Round Forty Eight

19/11/18


197. The Holborn Whippet, Bloomsbury Square.

This one was poised precariously between trendy bar and pub. Benefit of the doubt was granted due to the array of exceedingly interesting craft beers on tap. It was spacious, dusky and friendly and the beers were well presented behind a square bar. Old frosted window doors separated rooms and an excellent beer chart gave essence to their offerings.

Beers:

Lost and Grounded Running with Sceptres - light amber, quite fizzy up front, citrus to the nose, an assault on the senses but trails off quickly, clear, bitter.

Tailgate Brewery Peanut Butter Milk Stout - darker than a particularly dark place at night, smells like a melted snickers, starts with a nice tickle on the tongue, not a lasting flavour, medium bodied, pleasant, possibly couldn't drink too much as is very strong flavoured.

196. The Old Crown, New Oxford Street.

Not the stellar public house previously mentioned but some minor quirks were present such as the organ pipes behind the bar. Couldn't find the organ though sadly so had to make do with "pop" music. Framed wallpaper on the walls. Ok. The bar quickly emptied out after our entrance as though they had heard about our notoriety and quickness on the draw.

Beers:

McMullen Country bitter - amber, head minimal, smells somewhat of beer, light and smooth, bit of an after linger but no  real impression.

McMullen AK - no aroma, a bit pissy, watery, not a winner on anyone's books.

195. The Princess Louise, High Holborn.

A pub that sparked much glee on arrival. Andy lad reckoned this is the best combo of pub and beer in the tour so far. Matt lad only disagreeing on the basis of the lack of guest beers, a problem in the Samuel Smith chain of pubs. Wrangling aside, this was a tremendous pub in the old style of bar segmentation by use of snob screens. There are huge windows and mirrors surrounding the central bar which was vibrant, friendly and featured your classic central clock and bell. A must visit.

Beers:

Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout - frickin Nora, darker than the mood of the Tongan dressing room, smells like a Terry's chocolate orange, mealy, sensational, syrupy, medium bodied, goes down with a real fizzle, a big smooth sweet chocolate hit, a real contender for beer of the year.

Samuel Smith's Organic Pale Ale - frothy, dark side of amber, not too aromatic, background tingle, medium bodied, settles nicely on the tummy, wheaty.

Round Forty Seven

11/10/18

194. The Castle Farringdon, Cowcross Street.

A pub long on the list but until now unvisited. And very much worthwhile too! Quite dark and moody with a high ceiling and long bar. Continually busy as it serves as an ideal tipple trip post or pre train ride. 10/10 would go again.

Beers:

Camden Versus Wicked Weed Brewing IPA - Quite clear, amber, bitter aroma, a medium bitterness that lingers.

London Brewing Co. Chuckaboo Extra Pale Ale - fairly cloudy and a little yellow, sourness on the nose, cold, like pop rocks on the back of your tongue. Lovely.

193. The Dovetail, Jerusalem Passage.

This was a hidden bit of a gem on a narrow walkway celebrating the more European of ales as the several white beers on offer would attest to. A nice arrangement and a nice enough atmosphere.


Beers:

Vedett Extra Ordinary IPA - lighter amber, citrus aroma, lot of bitter hoppy flavours up front, doesn't linger but feels heavy sheet a few sips.

Vedett Extra White - cloudy, quite white, frothy, smooth, classic white beer aroma, not special but nice.

192. Sutton Arms, Great Sutton Street.

Our second Sutton Arms of the night was no second best. A wonderful 'specials board' of beer tingled our tastebuds enough to have a third. Potentially a place for the aficionado, as similarly beer enthused folks stood both sides of the bar. A warm inviting place and not one to be forgotten. 


Beers:

Big Smoke Brew co. Solaris Session Pale - dark amber colour, not much to the nose, translucent, mild amber, peppery on the tip of the tongue, pleasant.

Hammerton Rubus Rain Milkshake IPA - Jaffa orange appearance, creamy, close to opaque, bitterness up front, fruity behind, fizz up front.

