Oregon Trail is a classically-styled West Coast IPA. Simcoe, Chinook and Columbus hops combine to deliver a resinous profile with a citrus undertone. The bitterness help to balance the light caramel flavours of the malts.
67.5% ABV !! WARNING !! This beer is not for the feint-hearted
Brewmeister Snake Venom is currently recognised as the strongest beer in the World. It is brewed in Moray from smoked, peated malt using two varieties of yeast, one beer and one Champagne. Like other ultra high strength beers it is frozen several times after the fermentation process, and the ice crystals removed. This concentrates the alcohol, flavour, and body of the beer as water is removed each time. The beer is then fortified with alcohol to increase the strength further.
The result is a powerful, viscous, intensely flavoured beer that should be treated more like a spirit with regards to its consumption. There is no carbonation as the liquid is too thick to hold carbon dioxide bubbles.
Now on its 25th edition, 2021 is a landmark year for Vintage Ale. At its heart, Pale Ale and Caragold malts combine with DRC®(Double Roasted Crystal), to deliver a toffee and raisin sweetness. Turning to hops, we’re showcasing younger UK varieties for their luscious fruitiness. Endeavour brings plummy tones, while Olicana® and the yet unnamed experimental hop CF182 add tropical and orange notes. All complemented, as ever, by the zesty marmalade character of our famous Fuller’s yeast.
This is WBB’s full-bodied New World hopped jaw-dropper of an IPA with full on tropical fruit flavours, mouth-watering bitterness and a rich, earthy finish.
It was even better this time out and so we have upgraded the rating.
This beer is blended to bring out the very best of traditional British malt and hop flavours. The raised malt profile unlocks notes of roasted caramel, which mingle with classic hop aromas.
You can expect an immense fruit punch of flavours, from the abundance of El Dorado and Taiheke hops added throughout the brewing process – creating a gorgeous hit of lime, grapefruit, pineapple and watermelon.
A pitch black, heavily dry hopped IPA with Centennial taking the lead. So expect lots of citrus, pine and floral hop notes under a slightly roasty malt profile.
Red Card is a golden pale ale with a vibrant hop character. A smidgen of crystal T50 creates the golden colour and adds a bit of depth to the malt character. A trio of citrusy hops in Motueka, Nelson Sauvin and Amarillo add notes of orange, grapefruit and gooseberry. A crisp, fresh, zesty and refreshing beer.
A multi award winning classic English Bitter with a silky-smooth mouth feel. Good old Boy is brewed with a blend of rich malted barley and fruity hops to produce and exceptionally well-balanced and full-flavoured beer.
Take a detour with this super easy drinking pale. Crammed full of tropical fruit and citrus flavours with a crisp, balanced bitterness.
The Regulars had the opportunity to sample this n bottles and cans. On balance, the bottled version was marginally preferred as it seemed to hold the head longer. Further scientific analysis is required to determine whether this was related to temperature effects.
Slipstream is red and full of malt character. Double roasted crystal, dehusked roasted malt and black malt all add a well-balanced and relatively subtle roasted flavour. WGV, a traditional British hop, adds floral notes and well-rounded bitterness.
Malt: Maris Otter Pale Ale, Double Roasted Crystal, De-husked Roasted, Black
A collaboration between Scotland’s BrewDog and London’s Cloudwater breweries! This New England IPA is a juicy, hoppy brew, showcasing US hops alongside wheat and oats. If tropical fruit and bitter hops are your kind of thing, this certainly will be too!
A special collaboration between neighbours Siren Craft Brew and Elusive Brewing. As Andy from Elusive has been campaigning so successfully for #BIPACOMEBACK, it was an easy decision to collaborate on a Black IPA. A carefully considered selection of malts balances perfectly with complementary hops, leaving this beer buzzing in vibrant orange, pine and berry aromas.
The Party Seven was famous the world over and was at the heart of millions of parties in the ’60s and ’70s. Originally the Party Four, Watneys added the Party Seven to the range and started a revolution of party drinking and drinking at home.
Now it’s back – with a burst of tangerine and orange blossom in the aroma. This is repeated in the flavour with orange, grapefruit, and pine overlaying a base of malt biscuits. Smooth on the palate, the beer has a firm bitterness upfront which lingers on the finish.
