Pint Sized

Because the Bartons Arms, along with its many many other good points, boasts a wireless internet connection, which I was going to use to do this blog’s first-ever live pub review with my trusty (i.e. cheap) laptop.

Unfortunately, when it came to it, the combined efforts of my own sketchy computer knowledge, a few pints of ale, and a helpful barmaid couldn’t actually get the bloody thing to work.

So while I’m writing this while enjoying a pint of Oakham JHB, you are reading this much much later, after I’ve nipped into work to put it on the internet. So much for the cutting edge.

Anyway. The Bartons Arms will be well know to anyone familiar with Birmingham’s real ale circles (and these are pretty powerful circles I can tell you).

Absolutely stunning interior, with tiles, fancy woodwork and etched glass all around, the Grade II listed pub in Aston would be well worth a visit on architectural grounds even if the beer were rubbish.

Thank god its not. One of only two pubs owned by the multi- multi-award winning Oakham brewery (The other being its brewery tap in Peterborough), the Arms has the full range of the wonderful, hoppy Oakham beers, plus a few other interesting ones thrown in for good measure.

Recently I’ve been disappointed with former British champion beer JHB, which was the epitome of a “session” beer a few years ago, with a bitter but drinkable hoppiness and a forgiving strength.

But recently its been off the boil, losing the bitterness and becoming a bit sickly. Today it’s so-so. A beer that’s always worth a go, but which has been disappointing in recent years.

But this truly is a simply spiffing pub, which cannot be recommended enough if you don’t already know about it, whether you’re after atmosphere or top beer. Go there now. Now. I don’t care what time it is.

They have Thai food too, which is nice.

*Macbeth. Possibly.