Cheeky Pheasant (George Wright Brewing Company)

Name: Cheeky Pheasant
Label: "Premium Ale"
Brewery: George Wright Brewing Company
ABV: 4.7%

Rating: "Cheeky Pheasant is a classic deep golden premium ale with a gentle taste of raisin and berry fruits, combined with the richness of malty toffee. Balanced throughout by a dry hoppy fulfilling bitterness."

Game: Far Cry 4 is pretty awesome and pretty and awesome. I went hang gliding for the first time and recorded it for posterity.  This is definitely what would happen to me in real life if I ever tried hang gliding - I also used to think it was called hand gliding but that must be something else:

Corby Ale (Cumberland Breweries)

Name: Corby Ale
Label: "An amber coloured ale. A moreish ale with malt character and a refreshing citrus after-taste."
Brewery: Cumberland Breweries
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: So good it was almost sexy.

Game: So Ubisoft made good on their offer for a free game for AC:Unity season pass purchasers. Currently getting my ass handed to me in Far Cry 4 on a regular basis. Must buy a gun, this bow and arrow just ain't gonna cut it! Incredible looking game too.  All hail Ubisoft! No really... Get hailing them right now! Hail like you've never hailed before!

Amber (McEwan's)

Name: Amber
Label: "Light and Refreshing - Amber Ale"
Brewery: McEwan's
ABV: 4.2%

Rating: "McEwan's have been brewing since 1856, and here's evidence that we haven't lost our touch. Whether shared among friends at the weekend or enjoyed in peace and quiet after a hard day's work, McEwan's Amber is the ale for any occasion. Light in colour, with the gentle aroma of Maris Otter malted barley, it offers a delightful floral, citrus finish. It makes for perfect refreshment, all year round."

Game: Being a massive Assassin's Creed fan and a fool I was easily parted with a further £23.99 to purchase the AC: Unity season pass. Then Ubisoft's Yannis Mallat (brother of Timmy) said that because Assassin's Creed was so glitchy, all season pass owners would be eligible for a free game from the following: The Crew, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Rayman Legends, Just Dance 2015!  Is this Ubisoft attempting to salvage what's left of it's tattered brand? Or are they just genuinely a great company wanting to give us fans free stuff?  I think the latter because Ubisoft are ace and they make ace games. Everything is awesome :)

Firkin Fox (Badger)

Name: Firkin Fox
Label: "Auburn citrus-hopped beer"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.6%

Rating: "Inspired by the cunning countryside fox, this moreish auburn ale combines the biscuity and aromatic qualities of our speciality malts with the citrus hop charge of Celeia and Cascade hops. A refreshing beer ideal with spicy Mexican dishes. We've been brewing in the heart of Dorset since 1777. Discover more Badger beers on cask, on shelf or at badgerales.com." Fox hunting SUCKS. They should go beer hunting instead. It's a heck of a lot more fun.

Game: Xbox One just keeps on giving! It's been a year since the Xbox One was released and they are showering us Day One'rs (I invented that term) with gifts a-plenty. Today I got some exclusive Xbox backgrounds for various devices; desktop, tablet, mobile and Xbox. BIG WOW you may be thinking in your usual sarcastic mind-voice (and that thought would be justified to be fair), but they've also sent messages out informing us of a free copy of LIMBO on Xbox One when it's released. Free game! Xbox is teh best!!!1!!

Black Pepper Ale (Batemans)

Name: Black Pepper Ale
Label: "Bottling the past, creating the future"
Brewery: Batemans
ABV: 5.1%

Rating: "No strangers to innovation, Batemans have been craft brewers since 1874. With a wealth of good old fashioned know how and a healthy blend of imagination, energy and passion, Batemans are devoted to the delivery of a truly exceptional range of 'Sovereign Beers. An unmistakable aroma tickles the nose. A subtle tingle of crushed black pepper with bellowing heat. A clean and beautifully balanced beer. A perfect match for Popcorn and Strawberries!" This was extra awesome because it came with a little sachet of black pepper!

Game: (To be read in a French accent) I av 'eard a lot of 7 out of 10 type reviews for Assassin's Creed: Unity. Well those reviews are officially ludicrous! AC: Unity is magnifique! This is proper next-gen... but now.  So 'Now-gen'.  Graphically it's formidable. Not seen anything quite like it. What I always think are pre-rendered cut scenes merge into actual playable sections of the game. And the game comes with absolutely ZERO glitches from what I've seen thus far and a fantastic companion app. Gaming Ales rating: 59 hundred out of 10.

