Jeff. I mixed up (or think I did)the penalties on breaches of law between personal and premises licences. I am of course not a lawyer, nor perfect - same thing eh? - therefore these little lapses are likely.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly don't remember what I have always said about taking on a pub. That is, I won't be.
Thanks too for being so predictable. Or is it just irony? (-;
Out of interest, why did you take it?
ReplyDeleteNeeded in my role as Deputy Organiser, National Winter Ales Festival.
ReplyDeleteWhen I met you you told me that JW Lees were begging you to take on one of their pubs, and that you didn't want to. So yes, I was joking!
ReplyDelete