Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) Evolve

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 River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	12 Jul 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	12 Jul 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	11 Jul 2026
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Jul 2026
Hogan Sampling		09 Jul 2026	Third day on with only very limited head and lacing to begin with. The chiller in the cold room had been malfunctioning since Sunday by all accounts and so this has not aided the longevity of this amber coloured Hertfordshire bitter from a brewing operation set up 2010 at Boxted Farm in Potten End, a small village near Hemel Hempstead. A very malty first hit. A dry bitterness with a floral hoppiness rising. Its Chinook, Harlequin, and Olicana hops with a hint of citrus and pine resin and a tropical note of orange zest still working for me. A sweet maltiness now winning over its fruitiness that was detected on Tuesday. Its biscuity and caramel malt flavours staying the course and arising from its traditional floor-malted barley. A very dry malty bitterness paddling out. Served in poor condition and no doubt not aided by the chiller in the cold room not working properly since this beer's first appearance on Tuesday and so rather tepid and minus its earlier conditioning.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Jul 2026
Hogan Sampling		07 Jul 2026	1st beer of this visit: Fresh on and exhibiting very good head and lasting lacing on this mahogany and amber coloured Hertfordshire bitter from a brewing operation established in 2010 at Boxted Farm in Potten End, a small village near Hemel Hempstead, having initially founded as the Red Squirrel Brewery and arising out of an earlier 2004 micro-brewing setup in Hertford. A very dry bitter first hit. A hoppy floral note rising from its Chinook, Harlequin, and Olicana hops with a hint of citrus and pine resin and a tropical note of orange zest for me. It is a mix of American and modern New World-style British varieties with Chinook from the US, Harlequin from the UK and developed in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and that mimics tropical fruit, peach, and passionfruit flavours typically found in New Zealand or American hops, and Olicana also from the UK’s Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and the latter described as the "British Citra" with mango, passionfruit and grapefruit added to beers while being grown entirely on British soil. A sweet malty appearance winning over with biscuity and caramel malt flavours erupting from its traditional floor-malted barley. A very dry malty outflow descending. Served in top condition despite the chiller in the cold room not working and so a tad warmer than usual.

The Furze Wren, Bexleyheath, Greater London

The Six Templars, Hertford, Hertfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		11 Apr 2025	Thankfully just a half to nurse down for this vile acrid pond water.

The Mayflower, Rotherhithe, Greater London

The Greyhound, Bromley, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		28 Dec 2024	Good head and lacing on this Hemel Hempstead-based bitter. A very creamy head minus the usual lacing. A bitter mouthfeel and lingering and thankfully not sweet and which aided washing down the curry.

Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House), Addiscombe, Greater London

The Globe, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		20 Sep 2024	Not good and replaced by the Squadron Scramble with good grace.