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Spooner's Bar (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Cwrw Llyn - Porth Neigwl |  | 2 |
| Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Cumberland Ale | | 1 |
| Three Tuns - Best | | 1 |
| Monty's - ESB | | 1 |
| Banks's - Mild | | 1 |
| Three Tuns - XXX | | 1 |
| Ludlow - Blonde |  | 2 |
| Cwrw Llyn - Porth. IPA | | 1 |
| Mantle - MOHO | | 2 |
| Salcombe (formerly Quercus Devon) - Seahorse | | 1 |
| Big Hand - Palewulf | | 1 |
| Three Tuns - Charter | | 1 |
| Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ale | | 1 |
| Cwrw Cader - Cwrw Goch | | 1 |
| Monty's - Mischief | | 2 |
| Cwrw Llyn - Brenin Enlli | | 2 |
| Bragdy Lleu - Blodeuwedd | | 1 |
| Monty's - Navigation | | 1 |
| Three Tuns - Solstice | | 1 |
| Cwrw Llyn - Seithenyn | | 2 |
| Banks's - Amber (rebrand of Bitter) | | 1 |
| Quantock - Ralehead |  | 1 |
| Purple Moose - Cwrw Eryri (Snowdonia Ale) | | 1 |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | | 4 |
| Ascot - Bronco Buster | | 1 |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | | 2 |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | | 1 |
| Deeply Vale - Ripper | | 1 |
| Salopian - Fat Cat | | 1 |
| Republic of Liverpool (cuckoo at Stamps) - 51st State | | 1 |
| St Austell - Tribute | | 1 |
| 3D (a brand of Epic Beers) - Hop Gun | | 1 |
| Wye Valley - Deuce |  | 1 |
| Conwy (Bragdy Conwy) - Beachcomber Blonde | | 1 |
| Marston's - Saddle Tank | | 1 |
| Conwy (Bragdy Conwy) - Clogwyn Gold | | 1 |
| Banks's - Wainwright | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ringwood - Razorback | Not Tried | 0 |
| Banks's - Mansfield Cask Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood | Not Tried | 0 |
| Banks's - Amber (was Amber Bitter) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Empire - Golden Warrior | Not Tried | 0 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Bombardier Amber | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - EPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Hobgoblin Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ringwood - Boondoggle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wye Valley - HPA (Hereford Pale Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Banks's - Sunbeam | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bragdy Lleu - Lleu | Not Tried | 0 |
| Coors - Hancock's - HB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bragdy Lleu - Twyrch | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cwrw Cader - Cader Aur | Not Tried | 0 |
| Marston's - 61 Deep | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ringwood - Razorback (renamed from Best Bitter late 2015) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wood's - Shropshire Lad | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bragdy Lleu - Bendigeidfran | Not Tried | 0 |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - Oxford Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
19 May 2024 (Magnus Greel)
Time for some welcome refreshment after our trip to Blaenau and enjoyed our beers with many others in the sun trap seating area at this fine example of a station pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mantle - MOHO | 4.30 | | Aromatic malty peachy and subtly hopped. |
| Bragdy Lleu - Blodeuwedd | 3.80 | | A light sweet citrusy creamy ale not unsimilar to Boddingtons of old. |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Cwrw Eryri (Snowdonia Ale) | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Monty's - ESB | 4.60 | Not Tried |
25 Apr 2024 (McGargle)
Composite listing from 15th to 25th April.
Typically, a cask will last three days even in the quiet season. The beer is, therefore, almost always served in immaculate condition.
