It’s that time of the year again (again) The Spoons ale Festival
The ones Iam going to chase
LIBERATION ROUGE 4.5% ABV
MORDUE LUBELSKI 4.5% ABV
BATH HEFEWEIZEN HARE 4.7% ABV
TITANIC GOLDEN PORTER 4.7% AB
WADWORTH BLUNDERBUSS 5.0% ABV
FERAL AUSTRALIAN IPA 5.5% AB
STEENBRUGGE BLOND 6.0% ABV
JW LEES MOONRAKER 6.5% ABV
Visit their for more info
– but here is the beer list
1. AVERY 3 POINT 5 SESSION ALE 3.5% ABV
Avery Brewery, Colorado, USA. Est. 1993
Adam Avery and Steve Breezley have travelled to Adnams Brewery, in Suffolk, which is hosting an international
brewer for us for the first time, to collaborate in brewing this beer specially for this Wetherspoon real-ale
festival. Although brewed at a session-beer strength, this beer is hopped like a true IPA, including dry-hopping
in the cask, creating a pine-like and citrus aroma and a full-on hop character throughout the flavour and finish.
Hops used: Amarillo, Centennial, Simcoe
Beer style: bitter
2. BANKS’S HOWLING WOLF 3.8% ABV
Banks’s Brewery, West Midlands. Est. 1890
This deliciously dark mild is brewed with a blend of pale, crystal and black malts and roasted barley,
resulting in rich smoky aromas and complex malt flavours, balanced with a pleasing citrus bite
in the finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northdown, Progress
Beer style: mild
3. COACH HOUSE GUNPOWDER MILD 3.8% ABV
Coach House Brewery, Cheshire. Est. 1991
This very dark beer, the winner of an impressive number of awards, has a full, rich flavour,
with plenty of dark malt character and a pleasing, slightly bitter finish.
Hops used: Pilgrim
Beer style: mild
4. SHEPHERD NEAME RED SAILS 3.9% ABV
Shepherd Neame Brewery, Kent. Est. 1698
This new beer, brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is named after the sailing
barges which were used in the Swale, Medway and Thames estuaries. It is a full-bodied, fruity ale with a
moderate bitterness, hopped at three stages of its brewing process to deliver a thirst-quenching flavour
and a stunning aroma and palate.
Hops used: Cascade, Styrian G 3 oldings, Tettnang
Beer style: bitter
5. CAMBRIDGE BREWING HEATHER ALE 4.0% ABV
Cambridge Brewery, Massachusetts, USA. Est. 1989
Will Meyers has travelled to Wadworth Brewery, in Wiltshire, to collaborate in brewing this unusual beer specially for
this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This deep-golden-coloured ale, inspired by the ancient gruit beers of the British Isles
and northern Europe, contains Scottish heather fl owers and other traditional brewing herbs, offering subtle notes of
fruity spiciness and wildfl ower honey, complemented by the interplay of the hops and the toasty-sweet British malt.
Hops used: Fuggles
Beer style: speciality
6. HARVIESTOUN WILD HOP GOLD 4.0% ABV
Harviestoun Brewery, Clackmannanshire. Est. 1985
This wildly aromatic and refreshing golden ale has citrus and spicy aromas from the Citra and Simcoe
hops, perfectly balancing the underlying background of earthy English hop flavours.
Hops used: Challenger, Citra, Simcoe
Beer style: golden ale
7. HOOK NORTON COTSWOLD LION 4.0% ABV
Hook Norton Brewery, Oxfordshire. Est. 1850
This mid-coloured beer is brewed with a blend of four malt and four hop varieties,
resulting in a wonderful aroma of dark fruit and a perfectly balanced, fresh and fruity flavour.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, Cascade, Fuggles, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter
8. TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH ALES SILVER MIST 4.0% ABV
Traditional Scottish Ales, Stirlingshire. Est. 2005
This light and smooth ale has an enticing golden appearance and creamy head, with a rich, fruity aroma,
resulting in a well-rounded finish and refreshing full hop aftertaste.
