Old Hall Inn, Skipton

On a more recent visit than that described below, the bar counter had been rearranged to the extent that six hand pumps are now all in a row, facing the entrance. I assume that Timothy Taylors Landlord and Theakstons Best Bitter, the only ones the same as last year, are the regulars, with Deuchars IPA, Titanic Plum Porter, Ringwood Boondoggle and Shepherd Neame Summer Storm the guests allowed by the pub company. I went for the last named, which was a strange, fruity and somewhat sweet beer, not at all to my taste but in very good condition. The price was a shock: £4.70 a pint, which drew a rare gasp of shocked disbelief from me, and that provoked a tirade against the pub company from the man behind the bar. Charging £4.70 for a pint of beer brewed in Kent suggests that they are packaging it in separate one pint containers and sending it by first class post. Why not get some beer from down the road at Hetton (Dark Horse brewery) or from any of a number of local outlets? "Pub company says no" seems to be the answer. I know that some people like to recognise the beers they are offered while on holiday in the UK, but there are also plenty of people who like to try locally brewed beers. Heineken seem to be missing a trick here.

My last visit here was long before I started writing pub reviews. On a recent cycle ride up Wharfedale I decided to call in for a beer and see how much I remembered after 17 years. The three hand pumps on the curved bar counter (with three more further round to the right, that I assumed were either duplicates or unused) were clipped with Thwaites Wainwright, Taylors Landlord and Theakstons Best Bitter. I've given the latter a well-deserved swerve since some poor quality examples in 2017/18, but I asked the barman if he could assure me of a decent pint. As it turns out he was also the cellarman he could hardly say no, and gave me a generous sample (almost half of a half pint glass). On this basis I asked for a pint, and retired with it to a table around the corner from the left edge of the bar for the purpose of scientific research. This is a multi-roomed pub, with at least one room having a good view through wide windows of the countryside hereabouts. But I was concentrating on my beer, which started fairly bland and unremarkable, but became worse the further down the glass I got. I'm pretty sure this is not the fault of the cellarman, but of the brewer. There's a residual sweetness about the beer, which (perversely) eventually borders on sour. Initially it's quite refreshing, but it becomes more cloying and eventually almost unpleasant, at least to my taste. Having said which, I wouldn't mind calling in again some day, though I was a little alarmed at the bar/cellarman's assertion that he reckons to keep Landlord in good condition for up to 27 days, helped by "a bacteria (sic) that helps it to restore condition". So, Wainwright it is, next time! Date of visit: 2nd August 2021

Facebook page of Old Hall Inn - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Old Hall Inn - www.facebook.com