Country Life Brewery

Microbrewery in Bideford, Devon, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Established in 1998

Contact
The Big Sheep, Abbotsham, Bideford, EX39 5AP, England
Description
Established in 1998, using the brew plant from Lundy Island, the brewery was originally located at the families’ pub near Westward Ho! During the summer of 2002 it moved to its current location at The Big Sheep, Abbotsham, where you can visit the working brewery and retail outlet. In 2005 a new state of the art brewery and a bottling plant was installed enabling the brewery to keep up with increasing demand.

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6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask gravity at White Cliffs Beer Festival 2016. Dark amber slight haze. Lasting beige head. Syrupy malty hoppy aroma. Very hoppy for an English Strong. A little on the agricultural side but I rather liked it.

Tried from Cask on 05 Feb 2016 at 12:04


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

Cask (handpump) @ GBBF 2015, Great British Beer Festival, London Olympia, Hammersmith Road, London, England W14 8UX. [ As Country Life Shore Break ].Clear medium to dark yellow color with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, white head. Aroma is moderate malty, pale malt, light fruity, vomit. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter with a average duration, fruity, citrus, pale malt. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. [20150811]

Tried from Cask on 31 Dec 2015 at 07:36


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle from darts farm shop nr. Exeter. Black colour very thin if an tan head. Fruity aroma with plums and a touch of roasted malt. Taste has more roasted malt. Body is a touch watery.

Tried from Bottle on 22 Oct 2015 at 12:24


7.4
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask @ Baum, Rochdale. Golden-blonde with a thick head. Easy-drinking with a light but tasty fruitiness with peach involved.

Tried from Cask on 06 Sep 2015 at 15:04


5.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5

11th August 2015
GBBF Day 1. Cask. Lightly hazy gold beer, good pale cream colour head. Palate is smooth and semi dry, decent fine carbonation. Good marmalade, lemon and orange. Little sulphur. Light dry finish. Passable.

Tried from Cask on 15 Aug 2015 at 15:20


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

From cask. Pours cloudy yellow with a small white head. Aroma is citrusy, fruity and crisp hoppy. Bitter, smooth fruity, peachy and slight citrusy. Crisp hoppy finish.

Tried from Cask on 11 Aug 2015 at 15:31


4

Tried on 06 Mar 2015 at 17:51


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask gravity at the Watford beer fest 2014. Pale golden colour pour with a thin lasting white head. Aroma is sweet berry, raisin fruit with some undefined honey. Flavour is honey malt, touch of caramel, berry and light citrus hop. Lingering apple note. Palate is medium light moderate carbonation. Mesh.

Tried from Cask on 06 Nov 2014 at 14:11


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Thanks for the bottle Addison!
This was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a dark brown color with a thin finger’s worth of creamy white head. After the head dissipated, there was just some messy lacing kind of here and there and all over the place.
The smell had a super malty rich caramel to toffee with a nice boozy/fruitiness combination.
The taste was sweet and fruity through the previously mentioned flavors.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with more of a sipper aspect to it. The carbonation was good for the style but also left a nice rolling sweet fruity aftertaste and a dry finish.
Overall, good English Strong Ale, wishing I had another one to go into Winter, hmmm...my bad, probably should’ve saved it until then...

Tried from Bottle on 10 Sep 2014 at 01:54


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle shared at CBC Clerkenwell. I probably got this one at Kris Wines about three years ago. Pours clear ruby with a creamy tan head. Fruity nose, some apple, grape, berries. Medium sweet flavor with suggestions of mild oxidation, bread, toffee, dried fruits, mellow apple. Medium to full bodied with fine carbonation and a creamy texture. Lightly warming to finish with further toffee, aged fruits, rich bread. Flavorful and very well balanced. Solid.

Tried from Bottle on 05 Dec 2013 at 01:55