On cask at the Grosvenor. Appearance - golden with an oily hop resin look and a decent head. Nose - pink grapefruit going into fresh sweat. Taste - yep more of the same. Very hop resin too. Palate - light to medium bodied with a tangy texture and a long dry finish. Overall - not shy on the hops. Just short of being too bitter.

Cask at Milne’s. Pours clear pale gold, thick white head. Aromas of citrus and tropical fruit. Light bitter taste, light sweet. Creamy texture, light tropical fruits, sweet finish. Decent.

Cask @ Cross Inn, Heptonstall. Blonde with a small head. Has lots of tropical fruit aroma and taste in a recognisably pale ale texture. Mangos and pineapple evident. Medium bodied.

Hand-pulled pint in ’The Malt House’ Birmingham, I was on the balcony where Bill Clinton had a pint during the G8 Summit in May 1998. I was there on 30 Aug 2013 though. There was a mini haze to my dull golden hand-pulled pint, a thin white head which gave off some lacing sat on top. Semi-sweet lead in with a bittering finish: nice blend of flavours. The nose was floral and slightly malted, as was the taste. The hoppy finish had some citrus notes within it’s bitterness and all round this was a good refreshing pint.

Cask on stillage at the Stag & Hounds, Binfield. Amber with a ring of white head; the aroma reminds me of Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles, but according to the tasting notes it’s supposed to be passion fruit - it’s pleasant enough nonetheless; in the mouth it’s crisp, sweet and fruity; then gently bitter with some more chewy fruit pastilles. Pleasant enough overall, but will it win the Ashes for us?

Cask at the Bridge, Kingswinford. Pours dark gold brown with a medium head. Aroma is bready citrus. Taste has citrus and orange to start with passionfruit and a touch of sulphur on the finish.