Round Fifty Six

16/12/19

237. The Bull, Devonshire Row. 

Another on the list of good wooden pubs with a solid bar. Had the additional delight of being served an exceptional large sausage roll with mustard on the house having shown interest in it. Terrific end to the evening and must useful for absorbing those extra few fluid ounces. 

Beers : 

Bush Heath Estate Jakes Session IPA - very unclear like Jeremy Corbyns costings, light Amber, bitter nose, little fizzy, a bit like a lager. 

Sharps Coaster Exceptional Golden Ale - spilled by lad, clear, amber, hoppy, tickles the tongue, average and OK. 

236. The Magpie, New Street. 

A little hideaway pub by Liverpool Street, nice central bar and good seating options. 

Beers :

Marstons Pedigree - dark amber, no real aroma, medium bodied, occupies the tongue, hoppy, reliable. 

Mondo Golden Ale - slightly hazy, no head, hoppy on the nose but mild flavour, light orange tint. 

235. The Williams Ale and Cider House, Artillery Lane. 

A favourite of the evening. Nice bricken walls and a tidy bar with an excellent choice of hoppy happiness marvellously displayed on a chalkboard. Appropriately decorated given the festive time of year. A lovely atmos.

Beers :

By the Horns Brewing Co. Passionale - very light yellow colour, clear, smells very sweet, doesn't stay on the tongue, not abundant of flavour much like Boris Johnson is not abundant on truth, not the greatest. 

Porto Bello Far West Project Sauce on the Side - lovely slow to arrive cranberry aroma, dark as sin, heavy, not overpowering, like sherry, very well balanced, sweet. 

234. The Kings Stores, Widegate Street. 

Nice pub with an amusing flag. The king sniggering with his many barrels of beer behind. They served well but the bench tables and sports TV took away from it all a bit. Still a nice pub. 

Beers :

Bedlam Brewery Boneshaker - red tint, quite dark, warming aroma, light, nuttiness, hands around a little, like a blackforest gateaux. 

Twickenham Yakima - brown, very brown, sour on the nose, dark, frothy, light, light sour taste, not a cracker, strongly flavored. 

233. The Astronomer, Middlesex Street. 

A busy and popular pub with a solid theme. The astronomical clock behind the bar was a great feature, below decks was the hubble room, an extra quieter lounge, and above supposedly an observatory room, although we were unable to view it. A really nice pub with great ornamentation and furniture. 

Beers :

The Park Brewery Isabella - dark amber brown, hippy aroma, hoppy, bitter, mealy, full of content, little fizz on the way out, wholesome but maybe slightly dull. 

Big Smoke Brew Co. Underworld Milk Stout - dark, very dark, coffee shop aroma, smooth dairy texture, very flavourful. 

232. The Woodins Shades, Middlesex Street.

 

Narrow and busy, right on the bustling street, a decent starter with good beer options and a good creaky floor indicative of an experienced drinkery. 

Beers :

Firebird Two Horses - Amber, as light as Jo Swinson's work load, medium bodied, a table beer, would be drinkable with practically anything, sharp as a blunt knife, wheaty. 

St Austell Jolly Holly - red tinted amber beer, nothing much on the nose, some Christmas notes, little sweetness, undertones of fruit. 

Round Fifty Five

12/11/19


Featuring impromptu guest 'Tory Matt' of the north (Bolton).

231. The Rose and Crown, Paris Garden.

A very decent pub from the trusty Shepherd Neame people who seem to have a penchant for tall narrow pubs. Nestled amongst the quiet residential pocket of Southwark, it was nice and oaky, clean and full of beer. A good pub to end the night.

Beers :

Bear's Brewery Triple Hopped IPA - light amber coloured and mild fizz apparent from gazing within, no real head, a slight fizz to the tongue at the beginning giving way to a bitter peak lingering for but a moment, certainly hoppy.

Bear's Brewery East Coast IPA - mid-amber, slight head and kind of hazy, fairly dull appearance but nice tasting, a nice mix of hops from the beginning, allows for the texture to roll well over the tongue and begin it's journey southward, pleasant.

