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The Archibald Simpson (Wetherspoon)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Cairngorm - Trade Winds |  | 1 |
| Elgood's - Black Dog Mild | | 1 |
| Thwaites - Highwayman | | 1 |
| Burton Bridge - Battle Brew | | 1 |
| Brewster's - Hophead | | 1 |
| Batemans - XXXB (now superseded by 4.8% version) |  | 1 |
| Batemans - Autumn Fall | | 1 |
| Hook Norton - SDM |  | 1 |
| Cotswold Spring - Olde English Rose | | 1 |
| Cairngorm - Black Gold | | 1 |
| Rooster's - Bangtail |  | 1 |
| Vale - Grumpling Old Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Rooster's - GCB | | 1 |
| Deeside - Lulach | | 1 |
| Deeside - Macbeth | | 1 |
| Ramsbury - Gold | | 1 |
| Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Summer Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cotleigh - Tawny | Not Tried | 0 |
| Houston - Castle Gait | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brains - SA Gold (now 4.3% see separate entry) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Strathaven - Claverhouse Red Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Strathaven - Avondale Amber Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Otter - Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Highland IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Houston - Black & Tan | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Red Cuillin | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Morland Old Speckled Hen | Not Tried | 0 |
| Davenport's - Fury | Not Tried | 0 |
| Caledonian - Mild Mayhem | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Black Cuillin | Not Tried | 0 |
| Highgate - Black Pig | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Avelanche (aka Blaven) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Stag | Not Tried | 0 |
| Deeside - Talorcan | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Hebridean Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Houston - Granite City | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Firefly | Not Tried | 0 |
| Coach House - Innkeepers Special Reserve | Not Tried | 0 |
| Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Mad Hatter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Belhaven - Caledonian Deuchars IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Isle of Skye - Young Pretender | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Abbot | Not Tried | 0 |
| Cairngorm - Wildcat | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Deeside - Brude | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harviestoun - Schiehallion | Not Tried | 0 |
| Spinning Dog - Celtic Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Grafton - Summer Bliss | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
22 Sep 2010 (McGargle)
Busy. Plenty of staff so quickly served.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batemans - Autumn Fall | 4.20 | | Full bodied dark copper ale. Classic Bateman's yeast on the nose and tastes of toffee apples. Smooth finish. |
| Rooster's - Bangtail | 3.70 | | Dull mid-brown beer. Thin in the mouth with no real flavour or character. Finish? The quicker the better. |
| Strathaven - Claverhouse Red Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Strathaven - Avondale Amber Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Houston - Black & Tan | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Davenport's - Fury | 4.30 | Not Tried |
25 Aug 2010 (Ray)
Friendly service. Quiet.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Bridge - Battle Brew | 5.00 | | Really liked this. Vinous hops with slight sweetness from the malts leading to a long fruity finish. Full bodied and smooth in the mouth it drank stronger than it's abv. |
| Deeside - Macbeth | 4.10 | | After some poor Deeside beers recently I asked for a (large) taster. I'm glad I did - the beer was awful. No hints of citrussy hops. Assertive in middle mouth with unpleasant finish. |
| Belhaven - Caledonian Deuchars IPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Cotswold Spring - Olde English Rose | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Spinning Dog - Celtic Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Grafton - Summer Bliss | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Summer Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Houston - Castle Gait | 1.00 | Not Tried | House beer for the Archibald Simpson - abv not noted. Probably a blend. |
30 Jul 2010 (McGargle)
Really busy but plenty of staff so service was quick. Beers were well cellared.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale - Grumpling Old Premium Ale | 4.60 | | Dark chestnut ale. Some hints of earthy hops and toffee. Little else in a bland beer with no discernible character. |
| Rooster's - GCB | 3.70 | | Pale straw colour. Aroma and taste dominated by elderflower (cordial??) left little room for anything else - no subtlety here. Bitter finish. Rooster's brew an elderflower beer at 3.7% so wonder if there's been a mix up? Doesn't really matter as it's poor anyway. |
