A Gift from Scotland

Friends of mine, Mark and Maureen, often bring back beers for me when they go on holiday, eg when they went to Wales a couple of years ago (blog), and Devon earlier this year (blog). Well, they recently returned from touring around the Scottish Highlands and Islands, although Mark said he was a bit disappointed with the little choice on offer ale-wise, where there was mostly cream flow and keg beers available, but that's much of Scotland for you, sadly... 😕 

Anyway, this time they brought back a beer for me from a very decent Scottish brewery, Orkney (website), their 4.5% Orkney Gold, labelled a New World Pale Ale, thanks to the Amarillo, Cascade and Columbus hops used, from the USA; also Wheat Malt is used as well as the more usual pale malt, presumably Maris Otter. They suggest it is "spicy, fruity and hoppy" and I noted slightly citrus fruits in the aroma and taste, with a wee hint of forest fruits too, and refreshing with a nice bitter finish... Cheers Mark and Mo, and cheers to you too folks! 

Dheagh shlàinte!

A New Brewery in an Old Pub

The Ram Inn

My brother and I recently visited what used to be the old brewery tap for Youngs in Wandsworth, and now called The Ram Inn, 68 Wandsworth High Street, SW18 4LB (website), and now run by the Grumpy Pub Company, who also have 2 other previously Youngs pubs, ie The Pig & Whistle, 481 Merton Road, SW18 5LD, and The Old Sergeant, 104 Garratt Lane, SW18 4DJ, both of which I have visited many times over the years, being from Wandsworth originally...

As you can see in the photograph below, which shows their brewing kit inside the building,, this is also a 'brewpub' and the brewery is called Slybeast Brewing, named after a couple of dogs, it appears, the story is on their website.

So, the 3 beers of theirs I sampled, I have to review, being as that's my purpose in life these days. 😉 To the first ale, their 3.7% 'pale ale' Beam Engine, brewed with Marris Otter malt and Cascade hops from the U.S. of A., and described as 'a modern take on a classical English ale.' It's a pale golden beer, I certainly got the hops used in the taste, dries out in the finish, but a bit too sweet for me, not my favourite pale ale ever, sadly.

The second ale I tasted was the 4.5% Ram Street Special SW18, which I presumed would be their take on the Youngs Special, but no! Apparently brewed by someone who likes Belgian dubbel beers and consequently Belgian Crystal malt used and a 'more pronounced yeast profile' though English hops used, I believe. Again for me, Belgian wise I prefer their tripel beers, and not bitter enough for me, much too sweet.

The third beer was the 4.5% 4 FOOT 2 London Porter, named after the old railway that used to run nearby 200 years ago, and which ran on a track gauge of 4' 2" unsurprisingly. They describe the aroma and taste as 'Biscuit, Caramel, Chocolate and Toast'  but I got a big hit of liquorice and a hint of coffee too. Dark, as you'd expect, apparently unfined, so good for vegans, and easy to get away with for such a dark beer. I wrote 'not bad' as it wasn't bad at all, I could drink this regularly, but maybe not too many pints in one go 😉

Next door, therefore also on the old Ram Brewery site, is the Sambrooks Brewery, which I wrote a blog about a while ago before the pandemic disrupted things, and their Taproom, somewhere I shall have to visit on another day, cheers! 

Peterborough and Oakham Ales Postscript...

Indeed, further to my last blog about my recent visit to Peterborough, which included visiting 2 of the 4 Oakham Ales hostelries run by their sister company, The Oaka Group; I always thought that the Bartons Arms in Birmingham was one of their pubs, which I've visited a few times and written about before (blog), but Helen at Oakham has informed me that it is 'leased' out, shame. However, I have visited the Mansion House in Kennington a few times. eg blog, and their fourth business is actually the East Restaurant on the upper deck of Charters in Peterborough (blog).

Anyway, the postscript is that, although I was too sensible to drink the 6% Oakham Green Devil whilst in Peterborough, I had a couple of pints yesterday at my local, the Dolphin Inn in Hastings, a pub that I have written about before, obviously, eg blog. Anyway! Green Devil is the "big brother" of the 'session ale' at 4.2% Oakham Citra, also a few more hops used, not just significantly stronger, but 'doubled hopped' and twice 'World Champion' ale (website).

They describe the taste on the Green Devil pump clip as being "powerful, tropical fruit" and it certainly has a deeper more full taste than Citra, but I detect some grapefruit as well as tropical fruit flavours, we're all different. Indeed, it's an excellent pale golden bitter, with Wheat Malt used, as well as the usual Maris Otter, my notes say plenty of body, dry finish, and very good!

Looking forward to my next pint shortly, cheers!