Hops used: Centennial, Nugget, Pilgrim, Willamette
Beer style: best bitter
9. TRING SQUADRON SCRAMBLE 4.0% ABV
Tring Brewery, Hertfordshire. Est. 1992
Brewed to commemorate the Battle of Britain, this ale is characterised by a debonair
medium-light colour and daredevil maltiness, complementing a courageous hop aroma
imparted by the Mount Hood hops.
Hops used: Mount Hood, Progress
Beer style: best bitter
10. BIRRA DEL BORGO TUTTO FA BRODO 4.2% ABV
Birra del Borgo Brewery, Italy. Est. 2005
Leonardo de Vincenzo brewed at Everards Brewery, in Leicestershire. This pale ale is brewed with
bergamot peel, orange peel, dried pineapple, dried rose and dried raisin. The fruity character and
balance of spice, hops and bitterness give an intense and rich flavour.
Hops used: Cascade, Simcoe
Beer style: speciality
11. BUTCOMBE RARE BREED 4.2% ABV
Butcombe Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1978
This beer is pale amber in colour and brewed with the fi nest West Country ingredients,
creating a refreshing and clean-tasting ale, packed full of delicious hoppy and citrus characteristics.
Hops used: Challenger, Chinook, First Gold
Beer style: best bitter
12. CALEDONIAN DEVIL’S ADVOCATE 4.2% ABV
Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh. Est. 1869
This deep, dark cask lager has a soft, elegant hop aroma, with subtle fruit in the initial flavour, leading
to clean, bittersweet notes of dark malt, chocolate, coffee and vanilla, along with a pleasing, dry finish.
Hops used: Hallertau Hersbrücker, Tettnang
Beer style: speciality
13. EXMOOR FOX 4.2% ABV
Exmoor Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1980
This cunningly crafted beer contains a slight, initial maltiness, followed by a burst of hops,
leading to a lingering bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Goldings, Progress
Beer style: best bitter
14. THEAKSTON DOUBLE CROSS IPA 4.2% ABV
Theakston Brewery, North Yorkshire. Est. 1827
This full-bodied, satisfying golden pale beer is brewed in the style of the original export ale,
using English hops married to traditional malts, giving a clean and fresh-tasting flavour.
Hops used: Goldings
Beer style: golden ale
15. EVAN EVANS FULL CRY 4.3% ABV
Evan Evans Brewery, Carmarthenshire. Est. 2004
This rich amber-coloured seasonal brew has a distinctive full-bodied and rich flavour,
with both malt and fruit emerging on the palate, complemented by a spicy hop aroma.
Hops used: Progress, Styrian Goldings
Beer style: best bitter
16. ISHII BREWING MINAGOF PALE ALE 4.3% ABV
Ishii Brewery, Guam. Est. 2010
Toshi Ishii is probably our most popular visiting international brewer, originally from Japan and now based
in Guam. This is his fourth visit to brew for us since 2008, this time returning to Marston’s Brewery, in
Staffordshire, to collaborate on a version of his fl agship ale. This beer is copper in colour, with a moderate
maltiness and residual sweetness, counterbalanced by the citrus and floral character of the hops.
Hops used: Ahtanum, Warrior
Beer style: best bitter
17. ROOSTER’S FRANKLIN 4.3% ABV
Rooster’s Brewery, North Yorkshire. Est. 1993
This beer, specially brewed for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is a celebration of the modernstyle
pale ale, pioneered by Rooster’s founding brewer, Sean Franklin, with aromas of citrus fruits and
grapefruit giving way to a quaffable level of bitterness.
