Uncle Stuarts Brewery Reviews

DJMonarch	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen From the Bottle 29/07/2011 A little sour fruit aroma. Golden coloured hazy in appearance. Fruity and slightly sour with a hint of wood in a very dry finish. Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Beese	3.1 Uncle Stuarts Porter 500ml bottle from Beers of Europe, King’s Lynn and drunk on 13/12/2010. Not a bad porter. A decent body, although carbonation was a bit too high. Toasted malt notes and dark fruit hints. Monday, September 21, 2020
Grumbo	3 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Bottle from Beers of Europe. Poured very dark brown with a large foamy beige head. Aroma of milk chocolate, light roasted malt, toffee, berries, slight ashy notes. Medium sweetness and moderate bitterness. Quite light body, with a bit of fizz. Expected a bit more from this. Sunday, August 16, 2020
john44	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen Bottle. (Brief tasting notes and rating from old records) - BCA – Strong, citrus-fruity, malty, slightly sweet golden ale. Dry malty finish. (Backlog) Sunday, October 1, 2017
john44	2.8 Uncle Stuarts Buckenham Woods Bottle. Dark Brown in colour. Roast malts, chocolate, coffee. Dark fruits. Bit spicy. Slightly sour. Dry malty finish. OK. Drinkable. (2008) Monday, March 20, 2017
john44	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Winter Ale Bottle. Brown/Black. Malty (roasted malts, chocolate, coffee notes). Fruity (dark fruits, raisins). Spicy. Sweet malty fruity and spicy. OK. Quite liked it. (2008) Thursday, March 2, 2017
Grumbo	2.9 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero Bottle, source not recorded. Pours almost black with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate and dark fruit. Medium sweetness, medium bitterness, slight sour edge. Medium body, average carbonation. Sunday, January 22, 2017
madmitch76	2.9 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout 5th November 2016 High Wycombe House Warming. Thanks to Leighton. Opaque dark brown beer, good tan head. Palate is airy and semi dry, decent carbonation. Fluffy dark malts, mild dark chocolate. Touch of lactose sweetness. Modest dark fruits. Dry finish. Just another stout. Friday, January 6, 2017
The_Osprey	3 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout November 2016 - Bottle share at Theydon’s High Wycombe Tasting. Thanks Leighton! As ’Uncle Stuarts Grandma’s Milk Stout’. Opaque black with a foamy dense brown head, light lacing. Aroma is earthy, redcurrant, fruity coffee. Body is light, tingly carbonation, foamy. Taste is again earthy, coffee, dry with some spicy woody notes in the finish. OK. (3.0) Sunday, December 11, 2016
Theydon_Bois	3.1 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Bottle at The High WyCum tasting, Chez Bois, thanks to LKS 05/11/16. Light black with a decent tan covering. Nose is earthy fruits, fruit loaf, spice, dark fruits, dusty notes. Taste comprises cocoa powder, toffee, spice, dark fruits, brown bread. Medium bodied, prickly carbonation, semi drying close. Ok. Saturday, November 5, 2016
WingmanWillis	3 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Saturday, November 5, 2016
mR_fr0g	3.5 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Bottle shared at the hi wy cum. Tasting, 5/11/2016. Many thanks to Leighton for this one. . Aroma is dark choc, tangy berry, woody. Raspberry ripple. . Flavour is composed of dark choc, berry. Raspberry ripple, . Palate is semi sweet. Highish carbonation, tangy,. I like it. Saturday, November 5, 2016
Scopey	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Bottle thanks to Leighton. Lively. It pours darkest red - brown with a thick tan head. The aroma is bitter - sweet, creamy, milk chocolate, earthy, charred and decent roast. The taste is smooth, rich roasted malt, charred wood, brown bread, artsy, ashy, charred wood, malt loaf and dried fruits with a dry, toasty finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Not so bad. Saturday, November 5, 2016
Leighton	3.1 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Bottle shared in High Wycombe - picked up in London. Pours deep brown with a big, foamy beige head. The nose has a little rubber, dark malt, dry cocoa, roast. Light sweet flavour with some tangy dark berries, more rubbery dark malts, dusty cocoa. Light bodied with average carbonation. Finishes with more dusty cocoa, old burnt rubber, earth. So so. Saturday, November 5, 2016
