Beer Review: Coach House Blueberry Bitter

Brewery: Coach House 

Style: Bitter

ABV: 5%

Location: Warrington, Cheshire

Aroma: A strong aroma of blueberries immedietely is noticeable, some floral notes with hints of caramel and a malt. There's some hoppiness going on the in the background that give the impression it's not a typical fruit beer. 

Colour: Golden amber with a thin white head. Although claims it's a Bitter, it's more like a Golden Ale in sheep's clothing.

Taste: Rather bitter with some residual biscuity dryness, a potent flush of blueberries is quite notieable on first sip, yet it dovetails with the other flavours effortlessly. It is moderately hoppy, and a sweetness from the malt adds to the character. The mouthfeel is smooth, although the lack of a hefty head make its overall less creamy. 

Verdict: Distincty fruity and flavoursome, the use of blueberries is placed firmly in the foreground where much of the beer's character emulates from. Yet the flavours are not imbalanced as they could be like many infamous fruited beers of late, the bitterness from the hops is still detectable and there is a strong malty background that helps the give the flavours some extra depth. Yet the choice of hops uded was a bit of a let down, as a 'fruiter hop' could have benefited by adding to the overall flavour profile. A decent example of a English style fruit beer that is refreshing and perfect for a Summer's day.

Rating: 7/10

Raiders of the Lost Breweries

The old adage goes seek and you shall find, this particularly comes into focus whenever you pass by a former building that was used for industrial purposes, within London there is a smattering of examples, hidden discretely within residential housing developments, commercial shopping outlets or business parks, many of these former breweries have been preserved and incorporated into these modern structures, far removed from their original purpose. Of course, there are well known examples such as Truman’s Brewery in Shoreditch where the buildings have been converted into a labyrinth of commercial outlets, street markets and galleries, or the Ram Quarter in Wandsworth which once housed the mighty Young’s Brewery that closed in 2006, since then it has been turned into a mixture of residential and commercial outlets, although in 2021 part of the building went back into brewing production again, when Sambrook’s Brewery set up operations. It’s fairly easily to lark on well known examples like Truman’s, Young’s, Courage or Whitbread, whose former brewery sites largely remain in-tact, yet there are less well-known examples out there to take into account, here is a potted guide of some notable examples. 

A number of former breweries are nestled within business parks, tucked within a quite unassuming business park in Bruce Grove, resides the building of the former Bruce Grove Brewery run by Woolridge & Co. Founded in 1834, they soon established an impressive Tower brewery which was prevalent during this period, alongside a modest estate of 8 tied public houses. In 1920, the brewery was Linnell’s Tottenham Brewery Co. Ltd, then passed onto Davenport's Brewery Ltd in 1925, whom promptly turned into a depot. Brewing operations have long since ceased and today it operates as a small business park, hosting businesses as diverse as World Eye Media, 3 Step Curry and Uncle John’s Brewery, the chimney stack no longer stands but the original brewery site remains in-tact. Another example of a brewery that has now been turned into a business park is the former site of Britannia Brewery in West Drayton which was run by James Thatcher & Co. The family business was founded in 1806, they soon established a malt house near the village green and by the 1860’s they added brewing facilities to the site. By the end of the century, the company had an estate of 30 tied pubs within the nearby areas and featured a sideline, producing ginger beer in bottle and cask. In 1910, the brewery site along with their estate was sold to Isleworth Brewery, at the time they were one of the largest brewers in Middlesex, with an impressive estate of 228 tied public houses. Although the likes of Isleworth Brewery have long since vanished into the history books, the brewery site remains, resplendent in its characteristic mid-Victorian style architecture that was typical of small-scale breweries of this period. Quite often these business parks are hidden from view, nestled in the backstreets, yet there is a notable example of a former brewery in plain sight on Bourne Road in the depths of Bexley. Nowadays, the likes of Old Bexley Business Park hold a mixture of offices and businesses, yet the building is of mid-Victorian origin, pertaining to be the premises of the former Reffell’s Brewery. The family business was originally founded by Henry Reffell who acquired the Somers Arms in Redhill in 1853, at the time it operated as a pub and brewhouse and by 1874, Reffell was looking to relocate and sold the leasehold of the pub to a Mr. Charles Dagnall. Later that year, construction started on a greenfield site in Bexley and by March 1876, construction was completed. Unfortunately, in September of that year, Henry Reffell died and ownership of the brewery was passed onto his three sons John, William and Arthur, who renamed the brewery Reffell Bros. Over time business expanded, they boasted an impressive range of beers including XXXK Strong, Champion Gold Medal Ale and AK Light Bitter and retailed their produce to local public houses. In 1898, they acquired the London based tied public houses from Showell’s Brewery Co., and they continued to run the brewery within the family until 1956 when it was sold to Courage alongside their estate of 19 pubs. The brewery was promptly closed, yet the brewery site has been ultimately preserved and is currently used as industrial units, and provides a fitting reminder to the town’s former brewing industry. 

