Damn you, Beer on the Wye!
I had a list of beers that I was anxious to try at the Great British Beer Festival - and I've had them all today!
I started, as I usually do, by walking along the bar to see what took my eye. It happened to be Lagonda IPA from Marble brewery in Manchester. I'd heard good things about Marble brewery, so that had to be my first choice. Unfortunately, it's also 5%, so quite strong.
It was a good choice, and while I was drinking it I looked down the list for more.
This was Joseph Holt's Humbinger, made with English malt and Mexican honey. It's an old brewery from the North West. Not so hoppy as Lagonda, and not as sweet as the Mexican honey would suggest, but very pleasant, quaffable ale. This is the beer pictured above.
Next, a local brew. I rarely have time to get as far as the Victory when I go into Hereford for shopping, so I thought I'd try one of the Hereford Brewery ales, and I like milds, so Herefordian Mild it was. I wasn't sure I was so keen at first, but it grew on me.
After the mild, a stout - back to the Marble brewery for Marble Chocolate, which was Very Nice Indeed.
I was starting to feel a little half-cut by this time, but I still had some time left before the last bus home, and I still had some beer tokens left. I overheard some people on a nearby table discussing the merits of the beer they were drinking, so there was only one final choice - Jaipur from Thornbridge was here (and expected to run out very fast!). I'd heard a lot of good things about Jaipur, and they were all true. It is an exceptional beer, and also won the rosette for best in show. The volunteer behind the bar told me that all the beers were tasted, from about mid-day on, and the best of the lot was Jaipur.
So, five very good beers tasted, and just time for me to wobble back to the bus station to get the last bus home.
I do enjoy Beer on the Wye.
8 comments:
It's just a shame Hereford CAMRA can't be more supportive of publicans. After all the support (distributing their mag, advertising with them etc) not one of them could be arsed to support the festival I put on last year. No more support for them from me!
Eddie is suffering from a serious lapse of memory. I was at his festival with 3 other Herefordshire members. I spoke to him, and he asked me to take some fliers back to pubs in Hereford. He handed these to me personally and I duly delivered them. To my knowledge there were two other Herefordshire members at his festival on the Friday and two more on the Saturday. Eddie is also presuming that he would have recognised any other of the 400 branch members who may have visited, but who would have had no reason to identify themselves to him.
Regarding support for pubs, it would be helpful if Eddie were able to direct some of his ire towards the trade bodies who are responsible for undertaking this activity and utterly fail to do so. At Beer on the Wye we launched Herefordshire Pubs - a new comprehensive guide to all the county's pubs, and this has already achieved three-figure sales in just 48 hours. This comes on top of the pub promotion we already do via our website and the Hereford Hopvine newsletter - both which have recently won awards. Is this not support for pubs?
It needs to be remembered that CAMRA is a consumer organisation and not a pub promotion body. It is a damning indictment of a pub industry where unpaid volunteers are left to do the work for them. It is sad that we are criticised for doing this - case of damned if you do, damned if you don't perhaps?
We will continue to promote good pubs and good beer in Herefordshire.
Well said Paul! I've been a member of CAMRA for quite a few years but due to my shiftwork I've only got involved with branch activities in the last couple of years. I was surprised to find out that I knew a few other members by face and had no idea that they were CAMRA members. I have no idea who Eddie is so as you say he could very well fail to recognise me as a member even if I had been able to visit Hay for his festival. Speaking of which, Hay isn't exactly the easiest place in the world to reach, especially as I sometimes get travel sick on long bus journeys and it kind of defeats the object if you drive to a beer festival..... I prefer to let the train take the strain which has been a bit difficult where Hay is concerned since 1963!!
Thank you to Herefordshire CAMRA for their kind mention of this blog in their emails - apparently Beer on the Wye this year attracted 6,000 people and around 20,000 pints of beer were drunk!
I am saddened and disappointed by Eddie's comment. My wife and I, both Camra members also visited his beer festival and the previous one. We also recommended it to some friends who also attended.
I am puzzled as to what Eddie thinks Camra and it's members are about. We are passionate about real ale and most often the only place you can get it is in a pub. So it is in our interest to support pubs and publicans.
May of our B&B guests are walking the Offa's Dyke to Hay and if I know they are real ale fans I have in the past always reccommended Kilverts. As long has he continues to serve good real ale I will probably continue to do so. I doubt if Eddie has ever reccommended our B&B to walkers who stay with him, but to be honest I wouldn't expect him to.
I was there and why on earth would I tell him I was a CAMRA member.....I was just a drinker? I have to say that with an attitude like that I suspect I shan't frequent his pub or beer festival again...I suspect many others wont either !!
I have to agree with Eigon...this year's Beer on the Wye had a diverse range of beers, ciders and perries and is always worth a trip, preferably of an afternoon when not too busy.
As a herefordshire CAMRA member I always like to attend smaller beer festivals too. Thus, I also called into Eddie's last beer fest and to be honest always pop into the hotel when in Hay (especially good when Hay Festival bus is running as it is far quicker and direct).
Eddie-I'll give your next fest a plug on my travel and tourism site-slowtraveluk.com to show goodwill and the importance of networking. Like Geoff comments-always looking to support pubs which serve cask beer.
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