REALLY Dark Beers: Best Beers III

I'm trying to keep the number of categories I use low, and I'll not include "Black IPAs" here, as they can come into other categories, so, to the darker milds, porters and stouts. I've had many stouts and porters I have enjoyed, but shan't be including in my 'best of', eg at previously reported Albatross beer festivals in Bexhill: the Deeply Vale Breakfast Stout or DV8 (4.8%), which even had a bitter finish, or the powerful and very dark 7.3% Flipside Russian Rouble...

So, to the 2 milds that stand out for me, and both the brewers first enticed my attention with their good session bitters. Whim Ales (website) of Derbyshire have been brewing since 1993, using a 10 barrel plant, and originally caught my eye with their 4% Hartington Bitter. Whim Magic Mushroom Mild (3.8%), though, is a dark mahogany ale made from roasted barley and crystal malt. It is full flavoured for such a strength, with the roasted barley prominent in the aroma, and a hint of coffee and chocolate malt flavours, so complex, and smooth at the finish.

The second mild comes from Dudley in the West Midlands, where they have been brewing for 99 years, Holdens (website), whose crackin' 3.9% Black Country Bitter first caught my attention. Holdens Black Country Mild (3.7%), though, is a deep chestnut-red, and uses amber, black and 'caramalt', and fuggles hops like their bitter. This is a very tasty mild with hints of fruit from the fuggles, and narrowly wins my vote; this is how a mild should taste! 

Sorry for not discussing porters more, but I place the Fullers London Porter (5.4%) head and shoulders above the rest, and I've had quite a few! The West London 'regional' brewer (website) excels at providing a perfect version of a porter; porters originally being brewed in the 18th century for the porters working in the markets of London. Rather than the fizzy stuff that now comes from Ireland, the London Porter is a fitting tribute to this style of ale and its place of birth.

Fullers use brown, crystal and chocolate malts for their London Porter, and fuggles hops; you'll notice a tradition of using this English hop in darker brews, and for good reason! London Porter is dark and rich, with bitter roasted malts coming through, hints of chocolate, coffee and biscuits, and a smooth dry finish, pretty damn good. Not so easy to find on draught, though still good in bottle, but if you get the chance to drink the cask-conditioned version, do so, I always do, and I love pale hoppy bitters! 

Stouts? I have reduced the final comparison to 2 'chocolate' stouts and both, like the London Porter, can also be enjoyed from a bottle, but are superb from the cask. Youngs (website), sadly now a pubco, their beers being brewed by Charles Wells... Anyhow, Youngs used to brew the best of this type, their Double Chocolate Stout (5.2%), made from pale, crystal and chocolate malts, and fuggles and goldings hops, together with chocolate essence and dark chocolate. I first drank this as a cask ale at the Cask & Cutler (now Wellington) in Sheffield. The first time I tasted it in London was at the old Brewery Tap on the corner of the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth, sadly now unused, the pub and brewery...

It was in Wandworth that I found out, from a  Youngs employee, that the first time the Double Chocolate Stout was brewed, the Head Brewer sent a colleague out to a local confectioners to buy heaps of chocolate bars to add to the brew, it was that experimental! Chocolate is still added, but now in Bedford, and I haven't seen this excellent beer in a cask for quite a long time now, sadly. Whatever, there is only one way to describe it, it tastes like chocolate, and it tastes like beer, proving that beer and chocolate can go together, it is awesome!

Many other brewers have also tried to emulate the 'chocolate stout', and Saltaire (website), who have been brewing in Shipley, West Yorkshire, since 2006, brew a very decent version. Saltaire Triple Chocoholic (4.8%) uses chocolate malt, and cocoa and chocolate essence, to produce chocolate goodness in a beer! Strong chocolate aroma and flavour, with a hint of coffee and toffee, and a slight bitterness coming through at the finish, a very nice one...

So, quality beers all, and, if the Ram Brewery was still brewing cask-conditioned Double Chocolate Stout, I am sure it would be a neck-and-neck finish with the London Porter... Sadly, it is unlikely I'll ever be able to enjoy the Youngs again. Happily, though, I can announce the Fullers London Porter as the winner of this blog and its categories, from the Chiswick Brewery (above), cheers to them!

