The Ale Archive

The brewery: “ Harvey's Brewery is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex. A family business, the brewery has been in the guardianship of seven generations of John Harvey's descendants since 1790, with five family members from the seventh and eighth generations currently working here. Still a privately-owned limited company, Harvey's has no shares marketed for external investment.” The beer: “A traditional brown ale. Brewed with roasted malt and dark sugars, it has a sweet, malty palate and a bittersweet finish derived from Fuggle and Progress aroma hops. There is a lush fullness, offset by a hint of burnt sugars. Sweet palate with notes of coffee and liquorice.” A tad on the sweet side for me but an enjoyable lockdown quaff nonetheless. Another quality ale from Harveys. 4.8% A.B.V. May 2020. Related entries

The brewery: “Harvey's Brewery is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex. A family business, the brewery has been in the guardianship of seven generations of John Harvey's descendants since 1790, with five family members from the seventh and eighth generations currently working here. Still a privately-owned limited company, Harvey's has no shares marketed for external investment. The beer: “First brewed to mark the Eastbourne Beer Festival in October 2004. A strong, old style India Pale Ale reminiscent of the beers exported across the globe by British breweries during the early nineteenth century. This golden IPA exudes a full hop aroma, with subtle hints of marmalade. The crisp bitterness lingers on the palate giving a dry finish.” Another new one to pass my lips during lockdown and what a cracker. It reminded me a bit of Abbot Ale though perhaps a bit lighter taste wise. Similar strength at 5.5% A.B.V and like Abbot, very appealing to my taste buds. May 2020. Related en...

The brewery: “Andy Hepworth started brewing in Reading almost directly after University. He moved to Horsham in 1980 and within five years became the youngest Head Brewer in the country, winning many awards.The long-standing tradition of brewing in Horsham came to an abrupt halt in 2000 with the sale of its last brewery and so Andy, determined to maintain that tradition, joined up with the key members of the brewing team in order to create Hepworths, an independent brewery aiming to build its own range of quality brands, while maintaining flexibility for contract work.” The beer: “ Iron Horse is a premium bitter brewed with Sussex hops. This wonderful Pale Ale is handcrafted from a complex grist of roasted malts and Sussex grown hops delivering full flavour ale with a traditional Sussex hoppy nose to the finish.The result is an authentic craft beer, gluten free, traditionally brewed, with no compromise on quality, taste or strength. Densely flavoured and very satisfying at 4.8% abv. A...

The brewery: “Andy Hepworth started brewing in Reading almost directly after University. He moved to Horsham in 1980 and within five years became the youngest Head Brewer in the country, winning many awards.The long-standing tradition of brewing in Horsham came to an abrupt halt in 2000 with the sale of its last brewery and so Andy, determined to maintain that tradition, joined up with the key members of the brewing team in order to create Hepworths, an independent brewery aiming to build its own range of quality brands, while maintaining flexibility for contract work.” The beer: “Pullman is a First Class Best Bitter from first class brewers. Using our traditional brewing expertise along with finest Sussex grown malt and Admiral and Golding hops, Pullman delivers a first class fresh crisp bite, long on flavour with a silky finish.” The first new beer to be added to the Archive during ‘lockdown’. The ale shelves were empty at my local shop the weekend before lockdown was announced and I...