Ilkley Siberia Saison

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Siberia Saison, a Saison from Ilkley Brewery (Ilkley, UK). This beer is the result of a collaboration between Ilkley Brewery and Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of "Let Me Tell You About Beer", and has been brewed with rhubarb and a myriad of hop types. Being both a Saison and an interesting collaboration (two significant positives for me), this beer has been on my "must try" list for quite some time. I was planning to wait until GBBF to sample it but couldn't resist getting a bottle after seeing it in stock at Beer Ritz at the same time as I was putting through an order, so let's see if it lives up to the hype. Review after the pic....

Siberia Saison (5.9% ABV) pours an opaque straw colour with a thick bubbly white head that retains itself on the surface of the beer throughout. Loads of carbonation on this bad boy (the bottle opened with a satisfying pop and I had even had to scoop some of the foam out to continue pouring!) and even some early lacing in the glass- certainly looks like a Saison to me! The aroma is very interesting, with phenolic spice, earthy/herbal notes, funk, some fruity hop character (mango, possibly even grapefruit) and a light honey sweetness in the background.  Later on, as the nose becomes accustomed to the traditional Belgian yeast aromas, the malt makes itself known with biscuit and bread aromas. In true Saison fashion, everything is well-balanced and relatively subtle. The taste builds upon the nose marvelously, with phenols, biscuit malt, bittering hops, funk (reminiscent of Brett) and some tartness in the finish. It does seem like a very English take on a Saison, as the malt comes through more than with standard Belgian Saison offerings, and the rhubarb offers some interesting tartness after drinking that acts as a good transition into the dry aftertaste, warranting frequent sips. At times it also tastes like a hefeweizen, with cloves and banana becoming more noticeable during drinking and in the finish, particularly towards the end of the beer. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated which, in my opinion, always works well with this beer style. Overall, this is a very impressive beer that, whilst being inherently Belgian, is also unmistakably English in its execution. Spicy, sweet, slightly sour, light and very drinkable- perfect for the summer. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

To Øl Sort Mælk

Good evening all. I had the subject of tonight's post on Saturday and only had the opportunity to take down some brief tasting notes, intending to write them up later when I wasn't so busy. Now it seems that "later" has arrived, so allow me to present my thoughts on Sort Mælk, a Whisky BA Milk Stout from To Øl (Copenhagen, Denmark). Review after the pic....

Sort Mælk (13.1% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light brown head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. Surprising when considering the high ABV percentage, but not exactly a bad thing. The aroma is pretty incredible- full of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits (reminiscent of fortified wine/port), licorice and some medicinal/smoky notes in the background. I'm not sure from which region the whisky barrels originated, but I would guess either Islay or Highland as the whisky aromas are more robust and slightly on the peaty side. The dark fruits from the roasted malt become more predominant throughout the duration of the beer, whereas initially the coffee and chocolate aromas are the most powerful. The volatility of the alcohol is very apparent and remains consistent over the course of drinking. Certainly a powerful Imperial Stout so far, and the taste continues this theme with a myriad of different flavours- chocolate and coffee (although more subdued in comparison to the nose), lactose sweetness, caramel, burnt toast, tobacco, vanilla, yeast extract and some light hop character in the finish/aftertaste. It's very rich and full-bodied with plenty of alcoholic character from the barrel ageing, and the flavours described seem to come and go whilst the consistent background is simply a slight awareness of the roasted malt. Thankfully the oscillating senses are rather consistent, so there's no opportunity for things to get boring. The flavours don't stay around for long in the finish, which also means they don't cloy on the palette and so invite further sips. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and the beer is mildly carbonated. In addition, despite the high ABV percentage it's very drinkable, which is always a good sign with an Imperial Stout (or a bad one in regards to potential inebriation!). Overall, this is a brilliant stout from a brewery that never fails to impress- the subtlety of the milk stout base allows the barrel ageing to shine but not predominate, whilst the balance between all of the flavours and aromas creates a memorable and very satisfying drinking experience. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Flying Dog Brewery Wildeman Farmhouse IPA

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Wildeman Farmhouse IPA, a Saison/IPA hybrid from Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland, USA). Basically it's a hoppy Saison with a slightly amplified ABV percentage, which conveniently marries two of my favourite beer styles into one awesome package complete with Ralph Steadman artwork- couldn't be more perfect really! Sounds fantastic on paper, so let's see if it works in the glass. Review after the pic....

