Duchy Originals Organic Ale

Wychwood Brewery
Witney, Oxfordshire, England
Imported by: Eurobrew, Inc.
Santa Monica, CA

Available: AZ, AK, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

In 1986, HRH The Prince of Wales started the conversion of Highgrove, his country estate in Gloucestershire, to organic practices—and the surrounding Duchy Home Farm began. In 1990, the Prince initiated the marketing of products based on sustainable agricultural practices, under the name “Duchy Originals.” They are now one of the UK’s leading organic brands, offering 130 different food and drink items.

Alcohol (vol.): 5.0
Color: 36 EBC
Bitterness: 31 EBU
Original Gravity: 13 p
Malts used: malted Plumage Archer organic barley
Hops used: First Gold organic hops

This amber, almost ruby-colored ale from the Wychwood Brewery, produced for a well-known British organics label, offers a rich and attractive aroma of plum, raisin and well-toasted malt, accented by a hint of anise. In the body, the fruity theme carries forward, with notes of ripe red apple, plum, date and raisin, and nutty caramel. Rather than stirring up any significant bitterness, the hops—a new organic dwarf variety, according to the beer’s spec sheet—serve more as a drying, tannic force. I’d call this a rather reserved ESB and serve it with roast Cornish hen.
- Stephen Beaumont

Translucent copper ale with rich caramel candy aroma. Wonderful traditional English hop flavor leaves me questioning whether the hops are organic. This sample not the freshest, but balance of flavors indicates an originally well-brewed ale. Slight wet paper-like well-traveled flavors detract, but still a great “session” pub type ales. I’m yearning for some mangers and bashers!
- Charlie Papazian

The beer pours hazy amber from its handsome bottle and raises a light tan head. The aroma is redolent of spicy, slightly cheesy English hops. The palate is medium-bodied and lightly malty, showing caramel notes with sherry overtones. The finish is clean and dry, with grainy malt flavors stepping forward. Not exceptional, but polite, pleasant, and well balanced. It’ll be just the thing with that rare roast beef and good Stilton.
- Garrett Oliver

Stephen Beaumont
Stephen Beaumont boarded his first plane at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since, obsessing about travel to the point that he gets nervous if he doesn’t have a ticket or two stacked on the corner of his desk. When he’s not running around in search of new taste experiences, he makes his home in Toronto, where a new cultural experience is only as far away as the next neighborhood.

Charlie Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.

Garrett Oliver
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.

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