CAMRA Sheffield & District
Sheffield & District branch of CAMRA
With pubs now able to serve customers at indoor tables, Stancill Brewery have released a new beer to mark the occasion.
Outside In is a blonde cask ale at a sessionable 4.3% ABV brewed with Motueka and Comet hops from New Zealand and the US giving a floral aroma and zesty flavour.
Bradfield Brewery has recently released a limited edition of 500 numbered 750 ml bottles of their new 7.5% Kerry imperial stout. Only available from the brewery shop and with limited social media advertising, within less than a week, this was a sell-out.
Like most Bradfield beers, this stout is named after a breed of cow. ‘Kerry’ is appropriate as the breed hails from Ireland, ’the home of stout,’ and is coloured black with white udders. It also, like a strong stout, enjoys a long life.
Brewed using a variety of speciality malts, this bottle conditioned Imperial Stout is full-bodied, smooth and rich. It has a complex mouth feel with bold roasted coffee and rich chocolate flavours.
Imperial stouts derive from the strong versions of beer and porter brewed in London in the C18th and C19th for export to Russia and the Baltic States. Warming alcohol is often noticeable due to the relatively high alcohol content. The wood aging can also produce caramel and vanilla flavours. The most well-know is probably Courage Imperial Russian Stout which was originally brewed by Courage, Barclay and Perkins for Catherine the Great of Russia.
Each bottle was carefully hand-filled, labelled, numbered and waxed by the three brewers: Kieran Chadwick, Sam Jubb and Bruce Woodcock. Six and 12 month bourbon and whisky barrel aged editions will follow this initial batch. Credit is also due to local designer, Anthony Corrigan whose drawing takes centre stage on every bottle.
What commenced as a lockdown project has materialised into an exciting new brew. We look forward to the next release.
Cask is back! With (some) pubs now re-opening their outdoor spaces, we’ve been working hard here at Abbeydale HQ to ramp up our production, and we’re all thrilled to be back delivering to pubs around Sheffield and beyond.
With that in mind, we’ve got some deliciously quaffable cask beers coming up over the next few weeks that are absolutely perfect for beer garden pints!
Originally released in March 2020, shortly before lockdown took hold, we’ve decided to bring back Family Heirlooms and Tuneful Endings, a 4.1%, pale ale brewed with El Dorado and Eureka hops. It’s a beer that tells the story of an important part of the history of Abbeydale Brewery, so we felt it deserved another opportunity to shine – you can read all about it here.
Doctor Morton is back with Demon Drink (4.2%), a golden beer with a hint of caramel, hopped with Simcoe, Ahtanum and a little Sorachi Ace for a piney, tropical flavour and a well balanced bitterness.
Usually one of our annual releases as we start to approach summer, Belfry is back after a hiatus in 2020. This always popular Cascade hopped pale ale (4.5%) has a fruity and floral aroma, which gives way to a smooth citrussy flavour with a hint of biscuit. Crisp and refreshing with a lasting finish.
And coming soon to can, we have the newest release from our Funk Dungeon project – Blind Devotion, 6.2%. This beer is a pineapple weed saison, the recipe of which was the winner of our Funk Fest 2019 homebrew competition, created by Leeds based James Newman. Rye spice, sweet floral characteristics and Nelson Sauvin hops combine with our house brett culture for a beer that’s gently funky with light acidity and oodles of flavour.
For those who aren’t feeling quite ready to head back to the pub just yet, or if your local hasn’t been able to re-open so far, of course our online shop isn’t going anywhere so we’ve got you covered for beers at home too!
Thunder Bunny, a 4.0% ABV Belgian pale ale is Fuggle Bunny‘s second craft keg beer. This cheeky little number is a session quenching pale with uplifting floral aromas bursting with fruit, raisins & citrus. This along with a range of their cask beers is expected to be available at their upcoming Friday tap sessions outside the brewery.
Bradfield Brewery have once again produced a vanilla edition of their Farmers Stout, a beer which proved popular at our Steel City Beer & Cider Festival a few years ago. It is available in mini-keg for those still drinking at home and the brewery are continuing to offer home delivery for bigger orders from their brewery shop.
Crosspool Ale Makers Society also have good news for those ordering their beers for home delivery with some online prices reduced and a mixed case option introduced. Also in addition to their weekly delivery run they are also now offering click and collect at the Itchy Pig in Broomhill.
Loxley Brewery‘s home, the Wisewood Inn, reopened this week with a range of their cask beers brewed on site, something the brewery has been regearing up to after spending lockdown selling bottled beers online and via independent shops!
Recent brews at Neepsend Brew Co have included Summanus, a 6.2% Black IPA hopped with Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Sabro and Sorachi Ace along with the return of Azeban, a 5% New England Pale made with Mosaic, Azacca & Ekuanot.
