Cornish Knocker (Skinner's)

Name: Cornish Knocker
Label: "Cornish Knockers were known as the Tin Mine Fairies. They lived down the mines and used to guide the miners to the rich veins of tin with their knocking. It is said that the miners would throw the left over crusts from their Cornish pasties into the mine to keep on the right side of the Knockers - Cornish Folklore"
Brewery: Skinner's
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "One of the original trail blazing golden ales - often copied but never equalled. Refreshing, full of life with hops all the way through. Flowery and fruity in the mouth with a clean and lasting malty, bittersweet finish."

Game: It's been an historic week!  Xbox One pre-ordered along with two games, Ryse: Son of Rome and Forza 5. The games were £54.99 each... A lot. But then I remember paying at least £50 for Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 when it first came out.  I'm still not 100% sure if I'm insane or not.  I guess we'll find out on the 27th November when the new console arrives. Current gaming time taken up with Remember Me, Lego Indiana Jones and Gears of War: Judgment.

Premium Pale Ale (Bass)

Name: Premium Pale Ale
Label: "Brewed in Britain since 18th Century - 1777 marked the birth of Bass when William Bass moved to Burton on Trent and purchased his brewhouse - Trademark No.1"
Brewery: Bass
ABV: 4.4%

Rating: "In 1876 the distinctive Bass triangle was a key iconic symbol of the first trademark to be registered in the UK. Brewed in Great Britain since the 18th century, Bass Ale is richly fragrant, has a wonderful hoppy bouquet and a bright chestnut hue." The word Bass always reminds me of Sega Bass Fishing on the Dreamcast, a game and console that I never owned but always used to look at. This randomly makes the beer even better rated because of this entirely tenuous link to gaming.

Game: So after E3 I'm entirely confused and conflicted about which next-gen console to get.  As a self-confessed Xbox fanboy, the thought of moving over to the dark side is scary. But PS4 is cheaper, doesn't always need to be connected to the internet and has no second hand games / trade restrictions. It makes for a compelling argument to switch console camps indeed.  But damn, XBO exclusive Ryse looked awesome...

Simon Rimmer Presents a Beer to go with Steak (Robinsons)

Name: Simon Rimmer Presents a Beer to go with Steak
Label: "Simon says... I always think a good ale should be meaty. So matching beer with steak or any red meat means you want depth of flavour. Luckily that's exactly what you'll find inside this bottle. Great flying solo - even better with your favourite meaty dish."
Brewery: Robinsons
ABV: 4.4%

Rating: "An intense beer handcrafted to heighten the finest flavours of a big juicy steak. This rich ruby red ale is packed with toffee and roasted biscuity malts, adding a depth of flavour that will leave you (and your guests) wanting more." Guests Schmests, give me all the steak and give me all the beer!

Game: FINALLY! Dark Souls finished. Done and done. A mixture of emotions ranging from elation to wow-that-ending-was-rubbish. I'd also like to take this opportunity to pass on my undying gratitude to the following folks of Xbox Live-land, namely gamertag "Oven Chips" for his/her assist during the blisteringly difficult battle against Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough (two bosses against two real players seems fairer to me) and gamertag "I Am A Viking" for his copious amounts of encouragement and links to handy tutorials, guides and walkthroughs *wipes tear away* may you both be stocked full of Humanity and never go Hollow.

Yardbird (Greene King)

Name: Yardbird
Label: "Crafted Ale - American Style IPA"
Brewery: Greene King
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: "Full of hops and with a lasting fruity flavour, this beer is inspired by bold American IPAs"

Game: With next-gen gaming looming over us like a huge money-absorbing death blob, here's my top five best and worst games / IPs for the Xbox 360:

Games that amazed and astonished (great):

1. Dark Souls
2. Assassin's Creed
3. Dead Space
4. Mass Effect
5. Bioshock

Games that disgusted and dismayed (shit):

1. Duke Nukem Forever
2. Aliens: Colonial Marines
3. Ironman 2
4. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
5. Terminator Salvation

Bishops Farewell (Oakham Ales)

Name: Bishops Farewell
Label: "2004 - 2005 Silver award winner, Class 3 International Cask Conditioned Ale Competition. The Brewing Industry International Awards"
Brewery: Oakham Ales
ABV: 5.0%

Rating: "A hand crafted bottled ale based on the cask conditioned favourite brewed to commemorate "Bishop Bill" William John Westwood's retirement as Bishop of Peterborough (1984 - 1996). A strong premium beer of structured quality dominated by elaborate fruity hop notes, with a grainy background and dry finish."  I don't think I'm ever going to be able to retire... let alone have a beer named to commemorate the occasion. Well played Bill, you made it!

Game: Just a few words about the new Xbox reveal that happened in the week. It's all about the telly by the looks of things. You talk at the Xbox and change channel, "TV"... "Game"... "TV"... "Game"... "Xbox off". Because there are so many occasions where I want to swap between my game and live TV aren't there? No. There aren't. I have an Xbox because I don't watch or like telly. Surely you realise this Microsoft.