New World Pale Ale (Marston's)

Name: New World Pale Ale
Label: "An exotic Pale Golden Ale brewed with a blend of Australian hops"
Brewery: Marston's
ABV: 4.1%

Rating: "New World Ale is a new lineage for a great heritage beer. Born out of the craft and culture imbued in Pedigree, combined with the fresh, fascinating and funky hop flavours of Australia, this beer is infused with vibrant, exotic, contemporary flavours. Gleaming pale gold in colour,New World pours with a dense white head of foam and a fantastic fruity & floral aroma."  Awesome beer. Must buy more.

Game: So many games still to finish! Shadow of Mordor, The Evil Within, D4 and still popping on to Destiny every day.  But next week sees the arrival of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Assassin's Creed Unity. Anybody seen that extra spare time I ordered? Anyway, I wasn't going to get Halo but then guess what? I pre-ordered Halo. Pretty amazing story right there!

Rye Pale Ale (Marston's for Tesco)

Name: Rye Pale Ale
Label: "Revisionist American Hop - Cold Conditioned, Dry hopped with Amarillo and Citra - Spicy with citrus hop"
Brewery: Craft brewed by Marston's exclusively for Tesco
ABV: 4.3%

Rating: "Bank's Brewmaster Simon Yates', IPA with a twist, inspired by the American craft beer movement, using Rye Crystal Malt to create a spicy, nutty flavour. Brewed with five different American hop varieties."

Game: A shout-out (is that still such a thing?) to Creative Assembly. They gone and made one of the best games I've ever played!  Alien: Isolation completed, time to start the challenge map things. Usually when I finish a game I mostly play something else... mostly.

Imperial Red (Wychwood)

Name: Imperial Red
Label: "Imperious Deep Ruby Ale"
Brewery: Wychwood
ABV: 4.7%

Rating: "Do not fear the Imperial Red who comes in peace to liberate your taste buds with his robust yet succulent beer. A toasted malt flavour balanced by a bold pronounced hop delivered in a rich russet beer. Enjoy the imperial majesty and raise the red standard in celebration."

Game: Totally addicted to Alien: Isolation but Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is occasionally able to break the spell. With it's brilliantly well thought out mix of Assassin's Creed meets Batman Arkham City, a bit or orc slaying makes a nice change from hiding in a cupboard. The game is very orc / Uruk-hai oriented, so there're no stupid Hobbits ruining the baddie decapitation. It's actually quite dark and violent, more-so than the films which makes it extra great. Rating: 8/10.

Bill's Beer (Caledonian Brewery)

Name: Bill's Beer
Label: "Cunning as a bag of weasels - Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Bill McLaren - Welcome to the Bill McLaren Foundation. Your support will help us to develop and promote the sport of rugby union and its values and to create an educative centre which will include the Bill McLaren Archive."
Brewery: Caledonian
ABV: 4.6%

Rating: "Bill's Beer is brewed to celebrate the 90th anniversary of 'the voice of rugby'. Classic style with a cunning balance of malt & hop characters and a local twist."

Game: Good grief have you played Alien: Isolation yet? Scariest game ever! Started it on the hardest difficulty as it's the recommended setting for the best experience apparently. Spent about three hours trying to get past a group of people, hadn't even seen the alien at that point. Current thoughts: where am I? what am I doing? what's this alien-esque drool dripping on to my shoulder? Oh, shiii...

National Trust Golden Ale (Delavals Master Brewers)

Name: National Trust Golden Ale
Label: "Small batch brewed - Natural Ingredients - Great British Classics - Delavals is dedicated to creating beers of exceptional quality and distinction"
Brewery: Delavals Master Brewers
ABV: 4.2%

Rating: "Summer is a thirsty season, one for which beer is tailor-made. Whether relaxing after a great day out with family or friends at Lacock in Wiltshire or unwinding after a long hot day, I usually seek out crisp, clean beers that can be enjoyed cold. Inspired by this, I crafted this Golden Ale to be a real thirst quencher; softly malted, bursting with citrus flavours and a fresh hoppy aroma - Head Brewer"

Game: Had a great Destiny session with @HittingWalnut tonight. During one of the missions we were bemoaning the lack of decent armour drops in the game and suddenly I ended up with some Legendary armour!  It seems the decent drops favour the co-opers as opposed to the solo-ers!  Had a great EGX catch-up as well whilst popping Fallen skulls and Vex... er... stomachs. For the low-down on this years EGX visit popbucket.co.uk post-haste!

