"Mild Day" The Malt Shovel, Horsham 3rd May 2008

My local mild event for May Mild Month. Lots of milds, lots of CAMRA members, morris dancers and a talk from the Director and Head Brewer at Harvey's brewery.

Arundel Sussex Mild (3.7%): Lovely open malty taste and a very smooth flavour.
Ballards Mildhurst Mild (3.4%): A traditional bitter mild.
Caledonian Deuchars IPA (3.8%): Unpleasant and soapy. Line cleaner or a clever ploy to get everyone drinking mild today.
Charles Wells' Courage Directors (4.8%): Malty well balanced bitter.
Dark Star Over the Moon (3.8%): A sweet mild with a 'best bitter' flavour.
Hepworth's Iron Horse (4.8%): Sweet, light coloured local bitter, not mild.
Marston Moor Matlock Mild (4.0%): Creamy and mellow; doesn't taste this strong.
Moorhouse's Black Cat (3.4%): Slightly more bitter than others; tasty.
Triple fff Pressed Rat and Warthog (3.8%): Almost a spicy taste to this very drinkable dark beer.
Wychwood Hobgoblin (4.5%): Strong and not much like traditional mild.

The talk by Mike Jenner, Director and Head Brewer at Harvey's, gave a good summary of how the brewery has stuck to traditional beers and respects its history, while embracing technology and changing tastes. It got quite technical at times with various salt contents in the water discussed (Lewes water is lower in sodium that London water).

The future at Harvey's sounds exciting with the creation of a microbrewery to use as a testing ground for new ideas and recreations of some historical brews.

CAMRA members from North Sussex, Western Sussex, Brighton and South Downs, Mid Surrey, East Surrey, Croydon and even as far away as West Kent were in attendance as well as the Regional Director.

The pub did themselves proud, a great day with nine fine beers out of ten.

Pic to follow.