Old Chimneys

Client Brewer in Diss, Suffolk, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Associated Venue: Old Chimneys Brewery - Out of business

Established in 1995

Contact
Hopton End Farm, Church Road, Market Weston, Diss, IP22 2NX, England
Description
Old Chimneys Brewery was started in 1995 by Alan Thomson, a Master Brewer who celebrated 40 years of brewing in 2017.

Located in Market Weston on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, Old Chimneys has achieved an enviable reputation for beer quality. The flagship brand,
Good King Henry Special Reserve, has for 8 years been the highest rated English beer on ratebeer.com

Alan ceased brewing at Market Weston in April 2019 to concentrate on collaborative brewing with top quality brewers in the UK and abroad,
starting with Grain (Norfolk), Northern Monk (Leeds) and Wylam (Newcastle).

The regular Good King Henry is now brewed under Alan’s supervision at Grain Brewery. The strength has been increased to 10% abv, and for the first time in 20 years it is available in KeyKeg as well as cask.

Changed to a client brewer as of 2019 on Brewver as Alan continues to brew elsewhere with the Old Chimneys name, mostly at Grain Brewery.

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8.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Cask@Dark Beer Fest 2025, The Hope, Carshalton (27/11/2025) - roasted sweet malty with layers of chocolate, dark caramel, liquorice, full bodied with nice soft cask mouthfeel, wooden red wine washed lingering warming malty finish . Lovely.
Tried from Cask at The Hope on 27 Nov 2025 at 19:51

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
Bottle from Cotteridge Wines; clear amber pour with a thin white head, aroma has honey and light citrus, taste has some bready malts, hint of spice, rich honey
Tried from Bottle from Cotteridge Wines on 27 Jul 2025 at 08:54

9.1/10 Appearance 9 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 9
Bottle at home and this is something good. Stunning colour in the glass with lasting lacing. Huge and rich nose and a deep and rich fruit and savoury taste that is perfectly balanced. The mouthfeel goes on and on. This is a superb beer.
Tried from Bottle from BEER:shop on 13 Jul 2025 at 17:56

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 8 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
bottle at home ...golden amber ..thick off white head ...soft salty floral fruit nose ...mellow floral orange peel ..soft herbal bitterness ..soft fruit
Tried on 11 Jul 2025 at 12:03

7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Small Bottle. Thanks to SirAlex. Pours cloudy Golden with a White head. Golden nugget? Floral, dried fruit, honey, grains and quite that bitter hop. Fun. 3.9
Tried on 05 Jul 2025 at 08:41

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 8 Texture 7 Overall 8
Bottle bought at Beautiful Beers, Bury St Edmunds. Somewhat opaque honey amber. Thick fluffy foamy white head with prolonged lacing. Aroma is malty, doughy. Light honey and floral notes. Slightly bitter fermented fruit edge. Light-medium bitter. Grains. Hedgerow. Over ever so slightly syrupy fruit and a big doughy streak. Peripheral booze. Spice. Light-medium bodied. Slick albeit a tad thin.. Soft-fizzy carbonation. Long dry astringent finish. Festy Biere de Garde.
Tried from Bottle from Beautiful Beers on 15 Jun 2025 at 20:54

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Tried from Bottle at Craft Metropolis - Penge on 13 Jun 2025 at 18:35

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
Good stuff overall. Some nice sun-baked biscuits, a little dried honey, dirty hay, soft grassy bitterness, mellow yeast expression. Well balanced. A nip of dried citrus peel. Solid. Moreish.
Tried from Bottle at House Of The Trembling Madness (Lendal) on 06 Jun 2025 at 21:38

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle, 330 ml, shared with MiorB, Luka and kajser27. Hazy dark yellow, white head. Malty, bit yeasty, floral, tad sweet. Some bitterness in finish.
Tried from Bottle on 30 May 2025 at 22:00

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Bottle, 330 ml, shared with Luka, MiorB and kajser27. Black with beige head. Roasty, chocolate, cocoa, some licorice, bit spicy. Alcohol coming through. Bit messy.
Tried from Bottle on 30 May 2025 at 22:00