And it all started in a quaint little pub tucked away within the cobblestoned alleyways of Bath City…
I wasn’t really much into ales until one day, when I was having a jolly in the City of Bath.
Now, just to quickly step back, there is one exception, and it’s in the place I call home which isn’t far from Bath. Again, a similarly quaint little pub named The Gluetpot which recently won the ‘Best Pub in the County‘ award has had one ale which their very own brewery, Hop Back, provides on tap – that aptly named Crop Circle.
Upon entering The Gluepot, you will be greeted by a rustic wooden bar at the back surrounded by sturdy wooden tables with high backed benches replicating vintage train carriage seats, and a symbolic interior that boasts an old chimney, now a watering well in the guise of a table/shelf adorned with small metal pots that bear a striking resemblance to cauldrons – these are the gluepots – they were used by railway workers back when Swindon Town, the focal point of railways which Isambard Kingdom Brunel had spearheaded in the early 1800’s. The stove which was here had a flame that would keep the glue in the pots warm whilst the workers popped in for drinks during their break.
Eventually once the railway infrastructure was completed Swindon Town became an easily accessible hub for the railways in the UK.
You can virtually get to anywhere via both the highways and train, because this is where it began.
The current landlord, Mark, and his gleeful staff will greet you with a selection of 8 beers on tap and like 12 ciders, most of which usually rotate. One of those beers on tap is an ale that pours an ever-so-slightly hazy golden looking ale. That ale my dear reader, is Crop Circle.
Crop Circle became my go-to for many reasons. Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, it is rightfully named after the phenomenon known to many as crop circles, that is, the strange geometric shapes that suddenly appear overnight on farmland; Wiltshire has LOADS of farmland and we’re actually the crop circle hotspot of the World so the name is pretty dope for an ale in my opinion. But how does it taste? Well, Hop Back uses a really decent blend of two hops in this ale, Cascade hops and Amarillo Hops. Combined with the brewing process, expect a fresh, floral and citrusy smooch to your nose.
A pint of Crop Circle in a jug, or dimple glass
The hop character is quite prominent but subtle enough to not be too bitter, which makes this the perfect session ale any time of the year. There’s notes of grapefruit and lemon with subtle hints of orange and lime (really subtle too).
Moving on to the palate, one should expect a decent balance of bitterness with zesty citrus flavours courtesy of the Amarillo hops, held together with the crisp malt backbone of ‘biscuity’ sweetness. It finishes the palate with a clean, refreshing bitterness which is why it’s so easy to drink – with an ABV of 4.2% you could literally drink this all day, and if you’re into pale ales, this one is definitely the embodiment of Wiltshire in a glass. Plus, it’s gluten free!
Crop Circle has always been a staple of good ale, it has been by the sides of many a folk through smiles, tears, dancing and prancing and continues to be one of the best selling ales at The Gluepot for a reason. The Gluepot itself has a really interesting history which I could write an entire article about, but that’s for another time. Now on to ale number 2, another pale ale I experienced very recently in Swansea…
Across the bridge and over the hills, another ale awaits
Near the harbour of Swansea, on a rainy December in 2024, I decided to go to a bar called Beer Riff. Beer Riff is basically The Gluepot’s younger sibling who is still in their rebellious phase. It boasts a scenic view overlooking Swansea Marina, with the boats bobbing up and down the waters and I am sure in the summer that this is a beautiful view. During this stormy night, and with their incredible selection of 20+ beers alone, most of which are brewed locally, I felt like a mad scientist about to create some devious experiment with too many tools to hand (the beers). I tasted a couple before I settled on one for two reasons: the name of the beer, and the taste.
It’s a pale ale called Canyonero, a homage to the monstrous beast from The Simpsons (Season 9, Episode 15) with an ABV of 5.5%.
This pale ale is a hazy golden pour, a decent, refreshing taste and with a rating of 4 stars on Untappd it’s easy to see why.
It uses a blend of Citra, Strata and Mosaic hops, and on the nose you’ll be hit with a burst of tropical fruit thanks to the Citra and Strata hops used.
Expect further notes of juicy pineapple, zesty orange and mango, with a subtle earthy undertone from the Mosaic hops. There’s also a hint of resinous pine that balances the fruit-forward aromas.
I decided that because of how delicious this pale ale was, I wanted to take some back home with me and took 4 cans since they do take-out beers too!
The pump clip at Beer Riff, Swansea ft. Canyonero, ABV 5.5%
The beer which started the journey
Now, finally going back to what I was saying at the beginning – the ale where it all started. This ale will always have a place in my heart for so many reasons, and I find myself smiling like a Hobbit back home from his adventures in Middle-earth whenever I do, on the rare occasion, get to drink it. This is the Raven’s Gold which can be found at The Raven in the City of Bath.
A good ol’ pint of The Raven’s Gold ale!
Once you’ve navigated your way through the cobblestoned alleyways around Bath, you’re sure to find a selection of interesting coffee shops, eateries, pubs and cocktail bars, and The Raven is one of them.
