ALTON SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL

Alton College, GU34 2LX

Saturday 4 June 2016

It being summer, PV and MF went walkies beforehand with MV and Jekka at
Anstey Park. On arrival at the festival they joined ROC and RN at the table
reserved by Mike the Brewer who was there with Graham. Reg was there as was
Simon but Satan had turned up without Jem. There were others PV knew but
the overall impression was that numbers were well down on the Winter
Festival. The ‘beer alley’ was very sparsely populated which made getting a
beer very easy.

This was a shame as the new beer committee had made a real effort to
introduce new breweries and beers. They had also kept with the ‘pull your
own pint’ bar where some key keg samples were available. The programme
notes were also more comprehensive with new breweries and beers readily
identifiable along with the style. PV avoided beers marked with S as he has
no like of sour beers. The beer committee obviously did not share Peter’s
view that summer was the preserve of golden beers and had included a
welcome number on the black side.

Chiltern was one of the breweries new to Alton and offered a Black Porter
described as containing treacle tones and hint of roast barley – but in
tasting the overriding flavour was vanilla, and very nice it was too. But
PV’s best was a previously tried beer – Five Points Railway Porter;
absolutely delicious.

Overall this was the best selection of beers at Alton for many a year.
However, this did not prevent an early departure to the Railway Arms by ROC
who was gagging for a Pride. What a shame the beer was not up to its normal
standard. PV and MF’s arrival at the pub was delayed by footwear purchase
and indeed PV had had enough after one, leaving MF in the embrace of the
Mengo remnants.

Brewery

Location

Beer

%

Bespoke

Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire

Golden Rule

4.0

Chiltern

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Black Porter

3.9

Five Points

Hackney, London

Five Points Pale

4.4

Crackle Rock

Botley, Hampshire

Gold Rush

4.5

Indigineous

Chaddleworth, Berkshire

Old Cadger

4.5

Dancing Man

Southampton, Hampshire

Fiddlers Jig

4.8

Betteridge

Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire

Serious Black

4.2

Five Points

Hackney, London

Railway Porter

4.8

Vibrant Forest

Lymington, Hampshire

Black Forest

4.9

Urban Island

Portsmouth, Hampshire

Porter 28

5.0

Attended by:-

ROC, RN, PV & MF with FN at the Railway Arms