Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Bristol Rovers

Greetings again one and all and, once again, an apology for my absence over recent months. It seems that once October rolls around, time and finance conspire to prevent me getting out and about as much as I would like. Thankfully, normal service is for now resumed and I hope to be able complete more excursions in the weeks and months to come.
It seems apt that the first new trip of the year should be to a place that has featured many times in this blog, a place that I am very fond of and which has a huge amount to offer both the seasoned and casual drinker. Last week, as part of the festivities surrounding my 30th birthday (screams inwardly), Amy and I headed down to the west country to visit Matt and Jess in Bristol with the aim of further exploring this fantastic city. What followed was 2 days of fun, excitement and drinking, both in Bristol and further afield.
Our first day of the 2 we spent in this lovely part of the country, saw us travelling to the Stokes Croft area of Bristol and exploring a number of the pubs along Gloucester Road, which runs from the suburbs directly into Bristol city centre. This involved a bus ride into the centre followed by a shorter bus ride out, which would allow us to walk back down towards the bus stops when we decided to call it a night. I was very excited to see what we would discover as I hadn't heard an enormous amount about the pubs in this area. Our first stop, The Bristol Flyer.




Formerly known as The Goose at the Flyer, this large, stylish pub has a very modern interior arranged over a split level set up with a large beer garden to the rear, featuring booths and a fully enclosed seating area which includes sofas. The pub even has its own small vegetable garden which allows it to grow its own produce for use on site. In terms of ale, the very well-served bar includes 4 handpulls, 3 of which are in use during our visit, offering us a choice between Bath Ales Gem, Great Heck Dave and Greene King Mighty Moose IPA. Being familiar with Bath Ales, and not wanting to start off on anything too strong with a whole day to get through, I opted for a pint of Gem. Matt went for the Dave whilst Jess and Amy began the day on cider. The Gem is a very delicious pint. Brewed with Maris Otter malt and Goldings hops, the beer boasts a rich aroma of both and a long, deep, bittersweet finish. It almost goes down too easily as I had almost finished my pint before anybody else had really got started!
Despite the forecast of a dry day, the weather was beginning to look decidedly ominous. Thankfully, our next destination was only a couple of doors away, at The Cider Press.




Formerly, the Rising Sun, this Stonegate operated premises was once part of the Scream student pub brand before this was disbanded and now emphasises cider (as you'd expect), beer, sport and burgers. Inside, the layout is large and open-plan with a central bar facing the large front windows and small tables situated opposite and around the sides. The pub is Cask Marque accredited and also offers a CAMRA discount, which I found out too late as usual. 2 of the 3 handpulls are in use, proffering a choice between Prescott Hill Climb and Brains Reverend James. I do enjoy a good pint of Reverend James so my choice in this situation was easy and I was not to be disappointed as the beer was refreshing and vey well kept. Cider fans will not be disappointed here either as the back bar boasts a whole bank of wall-mounted cider pumps, offering as many as 28 varieties of different styles, flavours and strengths. The day had certainly started in a positive fashion and we were very much enjoying our most recent trip down to this wonderful city.
The rain had dissipated somewhat as we headed to our next destination, which on the opposite side of the road at the area's namesake pub, now operated as the Gloucester Road Alehouse & Kitchen.



This mock-Tudor fronted property has risen from the ashes of an old pub known as the Foresters and prides itself on cask ale and craft beer, operated as it is by Wotton-under-Edge based Wickwar Brewery. The interior is compact and cosy with a small bar accessible through a glass door just inside the entrance. There are 6 handpulls on show, mostly showcasing Wickwar beers, in the form of Try Time, Cotswold Way, Bob and Falling Star, but also St. Austell Tribute and Lilley's Cheeky Pig cider. The upstairs bar also boasts a further 3 handpulls. All real ale retails at £2.50 a pint and they also boast an extensive gin collection, which very much pleased Jess. I haven't tried much Wickwar stuff in the past so, after a moment of deliberation, I opted for the Falling Star (4.2%), a golden ale with a complex and distinctive aroma due to a combination of Cascade, Willamette and Mittelfruh hops. All of this gives way to a balanced and refreshing finish. Based on this beer alone, I can recommend Wickwar beers to anyone as this is delicious!
It seemed a shame to leave this excellent place behind but our next stop was just down the road and this would prove to also be an inspired choice. Next up was The Hobgoblin.
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In a former the Royal Hotel, this pub has been through several revamps and renamings in recent years. The large windows overlook the main road and there is a covered beer garden at the rear. The interior consists of large wooden tables arranged roughly around a central bar, staffed by a very enthusiastic barmaid. The 5 handpulls offer a mixture of things with Tribute, Old Rosie, Hobgoblin (somewhat obviously), Bath Gem and Orchard Pig Explorer. It would almost have been rude not to have the Hobgoblin and this proved to be a wise choice as it was very well kept. We took a bit more time with our beers here as we were very aware that it would soon be time for some food. I was tempted by the pub's in-house red hot chicken wings challenge but I was very aware of how wrong this would go so thought better of it.
We eventually decided that we could hold out a bit longer before food so decided to try one more pub first. That pub was the Prince of Wales.

