St Patrick's Day - March Whiskey of the Month, Sláinte!

St Patrick's Day being the 17th of March, I bought a bottle of the Second Edition of their Wonders of Wood series, a 50.0% Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey - Virgin Portuguese Oak from Dublin distillery Teeling, the first new distillery to open in Dublin for over 125 years in 2015 (website). As usual for Irish whiskey this was triple distilled, and created from 50% malted and 50% un-malted Irish Barley, then this edition aged in virgin Portuguese oak casks.

Portuguese oak, native to the Iberian Peninsula, "has a higher tannin content than other oak variants normally used in the Whiskey industry." Consequently bringing unique flavours when used for maturation. A nice deep golden colour, with a sweet, but spicy aroma, with hints of ginger and oak wood. To taste, less sweet than Irish whiskeys can be, but amazingly gentle considering the strength, with orange marmalade, apricot and vanilla to taste, finishing a little spicy, notably nutmeg, and a subtle woodiness too; I noted the alcohol goes down gently at the back of the mouth. A wee bit special for March Whiskey of the Month, nice one, sláinte! 👍💚

I've a wee bit left for tomorrow... 😉

Please note that, in "collaboration with the Tree Council of Ireland every release in the Wonders of Wood series will work towards the reforestation of a designated area of woodland in Ireland with exclusively native Irish trees. The first release allowed for an acre of native oak trees to be planted in the Glencree region of County Wicklow just outside of Dublin. The second release will allow for a second acre to be planted this time in County Dublin, again in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland." A good cause indeed. 🌳🌳🌳

Covent Garden Pubs 2

Further to my recent Covent Garden blog, really a wee pub crawl from Charing Cross to Tottenham Court Road/Oxford Street, where we obviously missed quite a few pubs, we decided to go to some of those pubs missed. But we did start again at The Harp, 47 Chandos Place WC2N 4HS (website) as, quite frankly, it is an excellent pub, can't be missed if in the area, although it does get very busy at times,  but we were there early, so no problem! 

As ever at The Harp, an excellent range of ales to chose from including, from Huddersfield brewery Mallinsons (website), Belma, a 4.0% single hopped ale, yes you've guessed it right, brewed with Belma hops (hopslist). 😉 Anyway, this was excellent, pale golden colour and, they say "blonde with notes of citrus, pineapple and strawberry" - whilst I say, yes, quite fruity, but very subtle, I got grapefruit, maybe tangerine too, but again, very subtle, with a lovely dry bitter finish. I already knew this would be my favourite ale of this trip, but then, Mallinsons consistently brew excellent pale ales, and I wasn't disappointed, great stuff, cheers! 😁

Once again, we turned left out of The Harp, then left again up Bedfordbury, walked to the end and turned right, this time missing The White Swan, instead virtually opposite that pub is The Round House, 1 Garrick Street WC2E 9BF (website). The Round House was built in the 1860s, catering for theatre goers and market traders, and originally traded as Petters Hotel until the name was changed to The Round House in 1943.

Here, we drank Fuller's Grand Slam, a 3.4% pale golden seasonal ale, celebrating the Rugby Union Six Nations Tournament, Fuller's (now Asahi) Griffin brewery (website) not being a million miles away from Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby Union (website). Anyway, they say "citrus and pine" flavour, but I cannot find which hopes are used, although Amarillo, Cascade and Citra are among the likely choices. Whatever, this is a fruity, crisp, dry, and easy drinking pale ale with a gentle bitterness at the finish. 👍

We could see our next pub from the window of The Round House, a pub I've not been to for years! Anyway, we exited the Roundhouse, left onto Garrick Street and turned immediately first right, and straight in front of us, the Lamb & Flag, 33 Rose Street WC2E 9EB (website). A pub is first recorded here in 1772, with the 18th century building constructed on the same site of a house known to have been built by 1638, perhaps 10 years or so earlier when the street itself was built. This timber-framed, and Grade II Listed pub, was originally called the Cooper's Arms until the name was changed to the Lamb & Flag in 1833.

Here we drank an ale from Devon based Salcombe Brewery (website), their 4.2% Shingle Bay, a golden ale that I believe is brewed with New Zealand Pacific Gem hops (hopslist). They say "fruity aroma of blackberry and spiced fruit" which is again, very subtle, but suggested by the hops used. I found it to have a gentle citrus aroma and flavour, with a peppery dry bitter finish, and another easy drinking ale to quaff. 🍺

From the Lamb & Flag, we turned back on ourselves and right onto Garrick Street, shortly along to a 6 road junction, taking the third left/opposite Great Newport Street to Charing Cross Road and we turned right onto the main road. We carried along roughly northwards to Shaftesbury Avenue, where we turned left, and then first right onto Greek Street where we reached The Coach & Horses, 29 Greek Street, W1D 5DH (website). This Grade II Listed building dates back to 1840, and is claimed to be "Soho's Most Famous Pub" and historically a drinking establishment for writers, artists and poets; indeed, a friend reminded me soon after I posted this photograph on social media, that it was where folk from the satirical magazine Private Eye had their famous fortnightly lunches, cheers Stephen! 🍷🍸🍻

Here we drank, from Bermondsey in South East London, The Kernel Brewery (website) and their 4.0% Small Pale Ale, this one brewed with Columbus hops (hopslist); apparently they brew a variety of changing 'session' Small Pale Ales with different hops used, and different strengths. Anyway, the Columbus hop helps produce big citrus flavoured brews, and despite this being a bit trendy hazy, the hops did their job to ensure it was a pleasant ale indeed. 👌

I didn't realise it in the planning, but these 4 pubs all had something in common, in that they are all Fuller's pubs, indeed, I hadn't realised before how much Fuller's has encroached into the centre of London from their origins in West London. Also, rather surprisingly, I discovered that there was a 10% discount for CAMRA members at all 4 pubs, nice one, cheers folks! 😄

Southampton Visit

I arrived by train in Southampton and literally walked due south following the sun, slightly to the right of south, and didn't need to check a map, the sun did its job! My first destination was the Grade I Listed 14th century warehouse, The Wool House, Town Quay SO14 2AR (Historic England), now the home of Dancing Man Brewery, and Bar and Restaurant (website).

