Twenty breweries: Moor
I love to drink beer in the county where it's brewed. I love to find a pub near the brewery and enjoy their beer on its home territory. And so here's a brewer I've sampled in Manchester and Sheffield but never in their Somerset homeland. Not odd, though, given that I've never been to Somerset.
My introduction to Moor Brewing came though odd casks at CAMRA festivals and found them all to be, well, average brown British bittery beers. The brewer fell off my radar until a few years ago when I picked up a few of their bottles from beermerchants; the branding grabbed my attention as it was so much bolder, more confident - as were the beers. Step forward Justin Hawke, a new broom brewing up stuff that brought more than a little of his native West Coast USA flavour to the West Country.
Tracking down casks of Moor up here in the Midlands is tricky; a real shame as I've still got a taste for some of their sessionable beers. I've also got a taste for their 9% JJJ IPA but that results in a short, messy session. There's only one thing for it - I need to find me a Somerset pub and drink Moor beer all the live-long day. Sounds like an ideal summer weekend to me. I wonder if there's Moor beer on the bar at Somerset Cricket Club?
Why try? Classic styles re-invigorated; contemporary styles mastered.
What to look for? Quaffers on cask like Revival and Peat Porter; sippers in the bottle such as JJJ IPA and Old Freddie Walker.
Where to buy? Errr, Somerset is your best bet. If anyone can recommend somewhere there, please let me know. Meanwhile, you can always buy bottles from beermerchants.
Yeah, I'm the same as you. Had a fair few bottles and some stuff at festivals (which I've really enjoyed) but never had anything from cask at a pub ... let alone in the home county! Would like to though.
ReplyDeleteBeerBirraBier.
Love em - Revival is my all time top session beer and I would put Fusion in the same category as Bracia (with nothing else).
ReplyDeleteFusion is a beer I'd love to try sometime, Anonymous (don't be afraid to name yourself, I don't bite).
ReplyDeleteMark - Somerset is a county that is on my list for a summer visit this year. Always wanted to go to Taunton for the cricket.
Thanks for the nice comments. You'll definitely need to come to Somerset for a visit. We have some of the best pubs in the world near us. I am happy to recommed a few. But sadly there is no Moor Beer at the cricket ground.
ReplyDeletejustin@moorbeer.co.uk
big fan in both bottle and cask.
ReplyDeletescoop i've got a bottle of fusion in the cupboard, I shall keep it to share on our next meeting!
One of my favourite breweries. I was lucky enough to coincide my birthday drinks at Cask this year with a Moor meet the brewer event. Loved it when their head brewer garnered sharp intakes of breath (and even a couple of hisses, I'm pretty sure) from the assembled CAMRA faithful when he voiced his enthusiasm for both keg and unfined beers (examples of which were available on the night, and excellent).
ReplyDeleteNon-beer reasons for loving them - gorgeous design on their pump clips - love the wooden holder with the coloured paper insert. Attractive, clever, and weirdly utilitarian. Love it!