The Broomfield Tavern, 17-18/12/14

While AR disappeared up to her mother’s in the run up to Christmas, MJ had chance for a couple of visits to his favourite local – The Broomfield Tavern.  Over the couple of visits he was very happy to find a few Northern beers amongst the selection available, which were among those he sampled:

• Golden Duck Brewery – Half Century – What a beer!  This 7.1% amber ale had a very deceptive mild flavour, making it taste like a nice session amber, something a lot of British beers struggle to master but this one managed it perfectly.
• Kelham Island – Captain Crimbo – A powerful IPA with good hop build up throughout leading to a nicely dry finish.
• Naylor’s Brewery – Santa’s Dark Side – A pleasant thick and chocolatey winter mild that went down extremely quickly.
• Acorn – 12th Noel – Always a good festive ale, this beer is thick with a decent kick of alcohol lending it a very dry finish.

The Vaults, Knowle, 7/12/14

This pub was one of the biggest surprises that the Pandas have had in a while, and so it deserves it’s own blog entry.  While not looking much from the outside, with Sky Sports banners and lager logos, the Pandas weren’t expecting a lot when they entered The Vaults while in Knowle for a quick wander, but the sign proclaiming real ales available was enough to draw them in.  How humbled they were when they discovered a lovely little pub with rustic decor and CAMRA awards adorning the wall – what a discovery!  More ales were available than MJ could try unfortunately, having driven to Knowle, but he managed to enjoy the warm atmosphere while tasting a couple of halves (AR went straight for the warm Rekorderlig Premiun Winter Cider which she said was just liked alcoholic stewed apple).  Being the festive season, both halves MJ tried were Christmas specials – Snow Storm by Naylor’s Brewery, a bitter sweet ale with fresh flavour and citrusy hops, followed by Hop Back‘s Elf & Hoppiness, a dry and fruity ale with a hint of winter spice.  Both ales were well looked after and the barman was not only friendly but knowledgeable about the beers he was serving, which along with the atmosphere and decor has led MJ to look for a bus that will get him to this pub for a proper session sometime…