They now seem to have broken the 'cask tie' with Carlsberg-Marstons. No CBMC cask ales seen.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Tuns - XXX | 4.30 | | Head collapsed quickly but this was still an excellent ale with real depth of flavour. |
| Three Tuns - Best | 3.80 | | Deservedly popular. Burst in two days. |
| Cwrw Llyn - Porth Neigwl | 4.50 | | A highly drinkable American style Pale Ale. |
| Monty's - ESB | 4.60 | | Restrained toffee and nuts offset by English hops. |
| Monty's - Mischief | 5.00 | | |
| Mantle - MOHO | 4.30 | | Another 'English' bitter. |
| Ludlow - Blonde | 4.00 | | |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | 3.80 | | Unusually, this is a Salopian beer I never get on with. It's that hint of lemon/lime on the finish. |
| Cwrw Llyn - Seithenyn | 4.20 | | Not to my taste. Astringent finish. |
| Wye Valley - HPA (Hereford Pale Ale) | 4.00 | Not Tried | Another quick seller. I don't understand why - to me it's thin and lacking. |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Cwrw Llyn - Brenin Enlli | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Bragdy Lleu - Lleu | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Bragdy Lleu - Twyrch | 3.80 | Not Tried |
13 Oct 2023 (McGargle)
Commposite list of beers seen during the Bygones Weekend and the first appearance of James Spoooner. 5th to 13th October.
Not a Carlsberg/Marston cask in sight!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monty's - Mischief | 5.00 | | I enjoyed this powerful IPA. Again more Bitish than US in this cask. |
| Three Tuns - Solstice | 3.90 | | |
| Cwrw Llyn - Porth Neigwl | 4.50 | | More British than US IPA. |
| Three Tuns - Charter | 4.40 | | Celebrating 450 years of the town's Royal Charter. |
| Monty's - Navigation | 4.00 | | Easy drinking very pale ale. Helping to support the restoration of a section of the Shropshire Union canal. |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | 3.80 | | Amber coloured and unremarkable. Unusual to find two ordinary Shropshire beers. The other was Fat Cat. |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | | Rather sharper than Iwas expecting. |
| Ludlow - Blonde | 4.00 | | Yet another blonde. |
| Salopian - Fat Cat | 4.50 | | Disappointing. No real focus or balance. |
| Wye Valley - HPA (Hereford Pale Ale) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Cwrw Llyn - Brenin Enlli | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Cwrw Llyn - Seithenyn | 4.20 | Not Tried |
08 Oct 2021 (McGargle)
Composite listing of all beers seen between 8th and 15th October.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings (since closure now brewed at Marston's) - Cumberland Ale | 4.00 | | Perfect serve of a well crafted English bitter; hops and malt in balance. Might just have another. |
| Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ale | 4.20 | | Well served and slightly honied in the house style. Not really to my taste |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | | Branded as Steam Ale. |
| Cwrw Llyn - Brenin Enlli | 4.00 | | |
| Cwrw Llyn - Seithenyn | 4.20 | | Malt led Best Bitter. |
| Cwrw Llyn - Porth. IPA | 0.00 | | This is Porth Neigwl, 4.5%. (Unable to edit beer details) |
| Cwrw Llyn - Brenin Enlli | 4.00 | | Light amber bitter. |
| Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Razorback | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Hobgoblin Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried |
16 Jun 2021 (McGargle)
Summary of ales seen between 7th and 13th Sept. Chaotic service but staff masked and pleasant. Still overly dependent on Marston 'guests'. Not worth visiting for beer bvut the trains are still a great draw.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purple Moose - Cwrw Eryri (Snowdonia Ale) | 3.60 | | Malty and honeyed. |
| Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Boondoggle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Amber (was Amber Bitter) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Bombardier Amber | 4.10 | Not Tried |
04 Sep 2020 (McGargle)
Summary of ales seen between 5th and 11th Sept.
Chaotic service but staff masked and pleasant.