Aurelio (Two Fingers Brewing Co)

Name: Aurelio
Label: "Golden Artisan Beer - A beer for man kind - One small sip for man, one giant leap for man kind. We handpick the very best ingredients to create a beer that's not only better tasting, but better for men everywhere. At least 10p from every bottle goes to support Prostate Cancer UK"
Brewery: Two Fingers Brewing Co
ABV: 4.8%

Rating: "It's a refreshing, clean and crisp golden ale, brewed with 100% British ingredients. Carefully blended for a complex aroma and perky citrus flavours."

Game: So after a bit of bitching about Destiny in the last two posts, I'm still playing the damn game! Which speaks volumes about how great it is. Despite it's slightly repetitive nature and quick arrival at endgame grind I still have trouble putting the controller down. Oh and I found this brilliant article on vg247.com's site called Destiny: stop farming and start playing.  If I wasn't married I'd try and marry whoever wrote this article, provided they weren't already married or averse to marriage.

Gold Hobgoblin (Wychwood)

Name: Gold Hobgoblin
Label: "A beer of character"
Brewery: Wychwood
ABV: 4.6%

Rating: "A golden treasure hidden within the Wych Wood has been unearthed... & it's no fool's gold. The combination of four hop varieties & and an infusion of Wheat & Malted barley results in a perfectly balanced golden beer - with a huge hop punch. Well what would you expect? To find out more about the guilt edged golden refreshment visit: www.wychwood.co.uk." Is there actually a Wych Wood in real life? If not there should be... and it should include rivers of beer. And witches.

Game: Can't sign in to Destiny tonight. Getting a "Cattle" error or something. I'm not a fan of co-op multiplayer in general but for next-gen I've been willing to give it a go. It's the future so I'm told. So to have a game that is online-only, they have to make sure it works online! Otherwise it's completely useless. £44 for a game that is completely unplayable because Bungie's servers are down. If it was still playable offline, then fine. But it's not playable offline.  At least I have beer. Thankfully that still works.

Ace Ale (Shepherd Neame)

Name: Ace Ale
Label: "With flavours of Strawberry & Vanilla"
Brewery: Shepherd Neame
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "This golden ale has a full floral and strawberries and cream aroma evoking warm and wonderful, long summer days. The light balance of malt and East Kent goldings hops allows the fruit to shine through. Game, set and match a winning combination." Tennis isn't really my cup of tea. This beer is definitely my cup of tea though.

Game: Succumbed to the hype and got Destiny. It looks amazing.Thought there'd be more exploration and a more buffed up single player campaign but it seems a bit light-weight in this respect. It's like it may have missed some opportunities to really wow. An example, the landscape of the Moon looks incredible but the first thing you have to do is go into some building and then go underground and fight waves of identikit enemies. Odd. And then in the next mission you have to scan some cracks (Moon not bum) and then go underground and fight waves of identikit enemies. Another worry, the season pass costs as much as a full-priced game...

Mr Trotter's Great British Chestnut Ale (Lancaster Brewery)

Name: Mr Trotter's Great British Chestnut Ale
Label: "Lovingly brewed for Mr Trotter by Lancaster Brewery Ltd"
Brewery: Lancaster Brewery
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: "Blending chestnuts with sweet Maris Otter barley has produced the hoppy harmony for which Mr Trotter was looking. The chestnuts give a nutty creaminess to the brew, a honied note to balance the alluring spiciness of the English Cascade and Bramling Cross Hops."

Game: In a thieving mood so back on Thief for a bit. Actually I was playing Dishonored on  Xbox 360 (rude not to as it was a free download) but the textures seemed so muddy and last-gen I thought I'd ditch it and play something on Xbox One.  Not sure if there were some huge texture pop-in delays or what. Thief is ace though, apart from the incredibly annoying-to-navigate city hub thing. Grrrr!

Boilermaker (Brains)

Name: Boilermaker
Label: "Drink less drink better - Welsh Whisky IPA - Collaboration brew with Thinking Drinkers"
Brewery: Brains
ABV: 6.5%

Rating: "Boilermaker is a copper-coloured IPA brewed with Ben and Tom from Thinking Drinkers. Brewed with Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade and Willamette hops and matured with Penderyn whisky infused oak chips in casks from the distillery, the arts of distillation and brewing combine to create an epic Welsh IPA adorned with a fragrant citrus aroma, a touch of spice with hints of vanilla and a warm whisky finish."

