In addition to the premium lagers we usually stock, we've had quite a few guest ales in the Empress recently; here are some details on a few of them:
Adnams
Southwold Bitter 3.7% abv
Southwold Bitter is a beautiful copper-coloured beer, late and dry-hopped with Fuggles for a distinctive, lingering hoppiness. Brewed with the finest East Anglian malted barley, sourced locally to the brewery. A blend of hop varieties is used, including Fuggles, which added late in the boil to preserve the herbal flavours of this traditional English hop. More Fuggles is added to each cask so that the flavour of the hops infuses into the beer.
Broadside 4.7% abv
Brewed with Pale Ale malt and First Gold hops, Broadside is a dark ruby red beer rich in fruitcake aromas, almonds and conserved fruit.
Explorer 4.3% abv
Explorer is light and refreshing, suffused with the aromas of a grapefruit grove. The citrus attack will burst on your palate as the hops deliver their fruity bitterness.
Pale Ale malt is used to provide the biscuity backbone of this blonde beer but it’s the hops that give it its personality. We use two American hops, grown in the Yakima Valley in Washington. These hops, called Columbus and Chinook, add wonderful grapefruit flavours to the beer.
Adnam's Gunhill 4.0% abv
A traditional dark ruby beer, delivering a full flavour. Full aromatic barley malts and an exquisite blend of hops combined to create a wonderful balance of sweet biscuit and subtle fruit flavours with a hint of chocolate bitterness.
Buntingford
Twitchell 3.8% abv
A pale session bitter brewed with malted barley & wheat, topped off with a blend of Progress, Pioneer & Cascade hops to give a refreshing bitter-sweet beer with a gentle citrus nudge.
Highwayman 3.6% abv
Light Brown Session Ale
First Gold 4.0% abv - April 2010
The Hop
First Gold is a relatively modern (1990's) English hop, and is a 'dual purpose' type, being good for bittering and aroma/flavour usage. It can impart subtle citrus orange and apricot flavours, and is popular with breweries of all sizes.
Nelson Sauvin 4.0% abv - March 2010
The Hop
If you want to find a brewer in a crowded room, just shout out 'Nelson Sauvin', and see who goes glassy eyed/drools/comes running over first. It is probably one of the most sought after varieties amongst UK micro breweries, which is not good for the food miles as it comes from New Zealand. Anyhow, the hop dates from 2000, and whilst intended as a powerful bittering hop, it has a sublime (and equally powerful) flavour profile that is very similar to that of the Sauvignon grape (hence the name).
Bobek 4.0% abv - February 2010
The Hop
Bobek is a Slovenian hop variety, that has a ancestry leading back to the English Fuggle. More commonly used in continental 'lager' style beers, it can impart a gentle citrus lemon character and aroma.
Hook, Line & Sinker 3.9% abv April/May 2010
A golden bitter, brewed with Pioneer, Cascade, Fuggle & First Gold hops, and a good dollop of malted oats for good measure.
Cobblers All 4.3% abv March/April 2010
A malty brown best bitter with a blend of Progress, Bramling Cross and Cascade hops.
Pure Flannel 4.7% abv February/March 2010
Slightly stronger than our usual fare, this moreish drop was a light brown shade of beer colour. Brewed with a dash of oat malt, and hopped with Pioneer, Fuggle and Beata hops.
Western Champion 4.2% abv
A golden brown best bitter; refreshingly bitter but not too heavy, with a nice fruity aroma and aftertaste.
Elgood's
Cambridge Bitter 3.8% abv
Cambridge is Elgood’s best-selling cask beer. Awarded the Gold medal "Champion Bitter 2006" in the Bitters section at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival at Olympia London. Brewed in the traditional way at the North Brink Brewery using only the finest East Anglian Malted Barley and choicest English Fuggles and Challenger hops.
Golden Newt 4.6% abv
A golden ale with floral citrus hop aroma and a satisfying soft hoppy palate ending with a spritzy bitterness.
Black Dog 3.6% abv
Black Dog is traditional dark mild at 3.6% abv. Well balanced with a full roast flavour. The use of Crystal malt and Roast Barley give a deep underlying characteristic flavour, which is balanced with Fuggles hops as the sole variety.
Pageant Ale 4.3% abv
First brewed to mark the Fens Pageant in 1994, the recipe was used in 1995 to mark the Bi-centenary of the North Brink Brewery. Brewed with well-roasted malts and generous amounts of English hops, for a satisfying finish. The use of wheat malt as well as Finest Pale Maris Otter malt results in a rich full malty flavour. Challenger hops give good depth to the bitter finish of the beer.
