10th August 2013 - Pubs near the West Midlands Metro **

This crawl was originally planned a few weeks earlier but I had cancelled it due to a demo in central Birmingham but with this being a free Saturday it seemed appropriate to reschedule for today.

First port of call was in Birmingham at the Wellington for some food (actually purchased from a bagette shop near New Street.)

With RG in tow, PD from Burton joined us and my first beer of the day was from Empire, a Huddlesfield brewery, in the shape of their Blowers Best (beer name from memory however.)

We then headed off to the Metro and the Black Eagle (Sogo Benson Road stop.)  The garden here is is an oasis in an industrial area but at this time of year the roses weere past their best.  I opted for Wye Valley Summertime, part of their Dorothy Goodbody's heroes range, described on their web site as follows - Just as our Summer arrived, so did Dorothy Goodbody’s Summertime Ale. This 4.2% pale amber beer is brewed with local Fuggles hops to give it a prominent bitter character. Dorothy Goodbody’s Summertime Ale is an old favourite and is now available in pubs throughout the region.

Off next to the Trumpet at Bilston (Bilston Central) which whislt we had expected would only be opened till 2pm was still in full swing when we left.  Being a Holden's pub I opted firstly for the Special and thence for the Bitter.  Whilst there we enjoyed an impromptu rehersal from a group called the Bandits.

Up the road to the Olde White Rose and RG spied Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby so we opted for that.  I must say tnat summer is not the best time for strong beers like this and it was clearly past its best, not bad enough not to be drinkable but approaching it.

Back to the Metro and towards Birmingham to Dartmouth Street Guns Village and towards the Wheatsheaf (passing an argument en route) - beer chosen here was Black Hole Brewery Milky Way ('A 6% pale wheat beer. Honey and banana nose advises the sweet taste but not the sweet, dry spicy finish from this wheat beer.')

Back towards the Metro, passing another argument for the Old Hop Pole and Enville Enville Ale ('Based on a 19th century recipe, this traditional beekeepers ale is light in colour with fruity notes and a hint of sweetness to compliment the dry hoppy taste. Brewed using our own natural spring water, 100% Maris Otter floor malted barley, top fermenting ale yeast, specially selected honeys and pure English hops, it is no surprise that our flagship Enville Ale has been a consistent CAMRA and beer festival winner and collected twenty four awards since we began in 1993. ')

Getting peckish, then  the must visit pub is the Vine at Kenrick Park and specifcially the indoor Indian BBQ (Chicken Tikka and Garlic Naan Bread. As for beers, they now have two real ales, both being sampled and which were Ilkley Gold (3.9% and hopped with Cascade and Dana) and thence Ludlow Gold (4.2%)

We headed back towards Birmingham with the intention of visiting the Brown Lion.  We arrived to find another party asking where the ral ale had gone to and were told aboutn a change of ownership.  We about turned and walked back into Birmingham for the Post Office Vaults.  First beer was By The Horns Hopslinger (a 5.5% single hopped beer using Columbus hops) and finally Beowulf Folded Cross (a 4.3% mid-amber ale inspired by the Staffordshire Hoard.)

11th July 2013 - Derby Beer Festival

What beet way to spend a Thursday afternoon than at a beer festival?  Derby to be exact.

Spread over a large area we opted to the Darwin room.  In no particular order other than alphabetical, beers sampled were :

• 8 Sail - Damson Porter
• Grainstore - Rutland Beast and The Nip
• Muirhouse - Hat Trick IPA
• Navigation Stout
• Sarah Hughes - Challenger
• Spire - Sgt Pepper Stout
• Titanic - Chocolate and Vanilla Stout

There was also a Mead bar where i sampled the wares.

En route back to the station we called in at the Smithfield (Salamander Dawn Chorus) and thence the Alex (Castle Rock Slow Worm.)

6th July 2013 - Black Country brewery Taps

I was planning on Hereford for an outing today but various cancellations dictated against that leaving just me and RG.  Quick bit of thinking therefore results in a change of plan and a trip round the main brewery taps in the Black country by train and bus.  Planning the various buses showed this was perhaps easier going north to south.

