The second bottle we tried was Belfast Ale. Belfast is a dark amber ale with a rich malt flavour and an earthy aroma. It is brewed from three different hop varieties. As the bottle notes suggest this is has a distinctive bitterness. Not sure about the smooth finish – but a lovely bitter indeed. Not as nice as the Copperhead but very nice indeed. It doesnt stand out from other bitters I’ve had on tap but this is one of the better bottled ones. I’d love to have this on draught in a proper Irish pub.

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I was gifted four bottles of Whitewater to try by Kevin in Ocado. It’s been a while since I’ve a spell on the bottles do this helped me back on track. This is an Irish Brewery from the heart of the Mourne mountains. Drinking them in strength order I tried Copperhead first. This craft brewed bottle is quite excellent. It is 3.7%, is copper coloured and is very hoppy. It is also quite dry and spicy. I had it with some salmon and hand made chunky chips. Very pleasant accompaniment. I will almost certainly be buying this one again. It’s just the ticket.

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What a find. We were wandering back to the shops and I’ve found one of my favourite ales. Nethergate Augustinian. This is in perfect nick and I just love it. [5/5]. On a side note two blokes talking about playing musical instruments. One guy said he was a purveyor of the pink Oboe. Hopefully I just have a dirty mind.

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Long time so hear!

Alefinder are out in Cambridge after a very long break. We’ve been getting in to Whisky for a while. This ale is one of only two ales available which is pretty weird for a Wetherspoons. Apparently they misjudged a busy day yesterday. This is a very easy to drink bitter. I could easily drink a few I these – but I won’t as I fancy something stronger. [3/5].

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I was expecting it to be too hoppy but it’s more honeysuckle than anything. Very floral and quite tasty. Nothing stands out but it is a very light (in taste) pint with a very dark appearance. Not bad at all. [3/5].

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Normally Caledonian beers are bundled in the category ‘predictable’. And normally we would steer well clear of anything they brew. By accident this got bought but it has turned out to be better than expected. Smooth and creamy and with some aromatic flavour. [3/5]

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Two Nethergates in one day. I’m in heaven. Umbel Ale in The Tivoli, a new Wetherspoons in Cambridge. After the uncomfortable hour with the crazy drunk man in the previous pub anything will do. But the Umbel Ale is amazing. Tastes amazing and is in perfect nick. [5/5].

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I almost missed this one. Nethergate don’t seem to emblazon their pumps with their names these days. And this ale is no exception. This speciality season ale has a hint of lemon and ginger and it is very subtle indeed. Very easy to drink. Not strong but a very nice pint that I could drink until I fell over. Lovely. [5/5].

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I chose this given I live in Bassingbourn just north of Royston. It’s definitely red and it’s in great nick. It’s strange drinking non gassy booze since our recent Belgian Beer extravaganza. Really easy to drink. Slightly bitter. Perfect temperature. Lovely pint. [4/5].

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Here’s a find. At the far end on Kings St. is a small one room pub with an excellent selection of ales. Just alongside the park where the Cambridge Beer Festival takes place, I can’t believe I’ve never noticed this place before. No TVs, no food, no music, just one bloke serving and 9 pumps of ale including Nethergate, Milton, Buntingford and Springhead brewery ales. The decor is hard to explain but this is definitely my kind of pub. Check it out.

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