Game: There's been a summer drought this year... of games!!  Whilst waiting for "The Evil Within" I thought I'd give Outlast a whirl. The graphics are a bit ropey but I'm spending a lot of time in the pitch black anyway due to running out of batteries for the camera. It is rather scary to say the least! 8/10

Signature (McEwan's)

Name: Signature
Label: "Rich & Subtly - Our Brewer's Favourite"
Brewery: McEwan's
ABV: 5.2%

Rating: "Our head brewer carefully blends the finest malts, hops and natural mineral water to produce this rich, full-bodied beer. Signature is a fruity, chestnut coloured classic ale he's justifiably proud of."  Great beer, even the purple label is pleasing.

Game: Done Wolfenstein: The New Order. Now THAT is how to do FPS. If anyone is making an FPS game, go and talk to Bethesda first please. They are the Besth at making FPS. The only downside to the whole experience: entered my code for the Doom beta and the website said to expect an email within five minutes to confirm the email address. No email. Now what? Just realised I've gone a whole sentence without saying FPS. FPS.

Buddy's Bourbon Flavoured Beer (Buddy's Brewhouse)

Name: Buddy's Bourbon Flavoured Beer
Label: "With a hint of honey - Best served with style - J.W. Buddy to the State or 'Buddy' to his pals, was told that nothing mixed with beer. He didn't listen."
Brewery: Buddy's Brewhouse
ABV: 5.1%

Rating: "We only know two things for sure about J.W. Buddy. First, whatever he did, he pushed the boundaries and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Second, he rewrote the rulebook when he mixed bourbon, honey and beer, inspiring today's classic brew. The other rumors, we can only hope are true."

Game: I read the recent X-One magazine review that said Wolfenstein: The New Order contained no multiplayer and absolutely no co-op. As soon as I read that I was legging it down the shops to pick up a copy. THIS is proper gaming. Proper FPS. Über-violent Nazi slaying fun with massive guns. B.J. Blazkowicz is one of the greatest characters ever. I would also pay to see him dismantle Duke Nukem's face.

Fever Pitch (Marston's)

Name: Fever Pitch
Label: "2014 - English Pale Ale"
Brewery: Marston's
ABV: 4.2%

Rating: "As the temperature rises to fever pitch for football fans everywhere, this beer is a certain winner. Using East Kent Goldings hops to produce a balanced, crisp and hoppy beer Fever Pitch is guaranteed to go down easier than a continental dive in the box!"  The World Cup is finished for 2014, sad face. But I got Marston's ales, mega face! Had a bit of a falling out with Marston's recently regarding a rubbish meal I had at a Marston's run pub. We've amicably resolved our differences though.

Game: Got to the end of Murdered: Soul Suspect. Really enjoyed it, solving crimes and what not.  It's a bit lightweight with simple controls and gameplay but with a really enjoyable story. The novelty of being a ghost able to possess cats never seemed to wear off either. Lots of collectibles too so probably warrants a second play through. Other reviews are overly harsh. 7/10.

Piledriver (Wychwood Brewery)

Name: Piledriver
Label: "Classic English Ale - Rockin' All Over The World - From the makers of Status Quo"
Brewery: Wychwood
ABV: 4.3%

Rating: "Two legends collide to produce a beer for drinking all over the world. Inspired by the re-release of Piledriver, the first album they produced themselves, Quo have created their first beer with Wychwood Brewery. A traditional malty amber ale balanced with a bold fruity hop character."  Not a massive fan of Status Quo admittedly, but they're good at music... and now beer!

Game: I've played about 90 minutes of Murdered: Soul Suspect and it turns out I've not bought a pudding! It's a great game! It's quite creepy but there's a nice slow, relaxed pace about it as you explore the crime scenes and build up the story. Some reviews are moaning (in a ghostly way, obviously) about how you can't walk through everything or into every house. Stupid. Games have to have some boundaries and these are perfectly explained in the game. 7.5 / 10

Golden Ale (St Peter's)

Name: Golden Ale
Label: "Historical notes - The headquarters of St Peter's Brewery is situated in a medieval hall in a remote and beautiful corner of Suffolk. St. Peter's Hall, the centrepiece of the site, is a half-moated large house with the earliest part of the property dating back to c1280. It was extended in 1539 when the east wing was built using ecclesiastical salvage from the nearby Flixton Priory which had been closed by King Henry VIII at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries two years previously."
Brewery: St Peter's
ABV: 4.7%

Rating: "Traditional malts and English hops create a distinctive golden ale with a delicious, fresh, grainy after taste. We recommend that this ale is served chilled."  Oops I forgot to chill it! Oh well, it was great at room temperature anyway.

Game: After tonight there is no World Cup football until Friday!  To ease the pain I've ordered Murdered: Soul Suspect on Xbox One. Most of the reviews seem to be quite down on it. I'll find out for myself if I've bought a pudding when it arrives, hopefully tomorrow.

