Thornbridge Brewery Thornbridge Hall - Bracia

Thornbridge Hall - Bracia

 

Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  Spiced / Herbed / Vegetable / Honey - Honey Special
Score
8.07
ABV: 10.0% IBU: 50 Ticks: 180
Bracia is the Celtic name for a beverage brewed in Iron Age Europe with reference found on a Roman inscription at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire. Little is known about this except it was high in alcohol, brewed with cereals and, most probably, honey.

Thornbridge’s Bracia has been infused with a generous amount of dark and bitter Chestnut Honey. This was sourced by Head Brewer Stefano Cossi from Beekeeper Onelia Pin in the Alpine foothills of North East Italy. Aromas are of chestnut, honey, cappuccino, white chocolate, dark fruits, vibrant fresh peel. The mouthfeel is velvety and rich, with notes of coffee, chocolate, liquorice and hazelnuts with warming alcohol, cocoa and a little peat in the finish.

Malts: Maris Otter, Brown, Munich, Dark Crystal, Black, Chocolate, Peated and Roasted Barley.
Hops: Target, Pioneer, Hallertau Northern Brewer and Sorachi Ace.

Bracia can be cellared for up to one year, maybe longer. Its flavours will evolve so why not enjoy the experience of opening a bottle every once in a while.
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Black. Brown head. Massive honey, roasted malts, bitter earthy notes, dead leaves, thyme, ash. There's honey sweetness but also serious roasted bitterness. Full bodied. Cool stuff.
Tried from Bottle on 06 Apr 2024 at 20:15

8.2/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Black with thick creamy head. Aroma has cocoa powder, dark malts and honey. Flavour has a bitter, roasted malt note. Dark chocolate too. Oily, silky texture.
Tried on 25 Dec 2022 at 20:58

8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bottle from Fin as I remember, thanks so much! Drunk to celebrate that my 11 year old HD beamer still works after replacing the bulb. Oily dark brown with a thin brown head. Nose is roasted malt, dark honey. I wouldn't have guessed chestnut without reading the label but I do recognize its distinctive flavor, having had a few jars picked up in Italy before. Very smooth and warming on the tongue with a long aftertaste of caramel, honey, and finally roasted barley coffee-like notes. It's sweet at first but the big hop bitterness draws it out even at the end. What a beer!
Tried from Bottle on 25 Nov 2022 at 22:15

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bottle, thank you so much for this treasure Fin! Darkest brown with a chestnut red shine, dark brown to golden head. Deep raisin, Honigkuchen/ginger spice and lightly smoked nose. Fullbodied, mellow. Port vineous, perfumed hop which leads towards herbal grass and dill dryness, roast, salt licorice, chocolate, honey, flowery retronasal. Rich with plenty of features to explore.
Tried from Bottle on 07 Feb 2022 at 20:26

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
375 ml bottle poured in to a Snifter. As 'Thornbridge Bracia'. Near black with a dense tanned head. Sweet aroma with caramel malts, coffee, bitter chocolate, slightly peated. Lots of herbal sweet from the honey. Taste is sweet. Full bodied. Drying fruity finish with lingering dark malts and honey. Intense.
Tried from Bottle on 29 Jan 2022 at 21:17

9.1/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
Botella @Barcelona Beer Festival 2021. 4 y 5 DICIEMBRE 2021. Color negro opaco espuma beige, aromas tostados, licos, sabor licorosos tostados, madera cuerpo sedoso. MUY BUENA.
Tried on 30 Dec 2021 at 08:15

6/10
Tried from Bottle on 27 Nov 2021 at 23:31

8.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 9 Texture 9 Overall 9
Quite different from what I remember of the old Hall one. Near black, thick head of light brown foam. Smell is malty, light red fruit, definitely chestnut honey. Soft, smooth and rich. Taste is intense chestnut honey (which I love), complex, delicious.
Tried from Bottle on 30 Jul 2021 at 22:00

7/10
Really roasty,a bit creamy.has a flavour and scent, which I cannot describe,probably from the nuts. Bbf:01/04/2024
Tried from Can on 08 Jul 2021 at 18:04

8.8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
Fles 37,5cl thuis als Thornbridge Bracia. Bitter, liquorice, kastanjehoning goed merkbaar, noot, droog, oily, turf, earthy, zilt, roasted malttonen, dried fruit, carameltonen, redelijk intens en krachtig. Geen doordrinker. (22-5-2021). (3800ste).
Tried on 22 May 2021 at 21:14