Frederic's Great British Alcoholic Ginger Beer (Frederic Robinson)

Name: Frederic's Great British Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Label: "GB - Hoppy and refreshing with a fiery ginger kick and fruity lemon notes"
Brewery: Frederic Robinson
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "Distinctive and unique in that it has been created especially for beer drinkers who like traditionally crafted ales and those who love the taste of ginger. Tasting note: A wonderful blend of traditional malty ale combined with natural ginger extract gives rise to a rich ruby red, warming beer. This hoppy and refreshing beer comes to life with a fiery ginger kick and in harmony with fruity lemon notes."

Game: So Dark Souls eh? What a bitch. Recently saw a video preview of Dark Souls 2 and it has spurred me on like a deranged horse to try and finish the original. Over the past week or so I've beaten Queelag, Havel, a Hydra, the Iron Golem, giant felines (or something, they were definitely big cats) and conquered Sen's Fortress, almost sorted New Londo Ruins and reached Anor Londo! Phew! I've also run through Firelink Shrine about a billion times due to lots of dying (some swine has extinguished the bonfire). But I think we're getting there, slowly but surely.

Vintage Ale (Fuller's)

Name: Vintage Ale
Label: "Limited Edition - Bottle conditioned - No. 50556"
Brewery: Fuller's
ABV: 8.5%

Rating: "The 2012 Vintage Ale, our 16th is brewed with three of this year's finest hop varieties including, Goldings, award winning Sovereign and Target hops. These combined with our unique yeast and organic barley grown by Sir James Fuller on the Neston Park Estate result in a wonderful limited edition brew that has a luxurious flavour. 

Individually packed and numbered, this bottle is one of only one hundred and twenty five thousand produced." 

Probably the most extravagant beer related purchase I've made, (it comes in it's own box and everything), costing a whopping £4.99.  Just noticed on the box that it says it will improve with age for many more years like a fine wine or whiskey. I'm that confident it's going to be great, it appears on this site already and I've not even drank it yet!

Game: There's an Xbox event on May 21st when the new Xbox will be revealed. Yep, you read it here last, the new Xbox reveal! I for one can't wait to see what Microsoft have up their wizards sleeves. I've just seen some Battlefield 4 game-play footage which (I think) is next-gen and it looks amazing.  A new era is dawning and I've still not finished Dark Souls... and I'm currently too busy cursing difficulty spikes in Final Fantasy XIII to get back to it. To the Xbox 360 I go!

Gunhill (Adnams)

Name: Gunhill
Label: "Full flavoured beer - Beer from the coast - Adnams Gunhill is proud to join the fight against Prostate Cancer by contributing a donation from Gunhill sales to the Prostate Cancer Charity."
Brewery: Adnams
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: "A traditional dark ruby ale, delivering full flavour at just 4% ABV. Full aromatic barley malts and an exquisite blend of hops combined to create a wonderful balance of sweet biscuit and subtle fruit flavours, with a hint of chocolate bitterness."

Game: What's all this "always-on connectivity" needed for the next Xbox then?  My internet connection sometimes drops. Not often. But sometimes. And last night I couldn't sign into Xbox Live. So Microsoft can't guarantee 100% service up-time, and to be fair, who honestly can? But to say that I won't be able to play any games on the next console if there's a loss of connection is absolutely bonkers! PlayStation 4 just took the next-gen lead #dealwithit

Sole Star (Adnams)

Name: Sole Star
Label: "Pale Amber Ale - From the Sole Bay Brewery"
Brewery: Adnams
ABV: 2.7%

Rating: "Named after the brightest star in the sky, which rises first over the Sole Bay Brewery every morning, Sole Star is a celebration of our very special East Coast location. This pale amber ale has a light floral, citrus aroma and gentle caramel notes - it's a great quality ale at only 2.7%"

Game: It's Tuesday, it's great when new games come out on a Tuesday, it means you don't have to wait until Friday. Today there are no new games out but I bought one anyway (take that, release schedule). Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. But what's this? The Thank You For Playing website is go, go, go! Being a contributor to the Indiegogo campaign thing that kick started this thing, it's a proud moment for me. Check it out, right now. Look out for the Escort Service clip too, it's brilliant.

Golden Hare (Bath Ales)

Name: Golden Hare
Label: "Our full-flavoured light ale"
Brewery: Bath Ales
ABV: 4.4%

Rating: "Golden Hare is bursting with flavour and brimming with condition. It's smooth yet dry, wonderfully fresh and delightfully zesty. We brew Golden Hare using floor-malted Maris Otter barley and the aptly named Goldings hops. These fine ingredients (plus our brewers' skill and patience) have helped to make Golden Hare a very rewarding light ale."  Could only find three Bath Ales stocked locally, all of which I've now covered. Time to visit the Bath Ales website to order some others I think!

Game: I've just heard that Elizabeth's giant bird guardian in Bioshock: Infinite is supposed to be an allegory of an abusive relationship.  And I thought it was just a massive mechanical bird. Must learn to read between the lines.  Time for a replay!