Hellall,
its been over two years since I was last in Derby, in the daytime at least. I was there with Tash for the trade session of the Derby Winter Ales festival, a fabulous showcase of winter ales (and other styles) from around the UK which included numerous free samples. We got to a few pubs but after a few pints of Oakham Green Devil in the Alex we came home, sated. On Tuesday I headed down to see what had changed, if anything, in its numerous watering holes.
I started as I almost always do at the Station. Worryingly there was a sign outside saying "New landlord wanted" which didn't fill me with confidence about the present incumbent. As I went in there was one pump clip turned round and he was just putting a sign up to say there was no draught Bass as he'd had to send the barrel back. A disappointing bass-less start to my crawl.
Round a couple of corners is the Brunswick. I asked them if they still sold bass from the cask in the cellar and was told no. A surprisingly grumpy response, but the beers were obviously far better in here, and I had a half or a pint of Tres Bien Topaz, which I understand is brewed at Market Harborough brewery. This was a fantastic hoppy ale which started the day off well.
The Alexandra was my next port of call - I had decided I had to try at least one new pub but couldn't remember the name or address of the new micropub. In here I had a pack of fish and chips, a half of Pipes Midnight IPA on keg and a half of Blue Monkey Marmoset on cask. The Pipes was not really what I expected but the Marmoset was in prefect condition and tasted superb.
On to the Smithfield where I did find some Bass, but it was on handpull. Instead I had a sensibly priced half of Magic Rock Inhaler juicy IPA on keg. I sat in the room at the back on a comfy seat and soaked up the wonderful flavours, and bright sunshine.
I nipped into the Exeter Arms next and had a half in here as well - not caning the bose, as I was actually drinking quite fast. The beer in here was from Hartsthorne (?) brewery and was a crisp and hoppy pale which I enjoyed sat in one of the smaller rooms to the right with the bar behind you. The pub have now knocked through one of the walls at the back enabling easier access to the amazing cottage attached to the pub.
I headed under the ring road next and visited the Furnace Inn. I understand Shiny have stopped brewing there and moved to a purpose built brewery somewhere else - whether this is true or not is of course another matter! Either way there was plenty of Shiny real ale on but to my delight there was also Fyne Ales Ragnarok IPA on keg. There was no way I was going to miss this so I got a half and went and sat to the left. I got chatting to a couple, the lady of which was from Sheffield and whom both had recognisable human names. Alas, recognisable is not the same as rememberable for me. Lets call them Tom and Helen. Their surname began with B. Or P.....
I discussed with them various subjects including language and communication, Eastern European language in the UK, and also the Station. Sadly, it seems that having retired to Skegness Dave who used to run the pub so well had died. Its such a shame to hear this and for this to happen so soon it seems after he finally retired from the trade.
Off next to the Peacock where I knew they would have draught Bass from the barrel - they did. So I had a pint of that and another pale beer from Hartsthorne, along with a slice of huntsman pie. All three were excellent, although when the landlord returned he gave me a free half of Bass as that on previously hadn't been up to standard. Great service and cracking food and ale in here as always.
From here I headed towards the bottom of Uttoxeter old road and the Last Post, postage Stamp, postage Inn or whatever the new micropub in Derby was called. With the "luxury" of home internet I have found it in about a second complete with its address which is 1 Uttoxeter Old Road - and photos of the outside which show I didn't have to go the way I thought I had to, and may even have walked past it on the opposite side of the road. Anyway, I didn't know and ended up after a long wavy walk with a need to address and popped in a back street local off Uttoxeter Old Road. I may have had a half of bass in here!
Just round the corner I found myself in the Rowditch which I knew was much further up but popped in anyway for a fabulous pint of hoppy ale, the name or maker of which I have no idea of. I decided at this point that it was probably time to head home, as my earlier speed slaking had caught up with me.
So no new pubs for me but an enjoyable traipse around some of the old favourites in Derby. Showing once again that time changes little, and Derby remains an absolutely excellent place to go for a pub crawl.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Exeter Arms Derby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exeter Arms Derby. Show all posts
Saturday, 11 March 2017
Saturday, 10 May 2014
A blog post. About beer and pubs. Honest....