This IPA was dry hopped at 15g/l, it has a soft mouthfeel with a rounded bitter finish, but first and foremost loads of tropical juice flavours that punch you in the mouth like a pineapple shaped boxing glove. Naturally hazy from the onslaught of hops!
Brewed in collaboration with West Berkshire Brewery.
In a forced change to The Harper Arms’ constitution standard protocol, the regulars have been set homework and this week sees a virtual double header tasting session!
One of our diligent members found a young garage-based local brewery in Thatcham. He got a little over-excited and ordered the regulars 2.5 Litres of both beers they currently produce (8-9 pints total). At an emergency committee meeting, it was determined that 9 pints on a week night was probably not a smart decision and so a vote was taken, ballots were correctly counted the first time, a result was declared, no legal battle ensued and the first piece of Harper Arms homework was thus set – to taste the weaker of the two ahead of Wednesday’s formal tasting session.
A traditional English Best Bitter with fruity, grassy and blackcurrant notes from UK grown Cascade hops. With a full-bodied malty backbone. Made from all English ingredients!
We’re not expecting the regulars to complain about being set homework with this delightful tipple, which currently has an average score on Untappd of 3.90.
Currently with an average score on Untappd of a very respectable 3.86 but with only 14 check-ins, World’s End is a Pale Ale brewed using a variety of different hops. UK grown Chinook teams up with US grown Amarillo and Citra for a cocktail of citrus fruit and resinous pine flavours. This mid-strength beer has a moderate bitterness and a soft orange hue from a little bit of Vienna malt in the mash.
Since the regulars made it known they were tasting Delphic, there has been a lot of local interest in the brewery, with them selling out of both beers last week! Have the Harper Arms regulars uncovered a new local gem of a brewery? Check the scores to find out!
This is WBB’s full-bodied New World hopped jaw-dropper of an IPA with full on tropical fruit flavours, mouth-watering bitterness and a rich, earthy finish. Apparently it pairs well with sweet potato & cauliflower massaman curry – the regulars have usually eaten by tasting time, so we’ll have to leave that for another occasion. Maharaja’s last official outing at The Harper Arms was back in March 2018, since then the branding has been revised a couple of times and the recipe has been refined. Will the regulars mark it higher than its current 3.8/5 rating?
This should be a lovely warming pint to enjoy on an autumnal evening.
Brewed over the Autumn Equinox, Mabon is a hazy pale with a full-bodied, spiced hop character. The celestial sister beer of our popular Summer Solstice brewed Litha, Mabon is the old English word for the Autumn Equinox and a Welsh earth-god. This loving crafted seasonal special is vegan friendly and has been perfectly cask conditioned for the best possible flavour.
An aromatic hoppy pale ale. Capturing the full potential of the fruity American hop flavours, this beer is designed to slip down easily while packing in the best of the hop properties. A smooth mouth feel with tropical fruits on the nose.
A slight detour from the norm being the darkest beer yet to grace the Landl0rd’s key keg taps at The Harper Arms, Coldblooded is cold steeped overnight before the brew day, which gives a gorgeous chocolatey base. From there expect roasty notes layered amongst subtle smoke, coffee and dark chocolate. Coldblooded pours silky smooth and drinks with a satisfying richness. Un-chilled this is apparently perfect on a stormy night, so if it goes down well with the regulars, we may see it reappear when the weather changes.
A 4.5% pale ale with spicy, grassy aromas and a taste of grapefruit and apricot.
Undercurrent is part pale, part oats and part caramel barley. Her swirls of bold, bready and nutty malt whirl into a concoction of spicy, citrus, floral hops. Mystery lurks in those cascade and palisade hops.
Punch Out dives through the ropes and back into the ring to showcase two delicious hop varietals from New Zealand. Waimea brings fruity resinous notes (think Columbus) and Wai-Iti adds spritzy lemon.
We sneaked a little bit of Nelson in too, because why not?
Beer X is a trial brew of a medium strength golden beer. It is an easy-drinking, well balanced pale ale with a pleasing hoppy aroma.
Brewed with exclusively 100% Marris Otter pale ale malt which gives a clean and crisp base. British hops, First Gold, and Goldings add citrus and floral notes. American Citra hops added to the hopback add a distinct aroma of grapefruit and tropical fruit.
