Place in the Playoffs

Now, it's that time of year when hopeful football fans everywhere are chewing their nails watching to see whether they make it into or can keep a foot in the playoff places.

Ah, but you see there are other playoffs that you're not even aware of.  Those for pubs worth frequenting.  Some are always destined to stay mid-table, and some always languish at the bottom and those who float to the top...then there are those that tantalise with their straying into playoff places, only to demonstrate disappointing form when they need to shine.

OK, enough with the metaphors (or allegories, or whatever).

The Bricklayers Arms in Hitchin.  Hugely improved since its take-over by Banks and Taylor but has a tendancy to serve somewhat uninteresting beers.

It's possible they try and keep too many beers on the bar to sell quickly enough and so you get the odd tired pint.  I also have to say that the service can be a tiny bit lack-lustre and inconsistent.

However, all this went by the wayside on Sunday.  We knew the Half Moon would be heaving and we weren't in the mood for a noisy crowd.  We'd already discovered, a few days earlier, that Bricklayers has a rather decent garden, the top part of which catches the evening sun very nicely.

And so it was that I had a pint of Bunny Hop Blond from the Peerless Brewery.   I knew it was pretty fresh since it wasn't on when we went in there on Friday.  It was very nice indeed.  Nothing unusual, no unsubtle flavours and not particularly distinctive - but really well balanced and well kept.  So good that I didn't feel the need to try anything else and had 3 (yes, that's right, three!) pints.

S opted for two pints from the Black Country Brewery (Pig on the Wall and Fireside Bitter) and declared that this brewery should be "watched out for". This time he was a little disappointed by the pint of B&T Dragon Slayer - we suspect the cask had been open for a few days.

So, I do believe that The Bricklayers is showing potential for promotion (some three pint days aren't a good indicator of long-term form) so we'll be making more trips there to see.