Now then,
derby day drinking took place recently. Not supping at a horse race, or near a match between two local teams, but in Derby, in Derbyshire. It was me and Miss N's first proper trip to the home of Brunswick, Black Iris and Dancing Duck breweries, and so we didn't really try anywhere I hadn't been before. Crucially that didn't stop us enjoying what the place had to offer.
Arriving on a Sunday my main concern was we might miss visiting the Station on Midland Road. We arrived at nearly half 2, the lights were on but the door remained closed, even when we stood hopefully on the step.Luckily our first open pub compensated well. The Alex is a shortcut away and was offering a good range of beers as always. I had a delicious pint of Hilden Stout and Miss N a titanic white star and we sat down in the far corner to sup, eat pork pies and soak up the atmosphere. We also took the opportunity to have a half each of Oakham Green Devil on keg, which was £4.40 and on great form - not too fizzy and not too cold.
We walked across the park next to the Smithfield and sat down next to the river in the cold sunshine to enjoy halves of Whim Arbor Light for me and an Oakham bishops for Miss N. The pub was busy which is good to see but I've not seen it packed in years - perhaps its out of the way location doesn't help, but I can confirm the beer range was good, especially the Whim.
Next we visited the multiroomed Exeter Arms and sat in the small house round the back and had pints of their Dark Drake for me and Milk Street March Madness for Miss N. The Exeter was also busy and we got talking to some fellow slakers in there, before we headed for the Derby Tap.
Here we had a pint of Derby Brewing Mercia IPA for me and halves of dashingly dark and on tap for Miss N. Seating was in short supply as there was a do on upstairs but everyone congragated downstairs til it started, and the beer wasn't as good as the Exeter, although there was a good range on, and the food looked fab.
The Peacock cam next, and we got talking to some of the guests in here as well, and enjoyed two pints each, my first was the Hartsthorne IPA, and my second and Miss N's both were of Bass, which was on good form and I think was served from the barrel. We also had a bite to eat but this was three weeks ago and alas, my notes stop at this point! The food was, however, very enjoyable and was likely a pie. Probably.......
A wander took us to the Seven Stars where we squeezed in a chat and a couple of halves before we went to the usually excellent Flowerpot. Here we had Black Iris and shared the bar with a group of loud drinkers out celebrating, which was a shame really, although they were certainly enjoying themselves. After we walked through torrential rain to the Station to find it definitely closed, so headed for a last one or two, one in the Brunswick and a last pint each of Green Devil in the Alex, before catching our last train home.
Once again Derby offered the type of pubs that Sheffield lacks, as well as a stellar range of real ales and didn't disappoint. Its good to know that despite Sheffield being such a great place to drink there are places nearby with their own equally ace selection of pubs, to visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
derby day drinking took place recently. Not supping at a horse race, or near a match between two local teams, but in Derby, in Derbyshire. It was me and Miss N's first proper trip to the home of Brunswick, Black Iris and Dancing Duck breweries, and so we didn't really try anywhere I hadn't been before. Crucially that didn't stop us enjoying what the place had to offer.
Arriving on a Sunday my main concern was we might miss visiting the Station on Midland Road. We arrived at nearly half 2, the lights were on but the door remained closed, even when we stood hopefully on the step.Luckily our first open pub compensated well. The Alex is a shortcut away and was offering a good range of beers as always. I had a delicious pint of Hilden Stout and Miss N a titanic white star and we sat down in the far corner to sup, eat pork pies and soak up the atmosphere. We also took the opportunity to have a half each of Oakham Green Devil on keg, which was £4.40 and on great form - not too fizzy and not too cold.
We walked across the park next to the Smithfield and sat down next to the river in the cold sunshine to enjoy halves of Whim Arbor Light for me and an Oakham bishops for Miss N. The pub was busy which is good to see but I've not seen it packed in years - perhaps its out of the way location doesn't help, but I can confirm the beer range was good, especially the Whim.