Gipsy Hill Moxie Fruit Salad Sour - harder to see through than the Irish border issue, pink, so sour, a bit like a liquid drumstick sweet, it's the wrong colour, a bit oversweet but nicely sour.

191. The Slaughtered Lamb, Great Sutton Street.

Clear and wide windows beckon in the weary drinker to a fine selection of taps at a broad 3-sided bar. Spacious and decorative and an all over enjoyable drinking den.


Beers:

Tiny Rebel Brewery Cwtch - reddish amber, as red as a left wing welsh dragon, spicy notes on the nose, very flavoursome, complex, wheaty, full and frothy like a bow wave.

Tyne Bank Brewery Monument - dark amber, smooth head, like running gaily through an orchard, light, bitter up front, leaves a ripple on the lip, melon textures at the end.

190. The Sutton Arms, Carthusian Street.

Noted on Google as a pub that would give you the chills. No chills for us but plenty of spills of beer into our faces. Lovely attractive frontage, modern interior but with plenty of nods to tradition. A buzzing pub.

Beers:  (in excellent half pint tankards)

Fullers American Fall - amber, hoppiness that lingers, low fizz, smooth, grassy, light.

Fullers Red Fox - maroon, smokey peppery aroma, smooth and mealy, wholesome and filling, one of your five (pints) a day, lovely sweetness, fruity whisky notes, like Strauss and Cook opening the batting.

Round Forty Six

28/08/18

189. The Tiger's Head, Watt's Lane, Chislehurst.

Tidy village pub in a green triangle of great pubs. Restaurant catering available but a good bar to greet you just inside the door too. Spacious, warm and pleasant to sit in, and retains old wooden beam structures from the olden days.

Beers:

Greene King IPA - dark walnutty colour, clearish, not much on the nose, sharp spike at the start, on the bitter side with whiskey notes.

Greene King Abbot Ale - translucent and red tinted amber, creamy and smoother than a smooth criminal, gentle wave of hoppiness but overridingly sensual to the tongue.

188. The Bull's Head Inn, Royal Parade, Chislehurst.

A real beaut of an establishment. Approaching from the front you have the beautifully ivy adorned facade with hanging baskets, immediately drawing you in. A large spacious and varied bar sits on the right as you enter, and the quieter cosier lounge with fireplace sits to the left. To the rear is the restaurant and tea room serving posh pub nosh. A large beer garden is capable of hosting events. Throughout, the atmosphere is grand, it's clean and tidy, and is ripe for middle class boozing. Tally-ho.

Beers:

Young's Light Ale - dark amber, fizzy looking, frothy creamy head, no real aroma, smooth, tickly at the start but lacking real flavour, lightly hoppy.

Young's Ram Rod - light amber, a little cloudy, full bodied, fairly hoppy, fruity edge, if it were a cheese it would be mature cheddar.

187. The Prince of Wales, Mottingham Road.

Could have been deceived into not entering this one, as the front windows suggest a lager filled den of drunken karaoke. Gladly, we did enter to the surprise of a nicely furnished and friendly interior with pool table and dart board. Even an ale on tap! (albeit it had run out...) Much appreciated sports memorabilia on the walls. Could see this being quite active on better days.

Beers:

2 × Guinness original - Creamy and lovely as ever.

Round Forty Five

07/08/18

186. The Good Samaritan, Turner Street.

A fine establishment on a quieter side-road opposite a very old hospital. A good range of ales although unfortunately none we hadn't tried already. Lovely well kept hanging baskets and a clean and tidy feel. A good mix of tradition and modern comforts. Sport on the big screen and a good general vibe.

Beers:

St Austell Brewery Tribute - clear, amber, sweet smelling, lives up to previous expectations, light, smooth, palma violets texture, bit nutty.

Goose Island Goose IPA - slightly bitter, delicate fizz, amber, pleasant.

185. Archers, Old Montague Street.

A corner pub just on the side of Brick Lane. The pub itself is not hot on displaying bricks but more tiles. Lots of green tiles. An ok bar but we needed to resort to bottles. The pub itself was a nice and relaxing vibe, generally simple plan and not too busy. 

