Beer Scene In Sydney. Part II
Added: Tuesday, June 1st 2010
201 Clarence Street Sydney, NSW 02 9262 3303
The Lord Nelson
The Lord Nelson is a famous Sydney brewpub in 'the Rocks', an area of attractive colonial buildings and the Harbour Bridge rearing up like a giant Meccano set. The pub dates from the 1830s, in a large and imposing hotel - a listed building - bestrides a street corner. The cavernous downstairs bar is like a medieval baronial hall with thick sandstone walls, wood floors, a raftered ceiling and flags of many nations. Artefacts on the walls include a report from the London Times on the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson.
The small brewery at the rear of the bar is behind a glass wall and is run by Blair Hayden, who makes six regular beers and many seasonal and one-off brews. The beers include Trafalgar Pale Ale (4.2%), with a pale, hazy colour, juicy malt and hop resins on the nose. Hops build in the mouth with sappy malt and citrus fruit, and the dry finish has hops, tart fruit and lightly toasted malt. Nelson's Blood (5.1%) has a fittingly ruby red colour with a roasted grain aroma and hints of chocolate, bitter fruit and caramel. Hops make an appearance in the bittersweet finish with roast, chocolate and caramel.
Three Sheets (5%) is a golden ale with a hint of bronze in the colour. The orange/citrus nose has herbal and grassy hop notes and the palate and finish are intensely fruity with juicy malt and tangy hops.
Quayle Ale (4.5%) is a pale gold beer with a spicy and herbal aroma, biscuity malt, tangy fruit and tart hops in the mouth and a bittersweet, quenching finish well balanced between malt, fruit and hops. I was told the beer is named after Dan Quayle, the hapless U.S. vice-president who famously failed to spell "potatoes" correctly. Perhaps he has visited the pub.
Other regular beers include Victory Bitter (5%) and Old Admiral (6.1%), which had both run out on the day of my visit. On a Sunday lunchtime, the Lord Nelson was packed to the listed rafters. There's pub grub in the bar and a separate restaurant on the first floor. The Lord Nelson also offers accommodation and would be a fine place to stay to tour the Rocks area and the nearby ferries.
Lord Nelson 19 Kent Street Sydney, NSW Tel: 02 9251 4044
GO TO PART I - THE MALT SHOVEL AND JAMES SQUIRE'S.