The Harper Arms regulars were sad to learn of the death of Roger Ryman, the St Austell Chief Brewer who created Tribute, the Harper Arms benchmark beer.
As our own tribute, we held yet another tasting of this excellent beer.
Tribute as it’s light, hoppy, zesty, easy to drink and consistently delicious.
A straw coloured, pale ale with a clean, fresh & uncomplicated taste. The hops add a crisp bitterness, making it very drinkable. Citra hops added in the hopback give Zebedee a tropical fruit aroma.
Light amber in colour due to a small amount of lightly roasted crystal malt. This adds a slight sweetness and subtle caramel note that acts as a counterweight to the generous hop charge. We are using Goldings for its exceptionally smooth bittering quality and Citra and Mosaic for the hefty aromas they add. The result is a well-balanced hoppy beer with a wonderful tropical fruit aroma.
Overdrive is a crisp and clean American Pale Ale with an assertive bitterness and aromatic and flavoursome hop profile. Two different hops are used in the whirlpool and for dry hopping.
Special precautions were taken to sample this beer during the Coronavirus out-break. It was worth it!
A 4.5% pale ale with spicy, grassy aromas and a taste of grapefruit and apricot.
Undercurrent is part pale, part oats and part caramel barley. Her swirls of bold, bready and nutty malt whirl into a concoction of spicy, citrus, floral hops. Mystery lurks in those cascade and palisade hops.
An amber and malty classic bitter. Chocolate and double roasted crystal malts add a rich caramel and a light roasted flavour. Oats add a satisfyingly smooth mouthfeel.
Phoenix and Progress hops have classic British hop characteristics with subtle floral and spicy notes. Lemondrop adds, as the name suggests, a mellow citrus character to lift the beer. Overall a well-balanced, well crafted, east drinking traditional British bitter perfect for a late Autumn day in the pub.
Citra Quad is a quadruple-hopped session IPA which honours that juiciest and most tropical hop – Citra.
Abundantly hopped with Citra over four stages of the brewing process, this 4.4% beer packs a punch of intense flavours and aromas that will be sure to get your mouth watering.
A soft water profile and heaps of oat malts provide a rich mouthfeel and help accentuate the pungent citrus overtones desired by this style.
Citra Quad is the first new beer produced by the new Loddon head brewer Jake Bartleet-Perry and also the first beer served at The Harper Arms using our new draught beer equipment.
The Weather Station is a showcase for Wild Weather Ales and had over 20 Wild Weather Ales on-tap – What’s not to like?
Well, trouble is that 18 of the 20 were sours….Ugh.
A Harper’s Arms favourite, Shepherds Warning, was available but the best beer of the night was War Against Reality. A soft, juicy New England IPA brewed in collaboration with New Lion Brewery. Hazy, smooth and double dry hopped with Mosaic and Simcoe. The required number of pints of this were consumed to allow us to rate it.
Best Bitter 4.2% Amber Specially brewed for Burghfest
An easy drinking, slightly tart pale bitter brewed from the finest Maris Otter, Crystal and Chocolate Malts and bittered with Fuggles and Goldings to deliver a lovely malt feel in the mouth with a dry, tangy fruit finish.
Instamatic is a Spring loaded, zesty IPA. As fresh as a Bel-Air morning. Tropical fruit aromas are rapidly pursued by pineapple, mango and lemon with floral undertones on the palate. Built from the ground up on a solid caramel malt superstructure. Wheat allows for a super smooth delivery. And a pronounced bitterness lingers to the end. Refreshing, fresh and fruity.
An easy-drinking hazy extraordinaiore of a beer, King St. Pale is loaded up with oats for a silky mouthfeel and topped off with a healthy charge of Mosaic dry hops.
Brewed in conjunction with Honest Burgers, Reading.
ATTEN HUT!!! Camerons have created a golden beer with a citrus aroma and satisfying full hop flavour. The Cascade, Chinook and Fuggles hops deliver an initial citrus flavour followed by a satisfying bitter taste
A pale ale with a hoppy finish. 100% pale ale malt for a golden colour and light biscuit flavour. Motueka and Simcoe hops add a citrus fruit character.
