October 2025 Beer Festival
Cask
FESTIVAL BAR (CASK):
MAD SQUIRREL ‘Sunset’ 3.4% CASK
Pale Ale. Sabro and Strata are two of the best
rising stars in the hop world, and this wee pale shows off exactly why. Coconut
and pineapple and passionfruit ensures this is a tropical treat.
IDEAL DAY ‘Banks Of The River’ 3.4% CASK
Mild. Veering away from the dark milds that have
dominated the style's revival, the lovely orange hue hints at the more autumnal
flavours within. This tastes like the smell of kicking freshly fallen leaves.
MALLINSONS ‘CF 299’ 4.0% CASK
Pale Ale. Crystal clear, with a bright aroma to
match. The resinous nose is accompanied by peach and elderflower on the
palette, and immediately serves notice that here is a new hop to watch out for.
SWANNAY ‘Dark Munro’ 4.0% CASK
Mild. From the furthest reaches of the Northern
Isles, this is a more in keeping with the “trad” milds we have been seeing of
late. Gentle roasted tones give way to dark chocolate in a subtle, pleasing way.
OTHERWORLD ‘Motueka & Lime Hazy Pale’ 4.0% CASK
Pale Ale. Limelicious! Motueka hops give a
wonderful lime tang, sans the tartness, so the addition of the actual fruit elevates
this to the highest levels of refreshment.
BODDINGTONS x J.W. LEES ‘Boddington’s
Bitter’ 4.0% CASK
Bitter. By ‘eck it's gorgeous! Your eyes do not
deceive you, as J.W. Lees are now brewing this for cask. A serious blast from
the past, and though it might not stand up to the best, it's still a cracking
pint.
HERITAGE BREWING ‘Charrington
Oatmeal Stout’ 4.0% CASK
Stout. It has been a while since a Charrington
beer has been served on this site, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity when
Heritage resurrected the old recipe. Smooth & treacly, with a body to match.
ELUSIVE ‘Refresh’ 4.2% CASK
Pale Ale. Time for something more modern:
Elusive have not scrimped on the mango here – enough to call this a breakfast
juice. A dash of lime compliments the bitterness in an ode to the lost
sunshine.
DOWNLANDS ‘Home Is Where The Cask Is’ 4.2% CASK
Pale Ale. Another lovely single hop pale from
the wizards at Downlands. The riot of Centennial reminds us of the first wave
of US pales that converted so many into the beer geeks we are today.
RIVINGTON ‘Search For Truth’ 4.2% CASK
Bitter. A Rivvy cask is a rarity this far south,
so count yourselves lucky. Beautiful clarity, along with superbly balanced notes
of digestives and blackberries, means this is a winner for any bitter fan.
THE KERNEL ‘Bitter: Wet Hop’ 4.4% CASK
Bitter. Even The Kernel are getting in on the
green/wet hop fun now. The dankness of those super fresh hops plays
delightfully with the tangerine overtones, with that earthy dryness still
emerging.
FARM YARD ‘Krush’ 4.4% CASK
Pale Ale. Bold and brash, this is a pale that
shouts loud. Mandarin and pink grapefruit dominate, with a softness to the body
that makes this such a joy to quaff.
SURESHOT ‘Whole Lotta Funk 45’s’ 4.5% CASK
Stout. A stout stout, this – as you would expect
with a whopping twelve different malts used in its bill. Woody and sweet up
front, the finish slides effortlessly into pepper and smoke.
BRÍD’S CROSS ‘Undine’ 4.7% CASK
Kölsch-Style Lager. This month's lagery treat
comes from one of this year's best finds, Bríd's Cross. The warm bakery tones
come to the fore on cask, complete with the light drinkability of the lagering.
DROP PROJECT ‘Savage’ 4.8% CASK
Red Ale. Ah, the lesser-spotted red ale! Savage
follows the fruitier path, with lashings of redcurrant and orange most
prevalent on the palate. The aftertaste is pleasingly warm, toasty and
inviting.
ORBIT ‘80 Shilling’ 4.8% CASK
80 Shilling. No one is more excited about the
revival of these Scottish styles than me, and Orbit do not disappoint. Burnt toffee
and marmalade sandwiches, I can feel the chill leaving my bones as I sip.
