the mark of St Peter's

St Peter's brewery in Suffolk has certainly captured lots of attention in less than 10 years of existence. A range of cask ales is produced, and the brewery has it's own pub and restaurant at the brewery, and a London pub, the Jerusalem Tavern, in Britton Street, Clerkenwell. The focus has been on the quality of the beers of course, but the bottled product comes in some of the beer world's most beautiful and most distinctive packaging, a copy of a flask-shaped bottle from Philadelphia dating from c. 1770.

St Peter's beers

St Peter's, Best Bitter (England) Best bitter pours a deep gold/bronze colour and the off white head is moderate. It begins with a little hint of caramel and toffee, but then a firmer background of leafier, hoppy notes comes through. On the palate it has a creamy richness to the texture, but a lovely bite of bitter chicory and nettle takes over, pushing through into a hint of biscuit and fine freshness in the finish. 3.7% ABV, 50cl, ?1.58, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Majestic, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Cream Stout (England) This dark brown beer is made with Fuggles and Challenger hops, plus a blend of four barley malts from around St Peter's brewery in Suffolk. It pours with a minimal light brown head that dissipates almost immediately. The nose is thick with burnt toast, espresso and bitter chocolate notes. On the palate, it has dramatic bitterness, like burnt espresso beans and a chicory bite. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light, with a hint of plum fruit. A tasty dark beer with a grapefruit and orange tang that makes the finish quite sprightly. 6.5% ABV, 50cl, 12 X ?23.99, brewery website.

St Peter's, Golden Ale (England) This ruby/gold ale with a thin to moderate off-white head is described by St Peter's as "similar in character to a full-bodied Czech lager." I'm not so sure about that, but what you get is a beer with an attractive nose that hints at vanilla and custard, with some slightly soapy floral notes and a touch of oily, leafy hops. On the palate it is mouth-filling and richly textured, with a flavour that is quite smoky and iodine-like; kippers came into my mind, but it's probably fairer to say a nice melange of oily bittering hops and creamy, slightly smoky malt. It finishes a little short, but is an enjoyable beer. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, ?2.25, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Grapefruit Fruit Beer (England) On a wheat beer base, St Peter's grapefruit is one of a small range of fruit beers that other people may like more than I do I suspect. The colour is a warm, rich Lucozade, with a thin white head. On the nose it is slightly ginger beer-like, with a floral aspect. The palate seems not so much grapefruity to me as slightly chemical, with a nice level of hops giving a bitter, grown-up finish, but that high-ish floral character lingering. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, ?2.39, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Honey Porter (England) Finished with honey, St Peter's describe this beer as "traditional", and indeed a number of honey porters exist around the world. The colour is a dark caramel brown, and the tan-coloured head dissipates very quickly. On the nose the malt is to the fore, with singed edge to treacle aromas, a definite note of honey, and something a little rotten and vegetal. On the palate it is quite full-bodied, and the sweet note of honey dominates. There is a toast and charry malt note beneath, and the hop level is actually quite good, with a bit of a bite in the finish, but slightly cloying top-note of honey may not appeal to everyone. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?2.50, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Lemon & Ginger Spiced Ale (England) There is a lemony-coloured tinge to this golden beer, which pours with a thinnish off-white head. On the nose, ginger is the overriding character, with a real ginger beer spiciness, and a touch of malt peeking through. On the palate I found this beer rather flat and weak: the gingery flavour and heat is definitely there, and there is a hint of lemon, but the slightly watery mid-palate and dilute finish were not convincing. Interesting, and some people may like it more than I did. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, ?2.35, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Old Style Porter (England) St Peter's Old-Style Porter seems almost pitch black at first, but there is ruby at the core and a fast dissipating tan-coloured head. Roasted malts, milky coffee and an intense liquoricy, burnt caramel edge dominate the nose, before a medium-bodied palate that balances nicely between oily, roasted coffee bean and puffed wheat flavours and an intensely sweet, slightly sugary fruit. A dry element in the finish, of hops and drier acidity keeps the picture fresh, in a very quaffable Porter indeed. Almost sneaks 4.5 stars. 5.1% ABV, 50cl, ?2.35, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Organic Ale (England) Made with Soil Association accredited light malted barley from Norfolk and organic Hallertau hops from New Zealand, this beer poured slightly hazy with a very low carbonation giving a thin, lacey head. It has a good level of grassy hops on the nose, with a peppery character and a suggestion of rich, creamy malt. On the palate it is medium bodied and smooth, with a fine, bitter, leafy quality and plenty of bite. There is a bit of malty, nutty weight and richness there, but this is pretty cool and clean on the finish. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?2.35, brewery website, Pitfield Beer Shop, Vinceremos.

St Peter's, Organic Best Bitter (England) This beer, brewed with organic Chariot malt and organic Hallertau hops, pours a warming, fudgy-colour, with a moderate off-white head. On the nose it has toffee and creamy malt, with a little earthy tone, and a good background of herbal, hoppy notes. On the palate it has a really full texture: a positively creamy body and a raft of bitter, green and hoppy notes suggesting endive and liquorice root. There is a lemony acidity too, and this tangy, mouthfilling beer has a long, very grown-up bitter finish. 4.1% ABV, 50cl, ?1.69, brewery website, Pitfield Beer Shop, Waitrose.

St Peter's, Ruby Red Ale (England) Brewed each autumn from Styrian Goldings hops, this beer is indeed a ruby red colour, with St Peter's trademark low carbonation giving a quickly dissipating creamy head. The nose is malty and toasty, with nutty aromas and red fruits to the fore. There's a whiff of freshly struck match too, a touch of clove and some green-tea hops. On the palate it is a bitter beer, with masses of hop flavour. The texture is quite full and creamy, and the charry notes and red fruit character comes through, but that bitter-oil, leafy hop character really dominates in a very grown-up, and for me quite delicious, beer. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, ?2.39, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Suffolk Gold (England) Made with Suffolk-grown malt and First Gold hops, this pours a deep bronze colour with a fast-dissipating off-white head. It has a very attractive nose that is overtly hoppy, with chicory and nettle notes, and a little aromatic, floral lift. There's fruitiness too, in an appealing profile. On the palate the hops don't disappoint, powering through with dry, bitter flavours and a real edge of endive and liquorice. There is a hint of caramel sweetness on the mid palate, and this beer finishes with real harmony as the two meld together 4.9% ABV, 50cl, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Wheat Beer (England) Produced in a European style with Hallertau hops and a special Belgian ale yeast, St Peter's wheat beer pours a cloudy pale yellow, with thinnish white head. It has a bright lemon-fruited nose, with little clove or bubblegum character, and mostly punchy fruit and just a hint of bready yeast. It is very clean and fruity in the mouth, with a medium-bodied texture, but just masses of bright, crisp fruity flavours suggesting ripe pear and lemon zest. There's an odd lack of wheat beer character and bite in this beer, but it is enjoyable, if atypical. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, ?2.29, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Winter Ale (England) This strong, dark ale from St Peter's pours a mahogany brown with a thin, quickly dissipating cream-coloured head. On the nose, chocolate, caramel and toasty malt aromas abound, with a suggestion of mulled wine and plummy fruit sweetness. On the palate this is medium-bodied and surprisingly clean and light, but a whole barrage of burnt toffee, smoke and slightly acrid flavours emerge. There's a liquoricy edge to the beer in a bittersweet finish, with a hint of something herbal adding a nice twist as well as smokiness and a grippy finish. 6.5% ABV, 50cl, ?2.00, brewery website, Beerritz.

St Peter's Brewery