The Crosse Keys (Wetherspoon)
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Visits Details
16 Oct 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Thursday night in the City in full swing. All a bit much for me and I cower in a corner for two swift halves.
Caledonian - Brouwerij 't IJ ISA India Session Ale | 4.60 | | A somewhat ropey pint that did not present this beer in its best light. |
Shepherd Neame - Abbaye Du Val-Dieu Abbaye Blonde | 6.00 | | I found this hazy golden beer disappointing. Lacking distinct flavours and not drinking to its strength. Not a patch on the Val-Dieu beers brewed in Belgium. |
Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Old Empire IPA | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Tiger Triple Gold | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Long Man - Golden Tipple | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hook Norton - Brew Moon Real Antipodean Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Oyster Stout | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Liberation (formerly called Jersey) - American Brown Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Batemans - Colonel's Whiskers | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Banks's - Two Birds Golden Ale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Birrificio Lambrate Ligera | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Coach House - Toffee Bitter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Wadworth - 10 Barrel O.G. IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Woodforde's - Phoenix IPA | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Batemans - Wicked Weed Freak of Nature | 7.50 | Not Tried | |
01 Apr 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Busy early evening session with Beer Festival in full swing.
Hawkshead - El Dorado | 5.00 | | US-hopped, golden beer with bitter and hop-fruity tastes. |
Daleside - Sea Fever | 4.30 | | Golden-coloured. Smooth malt, more fruity El Dorado hops, long bitter finish. The whole not quite in balance. |
Shepherd Neame - Mateo & Bernabé Fermín Red Ale | 5.80 | | Inoffensive Red Ale. Reddish. Strongish. Soft-hoppy.
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Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Hildegard Van Ostaden Solange | 6.00 | | Yellowish-gold in colour. Spicy Belgian ale tastes, but full depth of flavours lost to slight end-of-barrel type flavours (I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to Hildegard’s tiny brewery/restaurant in Belgium incidentally, for anyone who has not been). |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Robinsons - Trooper (superseded by 4.7% version) | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Wolf - Silver Fox | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Double Hop Monster IPA | 7.20 | Not Tried | |
Batemans - Springtime Oatmeal Biscuit Beer | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
Mauldons - Lemon Adder | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Camerons - Galactico | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Lancaster - Raspberry Rose | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Caledonian - Standeaven Brewery APA (African Pale Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Rudgate - Labyrinth | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Wadworth - Crimson Dawn | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Nottingham - Spoon and Arrow | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Hell Hound | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Wadworth - Klosterbrauerei Scheyern Kloster Bock Dunkel | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Yeastie Boys Gunnamatta Tea Leaf IPA | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
05 Mar 2014 (Stephen Harris)
CAMRA purists should probably look away at this point and read no further. I came in here to sample some of the new range of US canned beers that are being stocked by Wetherspoon’s, after several people had told me that technology has advanced to the stage where canned beers now taste less of can and more of beer (although only at a craft level, not at mass-production level). A choice of three from the Sixpoint Brewery of Brooklyn were available and I was fairly impressed with the two I tried.
Sixpoint - Bengali Tiger (can) - was 6.4% | 6.50 | | A canned beer. Very much in the US IPA style. Some carbonation, but you would never guess it was out of a can – no metallic tang at all. Very good hop flavours. |
Sixpoint - The Crisp (can) | 5.40 | | (This beer is also sold as Sixpoint Sehr Crisp Pils). A canned beer. Poured with a big white head, chilled and quite gassy. Pale in colour, soft, floral, a little lemony. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Mordue - Workie Ticket | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Hook Norton - Old Hooky | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Phoenix - Double Gold | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Goddards - Fuggle (or Fuggle Dee-Dum) | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Cairngorm - Black Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Burton Bridge - Top Dog Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Blindmans - Eclipse Porter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Ilkley - Fireside Porter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
London Fields - Black Path Porter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
London Fields - Shoreditch Triangle IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Upham - Punter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Butcombe - Matthew Pale Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Runner | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Attaboy | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Clarence & Fredericks - Oat Milk Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Clarence & Fredericks - Special Bitter | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
26 Feb 2014 (Stephen Harris)
I came here in the early evening for the advertised opportunity to ‘Meet the International Brewers’, a gathering of all the overseas brewers collaborating with British breweries to produce beers for Wetherspoon’s, and, I had assumed, an opportunity to buy some of the beers. Disappointingly, on arrival, I was told that it was a private function upstairs and none of the beers were on sale.
Summerskills - Bolt Head | 4.70 | | Brown, standard, malty, premium bitter. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Shepherd Neame - Spitfire (or Spitfire Amber Ale) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Brains - SA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Augustinian | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Umbel Magna | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Oakleaf (now see Fallen Acorn entries) - IPA | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Old Growler | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Grainstore - Ten Fifty (1050) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Beartown (latterly part of Manning Brewers) - Bearskinful (aka Premium or SB) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Blindmans - Eclipse Porter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Sweet Chariot | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Weltons - Wassail | 6.10 | Not Tried | |
Weltons - Molly Malone | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Hound Dog | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Piledriver | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
06 Jan 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening visit, taking advantage of January Sales prices (£2:49 a pint for guest beers, including the strong ones). Not too crowded and I sat in a corner next to four ladies who turned out to be the four sweariest ladies I have ever encountered – definitely in the blue corner.
