CAMRA Lunesdale

The recent beer and cider festival at Silverdale’s Woodlands pub has been praised as “a very creditable first effort” by Lunesdale Campaign for Real Ale. The event was attended by a tasting team of branch members who sampled 11 ales and gave each one a rating.

Branch Secretary Martin Sherlock said that Woodlands’ managers Jane Carter and Dave Johnston were to be congratulated on selecting “a good mix of local-ish and more remote brews, including a few that seldom escape from their home base.” He added that the condition of the beers was generally good.

The tasting team used CAMRA’s National Beer Scoring Scheme, which has a range extending from 0 ( “undrinkable”) to 5 ( “excellent”), to grade the beers. All but one of the 11 scored 3 ( “good”) or over. CAMRA members were particularly impressed by Kelham Island brewery’s Pale Rider, a 5.2% ABV Yorkshire work of art, described as “awesome, with a glorious depth of sulphury flavour,” and John McGuinness, a bitter from local brewer Bryson’s, which was judged “a flavoursome, well-balanced session beer.”

Also finding favour with the team were Bolton brewer Bank Top’s Gold Digger ( “full-bodied and hoppy”), Collie Wobbles from Cumbria’s Watermill brewery ( “a brew that belies its modest 3.7% ABV”) and the “fruity” Grumpling Premium from Buckinghamshire’s Vale.

Jane Carter expressed her “delight” at how things went. We sold out of beer on the Sunday night, and it was great to have some of the brewers turn up to the event. I’d like to thank Lunesdale CAMRA for their continuing support of what we’re doing at the pub, and thanks to everyone for making it such a success.

The Woodlands is listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2008 and was recently voted Lunesdale CAMRA’s Pub of The Season.