Seasonal ales (cont.)
7.8% Critical Mass (Christmas!)
This is a truly unique vintage strong winter ale; each year one (and only one) batch is brewed. This is not a beer for the faint hearted; strong in colour and flavour. Mashed with dark, roasted barley malts to give a very heavy mouth feel but perfectly balanced by the fruity astringency of Challenger and East Kent Golding hops. After an extended boil it is fermented using an old-fashioned English ale yeast, which continues to condition the beer over its long maturation.
5.0% Winter Meltdown (September - March )
Brewed with Chocolate and Crystal malts to produce this deep bronze-coloured beer with a subtle malty flavour, bittered by the traditional Golding hop varieties, and then cask conditioned with Chinese stem ginger and other warming spices to add that distinctive aromatic warmth.

Monthly specials
4.2% London Brown Ale(January)
Milder and not as dry as its northern cousin, the London Brown Ale is brewed with the customary Golding hops to produce a well rounded flavour with subtle  bitterness.
6.5% Six Hop Ale (February)
Brewed with five different hop varieties in the copper and then dry hopped after fermentation, this pale beer is designed for those who like their hops as an extreme sport!
4.0% Spring Equinox (March)
A zesty ale, pale straw in colour and bursting with the fresh green fruitiness of Amarillo hops.
6.2% IPA (April)
This ale is a celebration of English hops, brewed to the high strength of the original style India Pale Ales (fit for the long sea voyage!).
3.6% Mild for May (May)
A deep amber-coloured ale brewed with a mixture of the finest roasted barley malts. East Kent Golding hops are added late in the boil to ensure the gentle aroma of England’s favourite hop is retained.

4.2% Summer Solstice (June)
Brewed with 100% Maris Otter pale malt to produce a very clean taste and bright, golden colour. This beer is bursting with summer flavours from the Crystal hops and freshly ground coriander.
4.2% Hylder Blonde (July)
A delicate and lightly hopped beer with the fresh fruitiness of elderflowers.
5.8% Hophead Extra (August)
Hophead’s big brother brewed to a higher strength but retaining the clean light and quaffable characteristics that Hophead fans love.
4.5% Autumn Equinox (September)
A chestnut coloured mellow ale with a hint of maltiness. A style of beer reminiscent of the rural English brews of a century ago.
4.5% Golden Gate (October)
A full-flavoured, golden-coloured ale. Mashed with a blend of Maris Otter, Munich and brown barley malts. Strongly recommended for lovers of hops!
5.0% Smokey (November)
Deep golden coloured Bavarian style ale using hardwood smoked barley malt. The smokiness is purposefully restrained to avoid the heaviness of some rauchbier and ensure that the second (or third!) pint is as enjoyable as the first.
4.2% Winter Solstice (December)
This is a very special ale; rich bronze in colour it is brewed with a mixture of barley malts and with the wonderfully aromatic Brambling Cross hops. In addition to the pure zest of the hops, subtle hints of flavour and aroma come from freshly ground coriander.