Beers to note - February 2017

I'm a bit late in posting this as I had the in-laws over for two weeks which meant I haven't had time to write up. In February I managed to sample 51 different beers. Some were good (Which will be listed below) whilst others were not to my taste. One beer in particular that I had bought and was expecting good things from but which turned out to be the first beer in ages I was unable to complete and pour away was Flat White from ABC. I honestly tried to drink the beer but it was just tasting like coffee and wasn't enjoyable, and I struggled, even with it only being 330ml from a can. Thankfully I enjoyed the below beers a bit more, but we all have different tastes so I've no doubt others will have found the Flat White right up their street.


Brugse Zot (De Halve Maan) - 6.0% | Bottle 330ml
After a hard days work this was a nice beer to tuck into. It was a nice straw colour and have a fruity aroma and taste. At 6.0% though I'm leaving the other bottle for another time.




Bengal Lancer (Fullers) - 5.0% | Cask Pint
Lancer is one of my favourite Fullers ale. It's not too hoppy and has a nice malt flavour coming through. Although I believe its no longer a seasonal, I normally only see it on cask in the winter period. The bottle version though is readily available in London and comes in at a higher 5.3% ABV.






Davy's Old Wallops (Charles Wells) - 4.2% | Cask Pint
This was in my December beers to note and it's back here again. The beer was once again in fine form and easy to sup. It was made all the more enjoyable by the basement setting and the metal pewter it was served in.

Malt Brown (Harveys) - 4.8% | Keg Pint
My first Harveys keg beer and I was very impressed. This brown ale had the right sweeteness balance to it and went down a treat. I didn't realise it was coming in at 4.8% but I certainly think you could have a few of these in a night.







Chimay Blue Grande Reserve (Bieres de Chimay) - 9.0% | Bottle 330ml
I do like the Chimay beers and this was certainly a good one. Yes you can feel the percentage but it's not a burning or over powering taste. This one was so enjoyable I actually had another after, which I would suggest is not a good choice if the wife is expecting you home by a certain time.



Hertford Castle (McMullens) - 5.0% | Bottle 500ml
This is the first McMullen's beer I've had in a while that I could drink all night. I like McMullen's but have gone off their beer as the taste is just not right. This bottle version of Hertford Castle though was spot on. It was a nice sweet Pale Ale. I hope I can come across this on Cask soon.





Scrum Down (Sambrook's) - 4.0% | Cask Pint
A very decent Irish red ale from Sambrook's. It may be seasonal for the rugby but it had a nice sweetness to it with no bitterness. The only thing letting it down was the head retention but that could be more pub specific than brew related.






Little Tenderness (The Little Beer Corporation) - 5.4% | Keg Pint
First time I've come across this brewery. Beer had a roasted dark malty beer taste to it even though an amber. Slightly Smokey as well. Nice and different.











Barbarossa (Ilkley) - 5.0% | Keg Half Pint
Another red ale in the list. This one used Australian and New Zealand hops, but for me there wasn't a massive hop hit (Which is a good thing) and everything was nicely balanced.

London Pub Tour 24 - Strand: Champagne Charlie's (Revisit), Coal Hole and Savoy Tup

A Wednesday after work I decided to make a quick pop over to central (Strand) and tick off a couple more pubs on my London Pub Tour. My first stop though was a revisit to Champagne Charlie's (WC2R 0BA) which I had visited previously, and for my very first time, in London Pub Tour 6. For those of you who haven't (or don't wish to) read my previous visit, I shall give a brief description of Champagne Charlie's. The pub is just off the pedestrian walkway between Charing Cross station and Embankment. The entrance is just a door way downstairs into a cellar bar. The pub is actually quite spacious and serves two ales alongside a few lagers.

Last time I visited around the same time, and again the pub wasn't busy with only 3 other customers in there drinking. The same beers were available as the previous visit (Meantime, London Pale Ale, Old Wallop and Whitstable Bay). As the Old Wallop went down so well last time, particularly with the tankard, I opted for it again, and it didn't disappoint. Served once again in a tankard with a nice head and good flavour, it went down well. I sat in the seating area just to the left upon entering, which gave a view down the corner and a better view of all the seating on offer. Whilst drinking nobody else popped down, and this pub has certainly gone on my list for a nice place to enjoy a quiet read and pint on a early evening.

