It is National Pub Week!!!
No, I’m not sure what it means either. Maybe I should go to the pub more? Maybe not. Anyway, one of the upshots is that a pub which is pretty good at supplying me with interesting guest ales (The Three Compasses in Hornsey) has even more ales on at the moment. Best of last nights bunch were both from the Archers Brewery. The Little Gem ale was a nice light ale which was nice, tasty and against the odds lacked a strong lettuce flavour. However, the big winner of the night was the Golden Train ale – a full flavoured bastard which nevertheless was very, very refreshing.
And then I saw the tasting notes (also available on the Archers website, along with details on the shocking large range of season ales: ten a month). “Light Golden with a hint of Pineapple & Grapefruit”. And it was a fruity beer. But hold up, a hint of pineapple and grapefruit. Surely what you mean to say is “with a hint of Lilt”. Now the Golden Train did not have a totally tropical taste, but it strikes me honesty is the only way to go with tasting notes. So I wait with bated breath for the first wine taster to be honest and stop talking about “black cherry notes” and start talking about “tastes a bit like Dr Pepper”.