Moor Beer Co.

Are Moor Beer Co. one of Britain's best-kept beer secrets? For a brewery that has been in business for over 15 years, and racked up numerous awards and accolades from all areas of the beer drinking public, from CAMRA to Ratebeer.com, they certainly seem to have kept a low(ish) profile.

Under the current stewardship of Justin and Maryann Hawke, Moor produce classic English ales with a twist. As they say on their website, their beers fuse "the wonders of real ale with the aggressively flavoured beers of [Justin's] native California".

With a nod to the double IPAs of the West Coast, their most celebrated and decorated beer is JJJ IPA. However, as a protest against the introduction of Higher Strength Beer Duty in October 2011, Moor Beer Co. have withdrawn this beer from sale in the UK. You can read about their frustration with the tax here, and sign the e-petition to have HSBD reviewed here. So if you agree to lobby the legislators, we'll gently lobby Moor for a limited release of this stunning beer. Until that day, you'll have to console yourself with some of their other excellent offerings.

New Beer Sampler

It's a terrible cliché to say that we work really hard to bring you the best beers we can, but we really do work hard to bring you the best beers we can!

It's not often that we get ourselves in a lather about a mixed pack, but we're really pleased with this one. Not only does it feature some of the cream of the contemporary British brewing scene, but also a couple of bottles from Danish brewer Mikkeller - if you've never experience what Mikkel Borg Bjergso can do with hops, then you're in for a treat!

The picture only tells part of the story - there are 12 different beers in the pack, and if you want to see what the rest of it is, then mosey over to our web shop and have a look. You won't regret it.

Buxton Brewery

You might have noticed that we like beer - something about the name, maybe? We do our best to try and track down both solid classics and new-wave icons, and our range reflects that. We love solid, brown beers like Orkney Red MacGregor with as much passion as we do the over-excited hop-bombs that everyone is talking about at present.

So we were delighted when one of our favourite new breweries managed to combine our love of solid maltiness with the exquisite tickle of hops in their new beers. Buxton Brewery High Tor is an India Red Ale. India Red Ale is set to be the new black (IPA) for 2012. It's got just the right balance of spicy caramel malt to bitter, fruity hop to make it full-on, and yet strangely more-ish. If that sounds too much, Wild Boar is currently setting peoples' palates alight with it's pale-malt-and-hops blast - really hoppy, but really easy drinking. And if the higher strength beers leave you cold, Moor Top is their delicious session ale, chock full of pithy hop character.

We love them, and as ever, we think you will too. Have a look at their full range here.

Magic Rock Brewing Co.

Magic Rock Brewing Co are the best new brewery you've never heard of. They're based in Huddersfield, and represent the modern face of British brewing. Call it craft, real ale, whatever - you're wasting time with those words, just use your mouth to drink their beer!

Making unashamedly bold, hop-accented beers inspired by the craft beer revolution that's been happening in the USA for about the last 25 years, Magic Rock pack unprecedented levels of hop character into their beers, but never sacrificing that essential, more-ish drinkability that is the hallmark of a great British ale.

Local beer-nuts might know that brewer Stuart Ross has learnt his trade through some of the most iconic beers in south Yorkshire - Acorn, Kelham Island, and, err, the lesser-known Crown Brewery in Sheffield. What isn't in question is that the beers he's making at Magic Rock are some of the most exciting British-brewed beers you can buy today. So what are you waiting for - click here and buy some!

Sharp's Brewery

Sharp's Brewery in Cornwall has grown rapidly in recent years, culminating in its takeover by Molson Coors. Whatever the future may hold, there's no question that Doom Bar has become the fastest-growing real ale brand in the UK. Sharp's Brewery also lay claim to being the biggest consumer of whole cone hops in the UK. Traditional beers from traditional ingredients is a main focus, but that doesn't stop head brewer Stuart Howe flexing his creative muscle now and again. Chalky's Bite is a blonde beer matured over Cornish fennel seed. Monsieur Rock is a pale beer brewed to showcase the delicacy of the Saaz hop.

From classic English ales to more esoteric brews, Sharp's are the classic 'something for everyone' brewery. Check out their full range here.

Buxton Brewery

If you haven't heard of Buxton Brewery yet, chances are you soon will. They are crafting the sort of American-influenced ales that that are currently reinvigorating the British brewing scene. While they're not slavish clones of American beers, they do harness all the zippy exuberance of American hops, but all the while keeping an eye on the British brewing tradtion. The end result is wonderful mash-up of American flavour (or should that be flavor?) and British drinkabiity.

Double IPA - check (Axe Edge). Black IPA - check (Black Rocks). 100% Citra golden ale - check (Buxton SPA). Really, these guys are of the moment, and still pretty much unheard of.

As well as having these beers on the shelf of our Headingley shop, you can order them from our mail order service here.

Two new beers from The Bruery

Two beers from The Bruery that we're currently carrying. Limited stocks, shop only, not on mail order.

We also have Rugbrod and Saison Rue.