Batemans Beer

Great British craftsmanship

Craft beer is one the the fastest rising stars in the world of alcoholic beverages, so what is a craft beer? Basically without going into too much technical terms, it usually means small batches of beer, hand crafted by small producers with great attention to detail and focus. I managed to try a good number of US craft beers before but never had the chance to try a British craft beer apart from Brew Dog, so when I attended Batemans's 140th anniversary relaunch event in London, I was very curious to see what the family run brewer from Lincolnshire had on offer.

Batemans's 140th anniversary tasting at The Folly

As part of its 140th anniversary celebration, Batemans had came up with new packaging and branding to give the brand a more modern and edgy feel but remain classy and traditional at the same time. Beside the classic British ale, Batemans had come up with some very creative and interesting line extensions in Mocha, Mocha Amaretto, Orange Barley and Hazelnut Brownie. The Orange Barley beer particular stood out with its lovely citrous aroma, it had a rich and malty note without over powering the elegant orange undertone. Mocha Amaretto beer was also outstanding, the well balanced nutty and bitter flavour with a smooth and silky finish made this such a winter treat.

Hazelnut Brownie brew

the new ranges

But the most exciting beer on the night has to go to the Batemans Black Pepper Ale. It is a very robust and full bodied ale that's brewed with chocolate, wheat malts and blended with English spices. The ale itself is rich with a hint of spices which was very approachable. But to take it to the next level, Batemans also came up with the idea to serve the ale with black pepper, the black pepper changed the ale profile like a drop of water into a glass of single malt whisky, it added spicy and peppery tastes with a very pleasant fruity finish, I see it can work extremely well with full flavoured foods such as curry and steak.

The family behind Batemans Brewery

Batemans Brewery has got some very interesting product lines that I've never come across in the past in the UK and I was very pleased to have discovered all of these innovative beer products, as well as the products mentioned above, there were also "biscuit barrels" beer and seasonal specials from the brewer. The idea of having different styles of beer for different occasions and times is just fantastic, craft beer as a category just offers so much in both taste and quality which mainstream beer brands lack. To sum it up, once you've tried a craft beer, there is no going back to a mainstream brand. 

For more information about Batemans Brewery, please visit:

http://www.bateman.co.uk/