The beer gods have been smiling, recently

Before I continue the narrative that I began a few days ago, about my recent trip to Lewes, I’d like to highlight a few unexpected beer moments. By that I mean those occasions when you weren't expecting anything special from the beer, and then, quite out of the blue, it surprises you, transforming an ordinary experience into an exceptional one, and rewarding you with something that restores your faith in the brewers art. Exceptional is probably too strong a word, but when you come across something good that you weren't expecting, then it’s well worth shouting it from the rooftops. There has been three such events recently, including the one I’m about to write about, so let’s get stuck in to that one, before moving onto the other two.

The first event occurred last Thursday, when I visited the Humphrey Bean, which is the Wetherspoons outlet in Tonbridge. My decision to stop there was primarily due to time constraints, that arose after spending too much time attending to matters at home. The morning had started badly, as Eileen wasn’t required at her part time Thursday morning job until 10 am, which is 30 minutes later than usual. Seeing as I act as her chauffeur, that half hour delay impacted my schedule as well. My chauffeuring duties continue later in the day, as I also have to collect the lady of the house, from her workplace, so as you can see, there’s not a lot of time, withing that morning-early afternoon window.

Undeterred, I headed down into Tonbridge on foot, in order to pick up some shopping. On the way, I gave some thought to where I could get a quick lunch. Greggs seemed the obvious choice, and with the Humphrey Bean, virtually next door, my liquid refreshment requirements could be met as well. 

It was Spoons before Greggs, and the Bean seemed surprisingly busy for a Thursday lunch time. I'm no expert on this, of course, but with the majority of the middle tables, and the ones directly in front of the bar, occupied, there wasn’t much in the way of spare space. Fortunately, there were two vacant, small tables on the raised area, immediately in front of the window, but before grabbing one, I took a quick wander along the bar, to see what was on offer. This was despite the efforts of an overzealous barman, who seemed determined to rush me.

It didn’t take me long to settle on TEA (Traditional English Ale) from Hog’s Back Brewery. This long-established independent brewer has been turning out top-notch beers from its Manor Farm
base, just outside the Surrey village of Tongham, since 1991. The brewery takes its name from the nearby Hogs Back, a ridge of hills that looks just like a hog lying down. In medieval times, the Hogs Back was a route used by pilgrims and traders between Farnham and Guildford but now it is less glamorously known as the A31! Hogs Back beers were a quite familiar sight in this part of West Kent a decade or so ago, but given the competition from more recent and more localised startups, it's been quite a while since I last saw any  of the Tongham brewed beers on sale.  

Without hesitation I ordered a pint and was pleasantly surprised by the advertised price of just £1.49! Wow, how can they make any money on that? Still, that’s Tim's problem not mine, and whilst the thought crossed my mind that they were selling the beer off cheap to get shot of it that didn't seem to be the case. Instead, I’m pleased to report that the TEA was on top form, and I awarded that pint a well-deserved 4.0 on Untappd. There was only time for one pint, and a further disappointment was in store, when I arrived at Greggs, just after half one. To my intense annoyance, I discovered that all the pasties had been sold, so I had to make do with a steak bake – a poor substitute for a pasty, if ever there was one.

Surprise No.2 came the following day, during my visit to Lewes – see previous post. I won’t spoil too much of the story, but I’d chosen a Harvey’s pub called the Dorset, at the top end of Cliffe High Street. As you will learn, once I get to writing up the article, I hadn’t been in this particular pub for some considerable time, which was a pity, as it certainly exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed a spot of lunch there, but even more enjoyable was the pint of Harvey’s XXXX Old Ale. 

 This rich, dark, seasonal ale was in first class condition, so much so that I enjoyed every last drop. I scored it at 4.5 on Untappd, but with hind sight, it was worthy of an even higher score, possibly even an exalted 5.0. I wasn’t the only one to have thought so highly of the Dorset and its beers because in the comments section of that particular post, West Midlands legend, Stafford Paul, recorded that in his opinion the Dorset, was the best of Harvey’s Lewes pubs.

The third, and final, top-class beer associated with last weekend, was a can of Ouse Booze, that I acquired from Harvey’s excellent shop, in Cliffe High Street - after I had returned all those empties. Ouse Booze was originally brewed to commemorate, if that's the right word, the devastating flood that hit the centre of Lewes, 15 years ago, on 12^th October 2000. When the waters of the river Ouse inundated the brewery, staff were in the middle of brewing. Several days later, after the floodwaters had receded, the brew was rescued, combined with several other partially completed gyles, and left to ferment, prior to being bottled and sold for charity.  To reflect what had happened, the beer was named Ouse Booze. 

Twenty-five years later, a replica of this brew was produced using the same traditional methods, with malt and hops sourced from the original growers. The resulting beer was a smooth, full-bodied brew, with a gentle sweetness and notable fruit and hop character. Brewed to an abv of 6.5%, this beer is a real standout, and its availability in cans was an added bonus. I really enjoyed the one I brought back with me from Lewes and was left wishing that I should have purchased a few more. 

So, there we have it, three stand-out beers, all of them different, and all of them representing the pinnacle of the brewer’s art. As for that devastating flood, the entire brewery yard at Harvey's has been enclosed by a substantial brick wall which, in theory, should keep the majority of flood water out, if the River Ouse should decide to rise by that amount again.