Beer Background
Batemans (Bottle Beer Selection)
Vuelio Top 10 Blog 2020 Award
Jun 2014

Tamar Creek, St Austell

Added: Sunday, June 1st 2014

Style Fruit Beer ABV 7.3%

St Austell Tamar Creek

This is a Cornish interpretation of a Belgian Kriek – a beer made by spontaneous fermentation, using wild yeasts in the atmosphere. It’s then stored in wood where the malt sugars are attacked by further natural bacteria. Cherries -- kriek in Dutch – are added, which add a sour fruit note to the beer and encourage a further fermentation.

In the case of Tamar Creek, 50 kilos of cherries were handpicked last summer from an orchard near Saltash and were crushed by foot by volunteers from the brewery, including head brewer Roger Ryman.

Back at the brewery, the beer brewed for the occasion was stored in wooden barrels and inoculated with a wild yeast culture. “Friendly bacteria”, according to Roger Ryman, was also present in the wood. The beer was then aged in the barrels for six months.

The beer, which comes in a corked and cradled bottle, pours a cloudy red/brown colour. There’s acid on the nose with powerful note of cherry and almonds. The sour palate is dominated by cherry fruit and bitter nuts. The finish is shatteringly dry, packed with tart fruit and nuts.

The beer costs £14 a bottle and is available online from www.staustellbreweryshop.co.uk or from the visitor centre at the brewery: 63 Trevarthian Road, St Austell, Cornwall PL25 4BY (01726 74444: info@staustellbrewery.co.uk).

Tamar Creek, St Austell