Round Fifty Nine: Rye

 17-18/10/20

The lads make an expedition to Rye, East Sussex. Home to the "14th-century Ypres Tower, which formed part of Rye’s defences, now Rye Castle Museum, with paintings and displays on local history" (James Wikipedia snr.) Also home to many delectable village pubs, all of which are very well socially distanced from London. 

18th

261. The Globe Inn Marsh, Military Road.

An eccentric and wonderfully arranged family pub with plenty of interesting artefacts and a cracking fireplace which the lad was put in charge of and failed terribly. Serves a good selection of uncommon beers and serves food. No strict interior design model as observed but it doesn't seem to matter. Bare breasted mermaids guard the entrance. And why not too. 

Beers :

Wild Beer Co. Millionaire Milk Stout - dark like an oil slick in the Caribbean, fit for a millionaire, an overriding sweetness without overpowering the beer, light and toasty, very drinkable, slick and sharp, a very good beer indeed. 

Lervig House Party Netherlands - very bitter aroma, fizzy, light bodied, cloudy, mango sweetness comes through, yellow, a beer to date for a short while and then split with leaving no hard feelings. 

260. The Waterworks Micropub, Cinque Port Street. 

A highly recommended pub even by rival pubs and currently crowned South East pub of the year 2020. A former water pumping station and public water closet, the Waterworks does its very best to maintain a friendly, cosy and quirky experience. Nice wood burning capabilities are inside. There are many artefacts nodding to its watery past and a great selection of home brewed and local ales. Has a uRyenal ale, but does not smell of a urinal. A micro pub, a major attraction. 

Beers:

Romney Amber Ale - no head, clear, slick caramel appearance, a slippy beer, slips over the tongue quickly and leaves no real aftertaste, fruity underlying sweetness, very smooth. 

Romney American Pale - solid Amber, slight froth, clear, caramel notes to the nose, strong fruit notes, sits on the tongue a little, deep sultana aroma, tasty, above average. 

Waterworks uRyenal Summer Bitter - Amber, light bodied, no outstanding aroma, dives into a bitterness post sip, a rather straightforward bitter, delivered as expected, no trace of urine. 

1648 Brewery Laughing Frog - dark Amber, no real head, semi translucent, nutty, strong and rich, slightly warming edge of spirit in the aftertaste, a solid beer. 

17th

259. The Outside Inn, Landgate. 

A cool name for a cute and warming pub. The sort that you could see sitting on the beach promenade alongside a chippy. However this one was found at the base of the city walls and proved to be very popular. Good ales and good atmos, well worth a visit. 

Beers : 

Harvey's Tom Paine - Light citrus notes, translucent, fresh smelling, no real head....like your mum, not particularly bitter, mix of hops. 

Harvey's Porter - smooth, liquorice, dark as a rye night sky, ducking black, taste of porter (surprising), deep, burnt toast, liquorice, full bodied, sticky like toffee.

258. The Old Bell Rye, The Mint. 

Another wooden beamed and quite stoney pub. No current atmosphere but one could imagine it heaving given the good nature and attractiveness of the pub, also on a street well adorned with good ale houses. Cute in comparison to some earlier spacious pubs. Good beer selection and good array of ceramic mugs.

Beers :

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter - and again... 

Laine Breaker Pale Ale - Amber, clear, citrus to the nose, light, grapefruit, very bitter aftertaste, a shark lable and a sharky taste, difficult to muster, OK. 

257. The Standard Inn, The Mint. 

CAMRA pub of the year for the south east 2018 and 2019. Not a lad favourite but very decent and a respectable bar top. Lovely wooden beamed structure as is wonderfully common in Rye. A good atmosphere too. Low ceiling, watch yer head.

Beers:

The Three Legs Brewing Co Bitter no2 - Amber, minor head, citrus nose, smooth, orangey, a little tart, zesty, overall good. 

The Romney Marsh Brewery Best Bitter -  mid brown ale, light to medium mouthfeel, good session ale, no overriding bitterness, does not occupy the mouth for long, fairly mild with an edge. 

256. The Pipemakers Arms, Wish Street. 

As far as Rye goes, the Pipemakers doesn't win awards for its looks. But nonetheless it provides a friendly (maybe apart from a stoney bar lady) place to drink and tell tales. Feels a little like a damp rag. Not a stellar beer selection. 

Beers:

Morland Old Speckled Hen - an ok beer with reddish hues, rather flat with a mid bodied and mild flavour, drinkable but not clinkable.

255. The Hope Anchor, Watchbell Lane. 

A cute bar in an Inn. A friendly barman served the beery nectar. The bar provided a fresh but old feel within and nice views from atop the hill. Respectable and comfy. 

