Youngs gets judges' vote at Exeter

January 16, 2005: For a one-day event, the Exeter and East Devon CAMRA branch's winter ale festival sure packs 'em in!

The Coaver Club was bursting to the seams with drinkers throughout the day, eager to try 40 beers and a lone, but very memorable cider.

Ever-smiling organiser Phil Roberts, leading a very busy team of volunteers, was delighted with the turnout, following an very well supported sponsor's event the night before.

An assiduous panel of judges, including brewers and members of licensed fraternity, voted Young's Winter Warmer (5%) - a perennial favourite - beer of the festival. Runner-up was the mighty 11% Abbeydale Last Rites, a pale, sweet, alcohol-packed concoction that was sailing over the bar with great frequency. Exeter taxi drivers, no doubt, thought it was Christmas again. Notable, too, that of the Cornish CAMRA party of seven, the two on the Abbeydale were the least conscious on the way home!

Third place went to what, in my opinion, sums up a good winter ale, which I would describe as "liquid Christmas cake", and that was Tally Ho (5.5%), made by Palmer's in Bridport, Dorset. This was one of my personal favourites of the festival, although in my opinion was pipped in terms of flavour explosion by Ventnor's Antifreeze (5.2%), which I also though packed more aroma.

The champion beers were announced by Exeter Lord Mayor Hilda Sterry, who was introduced by Exeter and East Devon CAMRA chairman Alan Cottee.

So what else did I personally enjoy from the Exeter menu? Well, being a sentimental old fool I had to go for a couple of Hampshire (home county) brews. Ringwood Porter (4.7%) was as fine as ever - a subtle, smooth, dark pint and excellently balanced malts. Hampshire Good King Censelas (5%) was a slightly lighter-coloured, sweeter and more flavoursome brew. No quibbles with either, but then I am biased.

Millstone Windy Miller (4.1%) was one of those beer festival brews that gains a snowball of support by word of mouth around the hall and was, subsequently, one of the first casks to empty. This was logical as it was the ideal beer to start the session with, a golden-coloured citrussy beer with a dry, bitter finish to kick the taste buds into action.

Houston Jock Frost (4.5%) was a similar colour but there the similarity ended. It was hazy, but there was nothing wrong with the taste which had memorable hints of cinnamon, but not so strong as to be over-powering. I think it may well have benefited from being in the cask for a longer period, as would the sweet, malty Winters Tail (5.3%) (geddit?!) from Cornwall's Doghouse brewery. Too sweet for me.

Having enjoyed a bottle of Stonehenge Old Bustard over the Christmas period, I was keen to try the brewery's Rudloph (5%) and was not disappointed. This was another of those spicy, Christmas cakey brews, but the taste was very subtle and went down well in a cost and heartwarming sort of way.

Oh, that cider: it was Green Valley Rum Tiddly Tum (7%), racked twice and matured for six weeks in a rum cask. In accordance with one of my tenets for a long and happy life, I didn't go near it, but reports confrim it was pretty potent stuff of which half a pint was sufficient!