Beers, Boats and Boozers, No.99

We had a bit longer in Lincoln with our daughter, so did a little more sightseeing. 

This is taken from the footbridge over the main road and alongside the waterway that heads through the centre of Lincoln.

This is actually above the waterway where it goes through the 'Glory Hole' tunnel or more properly, bridge.

The 'Glory Hole' is such a construction in the water way, that actually has a flow on it, that in times of lots of rain the flow makes it all quite dangerous to pass through and there are traffic lights to prevent you attempting it.

In light of the COVD 19 seeing all these people seems a little strange but a weekend in Lincoln should always be busy.

We had worked up a little thirst so sort out another real ale pub we had not been too, The Joiners Arms.

The OS Map of 1886 does not indicate that the building was a pub at that time, but in the newspapers there is a record of James Foster the publican of the Joiners Arms, Victoria Street, and a joiner became a bankrupt. Does this indicate the first landlord and the reason for the name of the establishment. Another publican was found floating in the Fossdyke in 1911. He had become epileptic! In 1939 Harry Fisher from the pub was avertising as a horse breaked and for schooling of horses. All life is here, and still was when we visited. The place is on two levels as it is built up the hill of the street. A smallish place but quite comfortable at that. The bar is up hill and the lounge down hill. Not a place to get too drunk I think.

Scarborough Brewery is in the town of Scarborough, and is a family run business. It was started in 2009 using a 1 bbl plant. By 2011 they had decided to get serious and go commercial and purchased a 10bbl kit ex Wold Top Brewery. At the same time they expanded their range and started bottling beers too.

I tried a pint of their Sorachi Ace, 4.2%. It is an American Pale Ale and is named after the hop variety used. The Sorachi hop wss first breed in Japan, but was  not too widely used even by them. In 1994 Oregan State University planted some for research purposes, and in 2006 it was released for commercial use. It was the Brooklyn Brewing Co that first used it in any scale and it has spread from there, although not a major hop and not used too widely outside of America and Japan. The first sense you get is the pleasing pale yellow colour and a thick, creamy head on the pint. The aroma is not overpoweringly citrus and the taste is quite crisp. I would say this would be good with food. 

I also tried a pint from the Black Country Ales range. Black Country was actually started by accident. The owners were pub owners really, and when they bought the almost derelict Old Bulls Head in Lower Gornal in 1999, they also bought a two story outbuildings. When they searched them they discovered it was still full of brewing equipment. Brewing had started behind the pub in 1834 by Edward Guest. By 1870 it had been taken over by the Bradley family who continued until WWII when it was mothballed until 1999.. It took them a while but by 2004 beer was being brewed on the premises again.

I tried a pint of their Chain Ale. The pump clip picture of Black, white and red with the white in the shape of a glass cone and the chain across it is the flag for the Black Country. Chain was a major product in the area so the name is appropriate. At 4.2% it is a strongish session ale with a golden colour and a nice head. It is a well balanced beer with enough hops to have a tang and balanced by some malty flavours too. An enjoyable pint all round.