It's a perfect five!

I had an exceedingly rare experience the other day, when I awarded a beer on Untappd, with a score of 5.0. Those of you that are familiar with this beer ticking app will know that a 5.0 is the highest score possible, and as with CAMRA’s beer scoring option (for members only), on its What Pub app, five is a score that is rarely given. The lucky beer was one that I’d been keeping in my stash for some time, and was a bottle-conditioned barley wine, called A Over T, brewed by Hog’s Back Brewery at their plant in Tongham, Surrey.

 I’m not quite sure how or where I acquired this bottle, but it was a 2021 vintage. Described as a multi award winning barley wine, the Best Before Date, on the bottle neck wasn’t really legible, but 3-4 years on from its brew-date, the beer was certainly very drinkable. Actually, that is an understatement, as that 330 ml bottle of A Over T was more than just drinkable, it was absolutely amazing and definitely worthy of an Untappd score of 5.0!

This beer represents only the third time I've ever given a score of five on Untappd, a fact I know to be true, as the app has feature where you can look back and search though all the scores you’ve given over the years (it’s easy with a score of 5.0, but something of a nightmare when there are umpteen 4.0’s, or 3.5’s). So before moving on to describe A Over T in more detail, what were those other two top-scoring beers?

Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Dopplebock, brewed in Bamberg, Franconia, by the legendary Schlenkerla Brewery, is one of them, and it was on sale at Tonbridge Fuggle’s, over the Christmas and New Year period. I enjoyed a glass of this rich, and warming 8.0% abv, oak-smoked beer, on New Year’s Eve, and the reason for giving it top marks was its tremendous depth of flavour. A beer to savour, and one which brought back pleasant memories of drinking in Bamberg’s legendary Schlenkerla Tavern.

I stumbled cross the third top scoring beer in July 2019 when, at the end of a three-day walk along a stretch of the North Downs Way, I stopped off in Canterbury, for a well-earned pint. The pub I chose was the Old Buttermarket, an historic pub, right in the centre of the city, which overlooks a small pedestrianised square, right opposite the cathedral gate. The tables and chairs set outside always look inviting, especially in summer, and after a tiring 10 mile walk into the city that pint of Pilsner Urquell at the Old Buttermarket, was one of the finest pints of beer it has been my privilege to drink – and I don’t say that lightly!

Before taking my glass outside, I took another mouthful of the beer, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t, the beer was absolutely brilliant, and I couldn’t believe my good fortune. I sat down at one of the tables facing the cathedral gate, feeling totally relaxed and at one with the world. This wasn’t just down to the smugness of having completed my walk, but much more to the excellence of the beer.

The strange thing is that I’ve put away many glasses of Pilsner Urquell, including on two separate visits to the brewery in Plzeň itself. During a visit to what was then Czechoslovakia, back in 1984 when the country was still firmly behind the Iron Curtain, the Pilsner Urquell brewery was still pretty much low-tech. With fermentation in wooden vats, and maturation in large pitch-lined, oak casks, the beer should have tasted amazing, and quite possibly it did. Forty years on, and it’s impossible to remember, especially following a visit to a part of the world where everything was noticeably different.

Back to Hog’s Back plus that amazing bottle of A Over T, and this is what the brewery have to say about it. “Brewed in small batches and matured in the brewery cellar, like a fine wine. A Over T is made from high quality English malted barley Kent Golding hops are added for bitterness, plus aroma whilst Bramling Cross hops further enhance the character, resulting in deep rich and complex flavours of sultanas orange peel and plums.”

“Enjoy it like you would fortified wine in a wine glass or Brandy balloon, which will concentrate its wonderful aroma. It goes particularly well with full flavoured mature cheeses, rich cakes and puddings, and can also be savoured on its own at the end of an evening.”

If you ever come across a bottle, then buy it, or alternatively call in at the well-stocked shop, next to the brewery. Open seven days a week, it’s an obvious, beer lover’s paradise, but if you live outside a 30-mile radius of the brewery, then delivery by a local courier is another option. Whilst on the subject of Hog’s Back Brewery, back in the dim and distant past history of West Kent CAMRA, I organised a coach trip to the brewery, where our group was given a guided tour of the plant. There was also plenty of samples to try, and in a novel approach the samples were different, depending on which part of the brewery we were in.

To explain, at the start of the tour we were each given a clean, half-pint, badged Hog’s Back glass. The idea was, there were pre-poured jugs of beer at various key points of the brewery, and the beer dished out became progressively stronger as we made our way around the plant. So, to start off, we were given TEA (Traditional English Ale), then Hop Garden Gold, Rip Snorter and then OTT (Old Tongham Tasty). I don’t think A Over T featured on the lineup, but it was a good idea to start off on the weaker stuff, before ending up with one of the stronger brews.

