Some breweries follow trends, and some quietly endure, adapting when necessary, but never quite surrendering their identity.
McMullen’s of Hertford belongs firmly to the latter camp. Founded in 1827 in Railway Street, the brewery has moved, reshaped, and nearly vanished altogether, yet somehow continues to pour pints that feel rooted in a much older idea of brewing.
A Brewery That Refused to Disappear
The story begins in Hertford, with early moves from Railway Street (1827) to Mill Bridge (1832) and later to Old Cross (1891), where the brewery would establish a more lasting presence. Like many regional brewers, McMullen’s adapted across the twentieth century, even investing in a modern brewhouse in 1984.
But survival was far from guaranteed.
By the mid-2000s, the company stood on uncertain ground. A divide emerged between shareholders, those seeking stronger dividends and those committed to reinvesting in the brewery’s future. An attempted management buyout failed, and long-standing Chairman David McMullen stepped down.
What followed could easily have been the end.
Instead, under Independent Chairman Charles Brims, a compromise was reached. Non-core property assets were sold to generate capital, and a bold decision was taken to shrink the brewery, refocus its identity, and return to its roots.
In 2006, McMullen’s re-emerged as the Whole Hop Brewery, smaller and leaner but unmistakably itself.
The Whole Hop Philosophy
In an era where efficiency often trumps tradition, McMullen’s made a deliberate choice to do things differently.
Rather than relying on hop pellets or extracts, the brewery uses whole leaf hops straight from the sack. This method is more labour-intensive, less predictable, and, in their view, infinitely more authentic.
This is not nostalgia for its own sake. It is a commitment to flavour, provenance, and craft.
Their hops are sourced from trusted growers in the garden counties of England, cultivating classic varieties synonymous with British brewing heritage. Yet McMullen’s are not insular: they also work with Slovenian farmers to source Styrian Goldings, prized for their delicate aromatic qualities.
It is a marriage of the local and the continental, tradition with a willingness to travel for the right ingredient.
A Different Kind of IPA
McMullen’s Original IPA is not what many drinkers might expect from the modern interpretation of the style. There is no pale, aggressively hopped golden beer here.
Instead, this is an IPA in a more traditional, English sense, deep amber, edging toward rusty orange, crowned with a soft cream head.
Tasting Notes
From the first pour, the aroma suggests something layered and slightly unconventional:
- Peach melba sweetness
- A twist of aniseed
- A subtle, almost nostalgic confectionery note
On the palate, the beer unfolds in stages:
- Sunflower seeds and liquorice, recalling the curious marriage of black jacks and fruit salad sweets
- A transition into toasted caramel and brazil nut richness
- A texture that coats the glass, leaving distinct concentric lacing rings
Final Thoughts
What makes McMullen’s compelling is not just the beer itself, but the decision to remain distinct in a landscape that often rewards conformity.
At a time when 'IPA' has become shorthand for something pale, punchy, and aggressively hopped, McMullen’s quietly offers an alternative, something deeper, more rounded, and rooted in an older understanding of balance.
The Whole Hop approach is not simply a technical choice; it is a statement. A belief that process matters, that ingredients should speak for themselves, and that tradition still has a place at the bar.
This is not a beer-chasing fashion. It is a beer that knows exactly what it is.
And in a world of constant reinvention, that might just be its greatest strength.
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