W. etherspoons ale festival.

[jondread]

Hi everyone, Wetherspoons is having an "ale festival" at the moment, not sure if it is my local one only or all in this region. Anyway today I got to sample 2 out of 3 of their ales, hoping to try the 3rd tomorrow.

The first I tried was a Batemans Hazlenut Brownie. I am not sure why but it just drew me in at first, maybe I was doing the whole cover before judging a book thing but I think I jumped the gun on this one, it was VERY overpowering. Definitely lives up to its name and it was very chocolaty. There was a few notes of coffee also and just a tad of Hazlenut but all in all I don't think I would order it again, it was very dark. Much too rich for my liking and it had a powerful aftertaste which is still lingering now.

The second beer I tried was an Exmoor Wildcat, which was a lot nicer in my opinion, it was very light, refreshing and had a bitter aftertaste which I found quite nice. Somewhat hoppy too and all in all it was a lot more palatable than the previous.

I'm hoping to try the Sergeant Pepper tomorrow which boasts of spicy flavors of pepper and rye malt.

So I though I would just make this post to see if anyone else on here had noticed the Wetherspoons Ale festival, it runs from (last wednesday) until Halloween. I think they're doing 3 ales every 2 days with approx 50 in total. Will definitely be worth heading down to try a few I think.

:drunk:

 

[Good Ed]

It's on at one near me, so maybe nationwide, haven't sampled yet, but have done in previous years, look out for some of the American breweries

 

[oz11]

It's nationwide. See here for the ales if you haven't already got a festival program.

 

[Good Ed]

It's nationwide. See here for the ales if you haven't already got a festival program.

some cracking beers there, I'll get tasting :

 

[Runwell-Steve]

Popped into the spoons at Liverpool Street a couple of times this week, unfortunately their ability to keep and serve real ale still evades them so after 2 rough pints I returned to my usual evening pint this evening in the Euston Tap.

 

[stevander74]

I got rather sozzled at the ale festival on wednesday. The Counting house in Glasgow had 12 ales on which all got sampled then went to The Crystal Palace that had another 6 on including Abbots Confession at 8.5% that they'd only sell in half pints. But best ale of the evening was Caledonia Three Hop which was on draught in The Solid Rock Cafe, fantastically lovely beer and a real surprise finding it in there.

 

[uproar13]

I had the Sergeant Pepper last night. Nice pint but VERY peppery!

 

[Russ146]

I think you will find a Weatherspoons Ale Festival really means the same out of date **** beer watered down by increasing amounts.

Ive never ate or drank anything that resembles decent food or beer in any weatherspoons yet. Its cheap out of date beer thats watered down and the food is all prefrozen and microwaved to order, Chicken Ding we call it.

Would never set foot in any of them again.

 

[andyakameatloaf]

I think you will find a Weatherspoons Ale Festival really means the same out of date **** beer watered down by increasing amounts.

Ive never ate or drank anything that resembles decent food or beer in any weatherspoons yet. Its cheap out of date beer thats watered down and the food is all prefrozen and microwaved to order, Chicken Ding we call it.

Would never set foot in any of them again.

I don't know which ones you've been going to, but all bar a few of the wetherspoons I've been to sell decent food. It's not Heston's kitchen, but its a budget pub meal.
Having been in multiple wetherspoons kitchens quite a few times, I can also tell you that the food isn't largely microwaved either, although far too much of it is deepfried (upsettingly, one place even deepfried the steaks they sell cheap on a Tuesday :sick:)

As for the beer, it is not out of date. Selling anything past a given use by (as opposed to Best Before) date is illegal without informing the purchasing party, and believe it or not running a corporate franchise requires a lot of paperwork, and regular, often unannounced H&S visits. The reason Wetherspoons can (though often don't depending on location) sell alcohol so cheaply is because the amount of outlets they have available allows them to purchase casks and barrels close to the end date much cheaper, and to shift them in time. If you ever get to see one of their ullage books you would be very suprised, I think, at the amount of beer they do actually get rid of due to impaired quality or turning.

also this about watering down the beer is really old now, and also pretty unfounded.

its never going to be the best beer in the world, but I think almost everyone who visits a wetherspoons is pretty aware of that. For all its misgivings, and admittedly there are a few, I think wetherspoons deserve more credit than they are largely given. I've been in far more places run by private single publicans and had a bad experience than I have with any chain. IMO, far too many people try to fit spoons into a box in which it doesn't belong, and then decry it for not living up to expectations that it was never meant to. It's a budget pub that caters a little bit for everyone, and whilst it doesn't do profoundly in any single area, it does acceptable in most IMO. But then again, as I said, I probably haven't been in which ever ones your talking about, just my own personal experiences :).

as for the Ale festival, went in The Keel Row up in Newcastle this weekend and had a proxy brewed American ale of theirs that I was really impressed with. I'm sure the brewery was Stone, cant remember the beer, but it was a black American Ale loaded with big C hops. A real treat. Was not impressed with Sgt Pepper though. just too peppery for me and not a great deal else going o.

