Dark Horse

Microbrewery in Rylstone, North Yorkshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Established in 2008

Contact
Coonlands Laithe, Rylstone, BD23 6LY, England
Description
The brewery is housed in a 200-year-old Laithe; a Yorkshire term, derived from Old Norse, for a barn or agricultural building. It was used for storing hay and sheltering cattle until it was converted.

Along with improvements to the building, a 150-foot borehole was drilled to tap in to the excellent brewing quality water below. In addition, and uniquely, a reed bed was constructed to deal with the brewery waste in an environmentally friendly manner.

Originally called Wharfedale Brewery, the site was opened by the Duke of Kent KG on the 3rd December 2003. Unfortunately brewing ceased in 2007 and the brewery closed.

In 2007 the brewery was bought by the present owners Richard and Carole Eyton-Jones. Richard graduated from Heriot Watt University with a Masters Degree in Brewing and began his career at Goose Eye Brewery in Keighley, Yorkshire. He went on to brew at Old Mill Brewery in Snaithe, St Peter’s Brewery & the Old Cannon Brewery, both in Suffolk. Carole started out as a Whitbread manager, is a qualified licensee and has enjoyed many years in hospitality and retail management.

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5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 6
One-third pint, cask ale at Medicine Tap. Filmy white head leaving spotty lacing on the glass, misty warm golden body. Modest aroma of apricot, mid-sweet. Malt-fruity taste of toffee, bread and oily hops. Rounded mid-sweet fruity end. Easy to drink. Fair enough. (Rochdale 05.05.2018).
Tried from Cask on 15 May 2018 at 18:28

4.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 4 Flavor 4 Texture 6 Overall 4.5
Bottle from the Keelham Farm Shop, Thornton. Copper with a head. Fuller-bodied, but has a notable floralness in both aroma and taste. A bitter in style, but not too bitter.
Tried from Bottle on 08 Feb 2018 at 21:30

6.6/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Cask at The Buck Inn. A golden beer with a lazing white head. The aroma has notes of malt, flowers, and a bit of caramel. The flavor is sweet with notes malt, caramel, and a bit of herbs, leadi g to a bitter finish.
Tried from Cask on 07 Oct 2017 at 10:18

6/10
Tried on 19 Aug 2017 at 12:02

5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 5
500ml bottle at a mates house on 4th July 2017. Clear golden pour, decent white crown on top. Light citrus aroma and taste, slight toffee/caramel sweetness below the surface, subtle flavours: nothing strong or bold about this brew.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Jul 2017 at 01:18

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
500ml bottle into a UK pint sleeve at home on 29th sep 2016. Brewed and bottled for the Kelham Farm Shop according to the labelling, Dark Horse Brewery brewed. Lovely chestnut body, clear and clean, the smooth off-white head soon turned into a wisp and collar, which was a shame because it looked great initially. Malty with toffee esters in both the nose and taste, fairly bitter and dry mid-sip and beyond. Decent.
Tried from Bottle on 29 Sep 2016 at 16:35

6.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6
Cask at the Sheffield Tap, 20/05/16. Rich amber with a decent off white cap. Nose is earthy fruit esters, toffee, biscuit. Taste comprises toffee, straw, biscuit malt, brown bread. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, semi drying close. Decent enough bitter.
Tried from Cask on 24 Jun 2016 at 02:49

5.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
Skipton Beer Festival 2016. Reddish-brown coloured ale with a mild sweetness and some very mild dark and roasted malts.
Tried on 17 Jun 2016 at 10:28

5.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
Cask @ The Bull, Broughton, nr Skipton. Golden with a small head. Has some fruits but its malts are more dominant. Have also come across this beer labelled as Hetton Pale Ale Extra.
Tried from Cask on 22 Jun 2014 at 10:26

6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 5 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Called Cruck Barn Bitter at The Craven Arms in the Yorkshire Dales. This is golden-amber in colour with a creamy head. It includes light malts with some grain in its aftertaste and a bitterness.
Tried on 03 Nov 2013 at 09:10