those groups of complete bores who have made beer tasting such an obsession at the cost of not actually enjoying the experience really put me off. I even went to Hull Beer Festival once, never again.

Shame to miss out on all that good ale, don't you think? The fact is that any* enthusiasm or hobby has its quota of grey-whiskered box-ticking bores wearing quaint slogan T-shirts over XXL bellies. The trick is to ignore them and hang around long enough to get at the good stuff for yourself.

*With the exception of folk music, obviously.