BlackHaddock	3.4 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero 2nd April 2015: 500ml bottle conditioned from Beers of Europe, BBE Apr 15, so still in date. Poured at home and into my huge ’Judas’ glass just for kicks and giggles. Good job I did choose a large glass because the brew was very lively with the foaming light brown head being really excited to be out of the bottle. The body was jet black. Nose came across as slightly chocolaty and malty, mild woody notes also. There is a strange fruitiness to the whole brew with hedgerow fruits below the surface knocking on your taste buds. I liked it, which is more than I’ve said about some of Uncle Stuart’s beers over the years. Thursday, April 2, 2015
teorn88	3.1 Uncle Stuarts Christmas Ale Backlog rating. Bottle at CBC Clerkenwell, Gunnar tasting. It pours a dark brown color with a small beige head. Aroma is roasted malts, caramel, burnt wood, dried dark fruits, chestnuts. Taste is roasted malts, wet soil, ashes, licorice root, dried fruits. Finishes lightly spicy and bitter, mildly dry. Overall, quite tasty Friday, November 28, 2014
minutemat	2.9 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen 500ml bottle @ the 5th Shrewsbury Bottle Share May 14, courtesy of blackhaddock. Pours hazy brown, autumn leaves aroma, tickling bitter biscuit with a slight hint of whisky for some reason. Not that bad despite being 5 months out of date. Thursday, May 22, 2014
BlackHaddock	2.7 Uncle Stuarts Grandma's Milk Stout Hand-pulled pint on 20th April 2014 in The Kings Head, Lingwood: about half a mile from the garage/brewery it’s made in. Dark and Stouty in looks, thin non-staying head did it no favours though. Malty of course, with a slight smooth/milky feel throughout. Different yet not overly interesting in my opinion: needed to be braver in the brewing, this was almost watery and weak for a Stout, even a fairly low alcohol Milk one. This isn’t as ’home brew’ as some I’ve had from this brewery but it is also not his best. Thursday, April 24, 2014
Leighton	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Winter Ale Bottle shared at CBC Clerkenwell during the Gunnar Tasting. Pours rich brown with a frothy, beige head. The nose holds dark malts, cinnamon, ginger and bread. Light sweet flavor with a bit of berry tang, earth, general dark fruits, dark berries. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Tangy finish with tart, dark berries, dirt, leather. Seems to be a modest infection settling in here. Thursday, February 27, 2014
RichardGretton	3.3 Uncle Stuarts Broadland Bottle. Brownish beer with strong but soon disappearing head. The aroma is grassy and hopped, and the flavour is dry, hopped and bitter with grassy and yeastiness. Overall an OK grassy and hopped bitter. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Tuesday, February 4, 2014
mR_fr0g	2.8 Uncle Stuarts Winter Ale Bottle share at craft clerkenwell at the Gunnar tasting. Opaque black coloured pour with a lasting off white head. Aroma is sweaty, smooth roast. Flavour has some tart cherry raspberry with some smooth roast in the finish. Thursday, January 30, 2014
madmitch76	1.6 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero 16th January 2014 Tasting at Bruce’s pad. Thanks to Leighton. Hazy dark amber beer, small pale tan head. Nose of paint stripper and soap and the taste is not much better. Some light malt cream but this is an infected drain pour. Monday, January 20, 2014
Scopey	2.1 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero Bottle shared by Leighton. It pours darkest brown with a small tan head. The nose is cocoa, roasted malt, dark fruit and some acidity. The taste is soft roast, plenty of tang, some acidity, caramel, aniseed and burnt plastic with a dry finish. Medium body, moderate carbonation and foamy mouth-feel. Too tangy for my liking. Not right. Saturday, January 18, 2014
maneliquor	1.9 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero Cheers Leighton for this one.... I think.... you bastard. Sour end to a great night - literally. Tangy and sour and bready. Infected? I think so Friday, January 17, 2014
Leighton	2.7 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero Bottle shared in London - got it from some web shop. Pours dark brown with a frothy tan head. The nose holds dusty cocoa and mild, dried berries. Light sweet flavor with hints of plastic, berries, earth. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Sweet finish with burnt leafy bitterness, leathery berries, dry bread. Meh. Not without its faults. Thursday, January 16, 2014
gunnar	3 Uncle Stuarts Winter Ale Shared bottle at CBC Clerkenwell tasting. Pours black as Coke with a small head. Aroma is nice malty, raisins. Taste is weak malts, thin watery mouthfeel, rather ordinary. Tuesday, January 14, 2014
