St Austell Brewery

Big Job (7.2% ABV, bottle)
Deep golden with a white head that stays well and quite a high level of carbonation. The aroma is very IPA: bold, quite spicy hops, with a citrus edge. On the palate, it’s just divine. So much going on. It’s hoppy, yes, and yet the malt balance is good — bready and grainy. The hop addition is powerful, but not overpowering. Important distinction. There’s orange citrus, lemon pith, resinous and spicy notes, hints of mint, a little mango. The overall package is so smooth and, for 7.2% ABV, so drinkable. I could just sip — sip — this all evening!
Buy: It’s available on the St Austell website.
(19th May, 2020)

Chocolate & Oatmeal Stout (6.5% ABV, bottle)
Pretty darn black, with a thick tan head, this offers up a bitter chocolate aroma. So smooth and creamy, there’s a good depth of flavour. And the main flavour is, well, chocolate. A good 70% cocoa bar flavour, with a hint of lactose. It’s easy drinking and doesn’t taste as strong as it is. A small batch brew which will hopefully make a return. I loved it!
(9th January, 2022)

Cornish Best (3.4% ABV, bottle)
A flavoursome and very sessionable bitter, now at 3.4% ABV. A lovely amber colour with an off-white head. Berry fruit flavours and some bready malt, with notes of toffee. An under-rated brew, in my opinion.
(22nd November, 2023)

Cornish Bock (6.5% ABV, bottle)
Deep amber, with an off-white head that dissipates quickly, this is my sort of lager, with a good sweet edge. Toffee, caramel, and a hint of red apple skin come through.
(6th December, 2021)

Damson Porter (5.6% ABV, bottle)
Very dark, with a hint of red and a good tan head, this doesn’t actually have the biggest aroma, but that note of damson is definitely there. The fruit comes through nicely on the palate, though balanced by sweet, caramel, roasty malt notes. Great body and smoothness, and good bitterness that builds nicely to the finish. A nice winter warmer.
(29th December, 2021)

Divine Intervention (13% ABV, bottle)
Deep mahogany in colour, with a tan head that dies down quite quickly, there’s not a huge arona, but there is fruit there — booze-soaked dark fruit — and a hint of spice. On the palate, there’s a base of rch sweetness, with an edge of dark fruit, then an alcohol warmth kicks in, leading to a very satisfying finish. An excellent addition to St Austell’s range of Belgian-inspired brews. I shared mine with my son!
(23rd January, 2022)

Eden IPA (4.3% ABV, bottle)
Crystal clear gold this has a white head which doesn’t hang around long. The aroma is all about pine and fresh grapefruit. On the palate, it’s beautifully light and easy drinking, with bright citrus notes — lemon and grapefruit. There’s a decent bitter finish.
Buy: I was sent mine by St Austell Brewery.
(23rd January, 2021)

Endeavour (3.8% ABV, bottle)
Deep polished gold with a white head, this was created by brewing director Georgina Young, this was St Austell’s first small-batch brew of 2021. Session IPA style nailed. Zesty tropical fruit abounds, and it’s extremely moreish, which is good.
Buy: I was sent mine by St Austell Brewery.
(22nd March, 2021)

Extra Special Tribute (7.4% ABV, bottle)
Polised amber, with a slightly off-white that stays well, there’s a good aroma of floral, orange citrus notes. On the palate, it’s royally robust, as a Coronation special beer should be, a celebration of superb biscity malt, with hints of rich toffee, as much as its patriotically English hop trio of Sovereign (of course), Target, and Harlequin. The body is full and satisfying, as it should be at 7.4% ABV, and there’s a decent bitter finish. The lovely flavours will, no doubt, develop nicely over time, but some of us are just impatient!
(25th July, 2023)

Festive (8.5% ABV, bottle)
Here’s a glorious festive treat! A lovely deep red winter ale that smells rich, fruity, spicy, and fruity. I could smell it for ages, but eventually I dive in and it’s Christmas cake in a glass, albeit a top quality, hand-made cake. What’s there? What’s not there… A base of rich malt with treacle and caramel notes with notes of citrus peel, rich dark berries, and dried fruit, with spicines from an addition of cinnamon and nutmeg. Delightful!
(19th December, 2021)

Fresh Hop IPA (4.5% ABV, bottle)
Bright gold with a white head, this has a floral, slightly spicy aroma. On the palate, as one would expect, there are lovely hop notes — crisp, clean, and fresh. With lght biscuit malt to balance, there are hedgerow berry notes with an edge of lemon citrus. Beautifully refreshing!
(5th December, 2021)

