Norfolk Nog

Believe it or not, I’ve been to the pub twice this week! It is slightly unusual, as I often don’t get time to go but I managed to get there.

Earlier in the week, I met a friend for a chat over a pint. Actually, it was just me who had the pint as he’s staying dry for the moment. He popped to the bar and came back with a pint of Old Speckled Hen for me, which was darn decent of him I thought. It may not be my favourite beer but it’s better than some and pickings were slim on the pumps that evening.

Anyway, whilst waiting on him to come back from the bar, I started perusing the drinks menu. White wine, red wine, pink wine and the usual, and a whole page of various gins. Who knew that one of my locals offered a selection like that! I then turned over to find a “Craft Beer” page! Fantastic! I looked with interest to see what they had on offer, and low and behold, two of the 300 list were on there!

Looking somewhat disappointedly at my pint of Old Hen, I thought I’d missed a golden opportunity. Round two shortly followed and I skipped eagerly to the bar looking for either one of the Goose Island IPA or a Brooklyn Lager. Sadly, double disappointment was to follow as the barman shook his head to say they had neither on offer tonight. Like a child told they weren’t allowed any sweets, I returned to my seat with a second Old Speckled.

I shared my disappointment with my companion and we discussed whether the barman had even heard of the two beers on the list I had asked for. He did seem a little confused when asked about them, and certainly didn’t go looking. Could it be that no one had asked for these beers before?

Later that same week, some work colleagues and I went to our local Weatherspoon’s. I know, some don’t like the Weatherspoon’s’ way of doing things, but often they have a good offering of real ales. The other appeal is the price. The average cost of a pint in our non-Weatherspoon’s’ local is £3.25 which is often a pound a pint more. I know that Weatherspoon’s charge less because they buy in bulk, they buy beers nearer the end of their shelf life (because they can shift them) and sometimes don’t look after their beers so well. Anyway, perhaps we’ll pick up this subject another day – but for now, we were in there!

Our first round was a no brainer. A quick glance along the pumps and we saw the wonderful Norfolk Nog by Woodforde’s. This is a tremendous dark beer and slips down way too easily. I didn’t have the 300 list with me at the time, but would have bet good money that Nog was on there. As it turns out, it is not. Woodfordes do have two beers on the list; Wherry and Nip, but not Nog sadly.

About Woodforde’s Nog

Nog is a smooth and rich beer, quite black but with a hint of ruby red (according to Woodfordes) and is like velvet in a glass. Woodfordes suggest it’s a great match for game or venison, but a beer that stands on its own for sure. It has a good balance between sweetness and bitterness and is in the “Old Ale” class.

Alcohol: 4.6%

My rating: 9/10

I do rate this highly, as it’s a delicious beer. If you don’t like dark beers or beers in this style, of course you won’t be a fan. It’s a very different beast to the multiplicity of golden ales out there these days, but for me is hard to beat.

If you can’t find Nog in your local, then you can buy it in various forms from Woodfordes directly. For homebrewers, you can even buy a Nog kit to make at your leisure.

After the double disappointment of missing out on ticking off two of the 300, a couple of pints of Nog really made up for it. Get yourself one and see what you think!