Hop, Clip, & Pump

A guide to the wonderful delights from the Thornbridge brewery....in case we need help deciding which one to try.

I never thought it could happen with me and the ale from Clapham....well Battersea in reality but Clapham isn't a million miles away from Sambrooks Brewery. Junction Ale is Sambrooks anniversary ale and is one of only three ales brewed by Sambrooks - Wandle and Powerhouse Porter being the other two. Being close to the UK’s busiest railway station Duncan Sambrook (a former city accountant) decided people needed another reason to go ‘Up the Junction’ and Junction Ale was born. In style it is very different to Wandle and was brewed in tribute to a good friend of his who often complained about ‘too much flowery aromas in beers these days!’ Junction is brewed as a traditional English bitter, using only English hop varieties, lots of crystal malt and a touch of roasted barley to give it an inviting auburn colour. Great with a steak pie or a roast dinner, Junction is a fine compliment to Wandle Ale, but loses none of its drinkability. Just treat it with a bit of respect, at 4...

Founded in 1827 in Railway Street, Hertford McMullens first moved to Mill Bridge in 1832 and then made a second move to Old Cross in 1891, later investing in a modern brewhouse in 1984. By the mid 2000s the company narrowly escape closure as shareholders who wanted to receive a reasonable dividend and those who wanted to reinvest annual profits into the company split. David McMullen stepped down as Chairman following an unsuccessful management buyout. Independent Chairman, Charles Brims was appointed and he facilitated a compromise whereby several non-brewing property investments were sold to release cash to appease the majority shareholders and a plan was launched to build a brand new, smaller brewhouse. The company decided to shed contract-brewing and take advantage of tax breaks by becoming a smaller brewer and re-opened as the new 'Whole Hop Brewery' in 2006.  Unlike many other brewers McMullen's latest brewery continues to use whole natural hops straight from the ...

What flavour is that ale? Beer flavour! Number Five in our gentle wander through beery ephemera brings us to a thing of rare and curious beauty: the Beer Flavour Wheel . A diagram, yes, but also a kind of map of the senses , charting the strange and wonderful territory between the nose, the tongue, and the imagination. A Language for Taste There is something rather comforting about the idea that flavour can be organised. That what we experience in a fleeting sip might be named, placed, and understood . Here we find the familiar: Citrus and tropical fruit from hops Caramel, biscuit, and toast from malt Roast, chocolate, and coffee in darker ales But also the unexpected, those elusive notes that hover just out of reach until someone points to them and says, there, that’s what you’re tasting. From Vague to Vivid Without such a guide, one might simply say: ' That’s nice.' With it, suddenly the pint becomes something more precise:  grapefruit zest… warm bread… a...