DROP PROJECT ‘Sixfold’ 5.8% CASK
IPA. Happy 6th birthday to our closest pals,
Drop Project. A special cask of their celebratory IPA, it is everything we want
from these haze maestros; the pillowy, heavenly body allows the sticky guava and
succulent lychee to fill the mouth with their tantalising tastes. Even our
Frankie might approve.
IPA. The top end of our cask pales is this luscious
beastie from Two By Two. The Nectaron delivers exactly as promised, & the
HBC 1019 adds lashings of coconut for a cheerful sun-kissed concoction
Kegs in Marquee
FESTIVAL BAR (KEG):
BRAYBROOKE ‘Helles Lager’ 4.2%
Lager. It has taken me far too long to sneak
Braybrooke into the pub, but finally one of the finest English lager producers
are here. Beauty in simplicity, this goes toe to toe with just about any helles.
PHANTOM ‘Don't Run! We Are Your Friends!’ 5.0%
Pale Ale. We're all friends here. Some of you
will be running towards this offering from Phantom as it blasts out rays of
passion fruit and pineapple. It's the end of the world as we know it, and I
feel fine.
TWO FLINTS x NORTHERN MONK ‘Puddle’ 6.0%
IPA. Now this is the sort of puddle I could
happily stomp around in for an afternoon. Bright citrus tones over a malty
base, with plenty of biting bitterness, make this a splashy Westie.
REVENANT ‘Vestige’ 8.0%
Double IPA. A small contract brewer out of Kuopio
(what a lovely word to say!), this rather tasty DIPA was brewed over at
Frontaal. Soft and sticky, the dry finish keeps is remarkably drinkable.
DIEU DU CIEL! ‘Solstice d’Été Cerise’ 5.9%
Sour. One of the most beautiful beers you will
ever look at, and tastes just as good. Reminiscent of a bold cherry tart, it
balances the sweet and sour magnificently. Plus, it is amazing to have DDC
back!
THE KERNEL ‘Running Porter’ 5.6%
Porter. Something of a hit on cask, the keg
version isn't too shabby, either. Smooth dark chocolate, with a waft of roasted
tobacco drifting in, this is exactly what we need on these long, dark evenings.
PÕHJALA ‘Chocolate Porter’ 10.0%
Imperial Porter. What else did we expect from
this? There is so much chocolate that we might as well be drowning in the river
of chocolate at Willy Wonka's. It's how I would want to go...
Kegs In Bar
MAD SQUIRREL ‘Einstein’ 4.8% KEG TRACK ‘Lustre’ 5.2% KEG Pale Ale. Track are a brewery in no
danger of losing their lustre any time soon. Proving they can conquer the West
Coast as easily as the East, this is a marvellous medley of pine and kumquat.
IPA. In the best possible way, this
is exactly what you expect from an Azvex IPA these days. Beautifully soft, with
plenty of juiciness – in this case, gooseberry and white peach. Yummy
AZVEX ‘Animal Overpass’ 6.5% KEG
VERDANT x GREEN CHEEK ‘Little Summer Beer Bash #4’ 8.4% KEG Double IPA. Sublime sherbety
goodness again from Verdant, with a little help from Californians Green Cheek. Even
by their absurdly high standards, this is a step above in every department. BREW YORK ‘Nothing Is Real’ 4.5% KEG Sour. Strawberry, basil, and pepper
is a combo you are more likely to find in a fancy restaurant than a beer, but
it bloody works. Sweet, yet sour, with umami too, this is quite a thrill on the
tongue. BRASSERIE DE LA SENNE x CANTILLON ‘Bière De Coupage’ 6.2% KEG Sour. An exhilarating collaboration,
utilising what both are renowned for. The wild funkiness of the Cantillon
lambic is tempered by the bone-dry spiciness of the golden for a truly unique
experience. ORBIT ‘Hakata’ 4.9% KEG Lager. Rice lagers have had a bad
rap over the years, but Orbit are helping to rehabilitate them. Super light in
both colour and body, it does slip down rather easily as the hints of the
Sorachi Ace seep in. FRONTAAL ‘No Way Out B.A.’ 10.5% KEG BA Barleywine. There is no way I'm
letting this out of my sight – at least not until I am in a sugar coma. A sea
of salted caramel dominates the upper register, whilst the richness of the
barleywine is further enhanced by the year spent Madeira and port barrels.
Something very special indeed.
Ciders
Various
All available in thirds as well as pints and halves. Enjoy.
Cask - our normal wonderful range on the bar (CASK):
Several
MAIN BAR (CASK):
Seven