#exam-tears

Second spoonful

On Monday I started my epic quest through the beers of the JD Wetherspoon Spring Beer Festival, which finished at the weekend. Today's set picks up where we were, at Keavan's Port. The taps had turned over a couple of days after I had last been in, and next up was  Yard Work , designed, presumably, as a refresher, at 3.6% ABV. There's no lack of complexity, however, and though it looks a pale innocent gold, it's packed with bright sharp lemon hop bitterness, plus a harder waxy kick beneath it. It's remarkably full-bodied for the strength, almost syrupy, and there's a honeyish malt flavour to balance the hops. All told, it's a very good sessioner, not wildly dissimilar to the brewery flagship, Trinity. I don't get to drink a lot of Redemption beers, but it seems like quality at a low strength is something at which they excel. Saltaire is another seldom-seen English brewery round here, and they've brought another golden ale:  Elderflower Blonde , slightly stronger at 4% ABV. Th