Beers

During its time of operation, Bazens’ Brewery produced 10 beers regularly or semi-regularly under the Bazens’ brand name. Most of these were carried forward to the Star Brewery rebranding in 2010, alongside the newly-crafted Starry Night Ale.

Brazens’ Brewery beers were immediately noted for their distinctiveness, earning the Bazens prizes from the first year of the brewery’s operation. In general, Bazens’ regularly-produced beers were notable for their hoppy flavor and citrus aftertaste, but with little of the bitterness associated with either. Most Bazens’ beers made for good casual drinking due to the typically lower alcohol count – and in fact, the lower-alcohol Bazens’ brews are those that often made the most good at prize-awarding festivals…

Among Bazens’ Brewery’s regular brews were the following:

Black Pig Mild (3.6% Alcohol by Volume) – Smoky roasted flavors and rich dark color ultimately left this award-winning brew resembling a stout but refreshing like its “mild ale” classification.

eXSB (5.5% A.V.) – Bazens’ proudly proclaimed “extra special/strong bitter”, exSB was a lively and smooth bitter with a lighter amber color which was brewed with barley, wheat, rye and oats in addition to hops for complexity.

Freshers’ Special (5.5% A.V.) – The “Freshers” in the name has simply got to refer to incoming collegians; after all, this was a tasty beer fit for partying and really packs a satisfying punch.

Knoll St. Porter (5.2% A.V.) – Celebrating the brewery’s new location in 2005 was the creation of this nicely complex malty dark porter, with Bazens’ trademark citrus finish included.

The “One-Hop Wonders” (various A.V.) – Beginning in 2006 with My Beautiful Willamette, Bazens’ released a series of these one-shot brews, each crafted from a distinct strain of hops and cleverly named thusly.

Pacific Bitter (3.8% A.V.) – An amber ale with fruity aroma and citrus aftertaste, about the only drawback to Pacific Bitter was the low alcohol content – but that didn’t deter the bitter from bagging a few beer festival prizes for the Bazens.

Red Shed (3.8% A.V.) – A deeper-red version of Bazens’ Pacific Bitter, but lighter on the finish.

Salford Pale Ale – Brewed at the height of the IPA frenzy in the mid-2000s, Salford Pale Ale was an above-average representation of the genre, golden or color and with a hoppiness that Bazens’ just loved to accentuate.

Santa’s Reinbeer (4.6% A.V.) – A sort of semi-wheat beer, Santa’s Reinbeer was brewed from a blend of wheat and bitters hops to make one of Bazens’ more famous selections – and It wasn’t even seasonal!

20 Not Out (4.1% A.V.) – Though only produced in limited quantities, 20 Not Out deserves some special recognition for its notoriety. Brewed on commission to celebrate the 20th anniversary of industry trade publication Opening Times for the 18th Beer & Cider Festival in Stockport in 2004. From out of nowhere, this batch was awarded a medal for excellence and a second run was produced.

Wass Ale (4.5% A.V.) – A distinctively rich brown ale, Wass was a favorite among Bazens’ products from its first release in 2007.

Seasonal brews and specials – Naturally, Bazens’ also produced a number of seasonal beers. Bomber Ale (3.8% A.V.), Bullocks (4.3%), Centaur (4.2%), Cliff Bier (5.2%), Dilemma (4.1%), Goatee Beer (4.9%), Golding Fleece (4.4%), Lionbrew (4.4%), £SD (5.2%), The Newun (4.2%), Riverside (4.5%), Scuttler (4.0%), Sea God (4.3% ), and Stinger (4.3%).