Hophead Brewery

Small batch craft ale designed and brewed by Mike Ferneyhough and Philip Dunn to evoke a Scottish Export style beer; as popular now as it was when Philip first heard the songs sung in the accompanying film at his exhibition.
Brewed with Scottish Golden Promise pale malt crystal malt a hint of black malt and roasted barley and hopped with target and fuggles. This brown beer has hints of red when held up to the light. In line with the export style there is little hop aroma. The beer is about the malty slightly sweet mouth filling taste which is followed with a dry finish with only a hint of bitterness tempting you into another.

A dark chestnut coloured English strong ale with a big malt hit which stands up to and balances the high levels of bitterness. The result is that the beer has malt, caramel and orange marmalade and a satifiying but not overpowering bitterness preventing it seeming overly sweet. Made with Maris Otter pale, amber, crystal and chocolate malts and East Kent Goldings hops and reduced gluten. 1985 celebrates the year head brewer houblon started brewing 36 years ago

A porter made with organic cocao nibs pale and dark malts but no crystal malt. Black with chocolate, coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness This 6.0 edition substitutes wheat malt for the torrified wheat from the 5.0 edition. Like the original this was made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspected crystal malt as being the provider of that taste so it has been swapped out and we think makes a better.

This year, for the first time, a limited amount is available in cask served via the beer engine in the brew shed

A Black IPA brewed in Tier 4 and racked in National Lockdown. This beer tasks quite different to the way it looks. Jet black with hoppy flavours some malt and really quite bitter in a west coast way

An english style bitter with a great balance of malt and hops bitterness and that slight orange marmalade flavour you get from the big brewery just up the road in Chiswick. Brewed in Lockdown 2 with Maris Otter Pale Crystal and Munch malt and English hops East Kent Goldings along with brewery grown Fuggles and Northdown hops 

Hophead’s First New England Pale Ale produced in lockdown 2. Brewed with shedloads of Citra, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops mostly dry hopped in the fermenter. Also using Verdant’s NEIPA yeast. The beer name hints at both the popularity of this type of beer and the not soon enough departure of the idiot child from the White House

A single hop beer with a difference. A rhizome from the prolific Fuggle hop that grows at the Hophead brewery was sent 300 miles north and grown by Rosemary at the Old School on the Solway coast – about as far north as you can go in England on the west coast. The northern hops were picked, dried and packed and sent in the post to the brewery. This is the 2nd year we have brewed this beer and this time they were combined 70/30 with hops from the brewery’s Fuggle.

Pale Maris Otter malt and Munich malt combine to give a hint of malt and the 3 hop additions give a good English bitterness and restrained hoppyness. Another change for this year is the Yeast Strain moving from the brewery’s normal Lallemand Nottingham to English style ale yeast

Brewed by the Hophead brewery to celebrate Henry’s 18th Birthday.

This traditional English golden ale is made with maris otter pale malt and a touch of Munich malt. Home grown English fuggles hops provide the bitterness and aroma. The beer is also gluten free.

The brew is light gold in colour with fresh hop aromas. Initially balanced with light biscuit malt some hoppyness followed quickly by a refreshing bitterness which has good length in the aftertaste leaving you wanting another.

Single hopped with green fuggles hops from the brewery hop garden. Made with Maris Otter pale, crystal, Munich and a hint of chocolate malt for a chestnut brown english bitter. The green hops give a subtly different more rounded hop flavour layered on top of a malt.Single hopped with green fuggles hops from the brewery hop garden. Made with Maris Otter pale, crystal, Munich and a hint of chocolate malt for a chestnut brown english bitter. The green hops give a subtly different more rounded hop flavour layered on top of a malt

Brewed by Hophead brewery to celebrate Tony’s 80th Birthday. The label celebrates Tony’s impressive practical skills, being able to fix most things and turn his hand to almost anything – here seen blacksmithing going at it “hammer and tongs”.

