Brewery Beer Tasting
On 30 June, 31 members and friends enjoyed an afternoon tour of the Dartmoor Brewery (www.dartmoorbrewery.co.uk) in Princetown. This is the only brewery on Dartmoor and is believed to be the highest brewery in the UK. The brewery moved into its smart modern building in 2006 and produces about 6000 barrels a year. Most of this is consumed in the South West of England, although it will possibly be available in Surrey and Sussex soon (see www.winesforu.co.uk). Mark Shackleton (E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) took us round the brewery and explained the process in detail. Beer takes about a week to produce. The water supply comes via Rundlestone and is shared with the prison; there is occasionally a reduced flow if prisoners are taking a lot of showers. Barley for brewing needs to have very low nitrogen levels so intensive farming with high inputs of fertiliser is no good – even a lightning strike can affect nitrogen levels and spoil the beer.
After the tour a period of sampling took place; unlike wine tasting, beer is drunk not spat out on these occasions. As well as the widely known Jail Ale, Dartmoor IPA and Legend, we were able to taste beers not even known to our most knowledgeable and enthusiastic beer drinker, including Three Hares (using heather honey from Headland Warren), Spirit of Scott and Dragons Breath. If you ever want beer for a party, the Brewery is able to supply 36 pints for around £2 a pint.