Malt: Maris Otter Pale Ale
Hops: Motueka, Simcoe
Strength: 4.2%
Calmer Llama is an American IPA made with a blend of Biscuit and Vienna malt and the fruity flavoured single hop Citra all wrapped together to give a 6.6% ABV.
Dive Bomb is a Golden Ale with a pronounced hop aroma. Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, Azacca and Citra all vie for your attention, layering on flavours of Citrus and tropical fruits.
A high proportion of crystal malt in Old Speckled Hen provides the key toffee/caramel flavour. The yeast used to ferment the beer provides the other key character – estery or banana/pear drop. This estery note provides the fruity and refreshing balance. The hops used add a palate cleansing herbal note and very slight orange citrus. A very malty, full bodied and warming ale.
Zero Degrees take on making a great American Pale Ale. British & German malts meet sexy American hops and their first brew!
Fruity is the first word that comes to mind – mainly tangerine, grapefruit and melon. Then you notice the pleasant, full bodiness of it and how easy it is to drink. ABV 4.6%.
A 5.6% west coast IPA: golden, immensely hoppy and alive with grapefruit, peach and mango flavours.
Soundwave carries her drinker to the west coast, to the golden shores of California where craft ale is nectar. She is the driest of Siren’s ales – full with flavour but subtle with bitterness.
Brickworks Bitter is a malty bitter which is chestnut in colour with a slightly nutty hint. Hops balance the maltiness to provide a well rounded best bitter.
American IPA is the first Devil’s Backbone beer to be sold outside of the United States. The beer is an original Devil’s Backbone recipe showcasing American hops and brewed especially for the English palate. It’s a mix of English (East Kent Goldings and Admiral) and American hops added late in the process with a single-infusion mash of Pale Ale malt.
Yorkshire Blonde is a mellow, lager coloured ale. Full-bodied and low in bitterness, there is a delicate malty sweetness on the palate. The fruity hop aroma results from a generous late addition of Mount Hood hops.Our biggest selling beer, Yorkshire Blonde is a mellow, lager coloured ale.
A rich golden ale with an intensely hoppy aroma. We’ve crammed the hop back with as much American Mosaic hops as we could. This gives the beer a huge aroma of tropical fruits, citrus fruits and red berry. We’ve kept the bitterness relatively low despite the huge dose of late hops, so Gold retains its drinkability and balance. A truly contemporary golden ale.
This small batch brew is packed solid with various hops from around the world. A solid malt back bone wisps away to leave deep peachy notes, leading to a light chocolate autumn berry sweetness.
This amazing beer was originally brewed exclusively for Burghfest where it won the coveted Beer of the Festival award. As it was so popular New Wharf brewed it again for Christmas.
Peacemaker is an Oatmeal Pale Ale. The addition of oats adds a subtle nuttiness and a silky-smooth mouthfeel. The trio of Amarillo, Azacca and Citra hops give a real tropical fruit and citrus hit with a crisp and refreshing character.
Malt: Pale, Golden Naked Oats.
Hops: Amarillo, Azacca, Citra
Ascot’s flagship Bitter pours a rich copper colour with a sweet malt taste and toffee notes. This is perfectly balanced with the hops providing a sharp bitterness, with a strong citrus and tropical fruit aromas.
Virtuoso is a deep amber ale with a pleasant hoppy aroma. Chocolate and Double Roasted Crystal malts give a subtle roast malt character which is beautifully balanced against the tropical and citrus fruit notes from the Simcoe and Motueka hops. Complex, subtle and expertly crafted; a symphony in a glass created by Rebellion’s virtuoso brewers.
“As the River Styx froze and the final pig took flight, when the last winged monkey departed the darkly fragrant netherlands, as wishes became horses and all the beggars rode… Under a newly-blued moon at dawn on the very 12th of Never: the second-to-last craft brewery in America pressed the green ‘start’ button on their canning line. We wanted to be the Last Small Brewer in the U.S. to can their beer and maybe, finally, by now, we are…The ‘12th of Never Ale’ is everything we’ve learned about making hop-forward beer expressed in a moderate voice. Pale, cold, slightly alcoholic, and bitter. It’s all we know.”
A multi-award winning American Pale Ale, including, Beer of Festival at Burghfest in 2016.
NOTUS is brewed with citra, centennial, sterling and cascage, making it tropical, fruity and completely delicious. At 4.7% it packs a punch, as well as offering perfect late summer refreshment.
