In a slight change to the scheduled programme, we've pulled forward November's Spectrum releases. The eagle-eyed among you may notice that we only have two beers lined up for this month. Well, we would have had three, but sadly one of them wasn't up to scratch, so we had to dump it. (We didn't film ourselves doing so, and we haven't written a whole blog about it, so feel free to ask us, "are you even craft?") 

In any case, with the departure of said beer, and the remaining duo packed and ready to go, it was pointless to wait until next week to release them. When you read what they are, the odds are that you'll agree with us.

LOVELY DROP - 3.8% Wet-Hopped Best Bitter

Lovely Drop is the kind of beer that has been quietly produced by tiny breweries across the UK, for as long as living memory. A 3.8% best bitter, built on Maris Otter, casked instead of kegged. Only thing is, we seem to have gone and wet-hopped it with freshly harvested hop cones that we've been growing all summer, at the back of the brewery. Whoops.

Hand picked by brewer Josh and added straight into the whirlpool as he brewed, these mystery hop flowers have added VERY LITTLE to the flavour profile. And that's ok. It really doesn't always have to be about brash aromas and challenging flavours. How does the beer taste? Unassuming, simple, and enjoyable. A lovely drop.

(Our PR agency said we should say something about reinventing real ale at this point.)

THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH- 6.5% Rooibos Red Ale

Do you remember, back in March we released four Spectrum beers on World Book Day, named after the books in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (with the first volume of The Book of Dust making up the quartet)?

We couldn't watch the release of the next book go by, and not keep up to date. So, we've brewed up a beer inspired by The Secret Commonwealth. We hadn't read the book by the time we decided to brew the beer; instead the concept reflects our return to Lyra's world, and how it feels to be able to go back.

Following on from The Amber Spyglass, we've revisited red ale. Brewed by Pete, at 6.5% this time round, with the addition of rooibos tea, it presents with a more mature profile. Floral, complex, light and citrusy aromas and built on a substantial and robust flavour profile. Toasty, rich cinder toffee notes are dusted with hints of Turkish delight, and the warmth of alcohol fills the palate before a sapid bitterness rounds out the finish. This 6.5% red ale is grown-up and elegant, with a steely edge hiding just below the surface. 

Both Lovely Drop and The Secret Commonwealth are pouring on our Brasserie bar from today - be sure to come down and try them out!

October was also a good month for Spectrum beers, but seemingly a bad month for writing blog posts. So, here's what you might have been tasting if you've been to see us in the last 4 weeks, or if you're lucky and we have one on tap the next tine you're in!

ALL DARK THINGS- 0.5% Breakfast Stout

Brewed in response to the question, "is there a cask non alcoholic beer on the market yet?", All Dark Things is an attempt to not only cram as much flavour as possible into a 0.5% ABV stout, but also to pack it in cask and see how it turns out. "Not too badly at all, thank you very much" was the result. Well done Pete.

Brewed with lactose, cacao, coffee and vanilla, this true breakfast stout works particularly well on cask, with the low carbonation helping to round out the roasty flavours. We may very well revisit All Dark Things again in future.

GRAVITY BOMBE- 7.6% Raisin, Prune + Raspberry Brune

Phil's Belgian dark ale has been crammed with fruit, which doesn't always behave the way you want it to in a beer. Unusually, Gravity Bombe has retained a little more sweetness than expected - but luckily, it has worked in our favour, as we've ended up with a wonderfully rich, smooth dessert beer. In no way cloying, yet redolent of ripe red berries and intense dried fruit, this malt and fruit-forward beer lends itself perfectly to pairing with desserts. 

STRAITS OF JOHOR - 6.8% Morello Cherry Scotch Ale

Head Brewer Dave stepped up to our studio kit and crafted two versions of his latest take on a Scotch Ale. Each had a different purpose; this batch has been released immediately, while the second was bound for barrel, now residing within a wooden spirit cask. 

Straits of Johor is surprisingly light and nimble for a Scotch Ale, although the flavour profile carries all the hallmarks of the style. Mellow, rounded, and presenting a range of malt-forward character, this 6.8% wee heavy differs from many of its counterparts by dint of the Morello cherries Dave included in the fermenter. Their acidity is engulfed by the use of crystal 150 and chocolate rye, and their flavour bridges with both malt and hops - well-integrated, the cherries add hints of almond and berry, and sit beautifully in this style of beer.

Well folks, that's it for another month of Spectrum beers. See you next time, when we'll be back to the first Thursday of the month. Ciao!