Disappearing and 'in peril' breweries

[Pangolin]

Donkeystone has gone
https://www.facebook.com/Donkeystonebrew/.

[ROBCamra]

Donkeystone has gone
https://www.facebook.com/Donkeystonebrew/.

Which is no great loss, trust me!

[RealAleRobUK]

Which is no great loss, trust me!

I've had some decent stuff from them on cask in years gone by, but the stuff they've been churning out in cans in recent years has been well below par. I could never be sure if it was a brewing issue or something that (consistently) went wrong in the canning process, but I'm afraid to say it got to the point I actively avoided their beers. Maybe fresh from the taproom was a different experience (trying to be positive here).

[Real Ale Ray]

Donkeystone has gone
https://www.facebook.com/Donkeystonebrew/.

Visited their brewery tap in 2019, my review seems to have disappeared for some reason. Quite enjoyed it. Always sad to see any brewery close.

[RealAleRobUK]

Alphabet Brewing Co of Manchester have announced their closure on social media today.

https://twitter.com/alphabetbrewing/...95499222347776

[RealAleRobUK]

One to file under potential peril...

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...h-funding.html

I have to say, this one took me by surprise.

[Quinno]

One to file under potential peril...

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...h-funding.html

I have to say, this one took me by surprise.

Their struggle to get a decent pint of theirs sold outside of 30 sq miles of the brewery doesn't help - the amount of times I've had awful ones of theirs down here. Known this way as a beer that "doesn't travel" much like Batemans and Theakstons.

[RealAleRobUK]

Their struggle to get a decent pint of theirs sold outside of 30 sq miles of the brewery doesn't help - the amount of times I've had awful ones of theirs down here. Known this way as a beer that "doesn't travel" much like Batemans and Theakstons.

I think perhaps it suffers as often being the token real ale offering in some pubs and especially round the North Yorkshire area. That said I've had some surprisingly enjoyable pints of their bitter on cask, and not always that close to their brewery.

I guess it's a "When in Rome" kind of brewery and perhaps the same can be said of Theakstons.

Black Sheep brew very traditional ales, they did branch out into the craft market with some smaller batch stuff but I think they perhaps didn't develop this as much as they could have.

[sheffield hatter]

I think perhaps it suffers as often being the token real ale offering in some pubs and especially round the North Yorkshire area. That said I've had some surprisingly enjoyable pints of their bitter on cask, and not always that close to their brewery.

I guess it's a "When in Rome" kind of brewery and perhaps the same can be said of Theakstons.

Black Sheep brew very traditional ales, they did branch out into the craft market with some smaller batch stuff but I think they perhaps didn't develop this as much as they could have.

I get what you're saying about a "token real ale offering", and it used to be seriously dodgy around 2016/17, but it's been one of my favourites for a few years now.

Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but to me Theakstons Best Bitter is a very poor beer. Even when well kept, as at the Old Hall Inn, for example, it has a residual sweetness which soon palls, and leaves a cloying, slightly sickly taste. Just me?

Whereas Black Sheep Bitter - when well kept - has a dry, bitter finish that leaves me wanting more.

[Pangolin]

The Ferry Brewery in South Queensferry closes this weekend. Looks like we didn't even list the brewery tap - probably not much point now.