230. The White Hart, Whittlesey Street.

A pretty cosy pub to the east of Waterloo. The outside was very inviting with a nice facade and big windows displaying the jollity within. One big room with a central bar, looking pretty modern and neat in appearance. A good selection of taps at the bar with space for standing as well as a good number of tables circling the outer rim. A good atmosphere too. 


Beers:

Sadler's Peaky Blinders Black IPA - dark and flavoursome, fills the whole mouth, darker than the backstreets of Birmingham, a sharp front and a peaky end with deep nut and dark fruit notes, it's alrite ay it.

229. The Kings Arms, Windmill Walk.

A crowded little number this one. Slipped into the backstreets of Waterloo. A nice wide bar, plenty of tradition here without needing to boast of age or being horribly modern. Immediately having got to the bar, Tory Matt of the north interceded and made sure we knew who we were voting for. Very kindly bought us a pint of ale each and shared a love of real ale and blogging about it (and a handsome dose of politics).

Beers :

Twickenham Liquid Gold - hazy gold and kind of glowy, minor head, medium bodied with a smoothness coming from the rising bubbles, slightly sweet and pleasant on the tongue.

Watney's James Watney - a darker shade of amber, large bubbled froth hinting at a flavourful mouthful, a steady amount of sediment swirling around, rich brown flavours, slightly earthy and a deep aroma, a good steady beer.

228. The Windmill, The Cut.

This was an excellent stumble-upon. Along the cut it popped out of nowhere and invited us in to a rather dedicated ale repository. Good choice and good presentation with many portraits of famous faces they wish had sipped from their glasses. Even had space to sit down amongst the many other wandering souls who enjoyed their own beery discoveries. A good looking establishment and a strong ale ethic.

Beers:

Wandering Brewing Project Wayfarer Green Hop Pale Ale - not green but infect a light amber colour, a bitter aroma, hazy, bitterness coming through in the middle and tailing off rapidly, reasonably malty and quite drinkable.

Fourpure Brewing Co. Bavarian Helles - a beer of the lagery kind but definite interesting notes amongst the typical colder than cold fizz-hopped gold, quite clear and definite amber, sharp and tangy and easy to down, a tasty number.

227. The Anchor and Hope, The Cut.

Sort of restauranty outer appearance with an awning and bold lettering. More pubby inside with well utilised bottom resters and a creaky floor. A respectable beer board assisted with the selection. Absolutely heaving. Lovely. 

Beers :

Small Beer Brew Co. The Original Small Beer - a low strength one at 2.5%, nice and crisp, light coloured and no real aroma, citrus notes, easy to drink and pleasant for washing things down that otherwise might get lodged in the gullet. 

Tiny Rebel Brewery Yipee Try Yay - hazy and light yellow like it's fading, not a great aroma and tastes like a wrung out dishcloth, bitterness that wanes and tails off into nothing, not horrible but not what we might have wanted.

226. The Wellington, Waterloo Road.

The pubby bit of the hotel is most excellent. Stands out nicely on the high street as a stoney and respectable establishment. Two halves to this one; the left side being the more open and quiet lounge with large tables and the right being the bar. The upper floor also contains some quite handsome decoration and artwork. A good selection of taps but struggled for unique ales here. A loud and proud pub.

Beers:

Fullers ESB - another encounter with the ESB, a good beer to be relied upon, clear and dark nutty appearance and a similar taste, good mild flavours that set the mouth up well for a good evening.

Abbaye de Leffe Leffe Blonde - yellow and translucent, fresh wheaty aroma, quite an astonishing and frankly over the top head formed from rushing bubbles, a nice pleasant taste from the wheaty fields of Belgium, fizzy but achieves a creaminess likely due to the enormity of the head.

225. The Fire Station, Waterloo Road.

One of those very modern incarnations of pub. A converted firehouse that no longer contains fire engines but ales! Good thing too as the high metal girders made for a clanky atmosphere and one all too popular with those unsteeped in proper pub tradition.

Beers :

Brakspear Gravity - clear though dark brown appearance, looks inviting, good maltiness within, a subtle sweetness which combines well with the malt, smooth and textured.

Eagle Brewery McEwan's Headspace - a cracking starter beer, dark in tone but quite clear, a gentle head, sweet single malt whiskey aroma, whiskey comes through immediately as you sip it and sticks around for a short while mixing with the fruity notes of the ale, warming, rich, daring, a great beer.

