Castle Brewery

Cornish Stuggy Stout (4.6% ABV, bottle)
Black as night with a foaming — very lively — beige head. The aroma is chocolate and sweet malt. On the palate, espresso coffee, black cherry, rich dark chocolate, and a hint of vanilla. Smooth, full bodied, and quite creamy, it’s really nice!
(23rd July, 2021)

Golden Gauntlet (4% ABV, bottle)
Slightly hazy deep gold, with a good white head. Citrus, grassy hops on the aroma. On the palate, it’s a lovely session pale. Lemony, herbal, slightly spicy hops, even a hint of blackberry, against biscuit malt. Great baLance and a lovely mouthfeel for its ABV. Great drinking in the Easter Sunday sun. Interesting, too, that Castle offers storage and serving advice. “Allow 24 hours to settle.Chill for 30 minutes only prior to serving. Pour carefully.”
(4th April, 2021)

Lostwithiale (7% ABV, bottle)
Very dark red, with a cream coloured head that lasts fairly well, this has a caramel aroma, almost a Belgian-style sweetness, with some dried fruit, too. On the palate, there’s such a beautiful rich, deep flavour. Robust malt, slightly burnt, treacle toffee, raisins, and ripe berries, rounded off well with a little alcoholic warmth.
(9th April, 2021)

Restormel Gold (4.1% ABV, bottle)
Hazy gold with a thick, foaming, slightly off-white head, this offers lemon and grapefruit on the nose, with a little pepperiness. On the palate, orange comes through, juice and pith. There’s a good balance of biscuit malt in a beer that has a good body for its ABV, a full mouthfeel. And there’s a good lingering bitterness. I really enjoyed this, and thought it punched above its weight.
(18th March, 2021)

Winter’s Knight (4.1% ABV, bottle)
Amber, with an off-white head that fades quite quickly, this has an aroma of roast malt and spice. On the face of it, a strong West Country bitter, but the more it lingers on the palate, the more a gentla spiciness comes through, nudging up to bready malt.I get notes of coriander and Christmas cake peel fruitiness, alsong with a deeper dried fruit note. Good for a winter fireside!
Buy it: I was sent mine. Widely available at independent outlets in Cornwall, and Southwick Brewhouse in Hampshire.
(18th March, 2021)