Normal Service Will Be Resumed Soon.

My son and I returned yesterday from a much needed, and long desired break in Munich. This wasn't a trip about tracking down obscure beers, or world classics, although we did come up with a couple of winners. It was more a case of enjoying the Bavarian capital, visiting some fantastic Biergartens and just generally chilling out.

The weather was glorious (sunny and warm), the food was hearty and high in calories, and although most of the beer we drunk came from the city's industrial size brewers, it still slipped down a little too easily! Above all we enjoyed that hard to defne mood/state/atmosphere that the Irish call Craic, the Danes Hygge and the Germans Gemuetlichkeit. There was certainly plenty of the latter in the Hofbraeuhaus; and yes we did manage to get served in less than five minutes on both visits!

There's much to report; mainly good, and I'll be elaborating further over the next week or two. In the meantime, I've a lot of catcing up to do and it's also back to work in the morning. An early night is therefore in order. Bye for now.

A Bus Trip to Lewes

It's Friday and the first day of my holiday, so what better way to spend it than in the company of friends visiting an historic town and taking in some unspoilt pubs? We were supposed to be attending the South Downs Festival in Lewes; in fact one of our party had been down to the county town a couple of weeks previously specifically to buy tickets for this "ticket only"event. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful in his quest, as all outlets had sold out. He even tried to purchase some in nearby Brighton. Undaunted we decided to travel down to Lewes anyway, but instead of visiting the beer festival we decided to have a tour around some of the town's pubs.

We stuck to our original plan which was to travel down to Lewes by bus. Brighton & Hove Buses operate an hourly service from Tunbridge Wells to Brighton, calling of course at Lewes en route. What's more the return fare is an unbeatable £3.70. Most of our group though, including myself, were starting from Tonbridge, so we had to buy an Explorer Day Ticket allowing us to use both the local Arriva services as well as those of the aforementioned Brighton & Hove Buses. This cost £6.80; still very reasonable given the distance involved.

Three of us set off from Tonbridge, alighting outside the BBC building in Tunbridge Wells where we were joined by Clive, the fourth member of our party, and the volunteer who had earlier attempted to obtain our tickets for the beer festival. The weather was chilly for the time of year, but dry, and after crossing the border into foreign parts (Sussex) we enjoyed a pleasant journey through the rolling wealden countryside. A little over an hour later we had arrived in the county town of East Sussex.

Our first port of call was the Harveys Brewery Shop, primarily to browse what was on offer in this well-stocked emporium, so that we could pick up heavy purchases, such as bottles of beer, glassware etc, later. Then, after Clive has led us to an independent record shop in the backstreets near the station, we climbed up to what is effectively the town centre, close to the law courts and the town's imposing castle.

A bit more browsing and it was time for our first pub and first pint of the day. Passing the long-closed Star Brewery (now converted into various craft workshops), that formerly belonged to Beard & Co, we made our way to one of the latter's former pubs, the unspoilt Lewes Arms. This solidly traditional back street local made national headlines a few years ago when it took on the might of Greene King. The Suffolk company had begun removing Harveys Best from all the former Beards pubs it acquired following the takeover of the company in 1998. However, regulars at the Lewes Arms were not prepared to give up their favourite tipple without a fight, and begun a boycott of Greene King products, and the pub itself. After adverse publicity, first in the local press, but then later nationally, Greene King relented and Harveys was restored to the Lewes Arms. A few years ago the pub had yet another new owner; this time Fullers. The Chiswick brewers though knew better than to try and remove the locals' favourite beer and today Harveys Best is on sale alongside a range of  Fullers and Gales beers.

Being the first pint of the day, two of us opted for the 3.9% Summer Ale; but Kevin couldn't resist the temptation of his favourite tipple and went straight in on the HSB! What is nice about the Lewes Arms is that it is a real community pub. It has three separate rooms, which are used by a variety of customers who comprise both local as well as visitors like ourselves. There is also a collection of traditional pub games, including the rare Sussex game of Toad in the Hole. 

