Regular Beers
Below are some of our main beers with write-ups by beer writer, Steve Hobman. We have a constantly changing line-up of ales from small brewerys around the country so please pop by or ring the pub to find out what we have on today.
Greene King, which can properly be termed a “super-regional” since its acquisition of Morlands and Ruddles, has been brewing at Bury St Edmunds, in the heart of rural Suffolk, since 1799. They now own 1,680 pubs in East Anglia, the Thames Valley and South-East England, including our own Hare in Tunbridge Wells. IPA, or India Pale Ale, has been brewed for over 100 years, and was originally for export to ex-patriots during the days of the Indian Raj. Because hops have a preservative effect on beer, an unusually large quantity of hops were used to ensure the beer remained in good condition during the long sea voyage to India. It was a taste that soon caught on in Britain, and currently IPA is Britain’s fastest growing cask ale. The fresh hoppy taste and distinctive aroma come from a combination of two varieties of English hop-Challenger and English First Gold. Added to pale and crystal malts they produce a bitter–sweet flavour with a long, dry finish.
Greene King IPA received deserved recognition when it won the Bitter category at the Great British Beer Festival 2004, and it came second to Pale Rider (qv) in the overall awards. It has a permanent listing at The Hare in Tunbridge Wells, and is a regular guest at the Armoury, Pen y Bryn and Glasfryn.
The history of independent Harvey & Son dates back to the 18th century. The present brewery is a traditional William Bradford Victorian gothic ‘tower’ built in the ancient town of Lewes. A new bit in the same style was added in 1984.
Sussex Bitter is the rural south of England in a glass. It’s brewed with Maris Otter barley and a little crystal malt and no less than four hop varieties from local growers – Fuggles, Bramling Cross, Goldings and Progress – added throughout the brewing process to achieve the distinctive and finely balanced aromas and flavours.
This classic bitter – Champion Best Bitter of Britain 2005 - is one of the brews featured in beer guru Roger Protz’s 300 Beers to Try Before Your Die book; there’s no higher accolade in the temporal world. ‘This is truly magnificent beer, the very best of British,’ says big Rog.
Discerning quaffers around those parts agree. Trouble is – despite a 50,000 barrels-a-year output - the cheeky devils like to keep it to largely to themselves; in the world of Brunning and Price it can be found as a permanent incumbent only at the Black Jug in Horsham.
That’s a great loss to northern throats, but at least it makes a trip down south well worth the effort.