Beers:

Brixton Brewery Low Voltage Session IPA - medium bodied, smith, bitter at the end, pretty standard, lovely brown bottle.

Lagunitas Brewing IPA - a little fizzy, bitter from the beginning, mellow, sharp, not outstanding.

184. The Bar Locks, Manningtree Street.

Popped in here en-route to see what it's all about. Very much has the feel of a pub in need of a new life. For now successful at what it does, you can see it falling by the wayside in the future. Greasy spoon food on offer. Couple of reliable (but very warm) ales. Sport on TV and friendly regulars inside.

Beers:

Fuller's London Pride - yet again, still lovely.

Fuller's London Pride - as above...

183. The Dog and Truck, Back Church Lane.

The favourite for the evening. The most vibrant and well attended pub. Looks nice on the outside. Nifty beer garden and board games a plenty at the ready. Good ale selection on a fine looking bar. Sport on TV at either end. Would recommend!

Beers:

Twickenham Brewery Summer Sun - clear, medium amber, bit of fizz, grapey on the nose, medium to full bodied, smooth, grassy, bitter, unsure of it's summery qualities.

Lagunitas Brewing Company 12th of Never Ale - large head, sweet and smooth, grassy yellow appearance, rather cloudy, sweet melon flavours, quite tasty.

182. The Castle, Commercial Road.

A lovely looking pub perched on a corner in the middle of two roads. Wooden panelled, mahogany finish, tall with broad windows. A cosy sitting area at the back around the fire place. However, strangely quiet. 

Beers:

London's Shipping Container Brewery 40 Ft - very bitter, orange and cloudy like that scene in Blade Runner 2049, glows slightly, slightly smokey and zesty on the tongue.

Krusovice lager - dark lager, bit more complex perhaps than a mainstream lager.

Ealing Beer Festival 2018

13/07/18

Ealing Beer Festival

Walking up to Walpole Park in Ealing, only the informed could really be expected to know what lay beyond the guarded iron barrier perched amongst the trees. Many a child trotting by sensed the excitement of their futures; being campaigners for real ale, taking every opportunity to peer underneath the banners. 

As the lads surged through the portal, a new world emerged, and 500 kegs of beer spread their arms and welcomed us in. This world wasn't like the one we had come from. This world was a secret garden of hoppy happiness. This was a reflection of diversity in both beer and the people that appreciate it. For every belly a barrel, from bitter to sweet to brown. And while not every keg a corker, by our humble taste buds, the level of invention was high. 

Departing the festival we knew we'd done our bit with 14 beers safely stored in the tank. The skies opened and the dusty ground was quenched, just as the mouths of the faithful that trod upon it.

Beers:

Beartown Brewery Blueberry - Amber and clear, strong blueberry notes on the nose, gentle, meandering, whisky sharpness on the throat, very tasty and sweet.

Beartown Brewery Polar Eclipse - darker than the inside of a particularly dark sock, been in the barrel for some time, smokey like the inside of a pensioners flat during the snooker, rich, light texture but solid on flavour.

Wild Beer Left Handed Giant Brewery River of Darkness - darker than the deepest cupboard in the cellars of hell, a top beer, bit of froth on top, spice in the nose, sweet taste to begin with from the maple and gives way to spice at the end.

Wild Weather Full of Beans - dark brown dusty appearance, smells of a nice logged fireplace, medium bodied, warming whiskey notes, very smooth and complex, dark chocolate taste and very very pleasant to drink, fascinating beer!

Wild Weather Brewery Obscure 80's Reference - yellow and cloudy like a Welsh summer, floral sweet notes to the nose, bursting with flavour, light melon flavours, summery gentle taste.

Tring Brewery Side Pocket for a Toad - classic amber appearance, bitter on the nose, sits on the tongue a while, a bit of a flavour cock tease, a blast of flavour up front then tapers off to bitter lingering.

