Birthday bash at the Bricklayers Arms, Putney...

So, when at my brother's abode, where do I go for my birthday ales? Of course, the Bricklayers Arms (website) in Putney, which included, on the bar, 4 ales from Oakham, and 5 from Dark Star, two of my favourite breweries, Happy Birthday Moi! 

First, I went for the Dark Star, serving Hophead (3.8%), The Original (5%), Genesis (4.7%), Partridge (4%), and a new one for me, Elderskelter. I'll have reported on most of these, but definitely not the 3.7% Elderskelter, a very refreshing pale bitter, citrus flavour, with a fruity aroma, and for the Oakham Brewery, celebrating its 20th anniversary, well done to Oakham and their successful business!  

Oakham... included an old favourite session bitter JHB (3.8%) and Rerun (5.5%), and the 2 I drank; plus the excellent Bishop's Farewell to come, sadly missed by me. One was the very good Scarlet Macaw (4.4%), which I have already reported on, but my notes say "Tastes more than 4.4%, body++, lots of dry bitterness, fruity aroma", there you go. The other Oakham ale was an excellent ale celebrating the 20 year anniversary, called 20 Years (5.8%), "fruity aroma++, grapefruit, and taste++", I liked it!

So, me celebrating a few more years than 20, but celebrations all round, had a great weekend, cheers to the Routemeister!

Hastings updates and some excellent ale

So, where haven't I visited for quite a while in Hastings? Oh yes, the Cinque Ports, All Saints Street, in the medieval 'old town', rather than post another photograph of the outside of the pub, I decided to post this photograph of a model of the bar constructed for the crackin' Greek barmaid, Andee, and it's not a bad likeness to the bar either!

Ale-wise, they're selling up to 3 ales now, the usual 2, ie Fullers ESB (5.5%), an excellent darker full-bodied ale, that I usually imbibe here, and the ubiquitous 4% Harveys Sussex Best, which I rarely imbibe, it's very drinkable, but lacks hops and flavour for me!  They are also trying guest ales, and I had a couple or three pints of the Otter Ale, a 4.5%, very nice, premium bitter at £3.30 a pint, enjoyed the visit and seeing Andee again, cheers! 

 

I had a meeting at The Windmill, Seddlescombe Road North (A21), the 'Brewers Fayre' part of the Premier Inn in Hastings, a couple of miles inland, and up the hill from me, so I thought, have a drink (I got there earlier than I thought I would).  As they only had Shepherd Neame Spitfire (4.2%), that's what I drank a pint of, not bad for £3.14 in a hotel bar, and not bad to drink either, maybe I should drink Sheps a bit more...  

 

Anyway, rather than turn down towards the award winning Alexandra park, more directly to home, I carried on down London Road after my meeting, and visited the Tower, and what a great spontaneous decision that was, with the excellent Sara behind the bar, good banter, and a great ale or 4!

 

The always good Hopback Summer Lightning (5%), an early example of the pale hoppy ales I drank many years ago, and 3 Dark Star ales: Summer Meltdown (4.8%), always good American Pale Ale (APA), a 4.7% pale hoppy ale, and a new one to me, a bit of a rarity, a darker ale I loved, the, also 4.7% Genesis, an excellent dark, porter coloured bitter with a lighter taste, and at only £2.60 a pint, loved it.

 

Many thanks to the landlady for the choice of ales, Louisa, and to Sara for the excellent service on the day, cheers!