Hog’s Back cask and bottled beers were regular stock items at the “Cask & Glass” off-licence, in Tonbridge, when it was under our ownership. Sadly, the business is no more, and whilst the building still stands, it now houses an osteopath. As for A Over T, it isn't the most subtle of abbreviations, but it stands for "Aromas Over Tongham."

An unexpected meeting, and some unexpected news, at the Nelson

My first visit to the Nelson Arms since before Christmas followed a late start, last Friday morning. The delayed start was the result of the type of misunderstanding that sometimes occurs between couples, and this one, involving Mrs PBT’s and me was definitely a communication issue. As I’m sure many of you know by now, I have been working part time, since the autumn of 2021, and for me this means a three-day week at the factory (Monday- Wednesday), and then Thursday and Friday at home.

Mrs PBT’s keeps herself occupied, and her pension topped up, by looking after peoples’ books. By this I mean, she keeps a check on accounts kept those who are self-employed. The majority of her clients are tradesman, and in particular builders and other craftsmen. The work Eileen does is mainly checking client’s accounts are in order, and advising them of when the next income tax, and VAT payments are due. I’ve written before about the haphazard record keeping of some of these characters and how she sometimes has to create order out of the chaos of a carrier bag full of invoices and receipts, all liberally sprinkled with brick or plaster dust.

She’d originally pencilled in Friday, to sort out the paperwork of one of these characters, which would have left me free to head off somewhere, in search of a pub. By Thursday afternoon the situation had changed, as the carrier bag containing the necessary paperwork and not turned up, so a joint decision was made to go out, somewhere together. With no buses or trains to catch, we both overslept the following morning, although unbeknown to me, the elusive carrier bag had turned up, on the front step!

By the time I’d showered, grabbed some breakfast, it was too late to take the bus anywhere and more importantly, return on the same afternoon. Plans to visit Westerham, Chipstead, or Hook Green were abandoned, and instead I headed down into Tonbridge, leaving Mrs PBT’s to her bookkeeping. Not long after leaving the house, I realised that I was overdressed for the slightly milder weather we experienced that weekend. A few degrees Celsius can make a significant difference to the warmth provided by a light fleece compared to a heavy one, and as I’d pulled on the latter, I ended up being warmer than I wanted to be.

As mentioned at the start of this piece, I was aiming for the Nelson Arms, Tonbridge’s multi award-winning, and carefully restored, back street local. This would be my first visit since before Christmas, and I was looking forward to trying something a little different. I wasn’t disappointed as there were two interesting beers that took my fancy. These were, Rother Valley Blue, a porter with a rather bitter aftertaste, plus Ripper, an 8.4% draught barley wine from Lowestoft-based Green Jack Brewing. Given its high octane, the latter beer was only sold in halves – although there was nothing stopping customers ordering multiple halves.

The pub was fairly quiet, although there were some diners in the snug. I managed a short conversation with Matt the landlord, who seemed quite surprised when I told him I was no longer a CAMRA member, and even more surprised when I revealed that I’d resigned at the tail end of 2019. I told him that despite 45 years of unbroken membership, I had no regrets about leaving - quit whilst you're ahead, as the saying goes! Talking about leaving, I was just drinking up, when my friend Eric popped his head around the door. I hadn’t seen him for a long time and had asked Matt earlier whether or not he’d been in recently. It turned out that both Eric and his wife had been poorly during the run up to Christmas, so forgetting Mrs PBT’s instruction not to get too close to people I threw caution to the wind and enjoyed a bit of a catch up with this old drinking buddy and walking companion.

Eric informed me that the Punch & Judy – a slightly labyrinthine back street pub, behind Tonbridge Police Station, is now serving a first-class pint of Harvey’s Sussex Best.  My friend said that the landlady of the Punch had taken the eminently sensible decision to just stock two draught beers. So, alongside the Sussex Best, the PJ serves Foster’s Lager, and that’s it. What’s more the pub is selling the Sussex at £4.75 a pint - cheaper than you’d expect to pay in a Harvey’s tied house. With just two draft lines to worry about, both beers are in tip-top condition, although Eric didn’t actually try the Foster’s. So, food for thought, and welcome news that there is another Tonbridge pub offering a decent pint of cask, and at a decent price as well.