It's often the case that a number of these former breweries turn into residential housing, as is common among ex-industrial units within London. For instance, an unassuming block of flats in Ashenden Road, Homerton was once the site of Tower Brewery, which was built by George Clarke in 1882. The brewery was sold twice, first in 1906 and secondly in 1910 by Woodhead’s Brewery, whom ran it until 1949 when they transferred operations to Southwark. Charrington acquired the site from this point onwards, until brewing ceased permanently in 1965. Another example of a brewery being turned into residential housing is the Albion Brewery in Whitechapel which was built in 1808 by James Mann, subsequently in 1846 his son James went into partnership with experienced brewer Robert Crossman and a few years later Thomas Paulin, and they formed the partnership Mann, Crossman and Paulin. Over time they become one of the London’s prominent brewers with a large estate of tied pubs in London, Essex, Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire, and in 1875 they acquired a second brewery site in Burton. During the 20th century the company expanded further, buying out a number of breweries and their tied public houses including the likes of Brandon Brewery, Middleton Brewery and the Hornchurch Brewery Co. to name a few. In 1958 they merged with Watney, Coombe and Reid Co. to become Watney Mann and brewing operations continued at the Whitechapel site until it was sold in 1979. The building has since been renovated and repurposed for residential flats, the central office buildings with its signature clocktower has been incorporated into the development and still bears is distinctive sculpted reliefs, the arched signage has also been retained and proudly displays above the entrance into the complex. Further west in Chiswick, on Church Street resides the former site of the Lamb Brewery, which during its height of operations was the main competitor to Fuller’s in the town. A brewery had operated from the site as early as the 18th century, in 1790, John Sich purchased the site, and later in 1809 he formed a partnership with his sons John Jr. and Henry where they operated as common brewers, which meant they produced beer but did not retail it to public houses, at the same time, they also operated as coal merchants which helped support overall everyday costs of running the brewery. This unusual business model served them well for the remainder of the century, where they profited from the new industries that were popping up around the town, thus providing a steady clientele from the proliferation of workers. Building on this success, in 1901 the brewery was rebuilt, designed by William Bradford, it was constructed in the tower brewery concept which was popular at the time, as it allowed them to expand on capacity and produce up to 150 gallons of beer per quarter, and fill 60,000 barrels per year. Unfortunately, despite this uptick in production, restrictions in materials brought on by World War One hit them hard, they tried to preserve by forming an alliance with Fullers, Isleworth Brewery and the Victoria Brewery, Windsor but this effort proved to be futile. Couple with the restrictions of licencing hours and the closure of a number of factories in the area, their clientele declined and in 1920 the brewery site was sold to Isleworth, and brewing production promptly ceased. Two years later, Fullers purchased the site as a means of expanding warehouse capacity, and a few years later they sold it onto the Standard Yeast Company, who occupied the site until 1952. Today the original Edwardian tower brewery structure is still standing, and functions as a mixture of offices and apartments under the name of Lamb Brewery Studios. It is sometimes the case that former brewery site have been turned into commercial outlets, the former Noakes & Co Brewery in Bermondsey has been turned into a estate agents, Lovibonds former site in Greenwich now operates as the warehouse for Davy’s Wine Merchants and Mortlake Brewery has been turned into a depot for the Post Office. A notable example of commercial repurposing is the former Chelsea Brewery which now operates as a furniture and arts centre. The brewery was established by John Bowden who set up the Royal Brewery around c.1850, operating initially from a premises in Fulham Road. Looking to expand his operations, in the 1880’s he acquired a larger premises in Chelsea and renamed it the Royal Chelsea Brewery, it was constructed in a grand ornate fashion, the offices were built in the Queen Anne revival style that was popular at the time, which surrounded a conventional tower brewery complex that would support an increase in brewing production. In 1900 it was renamed the Welch Ale Brewery after took over Smith’s Welch Ale Brewery Ltd, Old Kent Road. Although by this time it had acquired a sizeable estate 80 pubs, due to wartime restrictions and increasing competition from larger London brewers, in 1920 the company was brought out by Watney Coombe Reid. Four years later brewing ceased, and it was converted into a wine and spirits depot, known as Cremorne Gate Cellars. Today the structure of the building still retains it’s imposing late Victorian appearance, even-though parts of the tower brewery have partially been removed. Although the building is a fine example of late Victorian architecture, the garish lick of lime green paint is somewhat left to be desired. The building continues to be used for commercial use, and is perhaps one of the more prominent examples of a former brewery used in this manner that is easily accessible within London. 