We had a long day ahead so just had the one there, before departing for a further look around. The pub is built beneath the castle ramparts so we climbed up towards the summit on which stands the castle itself. From here we had an uninterrupted view north, across the town, towards the downs, and from the viewing platform could see the site of the Battle of Lewes which took place in 1264, and which saw the defeat of King Henry III and his army by forces led by Simon de Monfort, Earl of Leicester.

We were getting peckish by now, so making our way past the base of the impressive and commanding castle keep,  found our way to the second pub on our itinerary, the Brewers Arms. This family run free-house  occupies an attractive brick and part half-timbered building in the High Street and, as a terracotta plaque on the wall indicates, was once owned by Page & Overton, who brewed at Shirley, near Croydon. The Brewers is another pub with more than one bar; the front one, which is the more comfortable of the two, is for eating as well as drinking, whilst the larger bar at the rear, is more for pub games and stand-up drinking.

There was a good selection of beers available, but most of us opted for Hop Twister from Salopian Brewery, a pale, intensely-hopped 4.5% abv beer, that was both thirst quenching and satisfying. I also enjoyed an excellent steak and kidney pie, complete with new potatoes and a selection of vegetables, all for the princely sum of £7.00; real value indeed! Afterwards I risked a half of Dark Star Victorian Ruby Mild; a fine beer, but brewed to a typical Victorian strength of 6.0% abv! As well as the aforementioned beers, the Brewers Arms had a cask ale from Cotswold Brewery on sale, alongside the ubiquitous, and almost compulsory for Lewes, Harveys Best. I didn't take a lot of notice as to what the beer was called, but looking at Cotswold's website they seem to concentrate solely on lagers and wheat beers, rather than  English-style ales. All in all I was very impressed with the Brewers Arms, as I had been some four years previously on a similarly cold June day, when my friend Eric and I walked the South Downs Way.

It was a bit of a hike to the third pub on our itinerary, but the first part at least was all downhill. We called in at another record shop en route, but Clive was still unable to procure the obscure bluegrass cd he was looking for, and then continued down towards the Cliffe area of the town. Crossing the River Ouse by Harneys Brewery, we also passed the legendary Gardener's Arms, which we would be visiting later. We continued to the end of Cliffe High Street and turned left into South Street. At the far end we eventually reached our destination, the quirky Snowdrop Inn.  Rather than being named after winter flower the Snowdrop commemorates the Lewes Avalanche, which occurred on 27 December 1836, when a huge build-up of snow on a chalk cliff overlooking the town collapsed into the settlement 100 metres below, destroying a row of cottages and killing eight people. It remains the deadliest avalanche on record in the United Kingdom. The present pub was built on the site of the destroyed cottages, and named the Snowdrop in memory of this tragic event.

This was my first visit to the pub in nearly 20 years. When I worked in the town it was the nearest pub to the factory where I was employed, and was therefore a natural choice for a lunchtime drink Even back then it was a quirky sort of place, but I gather it had become rather run-down during the years in between before it was rescued by its current owners, in 2009. To me though, not a lot appeared to have changed, although the attractive, narrow-boat style paintings and decorations on the walls are a new and welcome addition.

The pub was pleasantly empty when we arrived, although that was soon to change when the beer festival closed  for the afternoon break. I noticed the pub had Budvar Light and Dark on tap, alongside Brooklyn Lager, but tempted though I was by the last two named beers, decided to stick to the more traditional offerings the pub had on sale, and was drawn to the two beers from Dark Star: American Pale Ale and Saison. The first beer was excellent, the second not so good, but still drinkable. It reminded me of a wheat beer; a style I have never been particularly keen on.

Time was moving on, and as a couple of our party were keen to get back in time for the England v. Sweden game, we had made a provisional decision to travel back by the 17.45 service. We re-traced our foot steps and made our way to the aforementioned Gardener's Arms. As expected, it was heaving and, regrettably, the Kissing Gate Smelter's Stout that I'd noticed on sale when we'd walked past earlier,  had all gone, (no doubt the refugees from the Beer Festival were partly to blame!). We still managed to find some space in the room at the rear, and I grabbed a couple of halves of Pot Belly Ambrosia Mild (pleasant, but nothing special) and Green Jack Mahseer IPA, (excellent).

