Brewery: Dunham Massey Brewing Co
Location: Altrincham, England
ABV: 6.6%
Version: Draught
Source: The Trackside, Bury

I was up in Bury town centre on Saturday lunchtime and wandered into Malt in search of a pint. But all the tables had been taken over by overspill food customers from Automatic and the selection of beers on offer was less than impressive anyhow, so I headed round the corner to the Trackside instead. A bit of a calculated risk on a Saturday lunchtime – air redolent of cooking fat and a high probability of children underfoot, especially just before Christmas – but luckily the table in the corner was free and my gamble was rewarded with a pint of Dunham Massey Winter Warmer.

A lovely chestnut brown with a thick, frothy head, Winter Warmer tasted even better than it looked: rich, malty and spicy, with ginger and nutmeg, pepper and cloves all swirling around a base of dried fruit and candied citrus peel. Lovely, lovely stuff: Yuletide in a pint glass!

I could have happily stayed for a couple more, definitely, but the aroma of burger and chips from the next table (it smelled a lot more appetising than it looked – the Trackside may be brilliant for beer, but the grub in there is a bit on the basic side) sent me forth in search of lunch. You know, think the Microbar in the Arndale Market sells Dunham Massey beers in bottles though, so I might have to find an excuse to swing by and check for Winter Warmer; it’s well worth tracking down.