This traditional English golden ale is made with Maris Otter pale malt and a touch of Munich malt. Home grown English Fuggles hops provide the bitterness and aroma. The beer is also gluten free. The brew is light gold in colour with fresh hop aromas. Initially balanced with light biscuit malt some hoppyness followed quickly by a refreshing bitterness which has good length in the aftertaste leaving you wanting another.

Single hopped with green cascade hops from the brewery hop garden. Made with Maris Otter pale and pilsner malt for an extra pale colour and to allow the hops to show through. The green hops give a subtly different more rounded hop flavour.

A refreshing brown english bitter made with crystal rye. A little malt, a little peppery prickle and then bitterness from the english Fuggle and Bramling Cross hops. This is a perfect pint to celebrate a great day hiking or cycling in the Lake District.

A rye american pale ale made with maris otter, pilsner and pale rye malt, Amarillo, Centennial and Citra hops. Brewed under lockdown the week before the pubs opened

Pale golden refreshingly bitter yorkshire ale with a nod to Timothy Taylors.  A little bit of Yorkshire brewed in Twickenham. Using 100% pale malt, Fuggles and East Kent Goldings Hops, biasing the goldings for aroma. Wyeast West Yorkshire Ale yeast which defintley adds something and  may have come originally from TT. This is Hophead’s attempt at an absolute classic. We are not worthy !

A kettle soured Berliner Weisse perfect for those hot sunny lockdown days in the garden. Sour lemony and low in alcohol and refreshing. Made with wheat and pilsner malt, soured with lactobacillus, just a touch of Hallertauer Mittelfruh hops.

A special bottling of Lockdown Ordinary Bitter to celebrate Adam’s 40th Birthday.

A traditional English Ordinary bitter, that you could have a great session on and drink all night in the pub – if you could go to the Pub !

Made with Maris Otter Pale, Crystal and Munich Malt, Bramling Cross and home grown Fuggles. Amber heading towards brown with a balance of malt and bitterness, but neither too sweet or too bitter, but bitter enough to leave you thirsty for another and weak enough that you won’t fall over if you do that a few times…

A special bottling of Lockdown Pacific pale from keg to celebrate Adam’s 40th Birthday.   A refreshing hoppy pale ale – triple hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic hops. Just the thing to keep you refreshed in the hot weather in the covid-19 lockdown

Brewed specially to celebrate Rob’s 50th birthday. Named after Fritz, Rob and Angela’s dog who when he came to visit Hophead’s allotment insisted on sitting on the raised bed next to the cabbages looking like he was the king of the cabbages.

A traditional english ordinary bitter that balances malt and hops to provide a refreshing birthday brew

A traditional English Ordinary bitter, that you could have a great session on and drink all night in the pub – if you could go to the Pub !

Made with Maris Otter Pale, Crystal and Munich Malt, Bramling Cross and home grown Fuggles. Amber heading towards brown with a balance of malt and bitterness, but neither too sweet or too bitter, but bitter enough to leave you thirsty for another and weak enough that you won’t fall over if you do that a few times…

A refreshing hoppy pale ale – triple hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic hops. Just the thing to keep you refreshed in the hot weather in the covid-19 lockdown

A refreshing English bitter to help get through the Covid-19 lockdown. This beer is very similar to Old School Fuggle – but this time made only with the use of brewery grown fuggle hops and an addition of terrified wheat for a bit of extra body/head. Slight hint of sweetness but then very definitely bitter with a bitter finish

A porter made with organic cocao nibs pale and dark malts but no crystal malt. Black with chocolate, coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness This 5.0 edition retains the malt bill from 4.0 but this year increases the amount of cocoa nibs. Like the original this was made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspected crystal malt as being the provider of that taste so it has been swapped out and we think makes a better

A Rye pale ale made with Cascade, Sorachi Ace and Fuggle. The beer has reasonable bitterness but not been dry hopped to not distract from the peppery rye flavours of the malt. Gluten Free

Single hopped home gown fuggles but with a difference. A rhizome from the prolific Fuggle hop that grows at the Hophead brewery was sent 300 miles north and grown by Rosemary at the Old School on the solway coast – about as far north as you can go in England on the west coast. The hops were picked, dried and packed and sent in the post to the brewery. Here they were combined 50/50 with hops from the brewery’s fuggle. Pale Maris Otter malt and munich malt combine to give a hint of malt and the 3 hop additions give a good english bitterness and restrained hoppyness. A very sessionable beer but watch out its 4.8%. Gluten Free.

