Our spiritual home can still serve up some special brews
A DIVERSION into Cheshire this week – it’s Stockport’s spiritual home as the town was firmly in Cheshire until Greater Manchester was formed in 1974. For many people it still is.
However, while many of the breweries in Greater Manchester tend to push the boundaries with their beers and have wholly embraced the ‘craft beer’ ethos (generally with impressive results) those in Cheshire have tended to stick more closely to the straight and narrow (again with generally impressive results).
To be sure, there are Cheshire brewers such as Macclesfield’s RedWillow, Offbeat down in Crewe and Chester’s Deva Craft, which like to play with all manner of beers, but most of their county compatriots tend not to stray too far down the ‘bells and whistles’ route.
So this week I’ve been down to Bottle in Stockport’s Market Hall and picked up three Cheshire beers which should appeal to everyone .... TATTON Brewery Lazy Haze (3.7%, 500ml, £2.90) Based on an industrial estate near Knutsford, and close to Tatton Park, Tatton Brewery has been brewing since 2010 producing ‘classic and contemporary’ beer styles.
The brewing yeast is interesting as it was last used by the old Chesters Brewery in Ardwick over 50 years ago and has been revived from its long sleep.
The core range of four beers is supplemented by seasonal and occasional beers of which this is one. Honey and a tea infusion are added to this light golden ale with just the right degree of carbonation.
There are some sweet herbal notes on the nose and they carry on as you drink, with the hops adding a light bitterness.
The tea and honey are certainly there but nothing dominates this hugely refreshing and tasty beer. Really very good. We’ve met Bollington Brewery in this column before. They started in 2008 just around the corner from Bollington’s Vale Inn, which is one of three pubs now owned by the brewery.
Apart from a wide range of cask beers, some beer now goes into keg and most into bottle too.
This is the first canned beer which is also vegan friendly – thus it’s unfined and throws a natural haze.
It’s brewed annually to mark the Bollington Three Peaks Fell Race and this year we have a pale ale with a healthy slug of New World hops. The wheat and oats in the mash add to the mouthfeel while on the nose there are peach, citrus and gooseberry notes. The taste is citrusy and crisp with more fruit developing. At the end a dry and lengthening bitter finish. Hugely quaffable, I liked this a lot. WINCLE Beer Co. Burke’s Special (5%, 500ml, £3.00) Based in the village of the same name, Wincle Beer Co has been around since 2008 and made a name with traditional beers.
This is one of the core range of five cask beers and is a classic malt-accented ‘Extra Special Bitter.’ It’s chestnut-brown with aromas of malt, toffee and tawny port. As you drink there’s more toffee, biscuity malt and hints of nut and dark fruit. There’s another port note too. The finish is full and rounded but also nicely clean. A minor classic of the style – great for the cooler weather I’d say.