Wildeman Farmhouse IPA (7.5% ABV) pours a light golden colour with a thick white head that maintains itself on the surface of the beer throughout drinking. In true "Belgian" fashion there's a lovely column of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass to continually support the head, which looks fantastic. The aroma is very interesting and reminiscent of an earthy Belgian IPA, with spicy phenols, light candy sugar, some mustiness and an understated floral hop presence. As with most Belgian IPAs, the hops and yeast aromas create an almost resinous sweetness that predominates at first, but further inhales allow these to be separated. The esters that are typical of a Saison are present but not too overpowering, with the hops toning them down so they don't effervesce as much as would be expected. Some great stuff so far, and exactly what it says on the tin- a hoppy Saison. The taste delivers more of the Belgian yeast qualities, leaving the hops on the sidelines in comparison to the nose. Plenty of spice, some funk and a slight awareness of the malt in the background, finished off with light grapefruit notes from the hops and some residual earthy Saison flavours. No bitterness in the finish, and the aftertaste is composed of grapes and lingering spice. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated, with the Belgian yeast providing the characteristic effervescing carbonation that helps to amplify this sensation, which also compliments the hop character. Overall, this is a very light and drinkable beer with plenty of Saison character and a well-balanced quantity of hops to add a different dimension. This is exactly the sort of beer you'd want to drink outside in the sun, so stock up on some now whilst it's still nice outside. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Mikkeller/Brodie's Big Mofo Stout

Good evening all. I'm back again with another post, and this time it's all about Big Mofo Stout, an Imperial Stout forged out of a collaboration between Brodie's (London, UK) and Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). Any readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Mikkeller, but I've only ever sampled one Brodie's beer in my life and I can't even remember what that was (it was at The Rake towards the latter part of the morning though, so maybe I wasn't completely awake!). Let's rectify that with this offering, and you can find the review after the pic....

Big Mofo Stout (10.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that gradually settles over the course of the beer. The aroma is surprisingly hoppy and very reminiscent of a black IPA, with grapefruit, coffee, chocolate and roasted malt. The hops are very prominent on the nose with the citrus fruits, whilst the roasted malt and accompanying aromas play more of a supporting role. As proved with the black IPA style, the hops and roasted malt work together very well, and both are as powerful as each other in this case so it caters to both IPA and stout fans nicely. The taste also delivers a satisfying hop kick, with resinous pine, chocolate, coffee, licorice and yeast extract flavours bombarding the tongue, followed by a noticeable bitterness from the hops in the finish and an aftertaste similar to lactose (milk stout). The finish is also quite dry as a result of the roasted malt, and the hops impart a grape taste that lingers after drinking. I certainly wasn't expecting this beer to be so hoppy, but it's understandable when considering this is the product of two forward-thinking breweries who both aren't afraid to experiment and modify familiar styles. The alcohol content is also quite noticeable at first, but further sips brings this perception down considerably until it's barely noticeable. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well carbonated, which compliments the hop character very nicely. Overall, whilst I'd consider this to be more of an Imperial Black IPA than an Imperial Stout, the most important thing that matters is that it's a very good beer with plenty of interesting flavours that are balanced exceptionally. Definitely worth trying at least once, and I'll be on the look out for it again in the future.

Until next time....

Mikkeller Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills, an American Pale Ale from Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). This beer was brewed to celebrate the release of the band Tiger Baby's third album "Open Windows Open Hills", and amplifies the usual fruity flavours one would associate with hops by including mango and passion fruit in the brewing process. Sounds like an interesting beer, so let's see what it's all about after the pic....

