A thread devoted to Real Ales in Wales

[1927]

Earlier in the thread I mentioned Bare Naked Beers and the ridiculous case of trademark infringment bought against the proprietor by Pepsi. Unfortunately he lost the case.

Tiny Welsh brewer loses battle over beer name with drinks giant Pepsi

scum

Cos we are all confusing the two arent we?! ffs

 

[William of Walworth]

Earlier in the thread I mentioned Bare Naked Beers and the ridiculous case of trademark infringment bought against the proprietor by Pepsi. Unfortunately he lost the case.

Tiny Welsh brewer loses battle over beer name with drinks giant Pepsi

scum

I was aware of this case, but I've only just picked up on this disgraceful outcome. Outrageous

 

[William of Walworth]

If you ever need to have a pint in Aberdare, suggest going to Rhymney's Prince of Wales in the town centre, rather than the The Boot

 

[teqniq]

omg

 

[William of Walworth]

Early talk locally of one of our infrequently-seen CAMRA mates setting up a new ultramicro in Mumbles. Apparantly, he has gone into partnership with some people (?) who are about to take over a long closed pub that was once one of the landmarks in the used-to-be famous Mumbles Mile in days gone by.

Watch this space, but it may take time. We'll see!

This looks like getting delayed. the microbrewer's wife happens to be a colleague of festivaldeb's, and she told her the other day that we're now looking like at some point between New Year and Easter (?) for brews to start flowing

The pub itself will probably open earlier than that, we're keeping an ear out, but when we were walking from Mumbles on Sunday there seemed no signs of builders being in. The 'For Sale' sign had been taken down though.

The fact that the buyers have bought the place outright (or so we've been informed), meaning there'll no longer be any Enterprise Inns type tentacles wrapped round it, and that they're keen for our man to set up brewing in the building, is positive news all the same. Probably looking good for the place to be ale friendly generally.

Will keep this thread posted when I hear more.

 

[William of Walworth]

Surpsising news! Just been told ...

Pilot's reopening on Saturday (1st December) we've been invited along to the reopening. 4 real ales, possibly 5, and that's before the onsite micro gets going next year. We and other CAMRA sorts and locals will be along to the opening

 

[William of Walworth]

Llantrisant. Hard to get there, with few buses going right up the hill into the village (Talbot Green is better served).

But well worth the effort because of the superb Wheatsheaf, home of the Pixie Spring (micro)Brewery and its excellent beers .....

 

[William of Walworth]

PS, Googling 'Wheastsheaf, Llantrisant' seems to produce a well out of date website at the top of the seach results btw. It's certainly not the brewery tap for Newmans/Celt Experience beers any more, and has not been for a fair while.

 

[1927]

http://www.wenvoearms.co.uk/ has regular mini festivals. last week there were atleast 10 real ales.

 

[William of Walworth]

We don't know of that one, could very well we worth a visit in the NY, at some point when we pick up on a new minifest there. Cheers

 

[Gavin Bl]

Is Tomos Watkins available on draught anyplace? Been enjoying their cwrw gaeaf and cwrw braf recently, but by the bottle. Cwrw haf pretty nice too.

 

[ddraig]

iirc was available in the mackintosh sports centre in roath
have had it somewhere else but can't remember atm

 

[William of Walworth]

Is Tomos Watkins available on draught anyplace? Been enjoying their cwrw gaeaf and cwrw braf recently, but by the bottle. Cwrw haf pretty nice too.

Thomas Watkins -- my most local brewery (walking distance).

Their beers are actually quite hard to find on PROPER draught even in Swansea. The brewery concentrates on bottled exports, both to actual abroad and even abroad to areas outside of the SA area

In this city, the beers that you mention are sometimes available on electrofizz, and only sometimes on real draught. TW OSB (IMO the best of a mediocre bunch, so as you can tell I'm not much of a TW fan ... ) is the one most likely to be seen on actual draught round here.

So to conclude, can't help you much, sorry .... from which I proceed to better suggestions ...

Look out for bottled Neath and bottled Gower from our area's two best micros. Or even look out for beers from either of those on real draught. These are certainly rare to find outside of our immediate area, and not all that easy within it. But those two brewers produce genuinely impressive quality ...... sorry TW, but yer products are well bland in comparison.

In this CAMRA household's opinion anyways ...