Sheffield Brewery Company are recruiting – they are looking for an experienced commercial brewer to manage all aspects of the brewhouse production, packaging, distribution and develop the business. There will be an expectation to help with promotion through social media, events, bar work and run brewery tours and be customer facing when required. Enquiries to sales@sheffieldbrewery.com.
Steel City have had a somewhat quiet year after opting not to pursue the direct home sales route (partly due to license, partly down to not wanting to take sales from brewers for whom this is a livelihood), but have started planning for a hopefully more productive summer. Following the huge success of the Stout Wars series of collaborations with Emperor’s (officially the world’s best brewery according to Untappd) and Lost Industry, the unholy trinity decided to move onto sours… The first brew of the Sour Wars series is a 13.7% Imperial Black Sour, once again the bulk has gone into barrels for the first trilogy:
The barrels are tucked up safe for a few months now, but in the meantime here was a small amount of beer left after filling barrels, so six ultra-limited beers are being released now through Beer Central and Hoptimism, 60-70 330ml cans of each version:
(scroll down for the labels to see more about these beers!)
Imperial stouts haven’t been forgotten however, and the minikit was pressed into service to make a small batch of Black Metal Goat, a tonka and vanilla imperial stout, raising £75 for Heeley City Farm in the process. There is also a very small batch maple mead, which was definitely not brewed just so Dave’s bottle share group could get the style badge on Untappd. At all. No. Ahem. More minikit brews are planned, as well as something on the big kit for when most pubs have reopened in May.
As pubs open for the first time in about six months, albeit just for outdoor table service and we all start to venture out after lockdown, Abbeydale Brewery have released a new session IPA to celebrate named Emergence. This flavourful yet easy going beer is a celebration on the palate and perfect to share in good company! It is dry hopped with Vic Secret and Galaxy for an irresistible aroma and a vibrant pop of flavour that is absolutely packed with tropical fruits.
The newest beer from Crosspool Ale Makers Society is The Lost Tribe, a strong and hazy 6% pale ale, with subtle honey and pineapple notes.
Little Critters Brewing Company have a couple of new beers out for April, OrangeUTan is a 7% ABV chocolate orange milk stout while Groundhog Daze is a 4.4% all day IPA. Meanwhile a new batch of Chameleon Galaxy has been brewed and canned, now available to order from them online.
Emmanuales are back brewing and already racked into cask and keg is The Now and Not Yet a 5.0% dry hopped pale ale with Admiral, Jester and Galaxy hops.
Fuggle Bunny Brewhouse have stepped up their brew schedule now pubs are starting to reopen, through lockdown they have been running Friday takeaways which from 16 April will once again have a drink on site option available again although of course outside rather than in the tap room for now! They now have Russian Rare-Bit Stout in stock. During March three specials were brewed: Pineapple Crush IPA, CBBees Honey Delight and Ginger Snap.
Grizzly Grains‘ move to their new premises is underway and are working hard to set their new kit up before resuming brewing.
Heist Brew Co‘s progress opening their new brewery and tap room in Neepsend has been somewhat delayed by the pandemic but work is now well underway completing the building, but this has hit them financially. They have launched a crowdfunding initiative to help get the place up and running, basically you “pay it forward” and get rewarded with benefits including a supports launch night with beer and food included. The venue when open will feature their brewery, two tap rooms with 30 keg lines, games arcade and burger joint.
Latest brew at Neepsend Brew Co is Antares, 4.3% New Zealand pale hopped with Pacific Jade through the boil followed by healthy does of Rakau, Nelson Sauvin and Kohatu post boil and for dry hopping. This beer will be available exclusively on cask. While Neepsend have been brewing through lockdown and selling beer in cans, now pubs are starting to open they are increasing the amount they are brewing, including cask beer and they were please to note recently that six out of the seven tanks in the brewhouse were full of beer or wort!
Triple Point have brewed the first in what they intend to be a series of single hop variety beers, Solo. This one is hopped with Cascade and is a 3.8% session strength New England IPA. It is described as juicy, hazy and pale with orange, pine, and lychee notes. This is available to order in cans from their webshop.
Blue Bee as a predominantly cask brewery that doesn’t do small pack has been somewhat in hibernation with very few pubs open to supply but with the upcoming opening of beer gardens have been busy brewing ready to supply! They have produced three beers: Nelson Motueka (4%), Triple Hop (4.3%) and Climbing up the Walls (5.7% with loads of citra hops) and are now doing a little work to finish off improvements to the brewery before the next brewday.
Good news for cask beer lovers, with some pubs able to open for outdoor table service soon local breweries are starting to increase cask beer production ready. Some brewers have still been selling some cask during lockdown but with only a small number of outlets, primarily pubs offering home delivery, the volumes have been minimal.
Neepsend Brew Co. have been brewing during lockdown with their range of beers mostly available in can and minikeg but their latest brew, Wolf IPA (5.5% single hopped beer) will see all going into cask!
Meanwhile Blue Bee Brewery, who don’t do small pack, have been pretty much in hibernation during lockdown but have now started brewing again!
