Deer Beer - abv 4.5%; £2.25/50cl… (From York Press)

Deer Beer - abv 4.5%; £2.25/50cl…

11:00am Saturday 21st April 2012 in Beer of the week By Jim Helsby

THE second of the 12 labours of Hercules was the slaying of the Hydra, the multi-headed serpent that guarded the entrance to the Underworld beneath the waters of Lake Lerna. Every time Hercules cut off a head, two more grew in its place.

The last couple of decades have seen the closure of dozens of long-established breweries, but with each closure several new microbreweries have appeared, Hydra-like.

These are frequently run by experienced brewers made redundant by those breweries going. The tiny Dunham Massey Brewery in Cheshire is operated by John Costello, a refugee from Peter Walker’s of Warrington which brewed its last in 1996.

The neighbouring Dunham Massey estate features an extensive deer park, hence the name of this week’s feature.

Deer Beer is deep orange in colour, with a slight yeasty haze, and a deep and very persistent head. There is a dry maltiness on the nose, with toffee-apple notes and earthy hops. T he mouthfeel is soft and foamy, and the flavour bitter-sweet…. sweet malt at the outset with some raspberry and strawberry fruit, but with a crisp bitterness mid palate.

That bitterness hangs on and becomes more tannic and resinous through the aftertaste, leading to a long, hoppy finish.

As recommended by Jim Helsby of the York Beer And Wine Shop, Sandringham Street, York