Not quite a double IPA but strong for an IPA. Maris Otter Pale , some wheat and Vienna malt provide the body. Triple hopped with Amarillo, Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial pellet hops. This powerful IPA drinks below its strength, hoppy with citrus and tropical fruit and a nice but not excessive bitterness – straddling the divide between East and West Coast American IPA.

(This beer was originally going to be Houblon’s DIPA 2.0 but due to a bit of brewing process hick-up didn’t quite make the strength for a DIPA hence the 1.5)

A refreshing strong golden bitter made for summer with Bramling Cross and Fuggles providing the bittering and Sorachi Ace the aroma. This beer has not been dry hopped so is bitter but not overly hoppy in the style of a strong English Best Bitter

Inspired by cycling down and up the most beautiful road in the world. A strong bitter made with Bramling X, Fuggles with Styrian goldings for the aroma hops. This is a bitter hoppy refreshing beer in the style of a slightly stronger version of landlord

A refreshing kettle soured wheat beer made with 50% wheat malt and 50% pilsner malt and sparing amounts of Hallertauer and Sorachi Ace hops. Hophead’s first sour beer. It is very light in colour has a lemony flavour is not overly sour as there is still some sweetness to balance. A very refreshing sessionable beer for a hot day

A Strong refreshing english bitter. Think landlord but a bit stonger and a bit more bitter. Made with pale and munich malt, home grown fuggles, bramling cross with most of the late boil and dry hopping from styrian goldings.

A porter made with organic cocao nibs pale and dark malts but no crystal malt. Black with chocolate, coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness This 4.0 edition simplifies the malt bill and retains the last two years successful addition of cocoa nibs – which this year stayed in the beer for 2 weeks during secondary. Like the original this was made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspected crystal malt as being the provider of that taste so it has been swapped out and we think makes a better beer

Brewed for the 2018 Varsity Match at Twickenham. A strong American pale ale brewed with Ekuanot, Cascade and Columbus hops.

The Columbus hops provide the bittering and the late addition flavour hops are a mix of Ekuanot and Cascade. It has then been excessively dry hopped in the primary and secondary with Ekuanot which is the hop formerly know as Equinox. It has high levels of  myrcene and humulene which provides interesting fruity aromas and tastes with a solid bitter background from the high alpha Columbus.

Flavours you can get from Ekuanot include lime, apple, melon, berry, cedar, papaya, bay leaves, eucalyptus, clove, sage, and tobacco.

The beer is unfined and unfiltered and the excesive use of uncontained pellet hops means it is naturally hazy

A beer to celebrate Jack’s 18th Birthday and his King of the Mountains on Velothon Wales and in Spain – leaving Mike and Brian in wheel tracks.

Brewed with Maris Otter pale malt, and red crystal rye malt and hopped with only fresh 2018 Fuggles hops from the brewery garden. This is a brown traditional english bitter with a good balance between malt and hops and dry almost peppery finish

Green hoped golden ale made with fresh Casade from the brewery garden and prima donna from Paul at Manor Farm in Norfolk. Over 600g of hops used for a 21 litre batch, but not dry hopped this year . With Maris Otter pale and a touch of Munich malt.  The golden ale style allows the Cascade and Prima Donna character to show through but is not excessively hoppy due to the lack of dry hopping.

