Don't forget there are many things that can go wrong drinking alcohol, be aware of limits and potential physical, social, and legal factors. The drinkaware website offers advice, tools to help, where to get support and 'facts' that you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks, cheers! 👌
The distillery first released their whisky at the beginning of July 2021, this Lindores Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 'Casks of Lindores' (49.4%), aged in bourbon casks, has a natural pale golden colour and gorgeous 'smooth' aroma, with vanilla dominant, but also fruity, particularly apple. To taste, not quite as smooth, a wee bit sweet, vanilla with hints of apple and orange, and I certainly noticed the alcohol strength as it went down, warming my insides, with a dry finish and I noted "roasted nuts coming through, pretty damn good!" I liked it, sláinte! 👍
Once again I have been asked by friends to sample 4 beers from Sussex brewery Only With Love (website), it's a hard life. 😁 I begin here with my favourite of the ales Big Bongo, a 6.0% New England IPA. Their beers are all vegan friendly, mostly hazy/cloudy except the lager, and regular readers will know I'm not particularly fond of cloudy beers, I prefer beers to be clear for many reasons, mostly 'cleaner' flavours. Anyway, Big Bongo is brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, which together with the strength tells you there will be a BIG fruity aroma and taste, mostly tropical fruits but citrus too. Big Bongo has a slightly dry and bitter finish, is very tasty and is pretty good!
Second, its not so strong sibling Bongo Tropic IPA (4.5%). Also brewed with Citra (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, this still produces big citrus and tropical fruits in the aroma and taste, with a decent dry finish, unsurprisingly thinner when compared to its bigger sibling! However, similarly, it could be a belter if it wasn't so thick, add some vegan friendly finings and/or adjunct and I'd be singing its praises, oh well, too pretentious for moi. 😉
Third, and sold as a "Hazy Session Pale" their Hoopla (4.0%), brewed with Citra (hopslist) and Motueka (hopslist) hops. The hops again producing tropical fruit flavours and aroma, with a hint of citrus, dry slightly bitter finish, not bad, but cloudy, see Bongo above! 😣
Fourth is their 4% 'Helles Lager' Banger, brewed with Saaz (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. Pale and clear (Beer Guide behind it obvious in the image!), although it was a wee bit darker than I expected, but quite dry and with a subtle fruitiness in the taste, gluten free and it's 'vegan friendly' too, but nice and clear, see, it can be done! 👍 I'm not a lager drinker as such, but I do like some of the European beers, notably from Bavaria, and I noted that the Banger was "good" again! Indeed, I can be unpredictable in my opinions... Prost! 🍺
Indeed, it may always be quafftide somewhere! And many thanks to good friend Brigitte for pointing out this 16th century word to me, and in turn Susie Dent, lexicographer, who made this her word of the day a while ago, and certainly published about this word in the Radio Times Christmas/New Year issue 2020/21, but had referenced if before too. Basically, Ms Dent paraphrased its meaning as 'drinking time' and the O.E.D. defines it as the 'Season for Drinking' as perhaps first written down in Richard Stanyhurst's translation of Virgil's Aeneid (Brookston Beer Bulletin - and many thanks to them for the image used above!). 🍺🍷🍻
Something a wee bit different from me, and it may well be Quafftide now, cheers! 😉
Second, and which I have written about reasonably often (eg blog), is from Brouwerij St Bernadus (website), their St Bernadus ABT 12 (10.0%), also bottle conditioned. Strictly, not a Trappist ale, but you wouldn't know it, as they had earlier brewed Trappist ales for the Trappist monks at Westvleteren from 1946 to 1992. In 1998 Hans Depypere bought the business and it has flourished since. The St Bernadus ABT 12 is a very deep dark coloured red Quadrupel, brewed with hops grown in their own hop field. This has a slightly malty/fruity aroma, again, a bit sweet, but with a dry slightly bitter finish. Tasting of dark plum and damson fruits, indeed, a Christmas Pudding of a beer, as many Quadrupels tend to be, very rich and tasty, nice one! 😋
So, to celebrate, maybe raise a glass of Tynt Meadow or St Bernadus, cheers! 🍺
We only visited 2 pubs when I recently visited Portsmouth as I was a wee bit limited by my company, so unsurprisingly, I chose the 2 that claim to be the oldest pubs in 'Old Portsmouth.' The best on the day was The Dolphin Pub, 41 High Street PO1 2LU (website), opposite the Cathedral, and one of the few buildings in the High Street to have survived bombing during World War II (the town hall next door was flattened!). Apparently built in and certainly licensed from 1716, this Grade II Listed public house has beams made from repurposed wood of ships, and stone flags on the floor. So yes, a very old construction, but in recent times opened out, and more modern decoration, which gives it a kind of 'postmodern' feel inside.
We ate here, which was fine (it was the second of these pubs we visited), and we drank a few pints of Fuller's London Pride (4.1%), which was in reasonable form, indeed, Pride does need to be sold quickly as it doesn't last too long in opened casks (cellar experience there folks!). Brewed with English hops Target (hopslist), Northdown (hopslist), Challenger (hopslist) and East Kent Golding (hopslist), it is a slightly malty and bitter traditional session bitter. CAMRA (website) describe it thus: "Aromas of malt and citrus. The malty sweetness is balanced by spicy bitter hops with orange, apricot, sultanas and toffee." They can have up to 4 ales on, and they did have one other, but I didn't take a note of it as it wasn't something interesting, sorry folks. 😔
We had first visited, a short walk away, The Wellington, 62 High Street PO1 2LY (website), which also claims to be the oldest pub in Portsmouth, built in 1710, but with the frontage reconstructed during the 20th century. The interior had no historical feel about it, but the structure is pretty much as it was built over 300 years ago!
There can be up to 2 ales here, but on the day only 1 was available, St Austell Tribute, a 4.2% pale slightly bitter ale (website), brewed with Fuggle (hopslist), Celeia (hopslist), and Willamette (hopslist) hops; by the by, Willamette is a hop I used to be very familiar brewing with in my days working at the old Kelham Island Brewery. Tribute was first brewed after the solar eclipse of 1999 and was then called 'Daylight Robbery' and has since been renamed. Because of the English and U.S. hop mix, it's not a 'traditional' English bitter as such, but a slightly darker version of many modern pale ales, gentle citrus, and usually very easy to drink. Not on this day sadly, as it was knackered, hence our only staying for the 1 pint each, oh well! 👎
If you go to Portsmouth, there are many other pubs too, good luck and cheers! ✌
I first wrote about the Eel & Bear, 28 Waldegrave Street TN34 1SJ (01424 602055 - website), soon after it opened 8 years ago (blog). Very recently there were fears it would be no more as Nick and Mary had decided not to renew their lease with the landlord. However, it has now been taken over by Claire, who is new to this business, but who has been a successful businesswoman in another field, with only 2 days closed to the public in-between! So, best wishes and good luck to Nick, Mary and family for their future, and a warm welcome to Claire, with support from her partner Jason, WELCOME! 👍
I've visited a few times already and can say that you will continue to receive a warm welcome there, and not much has changed yet regarding beers, ciders and wines available, although no doubt there will be subtle changes to come. What have altered sightly are opening times, to begin with the Eel & Bear will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; Wednesday-Thursday open 12-6pm; Friday-Saturday open 12-9pm; Sunday open 12-6pm. 😁
Oh yes, and after pressure from John, they will be selling potato crisps, cheers Claire! 😉
