Misty Mountain Hop

Complete hop: ditch-water dull and
utterly lifeless

Yesterday, despite what the calendar may have intimated, was a great day full of joyful conversation, laughter, reminiscing and good beer. 

Caught By The River held the third of its four Christmas Markets at The Social in London's Fitzrovia and it was packed to the rafters with good people selling interesting stuff you could easily buy for other people. I, rather selfishly, just ended up buying myself some presents I know no one else will think of getting me.

I've been writing about beer for the Caught By The River site for more than two years and genuinely feel at home there. Updated every day, there's always something of interest to read on a range of topics from nature and fishing to popular culture and beer.

The contributors are a good bunch too - I bumped into one yesterday and spent a good half an hour or so talking about all sorts: music, fishing, books, divorce and the heat-conducting properties of mulled wine glasses.

In fact, it was kind of sad having to leave, but I know there will be other occasions and opportunities to talk bollocks with like-minded people, one of which is tomorrow evening at the annual Christmas bash. So it looks like Monday's update will either be early or really quite late. If it's the latter, there's little chance of it being all that coherent, but it might be vaguely amusing.

Beer: Dominion Hop Mountain Pale Ale
Strength: 6.6%, but I had to go to the website to find that out as it's not printed on the label
Colour: The flickering flames of a gas-powered fire.
Smell: Soggy, faintly cheesy socks and wet Labrador.
Tasting notes: Utterly and completely disappointing. I just had a pint of Ruddles at the local Wetherspoon's and I'm not sure which is worse. Stale, dank and feeble, it's truly a wet blanket of a beer. The Walter Softy of the ale world. I'd love to be able to describe what it tastes like, but the only sensation I'm getting is the musty flavour of slightly sweaty cheesecloth and flat, lifeless bitterness. It's like the drinking equivalent of a soft handshake. Shudder.
Gut reaction: This can't end well.
Session factor: I don't even think I'm going to finish this glass, never mind have another. Ever again.
Arbitrary score: Nothing