by colinmcgray | May 14, 2015 | Lock Box: May 2015
The UK has one of the most experimental and progressive brewing scenes in the world, a scene that has thrived over the last few years. There is no doubt that in the UK we have taken influence from the US, where the craft beer scene has been booming since the 90’s. However, from a quality and diversity of beer perspective, we in the UK and the US are just newbies compared to the folks in Belgium. They’ve been making weird and wonderful varieties of all styles for hundreds of years. Because these great historic breweries have been around for so long they very often get forgotten in amongst the newest breweries on the block. This month, for the May 2015 Lockbox, we’ve gone distinctly Belgian, and we are pretty damn excited about it! Alongside our Belgian trio we also have some of the very best new breweries on the planet, giving you a real balance of new and old. A blend of progressive, experimental and traditional. In fact, all the things that make beer wonderful. First up we have the legend that is Orval. One of just a few Trappist breweries in the world, brewed by Monks adhering to the Trappist traditions, the brewery follow an unusual tack by only producing one beer (this one) for general sale. If drank young, the beer will have a nose of fresh hops, will be fruity to the taste with a bitter hop bite to it. Orval is generally considered a great aged beer so, if you have the patience, then sit her aside for around 9 months to a year and drink on a special occasion (or when you...
by colinmcgray | May 5, 2015 | Lock Box: April 2015
Welcome to this month’s lock Box. We hope you are extremely excited by the beers you have just received and can’t wait to try them. We really enjoy you folks sharing with us on social media your opening of the box and the beers, so get in touch! Over the months we have been in existence we have showcased some pretty great beers, from some pretty great breweries. Most of these beers and breweries have been from the new wave of craft breweries, whose launches have swept the nation over the last 5 years. It’s great that the UK has seen such a boom, and we’ll continue to support these guys, as we have done this month too. However we thought it was also important to bring some heritage to the table. We want to showcase some of the guys on these shores, and across the pond, whose innovation, creativity and bravery is pretty unique. Some of these established brands are taking a side-step from the staid industry-created beers of old, even though without them the new batch of brewers most certainly would not be where they are, with the inspiration the have. Meantime Brewing have been doing their thing for longer than most folks currently in the industry have been alive. They have focused on hop forward, experimental beers since day 1, and did so against the trend of what was at the time popular. Despite this, and as proof that if you focus on quality and innovation you’ll find a market, they thrived, and as such when the current craft beer boom took off they were there,...
by colinmcgray | Mar 20, 2015 | Lock Box: March 2015
Out of Christchurch, New Zealand’s award-winning Three Boys Brewery, the Three Boys Porter is an English-style porter that has taken the country (as well as various other parts of the world) by storm. With balanced and toasted malts (including a predominate chocolate malt), the beer boasts of a complex flavor. In addition to the malt addition, the unique hop variety is also to thank for the porter’s distinctive characteristics. Using classic English Fuggle hops (which allow the beer to maintain its traditional porter taste) as well as various New Zealand hops (which give it both spiciness and originality), the brew is a creative twist on the standard porter. Coming in at 5.2% ABV, the Three Brothers’ beer is in the mid-range of the ABV range for an average English porter. If anyone thinks it lacks in strength, however, that’s more than made up for in flavor and character. The porter pours a deep—nearly black—color and has a consistently creamy brown head that provides lots of lacing. The porter has a surprisingly thin consistency that might threaten to compromise the integrity of the brew if it weren’t for its unique and intriguing flavor. Like most porters, the brew has strong notes of coffee and chocolate (both aromatically and in flavor); however, Three Brothers Porter also offers a spicy, fruity twist on the original and an added kick, thanks to its extra hoppy essence. Its medium body and smooth, creamy texture are enhanced by additional notes of flavor: raspberry, blueberry, and a subtle roasted smokiness. With an incredibly sweet profile, the brew pairs well with more savory foods and various grilled meats, as it...
by colinmcgray | Mar 20, 2015 | Lock Box: March 2015
In a country with an already booming craft beer industry, a steadily growing number of breweries continue to push the boundaries, always willing to take a few chances. “Innovation and experimentation is the best way to run a brewery,” is the adage of Bristol Beer Factory, for example, a small brigade of rebellious-spirited brewers from – where else – South Bristol. And this mentality manifests in their beer- the beloved standards, only slightly off-kilter. The brewery seems to relish in paying homage to the classics, with many of its offerings harking back to the “good old days,” while striving to wrap them all with a fresh, modern face. Debuting in 2004, Bristol Beer Factory blossomed from a humble operation into a veritable, well, factory, of beer. Equal parts playful and traditional, the brewers relish in being part of the craft beer revolution while paying respects to the Ghosts of Beer Past. And it’s not difficult to see where their spirit comes from – they’re brewing in an original 1904 brew house, the Ashton Gate brewery, a storied brewery that closed up shop in the 30’s. “The company has a firm belief that all the great ideas are already within the 4 walls of the brewery,” they claim, “it’s just a matter of extracting them.” And their fervor absolutely infuses their beer with plenty of character. “We’re not afraid to try anything.” It is perhaps this marrying of the old and the new that fuels the likes of their Sweet Stout (called, simply, Milk Stout), a popular offering that has nabbed them a few awards to boot (namely the National Championship...
by colinmcgray | Mar 20, 2015 | Vault Reserve: March 2015
Here’s the full lineup for the March 2015 Vault Reserve box. I hope you, our members, are really excited by the beers this month and can’t wait to try them. I really enjoy everyone sharing with us on social media your opening of the box and the beers, so get in touch! With our Vault Reserve box we always strive to showcase the very best of the of the UK beer scene. We’ll throw imports in there to keep things exciting, and to allow us to genuinely showcase a rounded selection of the very best beers in the world to our members, but ultimately it’s UK beers that really get us going. So it’s with some great excitement I can talk you folks through this month’s selection. Wild Beer Tom Yum Gose – 4.5% – 750ml Tom Yum Gose is an intercontinental amalgamation of flavours, travelling from Europe to Asia to escape the restrictions of the reinheitsgebot, but finally settling down in rural Somerset, England. Wild Beer have taken a beer style revived from 16th century Germany and added to it’s base of coriander and salt, an array of floral, citrus fruity and spicy flavours from Thailand. These work together to create a deliciously crisp and refreshing 4.2% ABV amber wheat beer, with carefully balanced spices, reminiscent of a Tom Yum soup (but definitely best served cold). The base of this beer was initially fermented using local wild yeasts and bacteria from our local environment, creating it’s initial sour notes. Which are complimented by the tart citrus of lime, and followed by the floral aroma of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal. The finish...
