A Gem, Yet Again

I had this a few days ago from the bottle (Gem Amber Ale, Bath Ales), and I am here to tell you it is even better from the tap! It was enjoyed at my lovely local, the Highbury Vaults.

Another From Wychwood

Another offering from Wychwood brewery (Hobgoblin, Hobgoblin Ruby), this wasn't as good as the original Hobgoblin. It has me wondering whether Hobgoblin isn't the tentpole which provides a platform for other supporting (but ultimately inferior) beers. Will other Wychwood tastings bear out this hypothesis -- wait and see!! Nice concept and label, though.

Solid

I'd already had this on tap at The Pumphouse a while back, and I had no cause to suspect that it would be any less satisfying this time around. Doom Bar, named after the sandbar at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, upon which countless numbers of ships were said to have met their end, was rich and tasty.

Well Done

This fourth and final Butcombe variety (already logged the Gold, Blond, and Bitter) is, I believe, my favorite. By far the hardest to find, this IPA comes closest to my American IPA ideal. Named after one of Bristol's favorite sons, this beer marks the 200th birthday of Isambard Brunel, an engineer who helped to shape the town's shipping/transportation industries (he probably did a lot of other cool stuff, too, but hey, this isn't a history lesson). It tasted great!!

Going for 100

As I look over the entries in the beer blog so far, it occurs to me that I may likely try 100 beers while I'm over here. That seems like a nice round number to shoot for. Really, it only underscores just how many beers there are here, as I will have only sampled a fraction of the brews available by the time I leave.

Fool's Gold

This looked like a one-off from a brewery whose wares I'd never seen stocked on the shelves in the stores before. It was completely forgettable.

A True Gem

I first tried a beer from the lovely Bath Ales about a month ago at an art opening (Wild Hare) which was excellent, and this second variety did not disappoint, either. As it currently stands, Bath Ales can do no wrong.