Tiger Baby: Open Windows Open Hills (5.0% ABV) pours a hazy amber colour with a white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. The aroma is sweet and hoppy, with grapefruit, caramel, resinous pine and some earthy/herbal hop notes. The resin and earthy aromas are the most predominant, with the grapefruit lurking in the background supporting everything. There are also some generic tropical fruit aromas that vary in intensity throughout the course of the beer. The sweetness envelopes the hop aromas nicely, acting as a vessel of sorts to transport them to the nose. So far this is a pretty classic American Pale Ale, albeit with a slightly more pronounced hop presence. The taste is very similar to the nose, with grapefruit, pine and some caramelised sweetness. In addition to these there are some light orange and lemon citrus notes, and the finish is almost creamy and certainly not bitter. However, this might not be the case with fresh bottles as I've had this one in my cellar for over 6 months, and no doubt the hop character has died down quite significantly. There is some dryness in the finish though, and the aftertaste is rife with tropical fruits, most likely from the fruit additions as opposed to the hop-derived fruit flavours. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated- personally I would've preferred a bit more carbonation to support the hop flavours. Overall, this is a decent beer with a good dichotomy between the piney/fruity hops and the malty sweetness, offset well by the fruits added during brewing. I'd like to try this fresh to see how much the hops have diminished, but even as it is it's still worth trying. Recommended.

Until next time....

Anchorage Brewing Company The Tide and Its Takers Tripel

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is The Tide and Its Takers Tripel, a Tripel from Anchorage Brewing Company (Anchorage, Alaska). Yesterday was my graduation, and even before travelling up to the event I had this beer in mind to toast the achievement once I had returned home. Now that time has finally arrived, and frankly I can't wait to try this! It's an interesting take on the Belgian Tripel style, being fermented not only with a Belgian yeast but also aged in Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces before being bottled. If that wasn't enough, it's also hopped using Sorachi Ace and Styrian Goldings, with the latter being quite understandable (Duvel Tripel Hop uses it after all) but the former being more of an unusual addition. Sounds very similar to Mikkeller's Nelson Sauvingon, so I'm looking forward to this even more than usual! Review after the pic....

The Tide and Its Takers Tripel (9.0% ABV) pours a light golden colour with a white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. There's a small amount of lacing present, and the picture above was taken after I'd poured the rest of the beer into the glass, hence the opacity. The aroma is amazing and very complex, with plenty of Brett character (sherbert, cooking apples, funk), spicy phenols from the Belgian yeast, a vinous quality in the background and some honey sweetness from the malt. The contributions from each yeast type are surprisingly noticeable, with neither predominating over the other throughout the duration of the beer. The Brett delivers the usual funky notes, and as always these work fantastically with the vinous aromas from the Chardonnay, whilst the Belgian yeast supports everything nicely. The sweetness from the malt is also perfect for this beer style. Great stuff, and although the wine isn't as apparent as I was initially expecting, this is understandable when considering the array of aromas bursting forth from the glass. If the aroma was "amazing", the taste is unbelievable, with loads of phenols, effervescing carbonation from the Brett, honey, wine and some light bittering hop character in the background. The Belgian yeast is definitely more noticeable on the palette, with the Brett gradually coming forward with the effervescing sherbet quality that is always instantly recognisable. The wine is noticeable in the finish, accompanied by the spicy remnants of the Belgian yeast, and the malty sweetness also makes itself known at this point. The tartness from the Brett comes out in the aftertaste, along with a slight dryness that I can only assume is due to the wine. The mouthfeel is light and the beer is moderately carbonated, with the perception of carbonation increased because of the Brett. Overall, this is a very impressive beer that balances a lot of interesting flavours and concepts, making it immensely drinkable and definitely one to get again in the future. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Cohort

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Cohort, a Double Black Belgian Rye-PA from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK). I'm down to the last three beers from my recent Summer Wine haul, with this offering being one of the most intriguing remaining in the cellar. I'm a big fan of black IPAs- somehow roasted malt and hops compliment each other spectacularly- but I'm not sure how much impact a Belgian yeast can have when faced with such an array of flavours as those featured in this beer. Should be interesting to find out though, so check out the review after the pic....

