Abbeydale Moonshine

We have just finished clearing up after Chesterfield Beer Festival and we have had a great time with some great beers. One of these I have tried on MANY occasions and it is a classic! This beer is Abbeydale Moonshine.

~~~THE BREWERY.

You will find Abbeydale Brewery on Aizelwood Road, just off Abbeydale Road, just outside of Sheffield city centre. The brewery got its name from Beauchief Abbey ~ a monastery built in medieval times by the people who killed Thomas A’ Becket.

The first brew was produced in 1996 and the company use equipment from the now defunct Leaking Boot Brewery. The brewery (along with the sister company Beer Works) is a steam brewery, which uses copper foils filled with steam to heat the brewing vessels.

Some of the beers from Abbeydale you may find include Absolution (strong and golden at 5.3% ABV), Last Rites (a STRONG barley wine at 11% ABV) and Black Mass (a devil of a beer at 6.66% ABV). Most of their beers have Ecclesiastical names.

You will find Abbeydale beers around the country at beer festivals and in selected pubs around Sheffield and Derbyshire ~ we get it in quite a few of the pubs we drink in; usually as a Guest Beer. You can also buy beer direct from the brewery by phone.

~~~THE BEER.

***A Bit of Background***

Moonshine is the first beer brewed at Abbeydale back in 1996 and remains their flagship brew. From the outset it proved popular and has won awards nationwide. The picture on the pump clip shows the ruined Beauchief Abbey as the central image (as is the case with all Abbeydale pictures) with a crescent moon shining and casting shadows. It is quite a pretty and atmospheric label for an atmospheric beer!

***Vital Stats***

Moonshine weighs in at 4.3% ABV and is brewed using Maris Otter Pale Ale malt and Washington Willamette hops. It is marketed as a Premium Pale Ale ~ at 4.3% it is just on the cusp of being a Session Ale… an easy drinking beer.

***Look, Aroma & Texture***

Moonshine is a very pale straw coloured beer with a very slight, almost non-existent head. Aroma is predominantly hoppy ~ with a hint of fruit, citrus and a floral sweetness. Texture is light and slightly carbonated.

***Taste***

The base flavour of Moonshine, as in the aroma, is hops. This is mixed with fruit (grapefruit is the main one I get) and vanilla. As the pint progresses the flavours blend and lead to a finish that combines sweetness with the bitterness of the hops. The aftertaste is quite long lasting and continues this bitter/sweetness. What you get is a well rounded beer with bags of taste!

~~~WHAT TANGE THINKS.

Moonshine is a tasty and well balanced beer suitable for all year round drinking. I find it goes down wonderfully on a Sunday afternoon ~ we generally drink it at the Sheaf View (a top notch Real Ale pub on the outskirts of Sheffield City Centre). We pay around £1.95 a pint and are more than happy to sink a couple of glasses each.

I also found it refreshing and very welcome at night at the beer festival (the cost there being £1.90 a pint). We have also drunk it as an accompaniment to our lunch at The Old Poets Corner at Ashover (where we paid around £2.20 a pint) ~ it was tasty yet didn’t overpower the flavour of the food. Moonshine is therefore a pretty versatile beer!

The lightness and slight carbonisation in the texture make it a very drinkable choice. I would recommend this one to anyone who likes a tasty fresh drink and also to people who normally go for a lager. The fresh fruity taste will appeal to a very wide audience ~ it also has enough depth to offer something to those who usually prefer a stronger beer. The bitter finish adds character and balances the whole thing off nicely too.

I am more than happy to advise you to try a pint or two of Moonshine if you see it. It is well worth drinking and well worth seeking out when you are in the Sheffield area (or if you see it at a Beer Festival near you).

Heartily recommended!

~~~BREWERY DETAILS.

Abbeydale Brewery
Unit 8, Aizelwood Road
Sheffield S8 0YK
South Yorkshire
(0114) 281 2712

http://www.abbeydalebrewery.co.uk