The Fat Cat, Colchester

Was looking forward to this one, but was disappointed. Oddly sterile inside, scrubbed wood and not much in the way of homeliness or character bar a few metal signs and a couple of framed prints. A plethora of undressed pumps at the bar, it transpired that via a jumbo blackboard that there were just three cask on via stillage in the cold room – there were more on at Spoons! My half of Colchester Jack Spitty was 100% stillage, a classic flat NBSS 2.5 and the barmaid tried to charge me for a pint. Unimpressed. I don’t understand how the three in Norwich can be so good and this one be so much like a lacklustre micropub. Of course it’s GBG listed.

Nicely done alehouse, altered at some stage to leave a 'L'-shaped bar and two further seating areas (with the one leading to the toilets located up a couple of steps at the back). All as traditional as one might expect, although the six handpumps are a distraction (at least for most of the time) since beers are generally served on gravity from the cool-room stillages. Eight interesting cask ales were available when I visited, with the Bishop Nick Brewery's Heresy (£3.70) being in fine form.