Cohort (7.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is quite subdued but still delivers that characteristic black IPA quality, with grapefruit, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and some resinous pine in the background. The hoppy fruits and the darker aromas from the roasted malt compliment each other well, with neither one overpowering or predominating. The taste delivers more of the resinous hop qualities as opposed to the citrus fruits, with the roasted malt firmly in the background manifesting itself as licorice and yeast extract. The hoppy bitterness is quite pronounced, delivering a bite to the back of the throat and some tartness along the sides. There are also some brown sugar notes, and midway through drinking the Belgian yeast starts to make itself known with a slight phenolic spiciness during drinking, accompanied by the usual sherbet-y effervescing carbonation. The rye sweetness is detectable every so often despite the myriad of flavours present, particularly towards the end of the beer as the hop power starts to diminish. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, but I personally would have preferred more of the carbonation activity that Belgian yeasts are renowned for to have come through, as it would've supported the hops and darker flavours better. Overall, this is a rather interesting beer with flashes of brilliance and cohesion, but because there's so much going on with the hops, malt and yeast it can also be rather imbalanced, with periods of time during drinking when nothing much is going on. It's a good idea and I certainly think the combination of ingredients work well together, but I wouldn't get this again in a hurry. 

Until next time....

Mikkeller Monk's Brew BA Raspberry

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Monk's Brew BA Raspberry, a rather unconventional Quad from  everyone's favourite gypsy brewer, Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). This beer is a barrel aged version of Monk's Elixir, Mikkel's attempt at replicating the Trappist Quads of Westvleteren and Rochefort, and has been brewed with raspberries before being aged in red and white wine barrels. Typically understated as usual, but I'm very interested in seeing how all of these new flavours combine with the fruity, spicy contributions from the Quad base. Review after the pic....

Monk's Brew BA Raspberry (10.0% ABV) pours a dark brown colour with a thick beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. Words can't do the aroma justice- it's simply incredible, with plenty of raspberries bursting forth from the glass, accompanied by a lot of red wine, dark fruits and some bready candy sugar notes in the background. Once the nose has become accustomed to the power of the raspberries, they seem to combine with the red wine to create an aroma very similar to fortified wine, with the candy sugar coming through more as this occurs. No sense of the white wine though, but it's not surprising when considering the aromas it has to compete with! The taste is just as interesting as the aroma, delivering a lot of port, some tartness from the raspberries, dark fruits, vinous notes and some candy sugar in the finish. The raspberries and red wine no longer seem to be a separate entity on the palette, instead instantly creating the fortified wine flavour that was present in the aroma. They do separate somewhat in the finish, but the port still remains the predominant flavour. During drinking the raspberries provide a surprisingly tart sensation which puckers the sides of the mouth, but this is pleasant and certainly isn't as severe as the sourness you can get from gueuze or lambic beers. The finish is dry and smooth, and allows more of the beer base to come through, with yeast extract, candy sugar and possibly even a hint of the white wine barrel ageing present. Despite this being described as a Belgian Ale, the sheer complexity of the beer and the different flavour profiles on show means I can't detect any phenols or spiciness from the yeast, but then this isn't your average Quad by any means so it's understandable. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, which is fairly characteristic of this style and still compliments the experience despite the plethora of senses and flavours on display. The alcohol is also well hidden, so be warned! Overall, this is a very impressive beer from a brewery that never fails to impress. It's built upon the slightly-interesting Monk's Elixir marvelously with the double barrel ageing and the raspberries, creating a unique beer that maintains that fine balance between complexity and drinkability. Highly recommended, don't hesitate to get a bottle if you have the opportunity.

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Rouge-Hop

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Rouge-Hop, an Amber Ale from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK). I received an order from Summer Wine's online store this morning, containing a veritable plethora of their offerings and an attractive branded glass, so there was no doubt in my mind as to what I'd be reviewing this evening. I've heard a lot of very positive feedback about Summer Wine recently, but up to this point I'd only tried their Saison and felt this had to be rectified immediately. Earlier in the day I sampled Diablo IPA and found it to be pretty incredible, easily convincing me that another one of their beers deserved the proper treatment on the blog. Review after the pic....

