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Far from the Madding Crowd (Strathclyde Pension Fund)

We believe this building is NO LONGER a pub

[More Visits]

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Altarnum (formerly Penpont) - Stormer IPAExcellent1
Coastal - Morning MistExcellent1
Great Oakley - Tiffield Winter BrewExcellent1
Mighty Oak - Oyster CatcherExcellent1
Salopian - Blackwater Art NouveauExcellent1
Six Bells - Christmas CrackerExcellent1
Windsor Castle (see also Sadler's entry) - Sadler's Lady BisonExcellent1
Abbeydale - Beer Works Dr Morton's Turkey SurpriseGood1
Cottage - MGAGood1
Grafton - Green Duck Brewing Co. - What's A Duck DooGood1
Holden's - Shag BossGood1
North Yorkshire - Dizzy DickGood1
Salopian - Sleigh RiderGood1
Towcester Mill (formerly Whittlebury) - Nomad MirageGood1
Vale - Long Dark NightsGood1
Backyard - Kris KringleAcceptable1
Bird's - Natural BlondeAcceptable1
Elgood's - Cambridge BitterAcceptable1
Hopping Mad - HopnotchAcceptable1
Kelham Island (probably brewed by Thornbridge now) - Fairytale of New YorkAcceptable1
Nightjar (formerly Slightly Foxed) - Howlin' FoxAcceptable1
North Cotswold - ShagweaverAcceptable1
Six Bells - Big Nev's Glittery BallsAcceptable1
Wood Street - SassafrassAcceptable1
Abbeydale - White XmasPoor1
Rudgate - Brew No. 5 Belgian Golden AlePoor1
Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - BitterNot Tried0
Broughton - Dark DunterNot Tried0
Castle Rock - MistletoeNot Tried0
Freeminer - BitterNot Tried0
Goffs - GuinevereNot Tried0
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Redwood Colorado American IPANot Tried0
Spire - Sovereign Escort IPANot Tried0
Titanic - WreckageNot Tried0
Tower - Winter SpiritNot Tried0
Triple fff - Pressed Rat & WarthogNot Tried0
Picture 1. Far from the Madding Crowd, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Visits Details

