Revisiting the Tower...

By Steve the Beermeister: 

I recently walked up to the current South East Sussex CAMRA 'Pub of the Year', the Tower on the corner of London and Tower Roads in Bohemia, and, as ever, a pleasure to see Louisa the landlady, meet up with a few friends, and drink some excellent ales at good value prices! Well, I hadn't been up there for a while...  

6 real ales (and 4 ciders), mostly local to Sussex/Kent too, including 2 excellent regulars from Dark Star, ie Hophead and American Pale Ale, both of which I've talked about at length many times before, and a refreshing pale offering from 1648, the 3.7% Hop Pocket. Also, 2 dark ales, Titanic Plum Porter (4.5%) and Arundel Smokehouse Porter (6%), and an inbetweeny, Isfield Ethelred (4.4%), which was ready!

I'll have to return very soon, cheers! 

Beast of a Beer or Two!

The Rutland Beast, brewed at Oakham in Rutland by The Grainstore Brewery (website)... Seven different types of malt and wheat are used for the grist, and three different hops in the brew, though Grainstore appear to be a little shy about sharing the names of the hops used!  

Also, I didn't really find it to be a "beast", but a well-balanced ale with a deep red colour and lovely to drink. OK, it's a wee bit strong at 5.3%, but with a lovely cherry beer aroma, and fruity strong taste and plenty of body, in fact, I'd describe it as an excellent strong 'ruby mild', but what do I know? I had this very recently at the Dolphin Inn at Rock-a-Nore, and the speed of it not being on any more provides evidence of what a good beer it is/was.      

So I thought I should give notice of another 'beast' of an ale, this time from an East Sussex brewer, and due to come on at the Dolphin this weekend, and that is the very seasonal Dark Star Green Hopped IPA (brewery website). Seasonal, because of the use of fresh (most brewers use hops picked within 12 hours to add to their brews of this type of ale) or green hops, rather than the dried hops usually used by brewers. Very different in style, a supremely dry pale bitter with a strong aroma and taste of citrus from the Simcoe hops used, and 6.5% of strength that you may not notice, unless you drink more than one pint! 

Have a good weekend, cheers! 

Bonfire Beer Festival at the FILO

By Steve the Beermeister...

Whilst processions were being held, and bonfires and fireworks were being lit down on the beach, there has been a beer festival at the First In Last Out (FILO) in the High Street... Quite a few decent ales to drink there, indeed, and there should still be some left to sup this afternoon and evening, I'm having another go at them anyway! As usual, there are 4 of the FILO Brewery's own ales at the bar, their Crofters Best Bitter, Bourne Blonde, Old Town Tom, and Cardinal Sussex Porter.   

Of their 10 'guest' festival ales, I tried a few; Inveralmond Tight Head (4.2%) has plenty of malt in its flavour, as one would expect from a Scottish ale, though a bit too sweet for me, like liquid 'Caramac' (I love dry bitter pale golden ales, please take note, so don't let my preferences put you off, there are plenty of styles for everyone!). Another darker ale I tasted was the burnished copper coloured Tring Thunderdell (4.3%), rich with roasted barley in the flavour and taste, plenty of body and taste! Other darker ales include the 'brown ale' Kirby Lonsdale Devil's Bridge (3.7%), Hanlons 'porter' Devon Darkness (4.2%), and Dark Star Winter Meltdown (5.0%).   

Of the paler ales, I have regularly drunk before the golden hoppy Salopian Shropshire Gold (3.8%) and Moorhouse's Blonde Witch (4.5%). Also, I drank a pint of the excellent Burning Sky Aurora (5.6%), with its tangerine and grapefruit aroma and rich deep fruity flavour and body, with a dry bitter finish, quality! I also tried the 4.7% Springhead Barebones, another very decent ale with a hint of roasted barley in the flavour, with a deep amber colour and dry finish. Finally, the 10th ale was the Blackwater Brewery Voodoo (4.6%), contract brewed at Salopian Brewery, another excellent refreshing ale with a strong citrus aroma, grapefruit and an orangey flavours too (need to wink here), I wrote "NICE+++" in my notes, so it tied with the Aurora as one of my 2 favourite ales of the visit!

Still ales available today, oh yes, and 3 real ciders hopefully! Plus events still happening with Hastings Week too (website), enjoy, cheers!       

Friday SKA Launch Party for Seafood & Wine Festival!

The Seafood & Wine Festival kicks off this year with a "Super-Ska Night" Launch Party this Friday evening, 18th September, from 7.30pm. This will be held in the marquee on the beach by the Lifeboat Station, for more information see website. 

I had a sneak peep into the marquee earlier today, the real ale bar itself is set up, though the ales, from 5 East Sussex brewers, still needed to be set up on stillage. 9 different ales from Hastings, FILO, Harveys, Burning Sky and Dark Star breweries. 

These are the ales, which will be set up by the time you read this! 

Hastings Session Pale (3.8%) and Pacific Wheat (4.7%); 

FILO Crofters Best Bitter (3.8%), Gold (4.8%), Old Town Tom (4.5%) and their annual festival special, Bourne Blonde (4%); 

Harveys Wild Hop (3.7%); 

Burning Sky Plateau (3.5%); and 

Dark Star Hophead (3.8%). 

With any luck, the ales will last out the weekend, but I can't guarantee that! For further information about the Seafood and Wine Festival itself, see website, and enjoy!