Tag: Craft Beer

Druid Street Bermondsey

With a couple of hours to spare on Sunday lunchtime on a recent visit to London I decided to pay a quick visit to Druid Street in Bermondsey. Perhaps not one of the best known tourist destinations it is however well known to craft beer enthusiasts as it forms part of what has become known as The Bermondsey Beer Mile.

The northern end of Druid Street is a short, pleasant walk across Tower Bridge from Tower Hill underground station, while the southern end can be reached from Bermondsey, on the Jubilee line.  It is also very close to Maltby Street market which is on at the weekend only.

The various taprooms are located in converted railway arches. Opening times  are well worth checking before you visit. All are open at some part of weekends but not all are open during the week.

Southwark Brewing Company, 46 Druid Street.

Website Southwark Brewing

With three beers on cask and four from keg it offers a reasonable choice to drinkers. Seating is limited but at the time of my visit this was not an issue.

All Day Breakfast. Session Pale Ale. 3.4%

What better way to start than with breakfast! Serves yellow, hazy and with a thin white head. Aroma is lemon citrus with a hint of orange. Palate is light, low bitterness and with a finish that has a tang of bitter lemon. Light, easy drinking style.

Shine on You Hazy Diamond. IPA. 7.2%

Orange appearance, cloudy/murky with a small white head and some nice lacing. The aroma is tropical; pineapple and mango, with orange, lemon and caramel. The palate is juicy, soft, slightly creamy, gentle carbonation and low bitterness. Flavour profile is dominated by tropical fruit with some nice gentle citrus.

The Barrel Project, 80 Druid Street

WebsiteThe Barrel Project

Only opened in August 2018, three weeks before my visit in early September. The London Beer Factory experimenting with barrel aged beers is what this taproom is all about. A large bar with plenty of choice of beers and lots of seating. Only had time for a very quick drink here but it looks like a promising idea, one to watch and return to once its been open a while and established itself.

London Bohemia Lager. 5%

Light yellow, hazy, thin head and nice lacing. Aroma is fragrant, floral, lemon, malty, hoppy. Palate is clean and crisp, low bitterness, good carbonation. Very clean taste. A nice easy drinking style.

Hawkes Cider, 96 Druid Street

WebsiteHawkes Cider

The growth in the availability of craft cider parallels in some ways the growth of craft beer and many craft taprooms feature at least one on their listing. Well here is a taproom devoted to cider with the odd beer on the list. Seeing themselves as the “saviours of cider”, this taproom makes a welcome alternative.

Anspach & Hobday, 118 Druid Street

WebsiteAnspach & Hobday

Lots of brewing g tanks in evidence here but unfortunately it was closed at the time of my visit for a private function later in the afternoon. One to return to in a future visit.

The Bottle Shop, 128 Druid Street.

WebsiteThe Bottle Shop

This is the model for all good bottle shops in my view. To the right as you enter is a small bar serving ten beers on tap. The remainder of this side is taken up with fridges holding a vast array of bottle and cans available for drinking in or taking away. The rest of the space has been devoted to seating with space for 50 or so around the available tables. They have also cleverly created an upstairs seating area. This is good as it was by far the busiest establishment.

Cloudwater. Helles Tettnanger. 4.8%

Golden. hazy with a thin white head and nice lacing. Aroma is malty, lemon citrus, some floral character and slight breadiness. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation, grassy, malty. A finish of biscuity pine. A lager for those that don’t like lager.

Gipsy Hill. Beatnik Pale. 3.8%

Golde, clear, thin white head. Aromas of malt, pine/resin and lemon. Palate is medium minus bitterness with quite aggressive carbonation. Flavours of malt, pine, orange with a hint of caramel. A lingering finish with a nice touch of bitterness.

 

Mikkeller Berlin

The Danish brewery Mikkeller is regarded as one of the best in the world and has bars in several major cities around the world. Mikkeller Berlin is located at Torstraße 102 in Mitte and is only a short walk from Rosenthaler Platz (U-Bahn line U8).

The bar is small with seating arranged into three areas plus tables outside for when the weather permits. The decor has a very Scandinavian feel and creates a relaxed and calming environment, ideal for drinking a beer or two!

There are twenty four beers available on tap. Most are Mikkeller’s own brews but there are also a number of guest beers. Staff are approachable, helpful and knowledgable so navigating the menu if you are unsure is not a problem. Servings are available in two sizes, 40cl and 80cl.

Mikkeller Weird Weather. Gluten Free IPA 6.7% – Amber, slightly hazy, good white head, some lacing. Aromas of malt, pine, citrus and a slight herby note. The palate is crisp, low bitterness, grassy, malty and some tropical mango. Full flavoured.

Mikkeller Einar…. You Are a Funny Man. NEIPA 6% – Yellow,hazy, thin white head, some lacing.Aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple, grapefruit and caramel. Gentle carbonation, low bitterness. Flavours of lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and orange. The finish is subtle lingering citrus.

Mikkeller Chill Pils with Yuzu. Pils 5% – yellow/orange, hazy with very small, thin head and nice lacing. Aromas of malt, caramel and subtle citrus – lemon and lime. Palate is low bitterness with nice carbonation. Flavour is citrusy malt   with a hint of perfume. Palate is crisp and refreshing. Very drinkable.