Great British Beer Festival 2019

09/08/19

Great British Beer Festival 2019


"And on the 7th day, the Lord did create beer. The Lord commandeth the beer be hoppy, full of flavour and would quench the thirst of many." - somewhere in Genesis.

"As the Lord treaded upon Englands pastures green, he proclaimed that there in that promised land, his chosen beverage should be celebrated annually and served with bar snacks and much jollity should be had." - elsewhere in one of the testaments. 

And lo, the Great British Beer Festival was born.

Now go forth and lad.

Guest starring Alex the Viking, James the Morris' son and Daniel the Ghagan (he doth do what he wanteth).



Kensington Olympia, London.

Beers:

Rhymney Brewery Dark - dark and cherry tinted, light froth, wholemeal aroma, pleasant and smooth flavour, chocolatey light porter textures, light body but full on flavour.

Wye Valley Brewery HPA - yellow piss colour, citrus aroma, floral, first class, a clean crisp texture, wakes up the mouth, better than a fosters at Millwall, smooth.

Musket Brewery Matchlock Mild - dark and woody appearance, historic mahogany aroma, smokey, lovely mouthfeel, like chewing a cigar but in a good way, mild, can drink plenty of this.

Purple Moose Brewery Madog's Ale - brown nutty appearance, light to medium bodied, frothy nutty flavour smooth, no spike to the flavour, nice to drink on a steam train.

Tryst Brewery Carronade - light amber, slightly hazy, citrus aroma, pale, quite bitter, not memorable but pleasant.

Bull of the Woods Brewing Co. Inca gold - pale, hazy, light amber, mild wheaty aroma, smokey up front, medium bodied, no distinctive flavour.

Bakers Dozen Brewing Co. Magic Potion - pale, hazy, frothy as hell, rather bitter, more full bodied, a good presence in the throat, respectable.

Geipel Brewery Golden Gate - light brown, fuzzy, peaty aroma, fizzy, bitter, long tail, really chuffing bitter.

Double Barrelled Brewing Pocket Money - very hazy, yellow, harder to see through than the brexit saga, like a pack of love hearts, like Hoegaarden pumped up to 11, heavy to the taste.

Kernal Biere de Saison - very sour, pinkish, dullish, fizzy, very fizzy, takes done time to get used to, could be drunk with a large pack of M&M's to counter.

Tatton Brewery Malted Milk - dark like the night, not as biscuity as one might suspect, reasonably malty and a little heavy, not the chocolate hit expected, nonetheless a tasty and aromatic beer, like astro belts, playful.

Anspach and Hobday Porter - darker than England chances of regaining the ashes, coconut aroma, very bitter, medium bodied, deep flavour but only worth a small taste.

Adnams Freewheel - light amber, nice flavour without being too sharp or insulting, very empty bodied, little discernible character, the Anna Soubry of beers.

Cornish Crown Brewery Porter - dark brown and fairly old and wooden, slightly empty for a porter, quite bitter, unforgiving aftertaste.

Keltek Cornish Brewery Kober - brown and hazy, smells like copper piping, metallic, sweet, no real tail, a little tinny.

Spartan Brewery Fog of War - light and watery looking, not very foggy, does not remind one of war, bitter to the nose, full flavoured, fairly sweet, bitter edge, sharp as a blunt spear.

Strathaven Brewery Summer - clear, dark amber, sweet to the nose, peculiar, watery, distant flavour, orangey citrus but smooth.

.

Round Fifty Four - Lads on Stag

06/07/19

Stag lad Andy's Brighton ale-clad stag drag featuring 14 laddish guest appearances. Down in one!

224. The Windmill, Upper North Street, Brighton.

A busy and apparently popular pub on a relatively quiet road. Smallish bar but plenty going on behind it. A definite dedication to craft ale and serving a good pint. Benches inside and outside are great for communal gatherings such as ours. The place managed to stay a tidy little nook with enough going on to stay lively and attractive.
One [inflatable] sheep was seriously hurt during the making of this blog.

Beers:

Loud Shirt Brewing Company Hallucination Brune - lighter amber, not much nose to it, light to medium bodied, sweet, caramel texture and flavour, tasty and worthwhile.

