St Austell Brewery has brought back one of its most popular limited-edition beers for Cask Ale Week (September 23rd – October 3rd). Harlequin, a golden English IPA, is available exclusively at select St Austell Brewery managed houses and pubs across the West Country.
The beer champions an award-winning British hop variety of the same name and was first released as part of the brewery’s Small Batch Brew series in 2019. The hop is sourced from the brewery’s suppliers, Charles Faram, as part of its development programme. It was crowned ‘Best New Variety’ at the IBD National Hop Awards in 2019.
Due to demand, Harlequin was relaunched as a special seasonal beer for Cask Ale Week 2020 and bottled for the first time in March 2021.
Harlequin’s citrus and floral aroma is met with juicy passion fruit, apricot, and pomegranate notes on the palate. The beer offers both an assertive bitterness and a balanced drinkability that’s not commonly associated with 4.6% English IPAs.
Georgina Young, Brewing Director at St Austell Brewery, said: “We’re constantly on the lookout for exciting hop varieties to experiment with, from all over the world. Harlequin showcases an exciting hop that originates from the Charles Faram Development programme, where it was grown from a single seed in 2015.
“We were given the chance to brew the variety early on in its development stage. The Small Batch we produced was so popular and sought-after, we brewed it again for last year’s Cask Ale Week. It seems right to celebrate this year’s event with another batch.”
Cask Harlequin IPA is now available – while stocks last – at the following pubs across the South West:
Cornwall
Borough Arms, Bodmin
The Central, Newquay
Fort Inn, Newquay
Great Western, Newquay
Lifeboat Inn, St Ives
Old Custom House, Padstow
Old Success Inn, Sennen Cove
Oystercatcher, Polzeath
Port William, Tintagel
Ship Inn, Mousehole
Shipwrights, Padstow
Chain Locker, Falmouth
County Arms, Truro
Harbourside, Charlestown
Holmbush Inn, St Austell
Pier House, Charlestown
Rashleigh Arms, Charlestown
Devon
The Globe, Topsham
Harbour Light, Paignton
Hope & Anchor, Hope Cove
Masons Arms, Branscombe
Mill on the Exe, Exeter
Old Market House, Brixham
Rose & Crown, Yealmpton
Royal Castle, Dartmouth
Royal Seven Stars, Totnes
Samuel Jones, Exeter
Ship Inn, Plymouth
Somerset
The Wellington, Bristol
Dorset
Rock Point, Lyme Regis
Press release from St Austell
Contact: ispencer@houston.co.uk