Swedish Brutal Brewing launches in the UK
Brutal Brewing, the Swedish brewers behind craft beer Pistonhead Lager, have launched its own core range in the UK which will be distributed by Proof Drinks.
The beer officially launched at Craft Beer Rising 2019 and the brand will be introducing further beers to the series later this year.
The range consists of six beers, each with a “different personality” and take on the typical beer styles. A Ship Full of IPA 5.8% is a twist on the traditional American IPA. Brutal Brewing is known for its passion for hops, and A Ship Full of IPA is filled with modern hop varieties: magnum, cascade, amarillo and galaxy. Tasting notes include a hop aroma and a bitterness to the taste with hints of grape, melon and citrus. A 0.0% non-alcoholic version is also available.
The Ship Full of IPA Non-Alcoholic is 0.0%, and is said to taste like a “classic beer”. The 0.0% is achieved by vacuum distillation, a process designed to create the “best non-alcoholic beer possible”. Firstly, A Ship Full of IPA is brewed as a full strength beer and dry-hopped. Next, vacuum distillation is used to boil off the alcohol at a low temperature (42 degrees) to preserve more flavour. The beer is then dry-hopped for a second time to ensure a rich, full strength beer flavour and aroma comes through. The brew also retains a full body due to the high sweetness of the dark, caramel malt.
Prior to the UK launch, A Ship Full of IPA Non-Alcoholic was introduced by alcoholic drinks expert, award-winning writer and broadcaster Jane Peyton during an exclusive tasting at trade show Pub19, in association with Club Soda.
At the time she said: “Brutal Brewing’s A Ship Full of IPA is one of the best non-alcoholic beers on the market. It has great flavour, body and drinks like a beer with alcohol in it. Delicious, satisfying and very moreish.”
Tail of the Whale 4.8% is a German wheat ale blend, brewed with 55% wheat malt and Scottish ale yeast, then dry-hopped with Citra to give the crisp malt body of a wheat beer, but the fruitiness of an ale. Tasting notes include a fresh floral aroma and a balanced bitterness with elements of citrus and grapefruit. Cirrus Cloudy Lager 5.1% is an unfiltered cloudy pilsner lager, made using only organic hops and malts: hallertau tradition, organic palisade, organic cascade humor and organic pilsner malt. Tasting notes include a strong, fresh hop-flowering scent and a hoppy taste with well-balanced malting and bitterness, with elements of citrus and grapefruit.
Hale to Nothing 4.5% is a twist on the traditional English pale ale using only organic hops and malts. Tasting notes include fresh hop-flowering scent with elements of citrus and freshly harvested grass and a light hop aromatic taste with well-balanced malting and bitterness. The hop taste comes from the unique use of American hops centennial and pearl combined with English fuggles hulme hops. Session Pale Ale 3.5% is a lower alcohol pale ale combining hops from America and Australia. Tasting notes include a fresh, blooming scent with elements of exotic fruits and citrus, and a distinct taste from the aromatic, fruity American and Australian Amarillo and Galaxy hops. The German hops add a bitterness to the overall taste.
Brutal Brewing was created in 2011, by a team who were experimenting in a basement. They were curious about the logistics of micro brewing and wanted to develop “exceptional brews”.
