XT Brewing is to have its own bar at this year’s Great British Beer Festival, chosen by organiser CAMRA to represent the growing force of smaller, independent craft breweries.
As a special feature, the brewery has teamed up with leading hop merchant Charles Faram and the most innovative English hop farmers to bring an exclusive new beer to the festival. The beer will be brewed with all new varieties of English hops — part of a campaign by British growers to challenge and beat all the imported New World varieties.
“It will be a great addition to the festival to show that the smaller British craft breweries and hop growers are a serious force against the trendy imported American and New World beers and hops,” said XT’s Russ Taylor.
XT is collaborating with two other brewers on new beers. It will be working with Windsor and Eton’s craft brewing arm, Uprising, and Manchester brewer Wild Side. Both beers will be made in the guise of XT’s Animal brand.
Meanwhile, the latest Animal beers are Swallow (4.7% ABV), an East Coast pale ale, hopped with Columbus, Bravo and Citra, and Fantail (4.6%) a New Zealand amber, with six speciality malts and wheat, and Green Bullet and Motueka hops.
Snoozing away slowly since Christmas in large oak casks, the mighty Imperial Stout, at 8.6%, has been aged in different casks, including whiskey, rum, brandy, and sherry. This will be sold in Champagne style bottles as a bottle-conditioned beer, a unique drink perfect for storing at home or saving for a special occasion.