The following day, I drove Eileen over to the large Tesco superstore at Riverhead. She didn’t have a lot of shopping to get, so there wasn’t really time for me to nip for a crafty pint, although I did carry out a brief reconnaissance trip. Instead of heading south from Tesco’s carpark, I set off in the opposite direction, towards Dunton Green. Just five minutes’ walk away, and on the other side of the road, is the Miner’s Arms, a 19^th century pub, originally built for navvies working to construct the nearby railway. The Miners is now a family-friendly village local pub with a strong sense of community. Given its proximity to Tesco’s, I can see myself nipping in to the Miner’s for a crafty pint, the next time my wife is doing the grocery shopping.

Higson's - a former Liverpool legend, fondly remembered

Here’s a photo that will appeal to old readers in particular, but this trio of bottles is a recent purchased picked up from my local Home Bargains store before Christmas. Confused? You ought to be, especially as the name Higson’s was at one time synonymous with the city of Liverpool. When was that, I hear some of you ask, well the brewery of Daniel Higson Ltd was first registered in Liverpool in 1888 before moving to the Windsor Brewery, in Upper Parliament Street, in 1914. Nine years later, Higson’s acquired the Toxteth brewery of Robert Cain & Sons Ltd.

A number of other breweries were acquired during the years that followed, but in the main, these were relatively small, local concerns. Then, in 1983, a new brew-house capable of brewing lager was constructed. Unfortunately, this new asset attracted the interest of Manchester based Boddington's, who bought the company and its 160 tied houses in June 1985. It wasn’t long before an even bigger fish appeared on the scene, in the form of brewing giant Whitbread. The latter bought the combined Boddington’s group in 1989 and promptly closed the Toxteth site a year later.  

I now want to turn the clock back to 1973, which was the year when, amongst other things, I first became acquainted with the name of Higson’s. It’s quite a convoluted story so please, "bear with", as they say. In the autumn of that year, I was a “fresher”, (hate that term), at the University of Salford,  I lodged with my aunt Pat (my mother’s sister), for a number of reasons, but all relating to the acute shortage of student accommodation in the Manchester area at the time – as well as Salford University, there was Manchester University, UMIST (a subsidiary of the latter) and Manchester Polytechnic (now known as Manchester Metropolitan University). I was admitted to Salford University through UCCA clearing after failing to get the necessary grades for Warwick, but with space on my chosen course not confirmed until late September, finding somewhere to live was proving difficult, to put it mildly. 

This was where my mother intervened, and after speaking to her sister, my aunt kindly offered me the use of her spare room, until I found somewhere more permanent. My aunt and uncle, plus my two cousins, who were both younger than me, lived in Romiley, a pleasant workaday town, in the foothills of the Pennines a few miles outside Stockport. Romiley is a fair distance from Salford but well connected to central Manchester by train. So, a 20-minute walk to Romiley station, a train ride into Manchester Picadilly, and then a bus through the city centre, to Salford Crescent, meant I usually arrived in plenty of time for the first lecture of the day. 

As an aside, I hadn’t realised, at first, that there were two rail routes between Romiley and Manchester, the main, and most direct one being via Bredbury and Belle Vue. The second, and slightly longer route was via Hyde and Guide Bridge, and I nearly freaked out the first time I boarded this service, as I thought I’d caught the wrong train. There were no, in-train, announcements back in the mid-70’s, and no helpful maps showing rail routes either. Passengers were just expected to know these things, so you can perhaps understand my initial panic. 

At weekends, many of my friends and fellow course-mates either lived on the other side of Manchester or returned to their parents' homes, as they resided within commuting distance of Salford. This left me at a loose end, on Saturday and Sunday, so most Saturdays I took the bus into Stockport, just for something to do. This involved a look around the shops, a visit to the town’s colourful market, and then a quick pint or two, but where to go? There were no beer guides, or lists of recommended pubs in those days, so it was a simple question of picking one at random, or rather picking one that looked both friendly, and potentially welcoming. It's not always easy to get those things right, but let’s not forget that north country folk generally have those qualities in greater abundance, than their more reserved southern counterparts.

But what about the beer? Again, I knew very little about the region’s beer, apart from there being a dozen or more local breweries whose names I’d never heard of. Prior to me going up to Salford, a school friend who was much more interested in beer than I was, told me to try Boddington’s. There didn’t seem to be many Boddington’s pubs close to the university, and the “cream of Manchester” as it was later called, seemed thin on the ground in Stockport, as well. As might be expected, local brewer Robinson’s were well represented in their home town, and as there was a Robbie’s pub a short walk from my aunt’s place, I soon put their beers to the test.

I can’t remember the name of this pub, despite trying to locate it on a map, so I get the impression it is no longer trading.  The road layout seems to have changed as well, although Barrack Hill, where my aunt lived, is still shown on the local map.  So, if any Stopfordians reading this, can remember an unassuming Robinson’s pub, in a corner location on the road heading north out of Romiley, towards Bredbury, then please let me know.