Loud Shirt Brewing Company Ecstasy Stout - very dark, flavoursome, smells slightly burned, blackcurrant tinted, not as fulsome as expected, frothy.

Loud Shirt Brewing Company Beer Pressure - light amber, cloudy and pale, citrus aroma backed up by a semi-bitter tinge, plenty of body and a good fulsome mouthfeel, slips down a treat.

Round Fifty Three

16/06/19

Lads inaugural foray external to London featuring Grimsby Rob's barmy army.
Onwards march!

223. The Plough, Duke Street, Chelmsford.

Very pleasant final pub. Fireplace to the left, pool table and darts to the right. Good selection of ales and really nice seating. Good overall atmosphere and sport on TV without being too invasive.

Beers:

Pheasantry Brewery Golden Turtle - lightish amber, minor froth on top, light, clear, bit of citrus, bit of passion fruit,

Cotleigh Tawny Owl - darker walnutty appearance, medium, smooth and consistent, little tail, warming, woody texture, leathery.

Hogs back Little Swine - medium amber, taste lingers a short while, hoppy at the end, mellow through the middle,

222. The Golden Fleece, Duke Street, Chelmsford.

Large and spacious. Looked good on the inside as it did out. Quiet on our visit but provided the necessary ales. Nice decor with lanterns and plenty of sitting space.

Beers:

Brentwood Brewery Boston Brown Ale - light to medium bodied, hazelnut flavours, dark and woody, lingering aftertaste, a beer you could drink while smoking a pipe in a layer chair while the piano plays on.

Elgoods Saturday Night Beaver - no head, light amber, bitter flavour up front, hands around a little, rather flat but tasty enough.

Brewdog Punk IPA - mainstream, gentle fizzy, medium amber zombie, flavoursome, no real aftertaste, very slight head, hoppy and pleasant.

221. Star and Garter, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.

Little battered outside but provided for all our beery needs. Pool table (utilised) and red bull air race on TV which was nice. Small but friendly and well used.

Beers:

Nethergate Brewery Copper Head - reddish amber, slight froth, very flat, mild, not to much on flavour.

St Austell Brewery Tribute - mealy, sweetness, light, amber, no fizz, no fuss, good reliable beer.

Nethergate Brewery Growling Dog Session IPA - light and cloudy, fizzy but not overpowering, hoppy bitterness, substantial head, citrus overriding flavour.

220. Moulsham Tap, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.

Fantastically cared for tap house with a love for legendary musicians such as Lennon and Hendrix. 12 taps of goodness mounted on the bar wall surrounded by historic beer mats. Varied and a good atmos.

Beers :

Leigh-on-sea Brewery Cocklerowspit - slight cloud, orangey appearance, slight fizz mid sip, none offensive, bitterness but not so bad.

Leigh-on-sea Brewery Kursaal Gold - a little cloudy, middle amber, mealy, malty  mouthfeel, lasts a little while on the tongue, orange zest to the nose, super bitter to one lad, not to another,

Solvay Society Brewery Minimise - Wheaty, cloudy, little bit of fizz, eludes to a sour, quite like hogaarden, light and white and refreshing.

219. The Bay Horse, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.

Lovely on the outside, disappointing on the inside. Armadillo! The Tudor beaming really had us going but the super modern interior really spoiled all expectations and was also playing cheesy dance music. On the plus side, good ale and tidy.

Beers:

Cameron's Brewery Tontine - very dark like a disused underwear closet, quite dairy, milky to begin with changing to a smooth chocolaty texture, a coffee lingering aftertaste, light fizz up top, very nice.

Greene King East Coast IPA - foamy, light amber, fizzy to an extent, nice ripple going on, hoppy.

Greene King IPA - frothy up top, fruity, zesty, mid amber appearance, lots of zest of front, end of the barrel by the taste of it.

218. The Railway Tavern, Duke Street, Chelmsford.

Good start. Railway themed of course. Clean timber bar and flooring, images and frames featuring steam heritage. Decent tap selection with a helpful barman and 4 years of progress to the eventual pub of the year certificate proudly displayed on the wall.

