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!

Top 20 Pubs, The Final Part (IV)

So, to my top 5, that is, the top 5 of the pubs that I want to return to again and again, certainly at least once before I kick the proverbial hop-back...

Top of the shop, at number 1, is The Bartons Arms, 144 High Street, Birmingham Newtown B6 4UP (website), which is a fine example of late-Victorian architecture, being built in 1901 and surviving, despite young thugs trying to raze the building during riots in 2011! Putting recent trials behind us, The Bartons Arms is one of just a handful of pubs owned by Oakham Ales (website), the Peterborough-based brewery, much lauded by me, and originally set up in Oakham, Rutland, in 1993. Consequently, this is a pub that sells excellent ales: 4 regular Oakham ales, JHB, Inferno, Citra, and Bishops Farewell, plus a guest/seasonal Oakham ale and 2 guest ales from other breweries, which are, as I write this blog, Oakham Paranoid (5.2%), Landlocked Copper Bottomed (5.2%) and Firebrand Cross Pacific Pale Ale (4%). Quite a choice of gorgeous hoppy ales indeed! You can understand why I like the ales here...  

In addition, excellent Thai food is served in the fine dining room, and elsewhere in the pub, of course. Indeed, the exterior and interior are examples of how the Victorians cared about design and adornment. The interior is decorated with mahogany wood panels, beautiful engraved and stained glass windows, Minton Hollins Tiles, a fine bar, and an impressive centrally positioned wrought-iron staircase, these being just some of the features; you really need to look at the website to appreciate the full beauty of the building, better still, go and visit The Bartons Arms!  

Mostly, I've been to The Bartons Arms before going to Villa Park for footballing reasons, and the atmosphere here for home and away fans is superb. Indeed, it is a very relaxed and friendly pub that I have also visited just because I wanted to come to the pub, and I have enjoyed the excellent ales and food, and wonderful building and company, whenever I have been here! I SO need to return again asap, no wonder this is my number one of very many excellent hostelries... I need to plan a visit!

At number 2 is a pub I regularly visit, because of work or football reasons, because I have family living close by, or just because I want to walk along the Thames Path to Hammersmith and drink at The Dove, 19 Upper Mall W6 (website). This historic pub is a grade II listed 18th century building, originally called the Dove Coffeehouse, though certainly selling ale and wine at that time, when Hammersmith was still a rural area. There are real fires, half-timbered ceilings, wooden settles, and immediately to your right as you enter, through a heavy wooden door, is a 33 square foot room accredited by the Guinness Book of Records as being the smallest bar room in the country. At the back, overlooking the River Thames, is an outside seating area where you can look downriver to Hammersmith Bridge, or upriver to countryside and to the Fullers brewery over to your right on the Middlesex bank. However, in fine weather, be warned, this can get very busy with stuck-up sticky-beaks (think Monty Python)!

Numerous famous people have enjoyed drinking and eating in The Dove, including Dylan Thomas, Alex Guinness and Ernest Hemingway, and this was also the local of one of my heroes of the past, William Morris, who used to live just a few doors away at number 26. Fullers Brewery (website) have owned The Dove since 1845, gaining a full alcohol licence for the establishment in 1911. Ale-wise, you will always find London Pride, of course, and usually Fullers ESB, sometimes Chiswick Bitter or a Fullers seasonal ale, and always a Gales beer, served from the 4 handpumps. I do love this pub, and will always remember a friend who used to manage the pub a few years ago, who sadly died in an accident in 2005 at too young an age, R.I.P. Alison.   

At number 3 is the Great Western in Sun Street, Wolverhampton WV10 0DJ, situated round the back of the new railway station, opposite the gates to the old Great Western station. This is a great pub, full of railway memorabilia, as you would expect, and with 4 distinct drinking areas, developed over the years as the building was redesigned and had extensions added. I have also been here on football match days and on non-match days, when Wolverhampton Wanderers fans have filled the pub, or just when thriving with the regular clientele and occasional visitor. On match days, ostensibly, this is a 'home fans' pub only, but I have never had a problem drinking here as an away fan, and a friend's son was positively welcomed before a match, despite being dressed in the full kit of the away team!

