Round Thirty Three

30/8/17

Starring special guest Carys' triple hopped half pint parade.


140. The Chandos, St Martin's Lane.

The Chandos features a much more open plan space and low ceiling. So can feel a little noisy, but nonetheless friendly. Samuel Smith's beers, so sadly limited, but the only pub to offer pork scratchings this evening, so a consolation there.

Beers:

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Bitter - a duplicate thanks to the limitations of Samuel Smith's, a nice bitter, decent head, dark amber, quite clear and bold.

139. John Snow, Broadwick Street.

Credit to Carys on this one. A great find which has undoubtedly gained greater fame since the GOT series began, but pre-dates the show of course. Not by any means extravagant but solid like an oak tree, which it what it feels like inside. Snob screens - an old quirk.


Beers:

Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout - dark as hell, smooth as Mick Jagger, creamy, bang - what a beer, smells of cocoa pops, tastes like a heavy chocolatey nutty flurry of wonderfulness, could bathe in it.

Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter - dark like West ham's prospects in the premier league, hell of a froth, unsmelly, smooth heavy, a proper stout, probably a huge chunk of mahogany in there.



138. The French House, Dean Street.

French? Possibly. Two Frenchies at the bar. Terrific characteristic little pub with great French style artistry on the walls, small strange shaped rooms and mellow tones from the speakers. Not a great beer selection.

Beers:

Theakstons Best Bitter - watery, thick, sweet and smooth.

Montagne Lager - look, it's a lager, tastes alright though.

137. The Crown and Two Chairman, Bateman Street.

Slightly perturbed by the neon lights but otherwise a healthy pub with a nice bar, wooden panelled walls in the backroom hideaway, beers served possibly by a Targaryan.


Beers:

Madness Brewing Co. Absolutely Finest Pale Ale - very clear, strange, very sweet aroma, ooh is that Turkish delight?, Taste all at the front.

Fuller's Double Summer Yeastie Boys - clear, amber, not with head, a humdinger!, Medium bodied, flavour all up front, gives way to a lovely sweetness, smells wheaty, strong flavoured, tangy.

Guinness Original (with blackcurrant cordial - a travesty but Carys was insistent) - Guinness, with blackcurrant cordial...



136. The Dog and Duck, Bateman Street.

Nicholson's pub in mid Soho, built in 1734. George Orwell was a fan! Great city working man's honest pub.


Beers:

Bad Co. Comfortably Numb Pale Ale - clear, citrus aroma, small head, smooth, sweet but slightly bashful, hoppy enough to please a lazy bugs bunny.

Harviestoun Summer Legend Easy IPA - very clear and quite pale, no real head, sweet and refreshing, lingering bitterness towards the rear of the tongue, light citrus fruitiness. Very nice.



135. The Flying Horse, Oxford Street.

This pub has been stood on site for a few hundred years, and is the only pub left on Oxford Street. The black death even started in this very area! Lovely high ceiling, portraits of curvaceous ladies and a fine selection of ales.


Beers:

Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA - amber, clear, minimal head, smells very hoppy, not too fizzy, reasonably bitter but not soul destroyingly so, fruity undertones that ebb away, perhaps orange, strong and gassy.

Ilkley Ruby Jane - dark ruby tone, light frothy top, medium bodied and Smooth, feels a bit stouty, runs along the tongue and lingers afterwards, earthy.