4-4-2 (Shepherd Neame)

Name: 4-4-2
Label: "The ale with a kick!"
Brewery: Shepherd Neame
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "The brewing team at Shepherd Neame have scored a winner with this superb brew. The finest malts and hop varieties were carefully selected to produce this full bodied, fruity beer. 4-4-2 is a beer you will want to tackle and going into extra time will be pure pleasure. Action replays are anticipated." Great beer. Final score, 1 - 0 because foolishly I only bought one bottle.

Game: Not done much gaming recently because there's a World Cup on! An actual football World Cup. Get watching it, right now. There'll be plenty of time for gaming later!

Crafty Dan (Thwaites)

Name: Crafty Dan
Label: "Crafted fruity pale ale - celebrating 1 year of Crafty Dan"
Brewery: Thwaites
ABV: 6.0%

Rating: "Introducing Crafty Dan, the name of our craft micro-brewery and this wonderful, fruity pale ale. Both are the offspring of a brewer with over 200 years' experience. Pacific Gem and Amarillo hops give this beer a complex, zesty flavour and, at 6% ABV, some depth and a memorable character. We hope you enjoy the craft that's gone into Crafty Dan." - I sure did!

Game: E3 time again, or as I like to call it EEE. There's been some amazing games on show so far this year. Particularly liking the look of The Division and Assassin's Creed Unity, although they seem a bit too co-opy?  Hopefully they'll have solid single player gameplay too.  Rise of the Tomb Raider by the way! Cannot wait. Some other exciting news: we'll be heading out to E3 today!! So keep checking back for updates over the next day or so (we wont really, we (I) will be sat at home drinking beer and playing Watch_Dogs and Mario Kart 8).

India Pale Ale (Harbour)

Name: India Pale Ale
Label: "Harbour India Pale Ale is brewed with American hops offering citrus and spicy flavours, and robust yet balanced bitterness. - Brewed in North Cornwall"
Brewery: Harbour
ABV: 5.2%

Rating: Forget a rating (you already know it's great anyway) here's a story: "Trevose & The Giant Octopus - Close to Trevose Head, there once lived a giant octopus. On stormy nights, he would guide boats to safe harbour. Occasionally he feasted on sheep from a nearby farm, to the farmer's fury. One day, trading his cow for a stick of dynamite, the farmer crept out to the octopus' cave and blew off the roof. The octopus was slain and Trevose Head suffered 100 years of doom. The collapsed sea cave is now a dramatic landmark known as 'Round Hole'."

Game: Had Mario Kart 8 for a few days now. Wow. And WOW.  If you haven't got a Wii U, then why not? Honestly. How many times have I got to say, "GET A WII U"?? They're amazing. The games are amazing. Classic Nintendo, but with HD graphics running at 50000p, 69billion fps*

*resolutions and frame rates may not be wholly accurate at time of publishing (but Wii U is still amazing).

Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale (Wells)

Name: Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale
Label: "Ale with toffee flavouring."
Brewery: Wells
ABV: 5.0%

Rating: "Based on the Great British pudding, full of rich sticky toffee-ness".  I don't know how they managed it but this is as good, if not better, than my fave ale of all time, Wells Banana Bread Beer. But they did it, they topped it. Top one!

Game: So yeah, I got my Watch Dogs review code (wanky way of saying 'it arrived early') and yeah the game is absolutely amazing.  It seems to be the best bits of several games rolled into one single awesome game. The best bits of GTA V without the horribly unlikeable characters, Far Cry 3 without the mither of killing animals, Assassin's Creed without the stabby stabby and daft aliens plot.  I look forward to sinking obscene amounts of hours into it. Rating: 10/10

Dr. Thirsty's No. 4 Blonde (Wychwood)

Name: Dr. Thirsty's No. 4 Blonde
Label: "Brewers of character"
Brewery: Wychwood
ABV: 4.1%

Rating: "Dr. Thirsty's has arrived in town & is ready to wreak havoc with his selection of shamanic brews. Fresh off his cart is No. 4. It's an unpasteurised, shimmering blonde concoction with an insanely fragrant aroma resulting in instant refreshment. No. 4 is the first of Dr. Thirsty's elixirs to emerge from his apothecary!"

Game: Yay Watch Dogs came early! Tried to do another Twitch session as I fumbled around the opening act of the game.  At one point I had one viewer!  I was thinking; this is it, my big break in becoming a Twitch star, I'm about to go viral! Then I realised I still had my channel open on my laptop and it was counting that as a viewer...

