A wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website), and I'm not apologizing for drinking from an Oakham glass because it's a nicely balanced glass to drink from and no Kent glasses available here. Anyway, their gorgeous (and I wrote that in my notes) 4.8% version of an APA, Prohibition, quality! I have written about this ale many times, not as much as I've happily drunk it though, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the goodies, Oakham and Fyne ales, and many Yorkshire brewer's pale dry hoppy bitters too.
I have had it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, notably thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that fresh from the cask ale was wonderful. Okay, I'll have said it many times, Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, I'll say it again, GORGEOUS!
And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday, and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.
Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and services at the tables inside, though customers sitting outside can come to a set point for their drinks, and there is an off sales provision too.
In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon, salivating at the thought. 😋
Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful fellow ale drinking folks, cheers!
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