Beers:

Colchester Brewery Brazilian - dark as sin, unmistakable coffee aroma, smacks around the mouth, maybe too much vanilla flavour, bitterness from the coffee beans, short lived flavour, pleasant but not one to drink all day.

Red Fox Brewery Red Fox IPA - nutty brown amber appearance, no head, no real aroma, not harsh, smooth, medium bodied, little kick of bitterness at the end, underlying hoppiness.

Georges Brewery Broadsword - similarly nutty brown appearance, bready (wholemeal), nice up front flavour, slight hit of fizz, nutty aroma, fairly flavoursome.

Round Fifty Two

09/05/19

217. The Trading House, Gresham Street.

This one could easily be overlooked. As a hole in the wall only identifiable via the hanging sign it doesn't give away too much about the goodness inside. What opens up is a quite large open space with up and downstair drinking facilities. A live performer nestled in the corner provides the atmosphere and the bar provides the neck oil; though sadly not as varied as one might expect from such a long worktop. Some particular light fittings seem misplaced and it does place itself as one of the slicker (read less characterful) drinkeries on the odyssey but nevertheless mostly doing the right things.

Beers:

Goose Island Goose IPA - lighter appearance, citrus aroma, bitterness up front, citrus notes, little linger on the tongue, as an IPA should be.

Freedom Brewery Totum IPA -decent head, clear, sparkling, hoppy but it's got a cold emptiness that a lager has, lots of bubbles up front, not too exciting.

216. Old Doctor Butler's Head, Masons Ave.

You'd be hard hearted to see too much wrong with this little number. Aback from the main street, this wooden beauty is only to be found via word of mouth. And enough have heard about it as the crowds spilled out onto the cobbled earth below. Inside, every surface creaks like it bares the secrets of many a drunken tale from down the ages. Dating from before the great fire, this was once home to Doctor Butlers own brews and maybe the site of his crackpot cures for various illnesses.

Beers:

Shepherd Neame New Dawn - yellowish and pale, clear, light bodied, sits on the tongue for some time, pleasant, quite light and easy to sip on.

Shepherd Neame Master Brew - dark amber, looks still, no aroma, citrus is strong, long tail to it, decent body and tasty overall.

215. The Globe, Moorgate.

Built so they say on the site of the old Roman wall. Outside a legion of jolly drinkers guzzle at the hoppy goodness. A respectable selection at the bar. The inner room was neat, perhaps a little plain but certainly no bore. 

Beers:

Exmoor Ale - clear and brown, wholemeal, malty, mealy and bodiful, like hovis with the seeds in it, very nice.

The Beer Company Turtle Peach - clear and amber, little bit of head, fruity and full of peach and apricot flavours as prescribed, up front bitterness, nice but could do with being more beery.

214. The Telegraph, Telegraph Street.

Like it's predecessor, a little open and barenaked in it's display of the ceiling workings. Perhaps didn't work so well here but nevermind that, what a lovely few pints this one had to pull. Barely room to move but this place was spacious enough for everyone to wet their whistles. Bar stools at the ready, decent bar snack availability and buxom barmaids.

Beers:

Mondo Brewing Company Dennis Hopper IPA - cloudy like a Welsh hill, fizzy looking, hoppy and bitter, drags you along by the short and curlies, quite fizzy giving way to a bitter edge, tropical flavours, lasts a short while before trailing off.

Little Creatures Brewery Little Creatures IPA - slight head, rather cloudy, keeps its nasal secrets, slight bitterness behind the main flavour, mainly mild and tasty.

213. The Tokenhouse, Kings Arms Yard.

Large Fullers pub, modern and clean and not to be sniffed at. They've gone for an open ceiling displaying all the upper workings of the building. Some brickwork can be seen and there is a nice arrangement of rectangular images upon the blue walls. It all works rather nicely together with the polished oak furniture. Sadly the background music became foreground music not long into the first drinks and the tone changed.

Beers:

Castle Rock Brewery Songbird Pale Ale - bright and slightly cloudy, tropical nasal aroma, good body, a good all rounder like Alistair Cook, pineapple notes, quite bitter.

Fullers Black IPA - very dark, minimal light showing through, frothy on top, prickly up front, long lasting taste getting bitter at the end, smooth overall.