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Old Cross Tavern (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Oak Nouveau 2012 |  | 1 |
| Old Cross - Festival |  | 1 |
| Old Cross - Cascade | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Havercake Ale | | 1 |
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | | 1 |
| Old Cross - Cascade | | 2 |
| Viper (Mighty Oak) - Jake the Snake | | 1 |
| Green Jack - Rising Sun | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Brockton Blockbuster | | 1 |
| Adnams - Mild | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord |  | 3 |
| Adnams - Old Ale | | 1 |
| Rother Valley - Golden Valley Wheat Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Old Cross - OXT'ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Venom | Not Tried | 0 |
| Old Cross - Gertcha! | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Old Nick's Nog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Auld Fang Syne | Not Tried | 0 |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Scapa Special | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - English Oak | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Diamond Jubilee | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Snake in the Glass | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
Michael Croxford
Visits Details
05 May 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Classy as always, beer clearly cared for. The pork pie was much too good to have taken from Mrs Joe's larder to take to Magwitch!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | |
| Mighty Oak - Brockton Blockbuster | 4.40 | | Dark malty bitter excellent balance |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Scapa Special | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Viper (Mighty Oak) - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Old Cross - Cascade | 3.80 | Not Tried |
17 Feb 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Long wait for order then the place filled even more - good to see a thriving Sunday night house.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Jack - Rising Sun | 5.00 | | First rate and best o't'evening. Resembles a stronger Orange Wheat I thought |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | Perhaps too chilled - it was certainly frothing up though |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Old Cross - Cascade | 3.80 | Not Tried |
28 Dec 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit. Got busier and busier but I had been lucky to get the only bar stool. Lots of Liefmans bottles going down.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Taylor - Havercake Ale | 4.70 | | I have never had this TT beer before - superbly sharp hoppy with lips and mouth aftertaste lingering |
| Old Cross - Cascade | 3.80 | | New cask on - handwritten ABV amendment to 3.8% for this brew |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | Looked very lively with huge heads being served |
| Mighty Oak - Old Nick's Nog | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Auld Fang Syne | 3.90 | Not Tried |
23 Oct 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Oak Nouveau 2012 | 3.60 | | A cracking pint. A dry bitter that just went down like the Carlsberg (!!) in the film Ice Cold in Alex |
| Old Cross - Festival | 3.80 | | Such a contrast to the Oak Nouveau which preceded it - malty bittersweet |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried |
08 Oct 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Relaxed atmosphere here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | New cask on. I am getting perplexed by the caramel dominance in the taste of this best bitter |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Venom | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Old Cross - Gertcha! | 3.90 | Not Tried |
27 Aug 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
2150 to 2250 hours visit. A gem of a pub for relaxed atmosphere, quality of beer, the pork pies and the display cabinets of collectors' bottled beers from Courage Imperial Russian Stout, Bass Royals, 1981 Royal Wedding Ales and Thomas Hardy ales.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilkley - Lotus IPA (was 5.6%) | 5.50 | | A wow beer which smears the lips with hop oils. VERY dry aftertaste |
| Viper (Mighty Oak) - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | | In fine condition - yet another golden ale but are they not bloomin' ubiquitous? |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Espresso Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Rother Valley - Golden Valley Wheat Beer | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Old Cross - OXT'ale | 3.90 | Not Tried |
12 Jun 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
2115 hours visit. What can one say? A classy joint. CAMRA values obvious. On site micro brewery. A gentle hubbub of voices mainly seated. Just a little disconcerted to see Shepherd Neame represented when the beer scene offers so much variety now.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Cross - Cascade | 4.00 | | Citrus and zesty - came back for more |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - English Oak | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Shepherd Neame - Diamond Jubilee | 3.80 | Not Tried | Pub blackboard carried the ABV - pumpclip did not seem to do so - is brewery breaking some sort of law with this |
| Mighty Oak - Snake in the Glass | 3.50 | Not Tried |
03 Mar 2012 (HSB)
Mid-afternoon Saturday. Most tables taken. First visit. Impressed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Cross - Cascade | 3.80 | |
31 Mar 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
Busy on a Thursday evening with a visit from the Mild drinkers club.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adnams - Mild | 3.20 | | Sweetish with good malty character, slight roastiness and a hint of chocolate. Smooth mouthfeel. My score 16/20. |
| Adnams - Old Ale | 4.10 | | This cask had been maturing in the cellar for several months. It had picked up a slight tart sourness, correct for the style, but I prefer the beer when a little younger. My score 15/20. |
About the Old Cross Tavern
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 3 |
| 23 |
| 8 |
 | 4 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 1JA.
Fairly small freehouse in St Andrew Street, with its own brewery. Around 5-6 beers served, usually one from the brewery and some local and national guests. Has a total of 8 handpumps on the bar but rarely all in use at one time. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2012 and 2018.
We have visited this pub 19 times, seen 56 different beers and tried 28 of them.
Postcode: SG14 1JA