You don't pass Adnams

An addendum to my post on this year's Spring Real Ale Festival at Wetherspoon, a beer that didn't reach the tap in Keavan's Port until after the festival was officially over but which I was nevertheless unwilling to miss: Adnams Fisherman.

It's an old ale: always a good sign, even when the brewery isn't as consistently reliable as Adnams is. 4.5% ABV and dark garnet in the glass, it smells of autumnal berries and fruits, with damson and blackberry coming through to me in particular. Though lightly textured, it tastes of fruitcake, including a slightly burnt crust on top of raisin, glacé cherries and strong tea, with a bonus hint of chocolate. Its bitterness is minimal and instead it's a tannic dryness which balances any sweet excess.

My pint disappeared indecently quickly. This is another beaut from Adnams and I'm glad I didn't miss it. English old ale doesn't get a whole lot of credit, but in my experience bad ones are rare.

And sure while I'm here, what else is on? Double Gold looks like a fairly run-of-the-mill English golden ale, courtesy of Manchester's Phoenix Brewery. There's nothing plain about the flavour, however: a fun and punchy floral bitterness with jasmine spice and honey cookies. It's extremely summery, but not in a way that's dull or intended for unconsidered quaffing. At 5% ABV there's a weighty, almost sticky, texture which accentuates the flavours. Luckily the balance is spot on and it's neither cloying nor harsh, which something like this easily could be. I don't think I've ever encountered a beer quite like it, and the name makes perfect sense: everything that good golden ale does, but more of it. That's not always a recipe for success but here it is.

The next one is from an unfamiliar brewery: Pheasantry in Nottinghamshire. Another golden ale, Dancing Dragonfly is also 5% but an altogether lighter and more subtle affair. A crisp biscuit base leads on to bubblegum, perfume and a mild pepper spice. The finish is quick and grainy with more than a hint of lager about it, which is what I've long thought is the point of English golden ale. Compared to the previous, this one is silky rather than thick, and while there's certainly a complexity it's not a palate-thumper of the same calibre. It's fun to learn that even a beer style that garners almost no commentary has variation within it. Well, fun for me.

This was meant to be a one-beer post so I'll stop here. It seems I have difficulty going past any British cask ale when it's on offer.