| Cairngorm - Wildcat | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Deeside - Brude | 3.50 | Not Tried |
22 Jul 2010 (Ray)
Surprisingly quiet but the hand pumps seemed to be kept busy. Excellent, friendly service.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster's - Hophead | 3.60 | | Pale straw hoppy, floral ale. Well balanced with light sweet malt. Very satisfying hoppy finish. Almost there with the Dark Star original. Well worth 4*. |
| Coach House - Innkeepers Special Reserve | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Gold | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Young Pretender | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Deeside - Talorcan | 4.50 | Not Tried |
15 Jul 2010 (McGargle)
Quite busy. Lots of people watching the golf.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotswold Spring - Olde English Rose | 3.80 | | Golden ale like so many others. Quite juicy with some hoppiness. Some fruit in the finish. Brewed to 4.0%. |
| Greene King - Morland Old Speckled Hen | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Belhaven - Caledonian Deuchars IPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Black Cuillin | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Avelanche (aka Blaven) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Deeside - Talorcan | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Houston - Granite City | 4.00 | Not Tried |
15 Jul 2010 (Ray)
Curry night and most seats taken.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deeside - Lulach | 4.00 | | Pale bitter. Thin in the mouth with no clear flavour. Too much emphasis on 'summer drinking'. |
03 Jul 2010 (Ray)
Good mix of drinkers and diners.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batemans - XXXB (now superseded by 4.8% version) | 4.50 | | Full bodied, malty dark brown ale distinguished by Bateman's yeast. Dry, fruity finish. |
| Belhaven - Caledonian Deuchars IPA | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Exmoor - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harviestoun - Schiehallion | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Salopian - Shropshire Gold | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Cotleigh - Tawny | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Brains - SA Gold (now 4.3% see separate entry) | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Cairngorm - Highland IPA | 5.00 | Not Tried |
18 Jun 2010 (Ray)
Busy with football fans.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairngorm - Trade Winds | 4.30 | | Back on top form. Fresh, citrus flavours with hint of elderflower. Dry satisfying finish. |
| Cairngorm - Stag | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Hebridean Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Hanlons (formerly O'Hanlon's) - Firefly | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Banks & Taylor's (B&T) - Mad Hatter | 4.20 | Not Tried |
01 Jun 2010 (Ray)
Surprisingly busy. Lots of students enjoying the ale (and wi-fi).
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairngorm - Black Gold | 4.40 | | Jet black. Initially promising with roast coffee aromas. Tastes of chocolate and coffee quickly subsided to leave a slightly thin ale. |
| Ramsbury - Gold | 4.50 | | Golden ale with unpleasant eggy/butyric aromas. Harsh malt in the middle of the mouth and short (mercifully) finish. |
| Highgate - Black Pig | 4.40 | Not Tried |
26 May 2010 (McGargle)
Very quiet but great to see four milds available. The three I tried were all in good condition.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elgood's - Black Dog Mild | 3.60 | | Classic lightly hopped dark mild. Very deep ruby red. Slight fruit on the nose with complex flavours that develop in the mouth. Satisfying. |
| Thwaites - Highwayman | 4.00 | | Almost black with a deep beige creamy head. Some smoke and fruit on the nose. Rich, smooth flavour with hints of chocolate and liquorice and only lightly hopped. Long finish. |
| Hook Norton - SDM | 4.60 | | A stronger dark mild, it pours a deep ruby red. Sweet and fruity aromas are followed up in the mouth. Tasted over-complicated and unbalanced with too much sweet fruit and little else. Might improve with keeping. |
| Otter - Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Isle of Skye - Red Cuillin | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Caledonian - Mild Mayhem | 3.50 | Not Tried |
About The Archibald Simpson
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 56 |
| 92 |
| 108 |
| 55 |
The pub is found in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, AB11 5BQ.
Typical Spoon's bank conversion in Castle Street, with typical Spoon's mix of customers but also a manager who knows about real ale and keeps a good variety of beers in good condition. Aberdeen CAMRA Town Pub of the Year 2009.
We have visited this pub 209 times, seen 414 different beers and tried 262 of them.
Postcode: AB11 5BQ