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Devils Backbone India Pale Ale | 5.90 | | A really good, enjoyable, full-bodied, highly-hopped beer, with only a hint of Everards usual house taste. |
Elland - Celebration Porter | 6.50 | | Seriously good, dry-ish, ‘stout’ porter. |
Adnams - Sixpoint Righteous Ale | 6.30 | | Strong, dark beer with caramel flavours and hops too. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Brains - SA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Batemans - XXXB (now superseded by 4.8% version) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Everards (see entries against Joule's & Robinsons whilst its new brewery was being built) - Sleighbell | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Mauldons - Bah Humbug | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Phoenix - Double Gold | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Hook Norton - Twelve Days | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Weltons - Christmas Cracker | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Otter - Otter Claus | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Titanic - Deck the Halls | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Caledonian - Gift Wrapped | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Celt Experience (now brands are owned by Evans Evans) - Divine Yule Saison (collaboration with Waen Brewery) | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
Coach House - Christmas Stocking | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
12 Nov 2013 (Stephen Harris)
They have Christmas decorations up in here. Some people are still wearing their poppies, and my neighbours are still letting off fireworks. It’s 12 November for goodness sake! I’m tempted to walk straight back out, but there is one interesting beer on the bar, so I stay. I have no principles at all.
Adnams - Pretty Things Jack D'Or Saison Americaine | 6.00 | | A clear, golden-coloured saison-style beer. Has a touch of sourness, a touch of banana, and a bitter finish. But not quite as full-on as I would have liked. |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Sharp's - Doom Bar | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Augustinian | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Umbel Magna | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Old Growler | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Priory Mild | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Goffs - Merlin | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Essex Border | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - GB Growler Bitter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Portobello - Star | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Portobello - Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - IPA – Ian & Paul’s Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Gladness | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
09 Apr 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Plenty of festival tickers in here, and a few of the pumps are already idle by 7pm.
Caledonian - Brewer's Passion | 4.60 | | Golden coloured. Very fruity and a bit too sweet from the addition of passion fruit juice – some offsetting bitterness. The programme promises that the passion fruit is a ‘subtle hint’; it’s a whole lot more than that. |
Lancaster - 1842 Pilsner | 4.50 | | Pale/gold in colour. Lager-style beer with a soft mouthfeel. Czech malt and hops. A bit insubstantial. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Ringwood - Old Thumper (now superseded by 5.1% version - separate entry) | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
Nelson - Powder Monkey | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Moorhouse's - Amber Rambler | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Red Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Thwaites - Daniel's Hammer | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Belhaven - Black Scottish Stout | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Adnams - Irish Red | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Caledonian - Lodewijk's Fly by Night | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
WharfeBank - Spring Hop | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Wadworth - Deschutes Twilight Pale Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Orkney (Sinclair) - 1878 Strong Ale | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
03 Apr 2013 (Stephen Harris)
The first (official) night of the latest ‘Spoon’s beer festival and I met up here after work with Robert S. The plan was to try some of the more interesting beers from the list, choosing from the huge number available at this pub. Only hitch was that not one festival beer was available – not one. Still, there were some good beers on, so we decided to stay.
Portobello - APA | 5.00 | | Amber-coloured and a bit hazy. Big tropical fruit hop taste. |
Derventio - Hoplite | 4.20 | | Pale in colour, crisp and hoppy. |
By The Horns - The Mayor of Garratt London Best Bitter | 4.30 | | Amber, relatively sweetish and malty. |
By The Horns - Hopslinger APA | 4.70 | | Deep golden colour, hoppy, quite fierce. Let down a bit by drab condition |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Olde Swan - Light Mild (aka Original) | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Pilgrim - Moild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Dark Star - Partridge Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
East London (ELB) - Jamboree | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Dark Star - The Art of Darkness | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
Portobello - Market Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Clarence & Fredericks - IPA | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Great Heck - Citra | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
20 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Here with Dave R and Jeff E. It’s the last night of Wetherspoon’s London Ale Festival and, pleasingly, all 20 London-brewed beers are available here tonight. A little gaggle of happy London brewers are tucking in to a buffet at the rear of the pub and I gatecrash for a while to hear that By The Horns Brewery has been voted ‘Brewer of the Festival’ – they even get some silverware in reward.
London Fields - Hackney Hopster | 4.20 | | Robustly hoppy pint. |
Cronx - Kotchin | 3.90 | | Fresh, sweetly malty, citrus-hoppy, golden beer. |
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Vanguard | 4.10 | | Amber-coloured and fairly traditional, fruity bitter. |
Portobello - Pale | 4.00 | | Smooth, hoppy, golden beer with bitter finish. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers Ale | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
East London (ELB) - Foundation Bitter | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
London Fields - Love Not War | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
By The Horns - Stiff Upper Lip (downgraded from 3.8% in 2023) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
East London (ELB) - Nightwatchman | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
By The Horns - Diamond Geezer | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
Cronx - Entire Porter | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
Clarence & Fredericks - Best Bitter | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Clarence & Fredericks - Smoked Red | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
Portobello - Star | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Portobello - Market Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
14 Mar 2013 (Stephen Harris)
I join a large CAMRA social group in here, numbering in excess of 30. We’re here for the London brewers beer festival, of which there is precious little sign. The pub is packed, although for once there do seem to be sufficient staff to cope. But the pub is in serious danger of running out of beer by the time I leave at 9pm.
Vale - Curiosity | 4.10 | | Decent, straightforward bitter. |
Titanic - Capt. Smiths | 5.20 | | Chunky, malt-based, strong bitter. |
Adnams - Irish Red | 4.50 | | I ordered a half of this in desperation as everything else seemed to be expiring. I know I don’t like Irish Reds, and nothing about this one changed my opinion. |
Greene King - IPA (was 3.6%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Marston's - Old Empire IPA | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
By The Horns - Diamond Geezer | 4.90 | Not Tried | The only representative of the London Brewers Festival on the bar and it ran out before I got served. |
Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil | 4.50 | Not Tried | Ran out. |
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