Under the Spotlight: Stealth Brew Co.

The market town of Melksham in Wiltshire is home to the Stealth Brew Co. Formally known as the Kennet & Avon, the brewery has been given a new guise so it stands out within a traditional market. In a county where there are many large and well established traditional breweries, Stealth Brew Co. have stepped out from the shadow with new branding as well as some more experimental and exciting beers. The brewery have produced some more modern, hop forward brews and have added some keg beers to their existing portfolio of cask ales. I have been familiar with Stealth Brew Co. since visiting their micro pub, The Vaults, in Devizes four years ago and have since come to know the team. I caught up with one of the brewery’s partners, Malcolm, to ask him a bit more about the change in identity.  

The process for the new branding started in September 2017 with the final decision made in April 2018. The team felt that the old brand, Kennet & Avon, localised the products too much and felt that they were always having to explain the concept to anyone outside of the South West.  “We felt it’s important to have a brand name that doesn’t need any explanation or point to the area it is made, the brand lets the beer do the talking” says Malcolm. With the local area flooded with traditionally brewed styles, Stealth made it their mission to differentiate themselves. One way I feel that they are achieving this is by their decision not to use finings in their brews and producing naturally hazy beers. This was really important to the team at Stealth as they found a huge difference in flavour between fined and unfined beers on testing. It was then they decided to choose quality of flavour over clarity which has been well received by the regulars. Malcolm explains that they have clearly marked the beers as hazy and that this has not deterred consumers. 

Stealth Brew Co. also champion gluten free ales after a friend of Malcolm’s explained she was unable to drink beer like everyone else due to her gluten intolerance. This is a growing concern in the food and drink industry with 1 in 100 people suffering from coeliac disease so after investigating various brewing techniques Stealth launched their first gluten free stout in 2015 with more styles brewed since then. Many of the beer styles produced by the brewery are favourites of the team as well as by customers. “We are now brewing modern beers that we love to drink ourselves, by doing that it is a lot easier to sell it because you’re passionate about it.” says Malcolm. When I asked which was his favourite beer from the range Malcolm said, “That would have to be Camouflage”, which is Stealth’s stout/pale ale hybrid with a sessionable ABV of 4.7%. Malcolm also goes on to say that on a hot day he loves the citrusy flavours of Covert and I have to agree. This has got to be my favourites from the range however I’m looking forward to trying their new double IPA Surreptitious on keg!

Future plans for the brewery include canning their range of beers to open up a wider market as well as working towards opening another micro pub by the end of the year. Stealth Brew Co. would also like to develop the Tap Room and Backyard so that they can open it more on a weekly basis. Over this summer Stealth are hosting Pop Up Beer Garden Open Weekends to show off the new beer range with more dates lined up for August and September. 

So with Stealth Brew Co. lifting the veil, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the future!

Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018

The Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 saw eight independent breweries from the North of England collaborate to produce eight limited edition beers. Lead by Wylam Brewery, this was in aid of celebrating the Great Exhibition of the North which is an event championing art, design and innovation from the north of the country. The beers were limited to 6,600 cases so I felt quite honoured to be able to get hold of a box. The cans have been designed to represent each brewery using symbols and famous landmarks from the cities/towns they are based in. I couldn’t wait to crack open the beers so here are my thoughts on the box. 

001 Imperial Stout - Wylam X Buxton

This is a big beer and not just because it has a ABV of 10.5%. This smells and tastes like a black forest gateaux with dark fruits and chocolate flavours. The mouthfeel is thinner than I was expecting particularly as this feels like an after dinner beer. It does, however, have some creaminess but not quite like the range of ice cream style beers that Buxton have been releasing recently. I have enjoyed drinking this beer but I am glad I have not stuck strictly to the numerical order of the cans with this one!

002 Strong Brown Ale - Wylam X Cloudwater 

I don’t normally go for this style of beer so this a new one on me. The appearance of this ale is quite dark for this style but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet it tasted. I could taste quite a lot of malty sweetness with lots of caramel and chocolate flavours. There is also some coffee notes coming through which offsets the sweetness and reminds me of a Tiramisu. I was really impressed with how smooth and well balanced these flavours were. I think this is a good example of a traditional style of beer and is one I would definitely have again.

003 Mixed Fermentation Farmhouse - Wylam X Black Lodge Brewing 

For me this is an attractive beer. Beautifully hazy and looks like a mango fruit juice. The taste is very drinkable with flavours of mango, apricot and peach but it is too easy to forget the 7.5% ABV. However I could happily drink another can as this was gone in just a few mouthfuls! I also really enjoyed the earthy straw-like notes typical of this style as it still reminded me I was drinking a beer. Definitely one of my favourites from the range - just wish I could have another!

004 Pale Wheat Ale - Wylam X Thornbridge 

This is a delicate wheat ale flavoured with floral jasmine notes which are boosted by the clove-like characteristics typical of this style of beer. I got a little bit of the orange peel but this wasn’t the most dominant flavour. It’s more like the gentle ‘twisting’ of the orange peel to release the perfume much like you see in cocktail making. If your a fan of rose or elderflower drinks then I think you would enjoy this beer. 

005 Forest Fruit Kettle Sour - Wylam X Magic Rock 

You can tell by the colour in the pour that this will be a lip puckering sour beer and it does not disappoint. This beer is packed with berry flavours, mostly blackberry and raspberry for me. I love a sour beer so I am trying not to be biased but this has got to be one of my favourites from the box!

006 DDH Pale Ale - Wylam X Hawkshead Brewery

This DDH pale ale does exactly what it says on the can! This beer looks just like a fruit juice and my first taste is bursting with tropical mango flavour. Then you get the punchy hoppiness you’d expect from a double dry hopped beer that finishes with more sweet mango. The flavour and appearance of this beer seem more like the characteristics you’d associate with an IPA than a Pale Ale. I really enjoyed this beer but it is far too easy to drink!

007 India Pale Ale - Wylam X Northern Monk 

Although there is some grapefruit flavour there wasn’t much bitterness to this IPA as I was expecting. In my opinion this tasted a bit soapy and reminded me of some of the earlier IPAs I tried when I first started drinking beer. This beer unfortunately wasn’t one of my favourites. 

008 DIPA - Wylam X Box Social 

This beer has quite a harsh flavour that reminds me of neat spirits and left a burning aftertaste. The appearance made me think this beer would be juicy but I was surprised how much bitterness there was. This beer wasn’t for me but I expect it suits some other peoples palates.

Overall I think this box definitely champions beer from the North and exhibits a great mixture of modern and traditional styles. It is really hard to pick a favourite as all eight beers are so different and there has been some styles that I wouldn’t normally choose for myself. I do think though that this series is a perfect example of how diverse beers can be within the UK and that it is a great way to celebrate The North. I can’t wait to see if there will be a Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 next year!