Winter Ale is made with organic Northwest hops and organic malt, and the brewery describes it as a complex floral, spicy, and citrusy beer. Despite its weighty alcoholic content, it is surprisingly easy to drink, with a medium-full mouthfeel and a distinct and enjoyable hoppiness. The taste mixes citrus and resinous hops notes with some light sweetness. There is some limited bitterness, with good floral notes. The body is fuller than average and there’s a nice mixture of malt and fresh hops notes.
Hopworks has now made its range of beers available in attractive and colourful cans as well as traditional bottles, and includes ciders in its portfolio.
PRODUCER: Chorlton Brewing Company
AREA OF ORIGIN: Manchester, England
VARIETY: Sour beer
ABV: 5.4%
WEBSITE: www.chorltonbrewingcompany.com
Sour beer is beer that has an intentionally acidic, tart or sour taste. The most common sour beer styles are Belgian: lambics, gueuze and Flanders red ale. The sourness is created by natural yeasts that would have found their way into beers before the introduction of the sterilised conditions associated with modern breweries. Amarillo Sour is based on the sour beer traditions of Prussia and Saxony but it is brewed like a modern pale ale. It is fermented twice: first, with Lactobacillus to give a balanced acidity, and then with a British strain of brewer’s yeast for a smooth body. It’s then dry hopped to give big juicy flavours with negligible bitterness. This is a thirst-quenching beer with a fragrant and clean taste and a sharp acidity, grapefruit flavours and no bitterness.
PRODUCER: Anchor Brewing Co.
AREA OF ORIGIN: San Francisco, USA
VARIETY: Porter
ABV: 5.6%
WEBSITE: www.anchorbrewing.com
Anchor has a long proud tradition stretching back to 1871. It took the name Anchor at the end of the 19th century and it has survived fires, unexpected deaths, Prohibition, and changes in fashion and fads, to still be making some of America’s finest beers and spirits. Anchor Porter became the first modern American porter when it was introduced in 1974, and it still has a huge following. It contains a blend of roasted pale, caramel, chocolate, and black malts, and is made with top-fermenting yeast. The brew is hopped at a high rate, and is naturally carbonated. The result is dark in the glass, but is bitter free and surprisingly light on the palate. This beer has lots of chocolate, liquorice, coffee, toast, and cream. There are traces of dark fruit jam, dried fruits, and cocoa beans.
PRODUCER: Brasserie du Pays Flamand
AREA OF ORIGIN: Blaringhem, France
VARIETY: Blonde lager
ABV: 8.0%
WEBSITE: www.brasseriedupaysflamand.com
The Brasserie du Pays Flamand was founded in November 2006 by two childhood friends, Olivier Duthoit and Mathieu Lesenne. They have brought a modern and flamboyant approach to making beer, along with a healthy respect for the environment. All ingredients are sourced locally, and spent grains are given to farmers for animal feed. Nothing is out of bounds and the duo are experimenting with ageing, maturing their beers in all types of wine, bourbon, cognac, and whisky barrels. Beers include tripels, barley wines, stouts, IPAs, and a range of sours made with blueberries, peaches, and other fruits. This beer has aromas of flowers and citrus fruits on the nose. Grapefruit and lemon are found on the palate. The finish is powerful and hoppy, with a pleasant lasting bitterness.
PRODUCER: Westerham Brewery
AREA OF ORIGIN: Westerham, England
VARIETY: Bitter
ABV: 6.2%
WEBSITE: www.westerhambrewery.co.uk
Westerham is in Kent in the South East of England, a county known as the garden of England and home to intensive hop growing. Westerham Brewery was set up by Robert Wicks in 2004 and naturally uses locally produced hops. In fact, Westerham is very much about reducing food miles in the supply chain, and is intent on reproducing many of the much loved beer flavours of the Black Eagle Brewery, which closed in 1965 after the widespread consolidation of the industry by the big brewers. Audit Ale is an award-winning strong ale made to a 1938 Black Eagle recipe. It has a fruity, hoppy, and malty nose. On the palate there is toffee and caramel, and a tangy and earthy note, with dried fruits, hops and some bitterness. It has a smooth mouthfeel and dry bitter finish. Very drinkable.
PRODUCER: Buxton Brewery
AREA OF ORIGIN: Buxton, England
VARIETY: IPA
ABV: 6.8%
WEBSITE: www.buxtonbrewery.co.uk
From small acorns do big oaks grow – though, to be fair, Buxton isn’t that big an oak just yet. The founders clearly remember brewing their first pale ale – 40 litres of it – on New Year’s Day in 2009. It was enough to spark a passion to take their home-produced beers and bring them to a broader public.
Over the following months, recipes were tweaked, altered, thrown away and revived before they launched to the public. Axe Edge is a flagship