A powerfully authentic IPA, Proper Job is brewed with a blend of imported American hops. It is a real treat of a beer with a growing reputation and is loved by beer enthusiasts far and wide. Perhaps the forerunner of all modern IPAs in the UK!
An award-winning modern IPA, packed full of citrus, pineapple and grapefruit resinous flavours with a fine crisp bitter finish.
An easy-drinking hazy extraordinaiore of a beer, King St. Pale is loaded up with oats for a silky mouthfeel and topped off with a healthy charge of Mosaic dry hops.
Brewed in conjunction with Honest Burgers, Reading.
A bold, uncompromising beer, packed with hops at 4 different stages in the brewing process. Imperial and Munich malts give the beer enough body to try and tame the hop aromas jumping out of the glass.
Revolutionary is a Red ale with roasted malt character and fruity hop notes. Small additions of roasted and black malts create the deep red hue as well as a depth and complexity. Subtle use of Azacca and Citra hops add a tropical / citrus fruit character.
Malt: Pale, Crystal, Dehusked roasted barley, Black malt
61 metres is the depth of the well at the Marston’s Brewery that gives this refreshing pale ale it’s name. The five American and Australian hops give it it’s fresh, zesty aroma, whilst the tropical fruit and citrus notes make it extremely drinkable.
Unifier is a tawny pale ale with a distinctly hoppy character. We’ve added a prodigious quantity of American aroma hops to this beer to give it a very bold hoppy hit. The aroma is full of tropical fruit and citrus notes as well as pine, spice and herbal elements. It has relatively high bitterness but the extra sweetness from the addition of crystal and Munich malts help to balance this out.
Savour the distinct aroma, then surrender to the perfect balance of malty richness, tangy hops and sultana fruit on the palate.
Natural mineral water, the ripest English fuggles hops and crushed crystal malt deliver this experience of England in a glass. Brace yourself for a long soft spicy finish.
A 4.5% pale ale with spicy, grassy aromas and a taste of grapefruit and apricot.
Undercurrent is part pale, part oats and part caramel barley. Her swirls of bold, bready and nutty malt whirl into a concoction of spicy, citrus, floral hops. Mystery lurks in those cascade and palisade hops.
Legend is an oatmeal pale ale. The addition of oats adds subtle nuttiness, extra body and a silky smooth finish. Ernest is a rediscovered British hop that was originally disregarded due to its ‘new world’ characteristics. It produces complex fruity notes of apricot, citrus and spice.
Wolf Rock is a fusion of Red Ale and IPA styles and combines Noble and New World hops with our finest special malt to deliver its distinctive flavour and enticing red hue. At 4.8% be warned “The Wolf” is to be respected.
Brewed to celebrate Rebellion Brewery ‘s 25-year anniversary of brewing in Marlow.
25 is an extra pale ale brewed with Sterling hops, citrus peel and Belgian ale yeast. Sterling hops, not only have an entirely appropriate name for silver anniversary beer but also have a beautiful lemon and spicy character which work in harmony with the other elements of the ale. The inclusion of lemon and orange peel adds a subtle citrus aroma and the Belgian ale yeast contributes a spicy note and gives this beer a real Belgian ale character.
Pure UBU (pronounced ‘OO-BOO’) is named after our faithful canine friend ‘UBU’, a maverick, brim full of character and the unofficial protector of our secrets. God love him, the dog is mad, but an inspiration to all who enjoy doing what they do and who want to be loved for being what they are.
Pure UBU (4.5% ABV, IBU36) is a distinctive, full flavoured beer with a sweeter finish. Brewed with English Maris Otter, Crystal, and Wheat malts, with Pilgrim and Cascade hops.
This Pale Ale takes its name from the castle built by King John in 1207, which is located less than a mile from the original Brewery, and from where he rode out to Runnymede to sign the Magna Carta. The beer itself is deep amber in colour with a blend of pale ale and crystal malt. The bitterness and fruity aroma are developed from a combination of hops.
Brewed strong and hoppy, Maharaja is a stunning example of an IPA. Masses of English hops and three different malts produce a complex flavour and strong citrus aroma. Smooth, deep golden and beautifully balanced with a crisp dry finish.