maneliquor	2.8 Uncle Stuarts Winter Ale Bottle shared at CBC Clerkenwell cheers to someone for this, not sure who. A dark brown pour with a sturdy khaki head leaving sticky lacing. Nose is stewed fruits, prune, firewood, smoke, pecan and toffee. Odd mix. Tangy and woody, quite burnt and ashy with smoked fish and toffee. Very weird. Could just be the end of the night...or could be infected to all buggery Sunday, January 12, 2014
Garrat	4.5 Uncle Stuarts Broadland Bottle.Dark brown with a small head,aroma of raspberry hops and the rain,taste is of progress hops with wood lemon and leather,yeah. Thursday, December 26, 2013
Garrat	3.8 Uncle Stuarts Elderflower Ale Bottle.Hazy orange with a small head,aroma of elderflower and hops,taste is of elderflower,wood,apple,hops sour and dry,long dry finish Thursday, December 26, 2013
SilverfoX	3.4 Uncle Stuarts Nature's best Ive had this limited edition beer sitting about for ages (number 325 of 1000) smells like youve dipped your head in a floral hops bath looks like flat cola, no head at all,actually tastes a bit like flat cola no hint of alcohol either which is odd given its strength, drinkable though nowhere near as good as this breweries usual efforts. Monday, November 18, 2013
BlackHaddock	2.8 Uncle Stuarts Norwich Castle 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD of Mar 2014. Poured into an ’Old Speckled Hen’ badged vase shaped pint glass at home on 27 Jun 2013. I don’t think any sediment left the bottle, but I still got a hazy, dull golden body: on top a foam blanket of off-white bubbles. The aromas were slight at first, but as the beer warmed in the glass I got some semi-sweet maltiness and a mini-floral hop smell. The taste and mouthfeel were of fresh hops and unused yeast, along with some malt molasses. The beer moved towards a bitter dry finish and was refreshing from the start, if a little green overall. I could be unkind but I’d rather say it was opened a month or two too early for the second fermentaion in the bottle to have done it’s job fully. Thursday, June 27, 2013
BlackHaddock	4 Uncle Stuarts Broadland 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD of Feb 2014. Poured into an ’Old Speckled Hen’ badged vase shaped pint glass at home on 27 Jun 2013. No sediment left the bottle: I got a lovely looking beer, mahogany red/brown, almost bright in nature, just a mini-haze like mist in the body. The off-white head started thin and stayed that way. Fruity nose with a sweet malty molasses base, the taste followed in the same vein. Good strong body for a 4.1% ABV brew and the sort of rich maltiness I prefer in my Bitters. My 10th beer from Uncle Stuart’s and I’m warming to the guy. Thursday, June 27, 2013
BlackHaddock	4 Uncle Stuarts Broadland Sunset 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD end of Feb 2014. Poured slowly into an ’Old Speckled Hen’ badged vase shaped pint glass on 26 Jun 2013. No sediment left the bottle: lovely russet gold body, clear and bright, on top a soft blanket of beige foam. Carbonisation bubbles rising up to replenish the said head. The head stayed for the whole pint, creamy and smooth feel to it. Malty and yeasty nose, with a mild fruity feel, getting fruiter as the beer warmed in the glass.. The taste is also malty, yeasty and with a fruity front, floral notes also appear as the hops kick in towards the end of each mouthful. Nicely balanced with a semi-sweet malty molasses base, easy to drink and one of Uncle Stuarts better beers that I’ve tried so far (this is the 9th). Wednesday, June 26, 2013
BlackHaddock	4 Uncle Stuarts Norwich Cathedral 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD end Nov 2013. Poured slowly into an Abbot Ale glass tankard on 20 Jun 2013. Nice amber body with a good deep head of off-white foam: no sediment left the bottle. The head formed some heavy lacing on my tankard, condition of the beer was ’spot on’. Gentle malt aroma, can you have a smooth smell? if so, this has one. The taste and mouthfeel are also malty and smooth: this is a rich and (did I already mention) smooth beer. Almost soapy in it’s slip-down-ability and texture. Soft and tasty, most likely the best beer I’ve had from Uncle Stuart. Thursday, June 20, 2013
BlackHaddock	4 Uncle Stuarts Dark Sky Stout 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD the end of Aug 2013. Poured into an Abbot Ale glass tankard on 19 Jun 2013 on my sun drenched patio. God it’s black, jet black in fact: on top a thick and rich tanned head. Dark chocolate and rich coffee notes hit the nose: these carry on into the heavy tasting mouth, almost burnt aftertaste as the mouth dries. Really good feel to the beer, can’t believe it is only 4%ABV, seems a lot stronger and fuller to be so low. I’ve been a bit unkind to this brewery before now, but this is a good beer and I’m more than pleased to project that in my scoring. I hate knocking ’the little guy’, so this equals out the bad times nicely. Wednesday, June 19, 2013
