As first read about from beermerchants. Dropped in at the Evening Star (caught the tail end of the Six Hop availability) and they had some more details on the collaboration between Dark Star and Thornbridge.

Mark Tranter headed North to wonderful Derbyshire.  It’s a 7% Old Ale using Maris Otter Pale Ale, Crystal Malts with Aurora, Atlas and Liberty hops.

There is talk about watching the development and potentially adding things along the way…

The great news for me is that it’s going to be available in bottles.

From the list of ingredients and what I know of these brewers, I’m thinking this will a wonderful rich dark beer with a great length where the hops are there very quickly staying with you for a long time after your ‘sup.

I will come back later to add more details but wanted to capture initial thoughts:

If this is the plan these guys have for pubs, sign me up as a licensee.

Great to see six casks on pull, all local from Sussex

• Dark Star Hophead
• Dark Star American Pale Ale
• 1648 Winter Warrent
• 1648 Signature
• Harveys Old
• Haveys Best

How many pub loo’s do you know with marble and fittings from Crapper. Actually how many pub loo’s do you know where you want to take a crap.

This isn’t a boozer, a bit sanitised but I know my wife would come here ( a good thing) – now if only they get some country one’s with awesome children’s playgrounds.

The beer is served in tankards – Cool!

The beer is actually a bit warm.  And by that, don’t worry. I might be from Canada but appreciate my beer at cellar temperature but I reckon we’re pushing 15C here.

The interior is a bit odd.  On one hand big brass look, with lots of wood (nothing wrong there) but why the wallpaper that has faux bricks peeking through.

The barkeep couldn’t tell me where 1648 was from.

Surprisingly small collection of bottles (ok, maybe I’ve been spoiled by the White Horse, Rake and Evening Star) but I would have expected some more.

What, a fake fire.

Forthright and free with letting one try samples.

Very yummy food.

End result on first glance. Would visit again and look forward to the development of the concept but there’s a lot of room for improvement. Still, love the tankards and local focus.

photo credit: gentlemanrook

A 5% Bavarian style dark ale.   Quite interesting very dark brown in colour.  Taste starts with a well-rounded chocolate then a sharp, dry bitterness comes through.  Very nice and worth seeking out.

Here’s what Dark Star has to say about this one:

5.0% Smokey (November)
Deep golden coloured Bavarian style ale using hardwood smoked barley malt. The smokiness is purposefully restrained to avoid the heaviness of some rauchbier and ensure that the second (or third!) pint is as enjoyable as the first.