Suffolk is a gem of a brewing county, with such class names as Adnams, St Peters, the controversial Greene King plus a whole host of small and micro breweries - and I live here. Fantastic! One of our better kept secrets is the Nethergate Brewery who brew a range of fine Suffolk ales that include their award winning Old Growler, a full bodied porter, and one of my favourites Suffolk County a 4.0% Best Bitter, a true classic bitter. The brewery nestles in the rolling - well, rolling for our county - south Suffolk countryside in an area known as the Stour valley at Pentlow near Sudbury.

The other night I was fortunate to come across one of their seasonal beers, Autumn Ale and now, it's my new favourite beer. It's autumnal amber colour is the first delight, followed by the smooth butter-scotch, toffee malty-ness as it caresses the taste-buds. Mmmmmmm! Bitterness and hop flavours are subtly held in the background of this heart-cockle warming liquid malt elixir.

Am I an internet first? There is is no reference to this one on the BA and none at RateBeer.

[Ed.: I am just recalling how close I was to Paul when, in 1980, I had a half pint at Ely, a spotty faced gawky teen driving with his parents from Cambridge to King's Lynn.]