630: Bristol Beer Factory | Milk Stout

The Brewery: “Bristol Beer Factory started life in 2004 brewing just a few standard cask conditioned ales in a vibrant part of south Bristol.  The building we have all our fun in is actually an old fermenting block which was built in 1904 for the Ashton Gate Brewery.  The Ashton Gate Brewery (or Thomas Bayntons Brewery) started brewing here back around 1820's - though there was a break for about 70 years between 1933 & 2004.”

The Beer: “The original Bristol Milk Stout with smooth chocolatey sweetness and balancing coffee bitterness with hints of dark fruits. This award winning national champion stout is a beautifully creamy, full-bodied stout.”

Yep, agree with all of this. Went down well whilst people watching in Theatreland on my recent visit to London. One of my favourite pubs too.4.5%. A.B.V. Related entries

The Lyric, Soho, London. October 2019.

629: Gun Brewery | Chummy Bluster Best Bitter

The Brewery: “We brew at Gun Hill, on a beautiful 140 acre organic mixed farm in the Sussex Weald. The farm has a history of hop growing and some survive to this day in the hedgerows……We spent a year refitting the barn, and installing all the equipment ourselves, before selling our first pint in January 2015. In making our beer we aim to tread lightly on our surroundings. We generate much of our own power from a 15kw solar array; heating from a wood powered boiler and our spent grains keep the local livestock happy…….All the water used for brewing comes from our own spring source deep below the organically farmed land. The water is microfiltered and UV treated to ensure its purity without the need for chemicals. It’s delicious and great for brewing.”

The Beer: “It's the style that defines English Beer. That to some is simply 'real ale'. It is of course Best Bitter. Given this history and the amazing examples that are available, creating one is not something we've undertaken lightly. Made with no fewer than 7 malts and 3 different English Hops, "Chummy Bluster" is a gentle, fruity, well rounded ale, with just the right amount of bitterness to keep you coming back for more. Unfined, unfiltered and suitable for vegans.”

The most expensive beer procured on my latest visit to London - but they may have been down to the location. It was certainly one of the tastiest, a thoroughly enjoyable pint that ticked all the boxes for me. From my adopted home county of Sussex too. 4.4%. A.B.V.

Blue Posts, Soho, London. October 2019.

628: Volden | Palace Pale

The Brewery: “Volden Ltd brewed its first ale in April 2015 to supply Antic pubs exclusively with their own house beers. Our philosophy is to brew high quality British ales using best ingredients we can source from as close to London as possible..………. Our malted barley is Maris Otter grown in small fields in North Norfolk. Maris Otter is highly regarded as the best ale malt in the world. Our hops are all grown on English farms and we combine traditional with newer varieties that suit our beers’ flavour profile. Our yeast is a strong top cropper that allows us to pitch from one brew to the next ensuring quality and consistency.”

The Beer: “Straw coloured, light bodied pale ale with a long hop finish”

Rebranded - I assume - from the core Volden Pale, this was very easy drinking and I found the hops didn’t linger too much. Not my favourite from my latest visit to London but that’s down to the style of beer rather than quality. 4.6% A.B.V. Related entries

Westow House, Crystal Palace, London. October 2019.

627: Boss Brewing | Let The Dragon Roar

The Brewery: “We are Boss Brewing, a multi-award-winning craft beer brewery from Swansea, South Wales. Our main boss is a woman; we’re one of the few female owned and led breweries in the UK…..It all began in an industrial unit on the outskirts of Swansea. We thought we’d be brewing on this site for at least five years, but we were bursting at the seams before we even reached our third birthday. We expanded into our current premises with ten times the floor space of our former unit in January 2018.”

The Beer: “We crafted this St. David’s day beer using a ‘dragon’ hop.”

Full tasting notes and flavours coming soon apparently. In the meantime I found this a very pleasant beer having approached with some trepidation after reading the pump-clip, expecting something loaded with hops. This well balanced pale ale was my first taste of Boss Brewing and very enjoyable it was too. 4.0% A.B.V.

The White Hart, Crystal Palace, London. October 2019

626: Sambrook’s | Scrumdown

The Brewery: “Duncan Sambrook founded Sambrook’s Brewery in 2008 when there were just five breweries operating in London.  With his vision of bringing brewing back into the heart of London, Duncan pulled ex-brewer David Welsh out of retirement and back into his dungarees and wellies. Together they converted an old photography studio in Battersea into the brewhouse, and in November 2008 the very first cask of Wandle rolled out the doors.”

Nothing currently on their website but found this online which doesn't tell us much more: “A dark red ale brewed for the Six Nations. “

Hmm, well it was October so I’m guessing it was produced for the recent Rugby World Cup too. A nice drop that was perhaps a little less fruity and slightly more malty than many Red’s I’ve tried. Good to drink a local beer and have always enjoyed Sambrook’s other offerings. Related entries

The Queens Head, Soho, London. October 2019

625: Five Points Brewing | Railway Porter

The Brewery: “The Five Points Brewing Company is an independent brewery based in Hackney, London, brewing with a commitment to quality and the community since 2013……..Our beers are inspired by the founders’ passion for both the British real ale tradition and the best of the international craft beer movement…..We are committed to the local and wider community – we were the first brewery in the UK to be an accredited Living Wage Employer and are proud to pay the London Living Wage. All our electricity is sourced from 100% renewable sources. We helped to establish an apprenticeship scheme for training brewers and we work to support local charitable, arts and community projects.”

The Beer: “One of our very first beers with a recipe essentially unchanged ever since the first brew…..A classic, robust London style porter – with our own twist. Smooth and full-bodied, bursting with aromas of dark, bitter chocolate, and roasted coffee. Brewed with 100% British ingredients, East Kent Goldings Hops and an array of seven different malts.”

Where else to try a classic London beer than the capital itself? The recent half-term holiday saw me in London again and this is the first of a number of new ales tried. It didn’t disappoint either and I was tempted to have a second but declined. Just… 4.8% A.B.V.

The Feathers, Westminster, London. October 2019

624: Bedlam Brewery | Salem

The Brewery: “We’re in our brand new brewery on a farm near Brighton. We feel passionately about our environment and embrace our rural location and local community. All the energy required for brewing comes from solar panels, we've planted and harvest our own hops and we even supply the farmer with all our spent grain to feed the cattle and hops for compost.“

The Beer: “Brewed using a complex mash to give it a distinct bright red copper colour. The addition of US hops Citra, Simcoe, Columbus and Amarillo ensures it also packs the punch associated with it’s style. The beer’s other DNA strand comes from the US West Coast yeast US-05.

Yes, I like this and didn’t find it too hoppy. A beautiful colour and brewed just a few miles away. 4.6% A.B.V. October 2019

The White Rabbit, Brighton, Sussex.