Humpty Dumpty Brewery
Cheltenham Flyer 4.6% abv
An amber beer with a distinctive hoppy finish
Humpty Dumpty Ale 4.1% abv
Premium best bitter; amber-coloured and with a hint of fruit in the nose, the flavour starts sweet before a long dry finish.
Little Sharpie 3.8% abv
Best-selling session bitter. Light golden in colour and with a fresh but balanced hop flavour, Little Sharpie is a refreshing crowd pleaser.
Railway Sleeper 5% abv
Railway Sleeper is a strong ale, full-bodied and with a slightly fruity nose. A malty mouthfeel proceeds to leave a long dry finish.
Milton Brewery
Colossus 5.6% abv
Pale and hoppy, this well balanced bitter beer belies its powerful strength and can surprise the unwary!
Dionysus 3.6% abv
Straw coloured bitter, powerfully hoppy, with a fine citrus finish.
Mammon 7.0% abv
Hugely flavoursome, rich and warming - this dark and mysterious brew is the ideal beer for a chill winter evening.
Minotaur 3.3% abv
A rich dark mild with bags of character from the lavish use of chocolate malt.
Nero 5.0% abv
A satisfying, full-flavoured black brew with a good balance of malt, roast and fruit. Bittersweet flavours carry through to a dry finish.
Pegasus 4.1% abv
Complex copper-coloured beer. The initial hoppiness is balanced with a long fruity, malty finish. Very moreish.
Sparta 4.3% abv
Refreshing pale bitter. Packed with hop flavours and crisp bitterness.
Oakham
J.H.B. Jeffrey Hudson Bitter 3.8% abv
A golden beer whose aroma is dominated by hops that give characteristic citrus notes. Hops and fruit on the palate are balanced by malt and a bitter base. Dry hoppy finish with soft fruit flavours
Sharp’s
Doom Bar 4% abv
“The aroma of Doom Bar combines an accomplished balance of spicy resinous hop, inviting sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a perfectly balanced and complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malty notes and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The bitterness remains into the finish with dry fruity notes which implore the drinker to go back for more.”
Cornish Coaster 3.6% abv
"The fresh aroma of hops blends seamlessly with light fruity-sweet notes. In the mouth the beer feels succulent and despite its lower gravity delivers a good measure of hoppy bitterness. This is complemented by a light, almost honeyed malty sweetness. The finish is dry and hoppy with a light moreish bitterness."
Sharp’s Own 4.4% abv
"Rich roasted and malty notes are key to the aroma of Own with some light hop tones. The mouthfeel is full of malty sweetness complemented by a good measure of hop bitterness. The sweet and malty finish is lingering but not satiating. This is a product packed with flavour."
St Austell Brewery
Tribute 4.2% abv
A Supreme Champion Ale of Cornwall as voted by CAMRA, and the South West's Favourite cask beer**, Tribute is a popular favourite with locals and visitors to Cornwall, as well as being a much sought after guest ale throughout the rest of the UK. It is brewed using specially grown Cornish Gold Malt. Tribute is a magnificent example of a bronze coloured English bitter, with a rich aroma of biscuity malt and tart citrus fruit from the Willamette hops. Juicy malt, hop resins and tangy fruit coat the tongue, while the finish is long and lingering, with a fine balance between malt, hops and fruit, finally becoming dry and bitter."
IPA 3.4% abv
An enjoyable pint whose flavour far outweighs its alcohol strength and a great beer to drink at lunchtimes with a sandwich or pasty. IPA is a rich copper colour and is packed full of delicate hop flavours, that blossom on the palate.
Thwaites
Thwaites Original 3.6%
A clean, polished and refreshing session beer with a glowing amber appearance. Brewed using premium grade Maris Otter malt and traditional English hops, Thwaites Original has a great malt flavour with a superb dry aftertaste.
Lancaster Bomber 4.4% abv
Chestnut in colour, Lancaster Bomber has a warming, full-flavoured taste, with a hint of toffee and biscuit and a very moreish flavour.
Summat Special - India Pale Beer, 4.3% abv
It's all in the name with this iconic amber coloured beer! 'Summat' being Lancastrian for 'something' and 'Special,' because the water from the Lancashire hills are used in the brewing process of this classic IPA with a pronounced bitterness kept in check by hoppy citrus, lemon and floral flavours.
Tring Brewery
Colley's Dog - 5.2%
Dark ruby in colour but not over rich. Strong yet very drinkable, this premium ale has a long dry finish with overtones of malt and walnuts.
Vale Brewery
Edgar's Golden - 4.3%
English golden ale, infused with traditional English hops and balanced by a complex malt characteristic.
