Fresh from our Dales sojourn, here’s the first of an infrequent series of posts reviewing local brewery products. Though not strictly local to Suffolk, the Black Sheep Brewery was one of two nearby breweries on the Yorkshire trip, the other being Theakstons (but now owned by Scottish and Newcastle, we thought of Black Sheep as the more local and independent).
Golden Sheep is a pale ale brewed using traditional methods, and is fermented in Black Sheep’s ‘Yorkshire Square’ vessels. Billed as representing ‘the pinnacle’ of Black Sheep’s brewing achievements from the last decade, it’s full-flavoured, and is in a mid ABV-range of all the bottled beers produced in Masham.
It’s certainly a likeable hoppy taste, with some depth, but it was slightly too bitter for me. Another taster described it as ‘lively’, which seems as good and positive a description as any. Only available as a bottled beer from Tesco supermarkets and not on cask, look for the gold on black label.
ABV: 4.7%
Price: £N/A
Size: 500ml bottle
Available from: Tesco
Tags: Black Sheep, Local beer
I just thought you might like to know that my brothers and I regained control over Theakstons, our old family brewery company, in October 2003.