The Kings Head
Upton Upon Severn - Worcestershire

WELL KEPT AND WELL PRESENTED CASK CONDITIONED ALES

With our two core brands Fullers London Pride and Butcombe bitter you can always enjoy a great pint of cask conditioned ale at The Kings Head. We also offer a Guest Ale which we try to vary & change on a regular basis. If there is an ale you would like to see at The Kings Head then let us know and we will try to source it for you.

GET A HEAD. Or not, as you prefer. The great sparkler debate; is it better with or without? We've and countless others have enjoyed our beers both ways and hope, whichever your preference so will you.

If you feel we deserve a mention for our cask ales then please contact the local Camra Branch on our "LInks" section and tell them how good our beer is!

LONDON PRIDE 4.1%

A rich, smooth and wonderfully balanced beer, its distinctive malty base is complemented by well-developed hop character, from adding Target, Challenger and Northdown varieties to the brew. It is a top selling premium amber coloured ale, rich smooth & malty with a lasting hoppy finish.
Fullers of Chiswick, London.
Colour - Amber

BUTCOMBE BITTER 4.0%

3 times a finalist at The Great British Beer Festival yet incredibly has never won!
Nose: Hoppy, malty, citrus, with a slight sulphur aroma.
Palate: Light fruit notes, with a long, dry, bitter finish.
Comments: A notably bitter beer & amber in colour, clean tasting, refreshingly dry and distinctive. Made with 100% English malts together with a blend of traditional English hop varieties.
Formally from Butcombe Village. Now Wrington of Bristol
Colour - Amber

TODAYS GUEST ALE IS:-

BLACK PEAR 4.4% - A REAL LOCAL BEER, BREWED ONLY NINE MILES AWAY.
Perched high on the northern slopes of the Malvern Hills, Malvern Hills Brewery is probably the highest brewery in England, at over 600 feet above sea level

Brewer and owner, Julian Hawthornthwaite, is proud to craft imaginative and distinctive beers using hops sourced from a local hop merchant.

Taste the Magic of the Malverns with us as we celebrate an area with an attractive past, present and future.....

Malvern Hills Black Pear is a premium beer, golden in colour with a combination of hops giving a pleasant bitter finish.

WEST MIDLANDS BEER OF THE YEAR 2005

Tradition has it that during the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Worcester in 1575 that Worcester acquired its second coat of arms featuring the black pears.

It is said that during her procession through the streets of Worcester the Queen saw a pear tree which had been planted in the Foregate in her honour.

She was so pleased at the appropriateness of the tree growing right in the heart of a fruit growing region, that she bade the city to add the emblem of pears to its Coat of Arms.



Malvern Hills Brewery, Malvern, Worcestershire.
Colour - Golden Bronze

PAST GUEST BEERS HALL OF FAME!

All of the following ales have made a guest apperance at The Kings Head. If there was one you particularly liked then let us know and maybe it will make it back as a Guest Ale!

BETTY STOGGS 4.0% - This Was a Real Winner!

Classic pale amber mid strength bitter with distinct hoppy overtones. A beautifully balanced quaffing ale. Serve chilled if preferred. Contains Cornish malted barley and wheat.
Skinners Of Truro, Cornwall.
Colour - Pale Amber

BOMBARDIER 5.0% - A St Georges Day Must!

As well as using only the finest ingredients - hand sampled English Challenger and Goldings hops and ground (not crushed) crystal malt, Wells Bombardier is uniquely brewed using natural mineral water from the brewery's own, accredited well.
Furthermore, our master brewer insists on employing the 'Holy Brewing' method, fermenting these superb ingredients for a full 7 days, delivering the consistency that Wells Bombardier drinkers trust.
"A burnished copper colour, it has a rich, tempting aroma of peppery hops and raisins, while the palate is dominated by more dark fruit, juicy malt and tangy hops."
Wells and Youngs Brewing Company Ltd. Bedford
Colour - Burnished Copper

BUTTY BACH 4.5% - CAMRA Multi Award Winner

A burnished gold premium ale. Full bodied, smooth and satisfying. Ingredients:- Pale and crystal malt with English Goldings and Fuggles hops. Wye Valleys most popular brand.
Three Times winner of the Cardiff beer festival.
West Midlands CAMRA Best Bitter of the Year 2008.
Winner of "The Peoples Choice" at Ludlow Marches Food & Drink Festival 2007.
Wye Valley Brewery
Colour - Burnished Gold

SUNCHASER 4.0% - A Bit Too Light for Some

Sunchaser Blonde is a thirst-quenching beer made in the style of a continental lager. Hence you will find subtle fruit flavours and a little sweetness within. Served at two degrees below cellar temperature, this refreshing ale appeals to lager drinkers who are used to their products being served at cooler temperatures as well as real ale drinkers looking for something a little different.
Everards of Leicestershire
Colour - Blond

HOOKER 4.5% - Great Beer, Wrong Rugby Result!

