Beer

In a comment further down Dragon asked me which my favourite ale is. Now that's a tricky question. Favourites come and go, depending on factors like what time of year it is, where I'm buying them from and, bluntly, whether I decide to like a different ale or not.

Currently, I'm rather partial to Young's Double Chocloate Stout, a gorgeous dark beer with a strong dark chocolate taste, and T.E.A. from the Hog's Back brewery.

There are, of course, a few beers, like Theakston's Old Peculier, that remain among my favourites regardless of how my tastes change. The pub underneath my office is owned by Shepherd Neame and serves another of my all-time favourites, the wonderful Bishop's Finger, though sadly only from a bottle.

I must stress that I do not go in for any analysis of aroma, palate etc. I've always found that analysing something, be it a book, a film or a beer, detracts from the enjoyment of it. And I'm not a bald, bearded man with leather patches on the elbow, either. Well, I am bald but the other two definitely don't apply.

Before I started this site I thought of doing a regular feature on ales, what with them being one of my loves and all, so I'm going to do a Beer of the Month thing.

September's ale is one I tried recently for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by. I don't go out of my way to buy organic produce or anything and quite why I picked this up I don't know. But I did and I really liked it so I'm making Duchy Original's Organic Ale the first Clear Blue Sky Ale of the Month.

I've got a raging thirst now. :-)