Beware the fruity ( a beer review )

I've been in Scouseland again drinking beer, folks.

I've got a good one to share with you. But you'll have to be quick, because it's only on for a month. And it's flying out of the handpumps like irate Sun readers after Baby P's mum. Cain's Raisin Beer. A five percenter that's been available in bottled form all year, but has appeared from time to time in cask form at Beer Festivals, in advance of it's scheduled appearance as "beer of the month" from the Cains brewery.

Oh my god, it's a good'n. I know a bit about five percenters, growing up as I did in the shadow of both the Shifty Abbott, and marvellously monsterous Adnams Broadside. And this one, friends and neighbours, is the most accessable, suppable, quaffable, easy on the palete damned easy to drink big beer I have ever have had the pleasure of slurping. It's a bit special, and Cains aren't paying me to say that. I wish they'd do the sensible thing and put it on as a permanent cask ale in the new year. It's too good to keep in bottles, the barrelled stuff is easilly fifty percent better. Could even do the ailing brewery some good. Knowing my luck of course, they probably won't. Or they'll just go under anyway. But you need to be careful. It's a dangerous thing to sup a five percenter like pop, especially as this one doesn't tire out your tastebuds like for instance Tanglefoot, or some of the Belgian fruities, but just sups and sups. In fact, the only reason we moved pubs was because it was getting near closing in Doc' Duncans, the Ship and Mitre had another hour to go, and then it was off to the Swan. But the Cains took a big wallop. It's like a friendly smiley lady who's got a baseball bat concealed in her drawers for when you turn your back. Monster head in the morning. Worth it though.

So I've just added only the third entrant ever to the "Mikey's greatest beers ever" list; keeping Black Sheep Bitter and Adnams Broadside in fine company.