Revisiting Applecross in Scotland...

A review of 4 Applecross Craft Brewery (website) beers this time, but who can forget Jalfreziman's original descriptive guest blog from 4 years ago, nor the wonderful scenic images from Applecross Photographic Gallery (website), many thanks to them again too! 👍

So, David's (Jalfreziman) review of the brewery's ales begins with Applecross Gold (5.0%), the only one of their ales available to him on draught at the Applecross Inn, Shore Street, Applecross, Wester Ross IV54 8LR (website). From the name (and the image above) you can guess/see it's a golden/blonde ale. David says it has a slightly smoky taste to it, otherwise what you would expect from a blonde bitter; he gave it a score of 6/10. The photograph is borrowed from UNTAPPD, and many thanks to Dick Bloem, who's image it is, cheers Dick!

This is an image from the older Applecross blog of their 4.7% Dark Ale, Inner Sound, though from a bottle this time. David says it is nutty, malty, and a rich caramel. Indeed, his favourite in 2019, and in 2023 too, he's definitely not fickle, it's "very tasty" and marked 7/10 by him. 👍

The final 2 bottled beers sampled are Applecross Pale Ale (3.7%) and Sanctuary, a 4.0% Red Ale. Applecross Pale Ale does what it says on the label, an easy drinking session pale ale, which he gave a score of 5/6 to. And the Sanctuary does what it says on the label too, it's a nutty red ale which David gave a score of 6/10 to.

Many thanks and cheers to David for his reviews! 🍻

Only With Love!

I was asked by a publican couple who are friends, to taste 5 beers in cans from East Sussex brewery Only With Love (website) for them, and who am I to turn down a challenge of this sort? Cheers Mark and Mo! 😉 So I worked up in strength, sort of... 

I begin with their 3.9% 'Super Session Pale' Swift, and a very pale golden ale, as expected. Brewed with Amarillo (hopslist), Columbus (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops, providing a fruity aroma, notably orange. There was a hint of orange in the taste too, but quite subtle. Nice and refreshing with a dry finish, not too bitter, I liked it.

Second is their 4.2% 'Extra Pale Ale' Wingding, brewed with Citra (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist), Goldings (hopslist) and Apollo (hopslist) hops. Pale again, unsurprisingly, with a light fruity aroma and taste, they suggest 'gooseberry' and I got that too! Finished nice and dry, my notes say, 'not bad at all' 👍which is a decent compliment from me. 😉

 

Third is the 5% 'Tropic IPA' Bongo (rebadged from 'Summer Beer' I guess, but I forgot to take photographs before the cans went into the recycling bag, so had to scour the net for images 😒). Brewed with El Dorado (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist), Citra (hopslist), Sabro (Yakima Valley Hops) and Simcoe (hopslist) hops, producing big citrus and forest fruits aroma and taste in this pale ale. A nice crisp dry finish, shame about the thickness of this 'vegan friendly' ale, or it could have been a belter... 😞

Fourth is their 4% 'Helles Lager' Banger, brewed with Magnum (hopslist), Hallertau (hopslist) and Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. Pale, quite dry with a subtle fruitiness in the taste, it's 'vegan friendly' too, but nice and clear, see, it can be done! Okay, I'm not a lager drinker, but I noted that it's "pretty good!" Indeed, I can be open to new things... 😁

Finally their low alcohol/alcohol free (0.5%) Juicy AF, brewed with Columbus (hopslist), El Dorado (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist) and Citra (hopslist) hops. Big fruity aroma and taste, as you'd expect from the hops used, but I may as well have had an orange or mixed fruits smoothie, probably cheaper! If it had been crisp and clear I may consider it, but much too thick sadly.

Overall, they use hops that I like in my ales, I was surprised about the lager Banger, which I thought was pretty good, sadly the Bongo and Juicy AF were much too thick for me, which could be improved if fined, and I shan't go into the 'vegan friendly' ales can be crisp and clear saga yet again here, and the Swift and Wingding were both not bad at all. Decent enough brewers, shame about the vegan influence, although I've heard they do provide clear ales in casks if requested. Cheers folks! 🍻

Many thanks for the images too, cheers! 👍

A Few Pubs Between Marble Arch & Shepherds Bush...

This was a recent mini 'pub crawl' as there are quite a few pubs along the way, but these are my 3 favourite pubs in West London along the Bayswater Road/Holland Park Avenue (actually all just off this old pre-Roman Road, which was upgraded by the Romans Ladbroke Association).

