Dark Horse

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

Established in 2008

Contact
Coonlands Laithe, Rylstone, Skipton, 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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5.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle 500ml.Clear medium yellow colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, white head. Aroma is moderate malty, toasted, caramel, vintage - old malt. Flavour is moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter with a long duration, oxidide, fruity, vintage malt. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20130329]

Tried from Bottle on 07 Jul 2013 at 11:25


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

bottle at chrisO... golden ... white head ... soft dry light smokey nose ... soft sweet zezty lemon ... light fizz ... sherbert lemon

Tried from Bottle on 29 Mar 2013 at 14:07


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

cask at guilford.. golden amber ... soft zezty lemon fruit nose .. dry zezty hop ... light bitter lemon

Tried from Cask on 31 Oct 2012 at 05:33


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

casdk at guildford ... amber ... thin white head ... soft dull toffee fruits ... soft fruits ... soft dull mslt

Tried on 31 Oct 2012 at 05:32


5.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

Cask at The Cleveland Arms, London. Pours clear, yellow-gold with a staunch, white frothy head. Toasty biscuits, grains and twigs in the nose. Light sweet flavor, some toasted sugar, dry dough, faint leaves. Light in body with fine carbonation. Mild sweet finish with some dry wood, faint leaves, faint grainy biscuits. Not too good.

Tried from Cask on 15 Jun 2012 at 11:21


6.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

20th August 2009
Cask at Coggleshall (I think). Clear gold beer. Semi crisp and semi dry palate. Sharp hops impart citrus. Biscuit malt. Tasty beer that slips down very easy.

Tried from Cask on 27 May 2012 at 10:12


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

Gravity cask at the Bricklayer’s Arms BF, 2011. Clear gold pour, no head. Has some modest, doughy malts on the nose and light, tart citrus. Medium sweet, lightly bready with fine hints of butter and zesty fruits. Light bodied with very fine carbonation. Finishes lightly dry with light grass, straw and dough. Alright.

Tried from Cask on 24 Feb 2011 at 07:39


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask @ Bon Accord. Clear golden colour, off-white head. Aroma is slightly hoppy and lemonade. Flavour is hoppy, some malts, and slightly bitter.

Tried from Cask on 23 May 2010 at 11:52


5.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Cask @ National Winter Ales Festival 2009, Manchester. Pours a dark golden color with a small white head. Has a fruity malty hoppy aroma with some citrus hints. Fruity sweetish malty flavor with some hoppy hints. Has a sweetish malty hoppy citrus finish with some bitterness in the aftertaste.

Tried from Cask on 17 Jun 2009 at 11:10


6.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask at Bricklayers Arms Yorskhire Festival 09. Attractive mahogany colour with thin beige head. Butter, but just a touch. Rest of it is a pretty good ESB. It’s a bit dry, in fact definite dryness on the finish.

Tried from Cask on 18 Mar 2009 at 18:54