Dartmoor Jail Ale

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The George, Croydon, Greater London

The London & North Western, Birmingham, West Midlands

Who	Score	When	Notes
Dosser		26 Jul 2025	Too malty for lynne

The Red Lion, Petersfield, Hampshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		05 Jul 2025	I can remember this when I stayed in a B&B on Dartmoor and when it was called the Princetown Brewery before being renamed to Dartmoor. Back then, only a couple of decades ago, it tasted better to me as had live sediment at the bottom of its take-away bottles. But on cask not hugely different to now as I recall. A couple of decades back I even believed it was so-named as Jail Ale as brewed by the inmates of Dartmoor Prison opposite the pub selling its bottles. Turned out it was in fact brewed in the pub's rear garage. Now brewed on a larger scale just outside Princetown and minus the sediment in the bottom of its bottles that used to contain traces of that live yeast still working away. Here at the Red Lion in Petersfield this amber ale came with very good head and lacing and lasted very well. A maltiness in its bitter first bite. A fruity hoppiness rising up with the odd citrus and orange note being played out and intermingling with its malty infusions with a touch of caramel on the finish. A lovely last ale at Petersfield and a trip made all the more memorable for some local ones tried never before as well. This Jail Ale sunk the curry and did a truly admirable job in the process by keeping my palate suitably entertained and before giving me the steam to get back to the station for that London-bound train.

The Park Tavern, Eltham, Greater London

The Globe, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		20 Sep 2024	A full bodied mid-brown beer with a well rounded flavour and a sweet moorish aftertaste.

The Bridge Inn, Dulverton, Somerset

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William		12 Sep 2022

The Galleon Inn, Fowey, Cornwall

The Modbury Inn, Modbury, Devon

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William		13 Jul 2022	Rather thin for 4.8 but good condition.

Blacksmiths Arms, Willesborough, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		27 Jul 2021	Traditional malty brown ale style English bitter
ChrisE	Not Tried	20 Jul 2017
Trevor		09 May 2016	A full bodied brown ale.
ChrisE	Not Tried	16 May 2015

The Queens Tap, Swindon, Wiltshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		17 Jul 2021	In good nick.
Philip Pirrip		19 Sep 2013	One to wallow in. A 5* elsewhere last night and 5* star tonight

Jamaica Inn, Bolventor, Cornwall

Eliot Arms, Tregadillett, Cornwall

The Hole in the Wall, Bodmin, Cornwall

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		05 Jul 2019	Malty tawny flat ale in fair condition.

Blue Raddle, Dorchester, Dorset

The Red Lion, Stodmarsh, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William		26 May 2019

The Duke of York, Cowes, Isle of Wight

Wetherspoons, Victoria, Central London

The Rowbarge, Guildford, Surrey

The Robert Pocock, Gravesend, Kent

The New Fox Inn (formerly The Windmill Inn), Willesborough, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Trevor		26 Jul 2015
Trevor		31 May 2015
Trevor	Not Tried	17 May 2015	Not available

The Dolphin Hotel, Plymouth, Devon

Who	Score	When	Notes
Mick	Not Tried	26 Jan 2015
Andrew	Not Tried	05 Jul 2014
Mick		11 Feb 2014	Average copper coloured bitter
Mick	Not Tried	06 Dec 2012

The Fox, Felpham, West Sussex

The Globe Inn, Weymouth, Dorset

Who	Score	When	Notes
Edbeck		11 Aug 2014

The Fortescue Hotel, Plymouth, Devon

Taw River Inn, Sticklepath, Devon

Great Western Hotel, Exeter, Devon

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		06 Apr 2014	Very popular in here this afternoon.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Feb 2013
HSB		11 Nov 2012

Admiral MacBride, Plymouth, Devon

Hole in the Wall, Torquay, Devon

Atmospheric Railway Inn, Starcross, Devon

Travellers Rest, Hythe, Hampshire

The Devon Arms, Torquay, Devon

The Green Ginger, Torquay, Devon

Who	Score	When	Notes
Pedro		31 Mar 2012

The Rugglestone Inn, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon

Sandy Park Inn, Chagford, Devon

The Castle Inn, St Ives, Cornwall

Who	Score	When	Notes
davidg83		14 Jun 2011	Sweet and smooth. Lovely toffee nose and notes. Cracking beer in great condition.