My first ale was Dancing Man Jesus Hairdo Pale Ale (4.0%), which the brewery doesn't divulge in writing anywhere I can find which hops are used, but it is suggested in places that English hops are used. This is born out on tasting as this has a gentle fruitiness to taste, it is slightly hazy, dry and bitter, and quite refreshing, it would make an excellent summer ale methinks!

I loved this spiral staircase coming down from the restaurant upstairs, so had to take a photograph and include it here. The brewery is downstairs towards the back, but no photographs from me of that here. I received a warm welcome when I entered the bar, good discourse with both lads, and I was enticed into having a second pint (below), I coped! 😉

Hazy, perhaps a wee bit more than the Jesus Hairdo, the Voodoo Jazz Hat, a New Zealand Pale Ale (4.7%) brewed with Motueka (hopslist) and Nelson Sauvin (hopslist) hops. Certainly much more to it, absolutely packed with tropical and citrus fruits, and with a dry bitter finish. As regular readers will be aware I'm not much into hazy ales, but this was pretty damn good!

Close by the Wool House and old town walls is the Grade II Listed Pilgrim Father's Memorial (or Mayflower Memorial - Historic England), a 50 foot high column made of Portland Stone, with a cupola and bronze model of The Mayflower atop. This was designed and erected by Garret and Haysom, and unveiled in August 1913 by the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Dr William Hines Page. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers, Protestant 'separatists' from the Church of England, having escaped persecution, and having lived in Leiden in Holland for 12 years, joined up with The Mayflower, and the 65 people who had earlier embarked in that ship at Rotherhithe in London. Their other ship, the Speedwell, was declared unseaworthy when they first set sail for America, but they finally set sail to cross the Atlantic on the 16th of September 1620 (Heritage Calling).

For reasons regarding links to Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of boots and victor at the Battle of Waterloo, and other military victories, oh yes, and he became Prime Minister (twice), I then chose to visit the Grade II Listed Duke of Wellington, 36 Bugle Street SO14 2AH (website). Originally a house built in the early 13th century, with the foundations and cellars still lasting from that date (Historic England).  It became a pub called the Duke of Wellington following victory at Waterloo, previously called Bere House, possibly Southampton's oldest brewery then. Various restorations and work has been done over the centuries, particularly noting damage from a French raid in 1338, and more recently after serious damage caused by bombing in World War II.

This pub is a tied house to the Devizes brewery Wadworth (website) who were established in 1875. I first drank Wadworth 6X (4.1% in cask, although it was 4.3% when I first tasted it) back in my twenties in a Devon pub then called The Palomino Pony, now The Greyhound Country Inn (website), when friends lived close by in a village called Feniton. Anyway, a friendly lad behind the bar, who poured the cask conditioned 6X via an electric pump. 6X is a traditional amber bitter, brewed with Fuggle (hopslist) and Golding (hopslist) hops, with a slightly nutty, malty taste, and a dry, not overly bitter finish, and nice memories jogged too.

I then walked uphill away from the Quay and Old Town towards where I stayed the night, passing through the Grade I Listed Bargate (Sotonopedia), the northernmost gatehouse to the medieval town. The oldest part of this structure was built around the year 1180, with many modifications and restoration since, notably in the 13th, 18th and 19th centuries (Historic England).

After dropping off my backpack at the hotel, I carried on northwards to London Road, just behind which is the Raven & Bine, 16 Carlton Place SO15 2DY (website). This is Dancing Man's second bar/public house which they took over in 2024, and used to be called The Smugglers. I've tried to find out the history of the building, with little luck, although Carlton Place appears to have been built around 1840. The Raven & Bine is quite an airy place inside, having quite a classy interior with 'vintage art' adorning the walls. Again, a friendly young lad behind the bar, and I just about beat the crowds as I reached it earlyish (opens at 16.00).

You may have guessed from my reporting of the other Dancing Man ales above, that their ales are un-fined, thus hazy is the norm, and they appear proud of this fact. Here, I tried their 'Best Bitter' Old Fashioned (3.9%), brewed with Bramling Cross hops (hopslist), slightly hazy, a light traditional English bitter, gentle malt and hints of fruit, and very easy to drink.

My final port of call before heading towards the football was London Road Brew House, 67-75 London Road SO15 2AB (facebook). It used to be The Varsity pub, but little information seems available, brewing on the premises, but nothing really up to date available about that either, but it appears to be a rebuild with slightly art deco frontage following bombing in World War II.

I drank here, what I believe was Greene King Scrumdown Golden Ale (4.1%), brewed with Pilgrim (how suitable for this blog! hopslist), First Gold (hopslist) and Styrian (hopslist) hops. Certainly golden, quite refreshing ale, not overly fruity, floral or spicy, easy to knock back.

I'll not mention the match, trying to forget, but cheers m'dears, 'til next time! 😁