The Real Ale Page  

This is the page , that is for the men out there who know what they're drinking . If you are sitting there thinking of lagers , p*** *ff now before I lose my temper , there are beers and there is Real Ale . Real ale is to lager , as vindaloo is to korma it's a man or mouse choice . The true difference is that a fine real ale should dance like Jennifer Lopez barefoot on your taste buds . With a crap , naffy lager or some other s**t , she would be wearing Dutch clogs . It just hasn't got the same horn inducing effect at all . Nectar of the Gods on one hand and cat p**s on the other .

A good ale should kindle sparks of saliva the second it is looked upon . It might be a beer that should be crystal clear or cloudy or even muddy , but whatever it is meant to be , it should be pleasing to your own eye . The second sensation should turn the sparks into flames as soon as you raise it to your face , with the aroma drifting up the nostrils with infinite ease . Different ales have differing smells , some of the better ones giving away the delights of what is to come , sometimes you can smell the yeast , hops or occasionally fruit . After the smell comes the ecstasy of taste , creating the inferno that was to be expected and yearned for , the creamy texture , the strong , bitter , sometimes burnt taste , with overtones of whatever ingredients the master brewer has decided are apt for his concoction .

There are many different ales around ranging in quality and also in price . Remember also that a dear beer is not always a good beer to yourself , everyone is different and so are their taste buds , always judge a beer yourself , don't hate a beer because someone else has tried it and said it's like smelly old socks . The true test of a good ale is what you think of it yourself.

Before I go on to list some bottled ales , I just want to make a small note on a little known brewery in Stoke-on-Trent that goes by the name of ' Titanic ' . If you see any of their ales in any public house or some such like , please try them . I have had a few good days lately , sampling their nectar , and I must say they are very appetizing . To name a couple I have especially adored , are ' Lifeboat ' and ' Captain Smith ' . Let me know if you try them and tell me what you think.

Below , I will list just a few of my favorite bottled ales readily available in the UK , from most leading supermarkets and , or off licenses . But Remember , don't just take my word for it try them yourselves and let us know what you think . Also if you try a new ale tell us about it , then we can try it ourselves . We will try to update as often as we can.

Happy quaffing .

 

NAME	BREWERY	TASTE	MARKS OUT OF TEN
Hobgoblin	Wychwood	unbelievable	10 definitely my all time favorite bottled beer .
Fiddlers Elbow	Wychwood	fantastic	9 not quite as good , but still great .
(any Trappist ale)	La Trappe	Wonderful	9 the famous monks never seem to put a foot wrong .
Abbot ale	Greene King	Generous	8 lost the marks for being too fizzy
80/- Export	Caledonian	Good strong ale	8 nice , but a bit too flowery .
Newcastle Brown	Scottish                &  Newcastle	Soft and gentle	8 great for quaffing while watching the footy .
Old Hooky	Hook Norton	Very pleasant	7 enjoyable but not great .
Ringwood   Old     Thumper	Ringwood	Numerous flavours in one mouthful	7 loses a few marks for it's after taste .

 P . S . Remember to support CAMRA and anyone else who campaigns for REAL ALE .