Although a good number of former breweries have largely maintained their original structures, some aren’t so lucky, indeed the Imperial Lager Brewery in Portland Rise, Tottenham, only the brewery gates have been maintained. Further north, on Tottenham High Street features part of the former Bell Brewery, established by the Gripper Bros in 1760, at the height of their success in the late 19th century, they employed a workforce of 30 and the company boasted one of the largest estates of tied houses in the region, operating around 64 pubs and to meet demand in 1871 they acquired a second brewery site in Enfield. Alas in 1896, the ailing George Gripper sold the Bell Brewery to Whitbread who subsequently ceasing brewing operations and turned the building into a bottling plant and depot. Large parts of the building have been demolished over the years, in 1927 the malt loft was removed and during the 1980’s when Whitbread sold on the site, more parts were demolished. Today only the Grade II Listed Southern Gate Building still survives and acts an entrance to a number of local community organisations, the Whitbread Clock which was added later has also become a local landmark in its own right. Meanwhile, in Kentish Town nestled on the junction of Hawley Crescent and Kentish Town High Roads, features the remnants of the imposing late Victorian structure that once housed the former Camden Brewery. The site was founded in 1859 by the consortium of Richard Garrett, Abram Garrett, Thomas Whitaker and George A. Grimwood. By the late 19th century, the brewery had an impressive workforce of 100 men and it was the centre of their extensive operations that also included a sizeable estate of 78 pubs around the London area, Ron Pattison notes that this push to buy more pubs in 1895, helped exceed their capital to £40,000. Yet trouble was in the air and in 1912, the company went into receivership, after World War One the company had managed to partially restore their finances, yet ultimately the brewery along with their estate of tied pubs was sold to Courage in 1923, two years later brewing operations ceased at the site.  Today, only a portion of the brewery site still remains, the imposing terracotta frontage built in 1900 at the height of their success still bears down on passers-by, although the existing building is currently used as a mixture of offices. Near the top of Stanmore Hill is a luxury housing development that was once the site of one of Middlesex’s largest brewers, Thomas Clutterbuck & Co. At the height of their success, they became one of most prominent local brewers in the area, owning a sizeable estate of 74 pubs around Middlesex and Hertfordshire with outposts as far as Hemel Hempstead and Southall respectively. Established by Thomas Clutterbuck in 1749, the brewhouse site was built around c.1760. At the height of their powers, they became one of the largest employers in the area, boasting a workforce of over 50, and a fleet of shire horses where several horse-drawn drays per hour descended Stanmore Hill. By the time Thomas Meadow Clutterbuck took over the brewery in 1898, they became more subsumed with the running of their public houses, than with the upkeep of the brewery site and in 1916 they sold it onto Bass who turned it into a depot and bottle store. Subsequently in 1923 it was sold onto Cannon Brewery, who then sold it to H Patterson and Co, a firm of garden and sports ground equipment suppliers in 1926. The building continued to be used for industrial use for 60 years when the site was sold onto for residential redevelopment in the 1980’s. Although large parts of the brewery have been demolished, portions of the site remain such as the clock tower, coach house and head brewers house, since these were retained as listed buildings.

