Beers at the Boars this weekend

From Brew Wales

The Boar's Head at Tyla Garw, Pontyclun will be holding a beer festival this weekend, April 15th-17th, with landlord Wayne celebrating 10 years at his award-winning pub as well as his 40th birthday! Double celebrations all round.
Beer list:
Subject to availabilty etc:
648 - Gold Angel ... Ruby Mild
ALLENDALE - Wagtail Best Bitter
ART BREW - Spanked Monkey ... I Beer
B&T - Mad Hatter
BLACK HOLE - Super Nova ... Milky Way
BLACKWATER - Impressionist ... Surrealist
BLINDMANS - Buff ... Buzz Light-year
BOX STEAM - Chuffin Ale ... Derailed
BRENTWOOD - Big Bunny ... Hot X Buns
BREWDOG - Alpha Dog (TBC)
BREWSTERS - (3 x Beers - TBC)
BUFFYS - Buffy's Bitter ... Mucky Duck
CONCRETE COW - Pale Ale
CROUCH VALE - Santiam ... Amarillo ... Brewer's Gold
DARK STAR - Golden Gate ... Partridge ... American Pale Ale ... HopHead ... Original
EMPIRE - Golden Warrior ... Ooh Matron
GREEN JACK - IPA ... Orange Wheat ... Excelsior ... Lurcher Stout
HOLDENS - April Showers ... Black Country Bitter
ILKLEY - Best Bitter ... Pale
LEEDS - Yorkshire Gold
MARSTON MOOR - Brewer's Droop
NAYLORS - Spring Ale
OAKHAM - Bishop's Farewell ... JHB ... White Dwarf
OLD BEAR - Black Maria
RCH - Pitchfork ... Old Slug Porter ... Steam Showers
SALOPIAN - Golden Thread ... Peccadilllo ... Shropshire Gold
SPRINGHEAD - Charlie's Angels ... Robin Hood ... Bees Knees ... Roaring Meg
THORNBRIDGE - Brother Rabbit ... Jaipur IPA ... Kipling
WESTERHAM - British Bulldog Best
WILLIAMS - Harvest Sun
YORK - Centurian's Ghost

Boar's Head, Tyla Garw, Pontyclun, CF72 9EZ, 01443 225400

A less than 10-minute walk westwards from Pontyclun railway station, brings you to the Boar's Head, unmistakable with it's old Fernvale Brewery sign outside, a former Welsh brewery that closed in 1970. The walk is a bit difficult as it involves crossing the Bailey Bridge, walking through an industrial estate and almost missing a hidden path with metal fencing around it. Clue – turn right at the stones and carry straight on past the new housing estate. The Boar's Head is on the left hand side, by the level crossing. There is a car park at the rear of the pub if you choose to drive here.

Entering the door of this pub, with its stained glass windows, you could be forgiven for thinking that nothing has changed since the pub was built in 1875, however a few years ago, the Boar's underwent a sympathetic refurbishment with the bar now becoming the centre of the pub and the surrounding rooms were retained rather than knocked through into one. The pub was originally built by the Trecastle Estate for the nearby tinplate workers.

Six real ales are always available on the bar here, together with Budvar Dark Lager from the Czech Republic. The beer range varies but brewers such as Hydes of Manchester, Archers of Swindon and Mathews of Bath are often seen on handpumps alongside Fullers from London and Welsh breweries such as Heart of Wales from Powys. This is an unusual beer range for South Wales, made possible by the fact that the Boar's Head is a free house and not tied to any particular brewery. However the popularity of some of the brews with customers means that Mathews Brassknocker, a golden, hoppy ale of 3.8% ABV, has become an almost permanent feature on the bar.

The Boar's Head is panelled throughout in wood and gleaming copper pans hang over the bar. Another reminder of the old days of Welsh brewing is the old Ely Brewery poster in the bar.

There is a pleasant outside drinking area to the rear and a choice of rooms in the pub to eat or drink in. There is Welsh food on the menu in the form of Celtic Pride beef burgers and Welsh Black Beef Curry. Special offers run throughout the week on the menus with Tuesday being steak night and Wednesday curry night. Bookings are recommended for Sunday lunch. Food served Mon-Sat 12-2.30, 6-8.30

Every room in the Boar's has its own character, with long table and settles or more traditional dining tables in the restaurant section. Every room also has its own fireplace, ideal for those winter evenings.
Awards:
Mid Glamorgan CAMRA Branch 'Pub of the Year' - 2009
Mid Glamorgan CAMRA Branch 'Pub of the Year' - 2003
Mid & S. Wales CAMRA Branch 'Regional Pub of the Year' - 2003
Mid Glamorgan CAMRA Branch POTY 'Runner-Up' - 2002

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