3 Brewers of St. Albans Special English 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.

Lower Red Lion, St Albans, Hertfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		03 Oct 2026	Presented with a very good head and lasting lacing on this English Pale, and in the style of an Extra Special Bitter, but its brewery was not around when old 'grandfader' was a nipper! Their paddles only started turning in 2012 in Hertfordshire, at The Potato Shed at Symondshyde Farm, just on the outskirts of St Albans, Hatfield-way. A malty first hit on this dark chocolate and roasted nuts-infused ale shining like a newly minted sovereign in a gas-lit pub. An earthy, herbal, spicy and subtle dark fruited sweet hoppiness rising with a distinct hint of wild summer berries for me. The hoppy bitterness marries perfectly with the roasted chocolate malt to ensure the finish is clean, well-balanced and totally moreish to my taste buddies. Biscuity flavours winning over from its Pale malt behind a bready, sweet biscuit base for its Chocolate maltiness on top, lending a roasted, cocoa-rich, nutty and slightly bitter flavouring. A hoppy bitterness prevailing on its downwards journey. Served as a proper champion tipple, and in scooping up the Gold Medal for Champion Strong Bitter of East Anglia, and with none of those wild, fancy hops that taste like a fruit stall in a tankard.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	16 May 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	01 Nov 2025

The White Horse, Hertford, Hertfordshire

St Albans Beer Festival 2024, St Albans, Hertfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		28 Sep 2024	Good head and lacing. Came with caramel flavours and with a bitter, hoppy aftertaste.