Graftwerk (5% ABV, bottle)
Bright golden with a white head that fades quickly, the aroma is cider. A curious cider lager hybrid with other fruit notes, such as watermelon and gooseberry. Not for me.
(14th December, 2023)

Harlequin IPA (4.8% ABV, bottle)
Deep gold, with a white head that stays well, this has a big hit of fruit — mango and passionfruit — on the aroma. On the palate, it’s delightfully well balanced and easy drinking, with fruity flavour developing towards a bitter finish. Mango dominates for me, but I get a sense of peach, too, pomegranate, hints of lemon. It’s well rounded with a good body and a triumph as an English IPA. There’s almost a sense of the New World about that Harlequin hop, developed as part of a breeding programme by hop merchant Charles Faram.
Buy: I was sent mine by St Austell Brewery.
(20th March, 2021)

Hicks (5% ABV, bottle)
What a delightful drop! A proper, old-fashioned, strong West Country bitter, with rich toffee and dark berries in the mix. The nose is caramel, with an edge of red apple skin.
(19th December, 2023)

Hourglass (4.2% ABV, bottle)
A good dark lager with cracking malt notes and spicy hops coming in. Very drinkable! There’s caramel and spice on the nose.
(29th March, 2024)

Mena Dhu (4.5% ABV)
Almost black, with the vaguest tinges of red, this has roast notes on the aroma, and is slightly smokey, too. Smooth and easy drinking, it offers deep roast malt, berry fruit, and hints of coffee.
(8th November, 2023)

Old Fashioned (5.8% ABV, bottle)
Dark amber, almost red, with a cream coloured head. There are bourbon barrel oak chips involved here, and you can tell on the aroma — warming and welcoming. On the palate, malt leads the way, with that edge of whisky warmth. There’s a lovely caramel and roast malt character, with some nice spiciness. A lovely drop, and very much a winter warmer.
(9th February, 2024)

Proper Black (6% ABV, bottle)
Black with the faintest hint of red and a thick, foaming tan head. The aroma is piney hops, with a little chocolate malt in the background. On th palate, there’s resinous, grassy hop notes dominating an edge of cocoa and bitter coffee. A great example of the black IPA style.
Buy it: It’s available on the brewery website.
(13th January, 2021)

Sayzon (5.9% ABV, bottle)
Hazy straw gold with an exciteable white head, this has a herbal, spicy, tart aroma, with an edge of lemon citrus. The palate is light and refreshing, yet complex. Spiciness is at the forefront, pepper and giner, nicely balanced with biscuit malt. That lemon tartness stays to the end. THere’s gentle dryness on a satisfying, moreish finish.
(1st February, 2021)

The Three Weiss Men (6.1% ABV, bottle)
Hazy gold/amber with a white head, this has the classic herbal and spicy wheat beer aroma. Orange peel and coriander are in the recipe and make their presence felt beautifully in this festive brew. And those banana and clove notes that exemplify the style are there. Terrific example!
(3rd December, 2021)

Tribute (4.2% ABV, bottle)
It’s Britain’s best-loved beer, according to a 2020 survey, and it’s easy to see its popular, modern, everyman appeal. Clear golden/amber with a slightly off-white head, the aromas is light malt with light orange citrus and a little pine. On the palate, there’s a lovely balance of grainy malt, orange citrus, light grapefruit, and lemon pith. There’s a very satisfying bitterness on the finish. Clean, refreshing, and moreish.
Buy: I got mine from Sainsbury’s. It’s available on the brewery website.
(13th November, 2020)

Tribute Extra (6.8% ABV, bottle)
There’s a really full body to this limited edition Tribute big brother, which is crystal clear amber with an off-white head. The palate is quite similar to an English IPA, to my mind. Big orange marmalade notes over a big bready malt profile. The citrus notes are more tropical on the aroma, though, with grapefruit edging in.
(13th February, 2021)

Yellow Head (6.5% ABV, bottle)
Hazy, effervescent golden, with a white head, big tropical fruit notes come gushing out on the aroma as soon as the cap is popped, with some pine in there, too. On the palate, it’s juice and fruit all the way. Notes of mango, stonefruit, pineapple, and passionfruit, all dancing on the tongue and leaving a fruity bitterness on the finish, sending you back for more. Plenty of herbal, piney, resinous notes, too. There’s light malt in the background, while oats help make a full,smooth body. At least one of my five a day in here, if not all five! A small batch, limited edition brew.
(25th May, 2022)