Tuesday 1 February 2011

Introducing: Magic Rock Brewing

Huddersfield has just gained a brewery! Magic Rock is a new adventure for the guys behind myBrewerytap with Stuart Ross, formerly of Kelham Island, Acorn and Crown Brewery, heading up the brewing duties.

Brothers Richard and Jonathan Burhouse are the investors in the brewery that will be based in the outbuildings of their family business in Huddersfield, a business which has been importing and wholesaling crystals and natural gifts for the last 40 years – hence the name Magic Rock.

“The intention is to brew modern flavour-forward beers inspired in part by US craft breweries in order to take advantage of the current real ale boom and an expected increase in discerning drinkers seeking more flavourful beers,” explains Richard. The Magic Rock beer will be available in casks, kegs and bottles, focussing predominantly on cask but increasing bottles with demand. Their core range will be as follows, plus a number of seasonals:

Curious - Pale Ale (3.9%)
Rapture - Red Hop Ale (4.5%)
High Wire - West Coast Pale Ale (5.5%)
Dark Arts - Stout (6.0%)
Cannonball - India Pale Ale (7.4%)


Brewing will begin in March 2011 and Stuart officially starts working for the brewery today, helping in the set up. “I’ve always enjoyed Stuart’s beers, which always seemed very true to style and well crafted - he’s not intimidated by big abvs and he’s open minded to new methods of production and dispense,” says Richard. “He’s also young, enthusiastic and likes modern big hopped aroma and flavour in beers.” Richard and Jonathan will also help out on the brewing side, having taken a brewlab course last year.

“When Rich asked me if I'd be interested in being the brewer we talked about beer styles and different breweries and found we both wanted the same from a new brewery,” says Stuart, who has most recently worked at the Crown Brewery in the Hillsborough Hotel, Sheffield, where the beers have been very highly regarded. “I've always worked with other peoples’ recipes and brewing equipment and I'm really looking forward to putting my own stamp on a new brewery and new beers."

Magic Rock will have a 12bbl brew length initially with a large hopback included in the kit to help build hop character into the beers. They are starting with two fermenters, so brewing will be limited initially due to fermenting/conditioning space, but they’ve committed to another two fermenters and hope to install those within a few months, depending on demand for the beers.

The focus will be towards US-style, hoppy ales done with a modern twist for the UK pub market. I love the pump clip/label which is different, sharp, modern and will definitely stand out on the bar against its contemporaries and rivals. Stuart is also a great brewer who loves drinking the styles of beer he’ll be making. I’ve enjoyed many of his beers from Crown so it’ll be good to see him flex his brewing muscles in a place where he can start from the beginning.

You can follow them online as the brewery develops. The website is now live. There’s a facebook page and you can follow the action on twitter: @MagicRockBrewCo, @MagicRockStu and @mybrewerytap (myBrewerytap is run by Richard but the two businesses are separate, although the Magic Rock beers will be sold through mBt).

With a dedicated team of people who love those beers, I think it’s a great new addition. Look out for Magic Rock beers in the next few months! 

24 comments:

  1. Exciting stuff! The pump clips looks grea and, like you say, will really stand out at the bar. Good luck to all involved.

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  2. Super pump clip, super logo, super beer names (so long as they don't name one terriers!) super styles for the core range, super chaps. Not too much to live up to then eh?! Great addition for West Yorkshire, better dig out my Kirkless train timetable...

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  3. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Magic Rock get on, they are a brewery setup once they know what the drinker wants especially the new wave of beer drinker who wants different & flavourful ales.

    The name, pumpclip, beer descriptions suggests a freshness and vitality which is a great addition to the already exciting brewery world.

    Can't wait to see what magic Stuart (and the others) can make with their own brewery!

    Good luck chaps!

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  4. Ooh, that is exciting. Looking forward to Cannonball. As the Marks have said, lovely pumpclip.

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  5. I agree about the pumpclips, they look fantastic. They remind me a little of Thornbridge, i think it may be the font, but also of Funfair by Leeds Brewery (a regional special). That said they do have a style of their own. Very nice.

    Great to see another brewery going for hop forward, US inspired beers. Brewdog have had meteoric growth by tapping in to this niche, where even there amber beers such as 5am Saint have that big dry hop profile.

    Can't wait to try these beers, hopefully they'll make it the few miles from Huddersfield to Leeds and into one of my locals! If not I expect it'll be a trip to Beer Ritz for a bottle perhaps?

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  6. Speaking of which, any info on availability apart from my brewery tap? I've used the site before and it's great, but would love to try this in a decent pub near me in Leeds

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  7. great news and looking forward to trying them. on the downside, huddersfield's gain is Sheffield's loss - have to hope someone carries on stu's good work at crown...

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  8. Good luck with the venture. Sounds like my taste in beers. Looking forward to sampling a few... Craigs_brews

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  9. Yep, the branding rocks! It makes you want to drink it, whatever it is!

    Neil - I guess that it'll definitely be on in The Grove in Huddersfield as for anywhere else I think we'll have to wait and see. The first beer won't be ready until the end of March so they'll probably need to wait until nearer the time to start selling it. Leeds isn't too far away and it had lots of good places to drink so hopefully it'll make it there.

    Dave - Well said. Stu did a great job at Crown and built up a strong reputation. Big boots to fill but hopefully they'll get the right person to carry that forward.

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  10. Thanks for all the positive comments. We hope to have beer available by the end of March. We'll be doing our best to sell the beer into pubs in West Yorkshire and beyond. The bottles will be available via myBrewerytap and anywhere else that would like to stock them. You can email us: sales@magicrockbrewing.com

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  11. Super stuff. It would be nice to see them throw in some colour for other pump clips. I think if they all had that sort of vibe in black and white they could become a little confusing with that amount of information in the picture.

    Really looking forward to them!

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  12. There will be different colours for the different beers, this is the only one we've done so far.

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  13. Good luck Guys, with Stu brewing his "Magic" you cannot fail. Let us know whick pubs the beers will be available in when you start brewing. : )

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  14. Sounds like a positive addition to Britain's craft beer scene. Best of luck chaps, looking forward to seeing how you get on.

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  15. Mark - really eager to get over to the Grove for one, especially after Ghost drinker and Avery blogged about their xmas party. The beer offerings look immense!

    Hopefully North Bar or one of the other decent outlets in Leeds will get a sniff.

    Richard - glad to hear a bit more colour is going to be involved, although I do love this monchrome one as well. You've got an excellent designer by the looks of it

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  16. The range looks awesome. Exactly the kind of beers I would like to see a bit more local to me down in Surrey. Good luck fellas!

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  17. Fantastic news. Great to read this. I love Crown's beers and with the combination of investment from My Brewery Tap and knowing they drink the real stuff this will be fabulous. Hopefully some joint ventures with Evin from The Kernel and other world class brewers coming in to brew.

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  18. cheers guys I'm really looking forward to brewing, can't wait to get started.

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  19. I hate Huddersfield. They've got all those top class pubs and now a brewery too!

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  20. Birkonian - Huddersfield already has a superb brewery! www.drinkmallinsons.co.uk

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  21. Looking forward to trying the beers and seeing the fully installed kit :)

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  22. If your beer is as good as your selection on myBrewerytap then you will be successful. I love your beer ideology... hops, hops and more hops!

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  23. I recently was given the chance to go to the brewery and sample the first five beers. and I can say in confidence that they live up to and exceed all expectations. Every one of them is perfectly balanced with massive flavours jumping out of the glass. Really looking forward to the launch event now at The Grove, Springwood on the 21st June from 7pm :)

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