Next we visited the multiroomed Exeter Arms and sat in the small house round the back and had pints of their Dark Drake for me and Milk Street March Madness for Miss N. The Exeter was also busy and we got talking to some fellow slakers in there, before we headed for the Derby Tap.
Here we had a pint of Derby Brewing Mercia IPA for me and halves of dashingly dark and on tap for Miss N. Seating was in short supply as there was a do on upstairs but everyone congragated downstairs til it started, and the beer wasn't as good as the Exeter, although there was a good range on, and the food looked fab.
The Peacock cam next, and we got talking to some of the guests in here as well, and enjoyed two pints each, my first was the Hartsthorne IPA, and my second and Miss N's both were of Bass, which was on good form and I think was served from the barrel. We also had a bite to eat but this was three weeks ago and alas, my notes stop at this point! The food was, however, very enjoyable and was likely a pie. Probably.......
A wander took us to the Seven Stars where we squeezed in a chat and a couple of halves before we went to the usually excellent Flowerpot. Here we had Black Iris and shared the bar with a group of loud drinkers out celebrating, which was a shame really, although they were certainly enjoying themselves. After we walked through torrential rain to the Station to find it definitely closed, so headed for a last one or two, one in the Brunswick and a last pint each of Green Devil in the Alex, before catching our last train home.
Once again Derby offered the type of pubs that Sheffield lacks, as well as a stellar range of real ales and didn't disappoint. Its good to know that despite Sheffield being such a great place to drink there are places nearby with their own equally ace selection of pubs, to visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Derby - a beer festival on every corner
Good evening,
yesterday I made a late start of my trip to Derby. I usually aim to be there for dinnertime if am planning some drinking but I was preoccupied, mainly with holiday plans, so didn't leave the house til 15.50. I was quite impressed then to arrive at Derby station at just gone 5PM.
I had left Sheffield amidst thunder and lightning but on the journey down all I saw was sunshine so I studiously hid away my coat in my bag before I strode off for the Station on arrival. Unfortunately, it wasn't open (I know the doors are shut when its open as well, but there was no sign of life) so I walked back round to the Brunswick and caught the bus into town. By now it was monsoon rains all the way. Time to unpack the bag.....
Potfest at the Flowerpot
The weather was foreboding as I crossed the market place with the streets running with water and a biblical cloudburst sheeting down gallons of rain in minutes, but it had stopped when I reached the Flowerpot. Inside it was very busy, but that was what I expected, and I quickly sought out a programme and thought about a drink. I started with a half of Shottle Farm Shottle Cock, 3.6%, and a Black Iris Black Mountain at 5.9%, a single hopped dry hopped black IPA. Overall that's a pint at 4.3% so not as daft or reckless as it sounds. Instead, that description applied to my standing under a parasol between the soaked seats in the beer garden - on the presumption that there would be nowhere to sit inside.
This quickly became a cheerless undertaking and with no sign of a sunny spell I headed inside to scan for seats and to photograph the Black Iris pumpclips. I like the artwork style on them and their effective black and white motifs (although the first time I spotted one it was like where's wally trying to locate the ABV) and they remind me a little of a friend of mine's artwork which is based on books he has read. This may be a shoehorned and unapologetically biased plug but if you like the below pumpclip you may also like what you find at cloudpine illustrations .
Anyhoo, on with the beer, I found myself somewhere to sit with a couple from Derby and chewed my way through the imposing, black, billow cloud topped lake that was Black Iris Great Eastern Transatlantic Porter. This is only 4.6% but had the characteristics of a much stronger beer and my lengthy tope helpfully applied the brakes o my winged horse to insobriety.
Soon I had the table to myself (the above descriptions do not serve as an explanation for this!) and I went on supping my way through a very good list of beers, including :
Brightside Bitter
Truefitt Ayresome Angel
Northstar Sentinel
The Northstar was a very unimpressive one dimensional beer, and was notably 5p a half cheaper than the others which sold for £3.00 a pint (with the very strong ones £3.20 which isn't bad) but that was the only let down on the Flowerpot list, and it wasn't off, just poor.
