Andy Stewart, one of Endeavour’s founders and the original driving force behind the business’ beer recipes, missed out on giving the Tap Rooms brewery a proper christening due to being ensconced in the USA. So, understandably, on his most recent trip home he was keen to get his hands dirty and head brewer JB was only too happy to help him; he was even so generous as to organise a 5am start, mere hours after Andy had spent the preceding 24 in a plane.
The pair got busy brewing an India red ale, a slightly larger version of a red ale JB had trialled earlier in the year. This one features more malt, more hops, more booze and, with the caramel and toffee characters of the crystal malt coming through, more sweetness too. They’ve sought to balance that using the resinous and bitter characteristics of Vic Secret hops, grapefruit from Ella and the slight earthiness of Helga. With the alcohol sitting at 6.1 percent ABV, it’s in that sweet spot where the flavours and characters taste full and fresh without becoming overpowering.
Nick O
Published September 22, 2017 2017-09-22 00:00:00