Excellent Tonbridge Cask Ales & Real Cider

I hadn't visited for a while, and yesterday I decided it had been too long! So I caught the train to Rye and had a few drinks in the Rye Waterworks micropub, Tower Street (corner with Rope Walk), Rye, East Sussex TN31 7AT (website). If you know nothing about the Rye Waterworks (ales and ciders available yesterday shown in the image above, although another ale filled that gap, but I forgot to make a note of it, apologies), and the building's 300 years history, please read this blog I wrote soon after the pub opened 6 years ago. 

I drank 2 beers I hadn't had before from the getting better and better in my estimation, Tonbridge Brewery (website), starting off with their 4.2% Blonde Ambition, well, 2 pints of it actually, it was that good I had to make sure. 😉 All their ales are vegan friendly, and clear as a bell, I thank you Tonbridge for being yet another brewery showing that you don't have to be lazy to brew suchlike! Tonbridge tend to use English hops a lot, in this instance First Gold (hopslist) and Challenger (hopslist), providing just a hint of orange to this pale dry bitter ale, very good indeed!

The second new ale to me from Tonbridge Brewery was their Velvet Raven, a 5.2% Stout, which is certainly what I would call a stout, despite its deep red colour suggesting a porter (see blog). Again, bewed with English hops, Northdown (hopslist), Fuggle (hopslist) and Kent grown Bullion (hopslist). There was a subtle aroma of coffee, with a spicy/fruity taste, and hints of liquorice, coffee and chocolate, finishing off quite dry and bitter, good stuff! 👍

I finished off with a cider from Biddenden Vineyards (website), their 8.0% Dry Cider, made from culinary and dessert apples; it looks a wee bit below a pint because the glass had been brim filled nd I didn't want to spill any! 😉 This is what a cider should taste like, but so smooth, gorgeous!

Great company and staff... Cheers folks! 🍎🍏🍺

AwRye Visit and Ale & Cider at the Waterworks

Awrye, because my visit was meant to be on Thursday, which became Friday (& pun), but visiting Rye is always a pleasure, and Friday is a more likely day than Thursday to see David the landlord in situ at the Rye Waterworks micropub, Tower Street, corner with Rope Walk, Rye TN31 7AT (website). I first visited the Waterworks soon after it opened 5 years ago (blog), always worth visiting! Also Lotte and Morgan working at the bar is always excellent too, and 2 other members of staff popped in as well, and chatting to Paul is always a good craic, so a happy day.

I decided to drink the top 3 pale ales listed in the wall menu pictured below. From the top, first, and remembering that they only stock local beers and ciders, from Hythe based Hopfuzz Brewery (website), their 3.6% 'session ale' Fall Out. This is brewed with Bullion hops from Kent and has a zesty fruitiness to the aroma and taste, and is very light and easy to drink, nice one!

Second, from Brede based Three Legs Brewing, but soon to be moving a little further west to Bexhill (website), their 'vegan friendly' 3.7% Pale. Again, does what it says on the label, very pale with a dry bitter finish, very drinkable. Then, from their own microbrewery Waterworks (website) IPA (their pun I Pee Alot - the building used to be a public convenience amongst other things, see history @ blog). IPA (4.4%) is brewed with Challenger, Goldings and Ernest hops providing a big fruity aroma and taste, pale, and with a dry bitter finish. My first quaffing of this ale was about 6 weeks before, and I wrote 'heavy on the hops' but apparently too bitter for some of the locals, so it has been toned down a wee bit, but still nice, but not as memorable for me.

Then, as ever when I visit Rye, I finished with cider, indeed, on this occasion, 2 ciders from Biddenden Vineyards near Ashford (website), not just a wine producer, but ciders too, and much more! First their 5% Red Love (pictured above, showing its blush pink/red colour) made with red skinned and red fleshed apples, unsurprisingly called Red Love.😉 A medium dry real cider, very refreshing and with a nice dry bitter finish.

Then their more demanding 8.4%  Biddenden Dry, (above image and a more traditional colour for cider). Pale golden and made with Kent grown culinary and dessert apples, with more body and depth of flavour, and much more dry as soon as you take a mouthful, impressive!

That's all for now folks, but I will be back, cheers! 🍻