Introduction…
While visiting family in Battle I ventured into Sarah’s Cellar as I’d heard she had a selection of Gluten Free Beer, it was quite difficult to find gluten free beer in the pubs and I was growing a bit sick of just drinking cider, she introduced me to Lakedown. I tried a couple of cans while there (I don’t recall the ones I had) and both were very easy and tasteful drinks, so I opted to pick them for my first brewery to taste test.
Unfortunately they don’t offer a taster pack (one can of every gluten free beer in a box would be a great addition!) so I ended up buying one of each type of gluten free beer case they had on offer - which is quite an extensive range! - but having to buy them in cases of 6+ did ramp up the price; I did have some regret spending so much on beer initially, but sleep deprivation makes us do all sorts of things. In total I ended up buying 51 cans at an average of £3.55 a can which is fine, and as long as they are enjoyable, should keep me going for a while!
I ordered my beers on the 24th and they arrived on the 30th (4 full working days) - just in time for my birthday!
The Brewery…
Lakedown Brewing Co. is based in Burwash, East Sussex on the family farm of actor and rock legend Roger Daltrey (co-founder and lead vocalist of The Who) and ran by his son Jamie and son-in-laws Des and Chris. It’s a family ran brewery that sources their spring water from their farm and add the finest of malt, yeast, and hops over the course of time.
It was their vision to make excellent beers that they love to drink, that’s easy drinking, sessionable, super fresh and mostly vegan and gluten free.
The Brewery has a Tap Room on the lake which from photos looks so picturesque and is a place I would love to visit someday. On the weekends they have pop up street food which looks to be quite a varied selection of pop ups that visit. Additionally you can hire out the venue for private events.
If you fancy taking things further you can go on Brewery Tour which includes a guided tasting of their beers and a free pint at the tap room at the end - the guided tour looks to be very affordable and has been added to my bucket list!
(source)
The Tasting…
Disclosure: Ratings are 1 at worst and 5 at best and is purely the individual opinion and doesn’t mean the drink will be terrible/amazing for you as we all have our own tastes.
5.3% // £4.09 a can
“A zoot suit is a men’s suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders.” - wiki // I learnt something new!
“'ZOOT SUIT' is the Lakedown NEIPA, our hazy and hoppy full-bodied treat that doesn’t hold back. It’s a New England IPA, crammed full of the finest Citra, Mosaic and Centennial hops. We’ve created this beer to showcase its wonderfully tropical aroma and punchy, fruity flavour.” - Lakedown
Aroma: A very strong grapefruit scent.
Taste: Light and crisp with subtle fruitiness but not overwhelming.
Mouthfeel: Really light in the mouth very easy to drink.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Min’s Notes: Smells nice. Mm, it’s lovely.
4.2% // £3.17 a can
“'Kicking Donkey' is the Lakedown Best Bitter our all-UK belter that’s brimming with biscuity malts. It’s a proper best, using UK Pioneer, cascade and Jester along with local malts and yeast. We blend 7 of the best grains to make our Best Bitter, the best it can be.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Malty.
Taste: Malty. Tastes like a traditional country pub beer.
Mouthfeel: Some weight somewhere between light and creamy.
My Rating: 4/5
Min’s Notes: Proper pint of bitter in a pub about 30 years ago. That's nice.
Min’s Rating: 4/5
3.4% // £3.34 a can
“'Off The Hook' is our American Pale Ale and a homage to our favourite taste of California. It’s a classic, packed full of the finest Cascade, Chinook and Citra hops. We’ve created this beer to be an easy drinking sip after sip of west coast sunshine.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Lightly hoppy and fruity.
Taste: Not a lot to it flavourwise - overwhelmed by bubbles?
Mouthfeel: Bubbly and active.
My Rating: 3/5
Min’s Notes: Fizzy. Very drinkable. Is it a lager?
Min’s Rating: 2/5
4.5% // £3.84 a can
“'Pacific Rise', our crushable session IPA. It's an Aussie hopped classic packed full of Vic Secret and Galaxy hops. We've developed this beer to be crisp and easy-drinking with a hit of tropical fruit.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Hoppy
Taste: Hoppy light beer, fresh.
Mouthfeel: Very easy drink.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Min’s Notes: I like it. Malty kind of yum. Tastes nice.
Min’s Rating: 4/5
4.8% // £4 a can
“'UPSIDE' is our fruity & juicy Hazy Pale.
Loaded with Azacca, Idaho 7 & Ekuanot for a blast of the tropics. ‘Upside’ is an approachable & crushable ray of sunshine.”
Aroma: Grapefruit
Taste: Grapefruity and hoppy.
Mouthfeel: Medium thickness with a slight twang to it.
My Rating: 4/5
3.4% // £3.67 a can
“'ISLAND SOUND' is the Lakedown Vermont Pale Ale, our hazy, hoppy & fruity session pale.
It's a New England Pale, crammed full of the finest Citra, Mosaic & Amarillo hops. We've created this beer to showcase it's silky finish and full tropical flavours.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Citrus
Taste: Hoppy and citrusy with a complexity to the flavour.
Mouthfeel: A slight fizz of activity but subtle.
My Rating: 4/5
Min’s Notes: Refreshing. Bright. I like that. For a weak beer it’s got a lot of flavour.
Min’s Rating: 4/5
4.8% // £3.50 a can
“'SILVER LAKE' Pilsner sits right at the top of our list of favourite lagers. Ours is a classic Pilsner; full of the finest Saaz hops, German malts and the best Bavarian lager yeast. We ferment it slow and steady to give it a beautifully refreshing and perfectly crisp finish.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Weird smell; barley?
Taste: Very biscuity.
Mouthfeel: A slight fizz but went down easily.
My Rating: 3/5
Min’s Notes: Tastes like a nice pilsner to me - my brain is too tired for wording.
Min’s Rating: 3/5
4.2% // £3.34 a can
“'Sussex Pale' is the Lakedown English Pale, our most sessionable beer yet! It’s a modern Pale, loaded with English Cascade & Ernest for an aromatic finish. We’ve created this beer to blend the best of British with American style.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Hoppy
Taste: A bit of a punch with a slight bitterness. Tastes like I’d imagine a British beer to taste.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth.
My Rating: 4/5
4.4% // £3.34
“KÖLAB is a collaboration with Charles Faram and Crisp Malt. A crisp, refreshing 4.4% Kölsch style brewed with Clear Choice Extra Pale malt and Most hops. Delicate floral aromas, subtle stone fruit character and a clean, dry finish. Light, balanced and endlessly drinkable.” - Lakedown
Aroma: Not a lot of smell to it, maybe hops?
Taste: Weak flavour, not a great deal to it.
Mouthfeel: Light.
My Rating: 2.5/5
Min’s Notes: Weak tasting. Watery.
Min’s Rating: 3/5
Final Thoughts…
This was a difficult tasting as all the drinks were good in their own right, however, Kicking Donkey, Upside, Island Sound, and Sussex Pale were my top rated from the box. Kolab was my least favourite of the drinks, not because it was a bad beer but because I couldn’t make sense of it, I think it gave me more questions than answers and I couldn’t find much flavour to it. This said I would pick Kolab over any mass produced beer found in the pubs without a second thought!
I really love the history of this brewery and will likely have their beers stocked in my house if I want a beer that tastes great. As said at the start I would have loved it if they’d offered a “Gluten Free Test Box” of one or two cans of each beer and do feel it might invite more gluten free beer drinkers to try their products. However… I now have 41 nice cans of beer to work my way through, so I’d best get started!
