It's a quick flight from Amsterdam to Bristol, where I would be visiting and staying with good friends Dana and Mark. In fact, Mark picked me up at the airport on a lovely warm and sunny day, and as we whisked through the beautiful English countryside on our way into town, I could not help but notice, pub after pub, everywhere along the drive advertising 'Real Ales on the Hand-Pump'. It made my mouth water just thinking about it! I've tasted a lot of different styles of beers in a lot of different places during this adventure, but I do have a real affinity for cask conditioned real British ale, and this is one reason I left Britain for the end of my journey. One of the first places Mark took me to was the Portcullis, not far from his house. This just happens to be CAMRA's runner up for Best Pub in Bristol 2010. CAMRA, for those who don't know, CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale, the quintessential organization that promotes and endeavours to protect British real ales. They publish their Good Beer Guide annually, and it is the holy bible one absolutely needs to navigate the many pubs to find the best beers anywhere in the U.K. The Portcullis has been a pub since 1821, but was recently saved from closure by the Dawkins chain, and is therefore a 'tied house', offering 9 real ales on tap, three from Dawkins and 6 guest taps. We ordered the Dawkins Bob Wall Best Bitter (see Beer of the Day, Oct. 17) and Dawkins TTT Best Bitter, both measuring in at 4.2% ABV. The TTT is a golden/amber, smooth and easy-drinking ale, displaying some citrus and marmalade tones, very well balanced with a gentle bitter finish. A very nice start, but we had to go, Dana was waiting! Also waiting in their fridge were three beers from the local Bath Ales Brewery: Gem (4.8%) an amber best bitter with a rich aroma of hops, malt and a long, deep, bitter-sweet finish; Barnstormer (4.5%) featuring Brambling Cross hops, a fruity palate with hints of chocolate, complex and malty, a full-bodied dark bitter; and Golden Hare (4.4%) a light ale, well conditioned, smooth yet dry, wonderfully fresh, made with Maris Otter barley and Golding hops exhibiting a delightfully zesty finish.
What a great start to the British leg of my tour!