The Sportsman (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
15 Apr 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Fairly quiet in here tonight approaching closing time and we sat in the main bar. I kept no notes on the beers – just scribbled ‘excellent’.
| Wilde Child - Expatriate | 4.50 |  | |
| Wilde Child - Rite of Passage | 7.00 |  | |
| Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Great Heck - DAVE | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mallinsons - Nelson Sauvin | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brightside - Underworld Porter | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Ghost - Wraith | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Black Iris - Mogs's Pale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
13 Apr 2017 (Stephen Harris)
If it’s Maundy Thursday then I’m in the Sportsman until close – although I seem to have missed last year (I have a vague recollection of being in Cornwall for some reason). Not so busy this year and we have one of the side rooms almost to ourselves.
| Brightside - Underworld Porter | 4.40 |  | A very nice, malty, black Porter. |
| Track - Sonoma | 3.80 |  | A golden beer. Light but flavourful and full of US hops. |
| Shiny - World Ale (single hop Calypso) | 4.50 |  | A golden beer with what I call ‘earthy’ hop tastes. |
| Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Brass Castle - Bad Kitty | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mallinsons - SPA (Session Pale Ale) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ghost - Phantom | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
04 Apr 2015 (Stephen Harris)
Late evening visit until close to closing time. Quite busy – no live music this year. We are told that there has been no brewing in the cellar for around a year, although the kit is all still there.
| Mallinsons - Perle Agnus | 3.90 |  | You know where you are with Mallinson’s – loads of hops here in a pale beer. |
| Malthouse - Horbury Blonde | 3.80 |  | A balanced Pale Ale. |
| Bosun's - Bunny Boiler | 4.20 |  | I don’t remember much about this one at the end of a long day – but I wrote down ‘good’. |
| Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Summer Wine (SWB) - Teleporter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Magic Rock - Rapture | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Geeves - Fully Laden IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Late Knights - Old Red Eyes | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
29 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Another late night visit, until closing time. Again, the pub is busy. There is live music in the main bar; we manage to get a table in one of the side rooms.
| Exit 33 (formerly The Brew Company then Sky's Edge) - Hop Ripper IPA | 4.30 |  | Pale and fiercely bitter/hoppy. |
| Silver Brewhouse (formerly Raw) - Grey Ghost IPA | 5.90 |  | Smooth, strong, pale and hoppy. |
| Mallinsons - Indulgence | 3.70 |  | Fabulous, pale, hop-beer. Featuring Citra, Cascade, Chinook and Centennial. Definitely one for the hopheads. |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Golcar - Dark Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Nightjar (formerly Slightly Foxed) - Howlin' Fox | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mallinsons - Cascade | 4.00 | Not Tried | Ran out. |
| Sportsman Brewing Company - Alpha #5 | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
28 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
My seemingly annual, late-night, Maundy Thursday visit. This year the pub is busy until closing time, with a diddly session in one side room and what looked like the survivors of a wedding party at the other end.
| Exit 33 (formerly The Brew Company then Sky's Edge) - ABC Amarillo, Bravo, Citra | 4.30 |  | A nice pint full of hops. |
| Sportsman Brewing Company - Alpha #5 | 4.50 |  | I failed to note anything other than the word ‘excellent’. |
| Nightjar (formerly Slightly Foxed) - Howlin' Fox | 3.50 |  | |
| Exit 33 (formerly The Brew Company then Sky's Edge) - Muddy Waters | 4.50 |  | A good stout. |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Golcar - Dark Mild | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mallinsons - Tammie Norrie | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
05 May 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Quite busy late on a Saturday afternoon.
| Mallinsons - Aramis | 3.90 |  | Very pale brewed with new French hop. Very fruity with citrus notes and a good malt character to this giving a smooth and flavoursome beer. My score 16/20. |
| Timothy Taylor - Dark Mild | 3.50 | Not Tried | Rgrettably this had just run out, it was my target beer in here. |
05 Apr 2012 (Stephen Harris)
A late-night visit, with just a small number of customers present. Our group definitely making up for lost time in the run-up to closing time. This is not quite a full list of all beers available.
| Sportsman Brewing Company - Town Mild | 3.50 |  | black mild with a tan head and burnt/roasty flavours. A smoky hint too. Sportsman beers now brewed on site in the pub cellar. |
| Sportsman Brewing Company - Pigeon Bridge Porter | 4.70 |  | A complex dark porter. A hint of coffee, plus a slight sour, sherry-cask-type flavour. |
| Mallinsons - Neptune | 4.40 |  | Pale and creamy with bitter hops. |
| Outstanding - Pushing Out | 7.30 | Not Tried | |
| Sportsman Brewing Company - Hops Cotch | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Black Sheep - All Creatures | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
24 Mar 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Quite busy on a Saturday afternoon.
| Mallinsons - Hopped #11 (Summer) | 3.80 |  | Very pale and very hoppy with a dry citrus flavour dominating. A little too intense for my taste. My score 14/20. |
15 Jul 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
| Golcar - Dark Mild | 3.20 |  | Dark brown mild with good malt character including coffee and liquorice flavours. Low hop rate and a dryish finish. My score 16/20. |
| Golcar - Sportsman Brewing Co. HopsCotch | 4.60 |  | Pale and very hoppy with citrus hops to the fore. Good malt character gives the beer a full bodied flavour and the finish is full and fruity. My score 16/20. |
11 Jun 2011 (Flying.geordie)
| Golcar - Sportsman Brewing Co. Pigeon Bridge Porter | 4.70 |  | |
| Mallinsons - Hopped No 3 | 3.80 |  | |
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