Greene King brings back taste of the past

How does a beer dating back to 1825 end up being sold in 2018?  The barley Chevallier seed was first found on the bottom of the boot of Rev John Chevallier in 1825. Over time Chevallier grew out of favour until local maltings company, Crisp Malting Group, came across the seed after investigating the characteristics of barley varieties that were no longer grown. 

The maltsters took five preserved Chevallier seeds from a seed bank, and resowed them to create three fields of barley in its first year. The crops were then harvested to replicate traditional tasting Greene King real ale from rural Suffolk in the early 1800s. 

From just five barley seeds, an ancient recipe and a year of patience and expertise, Greene King has lovingly created the latest ale range, Heritage Series, using  the East Anglian Chevallier malted barley featuring two limited edition premium beers, Heritage Suffolk Pale Ale (5%) and Heritage Vintage Fine Ale (6.5%). 

With both ales brewed from the Chevallier malted barley, Suffolk Pale Ale, uses Saaz and Strisselspalt hops to give the brew a refreshing flavour.  Herbal, citrus, floral and spicy notes add to the sweet malt taste for a more easy drinking heritage ale. 

Vintage Fine Ale is a rich, flavoursome beer, enhanced by biscuity notes from Amber malt with a hint of caramel. Classic English late hopping varieties Fuggle, Bramling Cross and Goldings add soft fruits, floral and spicy notes to create this rich, complex and full-bodied Vintage Fine Ale. 

The bottles of Suffolk Pale Ale and Vintage Fine Ale have been designed to look like they would have back in the late 19th century. The bottled beers, exclusive in selected Tesco stores, will be available from 22nd January 2018, priced £2.49.