Around the Greater London area, there are perhaps over a dozen examples of former brewey sites that exist in one form of another. While in some cases the structures remain largely-intact and provide ideal examples of the tower brewery structures that dominated around the city during the 19th century, unfortunately there’s a good of examples where the original buildings have been largely demolished and the only extant features have only been preserved since they were given listed status, like Clutterbuck’s in Stanmore or the Bell Brewery in Tottenham. Its intriguing to see that many of these former buildings continue to be used for commercial and industrial use as they were originally intended, whilst others have been turned into residential housing. Some of the buildings are easy to view such as the former Royal Chelsea Brewery which now operates a furniture store, whilst a good deal of other examples are harder to find, indeed several have been incorporated into business parks and warehouses tucked away from street view. All these former brewery sites share something in common, they represent a veritable graveyard of London’s brewing past where at its height at the turn of the 20th century boasted 90 breweries, and a good number of these were large complexes that employed an equally sizeable workforce. The decline of these buildings represents the subsequent decay of London’s once bustling brewing industry, although in the past few decades the brewing industry in London has recovered, today the majority of breweries in London tend to be brewpubs, microbreweries or relegated to warehouses within industrial parks on the edge of the metropolis, yet from an architectural standpoint there’s nothing remarkable about these modern structures. Despite this uptick, alas many of the larger breweries like Young’s, Whitbread, Courage, Charrington, Truman’s and Watney Mann are no more and only Fuller’s expansive Griffin Brewery site in Chiswick survives to this day and continues to be used exclusively for brewing purposes, it is a unique representation of London’s brewing industry that dominated during the Victorian period, where large brewery complexes churned out hundreds of gallons of beer per year in order to serve the thronging masses. 

Beer Review: Badger Wicked Wyvern

Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)

Style: IPA

ABV: 5%

Location: Blandford Forum, Dorset

Aroma: A whisp of tropical fruits imbued with floral notes and hints of citrus coming through in the background. A discernable note of hops is present, without being too overwhelming.

Colour: Amber-bronze with a yellowish tinge, reminicent of a tropical sunset. Features a frothy two finger white head when poured. 

Taste: Quite hoppy, yet not too bitter, some fruitiness present and a touch of sweetness. There is a certain biscuity quality coming through from the strong malt backbone, while the mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, which is helped by it's abundant head.

Verdict: A fairly decent mid-level take on the East Coast IPA, the use of American hops such as Cascade, Amarillo and Mosaic helps give it an authentic taste and distinct flavour profile that borders on tropical fruits with a touch of spice. The hoppiness adds to the distinct qualities from the malt, which makes the beer seem stronger than its ABV would suggest.

Rating: 8/10 

A Cup of Coffee Stout

Over the past few years, there has been an uptick in the number of Coffee Stouts either released on a nationwide or regional basis. Where it was once deemed a niche product with limited appeal, this recent roster of releases have been repurposed as regular fixtures of the brewery’s commercial range, with the likes of Grind (6%) – BrewDog, Expresso Martini (5.6%) – Wiper & True, Barista Stout (4.2%) - Theakston and Master Stoat (5%) – Hall & Woodhouse, enjoying national distribution across pubs, supermarkets and bottle shops around the country; even regional breweries like Ashover, Ben’s, Cotswold Lakes, Ferry Ales, Great Corby, Titanic and Tring are getting in on the act and releasing coffee stouts as part of their regular range. Even supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are getting on the act, with the latter releasing Coffee Stout (5.2%) in collaboration with Hall & Woodhouse last year. This clamour is partly due to growing popularity of stouts in this country, a recent Tesco press release stated “stout has become so popular again that it is now the fastest growing beer variety in the UK. In the last year volume demand for the malty, full-bodied, dark beer with a creamy head has grown by 35 per cent at Tesco.”[1] In recent years, the growth for stouts in the UK increased by a whopping 23% against a growing global increase in the consumption of stout, making the UK one of the fastest growing markets for stout in the world. With this boom in sales for stout, purely by chance coffee stouts are now gaining greater traction in this country than ever before. This particularly beer style has often been derided, seen as a figurehead of the craft beer movement, or been consigned to the banishment of limited-edition releases that are quickly forgotten about. Its recent rise to prominence has been belated, given that coffee stouts (and porters) have been produced in this country for over 20 years, yet it’s current success could be soon be vindicated.

