A great pub in the middle of some lovely Derbyshire countryside. we were visiting because it was a friend's 40th birthday celebration, so we were staying over in the pub's accommodation too.
Arrived at 3pm and checked into our rooms. First drink in the pub was a cup of tea in the guests' seating area upstairs...
After a short loop-walk around the area we arrived back with a bit of a thirst and started the nights drinking at about half five.
The bar has four? hand pumps, but seven or eight ales are available. The rest being served direct from the barrel in the cellar.
Available tonight were Blue bear, Crowning Glory and Blooming Blond from the Derby brewery. Whim's Hartington IPA. Taylor Landlord, Draught Bass and Thornbridge Jaipur IPA. We also had a special beer laid on for the party in the function room - This was Copper Dragon's Golden Pippin.
First pint I had was a Hartington IPA - a lovely refreshing pint which certainly hit the spot after our walk. It didn't last long!
So, the second pint followed soon after. Derby Brewery Crowning Glory. A copper coloured beer and a lot less hoppy than the IPA as you would expect. though still a very nice pint.
By the time I had supped the second pint it was getting on for half past six, and as the party was starting at half past seven, people were starting to disappear to get ready. I decided the best course of action was to let the wife go and have a shower while I stayed for a sneaky third before my turn to get ready.
I had a Derby Blue Bear. I think this is a special brew for the Bear and its sister pub The Blue Bell - Hence Blue Bear. The pump clip described it as "a pale ruby coloured beer". Holding it up to the light it was definitely ruby coloured, but it certainly wasn't pale. I would say it was almost black as you would expect a dark mild to be. It was, however, very nice. So I couldn't complain!
Having got showered and changed, it was downstars to the party. The function-room bar had two pumps on, one of them being the exclusive-to-us Golden Pippin, so a pint of that was had.
I knew at some point I would be forced to have a pint of Jaipur, and having done so, I would be drinking that for the rest of the night as once you've had that everything else pales in comparison. I therefore, decided to try the Derby Blooming Blond and have another Hartington IPA before I hit the Jaipurs.
So it was about half past nine when I finally broke and had to have my first Jaipur of the evening. It didn't disappoint. All the ales on offer at the pub were in excellent condition and were all very nice in their own right, but Jaipur is head and shoulders above the rest such a great ale that it is.
It all becomes rather hazy after this. I know I had nothing but Jaipur for the rest of the night though...
