Bottled beer pt3

We've had some great feedback on the bottled beers - seems lots of people are really enjoying them and they're flying out of the fridge (not literally, that would be a bit strange).  So we've got in some more ones this week...

Kernel – Export India Porter (5.7% abv, £4.50)

As the nights draw in this beer pours dark brown like the winter evenings. Thankfully though it's not as miserable as the weather; it's got a nice aroma of roasted malts with a nice pillowy feel on the mouth.  Taste is a mix of bitter, pine resin hops alongside  hints of toffee, burnt sugar and caramel in the taste - perfect for the lead up to Halloween!

Kernel – Export Stout London 1890 (7.8% abv, £4.25)

Based on a recipe from a London Brewery in 1890, this might be a simple recipe but it's massive in taste.  Roasty and perfect for autumn with loads of rich dried fruit and alcohol warm with herbal hop bitterness and hints of smoke, vanilla and chocolate which lingers with an espresso aftertaste.  Plus it's won a couple of awards, deservedly so.

Summer Wine Brewery – Rouge Red Hop Ale (5% abv, £4)

Aptly named as this has a distinct red-hue which hints at how it might taste; forest berries, grapes and strawberry notes are as evident as the colour.  Underpinned by a complex malt body this beer has big hoppy flavours using Simcoe & Cascade varieties with a bitter sweet citrus finish.

Special guest bottled beers pt2

After the success of last week's special guest craft bottled beers, which were snapped up, we thought we'd get some more in!

Beavertown Neck Oil (4.3% abv, £4.25)  
The brewery reckon it goes well with Mac & Cheese, which is handily on Soul Food Project's menu. Fruity and earthy aromas and nicely balanced taste with notes of caramel, malt and bread.

Kernel Amarillo Pale Ale (5.5% abv, £5) 

We've brought this back after selling out at a spectacular speed last week.  Described by one blogger as the "beer equivalent of Cary Grant", this pale golden craft beer is made from American hops and has a fruity aroma with particular notes of citrus, which follow through into its taste.

Bristol Beer Factory – Exhibition (5.2% abv, £4)

Award winning beer brewed in Bristol this is a classic strong, dark English ale.  A rich, fruit beer made with chocolate malts this beer is packed with great heritage that brings a smile to the face. 

Summer Wine Brewery – Cohort Double Black Belgian Rye-PA (7.5% abv, £4.50)

Ever had a Double Black Rye PA?  This bottled beer is brewed with with Pale, Rye, Carafa and other speciality malts that marry together with a plethora of New World hops and a Belgian Yeast to create something entirely unique.

Special guest craft bottled beers

We've got some tasty very special guest bottled craft beers in at the moment. They're limited in stock so better head down sooner rather than later, but we'd love to know what you think of them…

Bristol Beer Factory Ultimate Stout (7.7% abv, £4) 
Strong black and delicious with hints of coffee, chocolate and dark fruits. Made using a Belgian yeast and roasted malts, this beer is a perfect after-dinner treat.

Arbor Ales American Brown (5% abv, £4.10)

A roasty dark brown ale, brought to life with armfuls of American aroma hops thrown late into the mix.

Kernel Amarillo Pale Ale (5.5% abv, £5) 
Described by one blogger as the "beer equivalent of Cary Grant", this pale golden craft beer is made from American hops and has a fruity aroma with particular notes of citrus, which follow through into its taste.

Beavertown Neck Oil (4.3% abv, £4.25) 

The brewery reckon it goes well with Mac & Cheese, which is handily on Soul Food Project's menu. Fruity and earthy aromas and nicely balanced taste with notes of caramel, malt and bread.

The argument for Real Ale

Is it just me or are we getting sick of the same old thing in our nations pubs and bars. Everywhere we go we are offered the same fizzy, bland chemically treated beer. Is it any wonder some watering holes are disappearing due to our loss of interest, well, if you have not already discovered the world of real-ale, do not switch off. Allow me a column of your time.

If ale conjures up images of old portly men with beards wearing woolly pullovers then you need to take another look. Eager to shrug off the past cobwebs are microbreweries and brewpubs creating new and alternative ales using many different techniques, but it's not in this new wave alone that we find the reason for its recent success, no!

Consider this- real ale although part of our rich heritage continues to evolve without losing any dedication to quality. The production, storage and dispensing of real ale needs knowledge and care. Even in these dreary days of economic gloom real ale is the only growth beer market. Yes even with all the new ’colder than the last one’ lagers emerging, lager is in decline.

Another plus of real ale is the patriotic side to it. It is British and a lot of pubs today sell and eagerly promote local independent brewers sticking it to the large corporate every day. So you see there are many reasons to revisit real ale but I’ve saved the best till last..... it tastes good, remember flavour?

Yes you may still see old John, beard soaked in ale and belly sticking out from under last years woolly, because he is still around but now with almost 700 breweries and double the amount of women drinking ale (possibly due to it’s natural organic ingredients) there is always one for you. Still not convinced? Come down to our place and try one.

JULIAN (manager)

The Victoria has two real-ale festivals a year, the last one was April 8th-10^th with 15 cask ales on tap.