Spoonfest

If the barrels were in the cellar, with the spiles removed so that the little hole n the barrel was open to the air in the cellar, and something else in the cellar leaked, the act of pulling a pint would cause suction so that the gas (that had come from sowehere else) could be sucked into the barrel.

So maybe they put the spiles back to protect the beer until the whatever leaked dissipated, and having done that the couldn't pull a pint.

Could be. Though if so who would be allowed in the cellar to re-spile them? Then again if it was a CO2 leak (presumably from the cylinders supplying the kegs) then it shouldn't have been such a problem.

I had a fantastic 1/3 of Marston's Sun Bright at Wetherspoon's London Victoria - not a place I'd expect to find a decent beer! A light, golden beer, very pleasant taste, went down slightly too easily. The missus liked it too, and she's not keen on real ale in general.

Also at the Lord Moon on the Mall, Whitehall, I was glad to see lots of Scottish beers in the festival (Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, Orkney Dark Island, Caledonian Chocolate Drop) though the Dark Island lacked the strength of flavour I'm used to from drinking in Scottish pubs. It tasted a bit more like Guinness than I'm used to..

I've had several pints of this excellent brew over the last week, in two different Spoons. I think the brewer has a right to be proud of his beers (his name's on the pumpclip of this one, btw).

I've now tried all the foreign beers. I don't think much to the Belgian one, but the others are fine. The Polish plum beer is interesting, but more of a summer beer, methinks.

I'll be at Helsinki Beer Festival on Friday and Saturday, to see what the Finns have come up with since the last time I was there.

Thanks.

Missed it there, but found it in Sheffield, and also in the Timepiece in Dewsbury (thankfully under new, caring management).