Red Lion Inn, Aberdare

Right out in the sticks. I had been looking forward to this one and dropped £30 on an Uber to get it done. Initial impressions were good; the place was busy, the interior was rambling and had a rustic feel – slate floor, bare stone walls, beams, hanging jugs, breweriana. Immediately apparent that food was by far and away the main focus. Nevermind, it’s GBG listed and there were two cask on (once I’d been guided to the taproom area at the rear by a slightly bemused waitress), one local from Glamorgan and the blessed Bass. Sadly my pint of the red triangle was really poor, taking on sherry notes (NBSS 1.5). The two hours I’d budgeted for here turned into 30 minutes as I made a swift exit to grab an early bus back to civilisation. Disappointing for a number of reasons but mainly, failing to live-up to the expectation. If the Bass had been Good Beer Guide standard I’d have been far more effusive and probably be dropping an 8.

Official site of The Red Lion Inn - www.redlionpenderyn.com

Official site of The Red Lion Inn - www.redlionpenderyn.com