Hops used: Cascade, Chinook
Beer style: golden ale
18. THWAITES CRAFTY DEVIL 4.3% ABV
Thwaites Brewery, Lancashire. Est. 1807
This seasonal ale has a reddish hue in its colour and aromas of spice, coffee and malt,
leading to a delicious, rich malty flavour, balanced by the devilish late-hop character.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, 4 Challenger, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter
19. VALE HOPOCALYPSE VALE 4.3% ABV
Vale Brewery, Buckinghamshire. Est. 1996
This is an epic ale, brewed by those who love the smell of the mash in the morning! It is a goldencoloured
best bitter, with a crisp citrus and grapefruit aroma, leading to a full-bodied bitterness and
clean, crisp finish.
Hops used: Chinook, Northdown
Beer style: best bitter
20. WOODFORDE’S NORFOLK HAWKER 4.3% ABV
Woodforde’s Brewery, Norfolk. Est. 1980
This new copper-coloured beer has been brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival
and is a well-balanced bitter, with an inviting aroma of tropical fruit and a complex palate of rich fruit,
malt and spice.
Hops used: Goldings, Kohatu, Savinjski Goldings
Beer style: best bitter
21. BATEMANS COMBINED HARVEST 4.4% ABV
Batemans Brewery, Lincolnshire. Est. 1874
This beer contains a unique, multigrain blend of malted barley, oats, wheat and rye,
creating a light-coloured, refreshing beer with a dry-sweet character, plus hints of citrus.
Hops used: Challenger
Beer style: best bitter
22. COTLEIGH KOOKABURRA 4.4% ABV
Cotleigh Brewery, Somerset. Est. 1979
For this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, this is a special brew of this occasional seasonal beer.
It is an amber-coloured bitter with a characteristic bitterness from the Australian hops used,
imparting a delicate, lemony aroma and a full flavour, with hints of spice.
Hops used: Pride of Ringwood
Beer style: best bitter
23. WELTONS AUTUMN SHADES 4.4% ABV
Weltons Brewery, West Sussex. Est. 1995
This distinctive seasonal beer is a beautiful burnished gold colour, with an impressive, full aroma,
followed by a flavour dominated by a citrus hop character and a peppery background.
Hops used: Magnum, Zeus
Beer style: best bitter
24. ADNAMS FISHERMAN 4.5% ABV
Adnams Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1872
This beer has been brewed again, after a few years’ break, especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale
festival. It is a deep coppery red colour, with a flavour which, although clean and refreshing, conjures up
roasted nuts and dark chocolate, with a lingering taste of liquorice and dark fruits.
Hops used: Boadicea
Beer style: best bitter
25. EVERARDS TERRA FIRMA 4.5% ABV
Everards Brewery, Leicestershire. Est. 1849
This occasionally brewed beer has been brought back especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival
and is dark amber in colour, with ruby tones, a subtle, roasted character and distinctive toffee notes,
balanced by a fresh, floral bitterness.
Hops used: Tettnang
Beer style: best bitter
26. LIBERATION ROUGE 4.5% ABV
Liberation Brewery, Channel Islands. Est. 1871
This refreshing autumn ale is a deep ruby colour with a slightly citric aroma, leading to a nutty,
bitter flavour and resulting in a unique, robust and well-balanced beer.
Hops used: Nelson Sauvin, Summit
Beer style: best bitter
27. MORDUE LUBELSKI 4.5% ABV
Mordue Brewery, Tyne and Wear. Est. 1995
This blond ale has been brewed exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival and showcases
perfectly the characteristics of the Lubelski hops used, giving a floral aroma and a spicy, peppery flavour,
leading to a long, dry finish.
Hops used: Hersbrücker, Lubelski, Marynka
Beer style: best bitter
28. RHYMNEY IRON BREW 4.5% ABV
Rhymney Brewery, Merthyr Tydfi l. Est. 2004
This full-bodied, premium bitter is a deep brown colour, with its pleasing, fruity aroma and rich,
malty flavour excellently balanced by a smooth citrus character in the finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Goldings
Beer style: best bitter
29. MOORHOUSE’S RUBY WITCH 4.6% ABV
Moorhouse’s Brewery, Lancashire. Est. 1865
This dark ruby-coloured beer has an inviting hop aroma which leads to a full-bodied flavour,
with subtle roast notes and hints of spice and tangerine.