 

[andybrew]

46 is good

 

[Good Ed]

had a pint of the Elysian Jasmine IPA this afternoon, very nice but not exceptional, brewed by the brewer coming over from the US and brewing it at Thwaites Brewery, which is very commendable :hat: I don't know how many of our brewers reciprocate?

anybody had the Greene King Abbots Confession? a strong bitter at 8.5%, I couldn't manage it this afternoon as I was cooking dinner :lol:

I don't know where Russ146 is coming from btw :nono:

 

[Swazi]

I was in the JDW in Repton on Friday night and had a few. I also had the choco brownie thing which was a bit much. I also had an unremarkable American Bitter Red and then a surprisingly good Cream Ale. I had already visited a few other pubs before I wandered into JDW, it was the £2,50 burger that tempted me in and it was worth it.

 

[The Goatreich]

Popped into the spoons at Liverpool Street a couple of times this week, unfortunately their ability to keep and serve real ale still evades them so after 2 rough pints I returned to my usual evening pint this evening in the Euston Tap.

So so jealous of you having the Euston Tap as a regular haunt! What an amazing pub.

Wetherspoons manage to make whatever beer they're serving taste really bland. I went last night to the beer festival for the first time in months, and again was super disappointed in the beers. I'm sure that if the beers were fresh they'd be much better.

 

[Tony&son]

most wetherspoon do 3 times 1/3 tasters for the price of a pint

 

[Mreddster]

I'm with you andyakameatloaf! Not a 5 star restaurant, but that's not why most go there.

I go for the beers, most I've tried seem pretty good :) I will be there agian this week to try a few more from the list

Cheers guys

 

[mickthetrick]

cant coment on the grub but i had half a dozen pints in the wetherspoons in gatwick airport on friday. couple were not to my taste but a few were and the old peculier on draught was lovely. i was a little taken back by the price also. 3.25 a pint was very good i thought for an airport bar.
if the wife and i go anywhere i normally pop in to a wetherspoons, as you can get a little bit of choice other that j.s. ****

 

[dennisking]

cant coment on the grub but i had half a dozen pints in the wetherspoons in gatwick airport on friday. couple were not to my taste but a few were and the old peculier on draught was lovely. i was a little taken back by the price also. 3.25 a pint was very good i thought for an airport bar.
if the wife and i go anywhere i normally pop in to a wetherspoons, as you can get a little bit of choice other that j.s. ****

Had the cooked breakfast at the Gatwick one a couple of times, again for an airport it was a good price. To early in the morning for a beer.

 

[gl0ckage]

Hi I work for jd and the beer isn't watered down, it comes from the brewery half the time. Steaks being deep fried is mental, it's cooked on the chargrills obviously the person cooking it was a idiot.

Most newer spoons pubs have no fryers, and open gantrys. Like said above, isn't a restaurant it's a pub. Especially when it's cheap.

Anyway back to the ales, most spoons have strict rules to follow regarding ale, nearly all spoons use a cask widget system. Maybe it's all in your mind that it's tasteless. The type of dispensing equipment in the cellar might affect slight taste, ours taste better if they don't get dispensed with a bouy.

Also tree hugger was a shocker for me, I really liked it. So did all the customers it flew out. Ninkasi cream ale is another to look out for. Amazingly smooth mouthfeel really hoppy but tasted like cream.

Most of the beers are brewed by American brewers in a UK brewery. And Tbh this ale festival is actually doing extremely well. Solidifying spoons stance that craft beers that the Americans are pumping out sell, really well.

Expect to see more craft beers in spoons as they have been pushing them and with the ale festival doing well they will probably start stocking more.

Also it is nationwide, there will be a upcoming cider and Perry festival soon too!

Also if you miss a ale you wanted to taste, as long as it sold OK ask them to order another cask from East West. I order ales in my pub and customers can leave notes for me if they fancy a peticular beer on. If a few people ask I order it in.

 

[Mreddster]

Well what a disappointment! After the talk on here I went to my local Spoons.
Only to be told they ain't doing it! !?

So emailed them later at night and gets an auto responseSaying they will get back within 15 days! Handy that when the festival ends in about 15 days lol

Not to worry, back to the home brew :)

 

[gl0ckage]

Where do you live? All wetherspoons are taking part bar a few, but there should be another spoons in your area.

Whats the name of the pub i can look it up.