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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7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Can from Waitrose. Pours clear golden with a thick white head. Aromas of pine, caramel. Taste adds citrus. Bitter finish.

Tried from Can on 09 Nov 2024 at 13:54


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Can thanks to allmyvinyl. Appearance - clear golden with a fluffy white head. Nose - pine, hazelnut, lemon and a hint of fudge. Taste - lime, bready and hazelnut. Palate - close to medium bodied with a zesty finish. Overall - good.

Tried from Can on 09 Nov 2024 at 13:53


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

Cask at the Strugglers Inn, Lincoln. Golden colour with a white head. Aroma and taste are malty biscuits and slight sweet citrus. Medium body.

Tried from Cask on 09 Nov 2024 at 12:07


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Hand-pulled half-pint in the Old Joint Stock on 8th November 2024. White crown on a clean golden body. Decent enough IPA with both piney and citrussy hops making an appearance with the aroma and flavour, some malt action in there too.

Tried on 09 Nov 2024 at 04:36


6

Fruity, nutty, malty

Tried from Can on 07 Nov 2024 at 23:31


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Cask at The Lord Northbrook, Lee. Clear amber pour with a white head. Red fruits & toffee aromas. Malty fruity taste. Malty sweet & lightly bitter finish.

Tried from Cask on 03 Nov 2024 at 21:32


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask. Amber beer with a cream head. Light citrus aroma. Light grapefruit flavor. Medium bodied. Light grapefruit lingers.

Tried from Cask on 15 Oct 2024 at 15:07


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Can at home in Hackney - picked up from the Waitrose on Marylebone High Street. Pours clear, pale yellow with a fluffy, white head. Light sweet flavour with notes of lemon peel, white grape, pale biscuits, subtle bitter rind and straw. Light bodied with fine to average carbonation. Easygoing finish, more rind, a hint of diesel. Drinks fine enough.

Tried from Can on 11 Oct 2024 at 20:21


6.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Cask at the signal box Euston. A clear pale amber coloured pour with a decent loose off white head. Aroma is subdued, nutty makts, apple, hedgerow hop. Palate is semi sweet, watery. Mellow cask condition, some grain tannin, straw. Flavour is composed of watery brown bread, rye, spicy hop, liquorice, firm bitterness, little wishy washy. Very run of the mill.

Tried from Cask on 09 Oct 2024 at 18:58


7

Bitter, malty, slightly resinous

Tried from Can on 02 Oct 2024 at 19:51