An English bitter hopped with green Fuggles hops from the brewery garden. The hops have about 2 meters to travel from where they grow over the brew shed into the brew kettle. Over 600g of hops used for a 21 litre batch. This year not dry hopped but there was a small addition of red crystal rye. We hope this gives a true reflection of the Fuggle character in a classic english Best Bitter style, with a little hint of spice.

A Hoppy Rye Pale ale brewed to celebrate brewer Houblon & StorkRock’s 25th Wedding Anniversary.
Made with Maris Otter, Munich and Rye malt. Hopped with Simcoe, Chinook, Sorachi Ace and Galaxy hops on the hot side and dry hopped for 4 days with 25g/l of Chinook and Galaxy cold side. The bitterness is kept lower and the hops aim to be juicy to head towards the New England IPA style but without embracing full chicken soup clarity.
The beer has a juicy hop fruitiness and an interesting spicy rye prickle in the mouth, and moderate bitterness

Oli’s Off-Piste was brewed for Houblon’s nephew Oli to celebrate his 18^thBirthday.

This golden ale is made with English Maris Otter pale malt, Munich malt and a touch of wheat malt.  Home grown English Fuggles and Northdown hops provide the bitterness and aroma and are supplemented with American Citra and Amarillo hops for both aroma and dry hopping. The beer is also Gluten Free.

The brew is light gold in colour with fresh hop aromas.  Initially balanced with light biscuit malt some citrus fruit followed quickly by a refreshing bitterness which has good length in the aftertaste leaving you wanting another.

Oli’s Off-Piste Ale is a one off special brew only available in bottle and best drunk fresh. Store upright in a cool place out of direct sunlight. This beer is unfined, unfiltered and bottle conditioned.  Before serving stand the bottle upright for at least 12 hours. Serve ideally at cellar temperature of 10-12C. Pour slowly and carefully and avoid disturbing the yeast sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

A porter made with organic cocao nibs pale and dark malts but no crystal malt. Black with chocolate, coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness This third edition simplifies the malt bill and retains last years successful addition of cocoa nibs. Like the original this was made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspected crystal malt as being the provider of that taste so it has been swapped out and we think makes a better beer

Single green hop casade brewed entirely with hops from the brewery garden. The hops have travelled 15 metre from the front garden where they grow into the brew kettle. Over 600g of hops used for a 21 litre batch, but not dry hopped this year . The century name celebrates last years 100 mile Ride London bike ride and this year’s Velo Birmingham. With Maris Otter pale and a touch of Munich malt and this year for the first time a touch of pale rye. The pale ale style allows the cascade character to show through. The finish has a hint of pepper mixed with the hop bitterness

A gluten free English bitter hopped with green Fuggles hops from the brewery garden. The hops have about 2 meters to travel from where they grow over the brew shed into the brew kettle. Over 500g of hops used for a 21 litre batch. This year not dry hopped but there was a small addition of Crystal Rye. We hope this gives a true reflection of the Fuggle character in a classic english Best Bitter style, with a little hint of pepper.

A Gluten Free American session pale ale. Pale gold hoppy and refreshingly bitter for the summer. Made with Maris Otter pale an Munich malt and a mix of American hops including Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade.

Renegade Gold was brewed by Mike at the Hophead brewery to celebrate brother Steve’s 50^th Birthday. It is named after Steve and Mike’s best selling 1980’s computer game Renegade with the original promotional artwork featuring on the pumpclip.

This golden best bitter is light and thirst quenching for a summer birthday party. Made with English Maris Otter pale malt Munich malt, home grown cascade and northdown hops along with classic east kent goldings hops. Dry hopped in the conditioning tank with cascade and east kent goldings for extra hop flavour. The beer is Gluten Free.

The brew is light gold in colour, with fresh English & American hop aromas, hints of citrus. Initially balanced with light buscuity malt followed quickly by a refreshing bitterness which has good length in the aftertaste leaving you wanting another.

