ROUTE & BRANCH: OUR JOURNEY WITH NORWEGIAN FARMHOUSE BREWING

Alberto, our Lead Brewer, once left us for a 6-month sabbatical in Norway. There, brewing among the rugged fjords and endless snowscapes, he heard the story of kveik, a heritage mother yeast, passed from farm to farm in rural Norway, creating the basis for a thriving but not widely recognized style of farmhouse brewing with this extraordinarily active and fruity yeast at its heart. It was recognised in its rural isolation and introduced more widely to a restless and curious beer world, ever thirsty for new flavours and techniques, by Norwegian beer lover Lars Garshol. From there it has taken off, with the different local kveik offers added to yeast banks and coveted by brewers for an incredible ability to ferment quickly and at very high temperatures. When he came back to us, Alberto, a restless and curious brewing mind, was determined that we would test out this yeast and discover its full range of possibilities.
 
We’re starting with a traditional Norwegian farmhouse brew using a blend of two kveik yeasts – Kvoss and Hornindal and flavoured with fresh Irish juniper branches during the mash. We’ve dry-hopped with generous helpings of HBC 472 hop, with its mellowing and warming coconut and vanilla flavours. HBC 472 is the sister of the popular Sabro hop, known for its distinctly pina colada aromas, but this one delivers a softer character.
 
Expect a brew that bursts with rich flavours and fresh aromas of a Norwegian wood – sharp, piney juniper, the tangerine tang of the super fruity kveik itself, layered onto the lightly toasted base of Vienna malts.
 
Route & Branch Juniper Amber with kveik
ABV, IBU: 5.48%, 15
Malts: Vienna, Rye Crystal, Torrified Wheat
Hops: HBC 472, Huell Melon  

Route & Branch Juniper Amber is part of our Ltd Edn range of small batch experimental brews. AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY in 30L Keg.