Hops used: Cascade
Beer style: strong ale
30. B & T SHEFFORD ARAGON 4.7% ABV
B & T Brewery, Bedfordshire. Est. 1981
This distinctive, golden-coloured seasonal brew has a strong, floral hop aroma and a well-balanced
flavour, imparting a delightful fruitiness on the tongue and leading to a long, lingering, bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Fuggles, Goldings
Beer style: strong ale
31. BATH HEFEWEIZEN HARE 4.7% ABV
Bath Ales, Bristol. Est. 1995
This beer was first brewed exclusively for the autumn 2009 Wetherspoon real-ale festival.
Through customers’ feedback, it makes its return in the more authentic, naturally hazy form.
Brewed with an imported yeast strain, this is a citrusy beer, with malted wheat flavours
and hints of banana and spice.
Hops used: Saaz
Beer style: speciality
32. MAXIM DOUBLE MAXIM 4.7% ABV
Maxim Brewery, County Durham. Est. 2007
This beer was first brewed in 1901 and is the oldest-surviving example of a traditional northeastern
brown ale. The full, welcoming aroma leads to a good balance of ripe grain and spicy hops in the flavour,
resulting in a long, bittersweet finish.
Hops used: Goldings
Beer style: strong ale
33. ST PETER’S FRUIT BEER 4.7% ABV
St Peter’s Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1996
This golden-coloured wheat beer is brewed using zesty-pithy grapefruit which works
in perfect harmony with the hops and malt used, resulting in a floral nose, refreshing flavour
and a fruity character emerging in the finish.
Hops used: Challenger, Goldings
Beer style: speciality
34. TITANIC GOLDEN PORTER 4.7% ABV
Titanic Brewery, Staffordshire. Est. 1985
This special brew, for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, is something a little different: a beer using
the ingredients designed to create the characteristics of a traditional porter, yet light in colour.
The result is a golden beer, with a robust sweetness balanced by swathes of American hops,
giving a smooth and powerful flavour, with a crisp finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northdown, Yakima Galena
Beer style: strong ale
35. BOX STEAM GHOST TRAIN 4.8% ABV
Box Steam Brewery, Wiltshire. Est. 2004
This full-bodied premium bitter is deep brown in colour, with an inviting fruity aroma
and plenty of malt characteristics in the flavour, fi nely balanced by a smooth citrus finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Goldings
Beer style: strong ale
36. BREWSTER’S ANDROMEDA 4.8% ABV
Brewster’s Brewery, Lincolnshire. Est. 1998
This beer, golden in colour, has been brewed exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival.
It has tropical fruit floral aromas, leading to a light malt flavour, with balancing hop notes and a rich,
zesty finish.
Hops used: Galaxy, Stellar
Beer style: strong ale
37. MANSFIELD OLD BAILY 4.8% ABV
Marston’s Brewery, Staffordshire. Est. 1834
This beer’s production ceased in April 2000, but was brought back especially for our autumn real-ale festival in 2008,
at which it enjoyed great success, so we thought it about time that it was brewed for us again. Re-created to the original
recipe, at Marston’s Brewery, exclusively for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, this rich brown beer has a robust,
yet highly drinkable, character with a gentle bitterness which interweaves with a biscuity malt flavour and fruit notes.
Hops used: Admiral, Challenger, Fuggles
Beer style: strong ale
38. WHITE HORSE WAR HORSE 4.9% ABV
White Horse Brewery, Oxfordshire. Est. 2004
This special brew of this beer, for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival, commemorates these noble
animals. It is a strong, robust, dark beer, with full, malty, caramel flavours and a toffee aftertaste,
giving a sweet finish on the palate.
Hops used: Jade, Pacific
Beer style: strong bitter
39. OAKLEAF LIBERTY BOAT 5.0% ABV
Oakleaf Brewery, Hampshire. Est. 2000
This smooth, golden-coloured ale, brewed especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival,
has hints of berry on the nose, leading to a spicy berry flavour which culminates in a lingering bitterness.
