Beer of the month............September
I was in the queue in the checkout at my local
supermarket when I saw an unfamiliar newcomer to their range of bottled beers. I picked up
the bottle and saw the words "Black Sheep Brewery" - the brewers of last year's
winner. It went in my trolley in a flash! But was it worth buying on impulse? Read on to
find out.........
With autumn coming and winter not far behind, the
Black Sheep Brewery seems to be giving us a winter-type brew this time around. Clocking in
at a respectable 5% ABV, Yorkshire Square Ale is a little stronger than its sister brew,
Black Sheep Ale. It not only tastes stronger, but also has a rather deeper flavour with
more warming hints of cinnamon and treacle as well as a very definite and not unexpected
maltiness. It's also rather more bitter than Black Sheep Ale. However, it still has that
very traditional flavour which the brewery seeks to preserve in its products.
In many ways it's a very similar beer but it has a
certain robustness and depth of flavour which makes it sufficiently different to be chosen
as an outstanding beer in its own right. It's the perfect winter counterpart of Black
Sheep Ale and I can assure you that it's going to be revisited many times. So, well done
to Paul Theakston and the other excellent people at the Black Sheep brewery in Masham,
Yorkshire - you've done it again, lads!
Why call it "Yorkshire Square" Ale,
though? Well, Yorkshire squares are the vessels which are still used by the brewery to
house their fine products, some of which are made out of the traditional material - slate
- and which are a hundred years old.
You'd be square not to try this one and I love the
label, too...........