The story of Thornbridge Brewery began in 2004 when Jim Harrison and Simon Webster oversaw the installation of a small ten barrel brewery in an outbuilding on the 100 acre estate at Thornbridge Hall, near Great Longstone in Derbyshire. Jim and Simon employed two young brewers (one being Martin Dickie who soon left to co-found another brewery …), the first beer brewed in early 2005 was Lord Marples, a classic 4% bitter, which is still produced to this day.
Their second ale in mid-2005 was the real game-changer; Jaipur. A mouth-watering 5.9% IPA loaded with American hops making it like nothing else on the market at the time; Jaipur was an instant hit and soon demand outstripped supply. New premises were built at Riverside on the A6 between Bakewell and Buxton in 2009, the bespoke brewery enabling Thornbridge to quench the thirst for Jaipur and also develop their core range. Brewing still continues on the original site and is used for experimentation and collaborations.
If you have never tried Thornbridge Brewery’s beers, you owe it to yourself to visit Bodell’s for the Swadlincote pub’s inaugural Tap Taker, which runs from this Thursday to Sunday. With a total of seventeen beers on offer, ten cask and seven on key keg there is something for every taste. Mind you if you are already a convert, you know you are in for a treat …
Bodell’s Ashley Ayling: “Thornbridge are and always have been one of my favourite breweries, and I’ve never had a bad beer from them on either cask or keg; in fact the best pint (sorry, 500ml) of Jaipur I had was in Helsinki, despite it costing me around £13!”
So why organise a Tap Taker?
“It is something different and seems to pull people in when it has been done at other venues in the area,” observes Ash. “It creates an event.”
And why do Thornbridge particularly lend themselves to such a venture?
“They have such a wide variety of styles,” says Ash. “There’s bound to be something they brew that people like.”
The beer list is as follows (for tasting notes see the end of this article). Cask: Jaipur, Lucaria, Twin Peaks, Brother Rabbit, Lord Marples, Lumford, Black Harry, Melba, Astryd and Market Porter. Keg: Satzuma, Tart, Heartland, AM:PM, Versa, Green Mountain and Elio. There will also be cans of Jaipur and a limited supply of Strawberry Lucaria in bottle.
One beer conspicuous by its absence is Cerberus, the Cherry Bakewell Stout brewed in collaboration with Burton upon Trent pub The Dog: “We tried but it was sold out,” says Ash.
Mike Langford, who works as a Barman at Bodell’s has this to say: “I think the Thornbridge takeover at Bodell’s is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Swadlincote and the surrounding areas to sample some of the best cask and keg beers brewed in the UK. Thornbridge are fantastic at catering for both sides of the beer market with classic, rich cask ales and fresh, exciting new keg craft beers.”
“Ash has picked some good beers, it should go down really well,” says barman Mike Langford who is doubtlessly expecting to be rushed off his feet. “I always love Jaipur whether it’s cask or keg. Their Lucaria’s in any flavour are always so tasty and who can resist the modern classic Green Mountain fresh out of the keg?”
CASK
Jaipur – 5.9% – IPA
Award winning India Pale Ale, smooth, but this builds around the mouth to a crescendo of massive hoppiness accentuated by honey.
Lucaria – 6.0% – Ice Cream Porter
Decadent, creamy ice cream porter that pours thick with flavours of chocolate and vanilla
Twin Peaks – 5.0% – Anglo American Pale Ale
Aromas of tropical fruits – pineapple and mango balanced with the refreshing taste of lemon sherbet –refreshing and easy drinking.
Brother Rabbit – 4.0% – Golden Ale
Lemon zest in colour with a clean, hoppy aroma. Dry palate, resinous finish and some bitterness – a great session beer.
Lord Marples – 4.0% – Classic British Bitter
Tastes of honey and caramel and, although you can experience a surprising smoothness, watch out for the long bitter finish.
Lumford – 3.9% – New World Pale Ale
Pale ale brewed using New Zealand and US hops. Flavours are floral, apples, peach and orange peel. Hoppy bitter finish with clean and crisp passionfruit, grapefruit and gooseberry.
Black Harry – 3.9% – Fruity Dark Ale
Full of dark fruity aromas with hints of raspberry, a light creamy body and a long nutty, malty finish. Dark, refreshing and very drinkable.
Melba – 4.5% – Peach IPA
Melba pours a light gold in colour and its peachy character is complemented beautifully by the use of highly aromatic US hops.
Astryd – 3.8% – Juicy Pale
This Juicy Pale is unfined therefore naturally hazy and vegan friendly. The hop profile of Crystal and Mosaic gives this beer a finish of tropical fruits such as Guava and Mango.
Market Porter – 4.5% – Creamy, Smooth Porter
Named after Thornbridge’s new pub in York – The Market Cat. This is a smooth, robust creamy porter with a hint of coffee to finish.
KEG
Satzuma – 4.5% – Satzuma Session IPA
A bold citrus aroma on the palate with a zesty nose. Hops blend beautifully with satsuma peel for a juicy crescendo. Gluten Free Beer.
Tart – 6.0% – Bakewell Sour
Bakewell Sour pours a golden yellow colour with a white head. The beer is refreshingly tart and dry with a combination of citrusy hops and flavours of grapefruit and bitter lemon.
Heartland – 4.9% – English Cellar Ale
A brand new beer, brewed with Thornbridge Cask Ale Yeast and hopped with a beautiful range of Hukin Hops. Heartland is a celebration of locally sourced products and a refreshing hazy ale.
AM:PM – 4.5% – Session IPA
All the flavours and body of an IPA. Bags of tropical fruit aromas, pineapple, tangerine, guava and passionfruit are balanced with a chewy, honeyed malt character.
Versa – 5.0% – Weisse Beer
This fresh, fruity Weisse beer pours a hazy, burnt orange and true to its style, has well balanced flavours of clove spiciness, banana and bubble gum.
Green Mountain – 4.3% – Hazy Vermont Session IPA
This Vermont-style session IPA is generously dry hopped, creating a hugely aromatic and juicy fruit bomb. It drinks beautifully, with just a light bitterness to keep it perfectly balanced.
Elio – 4.7% – Summer Ale
Brand New! Light, fresh and hugely drinkable. Elio is the perfect accompaniment to those long summer days.
Cans of Jaipur available and there is also a very limited bottle stock of:
Strawberry Lucaria – 4.5% – Strawberry Ice Cream Porter
A twist on the ice cream porter Lucaria. Added strawberries to make a decadent, creamy ice cream porter that pours thick with flavours of strawberries and vanilla. A dream for anyone with a sweet tooth.