I have been travelling elsewhere too as the pandemic appears to be easing, and will soon (honest!), be writing about old haunts in particular, but on Saturday I revisited Peterborough, with a new pub added to those I mentioned in a blog last year. Indeed, my 'new' pub is the reigning local CAMRA Pub of the Year, the Ostrich Inn, 17 North Street PE1 2RA (website). This pub first opened nearly 200 years ago, and maintains great character, serving up 5 real ales and a real cider from handpumps. Now I only found this great pub because, fortuitously, I again bumped into the brothers/son/nephew, Steve, Tony and Mark, although I had expected to meet up with them at Bumbles later, as we'd arranged. 😀
I drank 2 of the ales, first, from Zest Brewery of Grantham (website), their 5.5% Blond Volupta, their website says 5.0%, but I noted that the pump clip stated 5.5... Anyway, described as a "zesty tropical blond" which I found very easy drinking, with a slightly dry finish, not bad. But here I preferred, from the much more local Nene Valley Brewery (website), their 4.4% Release the Chimps, brewed with hops I do like a lot, including Magnum, Ella, Topaz, Simcoe, Ahtanum and Ekuanot, now there is a flavoursome mixture, and including late dry hopping! It's a pale golden bitter with a dry fruity aftertaste, very decent indeed.
We then wandered round the corner to the Bumble Inn (Bumbles) at 46 Westgate PE1 1RE (website and mentioned in my blog last year), where I sampled the local Rockingham Ales (couldn't find a website, sorry) Dave's Not Here (4.3%), an American Pale Ale. Thus hops from across the Atlantic producing a pale fruity bitter with a dry finish. liked it, just a shame I couldn't find out more, though CAMRA's Good Beer Guide suggests they've been brewing for some time!
And a visit to Peterborough wouldn't be complete without a visit to Oakham Ales' (website) The Brewery Tap, (website and also mentioned in my earlier blog, as was their Charters Bar, though this, sadly, was very packed Saturday!), 80 Westgate PE1 2AA. Anyway, they always seem to have an ale on at £3.00 a pint, and on Saturday this was the excellent Inferno (4.0%), packed with hops from across the Atlantic, Sterling, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade and Chinook, no wonder I love Oakham's ales! With a light golden colour, tropical and citrus flavours and aroma, and a light dry bitter finish, another great ale from Oakham Ales, and just £3 a pint, cheers! 👍
I also revisited Rye on Thursday, and the Rye Waterworks micropub of course, but seem to have lost my notes! As I have written about this excellent and very friendly establishment recently, I shall refer you to that blog, if you haven't already read it, otherwise it was again good to see David, Ulla, Eddie and Lotte, all serving up great ales and ciders, and an enormous Scotch Egg to me, many thanks! I also met a couple who know my mate Mark, from his parish...
I didn't drink anything I haven't drunk and mentioned before, I think, cheers!
And some details of, and history of the Waterworks, can be read at this older blog.
And, as I mention Peterborough Cathedral in my alter ego's blog, which I visited for the first time on Saturday, I'll mention the Parish Church of St Mary, Rye, in that blog too.
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