In my last article I mentioned that pubs in the Wetherspoon chain were having a Christmas Ale festival.

In the Nov/Dec edition of Wetherspoon News they state that ‘During December, pub managers will be able to choose from 18 festival ales’. Wetherspoon claim that this is an annual highlight for ale lovers. However it would seem that the managers weren’t brave enough to choose many of the ales. Out of the 18, I have only found two if them in the branches that I visited. Both were in the Moon in the Square pub in the town centre. So I have to report that I am hugely disappointed in the festival.

I know that true strong Christmas Ales have a limited appeal, but as Wetherspoons have promoted them so much with articles in their magazine and posters in the pubs, that the pubs would have a least one of the ales on at any one time.

The two I sampled were, Frank Incensed (4.3% ABV). A copper coloured well rounded brew from the Nethergate brewery and Nadelik (4.6% ABV) from the Sharp Brewery. I defiantly preferred the latter. It had more of a Christmas feel to it, being stronger in taste. In case you are wondering Nadelik is Cornish for Christmas.

Marks and Spencer So following a recommendation from another beer writer, thebeernut, I decided to pay a visit to Marks and Spencer to see their beer range for Christmas. Not a wide selection but I choose four very different beers from their range.

Christmas Ale (6.2% ABV) from the Cropton Brewery promised to be a ’Warming’ beer with ‘hints of Christmas Fruit and Spice’. Don’t think it quite lives up to its billing. I found the taste a bit unusual and I have to say that there are better Christmas Ales on the market.

However, Southwold Winter Beer (4% ABV) was a treat. Lovely taste of four East-Anglican Malts. One is these malts is a dark chocolate one and this taste does come through. The beer is brewed exclusively for M&S by Adnams. To me one of the counties top brewers.

They say this beer is in the style of their ‘Broadside’ beer. So if you have tried that then you will appreciate where this beer is coming from. However I would not say that it is a winter beer. Slightly Autumnal maybe.

Two other beers brewed exclusivly for M&S are Staffordshire IPA (5.5% ABV) and Lincolnshire Best Bitter(4.9% ABV). Again two beers that are not really Christmas beer, but still hugely drinkable. Both are like the Southwold beer and come from top brewers, Marstons in the case of the IPA and Batemans produced the Lincolnshire beer. Both are quite clean in taste and well worth checking out. Prices start from £1.99 but they do currently have a 4 for the price of 3 currently on offer.

As this is my last article before Christmas, I would like to extend Christmas wishes to all Echo readers. Hope you have a good Christmas and Happy New Year.