If it tastes good, Dance

Queens Park Rangers 1 v Sheffield United 2
The Championship
Saturday 11 August 2018
SUFC 2018/19 Game 12

Sheffield United 1 v Hull City 1
(Hull City win 5-4 on Penalties)
League Cup Round One
Tuesday 14 August
SUFC 2018/19 Game 13

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The facts are. If it tastes good. Dance. I was at the Trade Session of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) at Olympia during the QPR week. The Trade Session is where all the Breweries & Pubs & Bars & Industry Insiders can get in the Festival five hours before the public. Elements of it are Networking. Elements are Office/Factory Piss Up. The Festival Beer Awards are announced at the Trade Session. So, obviously, some of the people there are in with a shot of an award. Many of them will know people who are up for awards.

Winning the overall Champion Beer Of Britain is a big thing. It's not just something to put up near the kettle & biccies in the brewery. (I'm imagining) the commercial value must be huge. Make or break (but mainly make) a beer. Timothy Taylor Landlord, Deuchars IPA, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, Castle Rock Harvest Pale. All winners, all making the transition from Beer to Brand.

So. Picture the scene. Lots of people from breweries. An award which can catapult those breweries beers into pound notes. The first category is for Mild. Ale has been consumed. And, to help things along, even more fucking ale has been consumed. The first winner of the Festival was.

Greene King XX Mild

Greene King, the UK's largest brewer. Listed on the London Stock Exchange. Part of the FTSE 250. Big Beer. Greedy King. The Evil Empire.

Essentially, the lot has gone. Cats were called. Boos were booed. Gestures were gesticulated. Thing is. It's blind tasting. The Judges may have got an inkling as to which beers have made the shortlist. They may have piled into 'em before. But, they've got a set of Milds lined up in front of them. They don't know them from Adnams (Booom). It's about lip licking, not balance sheets. Funny. But, that did not play well in the hall.

That's the first time I've been able to do the GBBF justice for a few years. I went on three days. Premier League fixture computer - please take note for next year (again, Booom). It has & does move with the times. There was a bar of American Cask Beer. Thing is. I'm alright with Keg. Some of those I had would have been better on keg. Siren, Broken Dream, Breakfast Stout was named overall Champion Beer. Thing is, that's better on keg than cask. I noticed that Five Points & Thornbridge had smuggled some keg beers into their dedicated bars.

That Thornbridge, Green Mountain, Session IPA (keg) was delish. Not too gloopy. Hop forward. Simple beer. But, lots to love.

There was a Budvar keg bar. And keg beers from The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany & elsewhere. My beer of the Festival was;

Bad Flash (Czech Republic) Collab with Pivovar Zhurak, Double IPA on keg at 7.6%. Thick. Chewy. Sits there. And then grows into rich intense bitterness. Bit of citrus comes late. Sugar never dies completely. Glorious.

695/1456