Mikkeller Hallo, Ich Bin Berliner. Blood Orange Berliner Weisse. 3.7% – Yellow, hazy with a small white head.Aroma is quite aromatic, orange, haribo. Palate is sour but not overly so with flavours of orange, caramel and malt. Maybe not everyones style but very nice.

Mikkeller Mitte Wit. Wit. 4.6%. – Yellow/orange, hazy with a small white head. Aromas of caramel, pine, resin, orange and some slight citrus. Palate is soft, round, very gentle carbonation and low bitterness. Flavours of lemon and spices; coriander and clove. Very nice.

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast. Coffee Stout. 7.5% – Black, opaque with a thin tan coloured head. Aromas of coffee, malt, some chocolate, espresso and a leathery smokieness. Palate is medium bitterness, gentle carbonation and with less pronounced flavour than expected. Gentle coffee, chocolate and caramel. A nicely balanced beer which has a lingering finish with a hint of dark cherry. Very good.

Parasite Produktions. Hops Hopstadt Berlin IPA. 7% – light orange/yellow, hazy with a very thin non persistent head. Intense hoppy aromas; lemon, grapefruit pith and pineapple. Palate is low carbonation, low bitterness. Slightly creamy texture with pineapple and apricot. A slight bitter finish.

Epic Armageddon IPA. 6.7% – Amber appearance, clear with a thin white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, orange, bread, toffee and a slight floral note. Palate is low bitterness with gentle carbonation. Full flavoured with lots of orange and malt.

Beer Round Up 2

A few notes about some of the beers that I have enjoyed recently. There is no particular order to the listing. A couple of them have featured in some earlier posts.

Northern Monk. Heathen IPA 7.2% – yellow/gold with a haze and pours with a good head. This is really appealing with citrus aromas of grapefruit and lemon with tropical mango, pineapple and a slight touch of pine. There is a slight creaminess but also a crispness which make sit very refreshing. Low bitterness, nice mouthfeel. The finish is dry with an aftertaste of bitter oranges. This is excellent and very drinkable. Beware the ABV.

Northern Monk. Moobing on up. Triple IPA 10% – Yellow and as cloudy as it gets! Aromas of peach, banana and lemon. Palate is low bitterness, creamy, smooth, tropical fruit, merest hint of liquorice, gentle sweetness. This is a lovely beer, packed with flavour and a long, long finish.

Brixton Brewery. Low Voltage Session IPA 4.3% – Unfiltered, unpasteurised, natural beer. Light amber, hazy with a non persistent small head. This is  a very clean, refreshing beer. the nose has lovely aromas of malt, orange, grapefruit and a touch of mango. The palate is low bitterness with excellent character, hoppy with a touch of pine. Well made and very drinkable with a nice touch of bitterness on the finish. just what you want from a session beer.

Top Rope. Papa Mango, Mango Pale 5.1% – Vibrant orange in colour, cloudy with a strong white head. Aromas of mango, pineapple, banana. Palate is intense mango, low bitterness, nice carbonation. Mouthfeel is good with a slight creaminess. Long, lingering finish of mango puree!  Have been rather unimpressed with this beer in the past but this example was rather excellent.

Wylam. All Formats. DDH Citra Pale 5.2% – Yellow,cloudy, nice persistent head. Aromas of lemon, peach, apricot. Palate has low bitterness and is nicely carbonated. Tropical fruits, bags of lemon citrus. There is a lovely bitter lemon finish.

Verdant. Maybe One More PSI. DIPA. 8% – Orange/yellow and cloudy. Pours with a strong, bubbly white head. Aromas is complex,  orange, mango, peach and grapefruit, there is a lot going on here. The palate is juicy, tropical, low bitterness with gentle carbonation. A very well balanced beer with a lovely orange finish. This is so good, very drinkable despite the high alcohol.

Verdant. Track and Field. IPA. 7.2% – Yellow, cloudy, thin white head. Aromas of tropical fruits, pineapple, mango and banana, malty with a touch of pine. The palate is creamy, excellent mouthfeel, gentle carbonation, low bitterness with bags of tropical fruit and lemon. Nice finish. Very nice.

Yakima. Great Heck Brewing. IPA. 7.4% – Dark amber, clear and with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, toffee and nuts. This is a serious west coast style IPA with bags of sweet malt flavours, it is creamy with low bitterness and hints of citrus and dark muscovado sugar. Very nice.

Rigg and Furrow Farmhouse Brewery.. IPA. 5.6% – Yellow, cloudy with no head. Aromas of orange, lemon and malt. The palate is juicy with a slight sweetness, good mouthfeel, low bitterness, gentle carbonation. A very refreshing beer that is very drinkable. A brewery based in the North East that is new to me.

Magic Rock. Cannonball IPA 7.4% – Amber, hazy with a strong white head. Aromas of citrus, pine, orange, earthy, malty. Palate is medium bitterness tropical fruits with orange, creamy with nice gentle carbonation. Finish is bitter orange. Very good.

In conclusion a lot of IPAs and several with high ABV. Perhaps I will look at some different styles in the next instalment.