Real Ales & Wines

bar

20 Real Ales and Lagers will be on offer at Blues at the Fort.

The wine selection this year will be provided by Hermitage Cellars of Emsworth.

Follow the link to read more about the beers, ciders, lagers and beers.

   

 

Real Ale Tasting Notes

no 1 adnams bitter

No 1.  Adnams Bitter 3.7% ABV is a beautiful copper-coloured beer, late & dry-hopped with a distinctive, lingering fuggles hoppiness. Brewed with the finest East Anglian malted barley, sourced locally to the brewery. A blend of hop varieties, including Fuggles, which is added late in the boil to preserve the herbal flavours of this traditional English hop.  More Fuggles is added to each cask so the flavour of the hops infuses into the beer. CAMRA champion beer of East Anglia 2007

no 2 deuchars ipa

No 2. Deuchars IPA 3.8% ABV is a fabulous beer. A brilliant blend of malt and hop character and above all a drink with enormous drinkability according to Roger Protz, Editor of the Good Beer Guide.

Malts: Golden Promise and Optic and Hops: Fuggles, Super Styrian Goldings.

Champion Cask Ale at the Brewing Industry International Awards 2005

no 3 bowman swift one

No 3. Bowman Ales Swift One 3.8% ABV is a pale, golden quaffing ale with excellent flavours for its strength. Pleasingly hoppy throughout without being aggressive and also possessing of a fine aroma. The finish is dry with a small twist of sweetness at the end. If you feel that this is all rather pretentious then it can best be described as a bloody nice pint! Joint winner of South Hants CAMRA's Hampshire Beer of the Year 2007 at the Southampton Beer Festival. 

no 4 dark star hophead

No 4. Dark Star Brewing’s Hophead 3.8% ABV is an extremely clean-drinking pale gold coloured ale with a strong floral aroma and elderflower notes from the Cascade hops. This beer is full-bodied despite its very quaffable strength and dryness.

no 5 irving frigate

No 5. Irving & Co’s Frigate 3.8% ABV is a golden bitter with citrus hop flavour derived from the addition of English Sovereign and Boudicea hops in the hopback. Complemented by a background sweetness from the subtle use of light crystal and cara-malt.  Beer of the Festival - Gosport Winterfest 2009

no 6 betty stogs

No 6. Skinners Betty Stogs 4.0% ABV is a classic pale amber mid strength bitter with distinct hoppy overtones. A beautifully balanced quaffing ale. Contains Cornish malted barley and wheat. Bitter finish is slow to develop but long to fade.

no 7 sharps doom bar

No 7. Sharps Doom Bar 4.0% ABV has an aroma which combines an accomplished balance of spicy resinous hop, inviting sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a perfectly balanced and complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malty notes and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The bitterness remains into the finish with dry fruity notes which implore the drinker to go back for more. 

no 8 exmoor antler

No 8. Exmoor Antler 4.0% ABV is dark amber in colour with a nose of popcorn and soft toffee.  Nuts and toffee on the palate spiked by light tropical fruit. Dry malty finish, typical of Exmoor beers, that leaves the taste buds calling out for more! Brewed to celebrate 30 years of Exmoor Ales.

no 9 bowman wallops wood

No 9. Bowman Ales Wallops Wood 4.0% ABV is a light chestnut in colour which puts it into the 'brown beer' category. As far as flavour goes, it tends rather more towards the malt than the hops, though there is a pleasing hop taste right at the finish. The aroma is light and pleasant.

no 10 irving type 42

No 10. Irving & Co’s Type 42  Best Bitter 4.2% ABV is a robust best bitter with a deep ruby red hue obtained from the use of a generous addition of crystal malt. This beer balances sweet hedgerow berry notes with a long roasted malt finish and a deep bitterness from the English Pilgrim hops used in the copper and the hopback.

no 11 downton honey blonde

No 11. Downton Honey Blonde, 4.3% ABV is a light and refreshing blonde/golden ale, with subtle hints of honey and softly sweet malt. The finish is crisp and refreshing. A golden straw coloured bitter with a superb blend of spicy and floral hops, added to the smooth sweetness imparted by Flaked Maize and Mexican honey. Champion Beer at the Alton Beer Festival 2008.

no 12 exmoor gold

No 12. Exmoor Gold 4.5% ABV is an appetising and enticing gold in colour. The nose is an interplay between a fresh bouquet of grassy and floral hop and a subtly soft, fluffy caramel-tinged maltiness. The palate sees more balance between gentle grainy maltiness and sprightly floral, citrusy fresh hop fruitiness. The finish is bittersweet with hints of citrus fruit weaving in and out.

no 13 irving invincible

No 13. Irving & Co’s Invincible Premium Bitter 4.6% ABV is a full bodied medium chestnut coloured premium cask ale with an initial sweet malty flavour balanced with a subtle bitterness. The beer finishes with a delicious citrus and spice hop character. Premium Bitter Class Winner and Beer of the Festival - Gosport Winterfest 2008

no 14 irvings

No 14. Irving & Co’s Pompey Glory 4.7% ABV has been specially brewed to celebrate Portsmouth FC getting to the Cup Final at Wembley this weekend.  (more to follow from Irvings)

no 15 arundel stronghold

No 15. Arundel Stronghold 4.7% ABV is a very smooth, full-flavoured premium bitter. An excellent balance of malt, fruit and hops comes through in this rich, chestnut-coloured beer.

no 16 batemans xxxb

No 16. Batemans XXXB Bitter 4.8% ABV is a superb strong bitter with a complex palate, consisting of a delicate aroma of hops delightfully balanced by a prominent malty character. 5 times 'Premium Beer of the Year' at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival.

no 17 hopback summer lightning

No 17. Hopback Summer Lightning 5.0% ABV is an original Summer ale brewed all year round. An extremely pleasant bitter, straw coloured beer with a terrific fresh, hoppy aroma. This, coupled with an intense bitterness, leads to an excellent long, dry finish.

no 18 gribble

No 18. Gribble Plucking Pheasant 5.2% ABV is a light dry hopped beer that has proved to be very successful. Don't be fooled by its light appearance and easy drinking.

no 19 langham lsd

No 19. Langham Special Draught 5.2% ABV is an auburn beer with rich complex flavours and a deep red glow. The sweet maltiness is balanced with spicy hop aromas and a dry finish. Definitely a pint to savour. 

no 20 yates ysd

No 20. Yates Special Draught (YSD) 5.5% ABV is golden in colour, with a tart fruit nose. This strong beer has a dry, hoppy, bitter taste that belies its strength to some degree.  Fruit notes emerge and linger in the dry, bitter, hoppy aftertaste.

Lager

kaltenberg hell

Kaltenberg Hell 4.1% ABV is a mid strength, crisp lager with a refreshing bite and no aftertaste. It derives its name from the German word Helles, which means bright and refers to the colour of this refreshing Bavarian lager. Brewed to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 (the German Purity Law), Hell is brewed using only 4 natural ingredients – water, malt, hops and the unique Bavarian yeast from the Kaltenberg Brewery.

 

Cider

thatchers cheddar valley

Thatchers Cheddar Valley 6.0% ABV has a vibrant character and colour all of its own. For those wanting an alternative refreshing drink with a touch of natural sparkle this cider is naturally fermented and matured in oak vats to ensure the distinctive full flavour is retained.

thatchers heritage

Thatchers Heritage 4.9% ABV is a medium sweet cider, light yet hazy with a green apple nose and soft tannins that lift the apple character. Matured in oak vats, the cider is unfiltered and not carbonated, developing a rich haze from the traditional processes used in production.