 

The likes of Coffee Stout are part of an extensive roster of substyles of this particular type of beer, ranging from classics like Milk, Oyster, or Oatmeal Stout noted for their full bodied and creamy mouthfeel, ones with darker and more astringent flavours like Dry and Chocolate Stout, fruity varieties that use the likes of Cherries and Plums, to potent examples like Imperial Stout and the downright peculiar like Meat Stout that utilized genuine meat extract. Rather intriguingly Coffee Stout is relatively new to the roster, as the Brewer’s Union note “the very first commercially distributed coffee beer was released in 1994 by Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing.  They called it, simply enough, Coffee Stout.  Two years later, this beer won the silver medal at the B.T.I – World Beer Championships.”[2] This beer was followed by the likes of other early examples like Cappuccino Stout (Languitas) released later in 1994, Chicory Stout (Dogfish Head) and Double Black Stout (Redhook Brewing) both released the following year in 1995. Soon other breweries across the states were producing their own Coffee Stouts, and eventually word of this new style of stout spread around the world and soon countries like Belgium, Australia, Norway, Poland and even Japan were producing their unique takes on the style. Rather belatedly, Coffee Stouts reached the shores of blighty in 2003 when Dark Star released Expresso Stout (4.2%) brewed with arabica beans it quicky became a popular release for the brewery, soon other breweries joined the bandwagon with the likes of Java Jolt Coffee Stout (5.5%) – Darwin, and Gaelic Coffee (4.6%) – Church End first appearing over the next couple of years. In 2008, Ashover released Coffin Lane Stout (5%), named after a former trail that led out of Ashover lined with gravestones, for many years mourners would use it as a route to the local cemetery. Described by CAMRA as a “stout with chocolate and coffee flavours which are balanced by a little sweetness, the finish is long and quite dry.”[3] Its warming chocolate and coffee flavours were enhanced by the slightly bitter finish of Fuggles hops. This beer subsequently became a regular part of their range, becoming one of the first coffee stouts produced in the UK to be sold on a regular basis. Another early example of a regular release was Cappucino Stout (4.5%) – Titanic, first released in 2011, it was based on their classic recipe Stout and utilized a cold coffee brew added during the brewing process. The finished result CAMRA mentions it as “black with a vanilla and strong coffee nose leading to a sweet taste again with strong coffee, aftertaste is sweet.”[4] Whilst All Hail the Ale dubbed it as tiramisù in a glass, stating “there’s coffee straight away, a little bit of chocolate and the malt is there, but it very much playing second fiddle,”[5] this beer has won a number of awards over the years and it continues to be sold to this day. Meanwhile the following year Fat Cat Brewery debuted Coffee Cream Stout (4.6%) at the 35^th Norwich Beer Festival, initially known as Mocha Moggie it was made Ethiopian Mocha coffee beans from Wilkinsons of Pottergate. The beer continued be sold on a regular basis in bottle and cask over the next decade, eventually winning Gold in the stout category for the CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Norfolk in 2020, yet despite these developments, this anticipated clamour for coffee flavoured stouts was slow to come by.

 

During the 2010’s as the craft beer movement thundered ahead, this proved to be febrile ground for budding independent brewers to experiment with their own coffee stouts, these releases tended produced in small batches and were sold on a limited, strictly local release basis, from the likes of Cimmerian Breakfast Stout (6.2%) – Thornbridge, which utilized a mixture of French coffee and bittersweet chocolate, Coffee in the Morning (5.7%) – Tap East, which utilized three coffee blends towards creating it’s characteristic full bodied flavour, Breakfast Stout (9.3%) – Kernel, an imperial stout that brewed with Fazenda Serra do Bone coffee from Brazil, Hot Numbers (5.5%) – Moonshine, that utilized roasted coffee beans from Hot Numbers Coffee of Royston, or Nicaraguan Coffee Stout (5.2%) – Harbour, that came about from a collaboration with Cornish based company Origin Coffee Roasters, utilizing their Los Altos coffee mix into the brew. James Beeson pointed out “the image usually associated with coffee beer is that of a heavy, dark coloured stout, with strong roasted malt aromas and harsh, bitter flavours. A niche product, enjoyable for those who want it, but not a mainstream drinks trend of significance.”[6] Occasionally during this period, the occasional Coffee Stout gained praise on the award circuit; in 2014; Ashover won an award for their Coffin Lane Stout (5%) when it gained SIBA East Midlands Champion Beer of Britain, two years later in 2016, the Backyard Brewhouse won SIBA Midlands Champion Speciality Beer of the Year in 2016 for their Coaltown Coffee Stout (5%) which got its name from the brewery’s collaboration with local coffee roasters Coaltown Coffee of Amanford, utilizing their Gold No.3 coffee mix, whilst the following year Titanic’s Cappuccino Stout (4.5%) was bestowed Beer of the Festival at the JD Wetherspoons Spring Beer Festival, among a clutch of successes at a number of beer festivals. As the decade wore on, the number of Coffee Stouts on the market increased, even established brewers were dabbling with it, like Imperial Stout Dark Coffee (7%) – Chiltern, Barista (4.2%) – Exmoor, and Dubbel Coffee Stout (7%) – Sharps, which Roger Protz described at the time of its release as “the palate is extremely dry and is dominated by roasted grain and coffee, with spicy hops building along with burnt fruits.”[7] In 2018, North Riding released their Cappuccino Stout (6%) made from a potent mixture derived from six types of malt and Brambling Cross hops, unlike its competitors at the time the brewery took the bold decision to put the beer on regular release, and it continues to be sold on cask and bottle. Likewise, the following year Ferry Ales put Faubuccino (4.5%) on sale as part of their extensive bottled range, a milk stout brewed with coffee from Lincoln based Stokes Tea & Coffee using their Blue Mountain blend, the beer subsequently won silver at the SIBA Digital Beer Awards 2020 for the East of England region. Stubbornly despite these developments, Coffee Stout unfortunately remained trapped in the doom loop of curios, as it continued to be relegated and regarded as a niche beer style. It would take the commercial nationwide uptick in the popularity of stouts, for this substyle to finally enter the mainstream.

