Happy International Stout Day!

Today, being the first Thursday in November, is International Stout Day 2026 (Awareness Days), unsurprisingly created to be a day on which to celebrate Stouts. Stouts appear to have developed from Porters (originally a blend of ales), a darker beer favoured by London market porters 300 years ago, before brewers started brewing Porters specifically. 'Stout' tended to be a term to describe stronger beers. Stout, as in Stout Porter, was a stronger dark brew that London's brewers developed, and what we think of today as a typical Stout style.

Technically, nowadays, Porters are brewed using dark malts, and are usually a very deep, very dark red in colour if you put your glass up to the light, whereas Stouts are brewed using Roasted Barley in the mash too, and are black or very dark brown, notably brown in the colour of the head. Of course, I've drunk different brewers' Stouts, Porters, and strong Dark Milds, that taste as you would expect one of the other styles to taste, but, for me, I would define the Stout from the roasted barley taste, though no doubt many would argue with me. 😉

Whatever, enjoy a stout beer today, indeed, I'll be enjoying a glass of Hercule later, the image above is of one I drank earlier, but not this morning! I've been drinking dark ales recently for a soon to be written blog about dark ales. I may have mentioned this recently. 😋

Hercule is brewed by the Brasserie des Legendes in Irchonwelz in Belgium (website). Their 9.0% Hercule Stout is naed after the fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It is brewed using locally grown barley in the grist, but they do not say what hops are used, sorry folks. It's a deep dark reddish brown in colour, with hints of liquorice, coffee and chocolate in the aroma, but with dark fruits in the taste, sweet to start off, with a dry slightly bitter, slightly tart, finish, nice one!

Cheers m'dears! 🍺

Cider Festival next! 😁

Please 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' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌

Delirium Belgian Strong Beer...

It's been a long time since I drank Delirium (website), I really can't remember if it was in Belgium or in England, but at least 15 years ago, more likely 20 years ago, so I didn't miss this opportunity to buy a bottle, even though it was expensive... you only live once! 😉 Actually brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe (website), and their Delirium Belgian Strong Beer (8.4%), for some reason slightly weaker than in Belgium, maybe because of alcohol duty, and in Belgium it is called Delirium Tremens (8.5%), so maybe it's something to do with the name? 😏

As you can see from the image, it was very lively when poured into my glass, 'blonde' officially, a pale golden, almost straw coloured beer. Slightly malty and spicy aroma, quite rich flavoured with hints of peach, apricot and nuts, and a nice dry finish. Well enjoyed, cheers! 😁

Please 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' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌

Hastings Tap Takeover But No Oktoberfest!

I'm disappointed that Oktoberfest at The Prince Albert, 28 Cornwallis Street, Hastings TN34 1SS (instagram), has not happened this year, despite an excellent festival last year (blog), and I doubt they'll even have a late one sadly, as the bar staff seem to have no idea whether on or not. 😞 Anyway, too late for that now methinks, but they did take part in the Hastings Tap Takeover (blog), with London brewers Anspach & Hobday as their takeover brewery (website). 

Taking into account the Tap Takeover and Oktoberfest, I'm starting off with their 5.8% Ansbacher Festbier, their take on the 'Oktoberfest' biers of Munich! The hops used are not shared, as far as I can find, but they do say 'noble hops' so I'd guess similar to the hops used for their lager (below). A nice golden beer, light malt/bready taste, with a dry bitter finish, certainly an English twist to the Oktoberfest biers of Germany, very decent, but sadly not the same. 😕

Next, their 5.0% Ansbacher Lager, in the style of Helles lagers, and they have shared the hops used for this, with German Hersbrucker (hopslist), Czech Saaz (hopslist), and making this a bit different, from the USA, Mosaic (hopslist)! Pale golden colour, refreshing, slightly fruity, the result of the Mosaic hops no doubt, hint of malt to the taste, crisp and fresh, very good too. 👍

I didn't do too many of the participating pubs this year, too many fizzy beers for me, 😕 but I drank a proper cask ale at The Albion, Marine Parade TN34 3AG (website - also has an address at 33 George Street TN34 3EA, but the entrance is actually on the other side of the building in Marine Parade, although you can exit into George Street). The brewery adopted here, unsurprisingly, was East Sussex brewery Lakedown Brewing Co (website) and their 4.7% Phoenix Green Hop IPA (hopslist), brewed with local fresh hops picked in the morning and immediately delivered to, and used by the brewery straight away.

The first green hopped ale I've had this year, I've had another since, so expect a blog about green hopped ales in the next month or so folks. What can I say, the Phoenix is an excellent English style IPA, indeed, I had the last near-pint poured, as you can see, and it was still in fine form. Copper coloured, slightly spicy hoppy bitter ale, pretty damn good, cheers! 😁

My last beer of this 'festival' (I did drink more than just reviewed here, but these were the best!) at The Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street, Hastings TN34 3AR (website), whose guest brewery was Azvex Brewing Co of Liverpool (website). A very different style of beer, brewed in collaboration with Welsh brewery Polly's (website), Danish Pastry 8th Birthday Imperial Stout (11.0%), brewed with fresh vanilla, raisins and cinnamon. Review of this excellent beer? I'll just copy out what I wrote at the time, which says it all: Hint of coffee and the Danish pastry, yes, in the aroma. Taste? Gorgeous, rich, hints of chocolate and almond, very nice indeed!

