Burton Ale 2024
(Batch of Burton Ale)
Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England 🏴
Collab with: The Kernel BreweryTraditional Beer - Burton Ale Special
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Score
7.43
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We brewed this beer first of all in summer 2011, on the original Thornbridge 10bbl kit which is sequestered away in an outhouse or former stable in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall, and name it ‘Coalition’. The inspiration for this beer sprang from discussions between Dominic at Thornbridge and Evin at Kernel around making beer along historic lines in styles unknown to us. So brewing a Burton Ale was decided upon with some aid from the beer historian Ron Pattinson, who helpfully provided templates and recipes and contexts from his archives. We used something approximating a 1922/3 Courage KKK recipe (Old Burton Ale would have been how it was known). We held fast to the use of Goldings hops, keeping the bitterness high to balance the alcohol (the 2011 batch was 7.3%). Invert #3 sugar was also present and key to achieving the intended flavour, and capturing the spirit of a period in time, across a base of Maris Otter malted barley and some crystal malts for body and sweetness, with a touch of dark malt for colour. The beer was a dark ruby red, all red fruits and hedgerows leading to caramel tones and darker fruits, malt depths and a firm bitterness.
13 years later, we have brewed it again, with a very specific difference. Earlier this year Thornbridge acquired a Burton Union Set - Marston’s Brewery retired theirs, and Thornbridge took over a set to help preserve this particular and unique system of fermentation. It was immediately clear to us that we should revisit the Burton Ale of 2011, this time fermented on the Burton Union Set that Thornbridge had installed. It is a huge privilege to be able to produce this historical recipe on this historical piece of equipment, and to be part of showing that these histories are still alive. And we are really excited to see what changes the Union System brings to the finished beer.
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Hermod (17867) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 6 months ago
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
50cl bottle from Alko.
Poured deep mahogany in color, dense white head, lasting.
Nutty, some caramel, roasted malts, minerals, dryness. Complex and tasty. Nice to get to try this historical style.
Scopey (25061) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 9 months ago
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 8.5
Cask at The Kernel Spa Road. It pours clear deep red - brown with a thick, lasting khaki head. The aroma is rich and unctuous, oily, woody, nutty, varnished wood, brown bread, touch of caramel shortbread, toasted fruit cake and dull marzipan. The smooth, dry, bitter - sweet, earthy, woody, vinous, brown bread, dried fruits, fruit cake, cacao, caramel shortcake, earthy, leathery, varnished wood and nutty vibes with a drying, chewy finish. Medium body and soft, fluffy carbonation. Lovely stuff.
TET (6537) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 10 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle, 7.2%. A beautiful, dark reddish brown beer, a head is medium and beige. Aroma has dried apricots, caramel in the body. Taste has grain in the body with some roastiness and caramel, nicely strong and herbal bitterness, even hint of liquorice in the end. Medium bodied. This is very good beer and somehow cheeky enough.
Svesse (15611) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 10 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
(Cask at The Bear Paddington, London, 20 Nov 2024) Dark brown colour with hints of ruby. Foamy tan head. Malty nose with notes of caramel, dried fruit, raisins, prunes and brown sugar. Malty taste with caramel, chocolate, toffee, dried fruit, raisins, toast and a balanced spicy bitterness in the finish. Medium body, with a certain sweetness. Rich, rounded and well balanced. Very nice.
LazyPyro (9821) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 11 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
500ml bottle at 7.2%. Pours a clear dark ruby red, frothy beige head. Aroma of caramel and dark fruits, toasty/bready malts. Taste of caramel, nutty and toasty/bready malts, dark fruits, sweet-ish but finishes with a light dry bitterness. Light-medium bodied, really nicely balanced. Carbonation feels a little spritzy perhaps - bet this would be even better on cask.
Reubs (35338) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 11 months ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Cask at the White Hart Tap, St Albans 25/11/2024 Sweet toasted malty with notes of dark caramel and dark dried fruit shred, light brown sugar sprinkle, yeasty edge, light nutty accents, soft cask carb, lingering malty finish. Good stuff.
fonefan (84235) ticked Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 1 year ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Convair880 (6901) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 1 year ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Cask at Pigs Ear Beer Festival 2024, Hackney. London. A dark copper/brown coloured pour with a medium off white bubbly head on top. Sweetish, rich, malty, caramel, dark fruit taste/aroma. Really pleasant on cask.
BrogenDaniel (4431) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 1 year ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Cask på Craft Beer Co St Marys Axe. Mörkt rödbrun nästan åt stout hållet. Väldigt maltig, knäckebröd, rågbröd, lite kartong. Jag är nog inget fan av stilen.
Cheeseboard (6251) reviewed Burton Ale 2024 from Thornbridge Brewery 1 year ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Cask at The Star, Oxford. Pours clear copper amber with beige foam. Light to moderate sweet, toasty malts, nuts, mild toffee, light earthy, English yeast. Medium body with soft carbonation. Nice.