I have known the Gardener's on and off over many years; it is a narrow pub with rooms to the front and rear of the central servery. Basic, probably sums it up, but it has always majored on serving an eclectic selection of beers, from some of the lesser known micro-breweries, although it has also in the past stocked "badged beers" from the likes of Archers and Cottage. The Archers connection is perhaps understandable, as I gather the guvnor is a Swindon Town FC fan; why else would there be a  photo of the team in the gents? Having said that it's a cracking pub, with an interesting mix of both regulars and visitors alike.

There was time for just one more pint before  catching the bus home. Just round the corner of the next block lies the John Harvey Tavern; the closest pub to Harvey's Brewery, and one that stocks a wide range of the company's beers. So far as I remember, the John Harvey has only been a pub for around 15 years, but the building itself is much older, and is constructed from local flints. .As mentioned earlier, the pub stocks a good selection of Harvey's beers, some of which are dispensed by gravity from casks kept behind the bar. My pint of  Armada was certainly in tip-top condition.

We stood outside, enjoying the sunshine, but all too soon it was time to go. The bus we had selected was the express service with  fewer stops and hence a much faster journey time home. It had been an excellent day out; much better than being stuck inside a beer festival. The visit  reminded me just what a charming town Lewes is; charming yet at the same time slightly Bohemian in character and possessed by an independent spirit coupled with a strong sense of local pride. It's a town I will keep going back to, as it has the right mixture of drive, quirkiness and sense of its own past to want to draw people back. Also there are several more interesting pubs just waiting to be explored!
 

As you may have gathered, I have something of a soft spot for Lewes. This historic old town nestles in a fold in the South Downs, and with its narrow twisting streets, and  attractive ancient buildings, occupies a fitting role as the county town of East Sussex. Lewes has some deep-rooted traditions, the best known of which are the famous bonfire-night celebrations that take place every year  on November 5th. Then the whole town comes to a standstill, as various local bonfire-societies parade through the town in a  variety of colourful costumes.

Probably the main reason though why Lewes rate so highly in my affections, is that it is home to my favourite brewery - Harvey & Son Ltd. In addition, but of secondary importance, is the fact that I spent  three and a half years working just outside the town. Although I disliked the job I was doing (as well as the long journey each way), I did leave a number of good friends there when I left.

You can see Lewes lying like a box of toys under a great amphitheatre of chalk hills ... on the whole it is set down better than any town I have seen in England.

— William Morris (1834-1896)

A Curious Brew?

In my last post I mentioned how the number of breweries in Kent had now reached the magic figure of 25, and wondered if this number could survive in what is a very competitive and, at times, cut-throat market. However, reading reports submitted by  the various CAMRA Brewery Liaison Officers, it seems they are all reporting buoyant and, often increasing, sales which is good news indeed. One way they can continue to grow is by specialising in certain areas and, perhaps offering something unique that will appeal to certain small, but growing niche markets. The latter course can quite often be financially rewarding for a company, particular when it is one of the first on the scene

I was prompted to write this post after picking up a couple of what I would call "boutique-style" beers in our local Waitrose the other day, and having tried them I have to say they are rather good. The beers in question are Curious Porter and Curious IPA. Both come packaged in attractively labelled 33cl bottles and, what's more, they appear to be brewed in Kent.  According to the back label on the bottle, the beers are produced by English Wines Group plc., at the Chapel Down Winery, just outside Tenterden. This company does NOT feature on the list I alluded to in my last post, so if they are actually brewed at Tenterden, this brings the number if breweries in the county to 26!




Curious Porter is described as a "Bottle-conditioned, English Porter, matured with oak". It has an abv of 5.0% and according to the producers has been brewed from a mixture of crystal, chocolate, black and amber malts, all made from floor malted Sussex barley. The "bittering hop" is Sussex grown Admiral with a small amount of Goldings added as late hops. The notes then go on to say: "Matured with oak to give a delicate balance of sweetness and bitterness, this beer is bottle-conditioned and un-pasteurised to preserve the extraordinary flavours."

