Yella Belly Gold, Batemans

Bateman’s Yella Belly Gold is a new cask beer from the family-owned regional brewery in Wainfleet. Lincolnshire people are known as Yella Bellies but the origins of the nickname are not clear. Does it come from the yellow waistcoats worn by members of the Lincolnshire Regiment, the yellow breasted marsh frogs in the county, or the fact that in the days when mustard was hand-picked the workers were covered in yellow pollen?

What is certain is that the 3.9% beer has a bright gold/yellow colour and is brewed with lager malt and American Cascade and Chinook hops. The hops create 42 units of bitterness, making it a beer with a profound hop character but balanced by toasted malt and a big aroma and palate of bittersweet citrus fruit – the hallmark of the American hops. The finish is a fine balance of juicy malt, tart and tangy hops and ripe bittersweet fruit, and finally becomes dry.

Bateman’s brewery dates from 1874 and remains in family hands, run today by brother and sister Stuart and Jaclyn Bateman. All but one of their 66 pubs sells cask beer and they have won many awards for their traditional bitters XB and XXXB. The beers are widely available in the free trade and Jaclyn, in charge of exports, has built sales in many overseas markets. Bateman’s also has a wide range of bottled beer.

The brewery and visitor centre are open to visitors (batemans.co.uk) and the full range of beers is on sale in the brewery bar that is the ground floor of the windmill that used to supply grain to the brewery.

Yella Belly is available in Bateman’s pubs and in free trade accounts.