Thornbridge / St Mars of the Desert Secret World
overall
90
style
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
A few weeks’ ago, it was our great pleasure to host the Brewery of Saint Mars of the Desert to brew with us here at Thornbridge. For those of you who don’t know, Saint Mars of the Desert (or ‘SMOD’ to their fans) are husband and wife team Dann and Martha, who brew out of a little brewery in Attercliffe, Sheffield. Ever since they built the brewery, our brewing team have been big fans, so just a few months after they set up shop, in late 2018, we were delighted to brew a collaborative beer with them at their place. It was called ‘Pépin’ (French for ‘seed’), a hoppy little number brewed with a combination of Belgian yeasts. Pépin was essentially a tribute to their first brew they did, the legendary ‘Cito’, a little bitter ale with bags of character, much beloved of our Production Manager, Dominic. Whilst we have brewed a few Belgian-style beers here at Thornbridge, we’ve never attempted a Belgian-style Quadrupel. These rich, intense, dark ales are strong in alcohol and are much revered by beer geeks all over the world. Many moons ago, Dann and Martha’s USA-based cuckoo brewery, Pretty Things Beer Project, had already mastered this style with their ‘Baby Tree’, as well as working with the monks at Spencer Brewery (the first Trappist brewery in the USA), so we felt it was a brilliant opportunity to give the style a go. We asked them to come up with their ideal ‘Quad’ recipe, which we then tweaked to work on the big brewhouse here at Riverside. We didn’t want any ‘twists’ or ‘modern takes’ with this beer – a traditional Belgian-style Quadrupel is already a wonderful thing and in the modern craft beer world, tradition all too often takes a back seat to a newly available fruit puree or fashionable hop. Without giving too many secrets away, the malt and hop grist were kept simple, the water hardened to help reduce any potential roastiness and the yeast chosen was an ‘Abbey style’, freshly propagated in our yeast propagation vessels. With our ability to dial in every last brewing parameter and specification, and with Team SMOD on hand to advise, we knew we’d be able to get it right. It was a great learning experience for the brewing team, which is what all the best collaborations are all about. The resulting beer is invitingly dark, with a wonderfully fruity aroma from the yeast. Not too sweet or too heavy, flavours of nutty fruitcake, pears and plums dominate, with wisps of warming booze. The beer has been refermented in bottle with champagne yeast, so will evolve over time. We recommend you try one now and keep one for a special occasion. We’ve named the beer ‘Secret World’, which is a reference to the magical taproom space which Martha and Dann have built in Sheffield. A trip to one of Belgium’s characterful beer cafés, such as the Poechenellekelder opposite the Manneken Pis in Brussels, or In De Welkom in Dworp, can feel like stepping into a secret world, with their unfamiliar, intoxicating brews and enchanting, unique atmospheres. We feel the same can be said of the spiritual home of the Brewery of Saint Mars of the Desert, hiding behind old industrial buildings in Attercliffe. On any given weekend, you’ll likely find at least a couple of Thornbridge’s staff on one of the tables, enjoying a few SMOD beers with friends.
A few weeks’ ago, it was our great pleasure to host the Brewery of Saint Mars of the Desert to brew with us here at Thornbridge. For those of you who don’t know, Saint Mars of the Desert (or ‘SMOD’ to their fans) are husband and wife team Dann and Martha, who brew out of a little brewery in Attercliffe, Sheffield. Ever since they built the brewery, our brewing team have been big fans, so just a few months after they set up shop, in late 2018, we were delighted to brew a collaborative beer with them at their place. It was called ‘Pépin’ (French for ‘seed’), a hoppy little number brewed with a combination of Belgian yeasts. Pépin was essentially a tribute to their first brew they did, the legendary ‘Cito’, a little bitter ale with bags of character, much beloved of our Production Manager, Dominic. Whilst we have brewed a few Belgian-style beers here at Thornbridge, we’ve never attempted a Belgian-style Quadrupel. These rich, intense, dark ales are strong in alcohol and are much revered by beer geeks all over the world. Many moons ago, Dann and Martha’s USA-based cuckoo brewery, Pretty Things Beer Project, had already mastered this style with their ‘Baby Tree’, as well as working with the monks at Spencer Brewery (the first Trappist brewery in the USA), so we felt it was a brilliant opportunity to give the style a go. We asked them to come up with their ideal ‘Quad’ recipe, which we then tweaked to work on the big brewhouse here at Riverside. We didn’t want any ‘twists’ or ‘modern takes’ with this beer – a traditional Belgian-style Quadrupel is already a wonderful thing and in the modern craft beer world, tradition all too often takes a back seat to a newly available fruit puree or fashionable hop. Without giving too many secrets away, the malt and hop grist were kept simple, the water hardened to help reduce any potential roastiness and the yeast chosen was an ‘Abbey style’, freshly propagated in our yeast propagation vessels. With our ability to dial in every last brewing parameter and specification, and with Team SMOD on hand to advise, we knew we’d be able to get it right. It was a great learning experience for the brewing team, which is what all the best collaborations are all about. The resulting beer is invitingly dark, with a wonderfully fruity aroma from the yeast. Not too sweet or too heavy, flavours of nutty fruitcake, pears and plums dominate, with wisps of warming booze. The beer has been refermented in bottle with champagne yeast, so will evolve over time. We recommend you try one now and keep one for a special occasion. We’ve named the beer ‘Secret World’, which is a reference to the magical taproom space which Martha and Dann have built in Sheffield. A trip to one of Belgium’s characterful beer cafés, such as the Poechenellekelder opposite the Manneken Pis in Brussels, or In De Welkom in Dworp, can feel like stepping into a secret world, with their unfamiliar, intoxicating brews and enchanting, unique atmospheres. We feel the same can be said of the spiritual home of the Brewery of Saint Mars of the Desert, hiding behind old industrial buildings in Attercliffe. On any given weekend, you’ll likely find at least a couple of Thornbridge’s staff on one of the tables, enjoying a few SMOD beers with friends.
