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The Vat and Fiddle (Castle Rock)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Elsie Mo |  | 2 |
| Castle Rock - Hemlock Bitter | | 3 |
| Castle Rock - Harvest Pale | | 1 |
| Elgood's - Black Dog Mild | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Screech Owl | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Preservation Fine Ale | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Black Gold Mild | | 2 |
| Black Iris - Great Eastern Transatlantic Porter | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Robin Hood Nottinghamian Celebration Ale |  | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Sherwood Archer | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Gatekeeper | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Major Arthur Laurence Rook Nottinghamian Celebration Ale |  | 1 |
| Castle Rock - Wild Angelica | | 1 |
| Clark's (sometimes shown as Westgate Brewery) - Beachcomber | | 1 |
| Batemans - Dark Mild | | 1 |
| Castle Rock - John Player Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Diamond Reign Jubilee Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Mink | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tring - Mansion Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Chimney Sweeper | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Sheriff's Tipple | Not Tried | 0 |
Michael Croxford
Visits Details
06 Sep 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Quick visit on my way back from Tamworth, quite busy early evening with locals.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Major Arthur Laurence Rook Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | 4.20 | | Pale bitter with quite a high bitterness and a dryish hoppy finish. My score 14/20. |
| Castle Rock - Wild Angelica | 3.70 | | Quite a bitter amber beer with a strong hop character and a dry, hoppy finish. My score 14/20. |
| Clark's (sometimes shown as Westgate Brewery) - Beachcomber | 4.20 | | Golden bitter with a dry hop character. The finish is dry and hoppy. My score 14/20. |
28 Aug 2012 (HSB)
Time for a swift one before my train home.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Screech Owl | 5.50 | |
07 Jul 2012 (ChrisE)
I arrived here just after 11am and the pub was already busy. The food looked good value and I had a beef roll which helped to soak up the beer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Elsie Mo | 4.70 | | I was told that the spent grains from this beer feed a cow called Elsie Moo. As this was not April the first this story may be true. |
| Castle Rock - Harvest Pale | 3.80 | | In superb condition. |
| Castle Rock - Preservation Fine Ale | 4.40 | | |
| Castle Rock - Black Gold Mild | 3.80 | | Delicious dark mild. |
| Black Iris - Great Eastern Transatlantic Porter | 4.60 | | |
| Castle Rock - Hemlock Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Sheriff's Tipple | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Screech Owl | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Major Arthur Laurence Rook Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Chimney Sweeper | 4.70 | Not Tried |
09 Jun 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
2030 hours visit - reasonably busy.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Hemlock Bitter | 4.00 | | 2nd one out was just a tad cooler and better condition. A proper mid brown bitter with zest on the tongue and lips |
| Castle Rock - Hemlock Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Castle Rock - Elsie Mo | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Harvest Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Preservation Fine Ale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Sheriff's Tipple | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Screech Owl | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Tring - Mansion Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - John Player Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Diamond Reign Jubilee Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Mink | 2.80 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Chimney Sweeper | 4.70 | Not Tried |
29 May 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit. There had been a gravity dispense festival of guest beers over last (Cricket Test Match) weekend. Unusually today though no guest beers on any handpump - just 10 Castle Rock beers but of every colour, taste and hue so something for everybody.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Elsie Mo | 4.70 | | Beautiful head and bitterness |
| Castle Rock - Hemlock Bitter | 4.00 | | First rate mid to dark brown bitter. Less available in Castle Rock houses than it once was |
| Castle Rock - Harvest Pale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Preservation Fine Ale | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Sheriff's Tipple | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Screech Owl | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Black Gold Mild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - John Player Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Diamond Reign Jubilee Ale | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Mink | 2.80 | Not Tried |
02 May 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
First port of call for the 2011 Nottingham Mild trail.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Gatekeeper | 3.30 | | Red/brown mild with light body and some maltiness. The finish is fairly dry and fruity. My score 15/20. |
16 Oct 2010 (Flying.geordie)
Busy evening trade.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Black Gold Mild | 3.80 | | Change of gravity?. 3.8% shown on clip. |
10 Jul 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elgood's - Black Dog Mild | 3.60 | | Best beer of my East Midlands trip today, on form and served in good condition. Toffee and liquorice malt flavours and a fruity finish. My score 16/20. |
17 May 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Sherwood Archer | 4.00 | | Amber bitter with a mainly malty character with a grainy cereal flavour. Sweetish, grainy finish. |
03 May 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock - Robin Hood Nottinghamian Celebration Ale | 4.00 | | Well balanced traditional bitter. My score 15/20. |
| Batemans - Dark Mild | 3.00 | | Rather a lot of bitterness in this sample, mainly from dark chocolate malts. A little peppery hop in the finish. My score 14/20. |
About The Vat and Fiddle
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 1 |
| 26 |
| 22 |
| 8 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 1NB.
Near to the railway station, this is the brewery tap for the Castle Rock brewery next door. The Victorian building was rebuilt in the 1930s and was previously known as the Grove. Centre bar serves 3 rooms. Good pub with 13 handpumps plus a good range of continental draught and bottled beers. Excellent range of whiskies too. Seating outside at the front of the pub too for good weather. In 2011 an extension was added, The Goldings Room, named after a local CAMRA notable and Nottingham Drinker Magazine Editor who had recently died.
We have visited this pub 31 times, seen 74 different beers and tried 37 of them.
Postcode: NG2 1NB