Rouge-Hop (5.0% ABV) pours an amber colour with a bubbly white head that dissipates to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is fruity and sweet but surprisingly subtle, with caramel, grapefruit and hints of lemon. As with most amber ales, the fruity hops and malty sweetness combine very readily to produce a uniform tropical candied aroma which is initially predominant, but further inhales separate these senses into individual components. Although it lacks the power of other ambers such as Evil Twin's "Hop Flood" and BrewDog's "5 A.M. Saint", it's still very good and does make a welcome change to the usual candy floss sweet, resinous amber ales on offer. The taste continues along these lines with the grapefruit hop flavours and the malt-derived sweetness, although this time the hops take precedence over the malt as opposed to the even playing field with the aroma, and the finish packs a surprisingly bitter punch with some grape flavours in the aftertaste. The hoppy bitterness lingers for a while after swallowing, accompanied by some burnt sugar notes. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, which doesn't mask the subtle flavours too much. Overall, this is a nicely balanced beer with some well-executed flavours and a puckering bitterness in the finish that's sure to satisfy the most ardent hop-heads. I'd happily get it again, and it's definitely increased my interest in trying other Summer Wine offerings. Fortunately I've got a fair few still, so expect more reviews in the near future!

Until next time....

Flying Dog Brewery Double Dog Pale Ale

Good evening all. Tonight's beer is Double Dog Pale Ale, an American Strong Ale from Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland, USA). Flying Dog Brewery has been featured on this blog before, and was probably one of the first "craft" breweries that I got into, so I always look forward to their offerings to some extent. I'm also a big fan of the American Strong Ale beer style, and whilst its not strictly a true style but more of a blanket term used to categorise the uncategorisable, the offerings within it are so similar to Barleywines and even DIPAs that I'll always be a supporter. Review after the pic....

Double Dog (11.5% ABV) pours an amber colour with a centimetre of white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is fairly standard for this beer style, with plenty of  caramelised sweetness from the malt, some resinous hop character, a real awareness of the alcohol and a herbal quality in the background that I can't quite find the words to describe. The hops and the malty sweetness are the most instantly detectable, combining to create a piney/sickly sweet aroma that almost completely covers up the alcohol. The boozy character starts to permeate through this after the initial burst has subsided, accompanied by the oily vegetative/herbal background aroma. Tasting the beer delivers a lot more of the alcohol and the hop-derived bitterness, with the malty sweetness taking a backseat. Some resinous/piney hop character is also present, but the alcohol- almost reminiscent of acetone- bombards the palette both during drinking and in the finish. Definitely a sipper, the alcohol hit me like a sledgehammer based on my reviewing drinking pace! Unfortunately, without either the hops imparting more than just bitterness, or the malty sweetness acting as a counter to the alcoholic burn, the beer can come across as unbalanced and one-dimensional. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well carbonated, which fortunately does compliment the amplified flavours on display. Overall, this is quite an unusual beer in that the aromas are more balanced than the flavours, making the overall experience rather one sided. If the taste built upon the perceived aromas it would be a much better beer, but as it stands it's a bit too harsh for my liking and so I wouldn't get it again. Offerings like Stone's "Double Bastard" or "Arrogant Bastard Ale" are much better examples of the style. 

Until next time....

Mikkeller Spontankoppi

Good evening all. It's been a while since I did a beer review, and after a quick recce of my cellar I found something quite interesting that deserved the full treatment. It's Spontankoppi, a Lambic from the gypsy brewing supremo Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). Not content with conquering the world of fruit Lambics with his "Spontan" range, Mikkel decided to brew a new addition to the series, with the unconventional inclusion of coffee. The first time I heard about this beer I was immediately interested in trying it, so seeing it on offer at the fantastic Beers of Europe almost justified the impulse order that I ended up putting through. Will it be another successful experiment from this master brewer, or will it be too "out there" for once? Review after the pic....

