A Night in Nottingham

Day 2.  I had a good day at work, and had planned to head over to Nottingham to stop by one of my favorite beer bars, while exploring some other Good Beer Guide recommendations.  My English cohort Richard offered to have a pint with me, so I followed him down Brian Clough way (at almost 80 mph, yikes!) into the center of town.  I had wanted to head to the Orange Tree (not in the book), but Richard recommended that we stop by the Lincolnshire Poacher (http://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/site/?page_id=14).  The Poacher (it’s in the book) is a Castle Rock pub, with great ambiance and a wide selection of guest beers.  I had their Wild Angelica, a fine Bitter, followed by a Leeds Midnight Bell Mile ale.  The pub offered over twelve casks, with a nice balance of their own brews and guest ales.  The beer, and the company, was excellent, but I was on a quest and needed to get moving.  So I said good night to Richard and headed on.

I did check out the Orange Tree, but they had only two casks (Pedigree and Abbot), so I decided to head down to Brewdog (http://www.brewdog.com/bars/nottingham).  Brewdog is not in the book, and they don’t offer any cask ale, but they have some of the most flavorful (and potent) beers around.  I started with a ploughman’s platter (no burgers here); pungent cheese, meats and chutney.  Food is important, especially with the beers they had on tap.  I started with My Name is Beastie, an Imperial IPA brewed with Scottish brambles.  I also got to try Tokyo, an Imperial stout that was brewed with juniper and cranberries, and weighed in at a whopping 18.2% ABV.  I also was able to buy some bottles to go; including Abstrakt AB:08, an Imperial brown ale aged in Spanish wine barrels, and Tokyo Rising Sun, their Tokyo beer that had been aged in whiskey casks for over 4 years.  The story was Brewdog had forgotten about the beer in a warehouse, and decided to bottle the beer once it was stumbled upon (lucky me!).  It was a good visit, but I still wanted to explore, so I walked downtown to find the Keans Head.

The Keans Head (http://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/site/?page_id=22) is another Castle Rock pub, and it is in the book, and I’ve been trying to visit on each of previous 5 visits to the UK.  The Keans Head is a small pub that is opposite St. Mary’s Church, with a single room and a fireplace.  I got a Titanic Cappuccino on cask, a beautiful sweet stout for sipping, and chatted with a young couple about the other pubs in town.  I also picked up a bottle of Castle Rock Diamond Reign, celebrating 60 years under Queen Elizabeth.  I then walked around looking for the Cabaret pub (not in the book) which I couldn’t find, passing by the Cross Keys pub (in the book).  To be fair, I didn’t actually have the new book yet, so I didn’t know I was passing up the opportunity.  Oh well, it is a good excuse to return. – 6119/12843

“When you’re drinking in the Lincolnshire Poacher, you’re in another and better world.” – Christopher Middleton, Daily Telegraph 2/12/12