Jus' Checking

 Wiper and True taproom is not a place we go to often, despite being only a shortish walk away.

It's not that we don't like their beers, exactly, and it's not that we don't think they've done an excellent job on making a wonderfully inclusive-feeling space it's just that, well...it doesn't quite work for us, for some reason, and then there's the prices of the beers.

There's just something about all of it added together that doesn't make it somewhere we rush to.

I guess if it were as close as LHG, we might go more often on the way to or from some form of errand. But I like LHG a little better than W&T.

Nevertheless, yesterday with a slight reduction in the weather temperature I'd suggested we stroll over there and take a couple of urban grunge photos on the way (I've got the rest of a 24exp film to use, develop and scan before we head back on Monday).  He was happy with the suggestion.

We enjoyed the stroll which wasn't too warm and we took a slightly backstreet route so that was fun.  When we arrived, there was one cask on - fine.  It was called "Summer Ale" (3.8%) with no further description on the pump clip, so without any more ado we ordered two pints of it. (It's possible there was a fuller description on the big board behind the bar, but there's a lot to take in and we were served the second we arrived at the bar.)

Here's a problem with a bar that's a bit tall (it's about the height of my chest) - you can't always see what glass your drink is being poured into so you can't leap in and beg for straights over jugs.  Also, you don't really see your beer until it's lifted onto the bar (especially at my height).  

The beer was BROWN!  So that was a bit of a shock for a beer with "Summer" in the name.

The prices haven't shifted hugely (unlike some places) but at £5.60 for a pint of your own 3.8% beer, it still feels a little on the nose.  £1 or so more expensive than BBF in the BM, and about the same for all the beers in the Cornubia.

Nevertheless, we grabbed our beers and took them out into the garden, grabbed a seat and settled in.  Actually, I was really glad we did order it.  If it had been described as "bitter" or "brown" I wouldn't have ordered it and although I wouldn't want a second, it was really well done, and very enjoyable.  

The place started to fill up with a wide range of people (I love that - mostly) including a couple of families with ankle-biters. They weren't badly behaved but there was a lot of running around between all the tables and squealing with excitement.  It was less than relaxing, it has to be said.

We carried on chatting about the usual shite, I imagine. Then it was time for a second.  We generally like to try different beers to each other, but it wasn't feasible.  From the seemingly large and long list, actually there weren't many second-beers (loads of low and no, 3 different 7%+ IPAs, 2 or 3 lagers, one stout.,,etc) so we had Sundance a really solid 5.6% IPA which was lovely. (2/3rds - obvs).

We took in the variety of plants in the beer garden (vine, apple and fig trees, etc) and mused over food in pubs (he increasingly not wanting to eat in pubs, me still thinking there's a right sort of food at the right time).  We definitely want to go to both a Desi pub and to Bundobust - and we'll sort that out at some point.

Time for one more before leaving to start making dinner, using up the fridge contents.  Half of an 8% DIPA and 2/3rds of a 7.2% IPA.  Again, really well brewed beers which we enjoyed drinking.

And yet, I doubt we'll be going back there for a while - unless it's someone else's venue of choice.

Maybe the size is the issue:  weird when empty and overwhelming when full.  Yesterday everyone was outside and as it got noisier (and hotter) it might have been quite nice to retreat inside, except that we'd then have been outnumbered by the bar staff which always feels weird.

Yeah, I dunno.  I'd recommend it to people without hesitation and yet, it's not quite me.