The Ale Archive

What they say: “Strolling through ancient recipes we stumbled across the idea for this distinctive country ale. Plenty of Crystal Malt and Bramling Cross hops gives this beer a subtle balance of malt and autumn fruit hoppiness ” Another relatively young (2008) brewery and another one I hadn’t heard of. I liked the beer though, although more hoppier than I usually like. 4.0% A.B.V The Royal Oak , Hurdlow, Derbyshire. April 2016

What they say: “Wild Swan is white gold in colour with aromas of light bitter lemon, a hint of herb and a subtle spiciness. A great refreshing beer!” Brewed just up the road in Bakewell, this was - as regular Archive visitors will correctly deduce - not really my cup of tea. A nice refreshing summer ale though I guess and not too strong. 3.5% A.B.V. The Royal Oak , Hurdlow Derbyshire. April 2016

What they say: “Brewed to one of our oldest recipes, using natural Burton spring water filtered through the gypsum beds of the Trent valley to produce a distinctively clear and bright full flavoured beer with a malty, biscuity taste. Although it is one of our session beers in terms of strength, it has a superb balance of malt and hop flavours which makes Marston's Burton Bitter the first choice for many of our customers…” Yes, I liked this. Nothing fancy and not too strong - indeed a good session beer. 3.8% A.B.V. Cheshire Cheese , Buxton, Derbyshire. April 2016

What they say: “Our award-winning flagship beer! Unicorn was born in 1896 and originally called Robinsons Best Bitter. Unusually light, agile, yet complex, Unicorn hasn’t changed in over a hundred years.  It was originally brewed by Frederic for his father William, at the Unicorn Inn, from where the beer eventually took its name, and where the Robinsons Brewery still stands. Dripping with heritage, it’s a magnificent, thirst-quenching, thoroughbred bitter. The first of a bloodline that continues to this day.” The nearest pub to our base at the campsite in Longnor Wood and the last remaining pub in the village was open all to rarely to rely on. Only one ale on offer, but this was a nice pint, although a little to light and pale for my taste.  4.3%. A.B.V. Ye Old Cheshire Cheese , Longnor, Derbyshire. March 2016

What they say? Like their Conquest Best Bitter , this didn’t appear on the brewery’s website either, but www.perfectpint.co.uk quote this: “A deep ruby red traditional British bitter. Strong notes of toasted and chocolate malts and brewed with Challenger and Pilot hops to give a smooth and well balanced beer.” Another excellent pint from the Somerset based brewery. 4.3% A.B.V. The Pack Horse Inn , Crowdecote, Derbyshire. April 2016

The plan was, to do all the beers from Yorkshire before moving on to those from our week in the Peak District. However I ended up bringing some home with me and they’re still waiting patiently in the cupboard for my attention!We’ll come back to those when I’ve finished blogging about the rest from our trip, so, here’s the first ale ‘researched’ from  a bit further south: What they say? Oddly, this is not on their website but www.yourround.co.uk quote this: “A classic blend of hops and malts create this amber coloured best bitter” Yes, our first pint in the Peak District came from Somerset, in the wonderful Pack Horse Inn that had an ever changing selection of real ales. No matter, it was a mighty tasty pint, the A.B.V of 4.3% adding body to the beer. The Pack Horse Inn , Crowdecote, Derbyshire. April 2016

What they say: “A modern interpretation of the British classic with pronounced American hop aromas. This golden ale has citrus characters and robust yet balanced bitterness." The latest in my selection of bottled beers from North Yorkshire, although as you can see from the label, I clearly wasn’t paying attention when I bought it, as it’s from er, Cornwall. Nevertheless, it was very enjoyable as the citrus wasn’t overly prominent, but at 5.2% A.B.V one to be treated with respect.