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.
Handmade in Devizes says the badge on the pump. Well they must be very busy little hands; this Wiltshire brewer produces around 200,000 barrels a year – and most of it, apparently, is the impressive 6X brew.
‘Waddies’ Victorian tower brewery is the very epitome of English ale brewing. Originally founded in 1875 by Henry Wadworth, the present brewery was built ten years later and has stayed in family hands. It even boasts one of the country’s very few remaining coopers to work on the traditional wooden casks.
Yes indeed, this is brewing heritage in a glass. And it’s pretty blinking good beer too. Brewed with pale and crystal malts together with cane sugar and no less than four varieties of English hops: First Gold, Fuggles, Goldings and Progress, 6X is a copper coloured ale with a complex flavours of soft malts and hop bitterness.
Wadworth owns more than 250 pubs and is one of the few brewers that still retains dray horses for deliveries. Fortunately, to the relief of the discerning imbibers at Pen-y-Bryn, these days the beasts don’t have to struggle the 200 plus miles with their regular tipple.
Justifiably voted the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 2002, this has always had a strong following in our pubs. Established in Edinburgh in 1869, the brewery was bought by Vaux in 1919, then saved from closure in 1987 by a management buy-out. Our point of contact is Peter Squires who many will remember as an England and British Lions International, at a time when rugby teams trained on beer and steak rather than isotonic drinks and pasta. Deuchars is a brilliant blend of malt and hop character. Solid gold in colour, the lingering aftertaste is delightfully bitter and hoppy.It has a permanent listing at the Grosvenor Arms.
This golden pale ale started life as a summer special but is now a firm regular from the idiosyncratically named Purple Moose brewery- best ask brewer Lawrence Washington about that.
Lawrence first practised his art creating formidable home brews in Cheltenham for several years. But as a volunteer worker with the Festiniog Railway, he recognised the opening for some decent beer in the Principality and so, in 2005, decided to fire up at Porthmadog.
He quickly got up a head of steam, with Snowdonia Ale winning gold in its class and the overall champion title at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) West Beer Competition 2006.
Pale and crystal malts are united with Pioneer, Styrian Goldings and, unusually, the Polish Lubelski hop to deliver a crisp, gently citrus beer that 'flies out' at the Glasfryn- a pub where the lighter coloured brews always go down well.
Daniel Thwaites have been brewing at Blackburn in Lancashire for 200 years, and have some 455 pubs of their own. This is a well-hopped refreshing session bitter combining bitterness and nutty flavours, with a lingering bitter finish. Thwaites Bitter benefited in our pubs from Interbrew's decision in November 2003 to relaunch Boddingtons (qv) with a new recipe and an increased abv, up .3% to 4.1% from 3.8%. This resulted in several of our freehouses looking for a new session bitter, despite Interbrew's insistence that Boddies remained a session beer even at 4.1% abv (our customers disagreed.) The upshot was that Thwaites Bitter now has a permanent listing at Pen y Bryn, the Pant yr Ochain, the Dysart, Glasfryn and the Fox.