Oakhill Yeoman 1767 Strong Ale

Cask conditioned at The Wild Goose, Combeignteignhead, Devon. Amber coloured with a good thick head. Full thick fruity beer, plenty of hops and a sweet orangey mouthfeel. Very pleasurable start but a surprisingly short finish.

The original Oakhill Brewery was formed in 1767 and became a huge success, building its own railway line to deliver beers throughout Wales and the West Country. Sadly it never recovered from a huge fire in 1925, and was bought by Bristol United Breweries which merely used the remains of the buildings as a depot. In 1981 the microbrewery Beacon was founded in the old fermenting room, but only lasted until 1983. A year later Reg Keevil revived the brewery, first calling it Old Brewery Oakhill, then simply Oakhill. The head brewer Gary Lumber has now left Oakhill and formed a new brewery called The Hidden Brewery. This Strong Ale was from the cask, Maidstone. The colour is of a mature whiskey, and the nose is of sanguine orange. There is a huge Goldings hop bitterness - very dry and dusty, but fruit does come through, a slight marmalade flavour. There is some oak and leather near the finish. A good, bold bitter.

Sampled cask conditioned. Amber coloured. Fruity aroma. Sparkling mouthfeel. Salty, very bitter finish. Doesn’t quite feel well balanced.