Top Ten English Craft Breweries

Discussion in 'United Kingdom & Ireland' started by Zimbo, Oct 24, 2014.

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  1. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,305) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    What are your top ten 'New Wave' English craft breweries?

    By English 'New Wave' craft breweries I mean relatively new companies (within the last 5-10 years) who are more obviously influenced by international/American breweries/styles/trends and tend to gravitate towards bottling and craft keg despite producing some cask beer.

    For me, the alphabetical following are top notch.

    Bad Seed
    Beavertown
    Buxton
    The Kernel
    Magic Rock
    Partizan
    Red Church
    Siren
    Weird Beard
    Wild Beer Co.
     
    #1 Zimbo, Oct 24, 2014
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  2. Sam-VW

    Sam-VW Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2014 England

    Great choices mate.

    Mine in no particular order are very similar.

    Partizan
    Brew By Numbers
    Beavertown
    Kernel
    Magic Rock
    Siren
    Buxton
    Brixton
    Weird Beard
    Five Points
     
    #2 Sam-VW, Oct 24, 2014
  3. CwrwAmByth

    CwrwAmByth Grand Pooh-Bah (3,113) Jan 24, 2011 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Aw why no Scotland? Want to add Tempest to my list :slight_frown:
     
    #3 CwrwAmByth, Oct 24, 2014
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  4. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,305) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm coming up with a Scottish list of its own. Nothing political about it but I don't think there's a single new Scottish brewery which really qualifies under my above definition (yep, I'm a pendant). Many of the newer Scottish breweries still tend to favour cask with less of an emphasis on bottling and even less on 'embracing' craft keg. Not that that's a bad thing at all mind. Tempest is a great example of this as is my present brewmance with Pilot in Leith who cask and craft keg. But no bottles yet.
     
    #4 Zimbo, Oct 24, 2014
  5. reprob8

    reprob8 Initiate (0) May 22, 2008 England

    with breweries opening at the rate of two a week this list is going to shift over time, I think you're right in qualifying such a list by excluding any opened in the last five years as time is a great leveler. That said, you may find some on your list don't qualify. Magic Rock opened 2011 but I agree is one of the best.
     
    #5 reprob8, Oct 26, 2014
  6. wesbray

    wesbray Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2012 Canada (AB)

    Be intrigued to try most of these when i'm back. Only got into craft beer proper after leaving the UK in 2011. I lived off Harvey's and Fullers up until that point. How are Wild Beer Co? Their brews always look pretty interesting!
     
    #6 wesbray, Oct 27, 2014
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  7. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,305) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Wild Beer makes some great beer. Their Whiskebeest Imperial Stout is a cracker.
     
    #7 Zimbo, Oct 28, 2014
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  8. EmperorBevis

    EmperorBevis Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,338) Sep 25, 2011 England
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Right

    Ten
    English
    and avoiding the local Nanos whom I am becoming friends/am acquaintances with

    Wild Beer, just so innovative
    Weird Beard, just a bulldozer of constant high quality consistency
    Magic Rock, even though they've put their prices through the roof
    Thornbridge, even though the bottles are barely above average
    Five Towns
    Kernel, big hops and interesting slants
    Siren, some scarily good beer
    Dark Star, still a quality product
    Mallinson's, in the same way that Thornbridge make outstanding cask & average bottle but reversed

    and last but not least the most prolific, high quality monster brewer







    Greene King

    Bahahahahahahahahahaha
     
    #8 EmperorBevis, Oct 28, 2014
  9. Padraig

    Padraig Zealot (526) Jan 14, 2013 New York
    Trader

    No love for Moor?
     
    #9 Padraig, Oct 29, 2014
  10. Padraig

    Padraig Zealot (526) Jan 14, 2013 New York
    Trader

    Come to think of it Arbor is another great one that deserves some recognition in this thread.
     
    #10 Padraig, Oct 29, 2014
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  11. Aye

    Aye Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2011 England

    Or Summer Wine Brewery?
    Bristol Beer Factory?
     
    #11 Aye, Oct 29, 2014
  12. EmperorBevis

    EmperorBevis Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,338) Sep 25, 2011 England
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I love Moor & SW but hey naming 10 is tough
     
    #12 EmperorBevis, Oct 29, 2014
  13. Jerseyislandbeer

    Jerseyislandbeer Pooh-Bah (1,867) Jan 26, 2014 Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    Living in Jersey you just don't get the chance try new microbrews, so I try and do several weekend trips & one road trip a year to the UK

    My top English and I've added on a couple of Welsh on the side, yes can't forget about them-

    Kernel
    Arbor
    Hobsons
    Thornbridge
    Camden Town
    Geltsdale
    Stonehouse
    Samuel Smith
    Durham
    Dunscar Bridge

    Waen
    Otley
     
    #13 Jerseyislandbeer, Oct 30, 2014
  14. CwrwAmByth

    CwrwAmByth Grand Pooh-Bah (3,113) Jan 24, 2011 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Summer Wine are superb normally but BBF have always been disappointing.
     
    #14 CwrwAmByth, Oct 31, 2014
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  15. Aye

    Aye Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2011 England

    I thought that when I first encountered them, especially their keg beers ( not being used to drinking cold fizz ). The Mrs being a local I got to know Bristol and the BBF quite well and my appreciation grew. I always look out for Southville Hop and their Vintage Ale when I'm in the vicinity which isn't very often sadly. I miss the Merchants Arms, The White Lion, The Bag Of Nails and Pieminster. The jury is still out on Zero Degrees and The Tobacco Factory.
     
    #15 Aye, Oct 31, 2014
  16. Flibber

    Flibber Initiate (0) Jul 27, 2013 England

    I don't think I can do ten, but I like Thornbridge, Ilkley and Hardknott.
     
    #16 Flibber, Nov 1, 2014
  17. CwrwAmByth

    CwrwAmByth Grand Pooh-Bah (3,113) Jan 24, 2011 England
    Pooh-Bah

    After a bit of thought I've come to the conclusion that whatever I'd put in my top ten, Siren is the #1 brewery in the country, mixing consistent quality together with new ideas which work well (as opposed to weird ideas used for grabbing attention). Their collaboration list also reads like a who's who of top world brewers (Molen, Hill Farmstead, Mikkeller, To Ol, Cigar City, Magic Rock, Prairie, Omnipollo etc).

    My other nine would definitely be found in your other cool lists, though Buxton would probably #2 (again some truly amazing beer, I'm talking Axe Edge, Tsar, Imperial Black, which would probably be in my top five list of UK beers). Reasonably priced compared to many others (Kernel etc) too.
     
    #17 CwrwAmByth, Nov 6, 2014
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  18. ImperialStoat

    ImperialStoat Initiate (0) May 20, 2009 Ireland

    Brew By Numbers, Buxton and Beavertown Über Alles. Other breweries I can't believe no-one's mentioned: Marble, Wiper and True, and Red Willow. Wild Beer get an honourable mention for being utter lunatics.

    A couple years ago Kernel would have been my first mention, but I'm burned out on the endless variations of pale ales and the London Sour series. Where's the fun experimentation gone (India Brown Ale, Double Export Porter, Saison, etc.)?
     
    #18 ImperialStoat, Nov 7, 2014
  19. VladTepes

    VladTepes Initiate (0) Oct 18, 2012 Finland

    Really good question!

    I have pretty similar list what mentioned above.

    My list:

    Beavertown
    Brew by Numbers
    Buxton
    Kernel
    Magic Rock
    Moor
    Siren
    Thornbridge
    Weird Beard
    Wild Beer
     
    #19 VladTepes, Dec 20, 2014
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