Little Mesters Brewing are selling a couple of gift packs for those that give presents at Easter, one features their Maxons Yorkshire Mixture flavoured IPA, the other their double dry hopped Hazy IPA. Mixed cases of beers themed on the Totley area and Hope Valley railway line are also on sale, these are Little Mesters beers rebranded as house beers for the Tunnel Tap micropub opening this summer at Totley Rise shops.
The latest beers Grizzly Grain have brewed include Bobcat Mk3 which is going into bottles this week and NZ Pale which they are hoping to make available in cask for pubs as well as the bottles that are heading to the shops over the next week or two.
Chantry have launched a one-off beer for the Virtual Magna Real Ale & Music Festival. It is a fairly traditional Yorkshire bitter brewed with Maris Otter Malt and hopped using British Goldings, Fuggles and Challenger. With the usual charity event unable to take place due to the lockdown an online replacement is taking place. You can buy tickets on the festival website for an online live music performance streamed from the stage of the Cutlers Arms pub on 20 March while drinking this special beer out of a festival branded glass, both available to order from the brewery website. Additionally there will be an online beer tasting event with Little Mesters on the 19 March.
The brewery based underneath the Dronfield Arms pub, which started out life as Hopjacker, is available for lease. The kit is a 5BBL Brewery including 2x 5BBL fermenters and 1x 2.5BBL fermenters along with 2x 330 litre pressured conical vessels for craft keg. To find out more and discuss terms contact Chris, the pub owner, on 07834 950693.
Ward & Houldsworth, who produce flavoured beers under the Original Infused brand, have released a couple of beers without the added flavourings: Original Pale Ale (5.2%) and Original Blonde (4.0%).
Crosspool Alemakers Society brewed a couple of small batch desert porters. Both are 5.5%, Conejacker is a mint choc ice cream flavour and Shut Yer Cake Owl is cherry chocolate cake.
New beers from Little Mesters include DXCI Pale and Spiced Rum & Raisin Stout.
The latest brew at Grizzly Grain is a sessionable, fruity, New Zealand hopped pale ale.
Saint Mars of the Desert have brewed a tart cherry fruit beer, 7.1% called Confounded Mister Sisyphus. This beer involved their foeder being used to create sour wort, fruit, a bit of blending, barrel ageing and champagne yeast. You can read the background of the name and a bit more on the process on their brewery blog.
Neepsend Brew Co. have brewed a 5.0% strawberry and rhubarb sour. We’re told the strawberry sweetness and rhubarb tartness combine really well perfectly for a refreshing, mouth-puckering springtime sour. Available to order online in cans imminently.
Eyam Brewery are hosting a pop up shop every Saturday 10:30 to 13:30 starting from 20th March.
A thing that is happening… once again the crazy trio Steel City, Emperor’s and Lost Industry are getting together for some imperial silliness, and this time it’s sour.
The first trilogy will be released from barrels in summer (assuming we’re allowed out to play!)
sneak preview of Episode I: The Cranachan Menace. Whisky barrel, 15kg raspberry puree, and 20l heather honey mead. The rest of the mead will have 5kg raspberry and a dash of whisky added and be sold as cranachan mead.
We can’t wait!
So we’ve got at least another few weeks before we’re able to start visiting all of our city’s fantastic pubs again, but there is plenty of hope on the horizon for summer time pints! Because of this, the releases shown below are all due to come out in can, although we’re carrying on brewing and hope to be as prepared as possible to supply pubs when they’re ready. Plus we’ve still got plenty of 5L minikegs in stock, and a selected handpulled cask beer is available to pre-order and pick up from the brewery, so get in touch if you fancy a pint or two for beers at home!
The next of our Dr Morton’s series is out early March – Angler Management (4.1%) is a Chinook and Centennial hopped pale ale. Light, hoppy and refreshing with flavours of citrus fruits and pine, and a tempting bitter finish. Not for small fry!
This year we’ve decided to brew two different versions of our spring special, Reverie – they’re both going to be 4.2% dry hopped pale ales, but with distinctly different hop characters. The first is a rebrew of the Citra & Cascade edition which we’ve released previously, and has a fresh, fruity and floral character. The second is a new recipe which features HBC472 and El Dorado hops. This one is punchy and resinous, with bright tropical fruit flavours on the palate.
The next in our Salvation series sees us return to the first ever recipe we released under this range with a Coconut Stout (5.5%). This one’s been requested a few times so we’ve brought it back! Velvety and full bodied, with the coconut boosted by Sorachi Ace hops. Creamy and delicious!
We’re also running our Crowler Clubs on Fridays for those of you who are missing your post work pub trips, these take place virtually over Zoom and are growing every week, so please do look them up if you fancy some friendly beery chat!
Cheers,
Laura, Abbeydale Brewery
Beer can be ordered online for collection or delivery at abbeydalebrewery.co.uk.
