~ A 'proper job' micro-brewery ~

We brew on an old-school stainless steel rig. It cranks out about 1,000 pints each run and at full capacity (with lots of tea) we can brew twice a fortnight. We're proud to be a proper micro-brewery - small batches of real 'craft' ale all hand made with care here in Devon. Everything's vegan friendly too.

We sell our ale direct from the brewery in bottles (bottle conditioned real ale), bag-in-box (choice of bright beer which doesn't need to settle or sedimented beer which needs to stand for 24hrs before drinking), or straight out of cask in our tap room on a Saturday afternoon during the summer. We can also supply private customers and pubs with our own stainless steel casks; we hold stock in pins (4.5gal) or firkins (9gal). We may also be able to fill your own containers if you bring them over by appointment, be it plastic pins, cornies or growlers.
 Note this list is only indicative of what we might have brewed recently - call us to check availability:

Tawton Session Ale @4% abv / 40 ibu

An English session ale with a subtle grapefruit taste, well balanced hoppiness and a fresh floral aroma. An approachable modern tasting golden session ale. A taste of the Taw Valley.

In cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Black Ops @3.9% abv / 45 ibu

​A dark hoppy 'southern mild' with a sub 4% abv but a big flavour from the roasted black malt and generous quantities of four different types of hops. A good balance of fruit and herbal characteristics. Very drinkable and a bit different. A great option if you're on a mission!

In cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Taw Golden Brown @4.5% abv / 29 ibu

A full bodied, deep golden brown ale with a depth of 'moorish' malt flavour. An old Devonshire bitter style but updated with a more modern hop profile. With texture like sun.

In cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Kennard's Steam Ale @4.3% abv / 14 ibu

A traditional best bitter brewed exclusively for The Plume of Feathers in Okehampton. Inspired by the types of ales that would have been brewed and sold on site by Thomas Kennard in the 1850s, it has a fruity blackcurrant finish and a really nice balanced bitterness. Kennard's is a permanent fixture at The Plume and a local favourite.

Only available in The Plume of Feathers on the high street in Okehampton (UPDATE: sadly The Plume is currently closed following COVID but they are running a craft bottle shop for takeaways).

Look out for special editions of our Kennards ale on draft at The Plume... including 'Punked' and 'Rum Spiced'.
The following are one offs or seasonal:

NZA @4.1% / n/d ibu

I managed to source some fresh leaf Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand and knocked up this one off - a classic 'craft ale' with grapefruit, gosseberry and citrus flavours. Brewed summer 2022 and was in cask ​(9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box.

Taw Head IPA @4.8% / 52 ibu

Slightly stronger than we usually aim for but just strong enough to be a proper English IPA. Taw Head is considered to be the source of the River Taw, high up on the moor beyond Belstone...although a more accurate reason for the name is that I drank quite a few of the original testers and had a 'sore head' the next day. Lots of flavour from traditional English hops and dry hopped with Bramling Cross. First brewed early in 2020 and in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Nymet Bitter @3.9% abv / 14 ibu

A milder English bitter with a light amber colour and a nicely balanced, crisp and fruity bitterness. A late addition of Progress hops yield notes of mint, sweet grass and earthy tones. First brewed in July 2019 and in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Zeal Ale @4.2% abv / 13 ibu

The perfect companion for sitting down (or standing up), Zeal Ale is a zesty summer ale with serious refreshment capabilities. Fruity flavours and a robust hoppy bitterness hit the spot on a sunny day. First brewed in Spring 2019 and in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Peter Porter @4.6% abv / 17 ibu

An absolutely beautiful black 'chocolate-and-blackcurrant' porter. Maris Otter malt blended with Chocolate, Black, Crystal, and a touch of Crushed Wheat for a lovely creamy head. Mostly Challenger hops. I have a few casks (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin) available [all gone now] as most of this limited edition batch has been bottled (500ml). Perfect for a special event, beer festival or for giving your locals something different. It is unfined so will age really well (all gone now).

Devon Jester @4.2% abv / 15 ibu

First brewed in late August 2018, Devon Jester is a hoppy pale ale made with Jester hops. Highly quaffable and packing loads of fruity aromas from a big dolloping of Jester dry hopped late in the fermenter. Probably destined to become a regular offering because it's my favourite, it's in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Copper Best @4.2% abv / 14 ibu

A very tasty, traditional best bitter with a lovely copper colour. Brewed with all English hops and dry hopped late in the fermenter to give a well-rounded fruity finish. In cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (subject to availability).

Breadboard Ale @4.7% abv / 21 ibu

For Christmas 2018 we teamed up with Endacotts Bakery in Okehampton to make something a little bit special with their waste breadcrumb. The aim was to make a rich malty 'bread' beer hopped to IPA levels and packing a slightly higher than usual abv. The result was a tawny coloured ale with punchy malt (& breadcrumb?!) flavours offset by high levels of hoppyness. We're pretty chuffed with how it turned out; perfect for that Christmas or New Year toast. Was available in very limited quantities during December 2018 in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin) and 500ml bottle (all gone now). 

Franken's Curse @4.2% abv / 32 ibu

Round these parts, legend has it that a local brewer called St Franken sold his soul to the devil in return for an apple blossom blight and reduced competition from Devonshire Cider. To this day, locals fear the damage a late frost can have on the apple harvest and celebrate Franken Night towards the end of May as the point when the potential for a frost has passed. Our Franken's Curse ale was first brewed in late May 2018, using a newly developed variety of UK hop called Jester. A tawny coloured ale laden with fruits and a complex malty bitterness. Was available in limited quantities throughout the summer 2018 in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin), 500ml bottles and bag-in-box (all gone now).

Spring Taw @4.2% abv / 31 ibu

Our limited edition golden ale for Spring 2018. A fresh and slightly spicy blend of traditional all-English hops. Made with our local floor malted Maris Otter malt with a touch of medium crystal and crushed wheat. A hoppy golden ale with a good shine and plenty of feel-good factor. Was available in limited quantities during April and May 2018 in cask (9gal firkin or 4.5gal pin) and 500ml bottles (all gone now). 

Moortown Golden Ale @4.2% abv / 34 ibu

A dry golden ale with a biscuity malt backbone. Grassy, floral notes and moderate bitterness. Subtle dry hopping added late during fermentation imparts aroma and slight elderflower characteristics. A good beer for a hot day or for matching with Chinese foods (we found it pairs incredibly well with Peking duck, thereby solving that common quandary). We might have a few 500ml bottles left.
Check out the drunken opinions of our beers on Untappd.

~ All our ale is brewed with Taw Valley spring water from our well ~

Our cask ale is 100% vegan friendly (we use a small amount of a seaweed derived fining to ensure our cask ale drops bright with 24-48 hours stillage).

​Our bottle conditioned ales are unfined and unfiltered. So handle the bottle with care - giving the yeast time to settle before diving in - and pour carefully to leave the yeast sediment behind (or swirl it around and dump the whole lot in if that's your thing, it certainly won't do you any harm).

​Our ale is best served at between 10-13c. Popping the bottle in the fridge for 30 mins before serving will calm a lively beer down, and leaving it to stand for 5 mins after you've taken the cap off helps too.
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