 

[Gavin Bl]

ta guys

 

[William of Walworth]

If any of you get to Swansea and area over the next few weeks or months, do please check out the Pilot Inn up in Mumbles, right up along the seafront towards the pier, but well worth the trek.

The quality and choice of beer there, and its condition at all times, has been amazing since the place reopened at the start of December (after several months closed down)

Today : Gower Sampsons Jack, with Gower Power (stronger) almost about to come on just before we had to leave, then also all these were on : Timothy Taylors Landlord, Sharps Doombar, and best of all as an Xmas special guest, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA, and surpsisingly better than any of all those IMO, Bass!!!

I used to think Bass was mainstream and even a bit dull, it's floated around between different breweries 'under licence' in recent years, but it's now apparantly back to being brewed in Burton-on-Trent.

In the Pilot particularly, with a dedicated ale enthusasiast running this recently re-opened and very nice and welcoming pub, the Bass -- traditionally popular in Wales anyway -- kicked the arse of megaquality today!

And watch out for the new micro opening there within the pub in late March or early April.

 

[teqniq]

They have Bass in my local, The Butcher's Arms in Llandaff. Always a nice pint.

 

[Gavin Bl]

yeah Bass is great, good from the can too. Keep a nice pint of it in the Imperial at the top of Merthyr high street.

 

[William of Walworth]

I'm certain that Bass has improved greatly again in recent times. For a while a few years back, it was far from all that, IMO. But now, especially in well managed cellars, it's marvellous

 

[niclas]

Welsh real ale festival from mid-day Friday 15 Feb to midnight Saturday 16 Feb at Saith Seren (Wrecsam's only cooperative pub) - so far got eight breweries on board plus cider from Llandegla. More on www.saithseren.org.uk

 

[William of Walworth]

Most of us Welsh Forum regulars live a long way south of there, but good luck with the event anyway. Will certainly visit that place if I ever find myself that far Gogleddwards

 

[William of Walworth]

In passing while looking for something else, I found this old page on the BrewWales blog -- pretty interesting history of the currently excellent Rhymney Brewery

The name has a lot of interesting history, some aspects of which the current (expanding) brewery have revived.

Would LOVE them to add to the excellent soundimg Andrew Buchan in Cardiff by expanding into Swansea and buy/open a new outlet here. We met one of Rhymney's directors (or at least senior managers) by chance a couple of years ago (in their pub in Aberdare). He was definitely interested in principle. Trouble is I neglected to take his card and I've forgotten his name .... we could suggest a suitable SA property or two but I suspect I've missed my moment.

 

[ddraig]

the Andrew Buchan is on twitter!
@4RealAles

also a blog from the excellent landlord John
http://ilearn.cc/john_research/wordpress/
ws funny in there just now with whole place rooting for Ffrainc and not clapping the engurlund win

and they have a Red Poets event on Dydd Gwyl Dewi
http://www.redpoets.org/events.html

 

[Gavin Bl]

mmm - Rhymney dark on draught...

 

[ddraig]

gis a shout and i'll meet ya there mate

 

[ddraig]

 

[Gavin Bl]

cheer byti, might take you up on that

 

[William of Walworth]

Beer and Cider lists for the Swansea Bay Beer and Cider Festival, 2013, now released

Cracking lists if I may say so ... and never released so early either.

That's to do with our fest being unavoidably moved back from its usual August Bank Holiday w/e dates, to the weekend after Easter -- Thursday 4th to Saturday 6th April 2013.

(Most likely a oneoff this -- we're near certain to be reverting to August again in 2014).

Oh yes, and we've managed to attract one of Cardiff's finest to play for us on the Thursday evening -- Cakehole Presley

 

[William of Walworth]

More immediately, they're holding a Cornish Beer Festival, Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th March, in the Chapter Arts Centre

We're coming along late afternoon this coming Friday

 

[marty21]

Early talk locally of one of our infrequently-seen CAMRA mates setting up a new ultramicro in Mumbles. Apparantly, he has gone into partnership with some people (?) who are about to take over a long closed pub that was once one of the landmarks in the used-to-be famous Mumbles Mile in days gone by.

Watch this space, but it may take time. We'll see!

Which landmark Mumbles Mile pub?

 

[William of Walworth]

It's the Pilot, now been fully open for a while, and with outstanding beer choices, consistently.

As for the micro, plans seemed to be progressing nicely the last time I heard, but we're unsure how long Rob will take to get everything set up.

Watch this space though!