Tiny Rebel Brewery Cherry Bomb - can smell the cherry from the naval, a bomb is not an incorrect name, fantastically sour, tastes syrupy, is there any beer in this?

Titanic Brewery Plum Porter - frothy, earthy, dark red hue, quite strong taste of plum, severely bitter aftertaste, not a great one.

Orkney Brewery Dark Island - Dark and muddy, bitter chocolate notes on the nose, flavour is very stouty, creamy, medium bodied and reliable stout.

Revolutions Brewing Co. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - hazy like a damp rag, light coloured, full bodied, pleasant, warming, tastes of the original feel of barley.

Bad Seed Brewery Rule the Roost - smooth and smokey like Tom Jones in the 80's, a sharp edge and rather bitter, good classic stout without a memorable stand out quality.

Fernandes Brewery Black Raptor - black, stouty robust aroma, flavour occupies the whole tongue, a wave of taste, liquerice, bitterness throughout (wooden kegged).

Sarah Hughes Brewery Sedgley Surprise - no real aroma, slightly fizzy, mild melon flavours, sticks to the basics well, tasty.

St Peter's St Peter's Mild - dark brown, raspberry/blackberry notes, balanced, sweet, quite bitter, reasonably pleasant.

Round Forty Four

09/06/18

Bermondsay Beer Mile Arches!

181. The Bottle Shop, Druid Street.

Easily the pick of the day if beer is your prime objective, which of course it is. 500+ beers available, mostly imported bottles but also on tap at the bar. So much choice from strong and expensive to the meek and mild. The unit stretches back quite far for plenty of seating opportunities. Also notable as the only drinking venue of the day to have it's own plumbed toilet rather than a portaloo. 

Beers:

North Coast Brewing co. Old No. 38 Stout - a mild stout, coffee notes, whisky notes on the nose, a bit flat, a simple stout without too much over thought but pretty sure it was brewed in a whisky barrel.

Cloudwater Brewery Track - positively opaque, yellow like lemon curd, light bodied, classic IPA, bitter citrus flavours, smooth, lingers on the tongue, light to medium bodied, raised discussion over its overall texture

180. Brew By Numbers, Enid Street.

A popular number on this day. A larger unit with a larger beer selection and a good atmosphere. Huge tanks out back are a nice sight and the street food out front is a nice addition to help absorb the yeasty gold. 

Beers:

BBNo. Black Beauty Blend - dark as the security man's jacket, coffee taste, ends bitterly, robust and strong, would win the Derby, perhaps.

BBNo. Mosaic Session Ale - yellow and cloudy, citrus nose, inoffensive, light fizz, mostly citrus taste, nice, refreshing.

179. Eebria Brewery, Almond Road.

Situated as the pinnacle in this street of brewing boldness is Eebria, who have home brews but also some pretty wild imports from other areas such as the wonderful Burning Soul brewery in Birmingham. Inside, up-cycling has been the preferred method of decoration using any scrap of timber available such as old pallets. Bar games comprise of a shuffle bard and their very own 8 bit console in which serving beer to as many patrons as possible is the sole objective. Top effort.

Beers:

Burning Soul Brewery Ice Cream Pale - so cloudy it's milky, creamy ice cream sweetness comes through as the dominant flavour, a lovely and strange beer.

Burning Soul Brewery Crusha Pale Ale - looks like cloudy Apple juice, stormy, very bitter, lingers.

Burning Soul Brewery Breakfast Stout - classic stout appearance and aroma, bang! What a stout, milky, sweetness like frosties up front, subverts the bitterness of a stout to the end, full some.

178. Spartan Brewery, Almond Road.

Next door, Spartan brewery doesn't have room for indoor seating due to the massive brewing tanks hogging the space. All the better for the outdoor revellers who can enjoy their very own battle hardened brews.

Beers:

Spartan Brewery Trojan Horse Steam Ale - hazel coloured and heady as f***, wholesome, ends on a bitter note, tastes like it's been brewed in the forest, brandy note, very tasty and moorish.