 

In April 2022, Cold Brew Coffee Beer (4%) by Guinness was belatedly released in the UK, after it debuted the year before in the US and Ireland. It was brewed using cold water brewed coffee, which was then added to vats of Guinness Draft, each bottle contained 2mg of caffeine, about the same as a cup of decaf coffee. Its release was inspired by the growing number of porters and stouts released on the market by a number of craft breweries, and Guinness intended to cash in on this growing trade with something innovative. A press release at the time boldly claimed it “boasts the perfect balance of bitter and sweet roast coffee tasting notes, this rich, smooth, and creamy brew creates an elevated experience for beer and coffee lovers alike.”[8] Incidentally they banked on it being as marketable as they other established releases like Draught (4%) and Extra Stout (7.5%). Unfortunately, it was met with a mixed response, Lizzie Thompson from the Metro stated “it was the fizzy coffee taste that put me off the most. Undeniably, you can taste the notes of chocolate and caramel – but the drink just didn’t make sense to me. Some things simply shouldn’t be married together.”[9] Some commentators argued that drinking it at fridge temperature affected the taste, and was better drunk at room temperature, however this negative press led to it quietly being dropped from their range last November. Although it’s release was seen as a failure, on the whole it could be seen as the beachhead for the rising popularity of coffee-based stouts in the UK. Around this time, a number of regional breweries were releasing coffee stouts as part of their regular ranges; in May 2021, Great Corby debuted Coffee Milk Stout (4.7%) that used ground expresso coffee beans and lactose to create a multifaceted mix with hints of dark fruit and lashings of coffee. Later that July, Tring Brewery released Dagmal (5%), a full bodied stout made with lactose and oatmeal, it was made in collaboration with independent coffee roasters Bionic Bull (based in Hertford) using their house blend of Columbian, Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee beans; at the time local newspaper Hemel Today reported on this development, where Jared Ward (publicity manager at Tring) stated "the natural roasty, fruity flavours of Bionic Bull House Blend played perfectly into the stout, which already boasted notes of rich dark chocolate and molasses!”[10] The following year saw further debuts, in April 2022, Chorley based microbrewer Ben’s Brewery released Mean Old Bastard (5.7%), a coffee milk stout with a roast malt backbone, some sour notes and a dry aftertaste. Later that November, Charnwood debuted Coffee Cream Stout (5.4%), made from the combination of roasted barley and chocolate malt with the addition of cocoa nibs and coffee thrown in to the mix, it subsequently won gold at SIBA Midlands Bottled Beer Awards 2023, although it’s currently only sold in the Autumn. Meanwhile the same month, Cotswold Lakes debuted Cold Coffee Brew (4.3%), another local collaboration in this case using the Aurora coffee blend from Fire & Flow of Cirencester, initially released on a limited basis, its ensuing popularity led the brewery to re-release it the following Spring. Later in October 2023, Beartown released Lakeland Nightfall (4.9%) made in collaboration with coffee roasters Farrer’s Coffee of Kendal, using their classic expresso mix. This beer has met with a favourable response, even acquiring beer of the festival at the Middlewitch Beer Festival that December, only two months after its launch.