Hops used: Marynka, Pilgrim
Beer style: strong bitter
40. OKELLS STEAM BEER 5.0% ABV
Okells Brewery, Isle of Man. Est. 1850
This deep golden beer has an aroma with hints of citrus, herbs and resin, leading to an initial taste of
spice, sherbet and lemon and resulting in a full-bodied flavour, with an initial sweetness and a spicy,
bitter finish.
Hops used: Cascade, Northern Brewer
Beer style: strong bitter
41. TREE BREWING THIRSTY BEAVER 5.0% ABV
Tree Brewery, British Columbia, Canada. Est. 1996
Dave Goekiert has travelled to Caledonian Brewery, in Edinburgh, to collaborate in re-creating this beer especially
for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. We consider this very apt, as beavers have recently been reintroduced
to Scotland. This amber-coloured beer has a slightly sweet malt aroma, leading to a distinct malt character,
with caramel and nut undertones in the flavour, resulting in a beer with a clean finish and bursting with flavour.
Hops used: Cascade, Palisade, Perle
Beer style: strong bitter
42. WADWORTH BLUNDERBUSS 5.0% ABV
Wadworth Brewery, Wiltshire. Est. 1885
This rich, ruby autumn ale is bursting with red berries and spices from the rye crystal and elderberries
used, resulting in a full body which rolls gently to a crisp, decisive finish from the late addition of
Cascade hops.
Hops used: Bramling Cross, Cascade, Fuggles
Beer style: strong bitter
43. GREENE KING IPA RESERVE 5.4% ABV
Greene King Brewery, Suffolk. Est. 1799
This warming, full-bodied ale has a reassuringly rich appearance, with grapefruit and citrus notes
combining with the floral and herbal hop characteristics to deliver a dry, bitter finish.
Hops used: Styrian Goldings
Beer style: strong bitter
44. FERAL AUSTRALIAN IPA 5.5% ABV
Feral Brewery, Perth, Australia. Est. 2002
After his impressive début at our 2011 spring real-ale festival, Brendan Varis, from Feral (Australia’s reigning
champion brewery), has returned to brew another beer for us, this time collaborating with Banks’s Brewery,
in the West Midlands. This impressive IPA is brimming with recently released Australian-grown-and-bred hop
varieties, providing an intense tropical fruit aroma and flavours of pineapple, mango and passion fruit.
Hops used: Galaxy, Stella, Topaz
Beer style: strong bitter
45. ŠVYTURYS BALTIJOS RED ALE 5.5% ABV
Švyturys Brewery, Lithuania. Est. 1784
Dzuljeta Armoniene has travelled to Shepherd Neame Brewery, in Kent, to collaborate in re-creating
this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This red-coloured beer has an aroma which
strikes a good balance of caramel, malt and hops, while the flavour is full bodied, with notes of toast,
malt and sweetness, balanced by a subtle, low-hop bitterness.
Hops used: Magnum
Beer style: porter
46. BROUWERIJ’T IJ IJBOK 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij’t IJ, Holland. Est. 1985
Patrick Hendrikse and Bart Obertop have travelled to Batemans Brewery, in Lincolnshire, to
collaborate in brewing this beer especially for this Wetherspoon real-ale festival. This ruby-coloured
‘bock bier’ contains highlights of maltiness and a touch of roast in the flavour, while the German hops
combine to provide a smooth bitterness.
Hops used: Hallertauer Tradition, 4 Northern Brewer
Beer style: bock
47. STEENBRUGGE BLOND 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij Palm, Belgium. Est. 1747
This is an imported, lower-strength, cask version of the authentic Belgian abbey ale, brewed on behalf
of St Peter’s Abbey, in memory of its founder St Arnold, the patron saint of brewers. The beer’s full
and slightly smoky yeast aroma leads to a highly distinctive, spicy flavour, created by the use of ‘gruut’
– a mixture of spices typical of the nearby city of Bruges.