BlackHaddock	3.2 Uncle Stuarts Excelsior 4.5% ABV 500ml Bottle conditioned: BBD end of Mar 2014. Shared with the wife on 13 Jun 2013, poured into two ’Palm’ badged bulbous glasses at home. No sediment left the bottle so two clear, reddy brown bodied glasses sat in from of me, a good cream coloured head sat on top of both. Malty nose and taste: semi-sweet with a mild hop bitterness. As with other beers I’ve had from Uncle Stuart, the fresher the better in my opinion. Thursday, June 13, 2013
BlackHaddock	2.6 Uncle Stuarts Celebration Ale No idea what celebration Uncle Stuart brewed this for: but I’m drinking it because the mate that gave it to me is 59 today, cheers Ant. 500ml Bottle conditioned with a BBD end of 11/2013. Poured slowly into an Abbot Ale glass tankard at home. Good amber body, clear and clean: on top a full head of uneven off-white bubbles. Sadly it didn’t live up to it’s looks: a bit like a best friends ’home brew’, he insists you have a pint because he thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread. This had a yeasty, not quiet ready sort of aroma, as did the semi-sweet malty taste, mild hop bitterness evens out the balance but I couldn’t get passed the ’home brew’ feel. Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Imaena	1.6 Uncle Stuarts Buckenham Woods Draught. This is another ESB that will be marked down in my give it a miss book. Sunday, February 10, 2013
wheresthepath	3.7 Uncle Stuarts Local Hero [Cask at Uncle Stuart’s brewery bar, Wroxham Barns, Norfolk] Black with a moderate cream head. Coffee, roasty smokiness, smooth and easy drinking. The first decent beer I’ve had from this brewery - in fact, it’s a bit of a cracker. Wonder if the recipe’s been changed in the last couple of years, as the ratings seem to have improved dramatically? Monday, September 3, 2012
wheresthepath	1.3 Uncle Stuarts Cherry Beer [Cask at Uncle Stuart’s brewery bar, Wroxham Barns, Norfolk] Reddish-amber, no head. Sickly sweet cherry syrup with a bit of cough mixture that catches at the back of your throat. There’s a hint of dirty straw bitterness at the end, implying that some poor beer was massacred in the making of this, but you have to search for it. We struggled to finish one of these between four of us - it’s just plain nasty. Monday, September 3, 2012
wheresthepath	2.6 Uncle Stuarts Queen's English [On cask at the brewery bar at Wroxham Barns] Slightly murky amber, very slight cream head. Sweet up front, a little smoke, a hint of plum and orange and a dirty straw bitterness to finish. Too sweet & too grubby, I’m afraid. Monday, September 3, 2012
maeib	3.7 Uncle Stuarts Stout Cask conditioned handpump Uncle Stuarts Barn Wroxham Barns 23/08/12. A pich black coloured beer with a short lived beige ring of head. Burnt malts in the nose. Pretty fruity and malty in the mouth. High bitterness. A good depth of rich flavours. Pretty nice. Monday, September 3, 2012
maeib	2.5 Uncle Stuarts Summer Ale Cask conditioned handpump Uncle Stuarts Barn Wroxham Barns 23/08/12. A golden coloured beer with a good whitish head and lacing. A bit gluey in the nose with spicy grassy notes. Celery salty flavours. Straw bitterness. Odd and yeasty. Not very good. Monday, September 3, 2012
BlackHaddock	3.8 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen Jan 2009: Brown 500ml bottle conditioned beer, poured into a straight Uk pint glass with 6 months life left according to the bottle. I wanted to pour it slowly and leave the sediment in the bottle, I failed. The beer looked clear and a pleasant amber/brown until I got excited and the glass became the home of a murky brown liquid with a wispy white head on top. It looked like a beer your mate has brewed, but couldn’t wait for it to clear before offering you a pint. My appearance score reflects my stupidity. Hops and yeast, yeast and hops, sorry, reminds me again of a mates good homebrew. Hold on thought. There is a richness in the aroma that carries on into the taste and mouthfeel too. The taste is bitter and hoppy (English Goldings and Progress hops), I found it a very good blend of flavours with a tangy, spritzy feel to the whole experience. As I mentioned above, the beer has a richness, there is a depth of body too, which I can only assume comes from the high alcohol content. The alcohol is well hidden because of the complexity of the brew. I have mentioned homebrew in this review a couple of times, but this beer is well above any homebrewers products I have ever had. Friday, May 18, 2012
