Old School

Location of Origin: Darwin Brewery Ltd, 63 Back Tatham Street, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR1 2QE
Date Established: 1994
Category: Independent, Craft, Microbrewery, Two Facilities With a 12 Barrel Facility and original 18-Gallon Nanobrewery.

The North East Region of England serves as the location for the University of Sunderland, a college which gained University status in 1992, which makes it a "new university." The university has an enrollment of over 17,000, and like all other large venues of higher education in the UK, it offers a vast array of courses and degrees. One such department was the brewing school, where students learned all of the ins and outs of brewing and its related chemistry at a nano 18 gallon facility. The beer that came out of that small plant was received very well, and demand eventually rose so much that a sister, commercial brewery was spun off in 1994, creating Darwin Brewing Ltd. The company brewed the same beer that was made at the school, which still uses the teaching facility to provide the brewery with their specific strain of yeast and technical support. The brewing school has graduated many students who went on to either start up new UK microbreweries or join existing establishments. The brewery had gone through a 1997 acquisition of the Hodges Brewery in Crook, before expanding (and moving back to Sunderland) to their current 12 barrel facility in 2002. Aside from being a regional favorite, the brewery has garnered quite a list of accolades both domestically and internationally. In 2004, Darwin was named CAMRA's "North East Beer of the Year". A year later, they were winner's of ASDA's award and in 2005, they were winners of the Tesco Beer Challenge. Their small brewery produces up to 40 different ales each year, including their flagship, Ghost Ale, a citrusy and hoppy bitter with a light presence and a golden color.

Reviewed Beer from Darwin Brewery Ltd


None Yet.

All rated Beer from Darwin Brewery Ltd

4-20-12 - Original Flag Porter - 3.88, English Porter, 5.00%
This traditional porter is full of rich dark malty coffee flavors as you would expect, with a good amount of bittersweet undertone. This is a medium full bodied beer with a good amount of weight, a slightly below average carbonation, and a pretty clean finish. This is a clear, dark colored beer which lets a good amount of light shine through.