November's dark compensations

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost a week into November now. It’s the 11^th month of yet another year, and like many that have gone before it, where has that year gone?  November is definitely my least favourite month, as it not only heralds the end of autumn and the start of winter, but it is the season of mist and fog, dull, overcast skies, often accompanied by a persistent drizzle, that almost imperceptibly soaks into one’s clothes and, along with the cold, seeps into one’s bones as well.  There’s something about November which makes people want to curl up in front of a nice warm fire and hibernate. 

This November, the temperatures have been unseasonably mild so far, although the same cannot be said for the amount of rainfall. It’s almost as if mother nature is attempting to make up for the shortfalls experienced over the summer months, but for those struggling at the thought of paying their heating bills, the mild weather does at least provide some respite against astronomically rising energy costs.

I've written several previous posts about November, and each time I've written pretty much the same things, so at the risk of not boring people, I won't repeat myself. What I will say is the month does have its some good points, and the best of these are the appearance of seasonal dark beers, such as Old Ales Porter's and other wintry delight's.

Unlike previous years, I’m somewhat ahead of the game, having already tracked down both Larkin’s Porter, and Harvey's Old Ale. Finding the porter on sale at the Nelson Arms, a couple of weeks ago, was both a bonus and a big surprise, as up until now, it had always been something of a tradition for Larkin’s to hold back release of this strong and satisfying dark ale, until Bonfire Night. That’s this weekend, and a brief visit yesterday to Lewes, was proof that November 5^th celebrations are very much alive and kicking.

According to rumour, Larkin’s are making their porter beer much more widely available, and there was even talk of it being on sale all year round. Personally, I can’t see much porter being sold during the summer months, as whilst it is undoubtedly good, it really is a beer that is far more suited to late autumn and winter drinking. However, with founder and owner Bob Dockerty now in his 80’s, there might be a change of policy at Larkin’s, with the possible aim of introducing the porter to a wider audience.

It was that visit to Lewes which, unsurprisingly, provided the perfect opportunity to enjoy a glass of Harvey’s delectable XXXX Old Ale. It was just a glass, as I was driving, but I used the visit as an excuse to call in at the Harvey’s Shop to drop off the dozen empty bottles I’d accumulated over the past year (Harvey’s are one of the very few UK breweries to wash and then refill their empties), pick up a few full ones and also get my 4-pint carry-out container filled with something dark and strong.

I dropped off Mrs PBT’s at the large Tesco superstore, overlooking the River Ouse, and then took a walk along the footpath that runs adjacent to the river, and into Cliffe High Street. This part of the town was obviously preparing for the following day’s November 5^th celebrations, with banners hung across the street, commemorating the 17 Protestant martyrs, burned at the stake between 1555 and 1557, during the reign of Queen Mary. The town marks this event alongside celebrations marking the discovery of the 1605 plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, so the anti-papal theme, evident in parts of the town, come as no surprise.

Lewes can become very over-crowded during the bonfire celebrations, so much so that non-residents of the town, are actively discouraged from attending. The large windows of Harvey’s Shop were shuttered with plywood, as a safety precaution, although there were signs yesterday, stating that the premises were open for business as usual. Before calling in there, I walked a little further, to the John Harvey Tavern, opposite the brewery entrance, confident that this pub, which acts as the brewery tap, would have Old Ale on sale.

My confidence was not misplaced, and whilst the pub was pleasantly busy, both inside and out, I was able to get served at the bar, more or less straight away. As might be expected of the brewery’s showcase pub, there was a wide range of Harvey’s beers on sale, alongside the Old, but I only had eyes for the one brew. XXXX Old Ale is one of my favourites of this style of beer, although it is only available during the autumn and winter months (October – March). It is only normally available in Harvey's tied pubs but can occasionally be found the free trade.

A bottled version is also produced, and several off licences close to where I live stock the beer, but for some inexplicable it is brewed to a significantly lower strength – 3.6%, as opposed to 4.3% for the cask version.  The cask was on top form at the John Harvey Tavern, but as we’d driven to Lewes, I could only have the one. I’d also arranged to meet Mrs PBT’s at the supermarket checkout.  There was a good mix of casual drinkers and more serious diners at the pub, with some from both groups, sitting outside, enjoying the unexpected bonus of a sunny day, after all the recent rain.

I finished my beer and headed to the brewery shop. There was quite a queue of customers waiting to be served, so I joined them after first selecting a few bottles. When it was my turn at the counter, I handed over my two bags of empties, along with my 4-pint container. As well as Best Bitter and Old Ale, the seasonal Bonfire Boy was also available on draught. In my opinion, the latter is one of the best seasonal ales in Harvey’s cannon, so I requested that my container be filled up.

I only just made it back to Tesco’s in time, but the lady of the house was in a good mood, having procured several items that hadn’t been available locally. The store itself was very busy, presumably due to people stocking up ahead of the following day bonfire celebrations. The local council had been busy putting out traffic cones, to restrict most on-street parking, and the lady on the checkout informed us that the store would be closing at 4pm on Saturday. 

That’s almost it for the time being, certainly on the beer front, although I am slowly replenishing my stock of bottles and cans ready for the approach of Christmas. I’d deliberately allowed stocks to run down over the summer months, and with foreign trips few and far between this year, there’s been little coming in from overseas. My visit to the Harvey Shop was just the beginning of this re-stocking exercise, and I’m looking at several other options for home drinking, including one or two of those 5 litre mini kegs. In the meantime, I’ve got a few pints of Bonfire Boy to get stuck into, so until the next post, it’s farewell for the time being.