The Railway Arms, Alton

I thought, while visiting my girlfriend and having a mini holiday in Hampshire, I would investigate some of the counties top pubs. Saturday night saw us visit the Railway Arms in Alton. I was looking forward to this one because it is owned by the Triple fff brewery, who make some great beers. The pub is cosy and was quite busy with customers of all ages. It is one of those places that instantly makes you feel at home. Plenty of brick-a-brack and hops hanging around the bar. Beers available were Alton Pride, Moondance, Stairway and Pressed Rat and Warthog. The latter being my favourite. Being a fan of Mild I will always try it if it is being served, Pressed Rat is one of the best. Full of maltyness offset with sweetness with a slight hop aroma, it is certainly a proper mild. This is the kind of beer that non-real ale drinkers should be weaned on. I think some Milds are more drinkable than ‘golden ales’ that aim to replicate the appearance of lager and attract younger drinkers.
I tried the other beers available and all were highly enjoyable. Camra prize winner Moondance is full of flavour and bursting with hops, in both aroma and bitterness. It is really drinkable and has a great citrus bite.
Later on in the evening I spoke to Mike, (Triple fff's bottling man) he’d had a few. He told me how they have just upgraded to a 14 barrel plant and their is not much bottling to be done at the mo. He was waiting for the real ale train to arrive. The Real Ale Train is a steam train that travels down the Watercress Line from Alton to Alresford and serves beer from across the south of England.
As the train arrived back in Alton a few local trianspotters (including Mike) rushed outside. This was followed by a massive serge of people heading towards the pub. The busy but not noisy Railway Arms soon became very crowded. It was a great atmosphere and everybody enjoyed the superb beer.