First, around the corner from Lancaster Gate Tube Station, north of the main road and not too far west of Marble Arch, is The Victoria, 10a Strathearn Place, W2 2NH (website). This is a fine old Grade II listed Fuller's pub (Fuller's website) built in the 1830s, and named after Queen Victoria as, apparently, it was opened on the same day as her accession to the throne, and, she visited the pub after the opening of the rebuilt nearby Paddington Railway Station in 1854.

Anyway, a fine early Victorian public house, and I do like Fuller's ales, but I chose a guest ale from one of my historically favourite breweries, in Newport, Wales, Tiny Rebel (website). Sadly, a wee bit disappointed with their Under the Sun as this is a 'vegan' friendly beer, consequently cloudy for the brewers who can't be arsed to provide a clear ale, although trendy Yuccies seem to go for them, but not what I was expecting from a 4.3% 'pale ale' brewed with Cascade and Citra hops... Plenty of flavour, which you expect with those hops, but, well, regular readers will be aware I'm not overly impressed with beers that are like thick fruity drinks in my mouth, I much prefer subtlety of taste from these hops in a clear refreshing pale dry bitter...

I cannot fault the service at The Victoria though, notably the friendly young Bulgarian who served me, also friendly other staff, and the manager/landlord seemed a decent chap too, though I've never met him before, but he rushed off to a football match before I could engage him in much discussion. I'll be drinking a Fuller's ale next time I visit, as I usually do here. 😉

And not too far away, again north of the main road, and a wee bit further west, I visited The Leinster Arms, 17 Leinster Terrace, W2 3EU (pubanddining). Another Grade II listed Victorian pub that was originally established as The Scotch Stores in1856, changing its name to The Leinster Arms in 1881. Up to 5 cask ales available, but for my last visit I went for the...

Yes, I went for their House Ale called Lennie (4.3%), brewed by nearby West London brewer Portobello (website). A decent enough pale amber bitter, a wee bit sweet to taste at first, for me anyway, and I'm guessing that if it's not Portobello's 4.3% Star British Bitter, then it's a variation on the theme with English hops used. But I'm only guessing, however I'm always ready to try something different... Then further westwards and on to another Fuller's pub...

The Churchill Arms, 119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN (website), this time a wee bit south of the main road from Notting Hill Gate. Built in 1750, and previously known as the Bedford Arms or the Church-on-the Hill depending on your source, maybe both (?), this great flower bedecked pub became named The Churchill Arms after WW2, it would seem for obvious reasons, and it certainly is very Winnie themed! However, it was not him, but his grandparents, John and Frances Anne Spencer-Churchill, who frequented this pub in the 19th century, indeed, there is no evidence that Winnie ever visited, contrary to rumours! 

There are over 100 flower pots, 48 window boxes, and 42 hanging baskets outside The Churchill Arms! And for Christmas every year there are many many lit Christmas Trees adorning the pub. It has a great interior, and claims to have the first ever Thai restaurant installed in a London pub, and I've eaten there before, and the food is exceptional.

Despite being a Fuller's house, I didn't drink Fuller's ale here either, but, from Cornish brewer Verdant (website), their 3.8% Penpol. I believe this is brewed using Citra hops, and the flavour supported this, very pale and light, refreshing, with that grapefruit/citrus taste and aroma, very easy to drink, and I liked it a lot, indeed, my favourite ale of the day. 👍

On my way home, I caught the train from Shepherds Bush to Clapham Junction, where I had 40 minutes to spare before catching my final train home, so I decided to go into the Nicholson's (website) pub, The Falcon, 2 St John's Hill, SW11 1RU (website). The Falcon is actually on the corner at Clapham Junction with Falcon Road and, at the bottom of St John's Hill, with Lavender Hill going up the other way, pretty much a landmark. The building is Grade II listed, and was built in 1887, although a pub had been on the site for a further 150 years, maybe longer. It has the longest continuous bar in the country, a claim supported by the Guinness Book of Records, and looks good still, following its refurbishment (blog).

So, before my final train journey home I drank a pint of Blonde Brummie, a 4.4% ale brewed by Birmingham Brewing Company (website). As you would guess from the name and strength a session pale ale, quite light and refreshing, not the best ale I've ever drunk, but nowhere near the worst. 😉 A vegan friendly and gluten free beer, and nice and clear, as we all know that vegan friendly beers can be presented. British hops used, but I couldn't discover which, though I wouldn't be surprised to see that Goldings was one. I'd be very happy to drink this in any pub that looks after their ales, like here, and it was a nice start to the journey, cheers! 👌