Spontankoppi (5.3% ABV) pours a dark golden colour with a short-lived white head that dissipates to nothing in the glass. The aroma is characteristically sour, with effervescing tartness, cooking apples, some honey sweetness and an awareness of the coffee in the background. As with most sour beers there is no distinctive aroma, just the perception of funk and the results of spontaneous fermentation, but on the nose it has quite a lot in common with cider. The taste is pretty amazing and also quite startling, with the coffee becoming much more noticeable in comparison to the aroma, accompanied by the tartness, some sweetness and a light hop character in the aftertaste. The coffee hits the taste buds immediately but isn't too piquant, with the yeast tartness gradually permeating through to act as a counterbalance. Towards the end of the beer, the flavours combine to create a funkiness with a slight coffee piquancy, but somehow this still works and is a welcome shift from the beginning when the flavours are almost separate entities. The sourness doesn't linger in the finish, but there is some light hoppiness and an aftertaste of cooking apples. The mouthfeel is quite light and airy and the beer is moderately carbonated. As with most sour beers, the perception of mouthfeel comes more from the feeling of the sourness effervescing on the palette as opposed to explicit carbonation. Overall, whilst I can't see this taking off as a legitimate beer style, it's certainly a very interesting offering that shouldn't be dismissed as a novelty. The coffee isn't too sharp and compliments the sourness very well, with neither taking precedence over the entire course of the beer. Definitely recommended, give it a go and be pleasantly surprised.

Until next time....

The Session #65: So Lonely...

Good morning all. This month's session is hosted by Nathaniel Southwood- the righteous pimp responsible for beer and music musings over at Booze, Beats & Bites- and concerns the concept of solitary pub trips and how the beer blogging community feels about them. Since I like to consider myself part of this esteemed fraternity, I felt it would be wise to weigh in on this topic.

I'm no stranger to my own company. Over the last few years, I've come to the conclusion that it's sometimes easier to go somewhere by yourself rather than attempting to rally a group of people to accompany you. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy going to the pub with any number of my friends to sample some great beers and socialise in a different context, but every once in a while there comes that moment when none of your friends are as interested in visiting the pub as you are. Maybe you saw a webpage advertising a tap takeover at a pub that only you seem to be excited about attending, or maybe only you can justify a 40 minute train journey to a pub because of its impeccable selection and beer quality. Speaking as one of the few extremely enthusiastic beer lovers among my circle of friends, I would happily rearrange most plans and reassess my finances to accommodate situations like those mentioned, but in all cases I would still ask around first to see if anyone wanted to come with me before I committed to going alone. Generally I can get a small and interested group together, but in those rare moments that I can't convince even one person I will most likely head off on my own, and I don't mind that at all.

By means of an example, there was a De Molen Festival at Craft Beer Co. during November last year that managed to compel me before I'd even finished reading the advertisement. I asked my flatmate and a couple of other beer-centric friends if they wanted to go and was met with no success, so I decided to take the trip out to London on my own armed with my wallet and a copy of The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson. Whilst it wasn't exactly the best pub trip I've been on, it was still worth the time and money as I was so interested in the range of beers that I was perfectly happy getting through a good book and sampling some offerings from a top brewery. Not the first time that I've had a drink on my own, and I know it won't be the last. In the preceding two weeks I've gone out for a drink by myself at least four times, and although I do feel slightly out of place in the milieu it doesn't concern me too much, so I'll continue to do it. 

The aforementioned example is definitely in the latter in regards to my lone pub experiences- the most common reason for these situations is that I'm trying to kill time before meeting people and I've found a pub with a good enough atmosphere to justify spending an hour or two in beforehand. Regardless of how it ends up happening, I don't personally think it's odd going to the pub alone, and it certainly beats the sorry sight I've seen in the past of couples sitting opposite each other reading books and not even enjoying each other's company. I'd take myself over that any day!

Until next time....