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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
“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 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
A deep ruby, complex and flavoursome beer, packed with intense and distinctive malt & hop character.
Made from a blend of Maris Otter pale ale, crystal & chocolate malt in the mash tun with a 3-stage addition of American Cascade hops for a powerful, intensely fruity flavour & aroma.
Bengal Tiger’ is an English Style India Pale Ale. Brewed with a nod to the original English style IPA with 2 types of malted barley whilst East Kent Golding hops provides the Bitterness, Goldings for aroma and dry-hopped for good measure.
Brewed using the ever popular English Goldings with the addition of Fuggle Hops, pale and dark malts, with a small amount of invert sugar, combine to form a rich, smooth traditional dark ale.
Based on a classic IPA recipe which uses Imperial Malt along with Chinook, Simcoe and Pacific Jade hops. However the additional special ingredients of Jaggery (raw cane sugar from India bought from Southall market), Jasmine Petals, Cardamom and Coriander produce a distinctive twist to this “Indies Pale Ale”.
The resultant beer is a pale, smooth, full IPA with a distinct bitterness and with a hop aroma that is enhanced by a touch of the exotic!
Drawing sweetness from a complex malt base but turning 360 with a vibrant mix of New Zealand & UK hops (with a handful of our favorite American hops in for good measure)
An India Pale Ale that recalls a time when ales shipped from England to India were highly hopped to preserve their distinct taste during the long journey. The result is a hop lover’s dream with a fruity aroma, set off by a dry malt middle, and long hop finish.
Paxton IPA is dry hopped with charismatic Australian hops known for their distinctive orange bouquet and wild herbal undertones. Full of flavour and attitude this beer does not apologise for what it is: a hard hitting, fully hopped IPA.
Featuring Vic Secret Hops – Check out the comments for the LandL0rd’s favourite Vic Secret pics.
Sorachi Ace Red, combines huge Lime and Coconut flavours with a subtle rosemary hint from Sorachi hops. A strong bitter start soon gives way to a lingering smooth mouth feel.
Robbers is a twisted Black IPA. Starting by masking roasted notes with grape skin tannin and a subtle hint of raisin working through the spectrum and finishing with a massive pine and grapefruit finish.
Thirty Lives takes full bodied fruit flavors and translates them into a tantalizing tropical tongue experience. Starting with mango’s and honeydew melon on the nose and leading into a rich mouthfeel with an explosion of pink grapefruit and white grape. A summer behemoth!!
Who says an English brown ale should be dull? Keyboard Warrior takes a traditional base and then rocks it’s world with a whole heap of Simcoe creating massive grapefruit, pine and lime notes finishing with a hint of orange zest.
Waterloo is a chestnut ale with a crisp hoppy finish. The aroma hop, Hallertau Blanc, was only released in 2012. It has a bold and fresh profile and will contribute gooseberry, lemongrass and passionfruit character similar to a glass of its namesake Sauvignon blanc.
The beer, the newest to the Andwell’s range, uses malted rye to create its characteristic ruby glow. The flavours and aromas derive from a combination of English hops.
Brakspear Oxford Gold is a remarkably zesty brew, with fresh, citrussy aromas and a firm, fruity flavour. Pale ale malts provide the beer with its gold-gilt shimmer, spruced by a hatful of crystal malts to give body, texture and a delicate honey’d wrap.
The blend of hops delivers a shamelessly fresh perfume and fermentation by the Brakspear yeast gives Brakspear Oxford Gold a fabulous, fruity finish.
Doom Bar is inspired by its namesake, the treacherous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary near Sharps’ home at Rock. Accomplished and precise, Doom Bar is the epitomy of consistency, balance and moreish appeal and is now the UK’s no.1 selling cask beer.
An enticing aroma of resinous hop, sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a balanced, complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malt and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The finish is dry and refreshing.
A deliciously smooth stout with a thick and gooey black treacle base, starting with notes of chocolate and pepper, and growing into a bonfire toffee style finish. A must for deep contemplation in front of the fire.
A genuine legend amongst snacks and the original Mr Porky product. Classic Scratchings that have been tempting taste buds for decades.
Made using quality rinds taken from pork shanks, the Scratchings are cooked until they reach that perfect level of crunchiness before being lovingly seasoned and packed in foil bags to keep them fresh and flavoursome.
Vintage Ale 8.5% ABV
(4 / 5)
(4.3 / 5)
(3.8 / 5)
Serendipity is an explosively fruity American Pale Ale. Big American hops deliver a huge nose over a subtle malt bill.
Simcoe Hopped
A sessionable, complex, hop-laden, chewy beast of an IPA from our friends at 
The latest beer from the Hobgoblin range.