 

This growing flurry of releases, encouraged larger brewers to produce their own coffee stouts. Buoyed by the release of Cold Brew Coffee Beer (4%) by Guinness, this time they set their eyes on nationwide distribution.  On 2^nd May 2023, Badger (Hall & Woodhouse) released Master Stoat (5%), their first regularly distributed stout. The press release described it as “our new stout brings together the rich, roasted notes from chocolate and crystal malts, combined with a perfectly pulled espresso.⁠ It ⁠has dark, caramelised biscuity notes that make way for a smooth lasting coffee sensation, with hints of toffee for a balanced, deceptively moreish and satisfying brew.⁠” This beer was sold widely in supermarkets across country including the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons, yet it’s release wasn’t influenced by the growing popularity of coffee stout, in actual fact it was influenced by the increasing number of stouts available in supermarkets, which the brewery was keen to cash in. This beer met with rave reviews, Real Ale Craft Beer stated “it’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s decadent, it’s bitter, that is one bitter stout,”[11] whilst Wraggy’s Beer Reviews proclaimed “the aroma, the taste, delivers on a scale which does what it says on the tin; you know what it’s coffee stout, that what it does, and in some amazing form.”[12] Indeed, this popular beer has become the most widely sold Coffee Stout in the country and has even gained awards within its first year of sales, acquiring gongs at the Great Taste Awards (1 star) and World Beer Awards - Bronze England Winner (Flavoured Beer) respectively. Later that September, Bristol based brewery Wiper & True launched their Expresso Martini Shake (5.6%), described as an indulgent and decadent stout inspired by one of the world’s most famous cocktails, this beer was one of several releases the brewery pushed for national distribution following the competition of their new brewery site and taproom. It was initially sold at Sainsbury’s stores, and subsequently at Waitrose branches, it became one of the brewery’s fastest selling beers of 2023. Co-founder Michael Wiper described the reasoning behind releasing it on a nation scale, “the introduction of Espresso Martini Shake is particularly exciting, as we know there is a growing demand for coffee-infused beers and stouts. Ours is a really fun, luxurious-tasting beer that combines all the best parts of an Espresso Martini cocktail into a smooth and tasty dark beer.”[13] Made with lactose and cocoa nibs, it has been described by many commentators as a proper strong bitter stout, that doesn’t cater to the typical tackiness of pastry/ flavoured stouts. All Hail to the Ale described it as “there is deep coffee, not overly roasted, but is a strong coffee of a medium heavy roast. Fairly sweet chocolate, a nice vanilla sweetness on the back end as well.”[14] The mouthfeel which Real Ale Craft Beer mentions was a particularly notable feature, “it’s delightful, rich, creamy mouthfeel, little bit of sweetness to begin with, lovely bitterness on the back end. You definitely taste some of that Expresso Martini in there.”[15] The taste has been labelled as having an even balance of coffee and chocolate flavours with a dash of caramel that dovetails nicely with the distinctive coffee kick. Sold exclusively in 440ml cans, it has been proved to be one of the brewery’s greatest commercial successes to date. Meanwhile, the following month, Brewdog, a giant of the craft beer scene since 2007, took the plunge and released Grind (6%) for national distribution, sold at supermarkets like Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, this beer was one of a number releases the brewery pushed for nationwide exposure following the incredible success of Punk IPA (5.2%). On the more potent side for a stout, it developed through a collaboration between the brewery and London based coffee roasters Grind, which directly resulted from the brewery helping the coffee-makers to establish their first coffee bar at Brewdog’s taproom complex at Waterloo Station the previous year. Made with Simcoe hops and several different malts (including Brown, Chocolate, Crystal, Pale and Roasted Barley), with the addition of lactose for body, Mark Adair described it “as “something for coffee and beer nerds alike, the eye-catching pink can hosts a rich and full-bodied 6.0 per cent ABV stout infused with caffeine. Simcoe hops and Crystal Malt meet ethically sourced Grind coffee; a rich, full-bodied beer that’s all-upfront coffee giving way to bitter dark chocolate and sweet chocolate sauce.”[16] Even the national papers gave a glowing response, with the Scottish Daily Express noting “GRIND was smooth, creamy and had more than a hint of dark chocolate as I eagerly sunk the first portion of the can.”[17] For coffee lovers and beer drinkers alike, this beer proved to be a popular draw, and helped demonstrate the increasing universal appeal for coffee stouts on the national stage, thus proving there is much potential out there for this substyle of stout.