Image result for prince of wales bristol

The beautiful external mural of a row of handpumps was created by local artist Andrew Burns Colwill, whilst the ground floor stained glass windows are Victorian. Inside, two linked drinking areas are served by a U-shaped bar. There is a mix of seating with padded settles around the walls and a covered and seated outdoor section to the rear of the building. Daily newspapers and board games are available, along with a good beer selection. 6 of the pub's 8 handpulls are in use, featuring Bespoke Forest Pale, Boss Best, Butcombe Gold (x2), Otter Amber (x2) and Electric Bear Spilt Milk. Having initially missed the presence of Spilt Milk, I had already chosen Butcombe Gold for my tipple here. This was not a bad choice however as the beer was delicious and went down very easily. This is a very atmospheric pub and it's easy to see why drinkers are attracted here, the mural itself not withstanding.
The pub investigation continued just down the road at Bishop's.



Formerly Hogshead, then Bishop's Tavern and now just the Bishop's, this Greene King owned pub is a large, sprawling premises with a mixed customer base. A pool table sits in one corner and live sport is regularly shown on the TVs. There are 5 handpulls on the bar offering the obligatory Greene King IPA, alongside Abbot Ale, Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, Tyneside Blonde and Westerham British Bulldog. The inner patriot in me was called to British Bulldog, especially given that it's 6 Nations season. From Kent-based Westerham Brewery, British Bulldog (4.1%) is a rich, full-bodied best bitter in the traditional Kent style. The full flavour and aroma is the product of Kent Northdown and Golding hops before the late finish with Progress. All-in-all a very, well-rounded and drinkable beer indeed.
It was food time next and, following some Caribbean cuisine at a nearby Turtle Bay, the exploration continued. Our next stop was the Cat and Wheel.



Situated near the Arches railway bridge on Cheltenham Road, this is a traditional locals and community pub with a lounge and public bar. There are 6 TVs inside and one in the garden which show Sky Sports, a quiz machine, jukebox, pool table and table football and regular theme nights throughout the week. The 4 handpulls provide a choice of Tribute, Sharp's Doom Bar, Molescrum (the pub's own rebranded best bitter) and Theakston XB. I decided on the Molescrum which was a delicious, traditional beer with a dry, biscuit aftertaste. We took a table in the lounge, near the toilets, an area that was otherwise empty, and soaked up the atmosphere of this proper locals pub. We soon met Michael, a rather drunk Irish gentleman who was fascinated at the length of Matt's hair. He was very friendly and non-threatening and continued mine and Matt's record of always bumping into eccentric people when we drink in Bristol.
We decided we had time for one more pub before we wound our weary way home. That pub was The Social.



This popular café/bar is billed as one of the best places to eat in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol. Inside, there are a number of low, wooden tables, dimmed lights and a quirky sort of atmosphere. There are also quite a few people as it's early evening by the time we arrive. The décor is stylish and modern with a smallish bar tucked into a corner at about the midpoint of the structure. The solitary handpull offers Butcombe Rare Breed. This is well kept and easily drunk as we debate our next move. There are a good 3-4 more pubs further down the road that we have yet to visit but the length of the day and quantity of alcohol has caught up with us all so we resolve to call it a night and leave the unexplored for next time.

Bristol never ceases to amaze me. No matter how often we visit or how many bars and pubs we go to, there is always something new to discover, new beers to enjoy and unknown pubs to experience. The fact that we've already identified some candidates for our next journey down speaks volumes as to how much there is to see. With this, Day One of our most recent Bristolian excursion was brought to a close. Day Two had lots more to enjoy. Stay tuned!


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