Checkout renegade on you tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoLoGwjOIiE (but remember it was the 1980’s…)

A refreshing hoppy pale brewed with American and New Zealand hops. Using English Maris Otter, and a touch of malt to allow the hops to show through. This is the second of Hophead’s beers to be gluten free. The name celebrates head brewer Houblon’s return to Harewood Avenue.

Five times hopped Double IPA, made with Citra, Cascade, Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo and Warrior hops.

Unfined and unfiltered but still reasonably bright. Light amber in colour, there are citrus and tropical fruit notes with a well rounded feel in the mouth and a bitter finish.

Careful this drinks too easily for a 7% beer.

An English dark mild, with dark malt flavours and only a hint of bitterness. Named after Horace Walpole with his Gothic mansion Strawberry Hill House featuring on the pumpclip. This beer was inspired by Twickeham Fine Ales most excellent Gothic Dark. Many thanks to their Head Brewer Stuart for his help and advice. This is also Hophead’s first attempt at a gluten free beer using an enzyme during fermentation to drop both excess protein and gluten out of the finished beer

A porter made with organic cocao nibs and 5 different malts but no crystal malt. Black with chocolate, coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness

This second edition’s main change is the addition of cocoa nibs. Like the original this was made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspected crystal malt as being the provider of that taste so it has been swapped out for midnight wheat malt, and we think makes a better beer.

A traditional english bitter, dark amber in colour with a balance of malt and hops. Made with Maris Otter, crystal, munch and wheat malts. Hops are 2016’s Northdown and Fuggles from the brewery garden

An explosively hoppy IPA to match the firey explosions of its namesake Guatemalan Volcano.

Maris Otter pale and a touch of Munich malt give a clean base for the hops to work from. Mosaic, Amarillio, Cascade, Centennial , Zythos and Sorrachi Ace provide the kettle hops with just zythos and Sorrachi Ace being used as dry hops.  The dry hops are all pellets which is a change for us but it certainly helps pack that extra hoppy punch over leaf hops.

Be warned there are a lot of hops in this one which you may be tasting for some time after the beer has long been drunk.

Single green hop casade brewed entirely with hops from the brewery garden. The hops have travelled 15 metre from the front garden where they grow into the brew kettle. Over 600g of hops used for a 21 litre batch, then dry hopped in secondary . The century name celebrates the 100 mile Ride London bike ride by Houblon and Cats Eye brewer Adam in the summer. With only Maris Otter pale and a touch of Munich malt the pale ale style allows the cascade character to show through.

An english bitter hopped with green Fuggles hops from the brewery garden. The hops have about 2 meters to travel from where they grow over the brew shed into the brew kettle. Over 500g of hops used for a 21 litre batch, and dry green hopped twice in secondary . The century name celebrates the 100 mile Ride London bike ride by Houblon and Cats Eye brewer Adam in the summer. We hope this gives a true reflection of the Fuggle character in a classic english Best Bitter style.

An Altbier brewed in celebration of the 48% of Britain’s who voted to remain in the EU.

An Altbier brewed with Pale, Munich and Vienna malts with just a touch of crystal malt. Hopped with Hallertauer Mittelfrueh and Saaz hops.

This is a well balanced restrained beer with some malt and a gentle bitterness from the very low alpha hops.

Note: Hophead will not be brewing a corresponding 52% beer !

Brewed to celebrate Ally’s 50th Birthday this refreshing Golden English Best Bitter is perfect for toasting the half century. There is a nice balance of malt and bitterness from the Maris Otter malt and just a touch of munich and crystal (don’t tell Ally). Hops are mainly English Fuggles and Goldings with the last of the english cascade from the brewery hop garden.

Jet Black. With an aroma and taste of chocolate which slightly masks some of the sweetness and the bitterness of the dark malts. Made with maris otter pale, crystal, munich and chocolate malt along with roasted barley, and hopped gently with fuggles. lactose (milk) sugar added at the boil provides the sweetness. Late hopped with cocoa nibs !

