You might wish to use the new beer scoring system from CAMRA. It goes like this...

CAMRA has a new online National Beer Scoring Scheme (NBSS). The NBSS is a six point scale (0-5) for judging beer quality in pubs that has been designed to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for the bestselling Good Beer Guide. In the past CAMRA members filled in cards to rate the beer in a pub and then submitted the entries to CAMRA, but now they are able to fill the details in online at www.beerscoring.org.uk - making the process quicker and easier than ever before.

0 = Undrinkable: No cask ale or the quality is so poor you can't finish it.

1 = Poor: Barely drinkable

2 = Average: Competently kept but uninspiring.

3 = Good: Good beer in good form. Worth another pint.

4 = Very Good: Excellent beer in excellent condition, another pint is a must.

5 = Perfect: Very rarely given by the seasoned drinker. Probably the best beer you are likely to find.

Should you feel like waxing lyrical, Roger Protz kindly let us reproduce some tasting notes for your guidence below...

Nose: the aroma. Gently swirl the beer to release the nose. You will detect malt: grainy, biscuity sappy. When darker malts are employed the nose will have powerful hints of chocolate, coffee, nuts, vanilla, liquorice, molasses and such dried fruits as raisins and sultanas. Hops add superb aromas of resins, herbs, spices, fresh-mown grass and tart citrus fruit - lemon and orange are typical with intense grapefruit hints from American varieties. Sulphur may also be present when waters are 'Burtonised': i.e. gypsum and magnesium have been added to replicate the famous spring waters of Burton-on-Trent.

Palate: the appeal in the mouth. The tongue can detect sweetness, bitterness and saltiness as the beer passes over it. The rich flavours of malt will come to the fore but hop bitterness will also make a substantial impact. The tongue will also pick out the natural saltiness from the brewing water and fruit from the darker malts, yeast and hops. Citrus notes often have a major impact on the palate.

Finish: the aftertaste, as the beer goes over the tongue and down the throat. The finish is often radically different to the nose. The aroma may be dominated by malt whereas hop flavours and bitterness can govern the finish. Darker malts will make their presence felt with roasty, chocolate or coffee notes; fruit character will linger. Strong beers may end on a sweet or biscuity note but in mainstream bitters, bitterness and dryness come to the fore.

ROGER PROTZ
Editor Good Beer Guide
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The Blue Bell Inn supports the following programmes from the The Portman Group: I'll be Des and Drink Aware

• Mynza Mild 3.9%
• Beerjolais Nouveau 4·1%
• Moles Black Rat Med Cider 6%
• Piddle All Over 4.2%
• Biddenden's Dry Cider 8%
• Blue Bell Bitter 3.5%
• Herefordshire Perry 4.5%

• Cheddar Valley Cider 6%
• Berriew Med Whisky Seidr 8.4%
• Newton Court Cider 7%
• Doom Bar 4%

• Pale Gold 3.8%
• This Splendid Ale 4·3%

• Blue Bell Inn, Halkyn. Regional CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008!
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• The Menu
• Beer count=492, Cider=76.
• Download an award winning walk here on Halkyn Common from the Blue Bell Inn - 2 NEW WALKS AVAILABLE!
• Drinks are on the Mouse? How to use this site!

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  November 22, 2008 (10:15 am)
  (Walks) Every week we do two 1.5 hour walks (a fast 4-5 mile and a slow 3-4 miles) with the exception of the third Saturday in the month when we have the option to do an additonal longer 3 hour 6-7 mile walk with Bob Mossop or the normal walk. You will be able...
• Trad Jazz every Sunday with...
  November 23, 2008 (3:00 pm)
  (Music) Mad Ed's Hot Five plays here every Sunday afternoon. Check out this link for more information.
• Conversational Welsh
  November 24, 2008 (7:30 pm)
  (General) Join us with this 1st year Deeside College lead weekly Welsh language course.
• Tues Games Night - whist, b...
  November 25, 2008 (5:00 pm)
  (General) Jeannette's Games Night. You can play games here most nights but tonight is the night to come and enjoy whilst, beetle, cards, board games (monopoly, scrabble, cluedo, mid life crisis and many others), dominoes, darts, dice, pool. We're raising...
• Free Guided Walk - 2pm Thur...
  November 27, 2008 (1:45 pm)
  (Walks) Around 1.5 hours and 3-4 miles you will be able to take in the stunning 360 degree panoramic views of over 60 miles on a clear day. The walks vary in route from week to week finishing off at the Blue Bell Inn for a chat and refreshments. This walk is...
• Conversational Welsh with M...
  November 27, 2008 (7:00 pm)
  (General) So you've been to classes, what next?  Come and practice in a real environment and you will surprise yourself how much you have remembered.  You can broaden your vocabulary and have a great evening out too.

• First Christmas 4%
• Badger Best 4%
• Hurricane Hubert 4.5%
• Doom Bar 4%
• Bryn Bitter 4%
• Thoroughbred 4%
• Bosley Cloud 4.1%
• Tornado 4.4%
• Hereford Cathedral 4.0%
• Davenports 4.0%
• Downpour 4.3%
• Looks Like Rain Dear 4.8%
• Cheshire Cat 4.0%
• Hereford Pale Ale 4%
• Springtime Ale 4%
• Tippling Philosopher 4%
• Mutley's Dark 4%
• Santa Paws 4.0%
• Bread of Heaven 4.0%
• Beaufort Ale 3.8%
• Ale Force 4.2%
• Odyssey 4%
• Wrexham Bitter 4.0%
• Best Bitter 4%
• Black Prince 4.0%
• Badger First Gold 4%
• George Wright Mild 4%
• Brewers Gold 4% 2006 Champion Beer of Britain!
• Windgather 4.5%
• Pale Gale Ale 4.1%
• Princes Pride 4%
• Silk of Amnesia 4.7%
• Lighthouse 4%
• The Red MacGregor 4%
• Parish Bitter 4%
• Dirty Tackle 4%
• Whingers Bitter 4%
• Cains Bitter 4%
• Brakspear Organic 4%
• Red Mist 4%
• Dark Velvet 4%
• Cheval Mort 4%
• Smouldering 4%
• Wards Best Bitter 4%
• Morland Original 4%
• Summer Sunshine 4%
• Mid-Summer Gold 4%
• Dark Autumn 4%
• Welsh Black 4%
• Mutley's Pit Stop 4%
• Welsh Pride 4%
• Old Frostie 4%
• Dickens 4%
• Tears of Angels 4%
• Calon Lān 4%
• Pirate's Gold 4%
• Sunchaser 4%
• Archers Ocelot 4%
• Black Magic Mild 4%
• May Bee 3.9%
• Red Admiral 4%
• Olympic Gold 4%
• Pigswill 4%
• Pheasant Plucker 4.1%
• Autumn Leaf 4%
• Mid-Autumn Gold 4.2%
• Mad Ed's Hot Five 4%