Tag Archives: Knops Beer Company

Beer of the Week – Knops Musselburgh Broke

November 10, 2017 Richard Leave a comment

It’s Friday once again, so time for another in my (now long-running) series of weekly recommendations on a single Scottish beer that should be in your tasting glass if you haven’t already had the chance to try it. With so much amazing new beer out there, sometimes it can be hard to keep up – but there is a fall-back option. Stick to the classics. The beers that, even if unsung, are worthy of a place in anyone’s beer cupboard.

For this week, it’s a play on a Scotch Ale. It’s no co-incidence that as the months are moving on I’ve been pulled towards the darker end of the spectrum – for one thing, Scottish breweries produce more amazing dark beers than anyone gives them credit for – and for another (and more obvious) they are just more fitting for this time of year. But Scotch Ales don’t have to be thick, meaty and enjoyed in an armchair – just ask the guys at Knops Brewing.

45. Musselburgh Broke (4.5%)
Knops Brewing Co, Dirleton, East Lothian
Style: Scotch Ale
330ml bottle

Pick it up here:
At at Real Ale Warehouse online (as individual 330ml bottles)

Brewed with Crystal and Chocolate malts and roasted barley, there’s no prizes for guessing the stars of the show – this is a beer rich in woody, toffee-like nutty flavours that verge into molasses territory at times. It’s bitter at first, but then all of these flavours arrive to move the beer into that typically Scotch-esque warming richness. A malt-forward session-strength brew – what Scotland is renowned for; and justifiably so.

Beer of the Week Series:
1. Fyne Ales Highlander
2. Swannay Old Norway
3. Broughton Old Jock
4. Traquair House Ale
5. Tempest Easy Livin Pils
6. Cromarty Brewed Awakening
7. Fallen Chew Chew
8. Black Isle Hibernator
9. Isle of Skye Red
10. Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve
11. Orkney Skull Splitter
12. Windswept Wolf
13. Kelburn Dark Moor
14. Alechemy 5ive Sisters
15. Loch Ness Light Ness
16. St Andrews Eighty Bob
17. Harviestoun The Ridge
18. Orkney Dark Island
19. Williams Bros Seven Giraffes
20. Cairngorm Black Gold
21. Strathaven Craigmill Mild
22. Black Isle Red Kite
23. Spey Valley Spey Stout
24. Top Out Schmankerl
25. Cross Borders Braw
26. Williams Bros Midnight Sun
27. BrewDog Kingpin
28. Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack
29. Deeside MacBeth
30. Drygate Ax Man Red Rye IPA
31. Swannay Orkney Session
32. Fallen Platform C
33. Black Isle Porter
34. Top Out Altbier
35. Black Metal Gates of Valhalla
36. Fierce Beer Cranachan Killer
37. Loch Lomond Southern Summit
38. Tempest Old Parochial
39. Williams Bros Profanity Stout
40. Windswept Tornado
41. Campervan Pacific Zest
42. Swannay Sneaky Wee Orkney Stout
43. Cromarty Ghost Town
44. Fyne Ales Vital Spark

Editorial

Breweries to Watch 2013 – five months on…

June 11, 2013 Richard 2 Comments

At the beginning of January, just as the year started, I posted a list of British breweries to watch out for in 2013. Despite the ongoing financial pressures, the scene here is flourishing – more breweries are opening now than ever (in living memory, at least). Having said that, it’s still a tough industry in which to survive, of course – requiring long hours, hard work, and the ability to fend off constant demands of needy bloggers. Speaking of which, five months down the line from the original post, it’s time to check back with those eleven breweries, and see how they have been doing, as we approach the halfway point of the year…

SCOTLAND

Cromarty Brewing Co
I pegged Cromarty Brewing Company as the brewery to watch this year, and so far Craig Middleton hasn’t let us down. His latest effort rolled off the production line on the Black Isle last week – a 2%, triple C-hopped, ‘un-stout’ (joining in with one of the brewing trends of the year; beers between 2 and 3%). Keeping up with demand has been Craig’s biggest problem to date – so the recent arrival of two 32hl and two 16hl conditioning tanks is great news for Cromarty fans. Having effectively doubled capacity at the brewery, Craig should now be set to keep a regular stock in place, secure even more accounts, and rightfully become known throughout the UK.

