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Beer

The Worst Pint of Beer in Cardiff is at …

We went to the Wales V France Games Last night.

Wales V France 6 nations 26th Feb

Had a couple of pints before the game

At the Goat Major great pint of Hydes Berry Good Ale

Goat Major - Hydes Berry Good Ale & Brains Dark

AT the Central Bar (a spoons pub) Rhymney Export but at 2.95 a pint

But the worse pint of the night was at the stadium £3.50 a pint of Brains Bitter in a plastic glass, Iam sure they had pored it before from their super fast poring system and left it for a while, it was cold but tasted of drip tray slops – Sorry Brains but you need to check the quality of the beer at the stadium.

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Beer

What are your five favourite pubs in the UK? asks What’s on Tap

We need help finding great UK pubs for What’s On Tap.

If you have a 2 mins enter your fave 5 here

The five on my list that I would go to again in a flash are..

1) The Goat Major In Cardiff
2) The Black Boy Pub in Winchester
3) The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, Liverpool
4) The Volunteer, London
5) Otley Arms/Bunch of Grapes Treforest/Pontypridd

of course the Welsh ones I go to quite often.

What’s On Tap is a project that me and Rob came up with, but Rob has done most of the work, I just meet him in pubs to talk about it, but he will be the driving force in getting it launched and the future development as I have something called shed week taking up my 5 to 9 time, so if you see him buy him a pint, he deserves it.

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Beer Blog

In like a bullet at number 40 – Wikio Beer & Wine blogs

[flickr]photo:4373272005[/flickr]

Well I never get any accolades for writing my drivel about beer, until now that is (well sort of)

I have apparently entered the top 40 of the Wine and Beer category over at wikio, which is nice as this blog is not just about beer, but to put it into perspective there are 39 great blogs about beer above me.

Including well know beer know all and my occasional drinking buddy Arfur Daley 😉 (who is in the top 20)

Wikio - Top Blogs - Wine and beer

Now only if I can get my shedbrew off the ground and write about that my shed pub could make it into the 2020 edition of Good Beer Guide 😉 see the fame of wikio is going to my head.

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Beer

Pub Review : The Otley Arms – Treforest – Freehouse

I have been drinking on and off at The Otley Arms for the last 15 years.. and a few years ago its was my permanent local for about 18 months…where people know your name sort of place, even though I only live 4 miles away now – as the bus drives, I don’t visit this pub enough, but nothings changed apart from the bar maids hair colour.

The Otley arms does not pull any punches it serves quality real ale and all the favorite keg beers to an audience that’s either students and locals or the odd person who pops in depends on the time of the year.

If you like an old fashion pub then you may think you are getting one from the outside

Otley arms

Otley arms

But the Otley has gone through so many internal changes over the years that It does not really know what it is.

Otley arms

But I think that’s what gives it its unique charm, Pool for the students, great jukebox, good food the Sunday lunches are what you would expect and more – many tellys and a biog screen for football/rugby when the big matches on… and some great odd regulars who never seem to leave.

The saving grace and the reason I always seem to return if I get off the train at treforest is the quality of the beer, there is always at least two award winning otley beers on tap (yes they brew their own up the valleys) – mostly the excellent O1 (£2 a pint currently) and whatever they are brewing at the moment like OG a stronger brother to O1.

The guest beers they have on are normally of good quality and wide ranging but the price is something you would be-used to in the city unless you are a holder of an Otley card or a O badge were you will get a discount.

Otley arms flanker's tackle

One of the beat beers they do is called ColumbO but this was not on on my recent visit, in fact it’s one of my favorite beers from the last few years, if your local serves it then grab a pint.

Otley columbO

If you want a proper history to the Otley then beer “know it all” Arfur Daley has a post somewhere online 😉

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Beer

A London Trip – Fullers & Sams Smiths – Soho Pubs

I had a nice day in London on Tuesday meeting some people about something to do with shed week, can’t say anymore 😉

I did have a few hours to spare so here are my random shots from various pubs around London (Soho mainly)

I went to the Duke of Argyll & John Snow both Sam Smiths houses – nice extra stout, The John Snow had a great Glass half door..

