Paler Beers in Hastings

I've written about Britain's first Trappist ale before (blog), and now Tynt Meadow (website) are brewing a 5.0% Blond Ale, again in a Trappist style, but with an English 'twist' adding English hops and yeast to the malt produced from English barley. A deep golden blonde colour, a wee haze (bottle conditioned), and a little sweetness with a hint of caramel, vanilla, spice and fruity mandarin, completed with a dry slightly bitter finish, nice one, and unique!

Next is from Sussex brewery Burning Sky (website), and Plateau, full of flavour and only 3.5%, very much a session ale! Plateau is the brainchild of Mark Tranter, legendary fine tuner of Dark Star Hophead when he worked there, and is very similar to the original Hophead from when it was brewed in Brighton. However, it is a little weaker in alcoholic strength, but the flavour is more pronounced than the current Hophead, thanks to the hops added. Mark says it is "hopped at different stages of the brew with a mix bag of US and NZ hops..." and, of course, influenced by his experience and finesse. A pale golden bitter, very easy to drink, with grapefruit noticeable in the aroma and taste, and very refreshing and decent indeed.

From another Sussex brewery, indeed, from the Hastings based FILO Brewing Company (website) and imbibed in their own pub, the 4.0% Hop Cat, which pretty much does what it says on the label. Indeed, this is a light pale ale, with plenty of citrus fruit in the aroma and taste, very easy to drink with a nice subtle bitter finish, and refreshing, oh yes!

The next 2 beers are both from Bristol Beer Factory (website) over in the West Country, the first being their 4.2% Launch Approval, brewed with U.S. Loral (Yakima Valley Hops) and German Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. A pale ale, with floral and peppery hints in the aroma and taste, and citrus, notably orange, in the flavour. Another excellent session ale from this very dependable brewery, refreshing with a light dry bitter finish, nice one.

Dune Twist, is a more substantial 5.0% IPA from Bristol Beer Factory, and is also brewed with hops from 2 different countries, this time with N.Z. Nelson Sauvin (hopslist) and U.S. El Dorado (hopslist). Plenty of body and flavour, as you would expect, with tropical and citrus fruits in the aroma and taste, very smooth, but with a nice crisp dry bitter finish, quality!

Starting to prepare for Oktoberfest 😉 2 German beers, first is a Helles style lager from one of the older breweries in Germany, having brewed beers for nearly 700 years since its foundation in 1328! Augustiner Brau (website) Lagerbier Hell (5.2%), from Munich, is brewed with Bavarian malt and hops. This has a hint of wheat in the aroma and is a pale straw colour, indeed, 'a very tasty beer' was the first thing I noted, with a hint of citrus in the taste, mildly hoppy and slightly sweet, but refreshing and certainly not too bitter. A secondary fermentation ensures this beer has a lively sparkle, finishing off with a nice dry crispness, pretty good!

The final beer here, and the second from Germany, is brewed by Badische Staatsbrauerie Rothaus (website) in the southwest German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, in the Black Forest Mountain Range. Although the brewery was founded in 1791 by the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien, it is now owned by the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Anyway, to their 5.1% Rothaus Pils which is, unsurprisingly, a Pilsner style lager, consequently hoppier than the Helles, although not significantly so. Brewed with malt from locally grown barley, and local spring water from the Black Forest, and Tettnanger (hopslist) and Hallertau (hopslist) hops, producing a slightly floral and spicy aroma and taste. Another refreshing beer, with hints of wheat in the taste and a crisp slightly bitter finish, very nice indeed, cheers! 😁

The first and last 2 beers were bought in the Eel & Bear (blog), the Plateau was imbibed at the Prince Albert (blog), the Hop Cat was from the First In Last Out (blog), and the 2 Bristol Beer Factory ales were enjoyed in the Dolphin Inn, which I have written about many times (eg blog).

July Whiskey of the Month

So, back to Irish whiskey for July and Molly Malone (website) Small Batch, just 40.0%, I believe developed particularly for the market across the North Atlantic, which is a blend of triple distilled whiskeys using Irish malts and grains from a few Irish distilleries; I haven't been able to confirm which distilleries, apologies. The Molly Malone Whiskey Company started up in 2019, but was set up by a family, Lombard-Chibnall, with many years of experience in wines and spirits going back to the late 17th century. Molly Malone Small Batch Whiskey is matured in 'second fill' oak bourbon casks on Achill Island, off the west coast of Ireland, and bottled there too.

Molly Malone Small Batch is quite light to drink, with a slightly acidic citrus and apple aroma, bitter-sweet at first taste, but with a gorgeous sweet flavour in the mouth, with vanilla and butterscotch, and hints of coconut, smoked oak, oranges, lemons, limes, pears and apple. Warm and smooth, and very easy to drink down, maybe too easy, sláinte! 😉

Dark Beers in Hastings...