After finishing up I went back to the surface and down the Strand to the Coal Hole (WC2R 0DW). The Coal Hole is a Nicholson's pub facing onto the main road amongst theatres and restaurants. The pub itself is built into the Savoy hotel complex, but isn't part of nor does it have a direct link to the hotel. The exterior has been kept in good condition and certainly fits with the lights of the surrounding theatres. Inside the pub was heaving. Fighting my way through to the bar I seen the usual lager offers from Nicholson's of Peroni, Meantime Pale Ale, Camden Hells, Carling and others. On the ale front they had Pride, Nicholson's Pale Ale, White Ale and Musselburgh Broke. As I'd never seen the Musselburgh Broke by Knops Beer Company, it was clearly the beer I went for. This was a nice dark Scottish ale that wasn't complex in flavours, and was just simple and easy to glup.

The inside of the Coal Hole is actually very nice, and is certainly more enjoyably when less busy, though this is a very popular pub. This is a small upper level in the pub with some nice paintings but also a view across the pub and of the hanging lights. Sadly this is the most popular area so is difficult to get seating there even on non-busy days. The bar is large but even on busy days like this it's not enough to cope with the competing demands of thirsty customers. As it was so busy and noisy I wolfed down my pint and made my escape onto the Savoy Tup (WC2R 0BA).

I've not actually been to the Savoy Tup previously and never actually seen the frontage to it. The pub is just off the Strand and only a short walk from the Coal Hole. The pub was also busy but not heaving and I was able to find a resting point to put down my drink. The drink selection was varied though only two out of the four hand pumps on, but offering up Hophead and Talisman by Pilgrim. On keg they offered Angelo Poretti, Becks Vier, Riegele, Erdinger and San Miguel. Though I instead was drawn to the the can beers I could see from Backyard Brewing. I ended up selecting The Lawn Mower which came in at 4.8%. It was a pilsner beer with hints of grass clippings taste, which I guess is the reasoning for calling it Lawn Mower, though it was so subtle it didn't impact upon what was a good tasting pilsner.

The Savoy Tup was decorated quite traditional, and had a dinning room and the toilets upstairs. The clientele were mainly suits but the atmosphere didn't come across like many others that way (The Guineas for example). Sadly my quick whistle stop tour of two new pubs and a revisit was over as my phone rang and I had to be on my merry way. The Coal Hole is certainly recommended during less busy times, and the Tup will be one I would revisit for some of the beers I seen there.

Beers to note - December 2016

In December, due to it being Christmas I did drink a lot of seasonal and special Christmas and winter brews. These beers are always hit and miss and so perhaps next year I'll avoid all the seasonal ones that crop up, apart from the big hitting seasonal regulars from Harveys and Shep Neame. This is reflected in my list below of beers to note:


Bloody Notorious (Beavertown) - 9.1%
This was a beer in a can that I shared due to it being such a high hitter. It tasted amazing. Big hop hits, fruit notes not entirely orange as they try to make out and abv not feeling higher than 6%.

Davy's Old Wallops (Charles Wells) - 4.2%
Now I'm not sure if it was the mug it was served in that made this beer stand out for me, but it tasted great. Was smooth and easy drinking session beer that is well worth trying.

Organic Chocolate Stout (Samuel Smiths) - 5%
This beer is one of my all time favourites. Actually this and any of the fruit beers that Sam's do. The chocolate favour is amazing, it smooth and creamy to drink, doesn't feel like any percentage, which of course is dangerous. Though you certainly can't have more than 2 of these in a session as they are heavy and will become to sickly sweet.

Delirium Noel (Brouwerij Huyghe) - 10%
This was a heavy hitter but again was a bottle share. The citrus smell coming off it was everything you would expect from the perfect Belgium beer. It's taste was exactly following on from the scent and went down a treat, but you do easily feel the ABV on it, which is a very good thing for a double digit beer.

Trooper Red 'N' Black Porter (Robinsons) - 6.8%
I've included this one as I had been looking for it for a while and happened upon it by chance but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. It was of course red when held up in the light much like a Guinness but it lacked that bit extra I was expecting. It was a decent beer and I would definitely drink again, but I think maybe my own hype let this one down.

Santi-Freeze (Burton Bridge) - 4.5%
This was the best Christmas themed beer for me. perfectly balanced beer that was easy to drink and I had a few as part of my session which is unusual for a Christmas beer.

Icelandic Arctic Pale Ale (Einstok) - 5.6%
Einstok make amazing beers, is my judgement after drinking this one. I'd previously had their stout and still have a another one spare to drink. The pale ale was just as well developed. Beautiful crisp beer that makes you want more. Now I need to find the White Ale, just hope my hype doesn't get the better of me like it did with Trooper.

Stiegl Pils (Stiegl) - 4.9%
A beautiful tasting Pils that shows up some of the mainstream Pils we have over here like Camden Pils or Veltins. This beer shows how a Pils should be done and was a pleasure to drink