Beer Fantasies

I am currently on one of my fortnights of no booze and carbs, also known as the South Beach Diet phase 1. This is really not being helped by the fact that I have 4 bottles of Primátor, of various types and strengths, sitting in my fridge. However, after the over-indulgence of Oxford it is necessary to shed the 10lbs I gained in my research efforts. It is important though to point out that not all that weight can be attributed to beer. I am sure a fair whack of it came from eating what I lovingly referred to as my "slab", mainly because I can't remember what it is called in English. Basically it is a biscuit base with a caramel centre and chocolate topping. Sheer food naughtiness, but worth every last crumb - it was about the size of an A4 piece of paper and I ate it over the few days we were there. Also on the list of illicit delights we pigged out on were Krispy Kreme doughnuts, decent Chinese food, pies, cornish pasties and various other snacks picked up in Marks and Spencer or Sainsbury's. Naturally they were mostly washed down with a bottle or two of ale - I am thinking in particular here of the Fuller's 1845 I thoroughly enjoyed.

Talking of Fuller's, I read today on Zythophile about their Reserve beer which is aged in whisky oak barrels before having a limited bottling of 25,000. This got me fantasising about the possibilities of combining their Vintage Ale range with the Reserve concept - labelled obviously as Vintage Reserve, has a nice ring to it - as would a Wychwood beer called Old Crone!

So instead of drinking beers, I am planning what beers to buy for Christmas - the whole Velkyal clan is getting together in Kent this year for the first entire family Christamas celebration since, well actually not sure when, more than 10 years at least. So the beer has to be good, all suggestions welcome, and if anyone wants to give me a bottle of Vintage Ale or Reserve as a pressie, feel free.