Arran Brewery
Arran Brewery MD Gerald Michaluk went all-in for 2013, having announced a merger with the Isle of Skye Brewery, and a huge expansion plan that included a mainland bottling plant, distillery and series of bespoke bars. However, the wheels came off in fairly spectacular fashion when the Scottish Government turned down his FPMC grant application. After issuing a few withering press releases, Gerald re-grouped and is blazing ahead with parts of the project anyway – although the Skye merger is off, the Falkirk Brewery is set to continue. Also, Arran cider will soon appear, as will an historic Iron Age ale, and a whey wine. Distribution has begun to the continent, and Arran have also recently become the first UK brewery (to my knowledge) to begin producing sake. ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ still holds sway on Arran, clearly.

Knops Beer Co/Archerfield Fine Ales
I predicted a massive leap upwards for Bob Knops this year, as back in January he was waiting for the Archerfield Estate project to come on-line in East Lothian (with some nervousness, no doubt). Five months down the line, the brewery is there, the people are rolling in, and the beers are heading in the opposite direction. As well as the core range, for the first time in a while Knops Beer Co released a new beer under their own label; the Spring-reveal of Knops ‘Premier Bru’. The creativity that had been kept in check for so long due to the vagaries of contracting has finally being released. With a stable base from which to build – and a huge amount of physical space in which to do so – Knops are really starting to kick on and should have a hugely productive year from here onwards.

Fallen Brewing Co
Speaking of contractor breweries, one of the half-dozen that operate in Scotland at the moment are the Fallen Brewing Company; another one-man operation getting beers out via the TSA plant in Throsk. At the moment, Paul Fallen is still in the process of getting his own brewery established – since the new year, the business plan has gone out and the multi-stranded planning applications are nestling in the appropriate pigeon-holes. Once everything comes together, expect a flood of beers to come from the Kippen plant – until then, keep watching Paul’s Twitter feed.

Alechemy Brewing
Livingston’s Alechemy Brewing Co blasted on to the scene last spring, and over the first few months of this year they show absolutely no signs of slowing down. Owner James Davies can’t get new fermenting vessels in fast enough, and has taken on new members of staff to help with the near-incessant demand. Currently, the expanded Alechemy team are busy sourcing kegging equipment to begin taking their beer in yet another direction (bottled beer having appeared a few months ago). With house beers and dedicated Alechemy taps appearing all over Edinburgh (the latest being the Bow Bar), and custom beers also increasingly prevalent – look for Alechemy’s beers to appear in England with increasing regularity. They have also even re-branded their Twitter feed…

BrewDog
2013 could become the key year for BrewDog, as the grace period following the opening of the new Ellon plant draws to a close, and the legions of punks look for something tangible to result. Or maybe they don’t, as the enjoyable/infuriating marketing juggernaut rolls on – spearheaded by the recently re-announced BrewDog TV show. Will ‘BrewDogs’ catapult James and Martin into the mainstream they so desperately crave? Beer releases this year have been largely positive so far, and the subtle re-shuffling of lines has moved Alice Porter and Jackhammer more towards the forefront. Similarly, will the next few months enable BrewDog to move more into more established markets, to cash in on the success of their bars? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, yesterday’s tweet from James Watt hints at yet more to come – something concrete? Or PR fluff?

The next 2 weeks are going to be the biggest and most exciting in BrewDog history. Watch this space people!

— James Watt (@BrewDogJames) June 10, 2013

ENGLAND

Buxton Brewery
Over the other side of the border, the pick of English breweries to look out for this year (in January, at any rate) was Buxton. That was largely down to their breakout 2012 – building up to a seventeen-strong lineup, with a double-figure number of standouts. Pound for pound (or barrel for barrel, really) there are few better British breweries out there. So, this year, there may have been cause for concern when they lost James Kemp, their head brewer, in April. But stepping into the Peak District Purofort’s is Colin Stronge, ex-Black Isle and Marble, and one of the most riotously inventive brewers out there. With Denis ‘Anorak’ Johnstone also recruited (from Scotland, as with Colin) to cover sales and marketing – Buxton have tied up key positions and are ready to up the ante again in the second half of 2013.