Still overly dependent on Marston 'guests'.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banks's - Amber (rebrand of Bitter) | 3.80 | | No nonsense, traditional Black Country bitter. Enjoyed this. |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | | Bit honeyed and not really to my taste but what was the choice? And we could watch the locos coming and going. |
| Marston's - Saddle Tank | 3.80 | | Brown, boring, bland. Cold tea might have had more flavour. |
| Banks's - Sunbeam | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Razorback | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Wainwright | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - 61 Deep | 3.80 | Not Tried |
06 Apr 2019 (Ray)
This will be a compendium from a week's visits. Let's hope that the Marston's menace has been banished.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banks's - Mild | 3.50 | | Seriously good. They can brew it when they want. |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | | Bordering 2*. Thin, astringent and untroubled by hops. |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Best Bitter (use Marston's entry now please) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - Oxford Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Wainwright | 4.10 | Not Tried |
26 Jun 2018 (Ray)
Composite listing from 22nd to 26th June. Very busy for the Hunslet 125 Event.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Hand - Palewulf | 4.20 | | Well crafted pale ale. |
| 3D (a brand of Epic Beers) - Hop Gun | 4.30 | | With a provenance that links directly to Pitchfork and hence to RCH don't expect a cutting edge beer. This is bandwagon stuff depending on clever marketing rather than skillfully blending ingedients. |
| Ascot - Bronco Buster | 4.80 | | Due to a low hop rate Ascot's take on an American Pale Ale doesn't quite come off. |
| Wye Valley - Deuce | 3.80 | | Untroubled by malt or hops this very pale 'beer' was devoid of any character. |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - Bitter | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Wood's - Shropshire Lad | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Mild | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Cwrw Cader - Cader Aur | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Bragdy Lleu - Bendigeidfran | 5.00 | Not Tried | Unlikely to try a beer I couldn't pronounce. |
16 Apr 2018 (Ray)
Composite listing of beers seen between 16th and 23rd April. Shame the list is so conservative.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salcombe (formerly Quercus Devon) - Seahorse | 4.40 | | Easy drinking smooth amber ale. |
| St Austell - Tribute | 4.20 | | Competent old school bitter. |
| Quantock - Ralehead | 3.90 | | Described as lavishly hopped. Bit of poetic license here. |
| Deeply Vale - Ripper | 4.00 | | Golden ale with muted hopping. |
| Republic of Liverpool (cuckoo at Stamps) - 51st State | 4.60 | | Maybe 2*. Much ado about nothing. |
| Conwy (Bragdy Conwy) - Clogwyn Gold | 3.60 | | Malty but dry. Difficult trick to pull off |
| Banks's - Mild | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Three Tuns - XXX | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Three Tuns - Solstice | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Three Tuns - Best | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Razorback (renamed from Best Bitter late 2015) | 3.80 | Not Tried |
13 May 2017 (Ray)
Having taken the Devil's Shilling from Marston's the beer range continues to disappoint. Even the 'guests' give the impreesion that they're what's been offered rather than chosen because they're any good.
This is a composite listing from 13-19 May.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cwrw Cader - Cwrw Goch | 4.50 | | Competent best bitter. |
| Purple Moose - Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri) | 3.60 | | As ever. |
| Conwy (Bragdy Conwy) - Beachcomber Blonde | 4.20 | | Honeyed and cloying. |
| Banks's - Mansfield Cask Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Empire - Golden Warrior | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Mild | 3.50 | Not Tried | Stayed 'on' rather a long time. |
| Purple Moose - Dark Side of the Moose | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - EPA | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Ringwood - Boondoggle | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Banks's - Sunbeam | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Coors - Hancock's - HB | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Cwrw Cader - Cader Aur | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Marston's - 61 Deep | 3.80 | Not Tried |
About the Spooner's Bar
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 1 |
| 30 |
| 66 |
| 63 |
| 15 |
The pub is found in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9NF.
Bar and cafe attached to the Ffestiniog narrow gauge railway station, this is the ideal place to watch steam trains whilst enjoying a pint or two. Always 6 ales including a dark beer with local and more distant micros featuring strongly. Regular outlet for Purple Moose. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a 5% CAMRA discount make this a must visit pub.
We have visited this pub 45 times, seen 143 different beers and tried 85 of them.
Postcode: LL49 9NF