The Parcel Yard - New Fullers Pub at King's Cross Station

Fullers have opened the largest station pub in the country in the new concourse at London's King's Cross.

The Parcel Yard is set in the original station building overlooking the platforms and is conveniently located next to Platform 9 3/4 for anyone wishing to catch the Hogwarts Express back home after a couple of ESBs.

As you'd guess from the name of the pub, the setting was originally used to store mail freight coming through the station. The pub has a relaxed "waiting room" atmosphere and features plenty of references to our country's railway and brewing heritage with plenty of signage taking you back to a bygone age.

Much like Paddington's Mad Bishop & Bear there are screens up giving departure and arrival information so there need be no reason to miss your connection home.
Amongst a wide selection of ales, ciders and lagers, I had a pint of London Porter which somehow seemed appropriate given the surroundings.

The area around Euston, King's Cross & St Pancras have seen an amazing regeneration in recent years and can rightfully be visited as a destination in itself rather than purely a hub for transport links into the more established areas of the capitol.

The Parcel Yard is worth a visit for commuters and day-trippers alike.

Hastings 3 - St Leonards and the front

OK, another lovely day, beautiful sky, mild, and, well, I'm nearly finished in my 4 part quest to provide knowledge of the real ale pubs and bars worth visiting in Hastings...

First, the White Rock Hotel, provides accommodation (dah!), but great to visit even if not a 'guest'. Virtually opposite the pier, non-smoking throughout, even on the terrace and it's sea view, decent breakfasts (I enjoyed eating the "Full Audrey" on Sunday morning, ie their full cooked breakfast) and 4 real ales served up to non-guests as well after 10.00 every day. Today, one pale ale, Hastings HPA (5 hopped IPA) at 4.7%, not so bad, does what it says on the label; Harveys Porter 1859, a 4.8% porter, easy to drink; Dark Star Black Coffee Pilsner at 4.8%, sounds weird, but actually quite a subtle coffee flavour, drinkable again; and the very good WJ King Kings Old Ale at a meagre 4.5%, dark, hint of coffee and strong roasted malt, reyt nice! They've 2 dark Star beers coming soon, Rye & Juniper and Revelation... which is a 'revelation', crackin' ale, I recently drank at the Evening Star in Brighton!

Next, the North Star in St Leonards (a way above Warrior Square), serving up 5 real ales, Hopback GFB, Hastings HPA again, Harveys Sussex Best, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Dark Star Sussex Extra Stout. This is a crackin' pub, the landlord, Jamie, soon to reopen the General Havelock, see next posting! Always a good visit, and they have a 'loyalty card' for real ale drinkers (and for food), drink 9 pints and get one free... works for me ;-)

Finally, the Dripping Spring, which has new managers, great pub, the first I ever drank at in Hastings. They appear to be wanting to keep up a similar way of working, ie supporting real ales in their pub. 4 ales on today, though can have up to 7 or 8 at weekends. Today, the 2 regulars, Wye Valley HPA, an ale I particularly like, and this is the only place in Hastings it can be found, so my drink today, and Harveys Sussex Best. The 2 guests today were Adnams Broadside and Fullers ESB (I saw a regular from the Cinque Ports in the Old Toan drinking the ESB here today). Good luck to the new landlord and landlady, I support you!

Elephant & Castle and Lewes Arms

So, from the Black Horse, I wandered back past the church and around the back of the castle to the Elephant & Castle in White Hill. Nice large bar, plenty of room, with green wood panelling up to about 3 or 4 feet along the walls, being refurbished as I drank there!

Another pub with interesting food menu and 3 ales and Old Rosie cider. 2 regular ales are the uniquitous, down here, Harveys Sussex Best, and Timothy Taylors Landlord! The third choice was Brains SA, which I drank, but they've also had recently Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Arundel Old.

I then wandered down the hill a bit to the Lewes Arms, a Fullers house, where I drank Fullers London Porter, had to, it is so good! They also had Bengal Lancer and London Pride. From the Gales range there was HSB and Seafarers, and guest ales include the regular Harveys Sussex Best and Adnams Bitter. Food is available from 12 noon until 8.30pm-ish.

Had to include a photograph of Harveys Brewery...