Arriving at New Street, the first issue was buying the day ticket which took longer than usual due to the recent changes at the station.  After 10 minutes, maybe longer, we had the ticket and headed off to catch the train to Wolverhampton for a quick visit to the Great Western.

Whilst not a brewery tap, the Holden's beers are excellent here so a chance to sample more than would have been the case had we stuck to the brewery taps.  Black Country Bitter and Bush's Brew were my choices (the latter being one of their special range covering world leaders.)

We now headed off to the bus stop for the number 9 bus to take us to Sedgley where we walked to the Beacon hotel, home of Sarah Hughes brewery.  Amber was my first choice, followed by a guest, Oakham's Green Devil (6.0%) and no trip there would be complete without the Dark Ruby.  We didn't have time for a drink in the white horse opposite but noted this for a future visit as the choice of ales there looks interesting.  Instead we caught the 229 bus and soon arrived at the next pub, the Park Inn (Holden's brewery.)

This time I went for their Mild and thence another of their leader series,. Belusconi's Beam which we sampled in the garden.

Leaving we noticed the bus fast approaching so I raced to the bus stop whilst RG strolled across the zebra crossing next to the bus stop meaning we caught the 81 bus which will take us on to Netherton.

At Netherton we had a short stroll to the Old Swan (Ma Pardoe's - Allgates Brewery)) where I had the Pardoe's Dark Swan and then the Alchemist (4.9%.)

Rejoining bus 81 we headed next to Merry Hill bus staion and eventually found our way to the Vine (Bull and Bladder) in Delph Road.  A rather noisy party obviously towards the end of their own Black Country Beer bus trip (double decker was parked outside) but we managed to find a quiet spot for one of their pork pies (very tasty) and Batham's Mild.

We then walked to get the 276 bus down the Lye for the Windsor Castle (Sadler's Brewery.)  There was time for 3 beers here namely Dr Hardwicke's Double IPA (8.5% - didn't taste it), Thin Ice (4.4%) and finally Mellow Yellow (4.1%) before the short stroll to Lye train station and journey home.

12th June 2013 - Burton-on-Trent

At the Old Cottage tonight, beers sampled were Bank's and Taylor SPA and Old Cottage's Oak Ale.

31st May 2013 - Hopwas Beer Festival

We are again, off to the privately run beer festival and the Coton and Hopwas Social club near Tamworth.  As always a nice if small collection of ales, and ciders, available.

Meeting point however was at the Globe in Tamworth town centre where I sampled Thwaites Nutty Black and then Holdens Mild (May is Mild month in many pubs hence the number of milds available this time.)

Off by taxi to the festival narrowly avoiding another car en route.  We arrived to find video of wheeltapers and Shunters on the big screen later being replaced by a band whose name escapes me.  Beers tasted in the all too short time we had available were :

• Morgan's ale - Bring Me Sunshine
• Wentworth - Tempestuous
• Wye Valley - Hopwas Pale Ale
• Tollgate - Billy's Best

Back into town finishing at the Market Vaults which has recently joined the Joules stable and had their Pale Ale and also Slumbering Monk.

3rd May 2013 - Tamworth

Out with RG tonight.  Pubs visited were

• Globe - Bass;
• Sir Robert Peel -  Salopian Lemon Dream (straight from the barrel)
• Silk Kite - Titanic Mild
• Bole Bridge - Ringwood Old Thumper and Zywiac Premium Lager

27th April 2013 - Lichfield

The second pub fest in two days finds me in Lichfield to meet some of the others from Burton.  Starting at the Duke of York where the Beer Festival was being held.  Still plenty of choice considering it was the last day so we decided to have a couple there, then see what other places had to offer and finish here later.

Golden Duck Nosey Parker and then Gates Reservoir Premium were my choices.
We then headed off and first to the Pig and Truffle (Sharps Doombar), the Acorn (RCH Wheat) and finally the Horse and Jockey (Gower Gower Gold.)

 Returning to the Duke of York we found out that there was very liitle beer left from the festival so moved into the bar where I had Enville Ginger.