Back to Stockport, and opposite Mersey Square Shopping Centre, just across the busy A6 Wellington Road, was the now sadly closed, George. This large, pub with a prominent position on a street corner, was a lone outpost for Higson’s - a brewery that back in 1973, I had never heard of. But after walking past this substantial, two-storey pub, my interest was piqued, and I summoned up the courage to venture inside. I’d already discovered that the Vault, was the equivalent of the Public Bar, back home, so I pushed open the door to one of the other two bars. This was probably the Lounge, and on a busy Saturday lunchtime (no all-day opening back then), it was packed to the gunwales.

With nowhere to sit down, I stood at the bar, feeling like a pork pie at a Jewish wedding. Now this is where after 53 years, my memory fails me, although whether or not the George had traditional hand pulls, or the metred electric dispense that was common at the time, in most areas north of Watford, isn’t really that relevant to the narrative, but Higson’s Mild and Bitter were available, alongside Draught Bass. Again, relying on memory, the latter may well have been labelled as Worthington E – a common practice in the Bass empire at the time. As for a Bass beer on sale, at a pub belonging to an independent brewer, I’m guessing this must have been some long-standing trading arrangement. 

I ordered a pint of Higson’s Bitter, and found its taste most agreeable, but I’ve no idea whether I had another pint, or perhaps tried the mild, but given the amount of customers in the pub, the Merseyside brewer’s beers were certainly very popular. The following term, I’d found some lodgings, “digs” as they were politely referred to, closer to the university. Situated just off the Eccles New Road, almost opposite Salford’s famous Hope Hospital - now renamed, Salford Royal, the rooms at Mrs Pierce’s left a lot to be desired, and the food served up, doubly so. Students, back then, were made of sterner stuff, so I had no real problem sharing a room with a final year student, who snored profusely, but who also had a van. I paid him, whatever the going rate was, for a ride into the campus, most mornings, although I usually took the bus back to the lodgings.

During my final year, I moved in with a group of friends, who were renting a slightly tumbledown, Victorian cottage, on the edge of Kersal Moor – an area of moorland in northern Manchester. Known as Church Cottage, the property was owned by the church, and rent paid to the local vicar. To cut a long story short, the property was occupied by six of us students, with numbers fluctuating slightly depending on which of the resident’s partners (male of female), was around at the time.  Two of the residents were members of a rock group, called Quasar, including their lead guitarist, a "scouser" called Dave. Dave introduced us to a couple of his Liverpudlian mates, both of whom were studying at Oxford. The pair were also budding rock musicians, so it was natural there should be not just contact, but some mixing between the Salford and Oxford contingents, with other house members such as me, acting as hangers on.

There were various meet ups, in both Oxford and Liverpool, and it was during a visit to the latter that myself and the other non-scouser’s became acquainted with the Crow’s Nest. This was a deservedly popular, three-room, former Higson’s pub, in the Crosby area of the city. Although I only made a couple of visits, the Crow’s Nest struck a chord with me, and I am pleased to report that the pub is still trading under local community ownership of the. It is also Grade 2 listed and is classed by English Heritage as a two-star public house, with late 19th century origins, with an interior of very special national historic interest. The photo here is lifted from What Pub, and I’m sure you will agree it’s a fine-looking building that is obviously an asset to the surrounding community.

Regrettably, the George in Stockport has not fared anywhere near as well and the closed pub is currently awaiting demolition. The site is due to be redeveloped with plans for a substantial multi-storey building containing a large number of apartments. A sorry end for this former, lone outpost for Higson’s ales, but what about the Higson’s beers I found on sale at Home Bargains?  

The historic Higson’s brand was originally revived in 2017, by Love Lane Brewery, who were based in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle district. Love Lane entered administration but was acquired by TJ Morris, the Liverpool-based company behind Home Bargains. An abandoned warehouse was converted into an 18,000-hectolitre brewery with the capacity to produce 3.2 million pints, along with a gin distillery, bar, and eatery. Hence, the Home Bargains connection. The three beers I purchased – Bitter Ale, Brown Ale and Golden Ale are new recipes inspired by the original Higson’s brews, using modern ingredients and brewing technology. 

As it’s 40 years, or so since I drank the original Higson’s beers, and bearing in mind that the Toxteth brewery ceased production in 1990, any taste comparisons between old and new are meaningless. The original company was well-regarded among drinkers in Merseyside, and many expressed disappointment and frustration when the brewery closed. I trust you have found this lengthy and rather self-indulgent look back, at a former Liverpool institution, interesting and entertaining. I certainly enjoyed piecing it together, even if it did mean deep into the memory well, a task which, admittedly, wasn’t easy after the best part of half a century!

