Beers Of London Series
30. Brew Wharf / Moncada Brewery - Rudebwoy Red 4.6%

I had originally this to be purely a review of Brew Wharf, close to Borough Market in the London Borough of Southwark, but on closer examination of the pump clip of the beer that I had chosen I found it to be a collaboration with Moncada Brewery, whose Notting Hill Stout I previously covered here. Brew Wharf is part of the Vinopolis restaurant/bar site on Stoney Street and is yet another brewery within railway arches. Opened in 1999, Brew Wharf encompasses a brewery sitting right next to bar and opposite the kitchen, right in the middle of the restaurant. Head brewer Angelo Scarnera is well known for his collaborative brews with breweries as local as The Kernel and Brodies, and as far afield as Italy's Toccalmatto whose B Space Invader (their own version) I had in Bir & Fud in Rome. You can read about that here if you wish. I have visited Brew Wharf on many occasions however have yet to meet Angelo, although I hope to soon, nevertheless I have always found the beer to be in first class condition and at £4 a pint the price isn't bad either. It has seemed a little soulless as each time I've visited, which admittedly have been weekday afternoons, the clientele have mainly consisted of lunching city-types sipping wine. The bar is well stocked with a variety of good bottled beer however, and the staff have been friendly and courteous. It's worth a look-in if you're in the area as their are usually two beers brewed on site available and they're often packed full of hops.

Rudebwoy Red is an American Amber ales. Luckily, as with all Brew Wharf beers, the ingredients are on the pump clip. There's a picture of it here, but in case you don't want to read that straight from it I'll list them all here (it also extends this paragraph just enough to fit it in). Brewed with Maris Otter Pale, CaraRed, Melanoidin, CaraMunich and CaraPils malts and US Nugget, Willamette, and Simcoe hops it promises a big flavour, let's see if it delivers.



It pours a dark copper colour with a thin off-white head but it's the aroma, thick with pine and grapefruit, all thick and concentrated like its foot is stuck in gooey caramel, that gets my mouth watering before I've even tasted a drop. Bitingly sharp over the tongue, it strips off anything that you'd previously eaten or drank before laying down a pine and sticky toffee varnish. Once this layer is down it's covered with a rich and prickly tropical fruitiness that is absolutely gorgeous, grapefruit, mango and satsuma soaked in caramel. The finish buzzes with sappy wood chips and globules of tropical citrus jamminess that lasts a long, long time.
This is a superb beer and seeing as I only had it yesterday lunchtime it should still be available now. I've also heard very good things about the Mosaic Pale Ale, so that'll be one to look out for.