gillmang wrote: I have had some of them (Boddington, Ruddle's County) on the handpump in Britain but the canned versions are almost as good (when freshly sold).
I like Fuller's 1845 which is bottle-conditioned and represents one type of fruity rich fresh-character English ale. Also, Fiddler's Elbow has a good English hop character. Black Sheep's beers (Yorkshire) are very good, too.
Of the many fine American microbrews, I tend to prefer those in an English style. Old Yard Ale and others by Yard in Philadelphia are examples; also, the ales from Geary in Maine, but there are many others including on the West Coast (e.g. Double Barrel Ale).
I like the American Pale Ale style too, but at its best the British-accented beers are hard to beat. I am sure some of the breweries on L.I. showcase some good examples.Gary
Gary,
I'm envious...having Boddington's & Ruddles off a handpump in a British pub!
Damn, that's living! I had not seen Ruddles County in the can for a long time here on LI, but saw it again recently. It is a really fine brew, with a nice rocky head. I thought that they used to have one of those widget things that would make for a nice creamy head after you opened up the can. Was that your experience? My current cans don't have the widget, but still pours nicely. Fuller's 1845 is also a great British brew, I'd forgotten about that one, but I have not had the other British items which you mentioned.
I agree that there are a variety of micro-brews that replicate the style quite well, and I'd agree that Geary's and Old Yard Ale are 2 of them. Do you recall the Burton-style ale that I brought to the Festival a few years back? It was brewed at Southhampton brewery and was a wonderful version of that style, made even better as it was soooo fresh. Great stuff!