I finished on what turned out to be the two best beers of Potfest for me, Black Iris West Coast IPA (6.2%) and Scarborough brewery Scarborough Stout, which at 4.6% was more than a match for the fruity citrus bitterness of the excellent IPA. I had hoped to bump into one of the Black Iris folks but alas they were yomping about the Peak District, but I made the effort to try some of their beers and was well rewarded. I also tried a massive burger (£3.00, cooked on the barbecue (despite the rain) which was fantastic and filled a hole very nicely.
Next I walked to my next festival, stopping en route in the Old Silk Mill. The beer range was OK, but nothing really caught my eye except the Burton Bridge Damson porter. I remembered that the Damson gave a slightly sour sweet edge to the beer but half way down I realised it was not how it should taste, and was in fact grim, especially the aroma. For reasons unknown I took about a third of my half back and explained that having drunk most of it I didn't require a replacement but that the beer was off. The barman smelt it and pulled a telling face but I didn't hang around to see if the beer was taken off.
Exfest at the Exeter Arms
I arrived at the Exeter Arms, home of Exfest (which sounds like a rather unfortunate gathering of former partners) to find the pub heaving with every handpump in use on the inside bar, and an outside bar serving a range of about 20 on stillage. I had halves of the fabulously rich Dancing Duck Dark Drake, and an excellent new offering from Blue Monkey - Rhesus to be cheerful (groan) but the pun belied the beers excellent taste.
Whilst outside I noticed the new addition to the Exeter, that being the 19th century dwelling adjoining the pub which has been opened out to provide extra seating, and is only open at weekends. The Cottage is apparently an original size early 19th century cottage that stood on Exeter Place. Its minus artefacts which makes sense since its pub seating, and also there appears to be no access to the upstairs but its a unique spot to enjoy a drink.
I tried 3 more beers in here from 3rd pint measures (3 for £3.00) which I had carefully selected from a list and intended to photograph the board advertising them so as not to forget the beers names. Well, the best laid plans and all that, I loved the somebody's California bitter, and the dark one, and the really light one but having forgotten to take said pic am afraid that's literally all I know!
Off back to the Station next to find out the time of the last train. Surprisingly, and frustratingly, its 22.38, which, arriving to check at 22.08 gave me only 30 minutes for a last pint. I rushed round to try out the recently reopened Crown and Cushion on Midland Road, after reading an advert in Derby Drinker, to find friendly staff and two Marstons beers including their 5 hop which I had a ridiculously swift half of, before allocating 15 minutes to race down a delicious pint of Bass from the jug in the excellent Station, much to Dave's dissatisfaction I am sure, but I didn't want to miss my train.
All in all I had just over 5 and a half hours in Derby and managed to visit 5 pubs and two beer festivals. Not a bad evenings work if you ask me!
Wee Beefy
yesterday I made a late start of my trip to Derby. I usually aim to be there for dinnertime if am planning some drinking but I was preoccupied, mainly with holiday plans, so didn't leave the house til 15.50. I was quite impressed then to arrive at Derby station at just gone 5PM.
I had left Sheffield amidst thunder and lightning but on the journey down all I saw was sunshine so I studiously hid away my coat in my bag before I strode off for the Station on arrival. Unfortunately, it wasn't open (I know the doors are shut when its open as well, but there was no sign of life) so I walked back round to the Brunswick and caught the bus into town. By now it was monsoon rains all the way. Time to unpack the bag.....
Potfest at the Flowerpot
The weather was foreboding as I crossed the market place with the streets running with water and a biblical cloudburst sheeting down gallons of rain in minutes, but it had stopped when I reached the Flowerpot. Inside it was very busy, but that was what I expected, and I quickly sought out a programme and thought about a drink. I started with a half of Shottle Farm Shottle Cock, 3.6%, and a Black Iris Black Mountain at 5.9%, a single hopped dry hopped black IPA. Overall that's a pint at 4.3% so not as daft or reckless as it sounds. Instead, that description applied to my standing under a parasol between the soaked seats in the beer garden - on the presumption that there would be nowhere to sit inside.
