Wychwood Brewery :
Hobgoblin Dark English Ale
In the UK Hobgoblin is called a Legendary Ruby Beer, for its slight reddish hue. Later, Wychwood introduced an actual Ruby Beer. Regardless of its title, Hobgoblin Dark English Ale is a fine, full-bodied beer. Nice an malty with a nice touch of hops.
The medieval Wych Wood - or Wychwood Forest - is located near the town of Witney, Oxfordshire, and is reportedly inhabited by witches, fairies, forest people, woodland spirits, goblins and their kin, the hobgoblins. And it is the town of Witney where Hobgoblin Beer is brewed by, appropriately enough, The Wychwood Brewery.
The Wychwood Brewery of today is loosely related to the Clinch Brewery, which itself dates back to 1841, when, as the story goes, a Mr. John Clinch opened a brewery in the town of Witney. For over 100 years his brewery did reasonably well. In 1961, Clinch's Brewery - also known as the Old Witney Town Brewery - was sold to the folks at Courage, who decided to close it down the following year. End of this chapter.
For the next two decades, the site of Clinch's Brewery was not really used as such, that is until 1983, when it was bought by on Paddy Glenny, who was joined in 1985, by Chris Moss. Their brewery was first known as the Glenny Brewery, and then later as the Eagle Brewery - a nod to the associated Eagle Maltings buildings. In 1988, at the request of a local pub landlord celebrating his daughter’s wedding, Moss whipped up a batch of special dark beer, and this was the basis for today's Hobgoblin Dark English Ale.
In 1990, Glenny sold his interest in the brewery to Ian Rogers, and the brewery was renamed the Wychwood Brewery, after the aforementioned enchanted forest. Things went well for Moss and Rogers, and by the close of the 20th Century, Wychwood Brewery was producing thousands of barrels of beer, cask ales and seasonal specialties.
Expansion came in 2002, when the folks at Wychwood bought the rights - and much of the vintage brewing equipment - of the now shuttered Brakspear Brewery, located in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. After moving the equipment to Witney, Wychwood began brewing Brakspear Bitter and Oxford Gold, using some of the age-old techniques traditionally used by Brakspear. Interestingly, Robert Brakspear actually began his brewery, back in 1779, in the town of Witney, before moving to Henley, so there is certainly a historical connection with Witney.
Today, Wychwood and Brakspear produce a number of different beers, in varying styles, although I have only found Hobgloblin here in North America. That is not to say that others are not out there to be found, so if you run across one or two other Wychwood of Brakspear beers, drop me a line. Cheers!
Update: From the Oxford Drinker, 21 September 2023
Wychwood Chooped Down
by
Dave Richardson
Witney brewery latest victim of Carlsberg Marston’s cost cutting drive The home of Hobgoblin is to close its doors in November after Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) swung the axe on yet another once independent brewery. Production of Hobgoblin will now be concentrated at the group’s huge brewery in Burton-on-Trent, and the future of the Witney site is unclear.
To read the full story, click HERE.