Dark Star Brewing Co.

Regional Brewery in Partridge Green, West Sussex, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Owned by Asahi Breweries
Associated Venue: The Evening Star

Established in 1994

Contact
Star Road, Partridge Green, RH13 8RA, England
Description
Since 2024 Dark Star beers are brewed at Fullers brewery, Chiswick.

The Dark Star Brewing Company was born in 1994 in the cellar of a pub in Brighton. With a brew plant only marginally bigger than an enthusiastic home-brew kit the characteristic style of hoppy beers was developed and tried out on the willing guinea pigs at the bar. As with all the best ideas, the business was planned on the back of a beer mat, driven by a few beers and funded with money we didn’t have.

A few years on, well 25 years actually, we find ourselves in Partridge Green, just south west of Horsham, West Sussex, with a 45 barrel brewhouse. It’s all been a bit of a blur really. None of us really wanted to leave the cellar of the pub, but apparently more and more people liked drinking the same beers as us, so we needed to brew more…

What’s in a name…: The brewery is named after a song by the band The Grateful Dead, although if you have a heard a different story, use that, never let the truth stand in the way of a good yarn.

In February 2018, Dark Star was acquired by London-based brewer, Fuller Smith & Turner. In January 2019, Fuller Smith & Turner sold its entire drinks business, including The Dark Star Brewing Company, to Asahi Breweries.

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6.9
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Cask at the dorix arch Euston,. A light hazed golden orange coloured pour with a sticky off white head. Aroma is jammy, midget gems, blueberry, blackberry, wheat, grassy, soft wheat, bready grains. Flavour is composed of blackberry, plum. Jammy, soft wheat. Not bad. Blackberry hedgerow hop. Palate is semi sweet, grainy, mellow cask condition. Solid.

Tried on 17 Jun 2025 at 09:53


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

26th May 2025
Can. Near clear orange beer, decent bubbly pale cream colour head. Light palate, semi dry with a good fine minerally crispness. Light malts, thin bodied, providing about as much sweetness as you would think for the style - not much! Crisp pine. A surprisingly forward hop spice bites early and doesn't let go, neither does it sink its teeth deeper. Crisp cooling pine. The expected ripe citrus but fairly crisp here thanks to the governing pine. Little citrus peel. Crisp finish leaves a long hop spicy linger. A bright and crisp West Coaster. Pretty quaffable for the style.

Tried from Can on 26 May 2025 at 18:41


6.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

Can at home, from the Fullers advent calendar, 24/05/2025.
Clear golden topped with a lasting just off white head.
Nose is pale malts, melon, tangerine, light breads.
Taste comprises orange zest, grass, mandarin, papaya.
Medium body, soft carbonation, semi drying close splashed with mellow hop bitterness.
Okay easy pale.

Tried on 24 May 2025 at 17:32


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6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

På Lamb & Flag med Steven, fra fat: klar gylden med ok skum. Fin aroma og smak preget av grapefrukt, gress og snille urter. Fin bitterhet og tydelig mersmak.

Tried from Draft at Lamb & Flag on 20 May 2025 at 15:17


6

Tried from Can on 15 May 2025 at 21:14


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Old rating from 03-10-15 - Tasted at the Jersey CAMARA beer festival. Pours a hazy golden colour with a white head that slowly disperses. Aromas of marmalade & citrus with some pine & caramel also present. Tastes of lemon, peach, grapefruit as well as marmalade, citrus and some sweet honey. Aftertaste is fairly dry with some bitterness from the hops. Overall my favourite of the 7 beers I tried.

Tried from Cask on 03 May 2025 at 15:38


7
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Old rating from Nov 2014 - 500ml bottle, pours golden with a large white foamy head. Aromas & tastes of caramel, citrus, rye, earth, cereal & malt. Moderate body. Mildly bitter finish

Tried from Bottle on 21 Apr 2025 at 15:13


7
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

440ml can, pours amber with a white foamy head. Aromas & tastes of citrus, peach, lemon, grass, honey & malt. Medium body. Dry medium bitter finish. Very enjoyable

Tried from Can on 21 Apr 2025 at 09:28


7

Tried on 17 Apr 2025 at 20:43


5

Pint in Euston Flyer between train from Stockport to Euston and Eurostar to Paris. Very hoppy but pleasant.

Tried from Cask at Euston Flyer (Fuller's) on 13 Apr 2025 at 10:15