3.9
UPDATED: JAN 9, 2022 Bottle. Nose is prunes, caramel, malt, bread, yeast, alcohol. Taste is bread, prunes, dark fruit, lots of brown sugar, slight brandy, figs, banana, faint clove, spice.
A really nice drinkable quad.
3.8
UPDATED: DEC 29, 2021 Compact 375ml bottle bought at Vinmonopolet Langnes. Slowly diminishing off-white head, bright mahogany coloured body, dotted spots on the glass. Inviting aromas of earth, caramel and prunes. Fine blended taste profile of caramel malts and dried fruits, including prunes and figs. Rounded dry, malt-fruity end, not overly sweet. Well bodied. Nice sipper on a Yuletide eve. (Tromsø 25.12.2021).
3.5
UPDATED: DEC 21, 2021 Bottle 375ml at home. Pours brown with off white head. Flavor has malts, dried fruits, brown sugar, yeast, alcohol. Full body, oily texture, average carbonation, sweetish finish.
3.9
UPDATED: DEC 16, 2021 Aroma of dried fruits and hints of malt, caramel and yeast. Dark brown with a tan head. Medium to heavy sweet and medium bitter. Medium to full body with average carbonation. Overall a very nice Quadrupel. Well balanced and warming brew with a nice complexity.
3.9
UPDATED: DEC 11, 2021 Bottle. Hazy brownish-bronze with beige head. The aroma has notes and caramel, nuts, alcohol, dried fruit, dulce de leche, spices, tea. The flavor is sweet and mild bitter with notes and dulce de leche, alcohol, caramel, dried fruits. Full-bodied.
3.8
UPDATED: DEC 10, 2021 Mørkebrun. Høyt tett skum som daler veldig sakte. Aroma av tørket frukt. Mest aprikos. Myk munnfølelse. Topp fylde. Smaken plommer, sherry & svisker. Alkoholen skinner gjennom. Tørr fruktig bitter avslutning.
3.8
UPDATED: DEC 5, 2021 Botella @El Coleccionista, Gijón. 05/12/2021. Color ambarino espuma escasa blanca, aromas dulces, maltosa, sabor malta, dulce, especiada, cuerpo medio.
3.9
UPDATED: NOV 4, 2021 A dark brown beer, a head is medium and beige. Aroma has dried fruits, prune, raisin, perry, fruitness is still quiet fresh, also concentrated sweetness of dried fruits. Taste has prune, perry, some alcohol, light spicyness, there are some sweetness left, but not too much. Only medium+ bodied. More complexicity would be nice. Very nice anyway, lots of dried fruits.
3.5
UPDATED: OCT 15, 2021 Pullo @ Alko. Kaatuu tulppaaniin hyvin tummanpunaisena, noin 2 sormen paksuisella vaahdolla. Tuoksussa on vahvimpana marjaisuutta ja rusinoita, ehkä luumuakin. Sokerista hedelmää tai viinikumia on myös melko paljon. Maku jatkaa samalla linjalla, marjaa ja rusinaa, luumua ja muutakin hedelmää löytyy, makeutta on hieman sokerisena mukana. Suutuntuma on hyvin hiilihappoinen, makeahko ja alkoholin lämmittävä vaikutus tuntuu myös. Hieman pliisuksi ja yksiulotteiseksi, hedelmää löytyy, mutta hieman syvyyttä tämä kaipaisi.
3.9
UPDATED: OCT 15, 2021 Bottle picked up from Thornbridge Taproom, Bakewell, Derbyshire and consumed at Jude and Bazs listening to Patrice Bäumel - Speicher 89, we had Feta, Tomato and Gnocchi tray bake, Thursday 14th October 2021. Pours hazy brown with an off-white head, plums, figs, Christmas cake, nutty with almonds. This is lovely. It's warming, a hint of spice but the softness on the tongue, huge drinkability for such an ABC, mark this out as a great beer.
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