This is a Holdens Brewery (website) pub, but has always served beers from its major rival, Bathams; that's confidence in your own product! Of course, it serves up a good range of Holdens ales, including their Black Country Mild and excellent Black Country Bitter, and guest ales from other breweries too. This is a gem of a pub that provides very decent pub food too, notably their 'cobs' (bread rolls), and it wasn't that long ago that I bought 2 pints of bitter here and a hot pork cob, and still had change from a fiver! So, this is a good value pub, is very friendly, serves up great ales and decent food, has a crackin' atmosphere, and which I have to return to again and again...  

My favourite pub of Manchester comes in at number 4, the Marble Arch, 73 Rochdale Road M4 4HY (website), another listed building. The Marble Arch was built in 1888 and has many interesting features, not least the sloping mosaic floor; keep an eye on your drinks and personal effects, it really does slope! Not so long ago, due to bad/good luck, the plaster ceiling collapsed because of dampness, I seem to remember, but revealed a marvellous tiled ceiling, that has subsequently been preserved. The food here is very good indeed, and their own brewery (website) used to be situated at the rear of the pub, though was moved to larger premises round the corner and back a bit in 2011. Their ales are organic, no finings are used so ok for vegans, and usually 5 of their own ales are available plus guest ales served from 11 handpumps.

This is another pub I have visited quite a few times, of course, both related to football, when I have been in Manchester for work or academic study, or just visiting for fun; Manchester ain't that bad! I was there with my brother, the Routemeister and mate, Dave the Teameister, before an evening match at Old Trafford not so long ago. We spent most of the afternoon here, drinking, chatting, eating, and listening to the excellent juke box, it was very difficult to leave for the match! I have also enjoyed chewing the fat with the brewers there, usually about what hops are used in various ales, though not so easy since the brewery was moved... Great pub! 

To my fifth pub on the list, and a return to my love affair with Devon, and to the Double Locks Hotel (website) on the Exeter Ship Canal, just down from Exeter and the Countess Weir. This building was originally the lock keeper's cottage built in 1701; the canal being built 140 years earlier linking Exeter to the sea when the River Exe became less navigable. The history of the lock itself, the "Double Locks", is related to the name, not because there were 2 locks, but because it is the longest lock in the country and could take 2 ships at the same time.

I originally came here many years ago, and started frequenting the Double Locks in the 1980s when I moved to Exeter. It was then a freehouse, with very basic outside toilets, and an extension built in the 1980s meant that the loos came indoors, and also made more seating available. Ales used to be served straight from casks in those days, which were situated behind the bar, and were from local breweries and from afar. Excellent food always, barbecues in Summer, and a breakfast that couldn't be bettered was available up to 12 noon, with a pint of ale included in the reasonable price. I have been here with my ex-wife, my brother, the Routemeister, friends, and brought clients here too, when I worked in Exeter. This is now a Youngs pub, so big changes, but I still so need to return here!

Well, I've taken a while to add my top 5 to the list, and there could be so many more, meaning I'll most likely add many other pubs that I wish to return to in future blogs.

Anyway, many thanks for allowing me to share my memories, a wee bit of sentimentality on my part, but I recommend you visit any of these pubs should you be in any of their vicinities. I'd also welcome any reviews, cheers!
   

West London Thames Path walk, Naked Ladies, real fires and ale...

A visit to my brother, the Routemeister, will more often than not include a long walk, usually 12 to 20 miles long, and a few fine ales, and, now we're approaching Winter, real fires... So why should this visit be any different? The evening before the walk we popped into the Bricklayers Arms in Putney, and also following the walk, before me returning to the Junction to catch a train home.

