Real Ale Reviews

Beer Friends

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When I went down to the British Guild of Beer Writers dinner a couple of weeks ago I had a fantastic night. But the day after topped it all off with a pub crawl around London starting with Mark Dredge, Tim Hampson and Zak Avery in the Market Porter, and continuing across London town with Knut Albert, Ally Shaw and John the Beer Nut (via The Rake, Greenwich Union, The Wenlock Arms, The Gunmakers Arms and beyond).

I knew I’d taken a group photo at some point, I clearly remembered balancing my camera on a precipitous ledge in the Wenlock Arms, but for the life of me couldn’t find the resulting image.

Until now! And it made me smile and remember how great it is to meet up with like minded beer folk and talk beer and drink beer.

To good times, sláinte!

From left to right: Ally Shaw (FeralStrumpet), The Beer Nut (John Duffy), Knut Albert, Mark Dredge and me, FletchtheMonkey (Mark Fletcher, Real Ale Reviews).

Tags: beer, bloggers, blogging, british guild of beer writers, London

The White Lion & The Three Greyhounds, London

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These were the second and third Nicholsons Pubs we visited on our day out. Both followed the same theme of the Nicholsons brand, a traditional style pub with a good range of real ales on offer. The format is the same up and down the country as we can see in Leeds’ own Victoria and Commercial and Scarborough Hotels.

I’ll cut straight to the chase…..the beers on offer were…

The White Lion, Covent Garden –

Black Sheep Brewery – Golden Sheep – darker in appearance than I expected from the ‘golden’ cousin of the Black Sheep. The beer was remarkably smooth, not in a London Pride ‘I could drink this all day’ manner, but a fuller more satisfying way.

Shepherd Neame – Late red – a promising fruity nose is borne out in the initial flavour. This fruitiness falls away to a nutty aftertaste that lingers in the mouth.

Morrisey Fox – Brunette – slightly acidic and sharp in the first instance, there is some fruity flirtation but ultimately it fails to deliver in full.

Timothy Taylor Landlord

Fullers London Pride

The Three Greyhounds, Soho(ish) –

Daleside – Autumn Leaves – the flavour delivers what the name promises with a smoky, dark fruit flavour lingering through to a distinct note of Raspberry.

Abbot Ale – a strong punchy English wake-up call to the taste buds. Darker and stronger than anything else I’d tasted on the day

Tags: Abbot Ale, Black Sheep Brewery, Covent Garden, Daleside Autumn Leaves, Fullers London Pride, Golden Sheep, Late Red, leeds, London, Morrisey Fox Brunette, Nicholsons Pubs, Shepher Neame, Soho, The Scarborough Hotel, The Three Greyhounds, The Victoria Hotel, The White Lion, Timothy Taylor Landlord

The Porterhouse, Covent Garden, London

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My last review of this bar shows that I wasn’t massively taken by my last visit. I had been on a sunny bank holiday weekend and had been disappointed by the lack of summer or pale ales available on draught.

People who know assured me that I should go back and take another look, focussing on the bottled selection rather than what they have available on draught. Firstly I should say that the bar is far larger than I realised on my first visit (we had sat outside last time) which is lucky as I’m told that it can get very busy on evenings through the week.

The range of bottled beers could easily keep a beer hound happy all evening. Naturally my instinct is to compare it to the places that I know and visit often and the ranges of beers available offers easy comparison with North Bar in Leeds. The range of bottles available is probably broadly similar to North although I would again mention that the range is pretty limited in Porterhouse if you actually want a pint. The other main difference between the  two is the decor and I have to say that, while I do find the rustic minimalism of North appealing, the strange copper (nautical themed) interior of the Porterhouse was ultimately far more comfortable.

On the day I opted for an Anchor Pale Ale and recommended a bottle of Orval for Jack but there was plenty of range on the beer menu so I’m sure most people wi’ll find something they like here.

Tags: Anchor Pale Ale, Covent Garden, London, Orval, Por, Porterhouse

The Coal Hole – The Strand, London

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The first impression of this pub is what I would expect from a pub on a main street in London. Initially I thought it was a little bit touristy, with oak panelling broken by up by faux medieval tapestry. That said there were more people knocking about in actual suits than in shell suits with cameras so I was willing to give it a try.

