PV was near the front of the queue when ROC set off towards the blue horizon that was the end of the line. But once the ten minute delay in opening was factored in PV had only managed a half before ROC made it into the tent. More surprising was that KOC and TM arrived not long afterwards and the Mengo quartet for this festival was complete.
The space given to the foreign beer bar had been reduced this year with the result Olaf only had room for six taps and a couple of free standing barrels. Still there was the bottled stuff to enjoy once the draught choice had been exhausted.
While PV and ROC stayed true to their German roots, after one Teutonic experience TM and KOC ventured deep into the festival in search of more British pleasures. Reading is noted as a beer tickers paradise and they managed to sample beers from two new Hampshire breweries – Hensting from Owlesbury and Upham from, well, Upham.
Meanwhile, PV was experiencing that ‘was it worth it’ feeling; having travelled all the way to Bamberg to sample the knee wobbling delights of Beck Brau Affumicator (9.6%) only to return home and find it readily available in Berkshire.
A few of ROC’s ex Vodafone colleagues wandered in and PV was pleased to meet up with Paul from Beer Inn Print again. The usual beer festival talk was bandied about including a quote from Mary that ‘Tel was the…………….’ – we shall never know as TM defaced PV’s program notes and crossed out the quote.
PV and ROC using the Clark method
| Brewery | Beer | % |
| Augustiner | Oktoberfestbier | 6.0 D |
| Andechser | Hell | 5.2 D |
| Andechser | Hell | 5.2 D |
| Andechser | Weissbier | 6.0 D |
| Andechser | Dunkel | 5.0 D |
| Greif | Dunkles Weissbier | 5.0 B |
| Tegernsee | Hell | 4.8 B |
| Beck Brau | Zoigl | 5.8 D |
| Schlenkerla | Rauchbier Urbock | 6.5 B |
| Guttmann | Hefe Weizen | 5.2 B |
| Karg Dunkles | Weissbier | 5.0 B |
| Beck Brau | Affumicator | 9.6 D |
TM and KOC using guesswork
| Brewery | Beer | % |
| Andechser | Hell | 5.2 |
| Tring | Bring Me | 4.4 |
| Twickenham | Original | 4.2 |
| Bowman | Quiver | 4.5 |
| Hensting | Gallon | 4.4 |
| Upham | Ale | 4.0 |
Attended by:-
PV, ROC, TM and KOC