Harvey's Elizabethan Ale, Harvey's

Harvey’s Elizabethan Ale (7.5%)

The beer was first brewed for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 and has been faithfully and lovingly recreated for the jubilee, using the same ingredients: pale and black malts, flaked barley, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. The hops come from the same grower, Stuart Highwood, at Collier Street in Kent.

The beer is a barley wine, almost black in colour, with toffee, raisin and sultana fruit, aromatic coffee, rich chocolate and peppery hops on the nose. Chocolate and cocoa coat the tongue, along with roasted grain, vinous fruit – ruby port – toffee and spicy hops. Toffee notes dominate the long finish but are balanced by dry chocolate, latte coffee, port wine and gentle, spicy hops.

The beer is bottle conditioned and will improve over the years. Harvey’s head brewer Miles Jenner says samples of the 1952 beer are “still drinking well”.

The beer, in 275mm bottles, is available only from Harvey’s shop in Lewes, East Sussex: Cliffe High Street: 01273 480209; harveys.org.uk. It’s available online at £45.88 for 24 bottles but the shop manager has agreed to offer a special eight-pack version for visitors to this site: £17.60 plus post and packing. Go to: 

http://www.harveysonline.co.uk/acatalog/Bottled_Beers_Selection_Cases.html

or

http://bit.ly/huyytR

Please mention Protz on Beer when ordering.