I took me about five seconds and a quick glance across the beer selection to decide that I liked the place, I didn’t realise it at the time but this was to be the first of three visits to Nicholson’s Pubs on the day and the range and quality of the ales available was top drawer. We sampled…

Timothy Taylor Landord - Reviewed by so many people before, I always think that it tastes a little fruitier on draught than out of a bottle.

Greene King IPA - This should be entry three in the Day in London series and I had had an American Pale Ale immediately before drinking this. After a bottle of the hop filled American cousin I found the Greene King a bit shollow in taste, probably more appropriate to a session but ultimately not a world rocking IPA.

Cairngorm Autumn Nuts - I really liked this Ruby Ale, it wasn’t massively hopped and I think  Fletch would probably have found it underwhelming, but there was still goodcflavour and it was spot on for me.  Pleasingly it does carry an autumnal feel and offers some warmth from the winter chill.

The bar was also offering London Pride and Hobgoblin and the range of autumnal guests in the pipeline spanned to 12 which the barstaff told me would be constantly rotating through the season.  Hats off.

Tags: Cairngorm, Cairngorm Autumn Nuts, Greene King IPA, Hobgoblin, London, London Pride, Nicholsons Pubs, The Coal House, The Strand, Timothy Taylor Landlord

Alan’s Daytrip to London

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This post does exactly what it says on the tin. A couple of weeks ago I had a day off work and thought a trip to sample the real ale houses of London was in order.

Some of the establishments warranted posts of their own but, unfortunately, some did not. Those that did not are only mentioned here and may include brief tasting notes of the beers we (my University housemate and East End friend Jack was helping me out for the day) came across during our travels.

The pubs that we felt warranted their own posts tended to have a number of quality real ales on which we made tasting notes and the full articles that will follow are as much about the beers as the pubs. The itinery for the  day was as follows…

We met at Tooting Bec tube station, luckily bumping into each other outside one of the four exits, to visit the first pub of the day…

The Kings Head, Tooting – This place had a classic style, with original Victorian tiling, but a modern touch with Sky Sports and an IT Box. Despite the appealing decor I have to say that it was ultimately at the lower end of what can be considered a ‘Real Ale’ pub. There are three regular ales, Old Speckled Hen, Greene King IPA and London Pride, as well a Guest Ale of Highland Davenport’s The Fall (which was off). Both Jack and myself decided to start the day with London Pride – I will not go over old ground with tasting notes but will say that the beer was well kept.

The Eagle Ale House, Clapham – unfortunately The Eagle did not open until three and we arrived at one thirty. As  we arrived the landlord was unfortunately on his way out. He said that if he had not been he would have opened for us. That would have got him a very very good review. In the event, having not been able to go into the bar I can say that, from the outside it looked absolute quality. A massive regret that we were not able to have a beer there but one to add to the list of good reasons not to leave it too long before heading South again.

The Prince of Wales, Clapham – a 20 minute walk from The Eagle and also closed! In all honesty this did not look to offer the same quality drinking environment as we just felt we had probably missed out on but it did carry Timmy Taylor’s on draught so would certainly be worth a visit if passing on that basis alone.

The Porterhouse, Covent Garden (revisited) – following my last visit to the Porterhouse, which left me slightly underwhelmed,  The Beer Boy had encouraged me to give it another go. Suffice to say that a a revisit proved a productive way to spend some time, full review and tasting notes to follow.

The Coal House, The Strand – the first of three Nicholson Pubs visited on the day, the rolling range of 12 autumnal guest ales, coupled with the regular stock offered us enough tasting opportunities to complete a full review.

The White Lion, Covent Garden & The Three Greyhounds, Soho (ish) -the other two Nicholson Pubs and the beers on offer again justified their own posts.

The Crown & Two Chairmen, Soho – this pub was probably the jewel in the crown for the day and will certainly be getting its own review in due course.