Old Hoppy Hen (Morland)

Name: Old Hoppy Hen
Label: "A hoppy pale ale with a deliciously refreshing grapefruit character"
Brewery: Morland
ABV: 4.2%

Rating: "Crafted by the master brewer of 'Old Speckled Hen', this hoppy pale ale is bursting with flavour and aroma. It is brewed with the finest pale and crystal malts as well as the American Chinook hop to give a fresh grapefruit hop character. The addition of rye malt adds a touch of spiciness. 'Old Hoppy Hen' is perfect for all occasions and best enjoyed chilled with friends." Argh, that's me not able to enjoy it at it's best then!

Game: Downloaded Twitch for Xbox One which is an app that lets you broadcast your gaming skillz over the internets. I broadcasted me playing Titanfall. Strangely though, the notification at the bottom of the screen said it was broadcasting but it said "0 viewers".  I played for about two hours and it always seemed to say "0 viewers". I messed around with various settings but it didn't improve. I can only assume there's something wrong with the software so I'm going to write to the Twitch developers and ask them to fix it.

IPA (Marstons)

Name: IPA
Label: "A smooth and floral British classic"
Brewery: Marstons
ABV: 5.8%

Rating: "Soldiers serving in India longed for a taste of home, but British beers never survived the epic sea journey. So, brewers developed super-strength India pale ale, designed to be watered down once it arrived in India. British troops didn't appear to get that message however, choosing to drink it neat instead. And although today's IPAs aren't quite so potent, they still retain the distinctive taste that helped to build an empire"

Game: Not played anything other than Titanfall for like, a month or something!  Absolutely addicted.  Almost regenerated up to Level 3, which for none Titanfall players will mean absolutely nothing of course.  Regen happens when you max out at Level 50.  So to get to regen 3 you have to max out twice. But when you regenerate you lose all your unlocked weapons and abilities, other than Titans. A bit like in Doctor Who. He loses all his wigs and scarves but can still climb into the Daleks he previously unlocked. Rating: 10/10

St George & the Dragon (Wadworth)

Name: St George & the Dragon
Label: "A traditional English bitter with robust bitterness and fiery amber hue"
Brewery: Test
ABV: Test

Rating: "A biscuity ale with citrus notes, robust bitterness and fiery amber hue. A traditional English bitter brewed in honour of our Patron Saint. Find out more about this beer, and the Wadworth range at www.wadworth.co.uk"

Game: Looks like I'm now a multiplayer convert. Titanfall is brill.  It's one of those games that even if you suck at it, you can still achieve and have fun. I actually came top of my team in one game! We lost overall though... but I came top in my team and got to the extraction point!  Here's proof, non-believers! For someone who isn't particularly good at multiplayer games this is a great achievement okay?!

Worcester Sorcerer (Sadler's)

Name: Worcester Sorcerer
Label: "A smooth golden English bitter. Sweet malt character with a citrus fruit hop finish"
Brewery: Sadler's
ABV: 4.3%

Rating: "Juicy malt and crisp grassy aromas prepare your taste buds for a sprightly citrus fruit character. Warm toffee apple fruitiness rolls on with softly roasted malts, leading to a gentle bitter finish. Brewed using the finest Maris Otter malted barley and finished with pure English Hops."

Game: Even though I should be on the Xbox One I keep buying Xbox 360 games. South Park: The Stick of Truth to be specific. It's just like playing several episodes of South Park, which officially makes it one of the best games ever! Censorship rears it ugly rear though as some scenes have been removed from the European release. Butt, it's only about thirty seconds of Randy getting his ass hole bothered by an alien anal probe. And there are amusing intermission screens that describe the scenes. As much as I despise censorship, there's no real detriment to the game as a hole.

American Red Ale (Titanic Brewery)

Name: American Red Ale
Label: "A rich and warming British Brew - A rich and warming British brew"
Brewery: Titanic Brewery
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "If the Titanic's fate had been different, Captain Edward Smith might have raised a glass of an ale like this one in celebration of his ship's arrival on American soil. Made with American hops and British malt, it's the perfect mid-Atlantic partnership, lovingly brewed by the Titanic brewery in Smith's Staffordshire birthplace. Full of rich flavour that's bound to warm your heart, it's the perfect tribute to a true British hero."

Game: You know when you've got a marker on a map and you're stood right near it but there's no obvious way to get at it? This happens to me a lot in Thief. I'm not sure if this is intentionally part of the challenge or whether I'm just being extraordinarily thick but it's mightily frustrating.  There's a second storey window with no obvious way to get at it - spends an hour figuring out how to get up there.  I just want to do the sneaky stealey missions!

