696: Greene King | Abbot Reserve

The brewery: “We’ve been running pubs and brewing award-winning beer from our base in Bury St. Edmunds ever since the company was founded in 1799 by 19 year-old Benjamin Greene……Edward Greene grew the business in Bury St Edmunds significantly to the point where he merged operations with business rival Frederick King and Greene King began to become more recognisable as the brewery that we see today.”

The beer: “Very full bodied, rich and sweet with a higher bitterness to provide balance. Bursting with malty, biscuity and fruitcake character from the mixture of pale, amber and crystal malts. Masses of tropical fruits and floral fragrance from the hops in particular the fragrant, floral and spicy fuggles. Very complex,rich and warming.”

Another I’ve had before but omitted to add to the Archive. I’ve always liked Abbot Ale this was even better. However it is very much like Old Crafty Hen and given that they are both brewed at Bury St Edmunds it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s just a bit of re-badging going on. I tried them side by side and the both looked, smelt and tasted the same. Regardless, a nice drop. 6.5% A.B.V.

Related entries

695: Morland | Old Crafty Hen

The brewery: Is in fact Greene King and brewing takes place at it’s site in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. GK acquired the Morland Brewery - based in Abingdon - in 1999. There is now housing on the site where the brewery once stood.

The beer: “A strong fine ale combines the malty taste with a smooth raisin finish. It has great complexity, but it is still rather refreshing. This superior ale is great on nights with a bit of a nip in the air!….Our Master Brewer has created a premium, vintage oak-aged beer which delivers a variety of sophisticated tastes. The marvellous 5X brings resonance, depth and an eruption of fruity, raisin notes, underscored by the malt and toffee from Old Speckled Hen to create a perfectly smooth and rounded beer. Complex, mysterious… and a question and answer all in one.”

I’ve drunk this many times - not least because my nearby Co-Op stocks it - however it was only recently I realised that it wasn’t in the Archive. So here it is.

I must say I like this a lot, wonderfully rich and malty, a real winter warmer but not one to slosh back as a session beer unless you have some paracetamol to hand for the morning! 6.5% A.B.V I much prefer this to the other ‘Hens’.

Related entries.

694: Monty’s Brewery | Masquerade

The brewery: “Monty’s Brewery is based just a short distance from the ancient castle town of Montgomery, on the Powys - Shropshire border……….It was in January 2009 when the first casks were produced. It was only the third brew before Monty’s Sunshine started to get the recognition it still enjoys today, winning the “Darlington Spring Thing CAMRA Beer Festival”. It has since won numerous prizes, including Finalist Champion Beer of Britain.”

The beer: “A golden ale with tropical fruit flavours and a distinctive hop aroma…..We set out to create a great tasting gluten free beer that everyone can enjoy and in 2017 we improved the recipe not compromising on the aroma or taste. We think you'll love it even more!”

Liked this offering from Monty’s too. I didn’t find it too fruity and another good summer ale. Worth noting that it’s gluten free too. 4.6% A.B.V.

693: Great Central Railway | Porter

Brewed for the GCR by the Wicked Hathern brewery who are based near Loughborough, though brewing now seems to take place in Staffordshire.  Set up in the early 2000’s, there is currently no website and their last Facebook post was over a year ago, however they are clearly still brewing.

This was a classic porter to me - and very nice too. A great accompaniment to those lovely sounds and smells of a heritage steam railway.

June 2021

692: Weetwood Ales | Mad Hatter

The brewery: “Weetwood Ales began brewing in 1992 when finding a great pint of cask ale was a challenge. The brewery was founded by Adrian Slater, a skilled brewer, and Roger Langford, a farmer with space in a barn and a love for proper beer. Roger’s farm is in Weetwood Common, near Tarporley in Cheshire and the brewery took the name”

The beer: “In cask this is a great session beer, brewed with Amarillo hops from the USA to give spicy and floral character. In bottle we dial up the abv and the hops to create a punchy, robust Strong Ruby Ale.”

I was delighted to try another from the Weetwood stable after nearly two years and this did not disappoint either. I didn’t find it too floral, but glad I had the bottled version at 6% A.B.V. The cask version is brewed to 3.9% A.B.V.

June 2021.

691: Monty’s Brewery | Mischief

The brewery: “Monty’s Brewery is based just a short distance from the ancient castle town of Montgomery, on the Powys - Shropshire border……….It was in January 2009 when the first casks were produced. It was only the third brew before Monty’s Sunshine started to get the recognition it still enjoys today, winning the “Darlington Spring Thing CAMRA Beer Festival”. It has since won numerous prizes, including Finalist Champion Beer of Britain.”

The beer: “Our golden strong British IPA, refreshing and easily quaffable for a 5% ale.Brewed with a great balance of malts and hops this beer is an easy drinking brew with a slight sweetness in the finish.”

It certainly was very drinkable and most welcome after a long drive up from the south coast after work. The sweetness was very subtle. As often with these type of beers it would go down particularly well on a warm summers night, served a little colder.

June 2021

690: Glamorgan Brewing Co. | Welsh Cake Stout

The brewery: “The Anstee family began supplying the hospitality trade in South Wales with beers, wines and spirits in the early 90’s. The knowledge and community ties established during this time gave us a real desire to see quality Welsh beer back on local bars. So much so we thought we’d brew some ourselves.”

The beer: “Inspired by one of our favourite treats we decided to experiment by adding a mix of oats and raisins to a brew. The result is a rich, dark, and chewy stout with a slightly sweet vinous character", alongside the biscuity effect of oats and barley. Every sip reminds us of fresh Welsh Cakes, straight from the griddle.”

A delicious stout, full bodied and a very moreish combination of flavours. Top stuff.