Spartan Brewery Labours of Hercules - orange tinted cloudy and fizzy looking, hoppy up front, gives way to very light fizz and becomes bitter, hints of orange, powerful and passes all seven trials.

177. Affinity Brew co., Almond Road.

A hideaway in an old unit with brewing tanks along one wall and rock and roll on the radio. Quite bare but 5 daring home brews are at the heart of drinking here.

Beers:

Affinity Brew co. Breeze - yellow, minor haze through the glass, superb citrus notes, smooth flavour, no progression but pleasant, sweetness dominates.

Affinity Brew co. Toowoomba Stout - very very dark, sweetness on the nose, yellow tinged head, light as far as stouts go, sweetness comes up front, quite strongly raspberry flavoured, creamy texture and fizzy pop at the end.

Round Forty Three

07/05/18

176. The Crown and Shuttle, Shoreditch High Street.

Another pub embracing the open / bare trend and also recycling old furniture; virtuous perhaps but entirely attractive to these eyes. The garden on this sunny day was very well exploited. On our part the bar was well exploited, providing the best 2 beers of the day. A very nice overall pub but questions over the reasoning for 2 doormen.

Beers:

Siren Craft Brew Liquid Mistress - dark ruby red, flat, as much head as stormy Daniels, very fruity aroma, full of flavour, dark chocolate notes, raisins taste throughout, a haze of fruity flavours but crystallises into a distinct and lovely balanced beer, top stuff.

First Chop Brewing Arm MCR Modern Bitter - very murky and substantially flat, orange appearance, tangy to the nose and the flavour backs it up, blood orange taste with an overriding sweetness.

175. The Owl and Pussycat, Redchurch Street.

Off a narrow sidestreet in Shoreditch lies charactered and popular pub. Keen on maintaining a bareness and an openness that is trendy in these parts. Some displays perhaps intentionally left in disrepair (the bar clock an obvious example). Simple artwork here and there, good choice of beers and a good overall appeal.

Beers:

Brakspear Oxford Gold - sunny gold appearance, tint of bitterness on the nose, wholesome, light to medium bodied but mostly bland.

Brakspear Bitter - dark, bitter up front but tails off nicely to a hazelnut aftertaste, overall pleasant with enough taste to want more.

174. The Spread Eagle, Kingland Road.

A very nice drinkery. Not too busy and not too big. Downside to that is the lack of space for taps. Attractive besides the cheap cafe style tables and chairs outdoors. This is a pub that though being quite traditionally British in many ways, chose to feel very Mediterranean at least on this day with salsa style music.  


Beers:

Sharps Cornish Pilsner - bit lagery, rather fizzy, pale and clear, refreshing, and also lagery.

Blue Moon Brewing co. Blue Moon - not blue but in fact yellow and cloudy as f**udge, creamy, cheesy, would go nice in a lasagne.

173. The Bricklayers Arms, Charlotte Road.

Slightly off-track is a more local's pub with working class tradition and annoying £10 minimum card spend. Neat yet grubby enough to enjoy. Nice big bar mirror and well looked after taps. Also some appreciated ornaments such as a 50's wooden radio and massive cognac bottle in a cradle.

Beers:

Watneys IPA - tinting on orange darker amber, smells hoppy, quite clear, quite bitter and interesting, mellow at the beginning, very much a crescendo at the end.

Darkstar Brewery Hop Head - yellowy amber, not entirely clear, citrus aroma, flavour at the front of the tongue, bitter and sweet.

172. Old Blue Last, Great Eastern Street.

Lovely large open, high-ceiling and wide-floored pub, very wooden and a giant glass Truman's mirror behind the bar. Various animal ornaments on the walls including stags and warthogs. It's own beer on tap. Room for a DJ in the corner too.

Beers:

Old Blue Last - a little translucent, mild fizz up front, light amber, bitter notes but smooth and textured, light bodied and fresh.

Franciscan Well Brewery Chieftain Irish Pale Ale - woody brown, slightly translucent, fruity, up front bitterness, foresty, pine flavours, like drinking a pinecone.