Beer Holgate Nut Brown Ale

When choosing a tenth anniversary beer in 2009, Paul Holgate eschewed the idea of creating something extreme in favour of a style he'd enjoyed making in his home brewing days. The resultant Nut Brown Ale, made with roasted macadamia nuts added to the boil was an instant winner. A blend of six different malts lent it multi-layered rich, dark roasted flavours with a touch of caramel sweetness, lifted by the nut addition and rounded off with a short hop finish. Originally a one-off, it's now scheduled in as a regular winter brew and, at 6.3%, is deceptively strong too. 2010 batch update: Take one sniff and try to resist!