Mellow Yellow (Sadler's)

Name: Mellow Yellow
Label: "A pale honey ale. Powerful hop character is balanced with a sweet honey finish"
Brewery: Sadler's
ABV: 4.1%

Rating: "Smooth and refreshing honey ale. A mash of light English barley malt is followed generously with English First Gold and New Zealand Green Bullet hops. Natural, pure honey is infused throughout the brewing process to round the citrus hop character with a smooth and subtle sweetness."

Game: Finally bought a "Season Pass" for a game. That game happened to be The Walking Dead Season 2. And when the second episode was released, the season pass actually worked! And it didn't download any useless multi-player crap that I don't want or need! Anyway, Episode 2 of The Walking Dead Season 2 is brilliant. And guess who shows up in this episode? MAJOR SPOILER: zombies!!  Rating: 9/10

Worcester Sorcerer (Sadler's)

Name: Worcester Sorcerer
Label: "A smooth Golden English Bitter. Sweet malt character with a citrus fruit hop finish"
Brewery: Sadler's
ABV: 4.3%

Rating: "Juicy malt and crisp grassy aromas prepare your taste buds for a sprightly citrus fruit character. Warm toffee apple fruitiness rolls on with softly roasted malts, leading to a gently bitter finish. Brewed using the finest Maris Otter malted barley and finished with pure English Hops".  Proper magic, this one is.

Game: Thieves are bad, Thief is great though.  The game plays like a marriage 'twixt Assassin's Creed and Dishonored.  I disliked Dishonored, I liked the medieval type feel but this was ruined with security cameras and robot things. What?  But Thief is the best of both worlds and doesn't contain stupid robots. The graphics are tremendous too. Oh and LOOT!  Rating: 9/10

Mud City Stout (Sadler's)

Name: Mud City Stout
Label: "Brewed with raw cocoa, vanilla pods, flaked oats, wheat and a complex blend of beautifully dark malts - Incomparable ales"
Brewery: Sadler's
ABV: 6.6%

Rating: "Dark and delicious Stout brewed with raw cocoa, vanilla pods, flaked oats, wheat and a blend of beautifully dark malts. Molasses, treacle and soft liquorice are rounded with a dark coffee bean and honeyed nut character. Sweet vanilla, chocolate and berry fruit shine through to a gentle bitter finish."

Game: I played the Titanfall Beta like everyone else.  For that one person that doesn't know what Titanfall is, it's a run and gun fast-paced FPS with added giant robot. I ranned and gunned and died and respawned lots and lots of times over and over again for about three hours.  That's me done for Titanfall I reckon.  I dislike forming an opinion about a game based on a beta but there you go. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it (a bit) but I just find multi-player so very very repetitive and boring. And next-gen or not, Titanfall has done nothing to change this.  Like I said to Titanfall as I switched it off,  "It's not you, it's me", I'm sure normal people and multi-player fans will really dig it. 7 / 10.

Thin Ice (Sadler's)

Name: Thin Ice
Label: "Extra Pale Ale - An extremely pale beer finished with a hint of citrus orange hops - Brewed in the Black Country"
Brewery: Sadler's
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "Uplifting aromas of zesty orange, melon and kiwi lead to a refreshing tart citrus sensation. A delicate sweet malt character softens the citrus burst and leads to a distinctive bitter finish.  Brewed with the finest English Maris Otter barley and Green Bullet hops from New Zealand."

Game: I don't understand a lot of the reviews I'm reading about Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.  It's a 2D platformer. No wait, it's a GREAT 2D platformer and yet reviewers are begrudgingly admitting its great but in the same breath bemoaning the lack of 'innovation' and mark it down. Seriously, what do these people want from a Donkey Kong game? Augmented Reality? Snow in your living room for extra immersion? Monkeys lobbing bananas (or worse) out of the telly at you? Multiplayer deathmatches? I don't want any of that. I want an HD Donkey Kong adventure and that's what this game delivers. Splendiferous graphics, exquisite soundtrack and lots of platforming action! If you have a Wii U get Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. If you don't have a Wii U, get a Wii U and then get Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Rating: 9/10

Valentines XB (Batemans)

Name: Valentines XB
Label: "Batemans Valentines Tipple - Limited Edition XB - Roses are red, violets are blue, here's to raising a glass of XB with you"
Brewery: Batemans
ABV: 3.7%

Rating: "English Goldings and Challenger hops fused with crisp Lincolnshire pale and chocolate malts creating a grainy, quaffable Valentine's tipple."  My amazing and long-suffering wife bought me this, so in true Valentine's Day fashion I drank the beer and played The Walking Dead. Then I treated her to The Wolverine in 3D. Romantic is my middle name (Bickle 'Romantic' 77).

