Tam O’ Shanterelle

ARTWORK BY JONNY MOWAT

TRADITIONAL BRITISH IPA WITH A SMALL ADDITION OF FORAGED CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

6.5% ABV
SEASONS CHANGE

UK grown Cascade, Bullion and Ernest make for an intensely fruity and bitter drinking experience. The grassy earthiness alongside the citrus and apricot flavours are complemented by the Scottish chanterelles. The mushrooms, which pop up around June time, give a tangy apricot aroma alongside a peppery flavour. The perfect adjunct to an incredibly fruity and subtly spicy, double dry hopped IPA. 

We went by the 'less is more' mantra, as is usually the best way with most peculiar adjuncts. 1.5g of chanterelles per litre of beer were added at the dry hopping stages, adding a background note & building complexity: a curiously fragrant sidekick to flavours which were already there. 

Maris Otter and a hefty dose of Cara Gold makes for an intensely malty and caramel sweet base. Your eyes are met by a golden sunset orange colour and the Bullion hop gives off whiffs of that green fruit pastel note. (I kid you not!) When tasting, the beer is refreshingly dry and resounds with resinous bitter notes, which are mingled with bursts of full-on fruitiness, mainly of the citrus and stone fruit varieties. The mushrooms hide in plain site playing with the apricot flavour, drying the beer out and then builds on the spicier side of the palate.

Brewed in collaboration with Amy Rankine, friend and expert forager, who had the idea brewing for quite some time (all puns intended). Cheers Amy!

To keep the pun game going strong we named it after Robert Burns' anti-hero Tam O'Shanter. The poetic tale of nighttime ghouls fits well with the spooky season we’re about to enter. It also acts as a cautionary message of not over-imbibing during the dark seasons ahead.   

A huge thank you to the brilliant Jonny Mowat for creating the hilariously terrifying, mushroom headed, Tam O' Shanterelle. You’re some fun guy!