Real Ale............

[Ace]

Its called appreciation BC. Nothing to do with snobbery, would YOU wolf down a glass of wine without inhaling the bouquet (aroma)?
Snobs order expensive wine without appreciating its origin or vineyard but because its expensive.

[WillieBo]

Absolutely. Just giving it a whiff will often tell you if it's the wine for you and also give a very strong hint of its taste. There is nothing pretentious to see whether you like the smell or even if the bottle has corked.

And re : magoo's earlier post. Sometimes a ?3 bottle can be better than a ?10 bottle. But not often, providing you choose carefully. The ?10 bottle should be and is an invariably better quality wine. Whether you prefer it or not is obviously personal choice. But the ?3 mark is the first real retail price break for wine sellers to consumers.

And there are loads of good books and websites to help you through the maze. I make a list from these and bring a shed full of stuff back 2-3 times a year from France.

[waffster]

I am not a member of CAMRA but I drink very little else but Real Ale ( cask conditioned, to be precise). Its not political , just a matter of taste. Because it is pumped mechanically it is not force filled with CO2 or the nitrogen mix they use with that horrible black stuff. I guess I just don't like gassy beer.
I've been to a few beer festivals in my time and I can agree with peoples points about the anoraks, but then you find obsessives in all walks of life.
I dont go for all the weird & wonderfull names and brewers. Your good old Best Bitter normally does me fine, Shepherd Neame and Courage being my staples at the moment. Fullers London Pride is another I can drink all night and still get up with a clear head in the morning.

[colin]

being a yorkshireman, i was brought up to believe beer was supposed to be served with a head on it and evidence of every sip taken showing down the glass. i guess it's the old argument of what constitutes a full pint, with or without a head!