This quickly became a cheerless undertaking and with no sign of a sunny spell I headed inside to scan for seats and to photograph the Black Iris pumpclips. I like the artwork style on them and their effective black and white motifs (although the first time I spotted one it was like where's wally trying to locate the ABV) and they remind me a little of a friend of mine's artwork which is based on books he has read. This may be a shoehorned and unapologetically biased plug but if you like the below pumpclip you may also like what you find at cloudpine illustrations .
Anyhoo, on with the beer, I found myself somewhere to sit with a couple from Derby and chewed my way through the imposing, black, billow cloud topped lake that was Black Iris Great Eastern Transatlantic Porter. This is only 4.6% but had the characteristics of a much stronger beer and my lengthy tope helpfully applied the brakes o my winged horse to insobriety.
Soon I had the table to myself (the above descriptions do not serve as an explanation for this!) and I went on supping my way through a very good list of beers, including :
Brightside Bitter
Truefitt Ayresome Angel
Northstar Sentinel
The Northstar was a very unimpressive one dimensional beer, and was notably 5p a half cheaper than the others which sold for £3.00 a pint (with the very strong ones £3.20 which isn't bad) but that was the only let down on the Flowerpot list, and it wasn't off, just poor.
I finished on what turned out to be the two best beers of Potfest for me, Black Iris West Coast IPA (6.2%) and Scarborough brewery Scarborough Stout, which at 4.6% was more than a match for the fruity citrus bitterness of the excellent IPA. I had hoped to bump into one of the Black Iris folks but alas they were yomping about the Peak District, but I made the effort to try some of their beers and was well rewarded. I also tried a massive burger (£3.00, cooked on the barbecue (despite the rain) which was fantastic and filled a hole very nicely.
Next I walked to my next festival, stopping en route in the Old Silk Mill. The beer range was OK, but nothing really caught my eye except the Burton Bridge Damson porter. I remembered that the Damson gave a slightly sour sweet edge to the beer but half way down I realised it was not how it should taste, and was in fact grim, especially the aroma. For reasons unknown I took about a third of my half back and explained that having drunk most of it I didn't require a replacement but that the beer was off. The barman smelt it and pulled a telling face but I didn't hang around to see if the beer was taken off.
Exfest at the Exeter Arms
I arrived at the Exeter Arms, home of Exfest (which sounds like a rather unfortunate gathering of former partners) to find the pub heaving with every handpump in use on the inside bar, and an outside bar serving a range of about 20 on stillage. I had halves of the fabulously rich Dancing Duck Dark Drake, and an excellent new offering from Blue Monkey - Rhesus to be cheerful (groan) but the pun belied the beers excellent taste.
Whilst outside I noticed the new addition to the Exeter, that being the 19th century dwelling adjoining the pub which has been opened out to provide extra seating, and is only open at weekends. The Cottage is apparently an original size early 19th century cottage that stood on Exeter Place. Its minus artefacts which makes sense since its pub seating, and also there appears to be no access to the upstairs but its a unique spot to enjoy a drink.
I tried 3 more beers in here from 3rd pint measures (3 for £3.00) which I had carefully selected from a list and intended to photograph the board advertising them so as not to forget the beers names. Well, the best laid plans and all that, I loved the somebody's California bitter, and the dark one, and the really light one but having forgotten to take said pic am afraid that's literally all I know!
Off back to the Station next to find out the time of the last train. Surprisingly, and frustratingly, its 22.38, which, arriving to check at 22.08 gave me only 30 minutes for a last pint. I rushed round to try out the recently reopened Crown and Cushion on Midland Road, after reading an advert in Derby Drinker, to find friendly staff and two Marstons beers including their 5 hop which I had a ridiculously swift half of, before allocating 15 minutes to race down a delicious pint of Bass from the jug in the excellent Station, much to Dave's dissatisfaction I am sure, but I didn't want to miss my train.
All in all I had just over 5 and a half hours in Derby and managed to visit 5 pubs and two beer festivals. Not a bad evenings work if you ask me!
Wee Beefy
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