Our Revival Series of Prize Ales draws upon the heritage of our predecessors the Kirkstall Brewery Company (1834-1983), as well as newly-created recipes inspired by beers from the past. This week, three new beers join the family, created by Development Brewer Stu Ross.
MILD X
Our 5.2% ‘Mild X’ is an 1885 Kirkstall recipe, which Stu lifted from the pages of Ron Pattinson’s excellent blog. Pale Malt, Roast Barley and Caramel make up the fermentables, distinguishing this beer from the ‘L’ recipe on which our previous Mild was based.
To most closely match the hop varieties likely to be used back then, Stu selected Target, Goldings and early American variety Cluster.
Mild X presents sweet, nutty and biscuity malt flavours, kept in check with lightly floral hop notes and the yeast strain’s contribution of soft fruit esters. This is a deep yet delicately constructed beer with complexity well beyond its strength.
EXTRA BITTER
Our 4.4% ‘Extra Bitter’ uses the same base recipe as our regular Bitter, with several tweaks to give it a larger malt structure, ABV and hop character – this is ‘Extra’ in every department. Golden Promise, Crystal Malt and Amber Malt fill out the grain bill, with a 25kg block of Brewer’s Invert No. 2 sugar added to the underback, so that it dissolves during the run-off from the mash tun to the kettle.
To balance this bigger body and rounded sweetness, the hopping rate from the boil onwards is increased: a slightly higher bittering addition, an extra 20% of Goldings late in the boil, and a small dry hop of Bramling X during fermentation itself.
This beer is fuller-bodied than its predecessor, with more pronounced caramel notes and hedgerow fruit flavours, ending in a clean and moreish bite befitting of the style and its history.
STINGO
Our 8.4% barrel aged ‘Stingo’ is a revival, twofold: of a uniquely Yorkshire style of strong beer; as well as our To Øl collab Bad Habit.
The base recipe brewed with Tom (a former Kirkstall brewer) was an Imperial Bitter using Golden Promise, Amber Malt, Crystal Malt and Brewer’s Invert Sugar No. 2. Primary fermentation was with house yeast WLP001, and after six months in Bourbon barrels, it has evolved into our take on Stingo.
This barrel aged beer has a tremendously expressive palate of malt and oak, ripe with orange peel and caramel flavours but without any cloying sweetness. The barrel brings vanilla and spice, tempered by a lasting, dry finish.
All three beers are now available in cask – and will be pouring in pubs from this week (w/c 23rd May)! See current stockists below:
Leeds
Kirkstall Taproom (Mild X, Extra Bitter, Stingo)
Kirkstall Bridge Inn (Stingo)
The Cardigan Arms (Stingo)
The Reliance (Extra Bitter)
Arcadia, Headingley (Stingo)
The Fenton (Mild X, Stingo)
Otley
The Black Horse (Mild X, Extra Bitter)
Harrogate
The Old Bell (Mild X, Extra Bitter)
Manchester
Port Street Beer House (Mild X, Extra Bitter)
Liverpool
The Bridewell (Stingo)