With the J D Wetherspoon Beer Festival behind us I can now reveal my favourites from the event.
I visited four outlets over the period and found a mixed selection of festival ales at each one. At my local pub in Hertford one Saturday lunchtime, only one ale was available, whereas later that day in Harlow Essex, not exactly a Mecca for ale fans, a good selection of six festival beers were on show.
I managed to track down some of the more unusual beers that I had been looking for- Flying Dutchman Wit Bier came close as my favourite ale of the festival. When I mentioned to friends that it used coriander in the brewing process they looked incredulous. However it isn’t overpowering by any means and just adds subtle spicy hints.
Other highlights included Barons Bush Berry Porter from New Zealand via Banks’s of Wolverhampton and Yukon Lead Dog from Canada via Banks’s again.
However the highlight of the festival for me came from a reliable old favourite in Adnams brewery of Suffolk. Their Gunhill was previously only available in bottled form but was produced especially for Wetherspoon’s festival. It was a deliciously rich ale which used four malts in the brewing process. Consequently, chocolate vied with toffee to dominate, all of which led to a sweet taste which seemed stronger than the 4% ABV that it was.
So look out for Gunhill. Sadly none of the breweries were nice enough to send a pump clip jpeg so you’ll have to make do with this old photo of the Six Templars in Hertford!
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