The Duke of Argyll, Soho – this was the last stop of the day (although the whole point of the midweek trip was to get to The Jerusalem which fell through due to our unproductive rambling around Clapham). We were both feeling the effects of a long, tiring day by this time so tasting notes are limited! What did stand out was the fact that I ordered two pints of bitter and was charged only £3.58…..IN THE CENTRE OF LONDON!!!!!! They were not individual bottles of craft beer but they were good honest pints and absolute value at that price!!!

Needless to say that the hops were kicking in and, I headed back for my train, I made sure I set my alarm so that I didn’t miss my stop!

Tags: Clapham, Covent Garden, London, London Pride, Soho, The Coal House, The Crown & Two Chairmen, The Duke of Argyll, The Eagle Ale House, The Kings Head, The Porterhouse, The Prince of Wales, The Three Greyhounds, The White Lion, Tooting

The Greenwich Union, SE10 8RT

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The Greenwich Union is the brewery pub of the Meantime Brewery…

www.meantimebrewing.com

Located less than 5 minutes walk away from Cutty Sark Station on the DLR this pub is really easy to get to but is located up a quaint side street. The exterior makes it appear as one of those dark traditional pubs. Opening the door you see a strange collision of modern and traditional as the large, light interior contrasts with the atmosphere projected from the street.

We arrived at 3.00pm on a Saturday afternoon and the place was full, we got one of only two or three free tables in the garden and all of the tables inside were occupied. The reason for the full tables soon became apparent as the food being served looked and smelt fantastic. The burgers were massive and were priced at under a tenner.

The round I bought was two pints of London Pale Ale (reviewed on here), a diet coke and two bags of nuts which came to £8.80 altogether. This is cheap enough in the middle of London I thought.

The range of beers on tap were as follows…

Adnams Bitter

Meantime LPA

Meantime Kolner

Meantime Helles

Meantime Wheat

Meantime  High Saison

Meantime London Stout

Aspall Suffolk Cider

As well as this they had a wide range of bottled ales and lagers that any respectable ale house would be proud to boast. For anyone who was unable to decide there were free samples offered and the staff were pleasant and approachable and I’m sure that they will have been happy to offer a helping word. In addition to this I note that the menus offered tasting notes on all of the drinks, dedicating 5 pages to beers and only 2 to food!!!

I certainly recommend this watering hole to anyone in London. Meantime make some cracking beers and they have hit the perfect mix of old and new, traditional and modern, in order to create the perfect environment to drink them in.

Tags: Food, Greenwich, London, Meantime, The Greenwich Union, Watering Hole

London Pale Ale

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Meantime Brewery – London Pale Ale, 4.3% abv, on tap from The Greenwich Union

This is quite a clear pale ale and immedately I could tell that it was well kept which was no surprise given that there was at least one pint on every table. I would imagine that thry fire through hundreds of pints of this a day.

To be honest I was quite worried about getting back on the ale today given that last night was a bit of a blockbuster but, as I sat in the pub garden taking my furst si, this was certainly no chore. The beer was quite flat, I think more so than the bottled version that I have had before, which give it a smoothness that meant it went down really well.

In terms of flavour this beer is tangy, with a citrus bitterness that is far from overpowering. This modest flavour, coupled with the smooth texture, make this what I would call a real session ale.

Tags: 4-5% ABV, citrus, London, London Pale Ale, Meantime, Smooth, smoothness, The Greenwich Union

The Beehive Bar, 60 Carter St, London

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I found this bar recommended in a review of places to go for real ales in London – I would be more than willing to pass the recommendation on to anyone else.

My guide for the day assured me that this wasn’t the best of areas in the capital and that he would be massively surprised if we found the sort of pub we were looking for, if I’m honest, as we walked from the tube, I began to believe him more and more. Keeping the faith I made him bash on and it wasn’t long before I was sat with my ale thinking ‘I wish I’d bet him a fiver’.

The pub, set back from the road, is smart, well kept and would surely grace any area of town. What it does have, and what I feel escapes many pubs as tidy as this, was a local atmosphere. There were a good number of locals drinking and chats at the urinal, what else do you need to feel immediately at home?