A Rye pale ale made with maris otter and rye malt and hopped 4 times with Sorachi Ace, Citra and Zythos. Amongst the hop flavours there is a slight spice from the rye and a surprisingly dry taste for the near 6% strength

Jet Black, with sweetness balanced by the bitterness of the dark malts. Made with maris otter pale, crystal, munich and chocolate malt along with roasted barley, and hopped gently with fuggles. lactose (milk) sugar added at the boil provides the sweetness

An English special bitter brewed to celebrate Neil’s 50th Birthday.

Named after the bullseye on a dartboard which of course is worth 50. By strange coincidence the OG of the beer is also 1050. The label imagines Neil’s alternative career as Bully from the Bullseye TV show

Brewed with Marris Otter pale malt, crystal malt, and a touch of midnight wheat malt. This English special bitter has a chestnut brown colour and plenty of malt character balanced with hop bitterness. For bittering there are Fuggles, East Kent Goldings, and First Gold hops The aroma hops are all Fuggles and East Kent Goldings which are also used as dry hops in the conditioning tank.

A chestnut coloured English special bitter with round malt balanced by hop bitterness

Crystal Malt and a touch of midnight wheat malt bring colour, flavour and body. Home grown East Kent Goldings and Northdown are supplememeted by First Gold hops to produce a traditional english special bitter.

A refreshing hoppy pale ale made with hops from both sides of the pacific.

American Cascade and New Zealand Motueka provide the hops and combine with Maris Otter pale malt and Munch malt.

The Red Wheel is in honour of the red tyre on head brewer Houblon’s turbo trainer which is sharing space in the Hopehead brewery brew shed during the winter.

A porter made with 6 different malts but no crystal malt. Dark with coffee and roasted malt flavours and a slight sweetness to balance the malt and hop bitterness

Made especially for Ally who has always liked dark beers and after years of exposure to Houblon’s taste for ridiculously hoppy, light coloured beers has come round to liking them too. But she has never really liked the brown beers in the middle with that have a kind of malty taste. We suspect Crystal Malt as being the provider of that taste so this is Houblon’s ever-evolving porter with the crystal malt swapped out for some chocolate wheat malt. The result is a better more complex beer.

Brewed to celebrate Julie’s 50th Birthday and named to fit the Hawaiian party theme.

Brewed with Marris Otter pale malt, crystal malt, and a touch of chocolate malt. This English green hopped bitter aims to balance the malt sweetness with hop bitterness. The hops are all home grown in the brewery garden. For bittering there are Fuggles, East Kent Goldings and Northdown dried from last years harvest. The aroma hops are all Fuggles from this year picked green minutes before being used. Dry hopped in the conditioning tank also with Fuggles.

Green Hopped English Ale to Celebrate Louise & Adam’s Wedding Day on the 19th September 2015

A collaborative brew between the Hophead and Catz Arms brewery. Catz Brewer Adam joined Mike at Hophead to brew this special beer. Brewed with Marris Otter pale malt, crystal malt, and a touch of chocolate malt. This green hopped English special bitter is made with homegrown Fuggles, East Kent Goldings and Northdown hops from the Hophead and the Catz Arms hop gardens

The brew is chestnut in colour, with fresh English hop aromas. There is a hit of malty sweetness which is quickly overpowered by a soft refreshing bitterness. The green hops give a subtly different feel in the mouth.

English Pale ale with a light biscuity malt flavour and a refreshing bitterness and plenty of hop character. Made with pale and munch malt and fuggles, east kent goldings, northdown and cascade hops from the the brewery garden.

Green hopped Black IPA made with Cascade hops from the brewery garden harvested by East End Hop picker and guest brewer Adam.

Green hopped English Ale made with pale, crystal, chocolate and Munich malt. Fresh Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops from the brewery garden are used to provide a unique fresh hop taste balanced against some classic malt flavours.
The name and picture on the pump clip is the thermal fuse in the brewery boiler that blew in mid boil – which meant the wort had to be drained, the boiler taken apart and repaired, the wort restored and the boil restarted – a long brew day…