BlackHaddock	2.9 Uncle Stuarts North Norfolk Beauty Brown 500ml bottle, part of a mixed four pack given to me by a friend. Best before the end of June 2009, drank at the end of Nov 2008. Batch number 1009nnb. This is a bottle conditioned beer, so I poured it very slowly and carefully into a Imperial Pint sleeve glass. No sediment left the bottle. A very pale yellow almost golden body, loads of carbonisation rising up to the well formed white foaming head. We are talking straw blonde, almost lager like in appearance, but not as sparkling or bright. The aroma was of oatmeal biscuits and yeast with a hint of hops hidden away as the beer warmed in the glass. No storng over-riding flavours, oats, wheat, barley, white bread and some dry hoppy aftertaste is what I could find and I had to dig deep to find those. The carbonisation that showed its self during and after the pour wasn’t to be found in the actual drink, it wasn’t flat, but it wasn’t fizzy either, just about right. Sadly there was no real body, but it isn’t ’wishy-washy’. The sort of beer you’d blend with something stronger, and with more ’Umph’ if it was your own home-brew. Pleasant enough, but lacking in the body and flavour stakes for me. I do want the smaller guys to do well, but they have got to produce a product that ’knocks my socks off’ if they expect me and my mates (and the public in general) to pay the extra prices they need to survive, compared to the discounts the big boys can offer. Thursday, May 17, 2012
BlackHaddock	4 Uncle Stuarts Christmas Ale Winter Ale (sure it’s the same beer!): Brown 500ml bottle, best before End of Dec 2008, drank Early Oct 2008. Poured into a straight sided (sleeve) pint glass. Deep, dark, almost Jet Black with a huge foaming head which was a rich tan colour. Aroma reminded me of Belgian Chocolates and Belgian Christmas beers. Sweet, rich and warm, a kind of Peat fire smell without the smoke, if that is possible. Roasted malt flavours dominate the taste, dark chocolate and coffee appear too. The bottle says they use East Anglian malted barley and English Goldings along with Progress for hops, I would never have known if they hadn’t put it on the label. In a blind tasting I would have been saying it was obviously a Belgian etc etc, I’d have been completely wrong. The 7% is so evident but without blowing your head off, so unlike most UK brewed stronger beers. A very good beer, one I shall get my mate (who lives in Lingwood) to get me again. Tuesday, May 15, 2012
BlackHaddock	2.4 Uncle Stuarts Buckenham Woods Brown 500ml bottle-conditioned example, best before End of July 2008, drank 19th Aug 2008, a bit later than the brewery wanted me to drink it! The label asked me to serve it cool not cold (11-13 degrees C), so I did. Poured into a pint sleeve glass it showed a dark, deep Ruby body with not much of a wispy tan head above. the head soon just became a collar around the glass, but at least it stayed the whole drink. The first aroma was of cooking apples with extra sour tones, this gave way to some malty smells as the beer warmed. The taste was a mixed bag of Balsamic Vinegar, Root Liquorice and off Dark Chocolate. Not smooth or rich, this is a 5.6% dark ale that is closer to semi-skimmed milk than it is to full cream. Overall not too impressed. I have three more beers from this brewery to review, I hope they get better because I hate to put down the little guy. Maybe the BBD was very accurate and the 19 days over the top effected the beer. Monday, May 14, 2012
mr_h	2.1 Uncle Stuarts Wroxham Barns Bitter Cask by handpump at Bon Accord, Glasgow (28 Jan 12) - 4.1% strength, as per pumpclip, not 4.8%, cloudy golden ale, medium off-white head, vegetable aroma and flavour, bit watery, musty aftertaste Sunday, April 22, 2012
fonefan	2.8 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen Bottle 500ml. [ BBF 0709 ]. Clear medium amber orange yellow colour with a small to average, frothy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, white to off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, berry, chalk, oxidide notes. Flavour is moderate to light light heavy sweet, light light acidic and light bitter with a average duration, malty, berries, sweet malt. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20110728] Sunday, August 14, 2011
planky84	2.4 Uncle Stuarts Strumpshaw Fen Bottle at Chris O’s pre GBBF shindig, 2011. Cloudy orange pour, white head. Barley sugar nose. Sugary fruit flavour. Quite dull. Monday, August 1, 2011