The oldest surviving brewery in Lancashire founded by Daniel Thwaites started brewing in 1807 based on Syke Street, Blackburn. A new modern brewery was built in 1966. In 2014, they entered into an agreement with Marstons that resulted in much of the beer being brewed by Marstons in Wolverhampton. In 2015, Wainright and Lancaster Bomber were sold to Marston. In 2015 we made the decision to reinvigorate our brewery, we wanted to return to our old ways and take pride in every beer we have our name on. This led to our new craft brewery being built at the foot of the Ribble Valley. Opened in 2018, our small team of brewers created our delicious beers by hand using the latest equipment, a step away from automation and mass production.
Today, Thwaites still produces beer but it in much smaller quantities as it only sells to its own estate of pubs, inns and hotels, which it brews from its Ribble Valley brewery.
Bottled picked up by friend in Co-op, Woodford Halse 09-09-06, as Co-op Strong Ale. Dark brown in colour, good roasty aroma with a roasted malts continuing through into the taste along with some fruitiness, nice body and a jolly decent beer all things considered.
[Bottled] Dark ruby, rich head. Some roasty malt covered in syrup. Sweetish and mellow with notes of hazelnuts. Medium bodied, some decent malt flavours, fairly low bitterness.
Bottled. (as Co-op Strong Ale) Clear, sparkling dark brown with a beige head. Roasted aroma with some caramel, malt and notes of coffee. The flavor is quite roasted as well, with a hoppy fruityness, coffee-notes and some hints of licorice. Medium body and a finish with roasted malt and some hops. Nice brown ale. (060816)
(Bottle 50 cl) Beautiful, clear, reddish brown with a small, off-white head leaving a pretty curtain of laces. Lightly sweet aroma of roasted malt. Medium body, sweet roated malt and a discreet bitterness. Very pleasant drinking - albeit rather mainstream. 090806
[Cask at GBBF] Hazy golden. Pleasant grapefruity nose with some licorice. Medium sweet with chewy mouthfeel. Pleasantly hoppy with some caramel underneath. Light aromatic bitterness.
[Cask at GBBF] Pale amber colour. Vegetable aroma. Sweetish and sugary with medium body. Sad notes of garbage and pea soup before a meakly void finish. Plain bad.