When we first visited the Star Inn last year, we saw that Penzance Brewing Company’s Scilly Stout, made in the on-site brewery, was listed on the blackboard as coming “dreckly”. We now know that “dreckly” is an elastic concept meaning “at some point in the future”, but it actually took us nearly a year to track it down.
We kept arriving at the pub to find that Scilly Stout had just finished, or was due on in the next few days. We began to suspect it was a cruel joke played on tourists, along the lines of Porthemmet. “Have you tried it yet?” people kept asking. “Bah,” we replied.
Then, as spring approached, we were delighted to finally find it at Bodmin Beer Festival. Since then, as if a spell was broken, we’ve found it on sale at the pub every time we’ve visited.
The Star usually gives us what we’ve always asked for — one of each colour, please! Potion 9 is golden and 4%; the two bitters have brown covered; and Scilly Stout, when it’s there, offers not only darkness, but strength, at 7%. If you liked Fuller’s Past Master’s Double Stout, you’ll probably enjoy Scilly, too: it’s got an acid snap and a body that proves you don’t need nitrogen to make a beer chewable.
If you’re on holiday in this part of Cornwall, do visit the Star. Just don’t count on finding Scilly Stout on sale — it’ll probably be coming dreckly.
2 replies on “Our White Whale was a Black Beer”
Lovely story. That’s what great about beer hunting, the little serendipities that occur along the way. Also; note to self: use ‘dreckly’ more often.
It is a lovely word and to a husband who is not listening it sounds like directly.
The Star had, when we were down there, a coal black stout which was rather fantastic.