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

Nah, I was in Leeds, funnily enough .

I was too skint to go to the festival, yet still ended up in Port St last night. Somehow.

Yeah, weird how that happens. Seems to be one of those places that once you discover it, it's hard to stay away.

Marble 1888 Ginger Stout. This is good, dark rich, roasted, almost smoky flavour of a good stout with an ever so subtle ginger hint. The ginger takes a while to work through the other flavours then it is there in the aroma and taste.
To be honest I was expecting a much bigger ginger kick like the Marble Ginger and Ginger 6. The base beer could take a lot more ginger before it gets crass and too gingery.

Ciney blonde. This is one of my favourite Belgian beers, not too tangy (for a Belgian beer), 6%, highly refreshing. I've drunk it in Ciney a couple of times, but it's just as good in Brussels.

sprout

Avery duganA (yes, it really is spelled that way )

A superior American Double IPA with masses of piney, citrusy hops and a good backbone of malt for balance. It's not quite up there with the likes of Pliny the Elder, Avery Maharaja, Stone Ruination or Moylan's Moylander, but very few beers are. This one leans towards the piney hops rather than the citrus, and I've no complaint about that. I'll take either one. This beer actually blends them quite nicely. It's a beer I'd miss desperately if I moved away from the US (and so are the other aforementioned brews).

Marble Brewery, Lagonda Trial No7.

I'm a big fan of the standard Lagonda IPA, but its short comings are that it's often a little too hoppy. A little too sharp. It's good, but you'd have problems drinking more than a couple of pints.

This trial batch however doesn't have that problem. It's stormingly drinkable. A great citrus hop nose that leads through to a good floral body that gently mellows on the tongue.

If you're in Manchester now, get to Port St. and buy a pint. Yes, it's that good.

Marble Ginger Stout.

What Phil said.

Should've read this before getting on the tram...

I always check this thread before getting on a tram

Stopped for a couple pints of Brewsters' http://brewsters.ca/our-beers-2/ Jan. seasonal release(though for some reason it's not online)a Dusseldorf Altbier. Darker than some Alts, nice translucent cola brown with a distinct burgundy hue. Flavour was rich toffee-ish malt with plum and a bit of black cherry..bit raisiny. As the fruit fades the underlying hops become apparent, but not overpowering. Quite pleasant imho. Clean drying finish, on the fuller side of medium bodied. Slightly syrupy smooth mouthfeel. (Hope I can get in a few more of these.)

Marble Lagonda, see above

Martin's pale ale. Bizarre hangover from the first world war, an English style pale ale, brewed in Belgium (by the lake at Genval).

sprout

I am drinking Blue Moon, in the St James Gate bar on Amsterdam Avenue on manhattan's Upper West Side. It's rather pleasant, reminiscent of European wheat beers like Erdinger and Hoegaarden.

Oooh, get you Egon!

As long as you're back in Manc for the International Social Event of the Year in three weeks

Grainstore Ten Fifty at the Willoughby Arms, Little Bytham. A full bodied 5% ale sweet malt led but a backbone of light bitterness underneath. I most likely will drink a lot of this...

Brooklyn Lager. Pleasant if unspectacular, I prefer it to most European lagers. It's the best thing on the menu, and I had a voucher for a free drink. I am at Carnegie Hall ahead of an Aimee Mann gig.

Pleasant if unspectacular... yep, that just about sums it up. It's not mindblowing, but it's a decent pint. Sells very well at work.

I've already had a pint of Jester King Petit Prince this evening. It's a 2.8% Farmhouse Table Beer. Similar in some respects to a saison, with peppery yeast flavours and a dry finish, very little in the way of malty sweetness, and very refreshing. By the time I drank it (6.30pm today) I'd had nothing but a banana to eat all day, in fact since about 9pm the previous night, so a 2.8% beer was the perfect tipple. Much more than that and I doubt I'd have made it as far as the bus stop.

After I got home and got some food in me belly I had a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA. SN almost never disappoints, and they've done a nice job here, with plenty of spicy rye flavours to complement the hops.

And I'm polishing the session off with a Chimay Tripel. I really must get a Chimay chalice some day.

Goose Island Honker's ale, in the Bullmoose Saloon, Hell's Kitchen. I like Hobkers, but can't really explain why. It's a good session beer (on my 4th so far), doesn't really have any stand out feature, but goes down really easily

Dragged myself away from the bullmoose and to within staggering distance of my hotel. Now at jakes saloon on 57th st. I have my thurs glass of their own brand Jakes' Tricky Ale, a rather cheeky light ale.

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

I've only got a couple left now Really hope that Bear Republic will get it back onto Texas shelves now that the stupid 'Ale in Texas' rule has been overturned