Cambridge Beer Festival

Today I had my annual visit to the Cambridge Beer Festival.

I went on the Wednesday this year in the hope of finding it not too busy, and indeed it was relatively quiet in the marquee as most enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine. There was still quite a queue to get in before the session opened.

Here are a few photos.

I was quite close to the front of the queue.

Behind me, the queue stretched to the river.

I found myself a nice seat at the end of a table inside. My first beer was an Old Cannon Man Overboard.

I spotted in the programme that Brass Castle Brewery had a bar. This will be Sarah's local brewery when she moves to Malton soon. I had some of their Hazlenut Mild.

The bars were never particularly busy during my early afternoon session.

I went to get some Harvey's Best Bitter, which we discovered on our Eastbourne trip recently. We drank at their brewery tap in Lewes (see here). But alas their beers weren't on today.

It was very pleasant outside.

I stayed until they stopped serving at 3pm and had some interesting conversation with some real ale aficionados who sat at my table, all of whom had come quite a way. 

Here are some notes on beers I tried (I had 1/2 pint of each). I tried to taste a variety of different style

• Brass Castle Hazlenut Mild (Mild) 4.2% - A luscious five-malt nut-brown mild with a delicate hazlenut aroma, says the programme. Yes nutty and slightly sweet.
• Downton Apple Blossom Ale (Fruit Beer) 4.3% - Very pale and almost cider-like, but there was some maltiness too.
• Fat Cat Marmalade Cat (Bitter) 5.5% - Copper ale with a complex flavour and a smooth finish, say the programme. My favourite of the day,
• Grain Blackwood Stout (Stout) 4.5% - Based on a 1790 Whitbread recipe. Very tasty. I'd have that again.
• Green Duck Radiance (Pale Ale) 5.5% - My last one. Lovely fruity taste from the Citra hops.
• Nethergate Drunken Monkey (Golden Ale) 4.5% - Nutty and malty.
• Old Cannon Man Overboard (Pale Ale) 5% - My first one. Single Malt and Single hop, biscuity and hoppy. Nice.

Nothing there I wouldn't drink again, I think.

Read about highlights of this year's festival here.