It’s like something out of Harry Potter, you’ve got this rickety old pub that boasts 3 floors, a very rustic interior that’s well kept and takes you back to the early 1900’s and to top it off, their mascot is a Raven wearing a top hat!
Again, I could, and will write a review on The Raven at some point in time because this is another pub which, like The Gluepot, has some interesting history with the added benefit of having a famous selection of homemade pies.
This review, however, is about this fantastic ale.
So continuing the journey…
I was out in Bath having a jolly with a friend. I was young, my career had kicked off to a great start and I had some down time. We ended up in the gin bar which is right next door to The Raven (which was unbeknownst to us at the time).
On this particular night, the bar was packed, in fact Bath was particularly busy. Candles lit the interior if this place, casting shadows everywhere you looked and eventually the very strong gins had started to whisper to us, telling us it was approaching time to call it a night. My friend and I were crammed into this corner table and as I sipped the last of my bitterly powerful cocktail, I clocked eyes with a tall ginger man across this packed room. He boasted a mighty beard, standing up with what I presumed was his date for the night… he wanted a place to sit. He wanted my place, to sit.
The night was surprisingly young and in full swing, and with my friend and I captivated with the fun of it and just glad to have some time to relax, I had made the decision to have just one more – but I wanted something light and hearty.
Back to this ginger man – he approached me as I stood up and I fully expected he wanted our seats once we left – my friend still had half of their gin remaining so, I started up a conversation with him. I explained that we would keep these seats for him and his date because everyone was eyeing up for somewhere to sit, like ants to sugar, in this densely packed bar – on ONE condition – I wanted to know a good place to have something as a decent night cap, I wanted something smooth, not strong, and not overpowering, just a subtle drink that will please my sleep as I was fully anticipating a hangover the next day.
Actual photo of me holding the table for this man from rabid gin fanatics, colourised, c. 2015 (credit: Billy Christian)
Now, it turns out luck was on my side because this man, you see, was an Irishman – if anyone knew anything about drinks, it was this guy. He told me in the strongest Irish accent the following words which I will never forget to this day.
“You’re in luck pal, see there’s a pub round the corner called The Raven, you goes in there and yous order a pint of The Raven Gold, it’ll sort you out – it’s like drinking silk and you won’t have a hangover tomorrow, I can tell you that.“
I knew this guy wasn’t lying and after my friend finished up their gin cocktail, we headed for The Raven. Now, just for some transparency, I actually used Google Maps to find the place because I didn’t actually know where it was, even though this man had just told me it was right next door. Gin will do that to you.
The minute we stepped outside of the gin bar and looked at Google Maps, we spotted The Raven which was, you guessed it, next door. Duh!
Beer mats from The Gluepot, Beer Riff and The Raven
We entered The Raven which too was packed, and walked upstairs to the second floor bar. A small selection of ales on pump here but nothing to scoff at, these are, just like The Gluepot serves, real ales. The finest pick of the crop. We ordered ourselves one pint of the finest Raven’s Gold ale and managed to find a seat as a table became free just at the right time.
As I sat down, a big sigh of relief befell me as I was preparing to round up the day in words with my friend. Before that happened though, I took a gulp of the ale and to my surprise, it felt just like silk, the Irishman wasn’t lying.
That convo with my friend had to wait as we both talked about how beautiful this ale tasted. See, I wasn’t really into ales back then, and this really threw me off guard. I fully expected a bitter ale made acceptable to the palate from the sweet lies of gin creeping up on me but, in a moment of awe, it had opened me up to the idea that maybe I should give ale a proper go, and really see what all the fuss was about.
The taste back then is still the same taste this ale offers today, it pours a slight hazy golden hue with a clean and inviting smell, with soft malt sweetness and a gentle floral hop. It’s clarity suggests it’s a well-crafted ale.
On the palate, Raven’s Gold delivers a delightful balance between malt sweetness and hoppy bitterness, allowing for a refreshing cloudy texture that speaks to its smooth, easy-drinking nature. It has a light, gold and softly hoppy profile accompanied by soft notes of biscuit (that will be the yeast) and a touch of honey that adds a slight sweetness.
The hops contribute towards a delicate bitterness with subtle midtones of citrus and a faint herbal note, similar to the two drinks mentioned earlier – think lemon zest and light pine which enhance the overall overtone without overpowering the smooth texture.
The finish is dry and clean, leaving a refreshing aftertaste that invites another sip. Their website actually says ‘Designed to make lager drinkers drink grown up drinks!‘ which is hilarious. At 4.0% ABV you can definitely have this as a session ale and this again is a drink suitable for all seasons.
And that’s a wrap! I hope you do take the time to one day enjoy these ales if you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, and whilst I will one day do an in-depth review on The Raven itself, I leave you with a picture of one of the amazing pies I had recently from there!
– Rabs, The Saucerer
Delicious pie from The Raven in Bath