Dan B.
Yelp
Before I ever arrived in Australia, my good friend J had told me about a place he had visited in Sydney several years ago. He said it was called "Admiral Nelson Pub" ...or similar. It was the oldest brewpub in Sydney, and he spoke with such reverence that I researched further online and found the place - called the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel. I placed it at the top of my To Do list. I also noted the word "Hotel" and discovered they had very good room rates. Unfortunately they were booked solid through my long weekend in Sydney, so I had to find other lodgings.
Nevertheless, after a longish day traveling from Cairns, corralling my luggage, sitting in a long cab ride through rush hour traffic, and finally depositing my bags at my hotel, I needed a beer...stat. And the Lord Nelson was a mere 4 blocks away. What to do?
When I arrived at the intersection of Kent and Argyle I beheld a beautiful, historic sandstone structure (originally built in 1836). When I crossed the threshold, I was transported to a warm, cozy English-style pub full of people. A list of house beers were displayed prominently on chalkboards above the bar. The only downside was finding a place to sit or stand. Though it was an early Thursday evening, the place was packed (with half the people obviously having come straight from work). I ordered a beer and eventually found a corner spot where I could relax and people-watch.
Some customers were having food, but since I had just eaten, I was content to taste the house-brewed beers. Luckily, the Lord Nelson served not only pints (20 oz), but half pints (10 oz) and schooners (15 oz), so I was able to sample a few beers without getting hammered. Also, like most British ales, most of their beers tended be lower alcohol (5% or less).
Here were the beers I tried from best to worst (over two visits):
-- Old Admiral: A scotch ale or Strong Ale (I'm guessing). Dark, malty, earthy, smokey; and absolutely delicious; hard to believe this beer was only 6% alcohol; I chatted with several locals who only came here to order this
-- Double admiral: Very good; the closest thing they had to an American-style IPA but with a richer flavor; and only 5.6%. I wish I could find something with this taste-to-alcohol ratio back home.
-- Nelson's Blood: A smooth and tasty Porter at 4.9%
-- Three sheets: A solid Pale Ale. Hoppier than most Aussie pales ales; less hoppy than American style. At only 4.9% ABV, The name didn't really apply (unless you had 5 or 6 of them)
-- Victory Bitter: A British style bitter. Decent flavor, but a little boring for me (5%)
The staff here were hardworking and efficient, but I found them to be a little cold on both my visits. They had an abrupt manner and always looked like they'd much rather be somewhere else. I don't know why, though I noted most of the staff were very young (20s) and the avg customer age trended higher (30+). Despite the historic setting and beer offerings, this - and the heavy crowds - were enough to keep The Lord Nelson out of 5-star territory for me. That said, if I ever I make it back to Sydney, I'd happily return. Even more so if I had friends in tow.