What happened next on Pub Friday

You left me departing from the Red Lion at Rusthall, and heading for the nearest bus stop. My intention was to catch the 14:27 service from Rusthall Church, which would safely see me back in Tunbridge Wells ahead of the school rush. Not only did I achieve this, I also managed to jump off the 291 Metrobus outside Tunbridge Wells station, and then hop onto an Arriva bus service that would take me back to Tonbridge. Talk about a seamless connection, and hardly a school kid in sight! Arriving back in Tonbridge, my first task was to find something to eat, and this I achieved by popping into Gregg's. 

There wasn’t a lot left on the filled roll front, which was hardly surprising given the time of day, but a ham and (admittedly) rather tasteless slice of cheese, shoved into a roll, along with a flat white coffee was sufficient to satisfy the inner man. But where to next? The choice was either the Nelson Arms or Fuggles, and it was the latter that won. A convenient bus stop, just five minutes’ walk away from Fuggles, swayed the day, as it seems to have done on a number of recent occasions. I’ve been making good use of my “old gits” bus pass, and whilst I’m all for exercise and walking in the fresh air, it’s an uphill slog back to Bailey Towers, which isn’t what I need at the end of a day out.

There was also the chance of getting another stamp on my cask, “loyalty card” – a stamp for each pint purchased, followed by a free pint once all 10 spaces have been filled. I’ve taken quite a shine to Tonbridge Fuggles, over the past few months, having paid it more visits than any of the other local pubs. I like the easy-going, relaxed atmosphere associated with Fuggles, plus the mixed, and appreciative crowd this beer café attracts. The other reason is that on Thursdays, which is the day when I’ve got some genuine free time available to me, the Nelson doesn’t open until 3pm. Hence Fuggles usually wins over the Nelson.

That’s not to say I haven’t got a soft spot for the latter, as it’s a proper and genuine, traditional back-street local. With regards to beer range, the Nelson stocks up to 10 cask ales, compared to the four normally available at Fuggles, but here’s the rub, many are often from small breweries most of us have never heard of.  This is fine for beer tickers, and also for those who enjoy a bit of variety, but the main thing I’ve noticed is that when a popular beer appears amongst the line-up, it will normally disappear quite rapidly, sometimes almost overnight. Examples include Bonfire Boy and Christmas Ale from Harvey’s, Larkin’s Porter, Adnams Old and virtually anything from Lowestoft-based, Green Jack Brewery.

By contrast, some of the less well-known beers, often hang around for ages, proof if it was needed, of the attraction and pulling power of certain well-known beers, compared to that of their less well-known counterparts. I am able to check which beers are on tap at the Nelson, thanks to the Real Ale Finder App that I installed on my phone. It's not all one-sided though, as the Nelson has a thriving food trade, which not only includes legendary Sunday lunches, but also encompasses themed food deals, such as Curry Night, Pie Evening and several other specialty evenings. Live music, is another feature at the Nelson  although such performances aren't that frequent and are not necessarily everyone's cup of tea.  

Back to the story, after leaving Gregg's, I walked the short distance along to Fuggles, pausing to check the bus times on the way. I already knew, after looking online, that a strong, dark mild from The Kernel Brewery was on sale, and after ordering a pint, and getting my card stamped, the 5.6% Victorian Mild did not disappoint. It was rich, dark and malty with a tremendous depth of flavour that also included raisins and chocolate notes. A couple of days previously, I enjoyed a bottle of Baltic Porter at home. This 6.4% abv beer was also from Kernel, and it is here that I’d like to say something about their bottle labels.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Kernel’s unassuming plain brown labels, which resemble brown, paper packaging. Underplayed and unpretentious, and presumably deliberately designed, to not detract from the beer itself, but for me, these plain, boring labels do the beer a huge disservice, as they say absolutely nothing about the beer, as well as the brand itself. Crazy really, because whilst I’m rarely disappointed when I crack open a bottle of Kernel beer or enjoyed a perfectly pulled pint of cask from the same brewery. Unfortunately, the brown paper labels tell me nothing about the beer, apart from that it will surprise me!

Before ending this piece, there’s one final attraction that draws me along to Fuggles on a Thursday, and that is the reduced price of the hotdogs on that particular day. £6 Hot Dogs make the perfect lunch offering at Fuggles, was the piece I wrote about this offer, six months ago, and this coming Thursday, after a visit to the barbers, plus a spot of shopping, that is where you will find me.