A hoppy, rather than a bitter ale, with
a citrus fruit overtone and a dry hop aroma.
Hooker was back for the 2008 Six Nations Rugby Championship.
Over the seasons, men with odd shaped balls have converted to this
light hoppy beer.
Bateman's, of Wainfleet,
Lincolnshire
Colour - Amber

Hobgoblin 4.5% - Always a Winner

Traditionally Crafted Legendary Ruby Beer. Hobgoblin is strong in roasted malt with a moderate hoppy bitterness and slight fruity character that lasts through to the end.
The ruby red coloured Hobgoblin is full-bodied and has a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour balanced with a rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity character.
Wychwood Brewery of Witney, Oxfordshire
Colour - Ruby Red

WAGGLE DANCE 4.0% - Proved Popular.

Unusual name, unusual beer! The "Waggle Dance" is the movement a bee performs to alert the hive to a source of nectar. The Waggle Dance beer is a beautifully balanced, sneakily seductive, golden coloured beer. Amber beer with a touch of honey on the nose and palate. The sweetness is balanced by a healthy dose of hops to provide the bitterness that gives a wonderfully delicate flavour.

Pale Ale and Crystal malts and British Fuggle and Golding hops, together with South American honey, combine perfectly to create this delicious golden ale with a superb honey aroma.

Wells and Youngs Brewing Company Ltd. Bedford
Colour - Gold

SUMMER LIGHTNING 5.0% - Hugely Popular!

Brewed using only a single varietal hop, East Kent Goldings.
An extremely pleasant, bitter, straw-coloured beer with a terrific fresh, hoppy aroma. This coupled with an intense bitterness, leads to an excellent long, dry finish. This beer has won many different awards.
Hopback Brewery of Salisbury
Colour - Straw

RED McGREGOR 5.0% - A First for Most!

This is one rarely found on the mainland but well worth the effort to get it to Upton from the Orkney Isles! An outstanding mid gravity beer which has a generous hoppy nose and a wonderful flowery hop flavour with a smooth malty finish.
Orkney Brewery, Scotland.
Colour - Ruby Red

SLY FOX 4.0% - A Few Weren't Sure About the Ginger

Another great beer able to attract drinkers to cask ale while providing something new to core drinkers. It is light and refreshing with a cunning hint of ginger.
Everards of Leicestershire.
Colour - Light Gold

SEVENTY EIGHT 4.2% - Good Session Beer.

Brewed to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the founding of Ringwood Brewery in March 1978.
Golden, refreshing beer brewed using Maris Otter barley and infused with Sovereign and Goldings hops.
Hop aroma with fruity, spicy flavours.
Good malt feel in the mouth with a distinctive hoppy finish.
Ringwood Brewery, Hampshire
Colour - Gold

Vixen 3.9% - This was Very Popular

Nethergate Brewery has brewed traditional ales in the Stour Valley since 1986, firstly in the small town of Clare, in Suffolk, and then in 2005, moving to a larger brewery on the south bank of the river Stour, a mile or two down river at Pentlow.
Deliciously delicate in flavour. This red ruby ale has a very continental feel.
Nethergate Brewery, Suffolk
Colour: Mid Brown

Nelson's Revenge 4.5% - A few of this were sunk!

Brewed to celebrate arguably Norfolks most famous son.
Rich and floral aromas, sweet Norfolk malts and a burst of "citrus" hops embody this mouth-watering premium beer.
International Awards Cask-conditioned Best Bitter (Silver) 2005 & Champion Best Bitter of Britain (Bronze) 2004
Woodfordes Brewery of Norfolk

Colour - Amber

Black Sheep Ale 4.4% - Popular with the Jazz Fest.

