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jjsint

Leicester, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Member Supporter
Escaped from Ratebeer, I'm here now and liking what I see very much!

 Activity
jjsint has a new beer style achievement

Level 5 for Non Alcoholic / Low Alcohol ticks with a total of 50 ticks of this master style.
Run Free from Left Handed Giant Brewing Co. was the one that did it!
10 months ago


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Draught keg at the Rook Taproom, Brighton. Very light gold with a slight haze. A small layer of whitish head and decent lacing. Not a lot of aroma unfortunately. Some grainy notes and hints of fruit, possibly lemon and pear. Taste is much improved: sweet with notes of tropical hops, leading to a gentle bitterness. Light body with medium to heavy carbonation. All in all, it is excellent for a low alcohol beer.

Tried from Draft at The Rook Taproom on 05 Jun 2025 at 14:56


8.2
Setting - 9 | Selection - 10 | Service - 8 | Food - | Value - 5 | Overall - 9

Incredible beer pub which should not be missed if visiting Brighton. It is a little out of the way and up a hill (only a bit) but well worth the trek. Coming in there's a lovely little room with the bar to the right. More seating to the back. 20 taps, ranging from no/low to German lagers to sours to impy stouts. There isn't a single beer available that I wouldn't want to drink. A must.


jjsint is visiting The Rook Taproom located in Brighton, England
10 months ago


6.8
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Draught keg at the Brighton brewery taproom. Brownish hold and clear with a ring of off-white head and good lacing. Orange and a bit of peach in the aroma, some strong tea. Sweet, sweet taste with that jammy note, some floral character, with a decent bitterness in the finish. Maybe not a masterpiece but pretty damn good.

Tried from Draft at Mad Dog Brewery Co. Taproom on 05 Jun 2025 at 14:20


7.2
Setting - 7 | Selection - 8 | Service - 7 | Food - | Value - 7 | Overall - 7

This is a decent little taproom from a brewery I discovered while on holiday in Cardiff. The bat itself is tiny, tiny, tiny but there is seating upstairs as well. Downstairs it's convivial and utilitarian with bright orange walls. When I visited they had 10 Mad Dig beers on draught with a couple of guests. The beer isn't the most exciting I've ever had but the choice is very good and they are certainly competent. Prices are fairly low so I'd certainly recommend a stop!


6.6
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Keg draught at the Hope & Ruin, Brighton. Light gold, clear with a very small uneven film of white head and decent lacing. Some citrus on the nose, many sweetened lime and orange. Taste is sweet with a nice Hop bite ack which isn't too bitter but keeps the balance. Surprisingly dry little finish. Light body, heavy carbonation. Not very exciting but all in all its a decent enough composition.

Tried from Draft at The Hope and Ruin on 05 Jun 2025 at 13:54


6.6
Setting - 10 | Selection - 5 | Service - 8 | Food - | Value - 5 | Overall - 5

The Hope and Ruin is tough to rate. Its a lovely place, very quirky inside, and they manage to keepnet BoHo dark even with massive windows. Kind of has to be seen to be believed, from the paintings on the walls to the Space Invaders machine to the... I don't know what that is, some sort of creepy armless mannequin. Fairy lights adorn the ceiling (in June) and they have a plant based menu. What's not to like? Well, it isn't really a beer pub. A few easily available beers from breweries such as Gunand Laine. Maybe a decent place to sup a half and enjoy the atmosphere and/or sit by the window and watch the world go by.


8.3
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Handpull cask at the Evening Star, Brighton. Light to mid-gold, clear with very little head. Ambrosial aroma with loads of melon, apricot, sweet tropical fruits. Taste is sweet with a balancing hoppy bitterness and a surprisingly dry finish. Light but weighty, almost oily body, with no carbonation. But it doesn't need it. An incredible beer.

Tried from Cask at The Evening Star on 05 Jun 2025 at 13:19


8.4
Setting - 8 | Selection - 9 | Service - 10 | Food - | Value - 6 | Overall - 9

Last time I was here it was a Dark Star pub. It was 2004 or thereabouts and my CAMRA group came from Devon to present the award for beer of the festival (Dark Star Hophead), taking in the brewery and finishing the evening in town here. I wondered, does it still hold the same magic? The answer is yes in spades. Ou go in, therea one main room with wood and a little brickwork. Feels like a pub shpuld feel. Then there is the beer. Seven cask and eleven keg plus some cans and bottles behind the bar. The beers are generally local (Burning Sky, Abyss, Beak) but not always (Newbarns, Indie Rabble, Phantom). The cask is unbelievably well-kept. An absolute banger.