Beers :

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter - again!

254. The Ship Inn, Strand. 

Overzealous covid security here as most guests were forced outside. A very nice looking drinkery placed on the bankside of the estuary. Nice looking drinks to match. Spacious, but not enough for the security.

Beers :

Harviestoun Brewery Bitter and Twisted Golden Ale - Amber, no head, no real aroma, citrus taste, bitter, long tail will after the taste, a beer with a grudge, not that twisted, like a girl on tinder that says she's wild but then lies there and takes it. 

Old Dairy Brewery Red Top Best Bitter - a timid red tint on amber, a little smokey, a nice tongue presence, quite bitter, red cherry tints, reasonable. 

253. The Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Street. 

If there was a greatest hits of lad odyssey pubs this would be contender for no.1 spot. A simply awesome pub featuring many of the things you look for in a public house. Good beer, history, a roaring fire, artwork, architecture, cobbles, several exquisite lounges, fascinating ornaments (such as muskets, candlesticks and medieval weaponry), hops hanging from the ceiling, good bar staff, and the list goes on. Situated on a historic and very attractive street atop a hill. A must visit.

Beers :

Youngs London Original - light Amber, not much aroma, semi-bitter front, trails off to a milder aftertaste, no special mention but a good overall flavour. 

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter - dark and walnutty, quite cloudy, medium, very tasty, surely brewed in a barrel, cognac/whiskey hints, a very cared for beer. 

252. The Ypres Castle Inn, South Undercliff. 

This lovely structure was a short climb up a stone pathway suitable for both defence and attack as can be seen above. Very tidy and respecting of the many ales this country provides. The wooden pughs provided excellent restage of the buttocks and a nice overall view. Popular with families but not heaving.

Beers :

Cellar Head Brewing Company Single Hop Pale - almost glowing yellow beer, quite cloudy, a good Jimmy Anderson beer, rather pleasant, moderately intense beer, sits on the tongue.

Ypres Castle Bitter - dark brown oaky beer, acorns be within, a mild bitter, an above average beer produced in house. 

251. The Queens Head, Landgate.

A very cosy and quite lovely pub with solid flooring, a spacious bar and a decent fireplace. On one of the larger streets. Very respectable provisions were made in the way of solid sustenance. The beer was semi-local. A little wander around revealed some curious collections and paths to some rather different pub areas for a different feel. In keeping with the generally nice nature of Rye pubs.

Beers:

Curious Brew Lager - yellow and frothy, bit of sparkle, mysterious, hoppy lager, slightly bitter for a lager. 

Youngs Bitter - deep Amber, heady, medium bodied, smooth, no overriding flavour, sticks around for a little while, the wes brown of beers. 

250. Spencers Cinque or Drink bar and bottle shop,  Cinque Port Street. 

A lucky little find between pubs dedicated to the purveyance of less common brews. A lovely selection and a good bunch of guys inside all game for a glugging. Not in need of a huge space to sell its wares. Spilled out nicely onto the pavement.

Beers :

Gun Brewery Chummy Bluster Best Bitter - dark for a bitter like the river styx, very very good for a bitter, a sweet start, slight bubbles, tasty and moreish. 

Gun Brewery Parabellum Milk Stout - darker than Britain's fiscal black hole, better than previous milk stouts, reasonably creamy, nice mouthfeel, a lighter stout, some light bubbles, very drinkable. 

249. The Cinque Ports, Cinque Port Street. 

The first of our foray, and nearest to the train station. A nice beer garden and friendly staff ready to deliver the nectar. Nice square central bar and pretty modern style open lounge with decent decor for a good overall feel. A reliable start from Shepherd Neame.

Beers :

Shepherd Neame Master Brew - complex, lighter brown, light bodied, bitterness hidden behind the light facade, very drinkable. 

Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger - dark brownish colour, deep, maybe a hint of gouda, like an oak tree is warming safe and very British. 

On the train :

William brothers Brewing Co. Leon Elderflower & Lime Pale Ale - quite clear, very frothy thanks to many reverberations inside the rucksack, bittersweet, sweetness from the elderflower that departs into a tasty bitterness from the lime, a nice combination. 

Richmond Brewing Company Station Ale - brownish Amber, looks bubbly, mildish, underlying sweetness, medium bodied, slightly heavy, slightly nutty aftertaste, great starter beer. 

Richmond Brewing Company Don't Moch It Chocolate Stout - darker than Eli Roth's imagination , smells like dessert, more straight chocolate flavoured, no real coffee notes but has a bitter aftertaste, not a heavy stout, very tasty, one of the lads favourites.