Also went to the Wonderfull De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar Soho and had a half of maredsous blonde – if it was not for the prices I think I could live in that pub.

Then to the Mad Bishop and Bear Paddington Station (for the first time ever) a nice pre train bozzer.

Iam not up to the number of London pubs that Rob has done but It’s a start.

maredsous blonde

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Beer Blog

Goat major Beer festival – Cardiff – Red Hop Lover, DangleBeer & Bread of Heaven

The wonderful Oasis in Cardiff that is the Goat Major is having a mini beer festival this week, you would not know it as nothing on the Brains website I had a tip off from ArfurD

Beers on today include Brewseters Red Hop Lover, DangleBeery & Brains own Bread of Heaven.

Red Hot Lover

Beer List

Later in the Week (or when the have gone ) they have the Lovely Brew Dog Trashy Blonde

Bread of Heaven

If you are in Cardiff this week it’s worth popping over the Goat (which is near the Castle) as it’s what Cardiff Pubs used to be like.

You can now Follow the Goat Major on Twitter thanks to GdnCardiff for the heads up.

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Beer

How come I have not seen one of these before – Beer Bag

Maybe as I don’t shop at Waitrose, but what a great idea, sorry the video on the wonk, could not be bothered to rotate it, but it adds to the msytic

A bag that holds bottles in separate pockets..

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Beer

Beer Swap – a trumpiant in beer swapping

What a great Idea Beer Swap is.

I was lucky enough to get some great beers from the Bucks Area in my swap, but I lost the contact details for the person who sent them… so let me know!

[flickr]photo:4154476465[/flickr]

The glad tidings was my favourite out of the lot from Vale Brewing company, it was quite bitter but had nice fruity aroma and nice and sweet, closely followed by the Grumpling Old Ale… the barley wine was a nice sipping one and my misses liked that (so hope for her yet)

I sent my Welsh beers to seanEclark who works for Adnams brewery.

Beerswap

And he and Sarah did some great Video Reviews of the beers I sent, makes me want to go and drink them myself.. I think Brains Dark and Otley O8 where their favourite with Rhymney Export coming in there – aren’t we lucky in South Wales to have some great beers I don’t think we realise how luck we are.

I can’t wait for the next one, I hope to do better reviews as well, maybe following their video lead.

Have a great Beer Xmas and New year

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Beer

The 13 beers of christmas including De Koninck, Zeitgeist , Rodenbach Vintage

Took delivery of Christmas beers from the lovely Beer Merchants

Barbar, Blond Speciality Ale, 8.0%, 33cl, Bottle (2 of)
Brugs Wit, Witbier, 4.8%, 33cl, Bottle (2 of)
De Koninck, Amber Speciale Belge, 5.0%, 25cl, Bottle
De Koninck Blond, Blond Speciality, 6.0%, 33cl, Bottle
Lindemans Pecheresse, Peach Lambiek Fruit beer, 2.5%, 25cl, Bottle
Palm, Extra Amber Speciale Belge, 5.4%, 33cl, Bottle
Meantime Union, Vienna Style Amber Lager, 4.9%, 33cl Bottle
Meantime Coffee & Porter Style Ale, 6.0%, 33cl Bottle
Bath Ales, Dark Hare, 4%, 50cl, Bottle
BrewDog, Zeitgeist, 4.9%, 33cl, Bottle
Rodenbach Vintage 2007, Limited Edition, 75cl.

Some of the beers were selected as I wanted to relive the times I went to antwerp when my friend lived there – Barbar,
Brugs Wit, Palm and of course the beer of Antwerp De Koninck.

The Rodenbach Vintage 2007 was a special treat and I got a bottle for Rob from beerlens as well, as this year he has introduced me to some great beers(brewdog & Saints & Sinners) and it’s good to have an offline/online friend interested in beer even though he is from newport.

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Beer

Great Video Review of Brains Dark from BeerSwap

As you know I am taking part in the beerswap thing and I sent Four Welsh Beers to a chap Called Sean who works for Adnams Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk.

Read their blog review of the beer

My beer reviews will be up very soon! but don’t think I can compare with Sean and Sarahs review!