The Bricklayers (site) is a fine pub that I've written about many times, and they appear to work on getting 5 to 10 ales from a microbrewer at a time, so you usually find at least 3 or 4 from the same brewer when you visit, among their dozen ales on offer, often, 2 or 3 from the last brewer they selected too. Their last brewer appeared to be Hobsons, from whom they had their 3.2% Mild, 3.6% Twisted Spire, a 'blond' beer with a slightly nutty flavour, and the very good Old Henry (5.2%), a "rich autumn ale". 

Their next brewer is the Kent brewer Goody, with many "good this and good that"; over the two visits I tried the very good Good Heavens, a 4.1% 'best bitter', tasted like a typical bitter from the South East, nice deep copper colour. My second one was Goodness Gracious Me, a 4.8% pale bitter with a nutty aroma that reminded me of the Belgian lambics in a way, with a slightly sour taste, pretty good stuff too, apparently, a green hopped ale. 

We also sampled Mulberry Duck Amber Sparkle, a 4.1% light malty dry bitter, and Wildflower, a darker 4% bitter; and Red Squirrel Conservation Bitter, a copper coloured sweetish fruity ale, at first taste, with a dry bitter aftertaste, not bad at all. 

Our lunchtime 'port of call' was the Waterman's Arms in Richmond, a wonderful Youngs house (site), kept to a high standard by the Irish landlord and lady, which we used to enjoy Thai food at quite regularly, before cutting back on our expenditure due to necessity. The usual Youngs ales here, always kept in great condition, Special and 'Ordinary' Bitter, and the seasonal Winter Warmer, but their 'guest ale' outstrips sales of the pub company's own ales, ie Twickenham Naked Ladies! 

Naked Ladies is pretty much a local ale, certainly much more local than Bedford brewed Youngs these days, and pretty damn excellent too! I'm sure it used to be called "3 Naked Ladies", and surely the pump clip included the image of 3 naked ladies on it (all very tasteful of course), but now just the one on the pumclip, despite the plural in the name; maybe a modern day Mary Whitehouse complained or something? Anyway, this is a 4.4% pale bitter, very nice and bitter too, cheers!  

We then walked up to Richmond Park, leaving the Thames Path, crossed the Park, and then crossed Wimbledon Common to visit one of two Youngs pubs, we gave the Hand in Hand a miss, mostly because last time we visited the Crooked Billet (fire therein above), situated in Crooked Billet, Wimbledon Common (site), a few doors down from the Hand in Hand, they had the Naked Ladies too, and we wanted to carry out a  taste comparison. 

Anyway, no Naked Ladies this time, sadly, but the usual Youngs Bitter, Special and Winter Warmer, Wells Bombardier, and Courage Directors, all brewed by Wells these days, of course. We had a pint each of the Special, and it was in very good condition, a nice pint indeed, which it still can be, many thanks, but not as good as the Naked Ladies, oh well...  

Cheers!

Mickleham and Leatherhead, Surrey (Thursday 16th May 2013)

The Routemeister and I had decided to walk from Box Hill & Westhumble station, via Box Hill (a fair old climb!) to Mickleham and Leatherhead, quite early on passing Denbies Wine Estate (site), which we shall visit on another trip to include Dorking.

We then pushed on to Mickleham, first visiting St Michael's church, which originally dates back to Saxon times, but is now built up from Norman times with added bits here and there, and always some addition from the Victorians, of course!  Opposite the church is The Running Horses pub, Old London Road, whose website is currently being worked on, but for future reference is at www.therunninghorses.co.uk 

The food here looked pretty good, but not cheap, and Ringwood ales were served up, so not too bad for us; we would have a part of our packed lunch after we'd left the pub, back in the churchyard.  There were also Fullers London Pride (4.1%), well documented, and Brakspear Bitter (3.4%), but we wanted something a bit stronger. From Ringwood were their Best Bitter (3.8%), and the 4.2% "blonde ale" Boondoggle, which we definitely each enjoyed a pint of; a pale full-bodied bitter.