01 Jun 2014 (Stephen Harris)
Fairly quiet in the early evening – I was surprised to note that this pub is no longer listed in the Good Beer Guide.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Altarnum (formerly Penpont) - Stormer IPA5.20ExcellentA US-style IPA. Golden-coloured. Lots of ‘tropical fruit’ hop flavours.
Windsor Castle (see also Sadler's entry) - Sadler's Lady Bison4.60ExcellentPale golden in colour. Citrussy US hop tastes. I know I’m a sucker for this sort of thing, but this was really lovely.
Rudgate - Brew No. 5 Belgian Golden Ale4.40PoorDescribed as a ‘Belgian Golden Ale’. Amber-coloured. Strange malt and yeasty tastes – I didn’t like it very much I’m afraid.
Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood) - Bitter3.40Not Tried
Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Warthog3.80Not Tried
Freeminer - Bitter4.00Not Tried
Goffs - Guinevere4.10Not TriedCame on to replace the Rudgate Brew No. 5
26 Jan 2013 (Martin the Mildman)
Fairly busy at the start of lunchtime on a Saturday.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Cottage - MGA4.00GoodAmber brew with lots of sweet toffee malt flavours but little else. My score 15/20.
13 Dec 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Winter Beer Festival in progress here with ales from handpump and cellar.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Great Oakley - Tiffield Winter Brew4.80ExcellentReddish brown winter warmer style with toffee malt dominating and hints of berry fruits in the finish. My score 16/20.
Six Bells - Christmas Cracker4.20ExcellentDeep golden in colour with a good balance of biscuity malt and slightly spicy hop that works well. Full flavoured with a warming finish. My score 16/20.
Kelham Island (probably brewed by Thornbridge now) - Fairytale of New York4.20AcceptableMahogany coloured bitter with dry citrus hoppiness and a little dry maltiness. Dry citrus finish. My score 14/20.
Wood Street - Sassafrass4.70AcceptableA rather harshly hopped strong golden bitter with dry citrus hop and a dry finish. My score 14/20.
Tower - Winter Spirit5.00Not Tried
Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Redwood Colorado American IPA5.40Not Tried
Titanic - Wreckage7.20Not Tried
Broughton - Dark Dunter4.80Not Tried
22 Sep 2012 (Martin the Mildman)
Autumn Beer festival, a steady stream of punters arriving.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Mighty Oak - Oyster Catcher4.00ExcellentBlack stout with good roast malt flavour and some hop for balance. Dry, roasty finish with coffee notes. My score 16/20.
Coastal - Morning Mist4.20ExcellentAmber beer with a distinct vanilla flavour. There is some hoppiness but the dominant taste is vanilla. My score 16/20.
Grafton - Green Duck Brewing Co. - What's A Duck Doo4.20GoodThe answer is waddle not hop. Golden bitter with a sweet cereal malt character and little hoppiness. Sweet, fruity and biscuity finish. My score 15/20.
Nightjar (formerly Slightly Foxed) - Howlin' Fox3.50AcceptableDefinitely 3.5% from pumpclip. Very pale with a sharp hoppiness bordering on phenolic. Not really to my taste. My score 13/20.
Hopping Mad - Hopnotch3.60AcceptableAmber in colour, fairly sweet and malty but little hop bitterness to speak of. Fruity finish. My score 14/20.
Bird's - Natural Blonde4.00AcceptablePale bitter with moderate hop character and a dryish finish. My score 14/20.
16 Dec 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
Winter beer festival in progress with additional ales from the cellar as well as from the pumps.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Salopian - Sleigh Rider4.80GoodPremium amber bitter with good citrus hop character and reasonable malt balance. My score 15/20.
Backyard - Kris Kringle4.30AcceptableQuite a bitter beer with a little fruity hoppiness. Dryish bitter finish. My score 14/20.
Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Warthog3.80Not Tried
Castle Rock - Mistletoe5.20Not Tried
Spire - Sovereign Escort IPA5.00Not Tried
11 Jun 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
BeerABVScoreNotes
Salopian - Blackwater Art Nouveau4.00ExcellentWell balanced hoppy pale ale with good citrus hop flavour and a good malt base. My score 16/20.
01 Jan 2011 (Martin the Mildman)
Quiet on New Year's Day despite other nearby pubs being closed.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Elgood's - Cambridge Bitter3.80AcceptableTraditional bitter with more malt than hop flavour. My score 14/20.
North Cotswold - Shagweaver4.50AcceptableDryish amber bitter, fairly hoppy with a dryish finish. My score 14/20.
17 Dec 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
Winter Beer Festival in progress. Got off to a quiet start on a snowy Friday lunchtime but numbers soon swelled with pre-christmas groups.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Towcester Mill (formerly Whittlebury) - Nomad Mirage4.20GoodAn amber coloured malty beer, quite sweet with fairly low hopping. My score 15/20.
Vale - Long Dark Nights4.30GoodDark red/brown beer with a fruity flavour and a dryish malty finish. My score 15/20.
Six Bells - Big Nev's Glittery Balls4.40AcceptableAmber bitter with a dry, bitter character with an astringent hoppy finish. My score 13/20.
06 Mar 2010 (Martin the Mildman)
BeerABVScoreNotes
North Yorkshire - Dizzy Dick4.80GoodNow 5.0% according to the pumpclip. Strong golden bitter with well rounded hop and malt flavours. My score 15/20.
Holden's - Shag Boss4.20GoodInteresting complex golden ale that starts off quite bitter and hoppy, then biscuity malt comes through towards the finish. My score 15/20.
11 Dec 2009 (Martin the Mildman)
Winter Beer Festival in progress.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Abbeydale - Beer Works Dr Morton's Turkey Surprise4.00GoodVery strong citrus hop taste to this pale bitter. Dry, hoppy finish. My score 15/20.
Abbeydale - White Xmas5.20PoorVery bitter with little other balancing flavours and a rather earthy finish. My score 11/20.

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About the Far from the Madding Crowd

The pub sign. Far from the Madding Crowd, Oxford, Oxfordshire

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent8
Good8
Acceptable13
Poor2

The pub is found in Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2BY.

Down an alleyway, Friars Entry, off one of the main shopping streets, this is a modern bar style pub. Newish feel to it. Good beer line up and a good mix of guest beers. Oxford Drinker CAMRA magazine August / September 2015 reports the pub being converted into a Caribbean themed restaurant for Turtle Bay.

We have visited this pub 14 times, seen 42 different beers and tried 31 of them.

Map location

Postcode: OX1 2BY