Beers Of The Beano - Friday 27 September 2024
Leave the house at 06:10. Weather chilly and rather blowy. Bus stop two minutes walk away.
So starts the Oktoberfest 2024 leave. This year is all powered by public transport. The new timetable earlier bus was on time and met up with the TFW rail 06:30 train to Penarth with two minutes to spare. Ticket bought on the web and transferred to the app the night before.
Into Cardiff before 07:00 and I wanted to pick up an Apple gift card from Sainsbury, so I had a wander around. The new Cardiff Arms is still to open and the open canal looks like why did they bother? Double Nectar Points with a free spin on the Nectar App.
The standard Cap and Bacon Roll in The Costa on Queen Street. Pictures of The Gatekeeper for both Google and Apple Maps. 50p off with a CAMRA voucher when they opened at 08:00. The Bar Supervisor was an Untappd user. I recorded The Saturday Wrap there but didn’t upload it, due to the slow WiFi.
On the way to The Gatekeeper, I discovered that Brew Monster is now part of The Blue Bell.
Cask first.
The review
Devon Dumpling - Bays Brewery - 5.1% ABV. B+ and a bit, big sweet malt, fruity slightly sour body. Sour bitter finish #ale #beer #bier
3.3/5. A great start to my Oktoberfest 2024 leave. Even better with a CAMRA discount voucher. The Gatekeeper, Cardiff.
The review
Arise - Burning Sky - 4.4% ABV. B++, malty, sharp and refreshing. The finish comes early with an orange, citrus bitterness #ale #beer #bier
3.5/5. Superior craft selection in The Gatekeeper’s, Cardiff fridge. This is very sessionable and very drinkable. Hunt it down.
Moving on just after 10:00 to see if The Owain Glyndwr was open. It has been rather slow to open in the past. The past being pre Rhona.
It was open.
It’s mostly a sports bar nowadays with lots of bright screens and different sports. The house WiFi, accessed either by your email address or your Facebook account is rather slow. No FTTC here. The beer selection, half cask, half keg is good and mostly local.
£7.00 a Pint Keg
The review
Saaz Wars - Vale of Glamorgan - 4.8% ABV. B+ and a bit, keg Pilsner from Barry. Malty and a touch fruity. Gentle fruity bitter finish #ale #beer #bier
3.3/5. You know £7.00 a Pint in Cardiff. You have hoped for FTTP WiFi however ADSL2+ and slow at that. However lots of screens.
I left at 11:45, hoping to have a drink at The Head of Steam but it didn’t open until 12:00. The same time that Tiny Rebel Cardiff opened. No choice really.
Late September Sun
Tip No 01, remember you have the Tiny Rebel Loyalty app installed. Tip No 02, 12 boneless wings is slightly too much.
No deposit Steins
Round the side from the main bar. Pretty good though.
The ABV is written on
The review
Oktoberfestbier 2024 - Spaten - 5.9% ABV. B++, big and malty and very bready. Hoppy with fruity body and a gentle bitter finish #ale #beer #bier
3.5/5. 2 Pint Mass, who knew, not in litres. A pint in it for reason of not falling off my chair. Tiny Rebel, Cardiff 🏴
Handy for the DTNS Pub Crawl
Nice and slow as these Ales are powerful and I’m aging.
Not Oktoberfest but very good
The review
Wies’n Märzen 2024 - Flötzinger Bräu Rosenheim - 5.8% ABV. B++, malty, bread, hints of fruit and spice. Hints of bitterness and malt in the finish #ale #beer #bier
3.5/5. Recommended by a drinker of Fine Ales on Blue Sky and I’m very impressed. No zinc oxide in beer or chips. Classic Beano.
Food time.
Slightly too much but wonderful
Some Youtube then over to Central for the train home.
Awaiting the arrival of my train