We then walked cross country, passing another vineyard, which appeared to be allowed to fall fallow, to Leatherhead. As soon as we entered town there was another 'Running Horse', this time a Shepherd Neame pub, and the Penny Black in North Street, an old Post Office, built in 1895, and now a Youngs pub (site), which we did visit.  In addition to the Youngs ales were Portobello Star, which I have mentioned in the recent past, and their own Waggle Dance, Ordinary (Best) and the 4.5% Special, which was a very nice pint indeed, and friendly bar staff too.

 

Looking forward to returning to this part of Surrey, but for now, cheers!

Richmond, Surrey (Wednesday 15th May 2013)

What to do, what's the weather going to be like? We'd decided to make our 'country walk' tomorrow, so Wednesday was to be our River Thames wander, which turned out to be a much longer walk than tomorrow's, this day, only about 22 miles...

From Dan's in Putney, we walked westwards along the River Thames to Kingston, a few miles, indeed... then up to Kingston Gate and into Richmond Park, on to the Pen Ponds in the centre of the Park, and out to Richmond Gate and a short way down the hill to the famous view above.  

We could have gone into the Roebuck at the top of the hill, another good pub, but decided to wander down the hill and visit one we hadn't been to for quite a few years, The Victoria Inn, Richmond Hill, which used to be a rather too smokey pub in the 'old days', as it is a small one-bar building, though with a garden out the back, and now a Punch Taverns' house. 3 ales here; 2 regulars, Sharps Doom Bar (4%) and Youngs Bitter, or 'Ordinary' (3.7%), and the guest on this day, Thwaites Wainright, a 4.5% golden ale, not bad, and the pub has improved in the smoke-free atmosphere, nice sights out of the window, and bragging a warm landlady, Denise, inside, cheers m'dear!

We then dropped down the hill to the river again, and visited one of our favourites, the Waterman's Arm's, a Youngs' pub, that now outsells it's always well-kept Special (4.5%) and Ordinary (3.7%) with the regular guest here, Twickenham Three Naked Ladies (4.4%); I do like this beer!  The Irish landlord, a regular conversationalist, was away, we believed, but didn't ask, however, we missed his chat and updates.  We then headed back to Putney...

 

Tomorrow, and into the deep excesses of Surrey (honest!) cheers!

Clapham Junction to Putney (Tuesday 14th May 2013)

Not written for a while, because of no access to a pc or laptop, so a few will be published over next few days, starting with my arriving in London to visit the Routemeister...

We first visited this new Young's bar, really, can't be called a pub, which is a shame when taking into account the brewer's history.  The Waterfront, what can I say? It's very 'modern', when I thought 'modern' was out of date now, much glass, as you can see from the photograph. A selection of the usual Youngs ales on, Special, Ordinary and Waggle Dance, of which we had a pint of Special each.  Quite frankly, the barmaid had no idea how to pull a pint, and had to be asked twice to top up the shortfall, the beer wasn't 'off', but it was a bit sad, lacked the usual flavour, was tired... Not that I'm suggesting it was near the end of a cask that must have been on for ages, or that the bar may have a cellar a fair way away from the pump, so a long line, nor that they hadn't sold any yet on that day, just that... I shan't be returning in a hurry. 

 

Anyway, that evening we visited the Bricklayers Arms in Putney, a different kettle of fish entirely!

Alway a great selection of ales here, on the day, dominated by dark beers; a couple of Old Dairy ales, Red Top (3.8%) and Gold Top (4.3%), a few others, plus 4 from Plain Ales Brewery in the West Country. We tried 2 of the Plain Ales, missing out the Mild Not Meek (5.4%) and Inndulgence, a 5.2% "Ruby Porter", Dan just drank the 4.2% "Ruby Best Bitter" that was Inntrigue, which I felt was a bit thin, after which I drank the 4.8% Inncognito, which was very nice, indeed, much more body, a bit chocolatey, with a hint of liquorice. Good stuff...

