Well, I don't have to provide you with all the information about the brewery for this beer, as this is all contained in yesterday's post.
This one is a traditional bitter, and a very nice one at that. All we know about the contents is that it contains only natural ingredients - water, hops, yeast and of course quality malt from Tucker's Maltings. It is not as strong as Maris Otter (4% compared to 5.5%) and as with all Teignworthy beers it is bottle conditioned.
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Monday 28 December 2009
Edwin Tucker's Maris Otter
This one had me fooled for a bit! Neither CAMRA resources nor Google were able to come up with a brewery called Edwin Tucker. However, Tucker's Maltings are the suppliers of my 60 beers, and also provide malt to many of the brewers of the beers in my 'Sixty Years' collection. Then I noticed that the label said that the beer used malt made at Tuckers Maltings and, in tiny print at the bottom of the label, that it was brewed by the Teignworthy Brewery.
If you cast back to my entry of December 13, you will find some information about Teignworthy there, including the information that they are located at Tucker's maltings. I have discovered their website at http://www.teignworthybrewery.com/, where I learned that brewing of ale takes place in the brewery most days during the week and uses entirely traditional methods. The brewery is based on a 'Tower' principle as used in the Victorian era. This means that the malt is infused with hot liquor to make malt extract, this is in turn boiled with traditional English hops. These processes take place on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the hopped malt extract then passes to the 1st floor where it is cooled rapidly with a heat exchanger to a temperature of 16ºC, and then placed in an open fermenting square. Yeast is added and for the following three days the yeast ferments the ale, during which a large foaming canopy rests over the ale. The yeast mixes with the air and gives unique flavours only found in our ales. Most of the yeast rises to the top of the square and is skimmed off at the end of the fermentation. This enables them to keep their yeast supply going. The ale is then cooled for a week where the casks are steamed. They are then rolled gently into the cellars and kept for one week at 12ºC. Finally, just before the barrels of ale are lifted onto the dray, small quantities of finings are added to clarify the ale and help the ale clear quickly when stored in the cellars of the pub.
I can say that this process produces a very acceptable full bodied premium ale in Maris Otter. Little information is given about its ingredients (though we are informed that the world's most highly regarded malting barley - Maris Otter - is used!). However, I do know that it is bottle-conditioned and ABV is 5.5%.
If you cast back to my entry of December 13, you will find some information about Teignworthy there, including the information that they are located at Tucker's maltings. I have discovered their website at http://www.teignworthybrewery.com/, where I learned that brewing of ale takes place in the brewery most days during the week and uses entirely traditional methods. The brewery is based on a 'Tower' principle as used in the Victorian era. This means that the malt is infused with hot liquor to make malt extract, this is in turn boiled with traditional English hops. These processes take place on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the hopped malt extract then passes to the 1st floor where it is cooled rapidly with a heat exchanger to a temperature of 16ºC, and then placed in an open fermenting square. Yeast is added and for the following three days the yeast ferments the ale, during which a large foaming canopy rests over the ale. The yeast mixes with the air and gives unique flavours only found in our ales. Most of the yeast rises to the top of the square and is skimmed off at the end of the fermentation. This enables them to keep their yeast supply going. The ale is then cooled for a week where the casks are steamed. They are then rolled gently into the cellars and kept for one week at 12ºC. Finally, just before the barrels of ale are lifted onto the dray, small quantities of finings are added to clarify the ale and help the ale clear quickly when stored in the cellars of the pub.
I can say that this process produces a very acceptable full bodied premium ale in Maris Otter. Little information is given about its ingredients (though we are informed that the world's most highly regarded malting barley - Maris Otter - is used!). However, I do know that it is bottle-conditioned and ABV is 5.5%.
Monday 21 December 2009
Atlantic Gold
Yet another brewery that is unknown to me. The Atlantic Brewery started brewing in 2005. It is housed in an 18th century farmhouse located a few miles from Newquay and the North Cornish coast. All beers are hand made and produced completely on site, including hop growing and oasting, special malt roasting and all bottling and packaging. All their beers are organic and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. They are now growing their own organic First Gold and Fuggles hops. If you want to find out more you will find it at www.atlanticbrewery.com.
Gold is designed to be a refreshing summer ale with a clean crisp finish and it is spiced with ginger. It is brewed using pale and wheat malts with First Gold and Fuggles hops. I found that taste a bit bland and I am not sure that the ginger added very much. Maybe drinking a summer ale in mid-December is not such a good idea!
The ABV is 4.6% and, like all Atlantic beers, it is bottle conditioned.
Gold is designed to be a refreshing summer ale with a clean crisp finish and it is spiced with ginger. It is brewed using pale and wheat malts with First Gold and Fuggles hops. I found that taste a bit bland and I am not sure that the ginger added very much. Maybe drinking a summer ale in mid-December is not such a good idea!
The ABV is 4.6% and, like all Atlantic beers, it is bottle conditioned.
Saturday 19 December 2009
Otter Bright
With this beer, I start the last case case of my sixty beers, so only twelve more to go and they will all be done. This final case begins with yet another beer and brewery that I have not encountered before.
The Otter Brewery I have discovered was founded in 1990 by David McCaig and Mary Ann McCaig, both of whom gave connections with Whitbread. It has grown since then into one of the West Country's major producers of beer. The brewery is located at a place called Luppitt, which is in the Blackdown Hills, between Taunton and Honiton. An 80 barrel plant built in exactly the same style as the original brewery was commissioned in 2004 and has proved invaluable in meeting demand since then. All the beers are made with local spring water. More details at www.otterbrewery.com.
The beer itself has a nice fruit and hop aroma. It is a straw-coloured bitter with a strong bitter finish - very nice. According to the label, water from the River Otter is used to brew this beer. Its flavour comes from the use of lager malt and Fuggles hops.
