I’ve had a go before about brewers who claim association with “respectable” places, even though they are based in a place that is maybe a bit less grand – see Dreaming Spires? and I’m going to have another go. Ascot Ales is not based in Ascot, but in Camberley, several miles away. Okay, Camberley isn’t a slum by any means – far from it (before I start getting hate mail from Camberley residents) but you have to admit that Ascot, in the Royal County of Berkshire, with its association with toffs swilling Champagne at the racecourse does sound a bit more up-market than a pleasant but essentially dull (sorry Camberley residents, but it is!) commuter town in Surrey. The website doesn’t give any history of the brewery, so I don’t know whether they actually started up in Ascot and subsequently moved. Perhaps someone who knows could enlighten me.
Anyway, I tried a bottle of their Posh Pooch bottle-conditioned ale (4.2%). It’s an amber/copper colour, and has a slightly sweet fruity, malty, yeasty smell and a fruity, slightly bitter taste. It’s very drinkable, and could be a good session bitter. The bottle notes claim that it is brewed using “Specialty Yeast” (their spelling and capitals) – and according to their web site, they also use one of the less common varieties of hops – Chinook – as well as Cascade, to produce the flavour. Worth looking out for.