Curious IPA is described as an "Intensely hopped India Pale Ale". It has an abv of 5.6% and is brewed using the finest pale ale malt and three complimentary hops; Goldings, Bramling Cross and Citra. The producers claim that in balancing these three hops they have created "a beer of great power yet drinkable harmony." Whilst I wouldn't quite put it that way myself, I have to agree they have created an excellent beer, and one I will certainly be trying again.

The porter is equally good, and looking on the company's website, I notice they also produce a similarly packaged, 4.7% abv lager, called simply Curious Brew, which is cold-filtered and un-pasteurised. Although one might expect a corporate website to say this, there appears to be a good ethos about the company, and they certainly seem committed to producing top quality wines and beers. They state "We have assembled a team of highly professional, talented people who share an ambition to create truly World Class, interesting, distinctive and award-winning wines that will surprise and delight the most discerning consumers." 


It appears that renowned brewer Andy Hepworth, has been involved with the brewing, so whether the beers are produced at his Horsham brewery rather than Tenterden, remains to be seen. Whatever the case they are very good and well worth a try if you spot them on the shelf of your local supermarket.

"Curious Brew is a range of three beers that are a fusion of brewing and wine-making techniques.
Drawing on both beer know how from Andy Hepworth multi-award winning brewer from Sussex and wine-making expertise from Chapel Down, we believe this range of beer offers the discerning beer drinker a unique experience.
Well balanced, carefully considered and patiently brewed. Curious Brew represents the best of English brewing."

Kent's Quarter Century

Well it's official, as I've just received confirmation via CAMRA's Regional Brewery Report, that the number of breweries operating in Kent has  reached 25. Not bad for a county the size of ours, and whilst I have reservations as to whether all these companies can survive, it is still an achievement to be proud of.

The breweries range in size from brew-pubs (we have two in the county; one in the east and one in the west), through to Kent's largest, and the country's oldest, brewery - Shepherd Neame of Faversham. In between are the likes of some of the longer established concerns such as Gadds, Goachers, Hodaemon, Larkins, Millis, Nelson, Westerham and Whitstable,  plus more recent arrivals such as Black Cat, Kent Brewery, Moodleys, Old Dairy, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge Brewery.

Now with the establishment of brand new breweries in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Hythe and Maidstone the magic figure of 25 has been reached. As I said at the beginning, I just hope there is sufficient trade in the county for them all to survive as, in common with other parts of the country, we have had casualties in the past; Ales of Kent, Kent Garden Brewery and Swale Brewery spring to mind.

In the meantime though, I haven't managed to sample the wares of all of Kent's breweries yet; in fact I still have a fair way to go with the products of 10 enterprises yet to try! For a list of all the county's breweries please click on the following link. Kent Breweries.

Diamond Jubilee Weekend.

Well  I'm sitting here, enjoying a beer or two whilst watching the end of the Jubilee Concert and there's still one more day to go! The weather's been slightly better than yesterday, which wouldn't be difficult, but hey it's not been a bad Diamond Jubilee Weekend so far.


Saturday saw a group of us attending the beer festival at the Halfway House at Brenchley which, as always, didn't disappoint.  There were fifty cask ales on sale, all in tip top condition, served in the splendid rural setting that is the garden of this legendary West Kent pub. As usual Dave Aucutt of East-West Ales had selected and sourced the beers and also written the tasting notes. Highlights for me were Hawkshead Windermere Pale, Naylor's Velvet, Yeovil Stargazer and York Centurion's Ghost. The weather stayed dry, and the sun even came out for a while in the afternoon. A few of us had walked over, and a couple of us walked back. The festival continues until tomorrow, Tuesday, when a total of 75 different beers will have been served.

Yesterday, we joined friends for an excellent jubilee dinner where, despite the inclement weather we sat out under a gazebo in the garden enjoying our meal and raising a toast to Her Majesty.