Cheers m'dears! 😁

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' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌

October Whisky of the Month

Close by the bonny banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland comes this month's Whisky of the Month, from Loch Lomond Distillery (website). The history of a brewery by the loch goes back to 1814, but the current distillery was created in 1965 by the former proprietors of Littlemill Distillery (website), so quite new. The older distillery was situated near Tarbet towards the north-west end of the Loch, now the brewery is just south of the Loch by the River Leven in Alexandria.

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (46.0%), like all their whiskies, is distilled from their own grown wheat (90%) and malted barley (10%), and aged for 12 years in Bourbon, Refill and Re-Charred Oak Casks. This produces a whisky with hints of vanilla and honey in the aroma, and you notice the alcohol content as well. Taste wise I got very noticeable peach, pear and vanilla, with a wee bit of toasted bread, smoke and citrus and tropical fruits. Overall, a big flavour, slightly rough with the alcohol content, and a dry slightly bitter finish.

Good value at £40-45 a bottle. I got mine for just under £40, thank you very much, 😉 sláinte!

Don't forget though, that 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' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌

London Beer Flood 1814

Yesterday I forgot to write about the historic London Beer Flood on its anniversary, my apologies, this tragic event happened close to what is now the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road in London's West End on the 17th of October 1814 (HistoryUK).

In those days, London's beer drinkers were supplied by dozens of competing breweries, some breweries building enormous vats in which to ferment and condition their ales. Indeed, the enormous porter vat of Meux & Company had a capacity of over a million pints. At about 6pm, on the 17th of October 1814, one of the steel restraining bands encircling that gigantic vat broke and released the contents. Together with the million plus pints of porter released from this vat, other vessels in the brewery were also damaged, consequently releasing even more beer into the flood. The resulting deluge damaged the brewery and a nearby pub, the Tavistock Arms and, sadly, flooded the basements of nearby homes...

Depending on which reports you read, between 7 and 9 people died as a direct result of the flood, most drowning in their own basements, and many more were seriously injured, including some of those who came to help rescue survivors... 

R.I.P. to those who sadly died in their own homes. 😢

I can't find the original sources for the photographs, apologies to them for not referencing. 

Many Thanks and Cheers, 500,000 Page Views!

Many thanks folks, this blog has now had over half a million page views, cheers! 👍

 

2 - Blackfriars to Euston Pubs - from Holborn

Starting where I finished with my last blog at the Princess Louise, 208 High Holborn WC1V 7EP (website). This Grade II Listed pub was built in 1872 and named after Queen Victoria's sixth child, with the fabulous interior redesigned in 1891, it really is worth visiting for that alone, and not just for the loos! 😉 It's a Samuel Smith (from Yorkshire - website) pub, so everything they sell is Sam Smiths basically, wine, spirits, crisps, oh yes, and beers... 🍺

And what do you drink if you're an ale drinker? Their 4.0% Old Brewery Bitter, and yes, it's drinkable, and apparently brewed with traditional English Fuggle (hopslist) and East Kent Golding (hopslist) hops. Go to their own page for their opinion, me? Personally, I'd describe it as slightly malty, not very bitter, unchallenging, and easy to drink, as previously suggested.

From the Princess Louise go back to the Holborn junction and turn left up Southampton Row, then third right at Theobalds Road, then immediately left up Old Gloucester Street to Queens Square, and at the corner is The Queens Larder, 1 Queen Square WC1N 3AR (website), and yes, you are in Bloomsbury! A Grade II Listed building, early 18th century, and pub since 1710, named after George III's Queen Charlotte, who assisted with his care as the king stayed with, and was treated by, his physician Dr Willis in Queen Square (named after Queen Anne). 👑

There were 3 handpumps, 2 I remember included Fuller's (website) London Pride (4.1%), which when in form is pretty good, but it 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), and I'd describe it as a slightly malty and bitter traditional session bitter, easy to drink. There was also Timothy Taylor's (website) Landlord (4.3%) from Yorkshire. Landlord is a pale-ish amber Bitter, brewed with Whitbread Golding (hopslist), Savinjski/Styrian Golding (hopslist) and Fuggle (hopslist) hops, producing a slightly fruity citrus flavour. Another pretty easy to drink bitter. 😁

A few doors away is The Swan, 7 Cosmo Place WC1N 3AP, a Greene King pub (website), originally from the 18th century, but rebuilt in 1931. Unsurprisingly the usual Greene King ales available, but I enjoyed the 4.3%  Timothy Taylor's Landlord, described above, cheers! 🍺

Carry along Cosmo Place to Southampton Row, turn right and walk up to Euston Road and turn right (the easiest route, but you can meander through back streets, and more complicated), along on the right, across from St Pancras Station is The Euston Flyer, 83-87 Euston Road NW1 2RA (website). A much newer building converted into a pub about 30 years ago. This is owned by Fuller's of Chiswick, West London (website), where we met friends from Sheffield via St Pancras Station, and B came down from Manchester this time, so across from Euston Station.

Here, we were all disappointed with the beers, Pride for Paul and Ian, whilst I drank their 4.2% Golden Hour, brewed with Harlequin hops (British Hops). As I said, for a Fuller's house it was disappointing indeed, so I'll pass on how they describe it: "golden ale, the hops delivering tropical citrus notes with a touch of candied fruit." This was actually our first port of call on the day as we walked in the opposite direction towards Holborn, but that didn't fit with my Blackfriars to Euston theme, and we talked B out of drinking here when she arrived! 😞

For you, dear reader, I'd suggest alternatively drinking around the corner at the Skinners Arms, 114 Judd Street WC1H 9NT (website), with 6 cask ales and 4 crafty keg beers. Historic too, and I shall have to go there myself in the not too distant future, cheers folks! 👍

Don't forget though, that 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' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