What is the quality of Welsh beer that sets it apart, that would justify its own "quality seal"? Hmm... What could that be?

Beer writer Pete Brown said in a recent tasting he undertook of 12 Welsh beers, six were “undrinkable” and he poured them down the sink.

See, that's the problem with taking a sentence out of context as it would make you think that Pete thought 50% of the Welsh beers he had tried were undrinkable. Oh, he did. Yes, I see the problem, too.

The problem with the concept, of course, is the same problem that Mr. Protz waded into last week and then backstroked somewhat unconvincingly over. Jingoistic regional marketing means nothing. Generally speaking, geography is not much of an indicator of good beer - no better than hanging your reputation on the quality of what your neighbouring brewery is making. There are bad Belgian beers made by hand. There are bad small batch brewers anywhere. It's about as good a measure as the smallness of the brewery or its degree of similarity to a Tardis.

Sticking a logo on it that says "Wales" won't make that go away. It tells you nothing about the beer. But having a group of brewers that use quality control standards and strict guidelines as to, errr, goodness and then only letting those in that deserve to be dubbed "good" or at least not sink fodder might help. Yes, forming "The Welsh League of Good Brewers" would be a great start. Or ask Brew Wales. You can always trust the local blogger, right?