I am a fan of The Malvern Hills. Not too far from where I was born, I'd only visited once before, and despite being a grumpy teenager at the time, I couldn't help be impressed by the beauty of the countryside and enjoy scrambling up (and down) the rolling hills.
It was the hottest weekend of the year so far - endless sunshine and blue skies. We walked up hills, down hills, in woodlands, through fields, on tiny footpaths and on country roads, taking in some amazing countryside. D's dad marched on ahead, putting us young folk to shame. Our circular route took us around 5 hours (with time for a picnic lunch) and we covered around 10 miles. It was definitely time for a drink!
Luckily, the trusty Good Beer Guide had a suggestion. D could vouch for it's quality (and thankfully, could direct us there). Late afternoon was a great time to visit The Nag's Head as we found a table in the sun. We sat at the front of the pub, as the small, almost secret, beer garden is well-hidden and not immediately obvious.
Upon entering the pub, I was astounded by the sheer choice of real ales and ciders - 14 cask ales (including 6 guest beers). Whilst I might expect one or two real ciders, the 5 or 6 on offer made the Nag's Head feel like a veritable goldmine!
Given the heat of the day, my first choice was a refreshing raspberry twist cider served as recommended, with ice. D enjoyed ordering 'a pint of Dragon's Blood' (extremely dark beer).
Once I had my drink, I began to notice the quirks of the pub. The 'no swearing' rule, the warnings that food would be slow, the long list of riddles inscribed on the wall above a towering pile of Good Beer Guides and board games...
I like this kind of quirkiness in a pub, and thought all the nooks and crannies would make The Nag's Head an appealing winter pub, as well.
I continued sampling ciders - going for a lovely crisp Sheppy's, and then a Weston's '1st Quality'. D moved onto the 'Shropshire Lad' which had an initial caramel taste (but too bitter an aftertaste for me), and then discovered the 'Kinver Crystal' which unexpectedly was his favourite of the day - full of floral hops.
We were in need of some crisp sustainance, so I stuck with the cider theme, and was pleasantly surprised by the tangy flavour of the Piper's sea salt and somerset cider vinegar flavour.
This pub was an amazing find, given that it had the potential to be quite touristy. The Good Beer guide entry was definitely well-deserved, and I would very strongly recommend it should you be in the Malverns - be it on a day where you need a sunny beer garden, or a cosy inglenook.
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