London ale prices outshone in Hastings!

Last weekend, as I said before, I went up t' frozen North, where it was actually quite mild, but, I went via Victoria, thanks to National Express coaches, OK, it takes ages, but I had a good book to read, and it only cost me £19.50 return from Hastings to Sheffield... Anyway, not trusting buses/coaches to get me there on time, I allowed myself a couple of hours in-between services, so had a wee pint close by at the St George's Tavern, Ebury Bridge, on the way up. This is a Nicholson's house, so usually trustworthy for us ale drinkers, and had 6 ales available, and East Sussex brewery, Dark Star's Hophead was one of them, nothing else interested me anyway, and it was in very good form, but, as would be expected, cost more than I'd usually pay, a 3.8% ale for £4.30 a pint!

Similarly, on the way back I had some time to fill, so bought a sandwich and crossed Chelsea Bridge, and ate my sandwich in Battersea Park, where there were plenty of promenaders! On my way back to Victoria Coach Station I walked via Pimlico and popped into the Cask Ale and Kitchen bar, forgetting this would likely be even more expensive, which it was, of course. Up to 10 ales here, many crafty keg beers, and loadsa bottled beers! I settled on the 6.5% Dark Star (have to support my county of abode and I'm not nicknamed 'Hophead' for no reason) Green Hopped IPA, which was excellent, and so it should have been at £5.35 a pint!

Anyway, thinking back on where you can regularly buy Dark Star ales in Hastings, other than Hophead as a regular ale at £3.60 a pint down at the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, of course, but you can buy at least 2 Dark Star ales at any one time at The Tower in London Road, Bohemia, just above St Leonards. This excellent ale house has won the local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year award 2 years running, and I have previously congratulated Louisa, the licensee, before for this grand achievement, and it also sells Hophead as a regular ale, at just £2.80 a pint! I also remember it very recently having the Green Hopped IPA, which Louisa was selling at £2.05 a pint less than in London, ie at £3.30 a pint...

I know where I'd prefer to drink a pint, not in London, cheers Louisa! 

Sorry to brag, but CHEERS!

By Steve the Beermeister

Indeed! Sorry, but yesterday, I drank the last 2 pints of the excellent Sussex-brewed Dark Star (website) Green Hopped IPA (6.5%) at the Dolphin Inn at Rock-a-Nore. Just great timing, I suppose... Brewed using 'fresh English hops', actually Simcoe hops, to brew this obviously very seasonal ale, ideally, hops are picked on the day of the brew! Yet again, this year, an excellent ale has been produced, with a deep amber hue and fruity aroma, the taste is fruity, but dry, not particularly sweet, then leaving a dry bitter aftertaste, exceptional, indeed, 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!