Turning to the beer I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the fact that there was only London Pride and one guest ale available on draft. ‘When in Rome……’ I had a London Pride and I have to say it was a belting pint. At the worst of times London Pride is a smooth, easy drinking, beer and on this hot afternoon, after the walk from the tube, that effect was definitely accentuated.

Credit to the landlord because the beer was poured with patience, allowed to settle, and then topped up after payment had been taken. My cynical companion, who was already lucky not to be a fiver lighter by this stage, thought this was only because it was the landlord and because the bar was quiet. Repeat visits proved him wrong again as the other staff carried on in exactly the same way.

I’m not really sure about the surroundings, or whether this place is accessible enough to drop in on a night out, but, all in all, I would have to say I’d be chuffed to bits with having The Beehive as my local.

Website – www.thebeehivebar.co.uk

Tags: Beehive, Garden, Local, London, London Pride, Patience

Gordon’s Wine Bar – Embankment, London

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I just loved this bar as soon as I walked through the door. Located near Embankment, off Strand, I assume that this place is quite well known but I was new and, despite the blazing sunshine and extensive outdoor seating, I intended to take in the full effect of the dark underground atmosphere. I am intelligent enough to know that I was essentially sat in a sewer but, with candles burning on the tables and dark cooling air, the atmosphere was undeniable.

I was unfortunately accompanied by my hairy Cypriot ex-university mate, but I got the definite feeling that, even with my natural deficiencies with the female of the species, I could make some progress by bringing a date here.

We were drinking the house Tempranillo which, at £4.10 a glass, was expensive (by Leeds prices) for a glass of house red. That said, it was a better quality wine than you can usually expect from the average house red and was, on reflection, worth the money.

I did not eat because I was too full from a Icco’s Pizza (Goodge Street) but the food looked great and reflected the flavour of the place. Check out the menu on the ‘Food’ section of the website… www.gordonswinebar.com

Tags: Add new tag, Food, Gordon's Wine Bar, London, Red Wine, Tempranillo

Porterhouse, Covent Garden, London

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Walking into the porterhouse it was immediately obvious that this was a ‘big name’ London pub. From the Nebuchadnezzar of Champagne just inside the door way to the hundreds of bottled drinks displayed around the walls, everything about this pub shouted that it was going to be a real treat for a beer lover.

I was wrong.

As it was only lunchtime and, knowing that I was going to be drinking well into the night, not wanting to be drinking anything too heavy too early, I asked the barman what Pale Ales or Golden Summer offerings they had (bearing in mind that this was a sunny bank holiday weekend). The answer was that they did not currently have any of these on draught, which, given the weather, to my mind seemed crazy. The barman then offered my a pint of porter, I’m not sure how he thought this would be good advice to someone looking for a pale or golden ale but there you go and he would have been doing his employer a better service by offering me bottled alternatives of what I actually wanted. Finally, after an admittedly unsolicited sample, I settled on a pint of the Porterhouse Red.

The beer is 4,4% abv and, while being deep red in colour and distinguishably hoppy in flavour, did not overpower. The beer was well kept and smooth, although the barman could have taken longer over the pouring and topped it up so that I didn’t need my snorkelling gear for the first mouthful.

I just could not get past the fact that they did not have a seasonal draft offering. It was not the light summer ale that I was looking for but I could well imagine it fitting well into the same situation in six month’s time. Perhaps stepping in from a Guy Fawkes celebration to sup in front of an open fire – that is where this beer would fit for me.

My conclusion on the Porterhouse I’m afraid is one of disappointment. To build up a catalogue of bottled beers and sell them to people attempting to show off to friends and colleagues takes no great skill. My own view is that bottled beers, now matter how varied, must be complimented by a full range of draught ales. To source and maintain these seasonal guest ales and keep them to the, admittedly very high, standards of the house beer takes the work of a real landlord This man will be recommended for all seasons, Porterhouse should only be visited when the house beers reflect the occasion.

Website: www.porterhousebrewco.com/index.html

Tags: 4-5% ABV, Bottled Beers, Covent Garden, London, Porterhouse