S43 Brewery

Microbrewery in Durham, Durham, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Associated Venue: Toronto Lodge (Sonnet 43)

Established in 2012

Closed in 2022

Contact
Coxhoe, Durham, DH6 4HX, England
Description
Changed name from Sonnet 43 to S43 in 2019.

We started life back in 2012, focusing on developing our own British Style Cask Ales out of Country Durham based Brew House.

Back then we were known as Sonnet 43 back then (inspired by the Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was born and raised in Coxhoe, County Durham, the village our brewery calls home).

Three years into our brewing, in 2015 we had doubled production year on year and expanded our team and range of ales, including the award winning Raven and Aurora.

Another three busy years of brewing our beloved Cask Ales and, we noticed a change in our palettes. Whilst, we were still chugging cask specials at a rate of knots, we were getting excited by some of the more hop-forward flavours from over the pond.

This is when we got in touch with the Texan, to come and develop the craft arm of the brewery.

Brewing ceased at the end of 2022.

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7.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Panda thanks to Danlo: Poured a caramel golden with a white head. Aroma is malty, biscuit, bready, fruity. Taste is fruity, malty, bready, spices.
Tried on 04 Aug 2024 at 23:48

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Can 440ml @ Terje & Julie Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, alcohol, chocolate, caramel, pastry, nuts. Taste is medium to heavy sweet and light to medium bitter with a long warm, chocolate, caramel, nutty and coconut finish. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft
Tried from Can on 28 Jul 2024 at 22:40

7/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 7
Panda at home, thanks to Ed Danlo, 29/06/24. Moderately hazed copper to amber with an off white head that veers to the edge. Nose is dried fruits, toffee, herb, light perfume, hedgerow. Taste comprises fruit slice, dark malts, herb, dates, light spice, dates, perfumed notes. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Okay bock if a bit overly floral.
Tried on 29 Jun 2024 at 20:38

7.2/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7
28/5/2024. Can shared by danlo, cheers Ed. Pours hazy amber brown with a small frothy off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, bready, fruity, toffee, slightly nutty. Quite sweet initially with good developing bitterness. Medium body, smooth, average to soft carbonation. Nice bittersweet finish. Decent.
Tried from Can on 28 May 2024 at 21:20

6.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Sample thanks to Danlo. Pours an unclear amber, loose bubbles atop. Aroma of twiggy malts, toffee. Flavour profile continues along these lines, perhaps a more robust woody caramel flavour than standard maibocks, fuller body, with a hint spicy pine coming through. Quite flavoursome.
Tried on 13 May 2024 at 19:07

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
440ml can from S43. Clear orangey amber colour, off-white foamy head and aroma of malt, bready, caramel, straw, fruity hops. Taste is sweetish, malty, caramel, toffee, hint of peach and citrus, with hop bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying malty hopped bitter finish. Nicely drinkable.
Tried from Can on 04 May 2024 at 18:42

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Panda at home, thanks to Ed Danlo, 28/04/24. Extremely dark mahogany brown with a decent khaki head that escapes edgewards. Nose is dark malts, chocolate, light roast, honeycomb, earthy dried fruits. Taste comprises dark malts, spice, roasted bite, booze tunes, hint of Crunchie bar, dark chocolate shavings, spice, molasses, toffee. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a kiss of alcohol. Decent enough impy if perhaps lacking just a little balance.
Tried on 28 Apr 2024 at 16:06

5.8/10 Appearance 3 Aroma 5 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
440 ml can, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.3%. Hops are Herkules and Huell Melon. Sampled 1 month before BB date. Gusher can. Hazy orange to brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma of caramel, malts and old jam. Flavour with the same elements, decent bittering hops.
Tried from Can from Vinmonopolet Nettbutikk (netstore) on 09 Apr 2024 at 17:57

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
440ml can from S43. Black colour, thin tan foam head and aroma of rich chocolate, caramel, coffee. Taste is sweet, roast malty, dark chocolate, caramel, honeycomb, brown sugar, coffee, with earthy bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, roasty chocolatey bitter finish. Nicely drinkable.
Tried from Can on 23 Mar 2024 at 19:48

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Sample (thanks omhper!). Hazy yellowish golden colour, mediumsized white foamy head. Aroma is oaty, fruity, nectary and some slight toffeeish tones. Flavour is oaty, some fruity, nectary and mild toffeeish tones with some herbal tones too.
Tried on 10 Mar 2024 at 19:59