Hogs Back Wobble in a Bottle

Tongham’s Hogs Back Brewery are perhaps best known for their 4.2% flagship T.E.A. (Traditional English Ale), which we featured back in May last year as part of BeerCast #33, our south west England special. It came second behind St Austell Tribute, despite the fact that Tongham is in the south east (it appeared to have been stored on the wrong geographical shelf in York’s The Bottle beer shop). The fantastically named Tony Stanton-Precious and Martin Zillwood-Hunt were introduced by the editor of The Grist magazine, after the former wrote to them seeking partners for a prospective brewery. They found a site in Surrey and named their new operation after the distinctive raised ridgeline of the nearby North Downs.

Aside from the bitters and session ales, they put out some stronger, more beery offerings. A 9% barley wine (A over T; or Aromas over Tongham) tops out the list, but running behind is their winter seasonal Santa’s Wobble, at 7.5%. Released in December on cask and in bottles, it is branded as Wobble in a Bottle the other eleven months of the year, giving the bespoke Christmas Ale a wider retail window. It pours totally flat, an opaque purplish mauve colour with no rising carbonation. The aroma is very fruity indeed, with alcohol at first on the palate, leading to rich berry fruit, malts, and warmth. These rich, ripe tastes hide the alcohol on the finish and leave the malts coming through. More fruit comes out at the end – it tastes like it should be one of your five a day, and is a great antidote to these unending Scottish winter nights.