Established in 2013, Brick Brewery operates from a production site in Deptford, with a taproom at its original brewing site under a Peckham Rye railway arch. As well as brewing beers in a range of different styles, with recipes inspired by the brewing team’s travels, each built from scratch, the team also built their own Tapyard with indoor and outdoor seating, plus numerous taps showcasing the brewery’s entire range.
Here, lagers are inspired by the Czech Republic; IPAs and Pale Ales by North America and Porters and Bitter from the UK. Imperial Stouts, DIPAs and an exciting selection of fruit sour beers are also produced. While the ingredients differ for each beer by Brick Brewery, the process remains fairly static. Malted barley is mashed then sparged, the wort is boiled, with hops added for flavour and aroma, then chilled to differing temperatures for lagers and ales before yeast is added.
The latest addition to Brick Brewery’s Heritage Sour Series, Hatchet Sour is a cherry and cherry wood saison. Brewed to six per cent abv, the beer features sweet cherry that’s added to the fermenter, aged on cherry wood chips. It’s also bolstered with Munich and Rye malts (like their Peckham Rye), which lend a peppery-spiced complexity.
On pour, Brick Brewery Hatchet Sour has a hazy raspberry complexion, capped with a fleeting white head. On the nose, initial notes of cherry and cherry blossom are joined some lactose and vanilla. Woody vanilla continues on the palate, joined by further savours of cherry which lends a jammy sweetness, while bready malt notes lend a prevalent savoury edge, preventing the overall flavour from becoming syrupy, as is the case with many cherry beers. Instead it’s particularly tart, with a refreshing sourness lingering on the long finish. A superlative example of its respective style.