The White Horse, Hedgerley

This is an excellant pub not far from M40 but is off the beaten track and takes some finding on first visit. They serve ales straight from the cask and have an exceptional range of beers from obscure breweries all year round and surpass themselves at the Beer Festivals held at bank holiday weekends. I have visited the pub on numerous occasions and would have rated it a 10 but for an experience on my last visit. As I stated earlier they have a wide range of little known beers which I enjoy trying although I have to admit they are not always to my taste. I have never previously asked to sample a beer before buying but on this occasion I did and this was refused on the grounds that it is against policy. As it happens, the beer I wanted to sample was not for myself but for a non beer drinker who likes some Belgian fruit beers. That day the pub was serving an English fruit beer and I had wondered if it might be to her taste. I had to buy a half, she hated it and I had to drink it although it wasn't to my taste at all. I think, when such unusual beers are offered that customers should be allowed a small sample to help them make up their mind. I regularly drink in Wetherspoon pubs where samples are always available and I usually find at beer festivals where I have worked that we can offer samples (although I know at least one CAMRA festival which also refuses).

24 Aug 2011 20:29