I was going to post a blog about 'beers and ciders' in Hastings, but decided to divide it into 3 different blogs, and I'm missing out some recent beers and ciders, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it folks. 😉 So I'm starting with 7 darker beers, and kicking off with this cask ale from East Sussex based Three Acre Brewery (website). I drank this at the Dolphin Inn, Hastings (written about many times by me, eg blog), their 4.6% Skylark Stout, which I thought was more like a porter, and I have discussed the difference between stouts and porters in this blog a while back. Brewed with English hops according to Three Acre, a deep chestnut colour, smooth, and nutty with hints of chocolate and coffee in the taste. Not bad at all folks! 

The second beer I am writing about was enjoyed at The Jolly Fisherman in Hastings: see this blog for the pub's history, but no longer a B&B or providing food, although there are some excellent bar snacks available. This was from Polly's Brew Co (website) in North Wales and their 6.0% Winter Slope Stout, as I've already said my piece about porters and stouts I'll not repeat myself! A mixture in the grist of black, chocolate and crystal extra dark malts, and oats, dominate the taste. My notes say it all: "slightly toasted flavour with a hint of chocolate, very tasty and full bodied, yet smooth and easy to drink, surprisingly easy to knock back!"

This is a rather excellent beer from Manchester's Sureshot Brewing (website), their 11.0% Imperial Stout, Beware Oblivion is at Hand, indeed! Brewed with vanilla and cacao nibs, strangely not a lot of aroma, but packed with flavour, maybe my nose was overloaded at the time, 😉 I noted a hint of coffee, however, predominantly chocolate in the taste, and luxurious!

Next is another 'Imperial Stout' Wookie Mistake (11.0%), a collaboration between Electric Bear Brewing of Bath (website) and Emperor's Brewery, from Coalville near Leicester, who are currently on facebook; website being set up. Apparently, this beer is salted, which I didn't detect, and only discovered on checking Electric Bear's website. Indeed, the full flavour and sweetness of chocolate dominated, the chocolate coming from cacao nibs added to the brew, and a hint of caramel in the taste from caramel essence. Yes, another luxurious dark beer! 😁

The strongest and most luxurious of the 'Imperial Stouts' reviewed here comes from Yorkshire brewers, based in Leeds, Tartarus Beers (website), and their Bokkenrijder Triple Chocolate Imperial Stout (12.2%), another collaboration, this time with Dutch Bargain of the Netherlands (website). As you can see, I bought this as a takeaway, and I see from the Tartarus website they brew another same strength stout too, and an even stronger one, and even a stronger IPA! 😲 The Bokkenrijder is brewed with cacao nibs and vanilla, and cacao powder is added too, so yes, plenty of chocolate in the aroma and taste, luxurious indeed, nice one. 👍

Finally, yes I lazily have included only one photograph for 2 beers, one of which came home with me. 😉 At the pub, so in that glass, was this blog's penultimate brew, another collaboration, this time between Cloudwater Brew Co of Manchester (website) and Puhaste Beer of Estonia (website), and their 7.0% Behind The Sun And The Stars, brewed for Baltic Porter Day. Yes, definitely a porter, the aroma had a hint of coffee, dark fruits and chocolate, with chocolate dominating the flavour, strangely lighter and more refreshing than I expected, very good.

The final beer above, in the bottle, was another 'carry out' for me, from the historic Schlenkerla brewpub in Bamberg, Germany (website), and their more modest 5.1% Aecht Schelnkerla Rauchbier Marzen. This is a bottom fermented, thus lager style, lightly smoked beer, deep red in colour, with a smoky aroma and taste, a hint of toast to my taste, and a dry finish. I've even had 2 friends since tell me they've visited the pub/brewery, not that I'm jealous, cheers! 😁

There you go, a fairly diverse selection for me. 😉

Beer in Cans: Reviews for Friends, Honest!

I've been asked my opinion of these 2 beers, the first, presumably, for possible addition to the crafty keg beers they sell, the other an alcohol-free/very low alcohol alternative, maybe Wingman too. 😏 Wingman, a 'Session IPA' (4.3%), is brewed by the near legendary Scottish brewery Brewdog (website). This is a pale golden ale, it was pretty clear, but I did pour carefully, and I think there was maybe wee remnants in the bottom of the can when I rinsed it for recycling!

Wingman is pretty much an APA style IPA, that is bursting with pine and tropical and citrus fruit aromas, unsurprising as the hops used from the USA are Simcoe (hopslist), Ahtanum (hopslist), Chinook (hopslist), Citra (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), and HBC692 (Yakima Chief)! Big body and flavour too, hint of pine, with plenty of grapefruit, peach and mango, and a nice dry bitter finish. Pretty damn good, oh yes, as hinted at, you can get it low alcohol too (0.5%).

The specifically 'alcohol free' beer is from the North London brewer of the ubiquitous Neck Oil, Beavertown (website), and their 0.3% Lazer Crush. However, Lazer Crush is not brewed in London, but is brewed for them in Belgium by De Proefbrouwerij (website), who apparently brew many alcohol free beers for a number of other breweries too! 

As you can see, Lazer Crush is paler than the Wingman, slightly hazier, but similar in aromas and taste, just, unsurprisingly, a bit thin, lacking body. More citrus than forest fruits in the aroma, but plenty of grapefruit, some orange, and hints of melon and mango in the taste, thanks to the use of Azacca (hopslist), Amarillo (hopslist) and Citra hops (hopslist). So a bit more citrus flavours than the Wingman, but I did notice less body, despite the big hoppy additions, though it was very crisp and refreshing, not bad at all, cheers! 👍

Aah... Memories of when you could get Brewdog ales in cask...

The Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton, Devon

I have just finished reading the most recent Issue 68/Summer 2025 of the CAMRA BEER magazine, which has an article concerning 6 public houses that they have given Heritage Awards to, particularly acknowledging the efforts of those who have saved or revitalised these historic pubs. It's pretty difficult to get to read CAMRA (website) stuff, if not a member, so I am adding this link to the local paper, the Crediton Courier, that provides similar content regarding the only 1 of the 6 that I have been to, as far as my memory tells me. Indeed, yes, only 1! 😕

These 2 images of the pub in question. the Drewe Arms (website) and church next door, Holy Trinity (North Dartmoor Parishes), are both from Holiday in Dartmoor, many thanks to them, much appreciated. Because it is ages since I've visited this part of Dartmoor, probably not since the 1980s, that I do not have my own digital photographs of the pub and village. And you will presume from what I have written so far that this pub, actual address The Square, Drewsteignton EX6 6QN, is on Dartmoor, indeed, near to the north-eastern edge.

The building that became the Drewe Arms was built in the 17th century, with refurbishments in the 19th and 20th centuries and, unsurprisingly, is Grade II Listed. In the 19th century it was called the New Inn, presumably there used to be another inn locally, or it replaced a previous pub following refurbishment. It became the Drewe Arms a hundred years ago, after a brief spell as the Druid Arms. When I first visited in the late 1970s, Mabel Mudge was the licensee, having been so since 1919, first with her husband for 32 years until he passed away, then alone for another 43 years until she retired in 1994 aged 99 years old, and being the longest serving landlady in the country (75 years!), much respect to her. 

The pub, as far as I'm aware, has been sympathetically kept. From 1994 it was managed by a few companies until the local community bought this wonderful old pub in 2023, and now manage the Drewe Arms as a community asset, hence the Heritage Award, nice one. 👍

Having seen images of the interior, it looks to have the same feel, a room to your left as you enter, the bar and cellar behind a doorway to your left just afterwards, with a stable door and small 'surface' on which to deposit your glass, pleasantly basic. 😁 I remember Mabel well, indeed, you could hardly forget her, or the atmosphere of this friendly warm wee pub, and I visited at different times of the year when I lived in Devon. This is so much an addition to places to return to, with hearty congratulations to the local folk who have kept this going, cheers m'dears! 🍺

Hoppy Beer Day Britain!

Indeed, happy Beer Day Britain 2025 (website), an annual event that has been going on for ten years now, on June the 15th every year, and instigated by beer sommelier and writer Jane Peyton, cheers Jane! The day is supported by many drinkers and organisations, including the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), and the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

This day is on the same date (please forget about the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752 😉) as the signing of the Magna Carta (National Archives), which said in Article 35 "Let there be throughout our kingdom a single measure for wine and a single measure for ale..." 🍺no coincidence methinks! Of course, historically, drinking ale was generally more healthy than drinking untreated water, so the importance of beer in British society was very understandable, not to forget the importance of the public house. As I regularly say, go to a village you've never visited, look out for the church tower or spire, and the village pub, or pubs, will be nearby, although the sad loss of pubs in recent years doesn't make this so for every village now.

Whatever your favourite style of beer, raise a glass at 19.00 hours and say "Cheers to Beer!"

Cheers folks! 😁 #CheersToBeer 

June Whisky of the Month

My whisky for June is from Scotland for a change, right up in the north east and near the coast, Glenmorangie Distilliary Co (website) and their 'signature single malt' The Original 12 Years Old (40.0%). This single malt whisky is aged in white oak ex-bourbon casks for 12 years, unsurprisingly, 😉helping it to develop its colour and flavours. I've had Glenmorangie before, quite a few times actually, and the first time I drank it has special meaning for me. 

I used to always buy my Scottish Grandad a bottle of whisky for his Christmas present, if I ever deviated thinking I'd buy something a wee bit different to make it special, he hated it, so I just 'deviated' by buying different whiskies each year, for example Chivas Regal, or Glenmorangie, which I bought for him in 1996. Sadly, he died in hospital on the 25th of December 1996 after suffering a stroke a few days before, so my mother gave back to me the unopened bottle of Glenmorangie, which became the first time I ever drank it, toasting Jimmy 'Jock' Reilly, ironically, saying cheers in Scot's Gaelic, slainte mhath, means good health 😒 R.I.P. Grandad.

So, Glenmorangie for me has a special place in my memories, although what was meant for Grandad would have been the 10 years old... The 12 years old has a bright golden colour (I remember the 10 years old being paler), with vanilla and butterscotch in the aroma, a hint of fruit, orange citrus and peaches, and I could definitely smell the spirit, but it pours out smooth and very easy to drink, with butterscotch and toffee predominant to my taste, and a hint of cinnamon, apricot and citrus, with a lovely warming finish. Slainte Mhath!👍