h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ridley's Old Bob

Ah, bonfires. Piles of big smoky, toffee flavours coming off this dark-ish ale. Lots of tasty, tasty caramel, too - a little bit like a sumptuous bar of chocolate. The bitterness at the end is a little excessive and a slight turn-off though.

/5

B

Ridley's Old Bop

Moving much more into my territory now, but although this is wonderfully smooth it has very little character. Just a little too sweet for my taste, but a fairly standard and nice-enough ruby beer

Mann's Brown Ale

Smells of cakes. Makes me go nnnnnyyyyyuuuuuuggggoooccccckk (make this sound in the back of your throat).

/5

B

Mann's Brown Ale

There should be more of this, but better. This is very sweet, but I rather like it, even though I am not 80 years old. I am 75.

McEwan's Champion Ale

Exceedingly rich and treacly. Not terribly unpleasant, but very steady drinking for the Newcastle dole-monkey at 2pm in the afternoon. Not for any sensible human being, though.

/5

B

That sounds like the Mann's Brown Ale I remember

I used to order half a pint of cider and a bottle of Mann's Brown and mix the two in the pint glass. It was the early 70s, I was 17 and I didn't know any better

McEwan's Champion Beer

If this is the champion, I'll take the Intertoto.

Incidentally, can you still order a light and bitter or mild and bitter in pubs these days, and if you do do they give you slightly more than half a pint of the draught?

I think the answer to that is:

a) yes, you can order them

b) but by no means assume that today's landlord will have a blinding clue as to what you're talking about.

Bateman's Dark Lord.

Blimey, is that 11 already?

Some dark, horse-strapping leather on the way through, but really a little bit too everyman to convince myself of its real-aliness. The fresh, almost vegetably-aftertones do make you feel like you're benfitting yourself.

B

Fairly limp for such a heavy-looking beer. It's surprisingly mild, and is in fact almost a mild. Rich, smooth, and very good - but almost characterless

Used to drink the Old Bob a fair bit here as the pub up near me used to sell it, when I could still be doing with their cliantell

I am so proud of all of you! Here you are, bending the elbow, and I'm still in the middle of my workweek. You rock!