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I can't remember exactly how long it is that I've been going to the Great British Beer Festival; I think ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vicarage dragged me along some time in the mid-90s at which point I promptly joined CAMRA and have been going fairly regularly ever since. The key lesson I soon learned is to go during the afternoon rather than the evening, unless queues ten-deep at the beer stands are your thing. So yesterday I pitched up at about half-one, obtained a glass and a programme (450 beers!) and started sampling. Pretty soon I ran into ms_cataclysm's R, together with mutual friend R from pub quizzing; the afternoon also featured the newly-arrived-in-London cairmen and B, plus pogodragon and barking_watcher who we ran into a little later. Oh, and Paul T was stewarding.
I ended up trying some seven different beers (my tasting notes got a bit fragmentary towards the end). I didn't set out to drink mainly porters and stouts, but I do like dark beer and there were so many on offer it was hard to avoid trying them. I'd have to pick the ever-reliable Spectrum Brewery's Black Buffle as the pick of the bunch, but special mentions should go to Highland's Dark Munro and, from the US stand, Martha's Exchange Smoked Porter. As a porter it was relatively light-coloured (dark ruby more than deep brown) but the taste was superb.
Scariest sight of the afternoon: the EU Pork Scratchings Mountain:
There was some discussion as to whether Real Ale and Pork Scratchings constitute a balanced diet, or if they just counteract each other's effects. Further research is indicated.
vicarage dragged me along some time in the mid-90s at which point I promptly joined CAMRA and have been going fairly regularly ever since. The key lesson I soon learned is to go during the afternoon rather than the evening, unless queues ten-deep at the beer stands are your thing. So yesterday I pitched up at about half-one, obtained a glass and a programme (450 beers!) and started sampling. Pretty soon I ran into ms_cataclysm's R, together with mutual friend R from pub quizzing; the afternoon also featured the newly-arrived-in-London cairmen and B, plus pogodragon and barking_watcher who we ran into a little later. Oh, and Paul T was stewarding.I ended up trying some seven different beers (my tasting notes got a bit fragmentary towards the end). I didn't set out to drink mainly porters and stouts, but I do like dark beer and there were so many on offer it was hard to avoid trying them. I'd have to pick the ever-reliable Spectrum Brewery's Black Buffle as the pick of the bunch, but special mentions should go to Highland's Dark Munro and, from the US stand, Martha's Exchange Smoked Porter. As a porter it was relatively light-coloured (dark ruby more than deep brown) but the taste was superb.
Scariest sight of the afternoon: the EU Pork Scratchings Mountain:
There was some discussion as to whether Real Ale and Pork Scratchings constitute a balanced diet, or if they just counteract each other's effects. Further research is indicated.
