Summer's Coming... However, 4 Darker Beers!

I thought I should get in a few darker beers before I became completely fixated with the paler light summer beers. 😉 2 of these I sampled as crafty keg ales at The Jolly Fisherman in Hastings (blog), and 2 in bottle; you'll be able to work out which is which. The first (above), from Scottish brewery Harviestoun (website), their 10.5% Ola Dubh (which means 'black oil' in Gaelic), which has been matured for at least 6 months in 12 year-old Highland Park whisky barrels, and is significantly stronger than their bottled version. This was the most complex of this blog's beers, brewed with East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Galena hops, with a hint of coffee in the aroma, and chocolate in the taste, and the whisky comes through in the flavour too, pretty good!

My first bottled beer is from St Peter's Brewery (website), their 5.0% Plum Porter, with 'natural plum flavouring' added. A big fresh plummy/blackcurrant aroma and taste, slightly sweet, but surprisingly 'light' to drink. It's a very deep dark red colour, and not bad at all.

I had been quite upset when I heard, not too long ago that their London-based pub, the historic Jerusalem Tavern, had closed down. However, I'm pleased to report that I more recently discovered that the pub has reopened under new licencees as The Holy Tavern, 55 Britton Street, London EC1M 5UQ, and with longer opening hours than previous, but still selling St Peter's ales in addition to others (website). Opens: Mondays-Saturdays 12.00 noon to 23.00, and 12.00 noon to 21.30 on Sundays.

The other dark ale I had at the Jolly Fisherman was from Siren Craft Brew (website) and their 7.4% Caribbean Chocolate Cake (above), the chocolate flavour coming from adding 'hand-roasted' cacao nibs to the brew, consequently a big chocolate aroma and taste, with a hint of coffee in the aroma, and hints of orange and coconut to the taste. I thought it was 'pretty good' which is what I wrote in my notes unsurprisingly! 😉

My second bottle beer, and last for this blog, was from Guinness and their 6.0% West Indies Porter (website), not quite as impressive as the stronger Guinness brewed in Nigeria, but tasty all the same. A very deep opaque red colour, with a slight bitterness and chocolate in the taste, and a hint of coffee in the aroma. Another dark beer that was not bad at all, cheers!

Paler ales to come soon... 😁