It is a bright beer, rather than bottle conditioned and its ABV is 4.3%
The Otter Brewery I have discovered was founded in 1990 by David McCaig and Mary Ann McCaig, both of whom gave connections with Whitbread. It has grown since then into one of the West Country's major producers of beer. The brewery is located at a place called Luppitt, which is in the Blackdown Hills, between Taunton and Honiton. An 80 barrel plant built in exactly the same style as the original brewery was commissioned in 2004 and has proved invaluable in meeting demand since then. All the beers are made with local spring water. More details at www.otterbrewery.com.
The beer itself has a nice fruit and hop aroma. It is a straw-coloured bitter with a strong bitter finish - very nice. According to the label, water from the River Otter is used to brew this beer. Its flavour comes from the use of lager malt and Fuggles hops.
It is a bright beer, rather than bottle conditioned and its ABV is 4.3%
Monday 14 December 2009
Ringmore Holly Boo Ale
What scanty details I managed to find out about the Ringmore Craft Brewery are set out on the entry for October 23, which described Ringmore Rollocks. Reference to that will disclose that I was disappointed with with the Rollocks product but Holly Boo is a different story.
It is a limited edition ale which Geoff Williams, the proprietor of the Ringmore Brewery, created to to celebrate the birth of his first grandcild, Holly Boo, who was born on 14 March 2008. It is a pale ale for all occasions, designed to appeal to both male and female palates, with a refreshing hop taste and hints of raspberry. It certainly appealed to my palate.
The only information given about ingredients is that it contains malted barley. It is 4% ABV and is "a living ale and may contain natural yeast sediment" ie it is bottle conditioned.
It is a limited edition ale which Geoff Williams, the proprietor of the Ringmore Brewery, created to to celebrate the birth of his first grandcild, Holly Boo, who was born on 14 March 2008. It is a pale ale for all occasions, designed to appeal to both male and female palates, with a refreshing hop taste and hints of raspberry. It certainly appealed to my palate.
The only information given about ingredients is that it contains malted barley. It is 4% ABV and is "a living ale and may contain natural yeast sediment" ie it is bottle conditioned.
Sunday 13 December 2009
Teignworthy Old Moggie
Established in 1994 by John and Rachel Lawton and now employing six members of staff, the Teignworthy Brewery can now brew up to 100 barrels of beer a week or in beers terms, 28,800 pints! After much thought (and several pints!) John decided to choose the local name 'Teign', taken from the River Teign that runs close by. Worthy comes from the Viking name 'Wortha' meaning homestead, which was brought to Devon by Viking Invaders who often travelled and used the River Teign.The brewery itself, is based within the historic Tuckers Maltings in Newton Abbot, South Devon. The Maltings building is now over 100 years old and is still operating at full capacity. Interestingly, Tuckers are the suppliers of my sixty beers and many of them use the malts that Tuckers produce (which is why so many of them come from the West Country). Nothing like keeping it in the family!
The label explains that this beer is a golden ale that was created to commemorate the 50 golden years of the Morris Minor (Moggie seems to be a nickname for this car and nothing to do with cats). It states that "such a classic workhorse should be remembered for the style of the era when the British car industry was thriving". As you can see from the picture, the label is suitably embellished with the Union Jack.
The only details given of the ingredients are that the beer contains water, malted barley and wheat, yeast, hops and finings. It is 4.4% ABV and it is bottle conditioned.
Taste-wise the words that come to mind are golden, hoppy and fruity - very much to my taste in fact.
Saturday 12 December 2009
Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer
Well, here's one from left field. This beer is not from the West country, or even from the UK. The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was established in 1980 by Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi. Camusi retired in 1998 and sold his share in the company to Grossman. Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada Brewing is one of the most popular craft breweries currently operating in the United States. It produces almost 700,000 barrels of beer per year. Sierra Nevada's beer is consistently rated high and has appeared on many television shows, including Friends and Sex in the City.
The label does not give much information about the ingredients but I have managed to establish that it contains Perle and Spalt hops and the malts used are Two-row Pale, Dextrin and of course Wheat. ABV is 4.4%. I expected it to be pale and cloudy like a German Weissbier. In fact it was clear and amber and tasted very good - a good balance of malt and hops.
The label does not give much information about the ingredients but I have managed to establish that it contains Perle and Spalt hops and the malts used are Two-row Pale, Dextrin and of course Wheat. ABV is 4.4%. I expected it to be pale and cloudy like a German Weissbier. In fact it was clear and amber and tasted very good - a good balance of malt and hops.
Sunday 6 December 2009
Wooden Hand Brewery - Cornish Mutiny
Another Cornish Brewery, and another one I had never heard of. This one has interesting story. It took over the plant of the old Ventonwyn brewery. It is run by Anglo-Swedish businessman Rolf Munding, who also owns the Zatec Brewery in the Czech Republic. The website (http://woodenhand.co.uk/) tells us that the brewery started at its current location in 2004. Originally producing 8 barrels a month, five years later Wooden Hand Brewery produces upwards of 300 barrels per month with five different types of Ale. The Brewery is based near Truro, in Cornwall.
This beer is a very nice bitter. It has a dark rich colour with a distinctive character and a slightly biscuity flavour. Ingredients include Marris Otter malted barley, torrified wheat, crystal malt, English and European hops (not identified) and English yeast. It is 4.8% ABV and does not appear to be bottle conditioned. Very good.
This beer is a very nice bitter. It has a dark rich colour with a distinctive character and a slightly biscuity flavour. Ingredients include Marris Otter malted barley, torrified wheat, crystal malt, English and European hops (not identified) and English yeast. It is 4.8% ABV and does not appear to be bottle conditioned. Very good.
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