More to come shortly, cheers!    

Back again, Hastings updates...

Sadly, mostly because of a 'bug' that decided to help me lose 6 or 7 pounds in weight, ie be ill for 5-6 days, I haven't been drinking for a while, so a bit of 'catch up' required. First, again, sadly, Franks Front Room closed down in Hastings on Saturday 4th May, a loss, indeed!  Good luck to the ex-owners, I see the building is already going up for auction... 

But I have been to the Tower, London Road, with 5 ales there on the day; I just missed the Hopback Summer Lightning as it went off before I could order a pint, but it was replaced by the also excellent Ilkley Lotus IPA (5.6%), already commented on. There was also Sharps Doom Bar for the maltier ale lovers and 2 pale-ish ones from Dark Star too, the virtually ever-present American Pale Ale (APA, 4.7%) and Revelation, at 5.7% a bit more interesting, and, again, been reported on before. So, 4 excellent paler ales, and the Doom Bar of course...

I visited the Dolphin on the May Day public holiday and they had a Kelham Island beer on, a 'ruby mild' called Mistress Flames, 5% and a hint of spice in the aftertaste, loadsa body, smooth, frankly, delicious!  There were also the usual Youngs Special, Harveys Sussex Best, and Dark Star's Hophead and American Pale Ale, and one other new guest, ie Harveys Bogie Man (4.3%), brewed especially for the Hastings May Day celebrations, apparently; it was pale, a bit thin, with a strange flavour I couldn't distinguish properly, but certainly a biscuity maltness flavour in the bubbles.

Hastings seems to have more celebrations than anywhere else I've ever known, the May Day celebrations including a significant motorcycle rally, and 'Jack in the Green', it's very own fertility tradition, procession etc, so many people are dressed in greenery.  Here is the Dolphin's very own living Pre-Raphaelite portrait, Maz, serving up a fizzy drink; I tried to get a good picture serving up real ale, and, if I'd persisted, I would have got a good one, but, I have to own up, I lost patience, and this is a very good photograph, nice one...

I'm back... Cheers! 

4th January - Bexhill and the Albatross Club

A lovely walk along the front to Bexhill on Sea and a New Year visit to the Albatross Club. This blog is a bit later than I was hoping to post because I have had problems loading photographs onto Blogger, so this is an older photograph already loaded... hence the rather more sunny aspect!

To drink in The Albatross Club, as I've said before, you need to be a member of the RAFA, or have a friend who can sign you in who is a member, or belong to CAMRA, hence my permission to gain entrance.  Though on Friday, I decided to join the RAFA as an associate member ("about time!" I hear from Geoff and Peter, not to mention John and Jonathan), so my application is now with the membership secretary.

So what 4 ales were on sale for the good value £2.60 a pint for members and friends, and CAMRA members?  2 from Dark Star Brewery, the 4.7% American Pale Ale (APA) and 3.8% Hophead, both nice pale and hoppy ales, as you will have already noted from my previous blogs, and I certainly partook of the Hophead on Friday.  They also had Youngs Special (4.5%) and Rother Valley Level Best, a 4% ale I have drunk before, a nice light coloured bitter with a hint of that nutty flavour you taste from some hops, yes, I had a pint of this before the Hophead.

By the way, when I first visited The Albatross, there were only 3 lines for real ales, now there are 4, and in a couple of months this is to become 5 lines.  Geoff and his colleagues who work the bar and cellar are certainly putting up an excellent showing for real ale in Bexhill... This is the only place to visit for real ale in Bexhill really, and they provide a good value food menu too!

Cheers!

Dolphin - Hastings seems a while...

Since I last wrote about the Dolphin, they've had a fine pale bitter called Once Bittern brewed by Woodforde's, and already mentioned elsewhere, but seemed better here. Also, tomorrow, there will be a return of Wednesday evening meals, 6-9pm, at the Dolphin, with special deals, similar to the fish & chip deal on Mondays, ie a pint, glass of wine, or soft drink, plus the meal all in at £7.95, always a good deal!

Anyway, at the moment, there are two good darker ales, Harveys Old Ale and the excellent Anchor Springs Black Pearl, a 5.2% dark dark porter, so dark I had to say it twice, full bodied, with a hint of chocolate, and dry bitter aftertaste, not often you see me knocking back a dark ale. it's that good!

Of course, I had started with a pint of the regular Dark Star Hophead, and the regular Youngs Special and Harveys Sussex Best are there too, together with the seasonal Wadworth Swordfish, 5%, a blend of 6X and Pussars Rum apparently, it's well liked in this neck of the woods!

 

Cheers!

A tale of 2 cities + a town - part 1 - London

11th and 12th June 2012, arrived in London, Clapham Junction to be more precise, on Monday 11th, and left for Sheffield on Tuesday 12th. On my way over to the family 'seat' in Southfields, I soon passed, well nearly got by, I soon entered the Roundhouse, 2 Northside, Wandsworth Common...  

The Roundhouse, as I'm sure I've said before, was an old haunt of mine in my yoof, it's a bit more upmarket now, but very pleasant, with charming barstaff, many thanks to them.  It doesn't open for lunches until the weekend, so be careful if planning a visit (see website); music provided on Saturday afternoons is jazz.

They sell 3 ales, today they had Sambrooks Wandle Bitter, Sharps Doombar and Mad Goose Purity Pale Ale at 4.2%, the last of which I drank before embarking further towards my goal. Pretty much what you'd expect from such a beer, and knowing my tastes, light coloured pale beer, bitter, loved it! 

I then visited the Pig & Whistle, on the corner of Penwith Road and Merton Road in Southfields SW18, a Youngs house, which I remember as a kid being an off licence, shop and a house. I had a pint of the Ordinary, which was in fine condition, and a slice of Chocolate and Zucchini cake, which was also pleasant!

On Tuesday, I caught a train up to Sheffield, but, as Kieran wrote such a fine piece on the new Fullers pub at Kings Cross station, The Parcel Yard, I thought I should visit too, being in the area (St Pancras). 10 ales on 12 handpumps, including the usual Fullers and Gales ales you would expect, and guests from Adnams (Ghostship at 4.5%), Butcombe Bitter, and a 'seasonal' Fullers Hope and Glory (4.7%), yes, a 'jubilee' ale, slightly sweet and malty, with a nuttty and dry aftertaste.

Cheers! 

Wimbledon Village and Common

We visited Wimbledon on Thursday and Friday, so had to visit the 3 decent Youngs pubs in the area. All sell good ales, all have plenty of friendly staff working for them, and all sell decent food too...

First was the Crooked Billet, Crooked Billet, SW19. All these 3 Youngs pubs sell good ales, not just Youngs, as we have recently come to expect due to the reorganisation of their relationship with the Bedford lot, but guest ales are common too.

Dan and me really like the Crooked Billet, mind we really like the others too. Crackin' atmosphere, good ales, friendly staff, especially love the manager!

I'll not mention the obvious ales, though they are having a Hogsback season at the moment, but I'll just say what we drank, ie Twickenham Original at 4.2%, and I have not been disappointed by any ales from that brewer. This has a fruity aroma, is easy to drink, a medium coloured bitter (proper colour for a bitter to a Youngs drinker from an early age), and is slightly bitter with a pleasant dry aftertaste. Very nice again...

The Hand in Hand seems to always have very lovely bar staff too, and Youngs again, but I decided to order the Otter Bitter, very disappointed... Oh well, can't get it right every time, but should have gone for the Youngs Special straight away, always excellent here!