Today I've managed to do a bit in the garden as well as catch up on some domestic chores. Alongside the excellent beers I enjoyed at the Halfway House, two bottled beers really stand out this weekend. The first was M & S London Porter. Brewed exclusively for Marks and Spencer by Meantime Brewery of Greenwich, this 5.5% abv beer claims to be brewed to an authentic recipe from 1750. Seven different malts are used in the beer; it doesn't say what they are, (apart from malted barley and wheat!), but the beer is described as having  "A sweet caramel flavour, followed by a smoky maltiness." The beer is dark reddish-brown in colour, as all good porters should be, rather than jet black, (probably a much more authentic colour). There is a definite chocolate flavour, so far as I am concerned, and one that is decidedly moreish.  One would expect a brewery with credentials such as Meantime to have done their research thoroughly, and the end result is one that definitely does not disappoint. This is definitely one of the best beers I have sampled in a long time!

The other beer is an old favourite; Adnams Broadside. The bottled version weighs in at a hefty 6.3% abv, as opposed to just 4.7% for the cask version, but really is the perfect marriage of malt and hops, especially after an hour or so's chilling in the fridge! Enjoying a glass of this excellent beer whilst listening to U2's Beautiful Day blasting out from the computer's speakers really is the way to end a perfect day.

As for tomorrow, well the forecast is showing a promising start, but after that it goes rapidly downhill. If I can finish off what I started earlier in the garden before the rain sets in then perhaps a trip down to our local Wetherspoons in the afternoon is in order, if only to see what beers they've got left on sale. Hopefully the range is more inspiring than it was last time I called in; but that's another story!

The Kentish Rifleman - Dunk's Green

Friday,  like both yesterday and today, was a gloriously hot and sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky. It was the ideal day for a walk in the picturesque Kent countryside, taking in a pub stop, or two, along the way.  I've got some leave to use up, so had booked the day off work and couldn't have been more fortuitous in my choice.

I had been in contact with my friend Don who, like myself, is a keen walker, and we had decided to visit the Kentish Rifleman in the tiny hamlet of  Dunk's Green, situated between Plaxtol and West Peckham. Although Don is quite familiar with this pub, it is getting on for twenty years since my last visit, so a return there was long overdue.

We caught the bus as far as Hadlow, alighting at the far end of the village, and then followed a series of footpaths that led us slowly up towards the Greensand Ridge. We stopped on a suitably sited seat, amongst a field of cows, to eat our sandwiches and take in the view. Although conditions were slightly hazy, we could see back towards Tonbridge and across to Castle Hill on the horizon. We then turned due west, skirting the Victorian pile of Oxen Hoath House before coming across the sadly closed Artichoke pub at Hamptons. Now converted into private dwellings,  I couldn't help reflect on the loss of this fine old attractive inn. I'm not quite certain of the reasons for the pub's closure, (property prices probably) and can't remember quite when it took place, but I remember being surprised when I heard the news, as it always seemed a really popular venue.

Crossing the lane in front of  the Artichoke, we continued through cornfields, along the Greensand Way,  in a roughly north-westerly direction, eventually arriving at our destination around 1.30 pm. It wasn't a long walk, by any stretch of the imagination, but with temperatures in the mid to high twenties it was probably far enough. From the outside the pub looked little changed from how I remembered it 20 odd years ago, and indeed stepping inside not much seemed to have altered either. This, whilst welcoming, was slightly surprising as I knew the pub had suffered a serous fire back in 2007 that had caused substantial damage to this early 16th Century building.

There are still effectively two bars, with the more comfortably furnished "saloon" to the rear of the pub. After ordering our beer we walked through the latter and out into the very pleasant and secluded garden. Finding a suitably shady spot we sat down to enjoy our beer - Tolly Cobbold English Ale, sold at  £2.75 a pint. I have to say that despite its low strength of just 2.8% abv  I really enjoyed this beer. On a hot summer's day it was just what the doctor ordered, and ticked all the right boxes so far as I was concerned. The beer certainly had plenty of flavour, and was so enjoyable that we both decided to go for a second pint as well! Other beers on sale at the Rifleman  were Harvey's Best (it gets everywhere, but is still a cracking pint!), and Native, a 3.7% abv offering from Whitstable Brewery.

