The Ale Archive

The Brewery: “ In 1978, Butcombe Brewing Co. began. It was a time of cultural, social and political change, soundtracked by bands full of spit and anger riding the crest of the punk wave. Margaret Thatcher took the Tory leadership, the IRA waged war, the Yorkshire Ripper cast a long shadow over the North and the meaning of life was revealed as the number 42. We shut out the world and made beer.” The Beer: Nothing on their website on what is obviously a seasonal special. The usual dark fruity winter ale. Enjoyable but not memorable - for the right or wrong reasons. 4.1% A.B.V The Barley Mow , Kemptown, Brighton. December 2018

What they say: “They called the winter of ‘78 ‘the winter of discontent’. Widespread strikes across the public sector brought the country to a standstill as workers fought for their rights. To mark this tumultuous period of British history, we’ve created a beer for the people…..fruity, smooth and packed with Super Pride hops, this beer is strikingly good and very sessionable. This Pacific Ale keeps the bitterness low and lets the aromatics shine through with every single sip.” From their ‘78 range – the year Butcombe began brewing. Strong stuff but I didn’t find it too hoppy. The first new beer on our stay in Bristol. 4.8% A.B.V. The Cottage Inn , Bristol. February 2017.