Victoria Inn, Derby

A very fine ale house,close to Derby station and next door to the awful Merry Widows.The central corridor leads to the tap room to the right with traditional furniture,a fireplace and a long bench,while to the left is a larger seating area.It's a boozer and feels basic, a little worn in a good way.The star is the ale selection ,on my trip Leatherbritches Dovedale,The Bounder and Pinnacle along with Little Brewing The Panter Stout and Just Nipping Out,Hollow Stone Ajanta IPA and Sorbeto Mango IPA (outstanding,NBSS 4.5). The mix of styles and strengths along with lots of locales is noteworthy and the guv'nor is an engaging fellow,excellent on curry recommendations and full of helpful beer knowledge. 7 ales available on a Monday evening is another greaT sign,the crew sampled across the range and complemted the conditioning. It would be a crime to miss out on this great boozer,a must visit in Derby.

Official site of the Victoria Inn - www.thevicderby.co.uk

Official site of the Victoria Inn - www.thevicderby.co.uk

I can remember calling in here, probably more than 10 years ago, found the place full of loud music but an absence of real ale, so turned around and went elsewhere. Things have changed, and this is now one of three very good cask beer venues within an easy walk of Derby station - four if we include the Smithfield across the river. There's a bonus for me in that Leatherbritches, one of my favourite breweries, always has two or more beers on the bar, which now has nine hand pumps. Their Dovedale is a 4.4% dark bitter, well balanced and delicious, with a very moreish finish. To be fair, the interior of the pub is pretty basic, but the beer is tremendous. I've had a drink here on four occasions on just two days, as I couldn't leave Derby without another Dovedale. I'll have to try another beer next time. Or will I...

Facebook page of the Victoria Inn - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of the Victoria Inn - www.facebook.com

Double fronted pub opposite the railway station up a side street beside the Merry Widow. A central corridor leads to rooms to left and right, counter to the right through an arch. Six pulls here with Leatherbritches and other smaller breweries. The left hand room just has a selection of keg beers. Both have nice fireplaces, traditional furnishings and Victorian style. The right hand room is probably more cozy the left a little plainer.

Almost directly opposite Derby train station are 3 pubs. Whilst the Waterfall and the Merry Widows are the most conspicuous, the Victoria is situated just beyond them and tucked away a little out of sight. I'd never given any of these pubs any consideration to visit until last weekend. The Victoria has a couple of basic rooms at the front, with a much larger space for hosting gigs in a room to the rear. There is also an enclosed patio area for outdoor drinking at the rear. New owners took over around 1 year ago and have started selling a good varying selection of real ales and ciders. Leatherbritches Dovedale & Bounder are the regular beers. Guests on during our visit were Leatherbritches Bespoke, Burton Town Modwena, Little Brewing Company Foxx & Tollgate High Street. However, it was the large selection of bag-in-the-box ciders stacked up behind the bar that drew my attention. The landlord told me that when it gets down to just 10 ciders, they add 5 more. So, there should always be between 10-15 on. During our visit, there was Kent Cider Company Perry, Yowler, Discovery, Vintage Russet, Copia, Gala, Bramley, Rhubarb Cider, Midsummer Berry, Mango Cider, Lemon Cider & Unity & Ashover Apples & Pears, Kingston Jack & Ashover Pippin. With their being a few ciders I'd never tried before, I sampled a couple of the Ashover ciders despite a long day of pub crawling ahead. The Kingston Jack was not a particularly easy drinking cider, whilst the Apples & Pears went down much easier. Despite its very basic interior, this was possibly the best new discovery for us in Derby. We enjoyed our visit, so much so that we returned much later in the day for another swift one before crossing the road back to the station. Along with the Brunswick and the Alexandra up the road, the Victoria should very much considered when arriving or departing Derby by train.