The 3rd excellent pub in this Wimbledon Village/Common trio is the Rose & Crown, an old coaching inn, that used to be the last outpost when leaving London from this direction, just before the highwaymen robbed you. Good job the staff are warm and friendly; again, we drank Special here, crackin' ale!

Bar of the Day - The Albatross Club, Bexhill

Thursday, 29th March 2012, and the bar of the day had to be The Albatross Club in Bexhill, East Sussex, which was midway in my walk along the seafront, in the wake of the Normans, even if many centuries later, from Pevensey Bay to Hastings. A word of warning, though, to gain admittance, you either need to be a member of the Royal Air Forces Association, or more recently admitted, a member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which, fortunately for me, I am.

The Albatross Club won CAMRA's South East Sussex Branch 'Club of the Year' for 2011, so having left Pevensey in time for me to reach Bexhill by 11.45, I thought I should sample what the Albatross had to offer me, other than memories of John Cleese and Mont Python, and what a good decision it was.

The Club is open from 11.00 to 2.30pm, and 7-11pm, as I said above, to members of the RAFA and CAMRA, and invited friends (who are discreetly asked to contribute 50p for a visit, so discreetly, I fell compelled to place a golden nugget in the box, after all, I'd saved much more than that just on the ale prices). I was given a very warm reception, despite this being my first ever visit (it shan't be my last) from Geoff the Chief Steward, and everyone I spoke to really, and what diverse backgrounds people I chatted to had! Geoff, who hails from the North East originally (test his accent), is also a member of CAMRA, and sells up to 3 very reasonably priced real ales, and a daily special and other food is available at reasonable prices too.

So what ales were on offer yesterday, Youngs Special (I had a pint), Dark Star's Chestnut (I didn't try, but you'll understand why shortly) and Dark Star's American Pale Ale (APA), and people who read what I write will know why I sampled a couple of pints of the APA, it is a crackin' ale! Anyway, suitably refreshed, and Geoff does keep a good ale (I shall be back), I set off on the final 5 miles of my walk...

Following an uneventful wander into Hastings, I had to finish off in a pub that regularly sells Dark Star Hophead, I'd have preferred APA on the day, but Hophead is a crackin' ale too, just a little less so. The Dolphin at Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, it was then. Anyway, I had to inform others I had just walked from Pevensey Bay for a few drinks, which I thought was a bit impressive, even if a debate on how far you can walk in an hour was started.... Cheers!

29 Feb - Crooked Billet, Wimbledon Common

Trip to London for possible money-making purposes (sadly didn't work out), but had to include lunchtime and evening trips to pubs...

Lunchtime, my brother Dan and I walked up to Wimbledon Village and visited the Crooked Billet, on the edge of the Common. This is a crackin' Youngs pub, next door to the Hand in Hand (below), another very good Youngs pub which, under a previous ownership, used to be the only place I knew you could get Ruddles County before it fell under the spell of one of the new 'Nationals', Greene King.

OK, Youngs are now part of one of the new 'Nationals' too, following their merger/whatever the legal definition is, with Charles Wells of Bedford, so, all but the 2 guests listed below are actually brewed by Wells now; as brewers, Youngs and Courage RIP.

I like both of these pubs, but we only visited the Crooked Billet today, and didn't even drink Youngs Special, which I usually would, their ales on the bar including, Special and Ordinary from Youngs, Bombardier and Directors, their other regulars, and 2 guest ales, Doom Bar (OK, but can be drunk anywhere these days, and is only OK to my palate), and the 4.4% Twickenham Naked Ladies, what a great find for me, though I know it's been available for a while now, my first taste.

Naked Ladies, a nice image, but a big hit of hops to the nose when you first taste it, not so 'ladylike', quite a pale ale, but more bitter than I thought it would be. I like this beer!

The Hand in Hand, always worth a visit too, another good pub, just a few doors down from the Crooked Billet, in Crooked Billet, Wimbledon Village, SW19.