Arbor Ales
Arbor are a brewery very much with an eye on the future, and having released more beers than ever north of the border, since January I can see where they are going. Beer is all about experimentation – and the great thing about trying new producers – as I did when I sampled Arbor’s Impy Stout (produced in collaboration with Raw Brewery), is the feeling of warm recognition when other beers subsequently creep into your drinking field of vision. For Edinburgh beer-fans, the April takeover at the Hanging Bat widened that field enormously, with crackers such as Goo Goo G’joob and the brilliant Lime in the Coconut. We’re a long way from their south-west base of operations, but so far this year, Arbor are spreading to all parts – and that is very much a good thing.

London Fields Brewery
Since opening for business in 2011, the London Fields Brewery have been firmly part of the resurgence in brewing in the other capital. As there are dozens of new producers in the city, with several in Hackney itself (where London Fields are located), they have needed to raise their game recently, just to maintain position in the pack. Although the beers have been well received – Shoreditch Triangle IPA is a cracker, for example – a recent foray into hosting the London’s Brewing event did not go well, and resulted in a fair bit of negative publicity. However, the intention was honourable (stepping in on behalf of the London Brewing Alliance); whether it has dented their momentum, or their enthusiasm for hosting further events, time will tell.

Hawkshead Brewery
In the original post back in January, I mentioned Hawkshead as “having all the ingredients to become the kind of ‘big regional’ that everyone can aspire to.” I don’t know if that’s exactly what they have in mind, but for the time being, their size may preclude it. However, the compliment stands – Hawkshead produce some stunning beers, across the full range of the brewing spectrum. It’s been a quiet year so far for them (up here in Scotland, I mean), but I have no doubt there are some interesting beers coming out of their amazing Staveley beer hall. I suppose I should get off my backside and get down to their summer beer festival at the end of July, rather than waiting for them to come to me…

Great Yarmouth Brewing Co
Finally, I selected Great Yarmouth to be on the list purely because of the head brewer – Wil Wood, and what he had achieved at Fyne Ales. After taking the long journey from Argyll to East Anglia, I’d expected the beers from his new brewery to be just as good. However, what I wasn’t expecting was the reason behind the move. After only a few months, Great Yarmouth Brewing Co has (effectively) been wound up; it was a Trojan horse for the newly re-launched Lacon’s Brewery. This famous British company, a Norfolk institution, received a lot of publicity a few weeks ago, when the return was announced – but I’m not sure how many realised Wil’s new brewery was a directly-related dry-run. Well, Great Yarmouth’s loss is the whole of East Anglia’s gain – it looks like the suggestion to watch their progress was well-founded.

Scottish Beer

Archerfield-Knops opens for business

April 10, 2013 Richard Leave a comment

Bob Knops is certainly going up in the world, if last weekend was anything to go by. The ‘Mikkeller of Morningside’ has, finally, seen the long hours pay off as his own production facility opened, pride of place inside the new Archerfield Walled Garden in East Lothian. For three long years, Bob plugged away getting his beers channelled out of the TSA contract plant on the outskirts of Stirling – battling all of the associated issues along the way. Building the brand one bottle at a time, in piecemeal fashion, was often immensely frustrating – but the hardest decision of all was presumably the one made at the very beginning; to turn away from a hugely expensive bespoke facility and go down the contracting route.

Fast-forward three years, and all that is behind him. Knops Beer Co – who now employ three people – have swapped the vagaries of Throsk for the rolling opulence of the Archerfield Estate, perched on a prime position amidst the ‘Golf Coast’. Located midway between North Berwick and Gullane, the Estate adjoins its own, exclusive, golf course – but the brewery has been established within the brand new Walled Garden. Inside the large, airy, building – a restaurant, farm shop, bar, small art gallery, craft shop, and Bob’s cavernous new brewery. Everything smells of freshly applied paint and varnish, and on our visit people were peeking through the large windows to the brewkit, eagerly nosing the glass.

On that day, Bob happened to be there, running more than fashionably late for a beer event in Edinburgh. It’s fair to say the brewery and bottling line were utterly spotless – even the mash shovel and cleaning gear were sparkling – and with a huge amount of room to expand, no wonder he was beaming from ear to ear. To be fully in control, to finally get everything in order, must have been a relief of Biblical proportions for him. As part of the deal, Knops will not only produce their own range (and add to it, with the new Knops Premier Bru recently appearing), but will also produce the house beers under the Archerfield Fine Ales label.

Bob seems fairly sanguine about this relationship – as he does about pretty much everything, to be honest. With the innumerable freedoms associated with having an entire facility to play with, presumably there can be increasing differentiation between the two, as and when the Estate wish to add to their offerings – all of which (Knops included) are sold in the farm shop a few paces away. Bob gave us a lightning tour as he nervously jangled the car keys, before dashing off to the city, leaving some tasting glasses behind with a departing warning, blustered over the shoulder, not to leave the taps of the conditioning tanks open.

So, after pushing a few random buttons and filling some jerry cans, we took our leave. It’s fantastic news for Bob, and his team, that this moment has come to pass – there must have been many an evening over the past few years when the plight of the contract-brewer closed in like so many fizzing, problem-laden clouds. Now though, Knops (brewery and man alike) can commit effort, time and finance in the right places. And, ironically, being constrained within a walled garden could lead them to be as free as they’ve ever been.
Archerfield Walled Garden, Dirleton, East Lothian EH39 5HQ
01620 388 588 info@archerfieldwalledgarden.com
Archerfield Website / Knops Beer twitter

Editorial

Breweries to watch out for in 2013…

January 7, 2013 Richard 10 Comments

Last year, right at the beginning of January, we posted a list of breweries to watch out for in 2012. Looking back, our overall pick to take that next step (Tempest Brewing Co) really had a spectacular twelve months, and many of our other choices also produced some fantastic beer. Despite the pressures of the recession and the Government’s overburdening legislation, the British brewing scene continues to be in good health – largely down to the skill, commitment and imagination of the men and women making our beer. Here, then, is our list of UK breweries who we think will move to that next level over the course of 2013…

SCOTLAND

Cromarty Brewing Co
Looking over the names of the many breweries in Scotland, one stands out above all others with regard to sheer potential. Cromarty Brewing Company (only established at the beginning of last year) immediately put out some spellbinding beers in 2012. With kegging and bottling now on-line alongside their cask output, all the pieces are in place for Cromarty to have a breakout year. The only limit is how many hours Craig Middleton can fit into each day, as judging by beers like Rogue Wave, Red Rocker and AKA IPA, his talent is clearly beyond question. Cromarty are our tip for 2013.

Arran Brewery
In terms of sheer force of will, 2013 should belong to the Arran Brewery. At the back end of last year, they began expanding in a series of mergers and acquisitions that took everybody by surprise. First, they announced a £10m equity-raising share scheme. Then, MD Gerald Michaluk resurrected Beers of the World magazine. In November, Arran announced they had merged with the Isle of Skye Brewery. They then bought a distillery. Over the next few months, look for them to build a mainland bottling plant, begin exporting to Europe and the US, and then open the first in a series of beer bars in Glasgow. Operating on a policy of ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, Arran are all-in for 2013.

Knops Beer Co/Archerfield Fine Ales
For the past three years, Bob Knops has been labouring to get his range of beers produced at TSA’s contractor plant in Throsk. After a prolonged period of ups and downs, 2013 should see a massive leap upwards for Knops Beer, as they fly the nest to regroup in East Lothian. There, they will be part of the enormous new Archerfield Estate project at Lennoxlove House – which includes an on-site microbrewery of its own, within the walled garden. Bob will be there as head brewer, and with two labels to account for, not to mention his own kit to play with (finally), his imagination will no doubt run riot. Knops and Archerfield are definitely worth watching this year, once brewing comes on-line within the next couple of months.

Fallen Brewing Co
From here, it looks as if one of the trends of this coming year could be contractor breweries opening their own facilities. Alongside Knops, another brewery set to do just that is Fallen Brewing Company, currently beginning work on a bespoke plant in the hills of Stirlingshire. Like Knops, Fallen initially contracted in Throsk, and founder Paul Fallen deserves plaudits for getting the hop-averse TSA to dry-pellet his beers, really transforming them over the various contracted brews. He got the keys to the new Kippen site in late November, so when the brewery opens in the spring, look for that immediate leap into the exciting, hop-forward beers that Paul wants to brew.

Alechemy Brewing
New breweries sometimes take a while to get going, and often need a grace period as they find their feet and hone recipes. Not so Alechemy, who blasted onto the Scottish beer scene in May last year with three of the best debut beers I’ve ever tasted. Since then, owner and brewer James Davies has showed no sign of slowing down. Recently he managed to get more fermenting vessels into his Livingston brewery, indicating that this year could see some really exciting things. Specifically, Alechemy’s programme of dry-hopping has been successful (even if Cairnpapple XH was too much for some), and if he ever puts out that Russian imperial stout, there’s an immediate beer of the year candidate. Now that Alechemy beers are being bottled as well, everything is there for them to become known throughout the UK.

BrewDog
Has it really been five years since BrewDog appeared on the scene? As their profits continue to shoot skywards, last year their old Kessock plant was finally put out to pasture as the new BrewDog brewery was announced. It couldn’t come at a better time, as BrewDog delight and frustrate in equal measure (was it ever thus). Having a monolithic brewhouse should – should – enable them to brew more in-house, improve quality control and stabilise their core range, before another multitude of interesting beers appear. Alongside the incessant PR-charge, 2013 could be a vital year for the plc, as their army of punks look for payback (both literally and figuratively).

ENGLAND

Buxton Brewery
Imperial Black. Axe Edge. Tsar. Is there a brewery out there that produces three better big beers? Maybe – but does that brewery also produce consistently fantastic session cask ales, including the best bitter in England? The Buxton Brewery had an amazing year in 2012, working their way to an astonishing seventeen-strong line-up of regular beers. There’s nothing to suggest that this next year won’t be even better for them – few small teams around a brewery work as hard, or as creatively. Those who missed the Stockbridge Tap takeover back in June really, really missed out. Buxton Imperial Black is possibly the best cask beer I’ve ever had – there’s no other English brewery I look forward to watching as much over the course of 2013.

Arbor Ales
Our brewery watch-list for 2013 doesn’t just consist of those who we feel are ready to hit the big time. Arbor Ales are simply a brewery I’ve only just discovered, and really want to try more of. Based in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol, their beers are now finding themselves in Edinburgh with some degree of regularity. The Mutiny Coconut Stout they made with Chesterfield’s Raw Brewing Company was wonderful, as was their own Imperial (or Impy) stout. With a 12bbl plant, they are the same size as Alechemy, and hopefully will be distributing their beers to Scotland for as long as I’m around to drink them. The fact that they also own two pubs is intriguing – is the small pubco another trend for the future?

London Fields Brewery
The London Fields Brewery opened for business in 2011, but already are on the verge of something really special. When they started, the London brewing resurgence was just taking hold – now there are dozens of new producers in the city, with several in Hackney itself (where London Fields are located). However, competition means that everyone has to up their game, and the beers I’ve had from LF recently have been superb – their single hop IPA series has been one of the best I’ve come across. As they continue to expand, 2013 could be their year.

Hawkshead Brewery
Some of the breweries are in this list as they are just about to become more widely known, but the Hawkshead Brewery are undoubtedly on track to becoming a household name. As well as being one of the most consistent brewers in the UK, they also have a stunning brewery tap (surely the best in the country?), and put on a festival that I really want to finally get to. Windermere Pale is as good as golden session beer gets. Hawkshead have all the ingredients to become the kind of ‘big regional’ that everyone can aspire to.

Great Yarmouth Brewing Co
Finally, a brand new English brewery that could bolt out of the gates this year – the Great Yarmouth Brewing Company. Brainchild of ex-Fyne Ales head brewer Wil Wood, the new Norfolk operation will feature a signature range of hop-forward ales under the ‘Wilbur Wood’ label, including (and stop me if this sounds familiar, Fyne-fans) a 3.8% “thirst-quenching pale ale with a dry pine and citrus explosion from the Citra hop”. At the same time, Wil is also reviving a famous East Anglia name – literally – as he’s re-awakened the yeast strain used from 1956 by the defunct Lacons brewery. New and old, beers from Great Yarmouth that will definitely be worth seeking out.

American Beer, Edinburgh Beer, Scottish Beer

Knops IPA unveiled in Smackdown

May 17, 2011 Richard 2 Comments

Last night Edinburgh’s local gypsy brewer Robert Knops unveiled the first bottles of his newest beer – Knops IPA – in a WWE style head to head contest against three flash opponents from the USA. The Smackdown pitted each of his bottled offerings with a similar (as much as possible) beer from across the pond – which is always an interesting process, even if the intention was not to directly copy another product. Ash from Appellation Wines was the ringmaster, and as Robert strode into the ring, all eyes turned to the beers in his corner…

Round 1
First on the card, Knops California Common squared up against the Big Daddy of the style – Anchor Steam. Looking confident having owned the term Steam Beer for decades – and seen off many challengers – the American opened up with a sweet caramel malt introduction, before following with a crisp hop finish. Rob’s version came out of the blocks a tad sweeter, more fudgelike, bamboozling the Anchor with a touch more carbonation. Both tried to get the upper hand as the round drew to a close, but it went to a points decision.

The Result – a good showing from the local entrant. However, the crisp edge to the incumbent sees a narrow points victory. Winner – Anchor Steam.

Round 2
As Ash’s glamorous assistant Blair departed with the board for Round 2, it was time for the heavyweight battle of the evening – Knops Musselburgh Broke against Odell 90/-. The American rolled into the ring bringing 5.3% of rich, treacley malt – looking as if it would ride all over the Scottish challenger. But Musselburgh went for broke with a brown sugar and toffee caramel move, before a decisive one-two of carbonation and a chocolate edge had the lumbering 90/- on the ropes.

The Result – finding the Odell’s weakness, the challenger nimbly sidestepped the sweet richness to win by a wide margin. Winner – Musselburgh Broke

Round 3
Once the wolf-whistles for Blair had died away, the top billing had arrived. Goose Island IPA against Knops IPA. A winner takes all hopslam. In the red corner – the American. Experienced, swaggering, and with a new trainer recently arrived on the team. In the blue – a brand new beer, only recently bottled, from a man brewing on rented time in Stirling. Goose Island opened with a fizzy, lemon sherbet aroma, with a creamy palate and a bitter, hop finish. There was a slight weakness – the slightly soapy edge to the hops – that Knops IPA looked to exploit.

As the challenger came out, it was with a total blindside – a sweet caramel aroma. Little hop on the nose was a major surprise for the behemoth-backed US IPA. The surprises continued – sweet, toasty, slightly woody notes – before the hops arrived as a subtle choke hold at the end of the combo. Playing the long game, the 40 IBU’s sought to give the Knops entrant a sessionability the Goose Island could never hope for. Utterly incomparable, the two beers grappled to a stalemate, before retiring, swathed in condensation, to their respective chiller cabinets.

The Result – Very tough to call, as both are so different. Goose Island is the trash talking top hat-wearing preening type. Knops IPA the traditional Saturday afternoon Queensbury Rules nothing-below-the-belt offering. Winner – a convenient Draw

…rumours spread around the Appellation Arena of a winner takes all rumble between an as-yet untrained Knops Porter and Three Floyds Darklord. We stress these are, at this stage, unconfirmed.

Knops Official Website

Edinburgh Beer, Scottish Beer

First look – Knops Musselburgh Broke

October 24, 2010 Richard Leave a comment

Three weeks ago we were invited to a focus group tasting for Edinburgh producer Robert Knops, who was keen to follow up his first beer California Common (4.6%) with a more traditionally British style. On the evening, we tasted several variations on the same theme – a bright, Scottish ale with the emphasis on the malt characters. As we’ve said before, Robert contract brews at Traditional Scottish Ales in Bridge of Allan, and manages to fit into their brewing schedule to produce cask and bottle versions of two beers – yesterday having launched the final version of his second beer – Musselburgh Broke (4.5%).

We headed off down to Vino Wines on Comiston Road to chat to Robert, and of course to pick up some bottles of the finished product for review. He was clearly relieved to have everything sorted out, and the final tweaking of the beer completed. The unusual name refers to an old brewing legend of the 1840’s, where an East Lothian drayman accidentally spilled a cask en route to an inn. Rather than own up, he topped up the barrel with Musselburgh stream water and delivered it as normal. Next time round, instead of being rebuked, he was complimented by the innkeeper on the best beer they had ever received. The drayman then owned up to the brewer – who began to put ‘Musselburgh Broke’ into production.

The TSA brewery is located near to the River Allan, so hopefully there’s no stream water in the mix. The beer pours a dark caramel brown with a healthy fizzing carbonation, but loses the head completely and becomes almost totally flat. Aromas coming off are (not surprisingly) malt, with some chocolate, and definite woodiness. The malt flavours start off slightly smoky before the chocolate malts come through on the aftertaste. There’s no hop profile to speak of. At such a sessionable abv there’s also no alcohol coming through, so the finish is quite soft, before a touch of woody astringency at the far end. Musselburgh Broke is another accomplished ale from Robert, who spoke to us about wanting to start ramping up the strength in his future beers – we’ll have to watch with interest.

Knops Beer Co

The BeerCast