Back in the mash tun.
Update: In January 2023, Hops & Dots announced closure due to trading conditions 😢
Quick shout out to a local brewery you may/not know of, Hops & Dots Brew Co.
I’d seen their tins out and about, but became doubly aware of the Bishop Auckland brewers during lockdown. Owner John turned to crowdfunding to help keep the ship afloat, as well as to allow some growth capital to help make the move to full-time brewing.
I’m still spending lockdown gift vouchers now for places that were closed during 2020/21, but for Hops & Dots, one of the crowdfunding options was a ‘Stout Nerds Brew Day’. Had my name written all over it…
As most did, the brewery trundled through lockdown, relying on web sales, but come 2022 we collectively got through the worst of it 🤞🏼 and following 160% funding, I managed to get in for a days brewing.
On the coldest January Sunday of all-time, I headed to Bish for an early start to brew what we knew would be a stout, but the ins and outs of — tbc. My own home brewing is on hiatus for the time being, but there is always something exciting about the anticipation of throwing some malts & hops together and then waiting to see what comes out of the other side. We thankfully settled on something that wasn’t a silly pastry stout with doughnuts and/or cinnamon rolls in it, but just a straight up, big-ABV, big-SRM stout. Yes please.
Owner John is just one of those ever-enthusiastic and nice blokes that we need more of. The Hops & Dots name comes from his day job and passion for braille production, technology, and use of, giving all the beers a somewhat feel-good aspect. It also strives to promote an overall message of inclusivity and accessibility 👊🏻.
So, usual thing — chuck in an assortment of dark malts ✅ wait & chat beers ✅ dig out the mash tun ✅ chuck some hops in ✅. We also got some killer pizzas from nearby and frequent Hops & Dots collaborators, Caps Off who are moving more and more into food. Between these guys and Danny over at McColls Brewery, Bishop Auckland is punching way harder than it should be!
The hard part of brewing is waiting the ~4 weeks for fermenting and packaging. Luckily enough, on our first visit to Microbus in Gateshead (which, along with neighbouring axis, is becoming The Gateshead Place) I spotted it on keg just as it was released 👇🏼
So the finished article — I LOVE a tan head on a stout and it would be ace on cask or nitro but hey ho. Quite subtle on the nose but the jet black colour gives the game away — it’s 10.5% in the end 🥵 and on drinking, some complexity with mostly roasty coffee and very dark chocolate notes and some astringency. As you might expect after lobbing in so much brewing sugar, not as thick as expected, but very toasty and doesn’t taste like a 10%+. Result!
Absolutely no doubt it’ll age well, so more than fine to sit in the can for a year and beyond, which is fortunate seeing as I’ve got a dozen tins of it. If you’re new to Hops & Dots, apart from picking this up, I suggest grabbing a ‘Do You Wanna Buy a Speedboat’ (West Coast Pale), ‘Porterhouse 5’ (Milk Porter), and any of the latest collabs with Leeds-based Tartarus.
If you’d like a tinny of your own, take a look at the webshop below and see what else you fancy, check out your nearest bottle shop or get in touch with me directly and I’ll give you one in exchange for a charitable donation to the DEC, which you could just do by clicking here. Cheers!
Contact: hopsanddots.com
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