I wouldn't say the pub was packed, but there was a steady flow of customers, most of who were taking advantage, like ourselves, of the opportunity of some al fresco eating and drinking. We left the pub just after 3pm, when it closed for the afternoon break (not a lot of point of being  open all day around here). We headed back towards Hadlow, following a slightly different route through the delightful, and virtually hidden, Bourne Valley. What was noticeable about both the outward and return journeys, was the fact we never saw another soul on either walk, which was puzzling on such a lovely day. Perhaps it shows that even here in the over-crowded South East it is still sometimes possible to escape the crowds.

We arrived back in Hadlow shortly before five o'clock, which left time for a quick pint in the Two Brewers, one of the four pubs that now remain in the village, and one that is easily the best. The fact that the Two Brewers belongs to Harveys of Lewes is the first thing in its favour, the second being it is still a proper village local.with two bars and a variety of traditional pub games. Its biggest plus though is the quality of its beer, with Cask Marque accreditation and Good Beer Guide status reflecting this. We were spoilt for choice with Harvey's Dark Mild, Knots of May Light Mild, Hadlow Pale, Olympia and Armada on sale alongside the Best Bitter. Don opted for the 3.0% Knots of May, whilst I went for the 3.5%  Hadlow Pale. Both, I'm happy to report, were in tip-top condition.

We could have stayed for another, but as both of us had a lot of things to do come the weekend we reluctantly left the pub, wandered down to the main square and caught the bus back to Tonbridge. It had been a most enjoyable day out that was made all the more so by the glorious weather, the attractive scenery and two excellent, but very different, pubs, both of which appear to be doing well and bucking the national trend!

Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche

I'm drinking a beer that is getting on for a year past its sell by date. I bought it back in December 2010 whilst on a trip to Bamberg in what must have been one of the coldest, and snowiest, winters of recent times. The beer in question is Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche, and I picked it up, along with a host of others, in what is undoubtedly Bamberg's most famous pub, the Schlenkerla tavern. It is a Doppelbock style beer, and with an abv of 8.0% is not a beer to be taken lightly. It is perhaps slipping down rather too easily for a beer of this strength so it's just as well I've only got the one to enjoy!

Many readers will be familiar with the Rauchbier (Smoke Beer) produced by Heller-Braeu Trum, with its highly distinctive taste derived from the malt used in its production being kilned over fires of beechwood logs. This gives the beer a pronounced smoky character that some people just cannot get on with but which I find most enjoyable and even quite addictive. What makes the Eiche Doppelbock different though is that the malt  is dried over oak, rather than the usual beechwood. This imparts a totally different taste to the finished beer. I don't know if the much longer maturation period my beer has been through has mellowed the smokiness, or whether oak gives a smoother flavour anyway, but this really is a superb beer that is none the worst for being kept way beyond its best before date. Chewy toffee malt is to the fore, although the aroma still has a distinctive smokiness about it. The brewery's own tasting notes indicate that "Oak Smoke Malt has a smoother and more multi layered smoky note than the intensely aromatic Beech Smoke Malt.", and this bears out my comments above.
 
I did sample the beer on draught during my visit some 18 months ago, although I can't really remember what it tasted like. Despite being filtered, my bottle had thrown quite a sediment, so required careful pouring. It was definitely worth  the long wait to finally enjoy this excellent beer.

ps. I still have a couple of bottles left over from my period of abstention that are also well passed  their best before dates. Both are from Woodforde's, and both are bottle-conditioned. They were sent by the brewery's PR Company for me to review.  Regular readers will know I am not a great lover of BCA's, especially as the process seems to be so hit and miss. Hopefully these bottles may have improved, rather than deteriorated,  but I obviously won't  know until I try them.  
(The Brakspear's Triple, which I reviewed recently,  was a similar age, so perhaps the Woodforde's offerings will also be ok.)