Corvedale Dark and Delicious

First published in BEER June 2007 as part of a piece about Threshers off licence chain’s Local Ale scheme. For more Threshers Local Ales see previous post.

ABV: 4.6 per cent
Origin: Corfton,Shropshire, England
Website www.suninncorfton.co.uk

Corvedale Dark and Delicious

It’s particularly gratifying that alongside several names familiar on supermarket shelves, the Threshers initiative extends to tiny craft brewers like Corvedale, hand bottling in a shed behind the Sun Inn pub in the Shropshire Hills.

Dark and Delicious, originally a Christmas special, is an unusual beer described by its inventor, landlord and brewer Norman Pearce, as a black bitter. Crystal and chocolate malt colour a Maris Otter pale malt grist, with a touch of wheat malt and Northdown hops.

The result is a very dark amber-brown, with a loose off-white head and a roasty, nutty aroma with a slight whiff of sulphur. There’s a complex palate rich in sappy autumn fruit and nuts, a splash of orange and pineapple acidity, hints of cola and caramel sweetness.

Roasty, slightly burnt, notes assert themselves in a tangy finish, with emerging chewy hops offset by a touch of brown sugar. A very tasty beer that’s a genuine original.

For more Threshers Local Ales see next post.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/corvedale-dark-and-delicious/38225/