Yesterday saw another marathon session reunion at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival in Kensington Olympia, London. I've worked out this is the 13th year I've been meeting up with friends and ex colleagues to catch up on things and basically take the piss out of each other.
As usual I got the most stick as I take my own food. The beer prices are bad enough, mostly over £4 a pint but I refuse to pay the rip off food prices. So Mrs Ken always buys me a pack of out of date mini pork pies, ( pictured) , costing a fraction of the cost the others paid for sarnies, chips etc.
Anyhow, enough of the food ; the first beer to try ( I say "try" as enjoyed it many times) was Maxim Swedish Blonde. A great refreshing start to a long afternoon.
Every year on the first day of the Festival the Champion Beer of Britain is announced, with an overall winner and beer category winners. Guess how many beers were selected from the North East . NONE. Disappointed is an understatement.
Usually the overall winner has sold out by the time we get there. Heading for another bar, of which there were several, I spotted a CAMRA guy holding a pole with a sign, not unlike someone in ASDA holding a pointy finger showing a free queue at the checkouts. The sign said "Champion Beer Here" Sure enough, someone was frantically pulling pints / halves / thirds of Binghams Vanilla Stout
Now every year at the festival I bang on about speciality beers, such as Triple Chocoholic, Plum Porter etc and usually get a tut or a withered look for my troubles. Well, not this time guys. Finally a winner that's different. Whilst it tasted nice, I have to say it didnt stand out above the rest to be honest. The Vanilla wasn't that prominent either. ( perhaps the pickle in the pies dulled the taste buds)
On the same bar I later tried an Oyster Stout . I haven't a clue what an oyster tastes like, well you just swallow them whole don't you ? The beer had a stout taste but I think the oysters had clammed shut during the brewing process.
It was interesting the number of punters drinking London Pride , or Bombardier. National drinks you can get anywhere. Try something you wouldn't normally drink ! ( well apart from the Swedish Blonde of course)
Titanic Brewery had their own bar, with the ever present Plum Porter, so I tried something else. Raspberry Wheat - which was pink ( "Ken, what on earth is that ?" ) and Cappuccino Stout - which was black. ( Ken, what on earth is that smell ?)
I have worked out I drank 13 beers, mostly thirds , which comes out at just over 4 pints overall. Doesn't sound much but you have to allow for walking to each bar as Olympia is huge, queuing for beer and the gents ( yes, a queue in the gents !!)
Nearly 6 hours later, having started with a local beer, it was time to finish with one. Darwin Extinction. An appropriate name for this 8.3% Barley Wine which is dangerously drinkable. I feel asleep on the tube back to Kings Cross, waking up just in time. Didn't fancy a night in Cockfosters somehow.
Already looking forward to next year
