Well, this is a brewery I know, because I am a fan of their Summer Lightning, which seems very popular as a guest beer in pubs round here and I am not the only one because it has apparently won a lot of awards. However, I don't think that I have come across Crop Circle before.
It was back in 1986 that John Gilbert purchased the freehold of The Wyndham Arms, a public house on the outskirts of Salisbury in Wiltshire. The space in the cellar of the pub and its backyard enabled him to begin brewing ales for sale at the pub. Within two years, the beers were achieving recognition at CAMRA's beer festivals. Because of their reputation and the support of CAMRA awards, the beers began to be sold direct to wholesalers, free houses and tied houses as guest beers.To cope with this increase in demand, Hop Back Brewery Limited was formed in October 1991. It acquired the lease of a factory unit at Downton, between Salisbury and Southampton, and commenced brewing in June 1992. In August 1992, Summer Lightning won the award for Best Strong Beer at the GBBF. They now have a nationwide distribution agreement for the beer with JD Wetherperson. A great story of starting from humble beginnings and growing surely but steadily.
Crop Circle is, as its name suggests, a summer beer, sharp and hoppy. Gold in colour, it has a discernible citrus taste and a crisp and dry aftertaste. It is made with maize as well as barley and wheat malts. The hops used are Tettnang (new one on me - German apparently), Pioneer and East Kent Goldings. The ingredients list also includes coriander! The ABV is 4.2% and it is bottle-conditioned. The taste is interesting and refreshing but I felt just a little on the thin side - it would have benefited from a little more fullness.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment