SAFG - Special Offers - September 2020

Beer & Cider
MH:
GY:
The water in Cornwall is naturally very soft,
which helps to brings out the flavours of
the malt and the hops. At our brewery in
Bath, we use reverse osmosis technology
to filter the water before we brew with it,
which strips out any unwanted ions and
allows us to add additional minerals which
further enhances the taste of our beers.
How many hop varieties do we use
overall? Are we looking to test any new
hop varieties in the near future?
We brew with around 60 different hop
varieties, which we source from countries
across the world. Fifty per cent of these we
brew with on a regular basis, to produce
our core beer range.
We are constantly on the lookout for new
and exciting hop varieties to experiment
with. We were an early adopter of
Harlequin, a new British hop variety
developed by our supplier Charles Faram.
Due to the popularity of the Small Batch
Brew we produced with it last year, we’ve
used Harlequin to brew a special seasonal
beer – of the same name - to celebrate this
year’s Cask Ale Week (4.8%). The hop –
which won ‘Best New Hop Variety’ at the
IBD National Hop Awards - gives the beer
a fresh citrus aroma and notes of juicy
passion fruit and pomegranate.
MH:
GY:
MH:
GY:
If you’re looking for something with a lower
abv, I would recommend Cornish Best
(3.5% abv) – a well-balanced bitter with
plenty of toffee and biscuit flavours – or
Trelawny (3.8% abv) which is a full-bodied,
malty Cornish ale.
What’s the first cask ale that you ever
tried?
My first sip of cask beer was Courage
Directors, with my dad at our local pub.
This was when it was brewed at GMHrge’s
Brewery in my hometown - Bristol.
What is it about cask that makes it so
special?
Naturalness. Everything about cask beer is
fresh, unprocessed and the result of raw,
quality ingredients. We were deprived
of cask beer for four months during the
coronavirus crisis and it’s fair to say that
the first sip, when the pubs reopened,
tasted better than ever.
MH:
What Bath Ales cask beer would you
recommend for this time of year?
GY:
I’d recommend Prophecy (3.8% abv). It’s a
sessionable pale ale brewed with big fruity
American Citra hops, which give the beer
an extra kick, and an alluring spice from
the Slovenian Aurora hop.
As the nights get colder over the Autumn
and into the winter, I’d recommend Gem –
brewed with traditional British malts which
balance the soft fruits and bittersweet
caramel notes with a smooth bitterness. It’s
the perfect winter warmer for cosy nights
sat in front of a roaring log fire.
MH:
What St Austell Brewery cask beer
would you recommend for this time of
year?
GY:
Hicks (5.0% abv) is a full-bodied and
strong Cornish ale, brewed with plenty of
malt and lashings of English Progress and
Golding hops. It’s brimming with flavour
and has plenty of depth to it - a great
Autumnal beer.
Place your order today on 0345 241 1122 7