Spotland Gold

My local, the Guest House, has 11 hand pumps. During the week, there may only be 7 or 8 in use, but at weekends, all 11 are on. The range includes some regionals, such as Theakstons, Youngs or Everards, and Draught Bass occasionally makes an appearance: I sometimes try one in hope, but rarely have two. The hand pump furthest from the door always sells its beer at £2.50, whatever it is that has been put on; most of the other hand pumps are £2.70 or £2.80. The bar staff refer to the £2.50 pump as the pensioners' pump, and I've even heard some pensioners call it that too.

Last night, the pensioners' pump had Phoenix Spotland Gold. I've always found this beer to be dry and pleasantly drinkable, although not as hoppy as other Phoenix offerings. Phoenix's own description is characteristically terse: "Crisp hoppy pale ale." Personally, I prefer such brevity to the improbable list of food stuffs that certain beers are supposed to resemble as they pass over different parts of your tongue. Spotland Gold was brewed to mark the centenary of Rochdale FC in 2007, Spotland being their home ground.

Despite the range of beers that the Guest House serves, if I find a beer I like, I tend to stick to it, having been disappointed with a change of beer on too many occasions. When that happens, a disappointing pint takes a while to get though, while a pint you're enjoying seems to evaporate from the glass. On that basis, I stuck with the Spotland Gold last night.