Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall Masham Ale (collaboration with Theakston)

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	26 Mar 2026
Philip Pirrip		26 Mar 2026	On a few days - tired
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	25 Mar 2026
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	24 Mar 2026
Philip Pirrip		23 Mar 2026	2nd ale tonight that had lost almost all condition since yesterday's
Philip Pirrip		22 Mar 2026	6.5% heavy that hardly seemed that strong on taste but had good full body
Hogan Sampling		22 Mar 2026	Fresh on and very good head and lacing evident and lasting throughout its liquid performance from Thornbridge Brewery founded in 2005 and now at the Riverside Business Park, Buxton Road, Bakewell, south-east of Manchester, and a collaboration with Theakston Brewery, an independent, family-run brewery founded in 1827 and located in the market town of Masham, North Yorkshire, and one of Britain's oldest established family brewing companies, currently run by the fifth and sixth generations of the Theakston family. This collaborative strong ale with a deep amber to reddish-mahogany hue reimagines a Theakston recipe using Thornbridge's unique Burton Union fermentation system*. A fruited sweetness rising from its exclusive use of Fuggles hops, lending it earthy, herbal and spicy flavours and hints of raisins, dates and prunes. A gentle maltiness winning over from its blend of the finest English malts, including Maris Otter and Crystal malt for colour and sweetness lending it cinder toffee, referring to honeycomb/puff candy, a brittle, aerated confection with a bubbly texture, and caramel flavourings. The odd fruity note constantly bobbing up with hints of dark berries, apricots, and a touch of "sherry-like" sweetness. A touch of liquorice maltiness sliding downwards for me aided by its layers of toffee, toasted brown sugar, and biscuits leading to a dry, lingering sweetened bitterness. Served in top condition on its first day being hatched. *This historic wood-barrel system dating back to the 1800s was rescued and installed at Thornbridge's Riverside Brewery in early 2024 after being retired by Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC). The Burton Union is a cleansing system for aiding the yeast to produce bright beer where in the process it flows back down into the barrels by gravity, while the excess yeast is trapped in the trough, effectively "cleaning" the beer and allowing for the harvest of high-quality yeast for future brews.

Nelson Arms, Tonbridge, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		03 Jan 2026	3rd beer of this visit: Very good head and lacing and lasting on this strong ale from Bakewell, south-west of Sheffield, and a collaboration with Theakston Brewery, north of Harrogate. A dry moreish bitterness in its first hit. A pleasant hoppiness rising care of its Fuggles hops. A fruited bitterness winning over with a maltiness emerging. Fermented on Theakston's Burton Union set*, resulting in a deep amber, rich, malty beer. A dark fruitedness bobbiing along with hints of caramel. A delectable hoppiness saddling out. *A traditional and historic system of interconnected wooden casks used for fermenting beer, originating in Burton-on-Trent in the 1830s.

The New Inn, Canterbury, Kent