Ashes Ale (Marston's)

Name: Ashes Ale
Label: "Definitely not for Aussies"
Brewery: Marston's
ABV: 4.1%

Rating: "A very easy drinking, light-coloured pale ale brewed using Cascade hops give a slight citrus and grapefruit aroma. Brewed to celebrate the Investec Ashes series and to spur on England's best, this beer is sure to bowl you over. Come on boys knock them for six." Drinking this then pissing on the Oval is entirely optional. Well done lads! *sighs*

Game: The 360 has been feeling neglected so I got it (me) Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Splinter Cell is definitely back to its best. I forgot how tough being stealthy is though. It's good that you can just go through the levels playing it like a shooter but it's far better to get your stealth on.  It's just finding the willpower to make sure the levels don't degenerate into a massive bullet-fest killing spree. There's an upgradeable aeroplane as well. Ace. Rating: a neck-snappingly good 8/10

Double Stout (Hook Norton Brewery)

Name: Double Stout
Label: "Smooth & Full Bodied - Bottle conditioned - Handcrafted in the Cotswold Hills since 1849"
Brewery: Hook Norton
ABV: 4.8%

Rating: "A blend of malts gives Double Stout a character all of its own. Black malt enriches the colour and teases the palate with an unmistakable 'toast' flavour. Brown malt gives it the dryness.Cheers!"

Game: Currently having a bit of gaming crisis. With next-gen so close I don't know whether to still buy games for the Xbox 360. Definitely getting GTA V and Dark Souls 2 but what about The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and Splinter Cell: Blacklist? Bureau doesn't seem to have rated that well which is a shame. Splinter Cell has rated well but not sure if I have the patience / arsedness for a proper stealth game at the moment. On the upside, FIFA 14 is bundled with XBO pre-orders! Woo!

Ruby Rooster (Hatherwood)

Name: Ruby Rooster
Label: "Craft ale - 100% British Barley - Hatherwood Craft Ales, Ales With Real Character"
Brewery: Hatherwood
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "The Ruby Rooster Ale has been traditionally craft-brewed using Burton water, 100% British barley and a blend of Pale, Crystal & Chocolate malts, delivering toffee malt flavour which is balanced with the aromatic and refreshingly fruity character of Fuggle, Golding, Cascade and Styrian hops. Jeff Drew - Head Brewer."

Game: Oh no! I just inadvertently let some of my Pikmins drown! Pikmin 3 is brilliant. The HD graphics look amazing and I can already tell the puzzles are going to get fiendishly difficult as the game progresses. It's devastating when the little Pikmins die too, either by coming a cropper due to environmental hazards, or if they get left behind at sunset and become a late night snack for the local beasties wandering around. The gamepad controls are a treat too. I wouldn't want to play it any other way. Rating: 8/10.

Golden Goose (Hatherwood)

Name: Golden Goose
Label: "Craft ale - 100% British Barley - Hatherwood Craft Ales, Ales With Real Character"
Brewery: Hatherwood
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "This Golden Goose Ale has been traditionally craft-brewed using Burton water, 100% British barley and a blend of Pale & Crystal malts, delivering a distinctive rich malty flavour which is perfectly combined with the classically refreshing, bitter finish of English Fuggle and Styrian Golding hops. Jeff Drew - Head Brewer."  I've never had a Hatherwood beer before. I can report they're great! Just googled Jeff Drew and seen he's Head Brewer of Ringwood & Wychwood Brewery at Marston's PLC. Erm.... so where does Hatherwood fit in? What the actual..?

Game: After my disastrous Half Life 2 gaming session yesterday, I'm pleased to say I'm back and fighting fit. Beer really does make everything better!  Tonight I'll be back on the Wii U playing Pikmin 3 which I've just purchased. I nearly didn't buy it because everyone seems to be going on about how the controls using the new gamepad are rubbish and the wii-mote and nunchuck (which I don't have) are by far the better control system.  Edge online reckon the gamepad is great though and having never played a Pikmin game before, that's what I've based my purchase on. That one review... GamingAles review incoming soon.

Trooper (Robinsons Brewery)

Name: Trooper
Label: "Onward, Onward Rode the 600... The Charge Of The Light Brigade, which inspired the Iron Maiden song The Trooper, took place at the Battle of Balaclava (1854) during the Crimean War when 600 British cavalry courageously charged the massed Russian artillery. This gallant but foolhardy assault resulted in a massive loss of life and came about due to a misunderstanding of an order given by the commanding officer, Lord Raglan."
Brewery: Robinsons
ABV: 4.7%

Rating: "Trooper is a premium British beer inspired by Iron Maiden and handcrafted at Robinsons brewery. Being a real ale enthusiast, Bruce Dickinson has developed a beer which has true depth of character. Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale with a subtle hint of lemon." Iron Maiden beer! Probably my most favourite ale to date!

Game: The Wii U is so great I've hardly touched the Xbox for a while. Tonight though I'm back on it with Half Life 2. Big mistake actually! Currently traversing rivers and storm drains on one of those things that floats on water with a fan behind it (you know, like what Gentle Ben used to ride on through the Everglades). It has made me feel incredibly nauseous for some reason. So much so, I've had to turn it off and I'm now typing this instead. I felt fine when I was playing Mario so I'm currently not sure if its the game or whether I'm coming down with something. In fact I'm not going back to gaming at all tonight, it's that bad. I'm off to watch some of my Fringe boxset instead. Plus Iron Maiden beer makes everything better!

All Creatures (Black Sheep Brewery)

Name: All Creatures
Label: "Bright & Beautiful - Yorkshire Pale Ale"
Brewery: Black Sheep
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: "Brewed in celebration of James Herriot, this is a light, bright Yorkshire Pale Ale with a stubborn hoppy kick! It's carefully crafted at our brewery in Masham in the heart of Herriot country, using a blend of Fuggles, Goldings and Bramling Cross whole flower hops."  I didn't much care for the telly program, it was something that your mum watched, but this beer more than makes up for it.

Game: Strangely there was an article on C&VG today about how the 3DS is selling really well and the 'marketing boss thinks software will drive Wii U sales'.  Stranger still is the fact that for me, the 3DS software I've been playing DID make me buy a Wii U last week! That marketing boss is a frickin' genius! Give him a pay rise, quick! I'm amazed by my Wii U. I should have got one sooner. Currently playing Mario, Monster Hunter 3 and ZombiU. ZombiU is brilliant by the way, don't believe what IGN / Gamespot have said, their brains must have been zombie-chomped.  Think game mechanics more akin to Dark Souls rather than the awful Left 4 Dead and you're on the right track.

St Piran's Ale (Skinners's)

Name: St Piran's Ale
Label: "In celebration of St Piran - The Patron Saint of Cornwall + Cornish Surfing.  A righteous man, St Piran floated from Ireland on a millstone which he surfed onto the Cornish beach that bears his name. He became the patron saint of Cornwall and Britain's first surfer! He lived and surfed until the ripe old age of 206."
Brewery: Skinners's
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "St Piran's ale is a strong tasting, refreshing golden ale which is not too sweet. Styrian Golding hops are used to give a superb finish and distinct flowery aroma."

Game: The weather has gone from rubbish cloudy drizzle to amazing sunshine! So obviously it's time to fire up the console! This time we're giving Luigi's Mansion 2 a spin on my much sadly under-used 3DS. Played it for about an hour and almost rushed out to get a Wii U. Nintendo seriously know how to make great games and because of this I need to invest in their hardware and software.  Fortunately for my wallet the agoraphobia kicked in so I'm settling for just the 3DS at the moment. Rating: 9/10.

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.