Beartown Brewery, of Congleton, has collaborated with Kendal coffee roaster John Farrer & Co to craft a coffee stout, Lakeland Nightfall.
Keen to experiment with different flavours, Beartown head brewer, Graham Nelson, approached the team at the UK’s oldest coffee roaster.
Working with quality ingredients, the two businesses crafted a beer designed to perfectly marry the rich, aromatic flavours of expertly roasted espresso coffee beans with the depth and complexity of a finely crafted stout.
With a name inspired by old poetic descriptions of the coming of darkness, Lakeland Nightfall fuses more than 200 years of Farrer’s coffee roasting expertise with decades of brewing know-how from Beartown Brewery.
The 4.9% ABV stout is rich, complex, and full-bodied, full of robust coffee flavours, hints of bittersweet chocolate, caramel, and dark fruits, including raisins and plums. It’s rounded off with a touch of vanilla and a subtle smokiness for depth of flavour.
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“Coffee is the perfect ingredient to add to a stout,” said Beartown managing director Joseph Manning. “It stands out and doesn’t get lost in the beer, especially if you take your time to choose the right coffee.
“There’s no doubt that coffee provides beer makers with some really interesting opportunities, especially if they want to craft some really interesting upfront beers for their customers. I wanted to do something different.
“I’d done my homework and felt that Farrer’s Classic Espresso might work well to infuse our stout with. So between us we thought let’s give it ago and get a warming beer ready for winter and Lakeland Nightfall was born.”
Rob Baines, John Farrer & Co’s general manager, added: “I was massively invested when Beartown Brewery approached us to see if we could work together, especially as we would be combining our expert coffee knowledge with their considerable skill at crafting award-winning beers. As soon as they mentioned that they were looking to use our Classic Espresso, I was on the same page.
“When you taste Lakeland Nightfall you quickly realise that this beautifully balanced beer showcases the depth and complexity of our hand roasted coffee, which combines perfectly with Beartown’s artisan crafted stout — just the thing for sipping and savouring on a chilly winter’s evening.”