Game: The first episode of The Walking Dead is free. I played it and too be honest I couldn't really work out what all the fuss was about. But then I gave episode 2 a go for the princely sum of £3.39. Blown away! I'm rubbish at decision  making, so I'm using this as training software. Some of the decisions are really difficult to make you see, but you have to make them, like, really quick! Lot's of OMG moments too. 8/10

Cool Beer for a Hot Curry (Staffordshire Brewery)

Name: Cool Beer for a Hot Curry
Label: "Curry Night Special - Made in England. Where else?"
Brewery: Staffordshire Brewery
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "A light hoppy beer." Got this beer for Christmas in a curry set with tandoori paste and a jar of mango chutney. What a pressie!

Game: Talking of Christmas, already scouting out what to get loved ones for Christmas 2014?  It's only around the corner after all (and if weeks equal corners then that's only 45 corners to go).  Why not give them the gift of Gaming Ales in e-book form?  Stop LOL-ing!  It's just the beers and gaming reviews without all the accompanying drivel!  I'll just leave this link here: The Alternative Good Beer and Gaming Guide: 101 real ales rated - now with added Xbox One fizz.

Original Oak Aged Beer (Innis & Gunn)

Name: Original Oak Aged Beer
Label: "Brewed in small batches - Smooth Scottish Beer with hints of toffee, vanilla and oak."
Brewery: Innis & Gunn
ABV: 6.6%

Rating: "This honey-hued beer is matured over the finest American Oak heartwood to unlock natural flavours from deep within the oak grain. These luscious flavours of toffee, vanilla and oak perfectly balance the beer's malt backbone and light hop fruitiness. Its mellowness and depth of flavour makes it a great accompaniment to food like grilled seafood, juicy steaks and mature cheese."

Had this ages ago but it deserved another post due to this epic 750ml bottle! Check out the size! 2 for £5 in Sainsburys if you're interested.

Game: Gaming Ales review of Flappy Bird: it was awright.  Probably one of the better story-lines for a mobile game. And it was free but didn't constantly mither (beg) for money via micro-transactions. For that it gets 6/10, and coincidentally that's the most amount of pipes I got past.

Mainbrace IPA (Shepherd Neame)

Name: Mainbrace IPA
Label: "Complex & Refreshing with a Light Citrus Tang & Lingering Hoppy Aftertaste"
Brewery: Shepherd Neame
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "This exquisitely smooth ale boasts a light malty flavour and is brewed with locally grown hops and chalk filtered mineral water drawn from the well of Britain's oldest brewer."  From Asda's Extra Special range selected by Leiths School of Food and Wine no less!

Game: Forza 5 is great. The graphics are great. And yes, ace graphics make an ace game.  This is indisputable fact. Maybe... There are only a few tracks which is fine because it means feeble brained people like me don't have so many to learn. My only quibble is the sound when you crash into another car. It's like someone's held up a foil covered baking tray and hit it with a rolling pin.  I'm hearing it a lot too... especially on the Australian Mount Panorama Bathurst track. 9/10.

Santa's Beard (Brains)

Name: Santa's Beard
Label: "The Perfect Christmas Ale"
Brewery: Brains
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "Santa's Beard blends five malts - Pale Ale, Munich, Crystal, Brown and Chocolate malts - with roasted barley to create a dark beer with a rich depth of malty wonderment. With flavours of caramel, burnt toffee and roast coffee balanced by a sweetness from lactose sugars, this is a luxuriously sumptuous sweet milk stout, perfect for Christmas. A great accompaniment to aged cheese or rich, chocolate puddings."  The last of the Christmas themed ales for this year, the decs are down, work is looming. Big fat sad face! On a positive note... er... beer! Yay beer and games!

Game: I thought I was getting good at Forza 5 so I decided to turn off all the assists. Then the track suddenly turned into an ice rink so I quickly put them back on again. Well in reality I've just got the traction control thingy switched on. I mean seriously, who the heck has breaking assists turned on? I don't see the point. Although I do have automatic transmission on which I guess is the same but opposite? I don't know. I don't even know what I'm talking about. It must be because the hols are coming to an end. I'm just seeing that as an excuse to drink more ale anyway. That's my New Years resolution. Drink more beer! Forget abstinence! Happy New Year folks!