Full flavoured premium bitter, with a rich fruity aroma. It is brewed with many generous handfuls of choice Golding hops giving a bittersweet malty taste, followed by Black Sheep' characteristic long, dry and bitter finish.
Situated at the gateway to Wensleydale, Masham is the home of the Black Sheep Brewery.
The Black Sheep Brewery, Masham
Ripon, North Yorkshire
Colour - Straw

Ginger Tosser 3.8%- Great Fun this one!

I've never had so many pump clips stolen before!!!

Designed for red-headed pancake tossers of course! What did you think the name was referencing..... shame on you. Originally created to aid the celebration of pancake day, it has now become a permanent fixture among the Skinner's stable. Made with only the finest Cornish Honey.
Celebrating it's 10th anniversary last summer, the family-run brewery in Truro has a great selection of cask conditioned ales, and since opening has won more awards than any other brewery in the South West, including twice Supreme champion of the South West and SIBA UK National Reserve Champion of Great Britain.
Skinners of Truro, Cornwall.
Colour - Ginger

Marstons Pedigree 4.5% - Too Mainstream this one!

Marston's Pedigree has always been crafted using the finest natural ingredients to ensure you receive a truly exceptional beer. They only use natural Burton spring water and traditional varieties of barley and hops (Maris Otter barley, Fuggles and Goldings hops), rather than less expensive, commercially grown modern hybrids.
Unique in the world, it is still brewed in the oak casks of the Burton Unions to preserve its unique character, consistent quality and taste.
Many brewers have abandoned this traditional method of brewing over the years due to its extra cost and labour intensive maintenance, which requires a skilled cooper to constantly service the wooden casks. Marston's Pedigree is an exceptional premium ale.
Marstons Brewery - Burton Upon Trent.
Colour - Amber

UK's Oldest Working Brewery - Three Tuns XXX 4.3%

A renowned beer from a recipe passed down by the Roberts family who owned the brewery for several generations; a pale-straw-coloured, premium bitter with simple, light malty-sweetness, delicately balanced with light bitterness of floral, earthy character. Shropshire Brewery - The small market town of Bishop's Castle, on the Shropshire/Welsh border, is home to the Three Tuns Brewery, a brewery with significant claims to fame. A brewing license at the site was first granted in 1642. Part of the existing brewery is of 17th Century origin, and this would be consistent with it having been the original brew house, which would make it the oldest working brewery in Britain.


Three Tuns Brewery, Bishops Castle, Shropshire
Colour - Pale Straw

LATE RED, AUTUMN HOP ALE. 4.5% - Great Beer!

This was vey popular with everyone that drank it! A real winner.
It is a complex, richly-flavoured autumn hop ale. With an appropriately Autumnal auburn hue, this premium beer achieves a perfect balance between rich, dark malt flavours, and a strong, robust hoppiness.
Tasting notes:
A deep sweetness combining burnt notes with toffee and honey characterise this Autumn ale. The fresh water from the Brewery's Well balances the Cascade hops, specially grown in Kent, with their resinous note of Autumn leaves.
Shepherd Neame Brewery - Faversham, Kent
Colour - Auburn

White Star 4.8% - Scuppered Mr Weaver!

A light refreshing distinctively hoppy beer with a freshness that belies its strength, so easy to drink it will fool all but the crustiest of sea dogs. Titanic Brewery was founded in Burslem Stoke on Trent in 1985 with one goal, to produce great beer! In Etruria just down the road Captain Edward John Smith was born. He would go on to command the world's most famous liner The Titanic. It is in honour of him that the brewery was named.
Titanic Brewery -
Burslem, Stoke on Trent
Colour - Amber

CAMRA Champion Beer of the West Mids 2003 - Premium Bitter - Gold
CAMRA West Mids Beer of the Year 2004 - Premium Bitter - Gold
CAMRA West Mids Beer of the Year 2005 - Premium Bitter - Bronze
CAMRA West Mids Beer of the Year 2006 - Premium Bitter - Bronze

DRUNKEN MONKEY 4.2%

Burnt toffee and light custard notes permeate from this flavour packed best bitter brewed in Pentlow, Suffolk. German Perle and English Bramling Cross hops give a fantastic strong spicy finish.
Nethergate Brewery has brewed traditional ales in the Stour Valley since 1986, firstly in the small town of Clare, in Suffolk, and then in 2005, moving to a larger brewery on the south bank of the river Stour, a mile or two down river at Pentlow, Suffolk
Nethergate Brewery -
Pentlow, Sudbury, Suffolk.
Colour - Amber