Product Review: Tastes as good as it looks!

I have visited several breweries over the last forty years including Adnams, Carlsberg , Banks`s, Hook Norton, St Austell Brewery, Purity Brewery & Heineken. I was all ready for visiting another, one which was new to me, Windmill Hill Brewing Company, but this time I decided to leave the tour of the brewery for a later date and get on with what really matters, what are the beers like? Windmill Hill Brewing Company are a proudly independent craft brewery based in the beautiful Warwickshire town of Leamington Spa.

A mixed crate gives customers the freedom to choose their own combination of beers. Using the menu on their excellent website customers can choose to put together packs of six or twelve 500ML bottles or a gift pack of four bottles. I was very much looking forward to tasting six of their best!

Windmill Hill – Light & Hoppy New England IPA 3.8% – What a delightful sweet Indian Pale Ale! This delicious beer is very light & hoppy. A perfect session beer which left a satisfying sweet taste inside my mouth. It was the perfect beer for sitting in the garden as the sun went down. Aroma: Tropical Flavour: Well-balanced Palate: Hoppy & sweet Appearance: Hazy

Windmill Hill – Traditional British Bitter 4.2% ABV – I loved the golden amber colour of this strong classic English ale. Quite fruity with subtle suggestions of caramel & roasted barley. A simply beautiful ale. I loved it! Aroma: Hops & malt Flavour: Sweet biscuit Palate: Slightly bitter Appearance: Copper

Windmill Hill – Rich & Dark Porter 4.0% ABV – A rich, very dark combination of chocolate & coffee. I found it to have a very sweet & smooth aftertaste. Aroma: Roasted Malt & coffee Flavour: Chocolate & roasted malts Palate: Rich & Smooth Appearance – A characteristic dark body. It was the Winner of the Regional Gold award for British Dark Beers at the SIBA Digital Beer Awards 2020 & Winner of the Regional Silver award for British Dark Beers at the SIBA Can / Bottle Awards 2021.

Windmill Hill – Modern Hoppy Pale Ale 4.5% ABV – A delicious pale ale very light in colour. A wonderful combination of tropical fruits with a mild bitter finish. Aroma: Invigorating & fresh Flavour: Malty & Hops Palate: Energetic Appearance: Golden. It was a Winner of the regional silver award for Premium Pale Ales at the SIBA Beer Awards 2020

Windmill Hill – Traditional Copper Ale 4.0% ABV – A subtle taste of malts & hops.A wonderfully smooth & pleasing ale. Aroma: Roasted Malts Flavour: Biscuit Palate: Smooth Appearance: Rusty Red  Brewery Advice: For best results refrigerate when home & drink within a week.

Windmill Hill – Light & Malty Lager 4.5% ABV – A premium lager that has a light & refreshing taste. The perfect partner to a good spicy curry or simply enjoy on its own! I can vouch for both methods! Aroma: Hoppy Flavour: Citrus fruits Palate: Full bodied Appearance: Light amber

Windmill Hill Brewing Company had been born out of a desire to create unique beers that both uphold traditional values & utilise their expert scientific knowledge, Director Gavin Leach has a background & degree in biological sciences & had previously worked for some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. The brewery is today gaining a much deserved recognition from across the country for its collection of excellent ales.

“I’m a big foodie and always have been. Making beers and ales that pair perfectly with my favourite dishes is a great passion of mine. The complexity and subtleties in our creations mean they complement a wide variety in flavours and it’s very rewarding when you find a perfect match. It’s also important to make beers that can stand alone and when we get the brew just right I want everyone to try it.”

Director Robert Singleton

They are a small but dedicated team. They love the brewing process & are obsessive in their mission to find the perfect blend of ingredients that make a beer taste good. They treasure their independence & proudly display the fact they are members of The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) which basically means they can experiment with their processes & flavours to deliver artisan ales that you just won’t find anywhere else. They produce four core beers but regularly introduce seasonal beers throughout the year such as the current limited edition beer, the session New England IPA 3.8%.

“I have a background and degree in biological sciences and have previously worked for world-leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. I wanted to work for myself creating a product that was unique, and that I could be really passionate about. I have a love for craft beer and home brewing so decided to jump into brewing full time! I want to make exciting beers for myself and others to enjoy. The best thing about brewing is the experimentation, trying something that may never have been thought of or made before. Each experiment is different with unlimited parameters to change. Finding that perfect brew can be difficult – but the results are always rewarding!”

Director Gavin Leach

I loved all six of the beers in my sample pack. I particularly enjoyed the Porter. Rich and very dark in colour, it is not a beer I would automatically choose but I loved its complex flavour. I have a passion for both chocolate & coffee so it is perhaps not surprising that I liked it.

From now on whenever I find myself in a public house I may be choosing a porter as my drink of choice! I really enjoyed all five of the other ales too for different reasons. Like a good wine, there is always a beer for that special occasion. On this occasion I was hit for six!

I am already looking forward to visiting the brewery, sometime later in the year!

Windmill Hill Brewing Company,

14 Victoria Business Centre, Neilston Street, Leamington Spa,  Warwickshire