 

The plight of coffee stouts produced in the UK has been long and protracted since they first appeared in the country over 20 years ago. It was once openly dismissed as a niche and forgettable beer style, often relegated to limited releases or beer festival specials, often sold generally on a strictly localized radius to the breweries that produced it, so it would come to no surprise these beers were hard to come by. Over the past few years, the flurry of releases both regionally and nationally over the past few years, have proved that there is potential appeal behind this substyle. Yet this increasing proliferation of products is not down to a growing appreciation for coffee stouts, it was due to rising prominence of stouts on the national stage in recent years as particularly in supermarkets where breweries like St Austell, Hopgoblin, Brewdog, Black Sheep, Badger, Fuller’s and St Peter’s have marketed their stouts to cater for this booming market. The drive to promote Coffee Beers on regular release on the national and regional markets, was due to a desire to cash in on the growing appreciation of stouts, particularly from the younger generation. This is partly due to the increasing savviness in consumers in what they buy, Dan Paul-Scott (head brewer at Black Sheep) stated “people are savvier now in terms of what they buy. The common drinker wants variety … that is down to the craft beer boom as it created a versatile drinker who craves choice.”[18] Incidentally, the rise of the craft beer movement has driven consumers to embrace more ‘nostalgic’ beer styles like stout for instance, as tastebuds become more refined and seek greater choice. So, it comes as no surprise that breweries are pushing the likes of Coffee Stout even further into the public-eye than ever before. Wherever these particular beers have been released, they have been met with a favourable response, Hukins Hops sums this up “coffee and beer are a perfect pairing. The roasted notes of coffee can complement the malty flavours of beer, while the bitterness of coffee can contrast and balance the sweetness in certain beers.”[19] On this plus side of this, it will mean more breweries producing and releasing coffee stouts in future as part of their regular ranges, distributing it for the regional and national markets. This will result in greater exposure and recognition for this substyle, so it’s only matter of time before breweries win major national awards for their coffee stouts, as they become the next big thing.

List of References 

---

[1] ‘Stout popularity soars to make it Britain’s fastest growing beer type’ by Tesco, 2^nd April 2024

[2] ‘All About Coffee Beer: Why It’s a Good Thing You Should Know About and Try For Yourself!’, by Bree, The Brewer’s Union

[3] ‘Tasting Notes Ashover - Coffin Lane Stout’ by CAMRA Experience

[4] ‘Tasting Notes Titanic - Cappuccino Stout’ by CAMRA Experience

[5] ‘Titanic Brewery Cappuccino Stout Review’ by All Hail the Ale, 31^st May 2020

[6] ‘Could Coffee be the next big trend in craft beer?’ by James Beeson, Morning Advertiser, 14^th September 2017

[7] ‘Dubbel Coffee Stout, Sharp's’ by Roger Protz; Protz on Beer, 1^st May 2013

[8] ‘Guinness launches cold brewed coffee beer in Great Britain’, The British Guild of Beer Writers, 20^th April 2022

[9] ‘We tried Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer – this is our verdict’ by Lizzie Thompson, The Metro, 21^st April 2022

[10] ‘Tring Brewery launches beer in collaboration with independent Hertfordshire coffee roaster’ by Hemel Today, 19^th July 2021

[11] ‘Badger Master Stoat Coffee Stout By Badger Beers | Sainsbury's Craft Beer Review’ by Real Ale Craft Beer, 13^th October 2023

[12] ‘NEW At Asda - Badger Beers - Coffee Stout - Beer Review’ by Wraggy’s Beer Reviews, 22^nd May 2023

[13] ‘Wiper and True boosts its Waitrose presence’ by Darren, Beer Today, 17^th May 2024

[14] ‘WIPER AND TRUE - Espresso Martini Shake Coffee Stout Review’ by All Hail to the Ale, 11^th November 2023

[15] ‘Wiper And True Espresso Martini Shake Coffee Stout By Wiper And True | Sainsbury's Craft Beer Review’ by Real Ale Craft Beer, 9^th October 2023

[16] ‘BrewDog teams up with Grind to create a new coffee flavoured stout’ by Mark Adair, B-Daily News, 13^th October 2023

[17] ‘BrewDog's coffee-flavoured beer is smooth and tasty but so rich you really will limit yourself to a few’, Scottish Daily Express, 11^th January 2024

[18] ‘Higher stout consumption driven by female drinkers and low alcohol options’ by Sarah Marsh, The Guardian, 4^th April 2024

[19] Coffee-infused beers: UK’s latest craft brews’, Hukins Hops