Hops used: Magnum
Beer style: speciality
48. STEENBRUGGE DUBBEL BRUIN 6.0% ABV
Brouwerij Palm, Belgium. Est. 1747
This beer, the second from this brewery to feature in this Wetherspoon real-ale festival,
is also a cask version of an authentic Belgian abbey ale. Also brewed using ‘gruut’, providing
the subtle, spicy accent, this beer has a fruity, yeasty aroma and a pronounced, malty flavour,
with hints of cinnamon.
Hops used: Goldings, Target
Beer style: speciality
49. FREEMINER DEEP SHAFT 6.2% ABV
Freeminer Brewery, Gloucestershire. Est. 1992
Owing to rave reviews, after being featured in the spring 2011 Wetherspoon real-ale festival, we have
commissioned another special brew of this classic stout. This is as big as a stout can be, brewed with
more black malt than is sensible and huge amounts of hops, resulting in a dry, roast malt flavour and
full-on oats, finishing with burnt toast and floral hop notes.
Hops used: Fuggles
Beer style: stout
50. JW LEES MOONRAKER 6.5% ABV
JW Lees Brewery, Manchester. Est. 1828
This classic, strong bitter was first brewed in 1950 and has recently had its strength decreased
to a more drinkable, yet still potent, level. This is a reddish-dark-brown beer with a strong,
fruity aroma and powerful, rich, sweet flavour.
Hops used: Goldings, Styrian
Beer style: strong bitter
Ciders:
51. SANDFORD ORCHARDS STRAWBERRY LANE 4.0% ABV
Ripe red strawberries are juiced and blended with aged cask cider and a healthy squeeze of fresh lime.
Delicate, sweet and naturally pink in colour, this cider is blessed with all of the charms of summer
and a pleasing citrus kick.
52. WESTONS TWIST MULLED CIDER 4.0% ABV
A festive, spicy blend of full-bodied Herefordshire cider, matured in oak vats and blended
with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and citrus.
53. WESTONS TWIST RASPBERRY 4.0% ABV
A delicious fusion of refreshing cider, with a twist of raspberry juice.
This light, fresh and fruity sensation will delight the taste buds and quench the thirst.
54. WESTONS COUNTRY PERRY 4.5% ABV
This Herefordshire perry is fermented and matured in oak vats to develop an exquisite,
delicate, light and fruity character. It’s softly floral, with a clear, natural pale straw colour.
55. MR WHITEHEAD’S FESTIVAL SPECIAL PERRY 6.0% ABV
This natural perry ‘pear cider’ is made with a blend of dessert and perry pears. It has a pleasant fruity
aroma, a subtle, but full-bodied, medium taste, a good strength and a light straw colour.
56. THATCHERS TRADITIONAL 6.0% ABV
This is a mellow, naturally hazy, smooth, refreshing, well-balanced medium cider,
produced from a blend of English bittersweet apples.
57. WESTONS TRADITIONAL SCRUMPY 6.0% ABV
A hearty and wholesome cloudy still cider, this is matured in old oak vats. Satisfyingly robust,
with a hint of sweetness, it enjoys the mature flavour of traditional bittersweet apples.
58. GWYNT Y DDRAIG DOG DANCER 6.5% ABV
Produced from bittersweet cider apples, blended with a true sharp cider apple, this is a light straw
colour, with medium, dry, smooth, crisp and slightly sharp characteristics.
59. GWYNT Y DDRAIG BLACK DRAGON 7.2% ABV
This award-winning Welsh medium-dry cider, from Glamorgan, is matured in oak barrels
to produce a rich colour, body and flavour – with a fresh, fruity aroma.
60. WESTONS OLD ROSIE 7.3% ABV
This still cider is allowed to settle out naturally, after fermentation, resulting in a truly old-fashioned,
full-flavoured, cloudy scrumpy cider, with a well-balanced, medium-dry character and hints of citrus
and spicy cloves.